So excited to finally be sharing my @zukkabigbang2024 fic, betaed by the amazing @kartoonkrazy and with wonderful art from @lizardlicks (link incoming)!

Featuring culture sharing, culture confusion, gossip, a very sassy Kanna, a very over-it-already Katara, meeting the parents when you and the parent are both world leaders and also you have issues with parents, and Sokka's daddy issues.

To all the people who on my other longfics kept going 'wow, I cannot wait for the conversation with Hakoda about this one!' to which I kept going '…about that.' -- this one's for you :)

heated rivalry and it’s exactly the same but ilya and shane are just like decent hockey players

I feel like this would drastically change hings, and maybe not in a way that works for these two characters while keeping them recognizable. Part of the attraction and respect Ilya and Shane have for each other is based on the fact that they're among the best, if not the best, hockey players in the league. Shane knows who Ilya even is before they've been drafted, because Shane loves hockey so much and Ilya's skill caught his eye. It's one of the first things Shane says to Ilya, how much he enjoys watching him play.

Plus, a big part of what creates the conflict in their story is the rivalry part. It's not a rivalry that happened organically. It is one that the league, the fans, the media all built up around them because they're both so equally exceptional and with extremely different personalities. The rivalry is a major reason the two of them can't even be seen in public together- even just casually, not as a couple, just as friends- unless they have a game against each other. That rivalry wouldn't happen if they were two anybodies in the league.

And looking specifically at Shane's history, if he was just at an average major league hockey player level, I dont think he would be on a team. When he talks about playing hockey as a kid, there was only one other Asian kid he played with, and he acknowledges that there was a lot of teasing that happened. He plays it off that because he has a more European last name, he didn't get picked on as much. But it's probably just as likely that it's because he was so damn good, even from a young age. Are the other kids going to bully the beat player they have off their team? Probably not. And Shane likely internalized that, and knew he had to keep his skills up above everyone else's to be able to continue playing in a way that was fun. If he didn't continue to do that, I would wager that the bullying would have continued, and he probably would've dropped the sport before being drafted.

And Ilya. How many times had we heard his father call him 'lazy'? One of the best hockey players in the league, something that cannot happen through dumb luck skill alone, and thats lazy? Ilya has pushed himself hard to try to live up to his father's expectations. If being the best in the league gets him called lazy, what do you think would happen if he was a mid tier player? He probably wouldn't be playing, his father would never accept the embarrassment of it all.

I feel like the only way average professional sports players Heated Rivalry works is if their personalities and/or backstories are drastically changed. Which could be fun to play with, but is it still Ilya and Shane then?

wlw jeeko everyone

Priya and Malini from The Burning Kingdoms Trilogy by Tasha Suri

Today's Heated Rivalry thought is how important genuine physical affection is to Ilya (outside of casual sex) and how's probably been starved of it since losing his Mama.

since the u.s now has atla on netflix too i've been seeing so many posts about it, made me want to draw something myself ✌🏻

Shane being like for the next two weeks I’m begging you to just tell me what you’re thinking this is my two weeks off a year I am not spending it trying to read social cues I am exhausted

Good. That's what I want too.

FTH 2026 coming soon!

Yes, time once again to begin ramping up for our annual auction! This will be our tenth (!!!) year of mobilizing the power of fandom to make donations to vital progressive causes.

It's been a difficult year -- most of us are worn down and scared. But there have been some things worth celebrating, too. SCOTUS might be selling us out, but lower courts are consistently ruling against the Trump administration, throwing up meaningful roadblocks to his agenda and vendettas. In both New York City and Seattle, committed on-the-ground organizing helped two progressive mayoral candidates to victory, opening up new possibilities for those cities and inspiring progressives around the world. And all across the US -- especially in those cities that faced targeted violence from the government -- people stepped up to take care of their neighbors: with courage, love, community spirit, and in some cases a good dash of silliness.

In other words: it's not over yet. Not even close. We can't fix it by ourselves, but we can show up to support others who are doing the work, and show up for one another at the same time.

We'll be announcing the FTH 2026 auction calendar and supported orgs list soon. In the meantime, if there's a fandom you think we should be adding to our signup sheet this year, let us know in replies! (Yes, we have already added KPop Demon Hunters and Heated Rivalry.) As always, you'll be able to sign up in literally any fandom you want, but being listed in the dropdown menu makes the logistics of signing up a little smoother.

There are so many layers and implications and character points in the conversation between Shane and Ilya regarding Shane's parents. There's so much in what's not said.

Shane loves his parents, he's close to them, he wants to be around them. Family and home is safety to Shane. He knows his parents are tolerant and compassionate and accepting.

But for a large part of the story Shane doesn't accept himself. So of course he doesn't tell them.

Shane doesn't want to lie to his parents, even says during his meltdown "I've lied to them for so many years", but he didn't.

Yeah, there were lies by ommission, or half-truths, there were untrue things that Shane let his parents believe, he may have deflected or denied, but he never outright lied to them. But to Shane, not being open and honest with his parents makes him a liar.

Now, when Shane says "sometimes I think I would have told them already if it wasn't for y'know.....[you]."

Consider, that by the time Shane came to terms with his own sexuality, he was already in love with Ilya. There were still very real concerns like Ilya's citizenship and their professional rivalry, that kept them closeted.

So even if Shane were to come out to his parents, he still couldn't tell them about Ilya. Which means he'd have to lie. He'd have to actively lie to them for the first time.

If they asked if there was a guy in his life, he'd have to say no. If they tried to set him up, he'd have to say he wasn't looking. If they asked how he knew this about himself he'd have to make up some story. Whereas after he was with Rose he could say they weren't compatible. He could say he wasn't looking for a girlfriend. Those things are true.

If they knew, he'd have to look his parents in the face and do something that already causes him so much agony, but to a much more serious degree. He'd have to be intentional in his deception.

Then when Ilya says "you can tell your parents you're gay without giving them a list of all the guys you're fucking", there's so much angst and miscommunication in this line.

Ilya thinks Shane should be open with his parents because he knows Shane needs it. Ilya wishes his own family had been different. At this point, Ilya still doesn't know where Shane stands and thinks their arrangement is some rebellion for Shane, so why would his involvement even matter. Ilya expects Shane to be fucking other guys. Ilya thinks Shane sees him as just some "guy he's fucking".

Shane hears Ilya's comment and hears "we're just fucking why are you being so dramatic", and so deflects and brings an end to the conversation.

Ilya has been in love with Shane for years but is good at hiding it. Shane repressed himself for years but when he did accept who he was he was in love with Ilya and thinks he's now stuck in a casual arrangement.

All of this also makes Shane's "holy shit" so much more endearing as a response to Ilya's "I love you".

They both thought they were so alone, and they never were.

david hollander is the true winner of the idgaf war. he doesn’t know what youtube is. he doesn’t care about shane’s sponsorships. he understands why shane doesn’t wanna go to wimbledon and is just happy to go with his wife. he sees his son making out with his supposed arch enemy and turns 180 degrees, gets in his car, and doesn’t tell a soul. he pulls out the vodka when his newly out gay son is having a freak out at the dinner table. if shane had even 1% of his idgaf powers he would be unstoppable. unfortunately that boy inherited his mom’s gaf-ability, which is constantly set to 150%.

one of the best edits i have ever seen by uhbucky on tiktok

there's something about him

jetko week day 2: first kiss

by @sophithil

+ bonus:

Honestly wild that Rose has her hands under Shane’s shirt, feeling up his chest, while they’re dancing together at the club. In front of Ilya, no less! Disrespectful, is what it is. Those are his titties! The ones he’s been squeezing like they’re stress balls since he’s been old enough to call himself a man. Ilya’s not over here letting random people nuzzle his crotch where Shane can see, is he? Because there are some things you just don’t do. It’s called decorum, Hollander, look it up.