stars in the universe

[eggybread.livejournal.com]

title: The Conklin (Ty)angle
involves: Marc-Andre Fleury/Ty Conklin, and Jaro Halak
rating: R
summary: The Conklin Triangle, where you're already drawn in at two. Marc's trying to prevent the unknown, bizarre effects of three.
notes: This was done a little bit with Caddyshack and a lot with I'm Alright by Kenny Loggins. ;)
And perfect weather with the still current uncertainty of Jaro in St. Louis. (And it's inevitable that Jaro, whom I've found adorable for a while, would end up right there with Mr. Conklin.)
disclaimer: Ty *does* have very nice ties. That's all I know for sure.


Losing to Montreal, bad enough. Having to see Montreal again, in the place you thought was your own, worse.

"Nedotýkajte sa ho." Marc was still working on the pronunciation, and he couldn't get the accents right, but there was a "ty" and there was a "ho" in there, just to render the phrase utterly appropriate. "Don't touch him."

...I'm alright
Nobody worry 'bout me
Why you got to gimme a fight?
Can't you just let it be?...

Do what you like,
Doing it nat'rally
But if it's too easy
They're gonna disagree...

It's your life
And isn't it a mystery
If it's nobody's bus'ness
It's everybody's game...

Gotta catch you later
No, no, cannonball it right away...

Some Cinderella kid

"I don't trust you." MAF the Knife, at loose on the rink. Dangerous white teeth a-grin.

"I'm glad you don't." Ty replied in kind.

Even better that Marc had to come to Missouri to make his position clear.

"I don't trust you; I don't trust him."

"Flower, come on. He's a sweet kid; he's a good guy, he's not insane like you… Nice. Calm. We're like the same side of a magnet. You know?"

"Boring."  Teeth flash.

"Exactly."

Get it up and get you a job
(Dip dip dip dip dip dip dip dip)

I'm alright
Nobody worry 'bout me
Why you got to gimme a fight?
Can't you just let it be?

Who do you want?
Who you gonna be today?
And who is it really
Makin' up your mind?

It wasn't enough to be reassuring, not with Ty's eyes and not with Ty's smile and not with the sight of Ty's fingers…"You don't grab him, and you don't pat him on the head, and you don't smile at him like your face is going to break."

"Marc."

"What." He kept seeing a green-eyed substitute. Jealousy and six months younger, to begin with.

"There's only one you."

"I know. What I don't think you realize is, there's only one you." 82 fucking games -- or till the trade deadline at least -- together with Ty, already something he'd never had.

"He's already a better goalie than me." And stubborn, he'd read it in the papers.

"So? I don't trust you."

"He doesn't need my help."

"I don't trust him."

"We're going in circles. C'mon. What's gonna make you feel better?"

You wanna listen to the man?
Pay attention to the magistrate
And while I got you in the mood
Listen to your

In a role reversal, he grabbed a bare fistful of his old #35 at the neck, his current opposite number, bringing their faces close together, and making himself crystal-clear.

"Touch me. And don't touch him."

Own heart beatin'
Own heart beatin'
Own heart beatin'
Own heart beatin'

Don't it get you movin'

mmmmm-man

It make me feel good

(Wow, Cinderella kid)

Then give it up and give it the job

Sheets replacing clothing, jerseys gone, naked skin freed, horizontal instead of vertical, and the conversation still didn't necessarily get any easier.

"Look, I promise you, if we win the Cup together--"

"I'll be happy for you."

"I know. If you let me finish, what I wanted to say was, whatever happens -- he's just going to remind me of you."

"Because I'll be there. If it it happens. But we're nothing alike, didn't you say?"

"Yeah. And you got there first. You got to me first. Understand?"



Catching understanding when he sees them together, the quiet newcomer clarifies things before the loudmouth incumbent can make way with freezing clarity.

"Miluješ ho." Jaro, carefully expressionless.

"Huh?"

"You love him." No implication in his tone, staring at the clean sheet of ice.

The "ho" is still there. "I-- Yeah. Well, you try not to."

Comments

[lite-bright.livejournal.com]

You're back! I am pretty psyched.

And with such a good story -- how I not be? The images are seamless with the words, and it's a nice dimension of realism, even if the rest of it is fiction. I'd like to apply that comment to the whole story, that it is seamless, and reads so wonderfully. The continuous nature of the conversations; that they're all about the same thing, and use the same words, ends up magnifying this and it is such a cool effect. (and "ho" still makes me giggle some, in along with appreciating the seriousness.)

I guess I should say something about the specifics of the story?
Conklin, yessss, way to go; I am so pleased that you've chosen to write about him again. Um, also way to go on the dynamics in net this year for St Louis, and the whole history with Fleury. The way that those two narratives interlock is so compelling, and so difficult. (perhaps it is compelling because it is difficult? it's very good, either way.) The addition of Halak is ambiguous, especially in the last section, but it works well, which is precisely what St Louis must have been thinking :)

Like always, I have not managed to say much, but I am just so pleased that you've posted this.

[eggybread.livejournal.com]

You remembered Ty's alive!! :D

And with such a nice critique, how can I not be thrilled.

Wow, you got a lot more enjoyment out of this than I thought anyone would, even after I realized "I'm Alright" would make a good songfic for this.

I'm also impressed by the seamlessness you saw in something I felt was quite disjointed. (Halak, of course, is hovering over things the entire time. And may very well show up in again...)

You said a ton, and I love your commentary as always; it will never grow old for me. Much pleased author appreciation. ;)

[lite-bright.livejournal.com]

I usually do! It was just that Old Weirdbeard Mason was playing all the time, it was miserable and as a coping strategy, I apparently decided that Conklin had suffered some grievous end (capped by a suitably wacky funeral) and that was why he was never playing. Your boy is pretty great, still. :D

It's a really intriguing choice for the story, and honestly I puzzled over it, but when coupled with the non-textual elements, it worked really well. So, however that happened, it's great.

Disjointed, hmm. There's certainly some of that, and it might be that there are sections that read in that way, but the ways in which it becomes a complete story are very interesting, and fairly compelling. (not that the rest is uncompelling! why do I say things in this way.) Halak is a mystery here, and that's elegant, with something like,

"...We're like the same side of a magnet. You know?"

There's a hint of more there, and if that stays on the ice, great, and if it powers the narrative, also great -- although likely to have to some consequences. And that always draws everything in closer, the thought that actions are interconnected just like that.

Cool, we have a little appreciation society going on here! :) It's just that whenever you write, it always makes me think. Which is good, if you don't mind diatribes about characterization and form? Sorry.

also, wow, embarrassing mistakes in that first comment, I am sometimes dumb.

[eggybread.livejournal.com]

oh, don't remind me about Mason getting ALL THE PLAYING TIME....
*grits teeth*
You certainly didn't see him inspiring any fic from me.

Jaro has to sign his darn contract first, and then we'll see, but I couldn't resist the conjunction of the three of them through no fault of my own... ;)

Continue diatribe-ing, please. It's always an interesting way for me to view my own work, through this kind of perspective.

[jess-the1.livejournal.com]

Silly Marc, Jaro is Carey's so you have nothing to worry about.;p

[eggybread.livejournal.com]

Jaro hasn't reckoned on his freedom andhaving to deal with Ty. ;)

[brigidmn.livejournal.com]

"You love him." No implication in his tone, staring at the clean sheet of ice.

The "ho" is still there. "I-- Yeah. Well, you try not to."

Sums up exactly how I feel about Fleury. I don't mean to love him...I just can't help it.

And thank you for writing this, especially right now, as I've been craving something Fleury for the past few days. Love it :D

[eggybread.livejournal.com]

And ho..w do you know that's not Ty being referred to? :D

(Actually, it was deliberately left ambiguous, so. I see MAF and Ty as a lot more alike than it would sometimes seem.

Both ridiculously easy to love, definitely. ;)

[a-symphony-in-c.livejournal.com]

Perfect.

[eggybread.livejournal.com]

no way.

Perfect how? :D

[a-symphony-in-c.livejournal.com]

in the brief, contained frame of the prose - never too much, just enough. short and halting, like their own exchange, but easy in the way you would expect them to communicate. Just enough push and pull. something about ty's last words that give this whole thing meaning.

it's unmistakable in almost all your pieces, and it's more or less my favourite prose style to read in this comm :)

so...

[belial.livejournal.com]

Poor, poor Jaro. He doesn't stand a chance against a jealous bitch like MAF.

I love you. I am so glad you suggested I go back through and find you, cause now... well... i may love you. :)

Re: so...

[eggybread.livejournal.com]

Aw, shucks, thanks...

You know, if you really want, you can always be a pioneer and review the story that nobody else did... (http://community.livejournal.com/2mins4slashing/1141897.html) ;)