Sofie’s Reviews > Heated Rivalry > Status Update

it just makes so much objective sense for ilya to be the one to fall first simply bc he's more equipped to acknowledge it, even if he then immediately buries it cause it terrifies him. he's more emotionally intelligent than shane is, maybe bc he grew up in the household he did and maybe bc he grew up queer in russia (probably a combo of both)

ilya likening himself to a cartoon villain because of his accent is so !!!!!!!!!! fucking sad!!!!!! i’m sure that’s another reason why he went with the cocky asshole persona. he already sounds like the bad guy so he might as well act and look the part too. and then compare that to shane’s perfect french, a language that is seen as beautiful and proper and intelligent, of course it makes ilya feel even worse

oh FUCK that detail of andrei knowing how much ilya’s signing bonus was and ilya assuming that that’s the only part of his career he follows. this whole situation is so heartbreaking cause you can really tell how much guilt ilya feels seemingly just for being alive?? the only way he can earn a call from a family member is by providing them with money so of course he's gonna give and give and keep giving

ah yes let’s play another game of “how soon into an ilya pov section does my heart start to hurt” (spoiler it’s almost instantly)

"plus, he liked them" this entire paragraph about shane's parents and how much he appreciates their support and love is making me so fucking emo what the HELL
and of course he's an only child, that explains quite literally everything

LOVE the difference between shane and ilya's approach to publicity here. shane is so naturally earnest and humble about his skill and wouldn't announce his expectations even if he privately expects to set a certain record. but ilya is taking the approach of being the cocky asshole so he has an built-in protective layer if people are disappointed by any losses or over-promises

"shane was a man of routine" yes i could infer that by the everything about him

the implications of shane saying bye to the closed door. vegas 2014 i see you in our future

of all the explicit things in this chapter i am clutching my pearls the most at shane having the urge to ASK ILYA TO STAY THE NIGHT AND IMAGINING FALLING ASLEEP IN HIS ARMS

“it felt so good that shane forgot to be insulted” i feel like this is gonna be a running theme