path to greatness

HOLY GOD YELENA MY QUEEN AND GAMBIT ARE GONNA BE IN AVENGERS DOOMSDAY !????? NMFYDNDBDJFHDIFHFUCJF ABHHHHHHHHH YAYAYAYAY BRO IM DYINNG OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GODD AHDNDKDBDKCXJDJCJ YELENA BRO AND GAMBIT 🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

when u grow up in a household where ur constantly berated despite all ur fucking efforts, a well-intentioned compliment from someone can be hard to believe. that's why it can't be anyone else for ilya except shane. bc shane who is his equal and his rival, who is the only other player at the gym at 2 am and the only witness to ilya's efforts. shane who watched his games when even his family did not and shane who watched his games and took him like a serious threat, not someone who was a gifted but lazy player. shane who keeps up w all his scores and will never admit it but bc ilya keeps up w his he knows their stats are always just a point or two apart. so when shane who ilya thinks is the best hockey player in the world tells ilya 'I don't know that part of you at all', ilya's flooded w pride at himself. not the showy, cocky kind, but the kind that validates the small boy in him that always looked for approval and never found it. and he's shane fucking hollander giving it to him so casually like its a fact of life. and ilya swells giddy and proud bc yea he's ilya rozanov also best hockey player in the world.

It does endlessly piss me off when people talk about Ilya like he doesn’t really care about hockey. This boy that’s dedicated his entire life to the sport. It’s not just something that got him out of Russia, it’s not just something he happens to be very good at. He loves the game! He loves that it’s skill and physical prowess combined! And he fucking works hard for it! Like yes he doesn’t have the same all consuming obsession over it that Shane does but he loves the fucking sport!! He wouldn’t be where he is if he didn’t! Again I think it comes from the general audience that doesn’t quite understand hockey as a game because Ilya is starting fights but he’s not finishing them. He never throws the first punch and he probably never retaliates outside of obvious self defense. He knows his role down to his bones. He’s taking the first hit and then getting dragged out from the bottom of the scrum bc you can’t let your top scorer get hurt. He loves hockey because it’s inherently a game where you have to trust that your team will be there for you. He can run his mouth and bait penalties because when it’s all said and done the rest of the bench has his back no matter what. Ilya loves hockey because that’s the first time he’s ever had someone defend him. Shane loves to Win but Ilya loves knowing that even if he fucks up there’s a net waiting to catch him.

they’re doing one of those fun videos interviews with the communications intern. the guys walking through the tunnel before hitting the ice and drawing question from a cup the intern is holding. shane picks one and reads it out loud “if you could spend a day with anyone in the world, who would it be?” and he doesn’t even hesitate “i already do that” and the intern is like “wait what do you mean?” and shane gestures vaguely in ilya’s direction and ilya that was right behind him with troy and others centaurs, just open the biggest grin on his face and all the guys start groaning and booing cus they’re disgustingly in love and can never be normal about each other

Bisexual eldest daughter syndrome is wanting a dominant woman because you are already therapist-mother to your own mom, and wanting a princess boyfriend because you’re already the man of the house.

And also the indestructibility of that woman's ankles

Why do people keep forcing the narrative that Ilya secretly hates hockey and just wants to be Shane's WAG and stay at home cooking with their kids and dog. You don't get to the level he did at a sport unless you're obsessed with it to a slightly unhealthy level. It's giving misogyny, homophobia, and toxic heteronormativity.