after much contemplation i've compiled my top 5 hr fics of all time (in no particular order) route 96 kanata by Anonymous: I really like fics where hockey is ripped out of Shane’s hands entirely because you know he would be suicidal over it and this fic makes that very clear. It explores his grief of losing his passion and mourning the life he could have lived, while also dealing with a debilitating injury that impacts his mobility… which I find very devastating for Mr. Hockey Is My Life guy. throughout reading this i was constantly like Shane PLEASE don't kill yourself. SHANE.
The mood is fantastic. Melancholic and serene at the same time. I think it takes Shane’s suffering and turns it into a very poignant experience where you’re just in his head all the time, because he doesn’t want to feel sorry for himself. He tries SO HARD to feel normal and human again and just AGHHHHHHHHH sooo so so good it was there for me when i needed it the most. everyone should read this at least once
the dust you seldom see by servetas: where do i even begin with this fic???? this might be like top 5 fics that i've EVER read and it's not even done yet! shane is in a happy yet unfulfilling relationship while ilya and his boyfriend live in the same apartment building. lots and lots of infidelity ensues. psa i do not condone cheating irl obviously but i turn a blind eye when it's with my faves sorry! i love cheating fics and I think this is like exhibit A of a Really Good One.
The chapters are really long and delicious and the prose is magnificent. seriously a lot of scenes and lines stuck with me and i think they will until the end of time. the apple scene literally blew my mind when i first read it. If you know..... you know. I have sooooo many thoughts about this one i might have to make a separate post with all of them when it updates again. Never stop the glaze.
for a split sec, I was a train wreck by Anonymous: im ngl I feel like I have some sort of parasocial relationship with this anon author. I love their writing and their perfect from now on series and this is my favoriteeee fic from them. ilya gets a leg injury and is condemned to stay indoors. in an attempt to not lose his mind, he develops an interest for tarot and sends shane hollander many mundane photos.
This fic is special to me because a) i was reading this instead of paying attention for my cybsec lecture and b) it details ilya's realization for his feelings for shane. I think his subconscious yearning for shane already and his initial denial is super in character, and it was such a treat seeing his feelings blossom in real time. Super special to me, a comfort fic if you will.
stickhandling by moonlitgarden: I felt like my life changed directions when I first read this fic. a shane hollander character study etched into my mind forever. Shane is probably the first character that has ever made me feel seen (which is kind of embarrassing but whatever we ball) and this fic was like he was speaking to my soul. I don't really know the words to properly summarize this fic other than just an amazing character study, but I advise you to read it as soon as possible if you're as much of a Shanehead like I am. love takes miles by corsi: something that I've never seen before in ao3 is the heated rivalry fandom's creativity when it comes to fics, and this one is a prime example. Hockey RPF and hollanov through the eyes of fandom. BEAUTIFUL coding.... as someone who can't code to save their life and wants to learn HTML i'm super jelly!!
the concept of hollanov being a popular in-universe RPF ship is extremely funny to me because they were literally right all along. the discourse and reactions and everything else is really accurate. you can tell corsi was really into hockey fandom back then as they detail in their author's notes. straight from the source themselves. Unconventional, multi-media fics are probably one of my favorite pieces that come from this fandom, and this one is very special to me since it was my first!
