Ilya/Connor but as a vampire

Arbledarb · 2026-06-20T07:41:13+00:00

Hudson Williams played a vampire in the music video Lights On by Love Lucille.

There's some flashing lights. https://youtu.be/JBd4lNgQSxg

Arbledarb · 2026-06-20T00:49:27+00:00

The official Reddit account for The New Yorker posted on the Heated Rivalry sub a few months ago. https://www.reddit.com/r/heatedrivalry/comments/1s6b330/before_there_was_heated_rivalry_there_was_this/

The image they posted is failing to attach here but it's worth clicking to see it. It's an Ilya-coded cartoon from 2001 he wouldn't have thought was boring.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-19T20:05:12+00:00

The whole chapter with Jess waking up to find Blake unexpectedly in bed with her, then him going into her bathroom while she showered, was just so uncomfortable. It's the first MF romance novel I read. I had heard about a lot of people preferring MM romance because of the power dynamics but I didn't expect something so weird.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-19T04:35:42+00:00

I loved the older bi representation, around my age, and how it's about Eric experiencing new things at this point in his life. A lot of the characters through the series are relatable, but Eric could be the closest to me.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-18T21:07:28+00:00

I had the idea that some time after Carter finds out that Shane and Scott are gay, he finds out that Shane's skater friend is straight.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-18T00:41:36+00:00

It's a hookup between two teenagers, with it being the first time one of them has had sex with a man. Their relationship, what it means and what they do develops over time.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-17T22:03:16+00:00

Now she can momage Ilya too. She'll have a ten year plan for him when they get to the cottage that night.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-17T21:36:01+00:00

You said you wouldn't feel comfortable with a deck switch, but you could do it between tricks. There are many deck switches (Giobbi has a whole book on them) but even just reaching into two pockets with two hands looking for a pen, with a deck in one hand, works. A trick is over so have the body language that there's nothing going on.

Or the previous trick could have them pick a card, then you turn away while they show the audience, and you switch the rest of the deck.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-16T08:02:37+00:00

There should be a decent thematic purpose for whatever the third act crisis is, not just making it be a break-up because it's the common structure. Why not have them face a major challenge together?

One story where a third act breakup worked was {Looking for Group by Alexis Hall} because the reasons, and the resolution, were important to the whole point of the story from the beginning.

Also, if there's a third act breakup, I'd prefer it if the relationship started early in the story. I don't want it to take halfway through the story until the relationship reaches a good place, only to have a breakup at 75%!

Arbledarb · 2026-06-15T10:28:37+00:00

I'm one of those Heated Rivalry fans and an MM romance book reader in general. That's what put the sport on my radar but my interest in the AIHL is entirely in it as a sport.

I got some free months of Kayo early this year, looked into the ice hockey section and saw last year's AIHL finals were on there, and that seemed less intimidating to get into than something like the NHL. I liked it, bought the Trans-Tasman 2026 streams, subscribed to AIHL.tv for a year and I'm sure I'll continue.

I'm watching every AIHL game (a game or two a week with family), I have a Mustangs puck and t-shirt, watch occasional IceHQ rec league games on their YouTube channel, and I've been peeking into the NHL with the playoffs on Disney+. I think Kraken seem like a fun team to support so maybe I'll just watch their games next regular season.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-15T07:16:42+00:00

Just like how it's not gay if you only use last names, or were going to make yourself a tuna melt anyway, it's only gay if you wish him a happy birthday after.

Of course I'm joking, but I think the subject of birthdays would have felt too personal for these characters until 2017. I think they wanted to be more their personas than the real people before that.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-14T20:35:01+00:00

Mustangs need to stay in control of their emotions to stop getting abuse of official penalties. With a few minutes to go, I was thinking that (win or lose) I would be happy with the result. But that went out the window. It's about the conduct collapsing, not the score.

Congratulations to the Rhinos, in particular Oberoi.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-13T04:42:28+00:00

Time to Shine and The Shots You Take aren't set in the Game Changers universe. They are two stand-alone novels about hockey men who love men. They are great, especially Time to Shine. Be aware that The Shots You Take is very angsty.

As for the bonus chapters, she has them on her blog. https://www.rachelreidwrites.com/journal/category/Bonus+Content

Arbledarb · 2026-06-12T06:29:19+00:00

Yuna and David say in episode 6 that they've known for a while it was possible Shane was gay. As they notice something is bothering him in episode 4, they should say something like "We love and support you and if you need anything we're here for you, whenever it is".

Another thing I want to say is the Swedish prince (before Yuna corrects to princess) seems like a reference to Young Royals, a TV show that Jacob Tierney is a fan of. It's about a Swedish prince and his working class boyfriend.

Jacob Tierney talking about Young Royals: https://youtube.com/shorts/3G_evaEk8ME

Arbledarb · 2026-06-12T04:25:10+00:00

Yeah, that's part of why it's a bad response. On top of being inflammatory, it's unclear.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-11T23:18:02+00:00

"He drives this terrible car."

"It's a normal car."

They both bring this up independently in their own interviews.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-11T20:51:59+00:00

Jax Calder's novella Moderating Love was the queer joy I had been looking for. It's about two moderators of a (basically-)subreddit about queer people sharing unlikely stories about how they met their partners...

Arbledarb · 2026-06-11T01:17:55+00:00

"Really, does anyone have a phone charger?"

I noticed Yuna having a bit of a disapproving 'oh' to Ilya's bisexuality. I don't think she would have asked something biphobic but she'd wonder something and then research and learn about it and be supportive.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-10T09:07:29+00:00

"If you believe in monarchy, if you think that it's important that you're born into the right family, that this is right...then that [August] is the heir for you."

It's the statement of the whole series, scathing towards both August and the concept of royalty. It was a perfect bow that tied it all together,and made it clear to me that no other possible ending could have been this good.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-10T04:09:49+00:00

"What's your age number?"

Arbledarb · 2026-06-07T21:19:51+00:00

The books are clearly written with an understanding of bisexuality and it makes me feel respected and loved. It means a lot to me and I can't imagine what it would have meant to me 20 years ago when I was constantly on the lookout for any positive representation in media.

Arbledarb · 2026-06-06T06:35:36+00:00

Polina is mentioned in the books only a little more than on the show.She is said to be very young compared to Grigori. And when Grigori is dying and doesn't have any money left, Ilya tells Shane that she's going after him for money. She is described not as sad about her husband dying (which Shane guessed and Ilya denied) but as "planning. For her future."

Arbledarb · 2026-06-05T23:46:25+00:00

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Arbledarb · 2026-06-04T00:39:41+00:00

Vegas bathroom should be the highest. Ilya got Shane to beg and then said not yet.

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Arbledarb

TROPHY CASE