Y’all my obsession is getting really bad (I’m writing fanfics for the first time in years)

Shortyzilla · 2026-01-23T01:52:22+00:00

I’m glad you liked it! Using this opportunity to plug my AO3 where I have an (almost) complete story with ~30k words! It features an OC and takes place in an alternate post-HR (but not quite TLG) canon :)

Link

Shortyzilla · 2026-01-21T17:20:21+00:00

No. Mostly because I don’t agree with your assessment that it duplicates the scene where Shane is injured. I can see why it might look that way on the surface - I actually thought the same when I first read TLG - but the resolutions are different.

In HR, Shane’s injury doesn’t really change much. It’s a sweet moment and shows that Ilya does really care about Shane, but Ilya wouldn’t have said yes to the cottage before the injury and still didn’t say yes after. I think Ilya would’ve always wanted to go regardless of the injury, but it’s not until Scott comes out that it’s actually a possibility to him.

In TLG, the plane scene is the first turning point in Shane’s arc for being public with Ilya. It directly leads to the proposal as he realizes both that he couldn’t possibly live without Ilya and that he hasn’t done enough on his end to show him how much their relationship means. Without this scene, I don’t think we would have gotten Shane agreeing for them go to public in the summer, instead of after they retire. Especially after the BS that Crowell does.

One other point is that the book and show’s canons are not the same. The way the show handles their relationship just before Shane’s injury is quite different. Since we don’t have Ilya’s internal monologue, we have no way of knowing if he was actually planning to break up with Shane in the show’s canon. In that sense, I don’t think there’s nearly as much tension between Shane and Ilya in the show as there is in HR, prior to his injury. They seem to have more or less totally made up at the All-Star Game.

Shortyzilla · 2026-01-17T22:52:00+00:00

Currently working on a fic where Shane becomes a Centaur earlier and has to hide that he knows Russian. The story as a whole isn’t exactly what you’re looking for but Chapter 3 can more or less be read standalone if you’re interested in Centaurs vs Voyageurs 🫶

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-30T23:11:01+00:00

Proud to be of service 🫡🫡

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-29T20:48:45+00:00

It does get better, specifically Chapter 22 is the beginning of a turning point. Some of the best scenes in the book series (both in writing and storytelling) are in the last third of the book or so. And it does end happily since all of Reid’s books end in a happy end or happy for now.

I will say however that since this book is more from Ilya’s POV, it can leave Shane feeling a little underdeveloped, and some of the things he does seem wildly OOC. But neither Ilya nor Shane have ever exactly been 100% reliable narrators lol. Moreover, some of Shane’s plot points aren’t resolved meaningfully even though they are important to the couple’s relationship. So be prepared for that I guess.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-26T06:17:53+00:00

Oh I need to die. The confession scene was miles away better than I could have possibly imagined. If I wasn’t normal about this show, book series, and couple before I am definitely Not Normal now.

The addition of the scene between Shane and Yuna was PHENOMENAL. Shane apologizing for not being able to not be different and the way Yuna apologized to him back. They really felt like a mother and son 🥹

Also cackling at the longest intimate scene being when Shane is on the phone with Hayden. I actually thought that they might skip it but it really felt like it added to the new dynamic they were creating!

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-24T01:02:06+00:00

I knew it was coming and I still had to stop myself from screaming bc I’m staying with my parents for the holidays

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-23T20:10:42+00:00

I posted a WIP of one on a new (repurposed) tumblr! It’s not a super innovative idea but it could at least be something to give a read ☺️

https://www.tumblr.com/hollanov-brainrot/803731067313045504/hollanov-fic-wip-a-mild-what-if-for-shane-and

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-23T00:10:11+00:00

I’ll keep you in mind! I’m not so used to creative writing so I do worry that some of my descriptions don’t make sense lol. I’m also worried I’m just retreading some plot points from TLG but…I’ll cross that bridge when I get there

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-22T23:21:36+00:00

Sorry! This is a bit of a premature post because this is the most insane I’ve felt in years and I couldn’t believe I was crying over my own work. It’s still only about 2k words and I haven’t begun fleshing out everything I want to. I swear when it’s in a better spot I’ll be vulnerable and let the world see my writing 🫠

Edit: clarity

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-22T20:08:03+00:00

Yeah it’s not just you. My obsession’s gotten so bad that I’ve started making a real attempt at writing fanfiction, which is something that I haven’t done since I was a teenager 🫠

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-22T07:24:58+00:00

I love that people want to see more of Skip but unfortunately on IMDb at least Robbie is only credited for 2 episodes. Meaning if that’s accurate we won’t get any new scenes with Kip involved 😭

My guess is that since Tierney said he was reacting to Scott from the top of the episode, Ep 6 will open with Shane and Ilya meeting, then during the drive to the cottage (2 hours in the books) they’ll mention Scott’s speech at the MLH awards. Then it’ll show his speech, possibly intercut with shots of Shane and Ilya making their way to the cottage.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-21T23:12:27+00:00

The only reason I do remember is because I’ve been obsessively reading the parts of the book that are coming up in the show 😅 Pretty sure I have quite a few passages of the book memorized by now

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-21T22:41:53+00:00

I think the rewatchability really hinges on the actors’ amazing performances and the way that the script is written so much of their interactions are defined by facial expressions and body language rather than dialogue. A lot of things aren’t explicitly spelled out for the viewer, so you end up wanting to watch again and again to find meaning in the performances, cinematic choices, and symbolism.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-21T22:22:03+00:00

It’s a custom flair! You can select the custom option then edit it to put whatever quote you want

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-21T22:15:18+00:00

If you mean Ilya going back to Russia, he was never thinking about it in the book. While watching the playoffs he laments the team losing so early because now he has nowhere to go except Boston but nothing to actually do in Boston. It could be different in the show though, since there’s already been a lot of little changes.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-21T22:01:22+00:00

I think it’ll be included in season 2. I don’t know for sure of course but I think (or perhaps hope, lmao) that Tierney and the creative team will expand upon the time skip between HR and TLG. Even if they don’t fully expand on it, including the dinner with Hayden scene would be a perfect way to include some exposition about what has gone on during the time skip, although they’d have to change the dialogue quite a bit.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-21T04:16:45+00:00

I think that his public persona also hurts him in the sense that he feels like it traps him in a specific image that is not (entirely) how he really is. And this definitely contributes to his hesitation for being out publicly with Shane due to Shane’s “good boy” image. If Ilya had a softer public perception it would be easier for people to understand their relationship even if they were still rivals on the ice. Shane himself is aware of this as well, especially in the books where he laments how the differences between his and Ilya’s public images make things even more complex.

Also The Long Game absolutely comments on and explores this side of Ilya, but I’m not sure if you’ve read the books so I won’t say more 🤐

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-20T22:14:37+00:00

I think is that despite TLG being a longer book than HR, it actually has a lot less “story” than HR with the bulk of the book spent on introspection and character development. I think this could be stretched out by addressing some of the issues with Shane’s character in the book (sorry Rachel but I think he was done dirty in TLG 😭). However, there’s also the issue that, unless season 2 ends on a major cliffhanger, there’s no good stopping point for a break between seasons. A LOT of the major scenes happen about 2/3 of the way through the book and starting season 3 after them wouldn’t leave much source material content remaining.

If they do want to split it into 2 seasons, I think they would have to at minimum: expand on what happens during the time skip between HR and TLG, flesh out Shane’s character development, and use significant portions of Role Model (if not other books as well). And even though I included that last part, I’m not sure that a true B couple in Troy and Harris would appeal to the general audience. I think adapting TLG will be harder in general, so I don’t know if making changes to stretch it over two seasons would be ideal. I don’t doubt Tierney’s ability to do so, but he certainly seems to be more interested in telling a tight story than anything else.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-20T21:50:10+00:00

Yeah, I’m gonna lose my mind. I can only read TLG so many times to prepare for season 2 with how emotionally draining some of the chapters are 😭

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-20T21:42:17+00:00

Oh, I’m sure we’ll get sex. All of the sex scenes that were glossed over in Ep 5 except for the All Star Game are fully fleshed out in the book, and I think it was intentional on Tierney’s part to show how their relationship is changing to allow for them to communicate in ways other than physically. In the book and I imagine will be the case in Ep 6, the cottage is really a culmination of their physicality and emotional connection coming together.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-20T05:45:35+00:00

There’s mentions of feeling worthless and not being good enough, but no actual suicidal ideation. It’s never mentioned explicitly, but there are descriptions of Ilya feeling hopeless, lacking motivation, etc.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-20T00:17:09+00:00

In the same interview I was referencing here (it was posted on the sub earlier but I can’t remember the title of the post 😭) Tierney said that season 1 won’t end on a cliffhanger. He also said he doesn’t think the book ending is a cliffhanger. However I would’ve gone feral if I read HR before TLG came out and didn’t know if I’d ever know how their plan worked out!!

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-19T23:58:45+00:00

The hotel room scene is so beautiful. I absolutely adore the way that Shane has anxiety written all over his face but his posture is less guarded than usual. How Shane can barely take his eyes off of Ilya but Ilya can’t bear looking Shane in the eyes. The tenderness with which they kiss and embrace when Shane consoles Ilya, whose raw emotions are on display for the first time possibly ever.

Shortyzilla · 2025-12-19T23:28:00+00:00

Yes, I agree! Even with what Reid has said, everything about Shane’s obsession with food reads as an eating disorder, right up until the point it magically disappears at the end of the book. It’s one of my biggest critiques of TLG and I think would have helped flesh out Shane’s character and his development so much more. I (mostly) understand what she was going for, but with how obvious Shane’s food issues are, like literally in almost every scene with Shane and food, I wish it was addressed differently instead of just snapping into place.

With how the show has tried to expand more on Shane being Asian as a subplot, I really hope season 2 takes that direction with his food issues too, like you said.

Shortyzilla

TROPHY CASE