we are ever so tired

As some of you already know, I’ve thus far spent most of my time in the Heated Rivalry fandom constructing a vampire AU based almost entirely on self-indulgent enthusiasm, Psychic Boyfriend feelings, and the question, “Which of the hockey lads would make the most sense as a vampire – with telepathic powers, of course – and why is it Ilya?” Although I had the idea before I read a single one of the books on which the show is based, quite a few moments from those books (one of them in particular, and not necessarily either of the ones you might assume) have contributed to my vision for this universe. Here are five of my favorites.

1.

Ilya growled and pressed his mouth harder to Shane’s skin. He sucked hard enough that, for a hysterical second, Shane wondered if he might actually be a vampire.

– Heated Rivalry

A couple of months ago, Tanoraqui/NevillesGran, who co-created The Magnusquerade, read an installment in the Vampire Hockey Diaries and sent me a screenshot of this page with the question, “Did you know this was a canon passage in the book, or did you just start this fic on vibes alone?” I confirmed that it was the latter, but did add that this passage had practically knocked me out of my seat when I read it.

2.

He’d gone from being “that sweet boy, Kyle Swift” to being a depraved sexual vampire, preying on the most respectable man in town.

– Common Goal

Kyle is a plausibly but tragically unreliable narrator about his past trauma, which is not great for either him or his present love interest, but excellent for the writer (me) who has decided that said “respectable” man is the reason why he is a vampire. It’s possible that my roots are showing (in the Magnusquerade, Jonathan Archivist Sims was also groomed and then sired by his boss), but if so, why should I bother to hide them?

3.

[Troy] collapsed on the bed and cracked open the Gatorade, wondering how Ilya knew he had been drinking alone last night.

“I saw you in the lobby with a liquor store bag,” Ilya said, as if he could read minds.

– Role Model

This is one of many, many, many instances in which Ilya has an uncanny sense of what another character is doing or feeling, but I deliberately singled out this moment – and the next one – because of the word choice.

4.

“He does not think he has a chance with you.”

“Are you psychic or something?”

“No. Just per – fuck. I forget the word already.”

“Perceptive.”

“Perceptive,” Ilya repeated. Then he said it three more times, drilling it into his brain.

– Role Model

And that was the passage that prompted me to text Elle, “TWICE IN ONE BOOK?”

5.

Harris was so good and sweet, and Troy kept feeding from him like a vampire.

– Role Model

That line cemented my plan to make Troy a member of the “We Had Terrible Vampire Sires” club, along with Ilya and Kyle. This doesn’t excuse his douchebag behavior, any more than the pressure of the closet and of socially encouraged toxic masculinity excuse similar behavior in canon. But I’m looking forward to exploring how he might end up seeking some sort of redemption despite being a literal monster instead of simply a figurative one.