tenderhearted.

Piping hot take: I don't give a shit if straight actors play queer characters as long as they do so with empathy and authenticity. When you say shit like "only queer actors should play queer characters" what you're actually saying is only OUT queer actors should play queer characters. If you're assuming an actor (or anyone else, for that matter) who hasn't declared their sexuality is straight, you are participating in heteronormativity.

I just imagine that once they're on the same team Hollanov aren't really interested in like romantic PDA, but they are VERY interested in being physical with each other in the way athletes are. The first time Shane knocks helmets with him on the way into the tunnel, Ilya freezes, smiling with so much delight that Bood has to be like "Tighten up Cap! You see him all the time!" The first time Ilya snaps a towel at Shane has him laughing like Ilya is a physical comedy genius. The first time Shane chirps Ilya for missing a pass on the power play and Ilya puts him in a headlock to mess up his hair and then they start roughhousing like kids they both get so hard in their pants they better thank god for jock straps and cups. Like, this is their language. Camaraderie, fraternity, chirps, roasting, wrestling—now they get to have it together, for once.

So hungry I could eat a specific mutual

I think part of getting better is complete ego death. Like you’re not above setting a timer for 5 minutes and focusing on a task. You’re not above doing a very simple 3 minute workout to start. You’re not above reading for 10 minutes a day when you first get out of your reading slump, even if you used to read for hours. You’re not above starting slow and then building up to where you want to be/where you once were. What you are above is total inertia. Doing something really is better than doing nothing. Radically accept where you are, radically accept your limits, and go from there. Don’t let your ego get in the way.

I’m afraid some of ya’ll just don’t have the freak gene that lets you enjoy ACTUAL enemies to lovers. Ya’ll think that trope is just like coworkers fighting over a promotion or smth like no give me people that have tried to maim and kill one another or give me nothing