#and to hardison? eliot is the epitome of that

[leverage-ot3]

okay but the parallel between hardison using eliot as an example of redemption to harry in the panamanian monkey job and eliot saying he could never be redeemed (and he’s made peace with that) to sophie in the finale

#something something everyone can see how eliot has been redeemed but eliot. eliot will never believe it #something something hardison looks at the man who has stood beside him and protected him for over a decade and seeing him as redeemed #hardison watching him risk his life day after day after day month after month year after year #and knowing in his heart that this is what they stand for. this is what they strive for. to do better. to be better #and to hardison? eliot is the epitome of that #it breaks his heart that eliot can’t see that #parker wants to shake him he’s being stupid ‘ELIOT CANT YOU SEE’ ‘YOU ARE GOOD’ #hardison as he joins in shaking eliot: ‘YOU ARE A GOOD MAN PLS BELIEVE US WE ARE RIGHT UR WRONG’ #insert me with the always sunny conspiracy corkboard with red string connecting these two plot elements #i’ve connected the dots #i’ve connected them #I am Not posting this at peak time or anything I just had this thought just now and almost lost it #leverage redemption #leverage ot3 #meta #parker x hardison x eliot #eliot spencer meta #eliot spencer #leverage #parallels #the panamanian monkey job #the crowning achievement job #leverage redemption s2 #leverage redemption s1 #leverage redemption 2.13 #leverage redemption 1.02 #mine #people pls like this show me I’m not going crazy

[ot3showdown]

Oh you asked about Leverage?

It's a show about a group of modern day robin hood-type thieves who steal from and publicly humiliate rich CEO's and corrupt businessmen. It's very satisfying to watch imho.

Then you have The OT3, Eliot/Hardison/Parker. They don't even have an agreed upon ship name in the fandom because they're just The OT3. They don't NEED a ship name because they're that ubiquitous (The OT3 has the most fics on ao3 by a WIDE margin, far above any of the "canon" ships) (and I say "canon" because in the last episode of the OG show, Eliot looks at Parker and Hardison and promises to protect them "till my dyin' day", how else are you supposed to take that???)

They are the best Hitter, best Hacker, and best Thief in the world. The show is full of Competence Porn and it's amazing to watch.

But that's not even getting into their characters. They're all introduced in the first episode as people who "always work alone" and don't get along with anyone. Cut to 10 minutes later and Eliot is taking the time to drag Hardison out of an about-to-explode warehouse instead of just saving himself, and this is after Hardison had a gun pointed at him five seconds earlier.

Eliot and Hardison bicker like an old married couple from the first episode, getting under each others skin constantly, but when shit hits the fan they know they can trust each other with their lives. Eliot and Parker understand each other in a way that the rest of the team can't, because they've both Done Some Shit and are trying to do good, but Parker also pokes Eliot's injuries and asks if they hurt and Eliot convinces Parker that there's an Extra Secret Area 52. Parker and Hardison are so soft together, and he lets her set the pace of their relationship because he will wait as long as she needs, and she in turn (lovingly) pushes him off of buildings.

They're the epitome of "bad guys make the best good guys"

No one can ever come close to the Leverage OT3

jesus. yall arw just sending essays now. at least this one has some Evidence.

(i watched the first episode. i see it. i like it.)

(however, i am a very visual person, and i wish yall would share like fanart and gifs and pictures. bc all i know of them so far is that one bad pic i used for the poll lol)

#asks #i like hardison. i love a nerd #and parker is Such a Weird Girl. love that #eliot looks like brad pitt. this is both an insult and a compliment

[suddenrundown]

I was rewatching Leverage: Redemption with my girlfriend, and had a sudden thought about the Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist AU - when Elliot starts hanging out with Maria Shipp in the AU, Parker starts worrying that maybe he wants a more “normal” relationship than the one that she and Hardison can provide him. And then the Hurricane Job happens, and Maria is flirting with Elliot during all the chaos, and Elliot launches into “Shut Up And Fish” by Maddie and Tae in the song space, and Parker realizes that Elliot is ABSOLUTELY not romantically interested in Maria.

Ok first of all, this delights me for so many reasons: A) I didn't know this song existed until now and I'm cackling because B) we know that Eliot thinks that fishing with someone he loves is THEE epitome of romance but you know who doesn't know that? Parker, because she wasn't there when Nate heard Eliot singing about his love for Hardison fishing all those years ago in his kitchen, and in the past 10 years since, she hasn't gone out with them on the one, maybe two times that Eliot's convinced Hardison to go again, so she doesn't hear him sing it then either (although, if she were there, he totally would be singing "fishing in the dark", that's just fact lol).

So maybe she doesn't know about this very specific fantasy of his, but she does know Eliot and she's gotten very good over the years at interpreting the meaning behind the heartsongs she hears, so......

(also, I don't know if you were specifying that the ot3 were in a relationship or if you were sticking to canon, but when I was thinking about this ask today I kept thinking of it in terms of canon and this waffly non-relationship they seem to be in, so)

Poor Parker is having this weird "I'm gonna crawl out of my skin" type of feeling, and she doesn't really understand it. Sure, she feels like a drowned rat and the hotel they're in is swarming with corrupt cops so no wonder, but that's not it. Not really.

When she looks over and sees Eliot and Maria standing close, scheming up some sort of plan (without her), it's very....couple-y. She tries not to get distracted with wondering why she feels that way. It's not because she dislikes Maria, and if Eliot trusts her then she can trust her, she guesses. Parker's not gonna tell Eliot who to spend his time with.

(He hasn't spend any time with her, lately.........huh. *skin crawling intensifies*).

Eliot does eventually make his way back over, wordlessly asking her with a specific look if all's good on her end, and she's distracted for a moment by country music that's starting to play through the room to give a reply, so she nods for him to follow her around the corner and through the kitchen door (it's still playing, but vaguely muted).

"I have the mics wired above the cops' rooms," she tells him.

"S'good," he replies, "anything been said yet?"

"No." She shivers a little and pulls at the wet fabric sticking to her neck.

"You alright?"

"Yeah," she says dismissively, though it isn't true. She feels icky. "What are you and the marshal doing?"

"Maria thinks we'll get somewhere if we wait it out a bit".

There's something hesitant there, and she doesn't really want to get in the middle of it, but she asks anyway, "Well what do you think?"

"S'fine, Honestly though, I could tell pretty fast she has more than just bass on her mind."

She's about to ask what that means, but then the music that's been muted suddenly is all around them from no particular source, and all at once she realizes the source is actually Eliot when he sings:

♫Oh I was fishing, she was wishing we were kissing, I was getting madder than a hornet in an old Coke can ♫

Parker blinks and wordlessly watches him slide up beside her.

♫ Getting closer, sliding over, crowding up my casting shoulder, reaching out and tryna hold my reeling hand♫

There's warmth now where he's pressed into her, a familiar kind but not one she's felt lately as he puts an arm around her shoulder.

♫And saying I'm pretty, saying she's in love, and how it don't get any better than this♫

It leaves just as quickly as he pulls away, sliding away again.

♫I say yeah it could girl, if you would shut up and fish♫

The song ends just as abruptly as it began, and Eliot runs a hand through his hair, slightly agitated. "You know?"

Well.....no. He sang through what he was saying in reality, so she doesn't know, but she nods anyway.

"I can do a perimeter check in the vents," she says, not sure how well that lines up with their plans.

"Sounds good."

When they part ways and she climbs into the nearest vent, she takes a moment to orient herself, and to think about the heartsong. And how warm Eliot is, even soaking wet.

"He really likes fishing," she giggles to herself, suddenly feeling far less icky than she had been.

For some reason.

#hey THANKS for the ask!! sorry i kind of took it and used it as an excuse to do whatever lol. #also picture me saluting you because anyone who willingly rewatches the hurricane job is braver than any US marine #the hurrican job my nemesis my worstie.... #answered #a heartsong au #leverage #eliot spencer #parker #otp: it makes us us

[piccolina-mina]

I've never seen leverage. but does it haev found family dynamics? cus thats my shiz

If you looked "found family" up in the dictionary, you would find these five lovable con-artists:

Nate is a former insurance dude turned criminal mastermind who leads the motley crew of misfits on capers and heists. He has all the man pain. Alcoholic dad, most reluctant to embrace the family dynamic, but totally falls into it anyway.

Sophie is a grifter. Total mom friend. She can be anything and anyone. Has a heart of gold. Sexy as hell. Usually the best go-between when Nate is being... Nate. She's the crime mom, and Nate's crime wife, dammit. Master of disguise. Master of manipulation. Master of keeping Nate in check. A real queen.

Eliot Spencer is the hitter. He's the brawler. Former mercenary. Doesn't even need a gun. Total badass. But he's also really soft and not remotely close to being a toxic male. And he's super smart. He has many skills.

But he's totally like the oldest kid who tells dad to "fk off" when Nate screws up, and he seems like the grumpy older brother, but he will protect the others with his life. Eliot is bae. Never has to get ready because he stays ready. Lowkey the other mom of the group.

Parker is a thief. Totally unpredictable. Not exclusively said but presumed to be and presents as someone on the Autistic Spectrum, and they don't make a thing out of it. Loves money, nudity, ziplines, and stabbing creeps. She's like the wild child. They have to rein her in. Doesn't trust easily, never had family, until team Leverage.

Hardison is the Hacker, also great at forgery. He's the baby. Totally channels annoying but lovable little brother. Especially with Eliot. He's the one who realized they were a family first. He's a total nester.

Very dramatic and expressive. Totally extra all the time. So innocent and sweet, the most compassionate. The puppy. Requires a lot of attention, sometimes goofs off, lowkey acts like a teenager. But has so much heart. Coolest nerd you'll ever know. His smile is like sunshine.

One big, happy, dysfunctional, criminal family who takes down capitalist baddies. We stan this found family dynamic. Yeah we do, nonny.

#Leverage #nate ford #sophie devereaux #eliot spencer #parker #alec hardison #it's the epitome of found family my friend

[i-the-winter-plum]

i know literally every episode is the epitome of found family and growing relationships, but I’ve got to say it. the Van Gogh job is the Parker/Hardison job. the long way down job is the Parker/Eliot job. the gone fishin’ is the Hardison/Eliot job. the ✨rundown job✨ is the OT3 job. good for them.

#leverage #leverage ot3 #the van gogh job #the long way down job #the gone fishin’ job #the rundown job #they deserve this #eliot spencer #alec hardison #parker #parker leverage

[eyrieofsynapses]

I rewatched The Iceman Job last night on the way back from a trip, just under a week after watching the seventh Redemption episode. The sudden pivot from twelve years to two is whiplash at its finest. Most stunning of all, though, is how the ot3 has changed so much--yet where they came from is written into every line of the episode. Even a mere two years into knowing each other, they already get one another. 

It isn’t perfect by any means. They’re awkward newborn foals, stumbling over each other’s sore spots and struggling to maintain a pace together. Hardison makes the mistake of claiming Parker’s works as his own and hurts her pride. Parker struggles to express and deal with her emotions in response. Eliot can see and understand part of the problem but not necessarily help them figure it out yet. 

But Eliot and Parker exchange worried glances as Hardison overplays the con. Eliot shoots her a concerned look as she paces that not only speaks of he’s fucking it up but also dammit, this is hurting her. Parker sticks by his side and they have an unspoken agreement to put up with Hardison’s bullshit, all while leaning on each other in the meantime. Hardison figures out his offense by the end and apologizes to her in his own way. He knows how to improvise with them, how to read every clue Parker leaves and imitate her methods, bantering back and forth with Eliot even as they flawlessly fake a convincing fight. 

And more than that--more than that!--the love is so clear. They don’t know how to love each other yet but they do it fiercely. It’s written in Eliot coming back for Hardison without hesitation despite his threats. It’s Parker pulling Hardison close in the closet as they blow through the floor. It’s Hardison trying to hug Eliot at the end, and Eliot letting him, though it would have been so easy for him to throw Hardison to the floor or twist him around in an armbar. It’s Parker letting Eliot go when he calls Sophie and catching a ride with him later when she’s clearly frustrated. 

It’s the banter as they try their damnedest to pull off the heist together. It’s the concern wrapped up and hidden in annoyance and jabs. Even in the midst of a high-stakes heist they pull each other’s strings and mess with each other--in the middle of a deadly situation, Parker and Eliot do not once hesitate to rescue Hardison. 

Then it’s a decade later. 

It’s a decade later, and Parker and Eliot have the same unspoken language between them, tempered by the ardent fire of twelve long years together. Eliot and Hardison understand each other with an intimacy unmatched: Eliot looks back on the Iceman job and says you were a kid, you have grown and I will always support you as you keep growing, and Hardison looks back on the years and says he has saved hundreds of people who will never know his name and yet he gets up every morning saying “I still got more work to do.” Hardison and Parker’s love is the epitome of love is patient, love is kind. She holds him tight, flirts openly, then tenderly lets him go when he needs to leave so that he can grow and flourish.

They banter still. They laugh over the comms as they did ten years ago, Hardison teasing Eliot, Eliot grumbling back, Parker snickering at them both. But they do not distract one another. Hardison does not overplay his bit. Eliot rolls smoothly with things with unwavering consciousness of the others. Parker is open with her emotions and the other two don’t even need to ask most of the time: they understand her, and she understands them, and there is nothing more to it. 

Parker knows how to nerve strike a man, and Eliot knows how to crawl through vents, and Hardison knows each nook and cranny of any security system. Their skills slide seamlessly into one another’s toolboxes. 

Ten years ago, they were hesitant with each other, pieces of a puzzle with rough edges still learning how to fit into each other. Ten years ago, Eliot’s anger burned hot and bright as a furnace. Hardison’s youthful arrogance and anxiety blinded him with his own genius. Parker’s insecurity and instability left her falling off the highwire and hitting the unforgiving ground of emotion. 

Ten years later?

Ten years later, Eliot’s furnace burns with fires of love, and Hardison’s brilliance shines with the clarity of a supernova, and Parker needs no nets nor ropes or wires: she spreads her wings and flies high with the steady confidence of an eagle. 

Ten years later they are stars pivoting around one another, constellations dancing in the sky together, unfaltering as the turning of the earth and constant as the rise and fall of the tides. The three of them sway to a song only they can hear with a rhythm set in time to their heartbeats.

Heads turn at the sight of them even in commonplace settings. It takes but a glance at one another to communicate. Who could deny such fluency in one another’s language? Who could deny such deep knowledge of another? 

Should Hell be so unwise as to claim Eliot (no matter how he believes he deserves it), Hardison and Parker would be the Orpheus to his Eurydice. The song they spin would move even Hades and Persephone to tears, and all their subjects would fill the kingdom of death with the sound of their sorrow. Even the monsters in the depths of Tartarus would find their hearts pierced by such a lament of love. The gods would not have the will to stop them from stealing away the lost third of their souls: instead Hermes himself (guide of the dead, patron of thieves) would escort them to the surface. 

In another pantheon even Satan would tremble at such love. Were the angels at the gates of Heaven faced with the three of them, they could not bear to part them. Their laws would snap at the sight of three souls so deeply entwined with one another. Such a bond is sacred in a way nothing else truly is. No immortal power can match such mortal love. 

For in a span of hours of knowing each other, they were already devoted more to one another than they had been to anyone in ages. Within days they stumbled into a new home. In weeks, they bared their souls to each other after years of denying anyone--even themselves--that right. Less than a year in and they came back to one another within days despite promising to leave for months. 

This strange contradictory trio established an understanding of one another in record time. Within days of first meeting they trusted each other with their lives. Only a year in, they couldn’t bear to be apart for longer than a few months.  

They weren’t perfect. It took time. But despite cutting each other on their rough edges and struggling desperately to learn one another’s language, they saw themselves reflected in each other even from the beginning. They persisted and fought for the right to love one another. 

Thus twelve years later--twelve years of laughter and tears and anger and frustration and kindness and thoughtfulness and patience and love later--it is not Parker, Hardison, Eliot, but Parker and Hardison and Eliot, looking at each other like the others crafted the sky and all its beauty. For that is true: Parker stole and hung their diamond stars, and Hardison forged the silver moon, and Eliot raised the golden sun. 

They are hitter-hacker-thief, after all. What else would their heavens be made of?

#leverage #leverage ot3 #leverage redemption #leverage redemption spoilers #leverage spoilers #whoops super sappy meta #okay I'm not gonna say that wasn't intentional though #yes I am probably being over-the-top about this again #no I do not care #alec hardison #parker #parker leverage #eliot spencer #the iceman job #synapse meta #synapse writes

[dionysuswearsanorangetracksuit]

My top three moments in the first episode of leverage redemption:

Harry’s face when Hardison and Eliot are arguing (flirting) over the process of forged paintings (it’s the epitome of "these bitches gay! good for them")

Parker being golden retriever puppy levels of excited to climb back into so many air vents

Hardison’s entire ‘redemption is a process speech’ to Harry at the end

#leverage #leverage redemption #leverage redemption spoilers #plus hardison saying his nana ran a multi denominational household 🥰 #gonna watch so many episodes tomorrow!!!!!! #200

[paperairplanesopenwindows]

SARA! some leverage feels, as requested:

do you ever get emo about eliot/parker and the way they understand each other so quietly? specifically i'm thinking about the conversation they have in the mountain job but just generally like. both of them are a little weird, about emotions! (it's bc they're neurodivergent) they're weird about emotions together! just thinking about them working together, while hardison's managing leverage international, bickering good-naturedly and always, always knowing what the other's up to. "i hate it too, but vents are her thing" YOU KNOW?

hardison and parker... the epitome of healthy relationships..... the Communication......... the way they DON'T understand each other super easily but that means they TALK and it means they DO know each other, deeply, in the way both of them WANT TO BE! and parker pays attention to hardison, she sees him and how smart he is and everything he does for the team and just! she's so quiet! she's so weird! she's so bad at being on a team! but that means she is UNIQUELY well positioned to notice all of them and their roles in the team and SPECIFICALLY hardison and his role and all the work he does and i'm just. Aaaaah. she sees him! and he sees her! clear of all the preconceptions that everyone else has! they have to observe each other to understand each other and it's GOOD

eliot/hardison eliot/hardison eliOT/HARDISON GOD DO YOU EVER JUST THINK ABOUT TENDERNESS AND SCARS AND THE WAY THEY PUSH EACH OTHER AND HOW GOOD IT IS FOR BOTH OF THEM AND JUST. AAAA

i hope these feels have aided you in your quest to write i'm gonna go have CNL emotions now

Essbie I want you to know that I keep thinking about this ask and loosing my mind, thank you.

#smallblueandloud #yall should be friends with essbie they're a delight and also you will get content like this!!!! #Win win #Leverage OT3

[ageofthegeekbrother]

One of my favorite leverage team Found Family Things is the little background details...like the things you may not notice or pay much attention to but add so much meaning to the relationships. Take, for example, the one line in the Queen’s Gambit Job where Nate is in the chess tournament and Hardison is all “You’re good, but you’re not that good” and Nate says “I still beat you every time” like??? Nate and Hardison have played chess together in their free time? Multiple times??? Or the fact that Parker knows where the cereal is in Nate’s apartment and helps herself to it whenever she’s hungry. I know we all love the scene where Eliot and Hardison rescue a client from fake fbi agents and Eliot beats them up for spilling his coffee but we always overlook the fact that the two of them were just casually getting coffee together? It’s not like they were on a con or anything?? When Sophie meets up with the others at the brewpub for the first time and is all “ugh we’re moving to Portland, no warning” but doesn’t even consider choosing to Not move right next to her crew. They all spend Christmas together every year and got so extravagant with the presents that Nate and Sophie had to put a limit on the money they could spend? Eliot knows how Hardison likes his steaks? At the end of the Broken Wing Job they all sit down to watch a horror movie together (and it’s clear that’s not their first family movie night.) They just know each other So Well and they spend so much time together, they’ve worked together for years and they still choose to spend whatever free time they have together too. The Girl’s Night Out Job and the Boy’s Night Out Job is a great example of this, because they’re all like yeah of course we have friends outside of the team! Of course we hang out with other people! But Not Many and Not Very Often. It shows just how closely knit they are and they are so wholly a family and they can’t imagine caring about anyone more than they care about those four other people and they are literally the EPITOME of found family everyone just go WATCH LEVERAGE

#leverage #nate ford #alec hardison #eliot spencer #sophie devereaux #parker #the original found family #i just love them so much #bc they love each other so much #someone: are there found family dynamics in leverage? #me: HONEY YOU GOT A BIG STORM COMIN

[november-rising]

All the SamBucky goodness that’s been coming out for the last few months has reinvigorated me. I’ve been reading and dreaming of these two for years. These two are the epitome. Period.

And, in those lulls between my Sam and Bucky fic readings, I found another show with a familiar duo. Please know that this post is by no means me trying to take away from the glory that is SamBucky (and Stackie). I could never do that. I’m going into nostalgia mode to deal with the lost of Captain America/Falcon and Winter Soldier/Sergeant Barnes. Survival mode activate!

My other comfort pair is from the TV show Leverage. Hardison/Eliot.

(You two. Please don’t judge. Y’all are THE pairing. I’m working on another post for you both. Dang!)

So...Leverage!

Hardison: A wonder with tech, can be the moral compass of the team, has proven that he can be a leader who appreciates what people can bring to the table, and finds that found family is beyond important.

Eliot: The muscle with a dark, violent past, did terrible deeds under the control of another, atoning for his past sins, wants a new family...had long hair.

These two were and are amazing!

Two people with past traumas at different points in their recovery...

Hmmmm. I wonder who those two men sound like. I dunno! 🤷🏽‍♀️🤔😏

And they had Parker, a badass woman with a taser who preferred to work alone but trusted Harrison and Eliot, and has a dark undercurrent.

Y’all. If those three aren’t these three...

Yup. I’ve got a thing for enemies to lovers with tragic backstories, redemption, acceptance, forced missions, and some snarky back and forth.

Thank you attending my TedTalk. (Did I do that right? lol)

Thanks to @rhubarb-barnes for giving the push to post this. It’s been sitting in my Notes for almost two weeks.

#sam wilson #sambucky #anthony mackie #bucky barnes #sebastain stan #tfatws #leverage #that show is a gem #Alec Hardison #Eliot Spencer #I’ve rewatched Falcon and Winter Soldier #I’m in survival mode #another comfort pair #my tumblr is kinda all over the place #enemies to bros to husbands #you know you love him

[miseryinyou]

I have so many thoughts about this particular Eliot-look in Redemption. The hat worn upside down AND backwards.....it's so stupid (and I say that with love), but really, it highlights a bigger issue that sort of went unaddressed during S1 of Redemption: Eliot is NOT okay.

Forget his love-life. That's not the issue here. The issue here is his physical and emotional health. The WHOLE season he repeatedly cracks his knuckles, rolls his neck and shoulder. He looks exhausted in so MANY scenes. Not necessarily physically exhausted, more of a 'I'm feeling emotionally burnt out' kind of exhaustion.

Like....this is a man in CRISIS.

LOOK at his tired face. LOOK AT IT.

This is the epitome of a man spiralling in some sort of depression fuelled mid-life crisis.

What gets me is that he LITERALLY works with Sophie, Parker, and Hardison (I know Hardison wasn't around much this season - but dammit the boys talked on the phone/through text all the time - I'll die on that hill).

Sophie is one of the world's greatest grifters AND Eliot's long-time friend. She's a master at reading people. Why can't she seem to realize that Eliot is in pain?!?

Same with Hardison and Parker. They might not consider themselves grifters, but they've literally LIVED with Eliot for years. Am I expected to believe they haven't noticed how tired Eliot has been? Am I expected to believe that they haven't noticed his chronic pain?!?

NO. I REFUSE.

When's Redemption going to address the toll being a hitter has taken on Eliot's middle-aged body? When's Redemption going to give him a break? Like, just let him chill out for a week. Let him take a nice nap and cook some fun new dish.

Look, Eliot-whump (emotional and physical) is my jam but I'm missing the comfort part of this hurt. I want his pain explored.

John Rogers - I'm looking at you.

#John Rogers #leverage redemption #leverage #eliot spencer #pain #just let him be happy #just for a few days #then we can beat him up again #for the whump #but can we give him a hug too?

[alea-says]

So, would anyone be interested in a Leverage fic that is a Sentinel!AU?

Where Eliot, who is the epitome of a fierce protector and is always wanting to take care of people, is a Sentinel. But a sentinel who's never found a guide strong enough to bond with.

And Hardison, with his voice in their ears all the time, is a Guide. But a guide who cant seem to focus enough to bond with a sentinel - his brain just needs to be moving more than that.

And Parker, well, shes got both sentinel and guide genes. And normally that wouldn't matter as only one set would activate. But her body decided she needed both to survive. So she's both sentinel and guide. And that doesn't mean she can guide herself but rather that she needs both a sentinel and a guide.

And they're all a little broken and no ones ever seen anything like them before, but somehow they just work.

#leverage #leverage fic idea #ot3 #the sentinel #sentinels and guides #sentinel guide Au #eliot spencer #alec hardison #Parker #parker (leverage)

[polymarinelove]

okay y’all listen up:

if you came to freeform’s siren for the ot3 or if you just loved the ot3 and are Not Okay™ about the current turn of events with the show, I have a show that will be a balm for your battered soul:

leverage

here are some of the perks:

ragtag team of “ex” thieves using their skills to take down the rich and powerful (white men)

epitome of the found family trope (this show basically CREATED the trope, I’m legitimately serious, deadass I believe they were the ones that truly created it) (edit: obviously I’m exaggerating but you catch my drift)

C A N O N polyamorous relationship made concretely canon by the last episode (although there are themes of it throughout the entire series)

also lowkey highkey the writer has been writing fanfiction for the ot3 on ao3 for the past decade but won’t say what his handle is. and no, I’m not even joking:

“villian” of the week storyline that never gets stale

after every con they make sure to dramatically gloat in the background, just in sight of their corrupt mark(s)

there is never a boring episode. no dips in content quality.

the writers didn’t believe in cliffhangers for season finales. they believed if you had to rely on shock factor or cliffhangers to keep the audience you weren’t doing it right

the Smart™ character is Alec Hardison, a black foster kid turned greatest hacker in the world. he loves and respect his nana above all else. (his first major crime was making the bank of iceland pay for his nana’s medical bills). he is PROUD geek (“age of the geek, baby”) and is can be emotional and there is nothing wrong with that (no toxic themes of black man hyper masculinity here, people). he is allowed and is unapologetically himself and on MANY occasions described (by his ot3 partners as well as the rest of the team) as the smartest man they’ve ever known. he is canonically romantically involved with parker for the last two seasons but he is also coded to be in a budding relationship with eliot (no toxic heteronormativity here either)

parker, canonically the greatest thief in the world, has many characteristics of being neurodivergent (possibly autistic) but is N E V E R made fun of or treated differently by her team because of this. she has trouble with emotions and connecting with others and was originally set up as the crazy, quirky girl character but the show was quick to set her up as SO MUCH MORE than that. her team helps her feel again after a rough, childhood and she learns to grift like a pro. shes baby and I’d die for her. she’s extremely smart and is built up to be the next mastermind of the team. her two love interests accept her for who she is and love everything about her. she is also bisexual (DONT @ ME I WILL TAKE THIS TO THE GRAVE THERE WERE TOO MANY HINTS AT IT)

eliot spencer, the hitter. basically is the brawn of the group that takes the hits for his team and fights if there is trouble or if they can’t just get in and out stealthily. started off as an 18 year old soldier with an idealized view of the world, slowly got involved with dubious military involvement and eventually turned into a hit man for hire. made many questionable choices but he eventually got out of that life. he HATES guns and when in fights, always takes his opponent’s gun away, dismantles the clip and throws it off to the side. despite all of this, he is N E V E R ONCE the toxic white manly man with a tragic past trope. never. yeah, he’s made major mistakes. yes, he has a tragic past. but that doesn’t define him. he attones for his past and tries to be better but it’s not a major plot point to overwhelm the viewer with manpain. he sometimes sleeps with other people but always cares about his lovers and pays attention to them (also lowkey sometimes the gender isn’t mentioned about past lovers so 👀👀👀 it’s Noted™). he is sure of himself and has the emotional stability that we wish bucky barnes would have. he teaches the women in his life how to fight and protect themselves. he loves cooking and uses his passion for it to teach parker how to feel (because cooking made him feel again after his terrible past). he’s so IN LOVE with parker and hardison- those heart eyes can be seen from the fucking MOON

sophie deveraux. grifter. english accent. EX art thief (“why does no one take that seriously!!!). wants to be an actress but cannot act for her LIFE unless she’s breaking the law. the mom/aunt of the group. she’s sexy, not just for her age- she’s sexy, period. she talks parker through grifting situations and teaches her how to interact with other people. I’d trust her with my secrets, but not with any valuables.

nate ford. the mastermind. an ex insurance agent. his son died after his company wouldn’t pay for his treatments. became a drunk, but the team gave him a reason to live again. his alcoholism could create problems for him, but it’s not glossed over at all in the show and is constantly addressed. he could be a dick and they didn’t excuse that. he and sophie have a relationship that takes three seasons to finally become something, and in the end after a lot of dancing around it becomes a healthy, loving relationship. he teaches parker to be the next mastermind, but doesn’t DREAM of leaving until he’s sure his kids parker, hardison and eliot will be good on their own. he could have easily been the broken white man trope but wasn’t. also, his “let’s go steal a _____” sctick never gets old- the bigger the thing they steal the better it gets, I promise.

literally, this is the best show of all time. it has it all: taking down rich white men, the found family of your DREAMS, a canon ot3

message my sideblog @leverage-ot3 for any questions or comments. you won’t regret watching this show, I promise.

(I’m tagging some other fandoms as well that I think might enjoy this show)

IMPORTANT EDIT:

the show aired from 2008-2012 (five seasons), but the show runners have reached a critical rage point about corporations today and have RENEWED IT for a sixth season (and possibly more)!!!

#siren #siren freeform #siren ff #polymarine #bryndie #motherland fort salem #fort salem #motherland #marvel #avengers #mcu #bucky barnes #leverage #leverage ot3 #parker #parker leverage #nate ford #sophie deveraux #eliot spencer #alec hardison

[ifeelbetterer]

Eliot buying flowers for both Parker and Sophie on Hardison and Nate is the epitome of the "those pants would look better on his floor!" wingman meme

[theladyragnell]

Headcanon request: When Maggie finds out Parker/Eliot/Hardison finally got together, what "wedding" gift does she send them? And when Sterling figures it out, how does he react? Swearing, or "they weren't already??" or what?

So Maggie, she thinks about it for a while. She’s a practical woman, and also she maybe wants to give her ex-husband one in the eye, a little bit. (When Sophie and Nate get not-married, she sends a present that is just BLATANTLY for Sophie alone, probably some art.) Though acknowledging instead of politely ignoring his proteges’ unconventional relationship is one in the eye enough.

Eventually, she buys Eliot a really nice set of kitchen knives (look, Hardison is weird and Parker is feral, she knows who is going to use and appreciate traditional wedding gifts) and sends those. And if she maybe sends a familiar button cam too ... well, who can blame her?

As for Sterling ... oh boy. I think there is a serious interlude where he buries his face in his hand and then slowly drags his hand down in just the EPITOME of exasperation, a few mouth openings and closings, and then “... No, you know what? That makes perfect sense, who else would have any of you” and then Eliot sort of makes a threatening gesture and Sterling Definitely Does Not Skitter Away, and thereafter he refuses to admit that he finds this odd or surprising or anything else, he is playing Normality Chicken with them and they will not beat him.

#anonymous #answered asks

[bifca]

Ship to rant about: The Leverage OT3

Oh lord where to begin with this amazing top tier ship

So let’s start with my favorite character, Hardison. He’s a smartass who tried to act like he was too tough to need a found family for all of three seconds, and then he was all in on how much he loves them and wants them to stay. I love the balance he brings to the relationship. I think he’s the most emotionally steady of the three. He has his own problems, but ultimately he’s not afraid of loving people, he’s not afraid of being open, and he’s not afraid of being the first one to lay his cards on the table so Parker and Eliot can feel secure to respond. He jokes and he pokes but he loves them with all of his huge heart and he knows them. Parker talks about her feelings in the hypothetical? He follows her lead and replies in a way she’s comfortable. Eliot pretends to be distant and indifferent, Hardison lets him set the pace and lets Eliot pretend he doesn’t wear his heart on his sleeve as he draws him into playful banter.

And Parker! She’s confident about everything about herself except her emotions. She also knows she’s neurodivergent (even if she might not use that specific term) and it bothers her even as she tries not to be bothered by it. She’s afraid of attachments because caring, if she received it, always came with conditions and she believes there is something fundamentally broken about her! But then she finds this group of people who accept her and for once don’t expect her to force her brain to work in a way it doesn’t, they work to understand her instead and help her understand others. And then Hardison meets her where she is! And she wants to connect but she’s not entirely sure how! But she feels safe enough to try and figure it out! And she relates to Eliot! They get each other, even as he pretends to be bothered by her, but she trusts him! Which is BIG for her! And she takes the risk to trust them anyway because she cares for them and it’s worth it for her because she loves them! And they love her back! A lot!

And Eliot! This grumpy teddy bear! He’s fine with flirting, anything fleeting because he thinks he’s horrible! He did awful things and they haunt him and he doesn’t want to say what he did (but he will if Parker asks! My heart!) And he’s closed himself off, but these nerds worked their way in there anyway. He lets himself get teased by Hardison and spoils Parker and grumbles his way through it to cover for how much he cares! He doesn’t let himself get close but he’s always watching over them because he can’t not. Even then, he can never completely hide his feelings either (still haunted in the best way by him running to Hardison and pulling him into a hug! And making him promise to never do that again and Hardison agreeing). He believes in them and their skills but also will not let anything happen to them. The epitome of “I didn’t fall you assholes tripped me”

#nonesane