Allez les lesbiannes!

The Long Game is going to be split into 2 seasons. What I am hoping for is that means we will spend a lot of time with Shane and Ilya individually as well as together, where we'll get to see how the more narratively impactful conversations leave them both feeling. We're also going to get to see Shane come out to his team - we've seen Shane's relationship with his team in bits and pieces in season 1 (THEY LIKE HIM), and how that's going to shift/change. Hopefully we get to see more of JJ (doesn't know about his relationship), juxtaposed with his relationship with Hayden (who knows about his relationship). There will be a lot more visibly at stake when tripgate occurs. My prediction is that Shane is also going to give a lot more of a fuck about Ilya's visa situation than Ilya will, and Ilya's apathy towards his own life is going to be an added symptom of his depression (that already exists in canon, but since Shane's plan he makes up in the middle of the night in the show is a very impactful moment that sticks with the audience, it's not going to be something that can be swept under the rug). I'm hopeful to see some commentary on race, especially because it has been acknowledged in the show.

For Ilya, I think it will be acknowledged that his fixation on coming out and how he sees it as the ultimate solution for his problems is kind of unhealthy (or at least hinted at). I'm really interested to see how they integrate Svetlana into all of this. I'm really not a fan of the whole "woman who knows better than you so she yells at you for a life choice you're making" thing so I am hoping the way they use her character and his relationship with her will help us understand Ilya's isolated mental state better (like for example, he misses Russia but feels like he can't go back, and she's like why you don't have to go see Alexei you can stay with me and we can go see our friends and he's like no... and I can't tell you why.)

For Unrivaled, my hopes for Shane are that he will be truly appreciated for who he is and not what he provides - while I think realistically, he should have been offered the A upon signing with Ottawa, my hope is that Rachel, on seeing the criticisms, recognizes the optics behind certain decisions that feel punitive instead of choices to propel the story forward. I can conceptualize a version of Shane that is excited to play hockey, who is adored and given a hero's welcome to Ottawa, and Ottawa being a very supportive backdrop for the two of them where the narrative pushed by the Centaurs is that this is a homecoming for him. Notably, it's stated that Montreal was his mother's favourite team, so it would be kind of beautiful if it was revealed that Shane was always very fond of the Centaurs too growing up, and that is "a dream all of his own" and his family and husband will rally around him. I think the majority of the "fallout" will end up falling on Shane's shoulders too, and maybe through the "podcast bros"/media presence in this book there will be a degree of acknowledgement of how the pressure was there for Shane that justified his fears, and that they weren't some stupid trivial thing.

I almost feel like Shane not getting the A/taking the paycut is Rachel's way of financially evening them out too (even though that wouldn't really be how it works) since Ilya lost a lot of investment opportunity during his youth because he was sending money back home, while Shane put all of his money in real estate (and he is most definitely a lot richer than Ilya, not that that's a valid reason for him to take a pay cut, especially because of the precedent it sets). I think she really tries to keep them "evened out" but the reality of the situation is that someone is going to inch the other person out eventually, and that two extremely talented/skilled people can still be equals in each other's eyes.

I would love to see Shane eventually be first line center as a way of truly evening it out but that's my pipedream and Rachel isn't going to do that and I acknowledge that.

Kind of a meta piece here but I think basically every queer person who is not white that has been in fandom spaces kind of has a moment where they are forced to confront the fact that not only origin material can have racially charged undertones. Sometimes the fandom space itself can be hostile to challenging those undertones. Sometimes certain interpretations widely accepted as canon carry certain implications, sometimes the defense is going to be "well this is canon" and people are going to be unwilling to challenge how maybe that canonization has to do with the author's biases more than it has to do with the actual character itself. And everyone is going to disagree on where that line is/if that line exists/whatever the fuck else there is to disagree on. For a lot of people, fandom is an escape space, maybe from real life marginalization, and it's hard to accept that the narratives of real life marginalization can seep into perfect fandom utopia. I have my own thoughts on that but I recognize that you can lead a horse to water but you cannot make that thing drink...

can't buy me love by amongtheshadows - 10,548 words - hayden puts an evening with shane up for auction and ilya could not be less thrilled about it

cottaging by gone_girl - 9,686 words - Ilya was good at noticing things about people, and he was good at understanding them. Shane was not. That was okay. Shane had developed his own way of getting to know Ilya. It involved a lot of inane questions and, more importantly, no longer involved condoms.

let me give you innovation (got that good good) by splatticus - 14,158 words - Ilya can't keep out of the box, so he's not allowed to put it in anymore.

Shane Hollander’s Guide to Conquering PDA by sheisraging - 6,624 words - The more he thinks about it, the more Shane feels like getting comfortable with PDA — conquering PDA, even — is something he should be able to do. From a very practical perspective, it’s really no more than setting a goal and working towards achieving it. And he is, after all, a professional goal achiever.

(sub)textual evidence by PenAndInkPrincess - 13,369 words - ilya goes through with his plan to break up with shane in the hospital) (the problem? shane is too high to understand that he's being broken up with

you're the only one i keep so close by buckdiass - 4,528 words - Ilya gets to fuck Shane raw. He doesn't last long.

logistically efficient by prettyshadow - 4,889 words - Shane invents advanced blowjob positions with his own beautiful freaky mind, thereby unintentionally turning Ilya into a danger to himself and others.

best bromance? by strandnreyes - 4,365 words - When Ilya develops a close bond with his new teammate Troy, Shane has to watch someone be openly friendly with his boyfriend in ways he can’t.

8/8 teams complete!

Please support some of the following (and please feel free to tag more)

Thunder Bay Community Pasture

Northern Reach Network