Let's forget reality

I think about Simone Biles dropping out of the Olympics due to struggles with performance, and the mythology created around elite performance athletes like Ilia Malinin, who had a very public fumble at the Olympics despite all the hype. This created a ton of dialogue. Where they had once been something to marvel at, now they are something to scrutinize. Scrutinized by people who know nothing about their sport, even!

Shane doesn’t disappoint though. He brings Montreal three cups. If you don’t know hockey, you know Shane Hollander. Just like you know Tom Brady, Serena Williams, LeBron James. Michelle Kwan, and Simone Biles. You’ve probably rooted for these people alongside diehard fans even when you yourself know nothing about the sport. That’s who Shane Hollander is. He can belong to everyone. He is everyone’s athlete.

And then he’s outed. And then he trips. Suddenly, this man who up until then has lived life mostly unscrutinized (besides the microaggressions of the insular hockey world), who had been unquestionably A Badass, someone to admire, someone to put on a pedestal, he’s suddenly human. He’s someone who passionately kisses his rival in the side yard of his best friend and teammate’s house. He’s someone who carried on a secret affair that has rocked the foundations of the sports world. And because he kissed his rival, because he has revealed himself to be human, he is now brought to the same level of scrutiny as anyone else. It is open season for opinions about Shane Hollander.

Not every opinion would bad. Many would be good. Many would love him for it. But the fact that people feel entitled to make the opinion means that the fabric of Shane’s fame has changed. He’s now up for interpretation. You don’t just sit back and marvel at him, you now have other things to say that cloud the myth. And that changes what he is allowed to do, even as an athlete.

Ilya doesn't expect to be loved.

He's coming in baby faced, barely speaking english, with no one really on his side advocating for him in early years. And a big part of how this sport is played is how you play the audience. So he plays into the stereotypes and expectations people already have of him. The NHL, his employers who control his ability to stay in this country that is his safe harbor, have cast him as Shane Hollander's rival. So he must play the part.

Professional athletics at the end of the day, are all about putting on a good performance to sell tickets. Although Ilya does not know the English word for narrative he can follow a thread to know what's expected of him. So when he needs a shield he simply picks up whatever has already been placed at his feet.

There's a compartmentalization that happens where he decides being good at hockey is enough. Being loved in Boston is enough. Being hated in New York doesn't matter, it's expected, but occasionally there's a surprise win of Florida (but specifically not because of him it's just full of Boston people).

He's a niche celebrity if you don't pay attention to Hockey. However sports networks give him equal coverage to Shane and I think his attitude on this is a bit revealing to his depression early in the story.

He doesn't expect a legacy in the way Shane does, and ruthlessly works towards. Ilya Rozanov believes he can only ever be destined to go out in a blaze of glory.

He's the most hockey player hockey player he can be. So long as it doesn't affect his game I think Ilya's philosophy is very "no press is bad press, so long as they're talking about me." He's deliberate in only letting people see what they're already expecting to see which I think is highlighted very well in the two times we see Ilya at home watching Shane win the cup. When he's alone he affords himself a quiet smile. However when there are people this becomes a dramatic performance of woe that would not have been the same had any other team won.

I think in the way Shane Hollander is known and adored by the public. Ilya Rozanov is seen and loved by the people. [Neither statement is actually true below the surface]

Everyone has an opinion on him, but no one can ever get close enough to see more than he wants them to see.

Throat curtain fic, i.e., those fic where dentists can tell if you've been deepthroating too enthusiastically

All softlaunches can look like a bromance if you squint hard enough

The Stanley Cup Wish fics. There's one where Shane gets turned into a literal centaur.

Bottom energy supersedes being a Super Gay (TM). Shane attests in the FMM threesome fic.

That fic where Shane finds out about "Would you love me if I were a worm?"

That fic where Shane kills a home intruder and Ilya has to talk him down, and Shane asks Ilya where they're going to hide the body, and Ilya is like, no, what, we're calling the police

That fic with Ilya simultaneously runs a gay hockey mafia union and a straight ally hockey mafia union and has a room with a conspiracy board, but that's actually an unironically good fic

Shane is deeply surprised that people consider his relationship a little (or a lot) kinky as everyone else stares in gleeful horror at whatever sexnanigan he describes

Shane accidentally forces Scott Hunter to describe cunnilingus to him. It is the gayest conversation ever had

A woodpecker stops Ilya from succumbing to depression, and that's not a euphemism

Shane has to get a tattoo to avoid telling people he can't donate blood because of the voracious amounts of gay sex he's having in the 2010s

Every minor antagonist is named Brad

That fic where Ilya attempts to psychologically destroy an Italian Olympic hockey player because Shane complimented his shoulders one time

Hollanov go to Reddit for relationship advice

Part one, Part three

Ilya is laying on the couch. Shane is laying on top of his husband as they watch the news story about the missing commissioner. “It’s a good thing JJ is in Boston.” Shane says. JJ left Montreal after his contract was up and signed with Boston.

“Yes, he is safe there. Him and Cliff are having fun. I see their stories,” Ilya says as he rubs circles into Shane’s back. Shane then raises up to look Ilya in the eyes. “Don’t hurt Hayden.”

“What are yo-.”

“Do not hurt Hayden.” Shane repeats. A silent understanding passing between them.

Husband, bitch, crack shot...oh these are the three essential terms to describe second marriage Shane. He still has that drive to always be the best at what he does...he had it with hockey as a teenager, then with becoming a wunderkind at the RCMP, and now he's going to succeed as being the best mole-turned-gangster that ever lived.

This is gonna be my only contribution to Royed wedding week because I gotta work and it makes me tired and this piece which was initially just gonna be a sketchy lil thing took 7 hours because I’m a perfectionist and I regret trying to do backgrounds every time 🤡

This is actually a heaps timely prompt because I’m getting married in 5 months and my fiancée has been struggling to choose suit colours.

So this has been a fun research into my fav wedding suit colour schemes that I know he will never wear - so I force my fav fma boys to wear them instead ofc 🤵‍♂️🤵‍♂️

Hayoo💖💖 ✨

I haven't posted Jaydick in a while, and I was so busy that I couldn't get into Jaydick week either 😿

It's All Stars and a camera catches them sitting together on the bench during the skills competition, leaning in and whispering to each other, clearly trying to be sneaky. They're both kind of smiling, looking like they're trying not to laugh. Then Ilya says something that makes Shane crack up and have to hide his face while he's trying to pull himself together. This moment gets giffed and everyone is dying to know what made the famously cool and collected Shane Hollander laugh like that.

Shane Week Day Four Favorite Trait: Guilt / Shame / Fear

sure, if he squints hard enough he can remember the way he liked when things hurt a bit, those times praise lit him up inside. but nothing concrete, not without ilya.

one day, after getting fucked until all the thoughts are gone from his head and coming out of his tongue, spilling out in front of ilya, "you know, sometimes i wonder if you did this to me."

"what, sweetheart?"

"made me like all this. if i'd like all this if you hadn't taught me."

silence

"it's good. i like that i'm custom made for you."

I love the shanebang mood you have created today...this is a very delicious fantasy for them because Ilya learns very quickly that Shane has at least a tiny bit of an exhibitionist kink

It's in the era where Shane is still asking Ilya if he can work/have a job again, partially because if he's actually working he can more easily get low stakes, high reward details back to his handlers, but mainly because he's a little bit bored. So one day when he's asking Ilya if he can help run errands or something, Ilya suddenly goes "yes, maybe. We've had a good few months, everyone is working very hard. Might be nice to give them a reward."

"Oh, do you need me to pick something up for them? Or plan something?"

"Ah, no, zaika, I am thinking you are the reward."

"I don't understand."

"If the men are very good, sell all their stock, bring me enough money, they get to have you."

And Ilya is close to Shane, playing with his hair, can feel when Shane freezes and his breathing gets harder.

"Have me?"

"Yes, I am thinking Pavel gets to fuck you, he has done very well this month. Maybe second best gets your mouth. We can do it every month, make everyone work a little harder. And you get to be useful. You know that expression, two birds? Good for everyone."

And Shane's eyes are all glassy, he's gripping tight on Ilya's arm, and Ilya kisses his temple like, "I would watch all of it, of course. Make sure you are satisfying them, giving them good reward."