still thinking about hardison and that fucking painting. the old nate painting
Where is Old Nate?
Old Nate painting taken down from Leverage office wall so as not to make Sophie sad
"Hardison, this thing cannot be in my pantry, get it out of here"
Reverse heist where Parker places it on display in the British Museum
Records changed to make it look like it was wrongly identified as early work by someone who later became intensely famous and respected, and like a lot of money was paid for it
Assorted experts in colonized countries alerted to embarrassing "mistake"
General mockery ensues throughout the art world
Press joins in general mockery
Parker steals painting BACK along with a few other minor artifacts (that happen to quietly find their way back to rightful owners)
British Museum reports actual thefts, is accused of trying to run an insurance scam as no one would take notoriously fake painting
Painting mysteriously appears in background shot of tech billionaire's home interview
Immediate trending topic + virulent online mockery of billionaire's horrible taste
Billionaire doesn't go to jail, but suffers massive reputational damage for unprovable but highly suspicious link to art theft / scam
Billionaire's stock plummets, potentially lucrative deal to buy social media site falls through as result
Painting goes missing AGAIN
At this point every rich person with an art collection is terrified of being linked to the theft
Numerous stolen / looted art items preemptively returned
Meanwhile, painting reappears in Eliot's pantry
Dammit, Hardison!
Repeat.
#im LAUGHING Nate would be proud#it’s the ot3’s way of coping at first (he’s still there with them!!) but then he becomes a con of his own#hardison toasting old Nate with ‘’and you said there were no new plays’’#parker talks to old Nate during the reverse heist/heists#eliot grumbles about old Nate in the pantry but will prop him on the counter and set out a small glass of brandy for old times sake#Nate might be gone but he’ll always be there with them (@thecookiemonster77) ;-;
