It boggles my mind thinking about how good Eliot is at reading body language. I mean, just remembering that post about the moment in Nigerian Job where Eliot knocks Hardison's legs out of the way but steps gracefully over Parker's legs and how that was telegraphing "I'm safe to be around" to both of them in their own body languages, and there's a similar moment in The Tap-Out Job right before Eliot shows his knowledge of boxing by having Parker and Hardison spar while he coaches them:

Eliot: Let me show you something. (slapping Hardison on the shoulder) Hardison, come here.

Eliot: (guides Parker into position with a hand to the waist) Can I borrow you for a second?

I mean this is exactly the same thing. Hardison he can tussle with and frequently does to show he can pull his punches (both verbally and physically) but Parker hasn't reached play-fighting stage just yet so he's still gentle side first with her. They've obviously progressed to a level of closeness where Eliot feels comfortable guiding Parker, teaching her, and also feels comfortable that she'll go along with his demonstration, but he still asks. It's the kind of perfunctory ask where you're sure the answer is yes, but it's still an ask. It's just a beautiful little moment and I love it.

Veilguard characters I wish Bioware would have let me flirt with at least once:

beach episode?

#ultimate ally mom: forgot child was trans and gave wrong sex talk (tags from @findafight)

Listen to me. Listen to me. Listen to me. Listen to me.

I know there is a lot of discourse (tm) around this right now but listen to me

sometimes you do just have to lie to children.

If, when my toddler is, you know, toddling around saying “mama? Big ball?”

If I were lean down and say “unfortunately the big beach ball for some reason fills you with such an unadulterated rage that is beyond human comprehension that you scream until you pass out, so mama had to remove the beach ball from the premises until you can better regulate your emotions” she would simply stare at me like I had 3 heads full of equal betrayal.

So, for now, instead “big ball went night night!”

Please understand when I say “removed the ball from the premises” I mean I popped it in a fit of exhausted confusion. I murdered the beach ball.

See I’ve lied to you all too and it was better this way.

Ekekek battle. (via ekekekkekkek)

The internet is a magical place because imagine how close we all came to never having witnessed this.

Queso won't let me help with his pin feathers, so I gotta pet a bird with another bird.

what is going on? couch bird needs grooming but won’t accept human help and so human employs second bird friend?

Not OP, but basically yes.

Right now Queso (couch bird) is molting, which parrots do on an annual or semi-annual basis, and which is apparently very itchy and uncomfortable. They rely on other members of their flock to preen (groom) their heads where they can’t reach with their own beaks, and pet parrots will also ask their human owners to preen them in the absence of other birds by lowering their heads to expose their necks.

But Queso’s previous owners weren’t very nice to him (at least that’s my impression), and while OP has been slowly gaining his trust, he still often gets nervous and aggressive/defensive when humans try to touch him. However, he will let Mango (the other, more human-friendly bird) preen him, hence this video.

Matt: is that a dexterity save?

Laura: yeah

Siri, simultaneously: I'm sorry, I didn't get that. Can you say that again?

Everyone at the same time: a DEXTERITY SAVE

I don't know who needs to hear this, but if the phrase "self care" doesn't resonate with you, try calling it "system maintenance" and see if that clicks.

Reblogging to add amazing tags from @meta-theory

#this both makes things more fun and also is a really good analogy#because there are four types of system maintenance and that makes the term much more exact than the nebulous ''self-care''#and therefore much more helpful to those of us who uhhh struggle with nebulosity#for anyone curious the four types are:#1. corrective (to fix current problems)#2. preventative (to avoid future problems)#3. adaptative (to re-adjust to any changes)#4. perfective (to work towards a better system)#I really like this idea I'm gonna make a checklist

COMMENT ON OLD FICS, I BEG YOU!

I swear to god after like a week people will still be reading but nobody leaves comments anymore and I just want to make it absolutely clear that I would be excited and elated to get a comment on these fics one hundred years after I post them.

A FIC IS NEVER TOO OLD TO LEAVE A NICE COMMENT ON. GO FORTH AND COMMENT!

i love the french, i love the way they pronounce Rs like they're disgusted with them

the english meanwhile seem to have developed some sort of phobia about them

When we were discussing the surgery I'd need for my sleep apnea, the surgeon told me I'd never be able to speak French properly because the French R is a uvular sound and I'd no longer have a uvula.

... that's okay? I'm not French? I don't speak French? I've always thought it was the weirdest thing for him to say!

Huh. Didn't know you could have French surgically removed.

sorry i just cannot get this out of my head. Like, "oh you speak french? i hear there's an operation for that"

Sounds like something the English would say