Ashley Bhalla

I'm a cricket and dragon-loving sci-fi/fantasy geek who reads WAY too much (apparently)! Friendly and sane (ish!), though prone to giggle fits and sugar-highs.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@Cinder_dreaming I wonder - long shot, sure - if that’s part of the reason for the ghosting. Ilya saw what happened in Sochi and is now trying to set a boundary for himself in the only way he can.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@Cinder_dreaming Right. I mean, if he didn’t get the severity of the situation at first, fair enough, it’s a big thing, but in that case, ask someone. (Also, his dad works for the Treasury Board, are you telling me a government official wouldn’t have known about this?)

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@Cinder_dreaming You know what also just occurred to me? Shane has kept Ilya at SERIOUS arms length for ages before Sochi. And now he suddenly wants to talk. If I was Ilya, I’d be extremely confused (as well as annoyed). Talk about mixed messages!

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea I guess it’s more that Shane is against Ilya telling anyone he’s not vetted himself (which is ironic in itself), but yes. Still I’d hope he’d suck it up if it was for Ilya’s safety.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea Would he have to go public about it though? And could he not apply after they’re outed?

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea Actually here’s a question - even if it ultimately didn’t work, why did no one suggest that Ilya could claim asylum in TLG? Is it not a thing in Canada?

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea I wonder if that’s partly the reason for six months of no contact; he’s got other shit going on, and is also hurt/angry about his boundaries - and safety! - being ignored like that.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@1lyatwt @EscapistMedea “Were there no nice men in Boston?” (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea I think Shane knows it’s not safe for queer people in Russia, but his internalised homophobia is so strong at this point, he thinks it doesn’t apply to him because he’s not gay. It doesn’t occur to him that it DOES apply to Ilya.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea Actually, the Olympics thing has always really bugged me, because you know Shane and the other athletes would’ve been told about the Russia situation. Either he ignored it, which is bad, or didn’t fully understand - which, fine, but in that case, ask!

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea The other wild thing is that Shane’s boundaries must always be respected, but Ilya’s can just be trampled over. Example: the Olympics. Even without the Russia of it all, Ilya said not here. No means no.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea Yeah, that’s wild to me. Shane is pushing Ilya away just as much (if not more) in the earlier days. Honestly, I think book!Shane would look at show!Shane in absolute bewilderment. Because that’s not him!

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea Yeah. I think the show cut a lot of Ilya’s softer (for lack of a better word) scenes, and that makes me sad.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea I’ve always liked the idea that Ilya did try to reach out to Ryan, but didn’t get very far, so yeah. (I still love their scene at the funeral in TG though, and the plane scene in HR.)

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea Exactly. I’m sure Ilya and Ryan get on well enough, but Ryan would run a mile from that. (Fabian, possibly??)

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea One thing in the BD fight that bugs me is, Ilya says he has no one when Shane has people who know. Shane goes ‘what about Ryan Price?’ I mean, technically, he’s not wrong. But also? He’s missing the point Ilya is making and it comes off as so dismissive.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea @1lyatwt I wonder if Covid might get included in the show? I know it wasn’t in the book, but it would make Ilya even more isolated and explain Svetlana’s absence.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea I’d also like to know how Jackie found out. Did Hayden tell her? Because if so, he’s basically outed Ilya without his consent. (I’m not sure if it’s better or worse if Shane told her or if she was there when Hayden found out.)

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea I do headcanon that, ultimately, Ilya does end up liking Rose (it’s a bit too long a headcanon to go into in a tweet, but it’s partly because she gets why he might’ve been awkward with her at first), but yeah, that’s not great.

[Ashley Bhalla @Litsetaure]

@EscapistMedea Also thinking about Rose; it seems wildly unlikely that everyone who knows about them found out by accident. I know we’re never told but, just based on that, my gut feeling is that Shane told her. I hope I’m wrong, I really do, unless Ilya okay’d it.