talk about what Eliot likes/admires about the other members of the team
NATE: so the thing about nate is. they’ve run into each other before leverage even started. he was already in eliot’s good graces. sometimes they worked together. sometimes against each other. it wasn’t a lot and it wasn’t often. but it was enough. eliot admires the shit out of nate. especially when he joins up with leverage for the first time. this is a broken, honest man, at his lowest point. still, somehow, being a good man. this is a man who should be dead. or would be dead. or maybe he wants to be dead. and he’s still here. and as far as eliot can tell he’s not malicious. eliot got attached very fast. and i think it’s because he knows that nate’s trying. he’s a hopeless mess of a person, but he’s not moreau. and he’s trying. and he’s honest. and he’s very good at what he does. and eliot wants very much to be in his corner. there’s so much respect there because nate DID let sam’s death and his divorce destroy him. he did. but then he pulled himself up. and eliot feels like he can understand. maybe not on the same level, but he sees some of himself there to relate to and. i think he also likes that nate’s older. he admires nate’s brain so much for being able to think so quickly, even if it does scare him a little bit.
SOPHIE: i think what eliot admires the most about sophie is that she is the least one note person he’s ever met. i think he likes that she wears her heart on her sleeve while also being guarded in some areas, especially for her profession it’s still incredibly dangerous to wear even part of your heart on your sleeve. i think he admires her skills, and that she does what she loves even though she’s awful at it. i think he admires that a lot in her. because. she’s horrible at acting on stage or on films unless it’s for a con and then it’s… amazing. and he likes that. because it makes her more authentic. i think eliot admires that she can be a grifter while also being a regular person. she’s not always grifting all the time. not with them. not really. i think he appreciates how big her heart really is. he loves that she cares so much about them. and about nate. and i think later he even admires that she finds her passion after everything, she finds what she’s really good at and loves to do.
HARDISON: alec hardison is the most pure person that eliot has ever met. he is the literal most good person eliot has ever encountered. sure he’s weird. sure he’s a genius and a little bit annoying. but he is absolutely a good man. eliot knew he was in trouble as soon as they nearly got blown up and hardison’s first thought for revenge was to send dubenich a bunch of prono mags to his office. he loves that this man can be so good and kind and pure and such the opposite to him. he loves how soft he is. he admires that hardison has only ever really used his talents for good when he could have been rich and famous if he used them for other, less savory things. but he didn’t. eliot admires how smart he is and all the work he puts in. he likes that hardison can be so damn thorough all the time. it’s important to their job and he is so proud of how much hardison has grown since they’ve met. eliot admires the shit out of hardison. who’s life couldn’t be perfect before all of this but who still is the kindest person he knows.
PARKER: i think what eliot admires most about parker is that she is unapologetically herself. he loves that she is so unique and it’s not like she’s trying to be unique. she just is. she’s parker. he admires that she wants so badly to get better, to do better, to be better. unprompted save for hardison maybe. he admires that she tries so hard. he sees some of himself in her too. he likes that she trusts him so much. he admires the shit out of her for coming as far as she has. she’s changed so much and absolutely for the better. she is so talented and smart and adaptive and just. she doesn’t play games really and he likes that. she doesn’t ask for permission. and he likes that too.
