#fandom rant

but how the final climax was quiet. the darkest shadow, a void falling over new york. it wasn't loud, there wasn't any screaming. it descended upon the city and the people didn't have a chance to react before it swallowed them whole.

how the team's battle was internal, inside their own minds, instead of a huge punchy shoot-off. (especially with this group's skill set, it was unexpected) how they all fought through the shame and guilt and their worst nightmares only to embrace each other anyway. the villain fighting against himself only to realize he is allowed to be loved, despite it all.

how they are all fucked up and have done terrible things but saved the city by holding each other tightly, so tightly that bob realizes the void isn't all he is, and light always comes again.

"OH?? He's addressing the backlash from doubling down on saying that Phantom is a woman? No way this is amazing maybe people will finally start to accept all of the they/them characters- oh and he said that it's open to interpretation and up for debate."

The sheer disappointment I felt when I reached that part of mossbag's newest video was actually so shockingly bad. I wasn't sure if I was even gonna watch the new video but decided to because I wanted to see if he had changed and it was seeming to be going so well. He even used they/them for the Bell Beast. But when I heard him say that nonbinary characters are 'up for debate' I lost all respect all over again.

NONBINARY. CHARACTERS . ARE. NOT. UP. FOR. INTERPRETATION.

I can understand some confusion around characters like Styx who have both he/him and they/them used, but if a character is exclusively referred to with they/them, then there's no excuse for saying that one line of dialogue who it's not even clear who is speaking takes priority over Hornet's own words.

So. Anyway. Here's why the "oh poor Ilya he had to sacrifice everything and Shane didn't appreciate him enough" narrative pisses me off so bad.

Ilya wanted a second passport. Getting an American passport without marrying an American citizen is hellish at best, and impossible at worst. He WANTED to settle in Canada, and since the Metros probably couldn't afford both of them and being on the same team would be too risky at that point, Ottawa was a good option regardless. They needed a star center. They were willing to pay for one. Unless he wanted to go to the West Coast, Ottawa was a pretty good stepping stone on the path to a CA passport even if Shane wasn't part of the equation.

Meanwhile, Shane spends TLG terrified that if he's outed he will lose everything he worked his whole fucking life to gain. The respect of his peers in the world's whitest, most violent, hyper masculine sport. The support of a fanbase and team that drafted him and supported him since he was a rookie. His closest friends on the team, if they don't react well, and he has no reason to believe they'll be #pride #gayrights about it, especially if it comes out that Shane is gay for Rozanov.

Shane spends so much time being terrified that his career and personal life will be ruined and lo and fucking behold, when he's outed, that's exactly what happens. So Shane Hollander, Mr. Canada's Golden Boy, Mr. Lives Breathes And Eats Hockey, is forced to sacrifice his captaincy, his fans, his team, his legacy, and his mental and physical safety without even having a real choice about it.

Idk maybe I'm being dramatic but it just pisses me off when people baby Ilya because apparently "he moved to a Canadian team that could afford him and turned out to be extremely queer-friendly so he could (by his own choice) be closer to his boyfriend and get citizenship" = "he sacrificed everything for Shane who doesn't appreciate it because he's oblivious and selfish" while Ilya makes jokes about Shane's ED and how Shane isnt captain anymore and never acknowledges how fucking brutal it is to be in Shane's place. As if the whole situation is not life-shatteringly devastating for Shane.

Overall it just lands very wrong to me. Like maybe this is a hot take but #myilya would never kick Shane when he's down like that; in fact, farther down the line once Shane is comfortable on the new team and they've won a cup or two #myilya would probably offer Shane the captaincy (or co-captaincy ideally) because he knows it means more to Shane than it does to him. Because giving Shane that public power and control and chance to prove he's just as good a player and captain now as he always was would not only be devastatingly romantic, but would make a crazy statement about Ilya's trust in and respect for Shane in front of the whole world.

They are equals, but off the ice the world will never see them that way, and Ilya, who apparently sees "the dark side of hockey", has to know that. So having Ilya, the womanizer who starts fights and plays rough and brags about his huge dick and showboats with his shirt off in interviews, go "no fuck you all that's my fiance and he's the captain we deserve and I'm proud to be on HIS team" would be soooooo good. Again. Maybe a stupid hill to die on. But it's my hill and I shall die on it with pride #myhill

Dont you dare speak for everyone! You dont got that authority.

Did y'all really forget about that one scene where he lectures (makes fun of, moreso) full grown adults who are ignorant about procreation??? A character not having interest in sex DOESNT automatically mean their an "uwu innocent wittle bean who knows nothing and is as pure and stupid about this topic as a child would be" even tho the character is an adult.... Like he knows enough to reject Boa Handcock's advances! If he wasnt aware about any details of that stuff entirely, then he wouldnt have been able to reject her and properly friendzone her to establish priorities and boundaries. its not him being stupid af about it, its him just not caring about it (or if he does care then its him just generally not viewing it as a big deal or as a flashy and hyper special thing like everyone else does).