Date: March 12, 2007 12:01 pm Title: Chapter 6
!!!!
Karen!! Serious props go to Rashida for making us all not hate Karen.
But she's right, Jim is kinda of being a dueche (only a teeny tiny bit).
I like the commentary you have on guilt. It's an incredible motivator, actually, making you do all kinds of things (even things that you hate or know you shouldn't) just to make it go away. Which just makes the right thing that much harder. (umm...twss)
*cracks shiny new whip*
Bring on the rest of the angst so we can get to the fluff!!
thx.
cheers.
--Lex
Author's Response: Yeah, I'm not terribly happy with the way the writers have sort of left Jim's behavior open to criticism - I reserve judgement until the season is over and am hopefully optimistic...but again, not too happy about what they've done with Jim. Guilt is an incredible motivator, isn't it? Ah, you and your shiny new whip - heh! I'll hopefully get the next chapter up later tonight, if all goes as planned. Thanks for reviewing!
9 [Report This]Date: March 11, 2007 08:58 pm Title: Chapter 6
Wonderful, per usual. I love that now Pam realized Jim needs time. Something that was so missing from CN. Please say this is going to end with some JAM smut???
Author's Response: Heh, you kill me with the JAM smut question! I haven't finished this yet, so heaven only knows where it'll take me; the smut usually just sort of happens unexpectedly, I must admit. You are, however, at least guaranteed some good steam. :o) Thanks so much for reviewing!
Date: March 11, 2007 08:19 pm Title: Chapter 1
Thanks girl7 for the compliment. My name is actually in honor of my other favorite show, "House", and it's title character, Dr. Gregory House...the King of Snarkland.
PS I wouldn't mind being the Queen of Snarkland...as well as the plaything for the King of HalpertWorld. :)
Author's Response: Ahhh - I don't watch "House" (though I hear it's excellent), so I didn't get the reference. Snark is just the best word. :o) Oh - and wouldn't we all love to be the plaything of the King of HalpertWorld??
Date: March 11, 2007 05:36 pm Title: Chapter 6
You really have a knack for making me cry. I have no idea how you made me so sympathetic to Karen, but I just teared up for her. And I can't stand Karen. So that was surprising. Can't wait for the rest!!
Author's Response: Are you themollylama on TWoP? If so, your posts make me guffaw on a regular basis. :O) And (if you are indeed she), then apparently I repay you by making you cry. Very nice. :o) Thanks so much for the review!
Date: March 11, 2007 02:50 pm Title: Chapter 6
Dear girl7,
Here's a challenge: write a fic I DON'T like. Haha, just kidding, I'm pretty sure that's not possible from you ;)
Love, Dinkin
Author's Response: Back to you sister. (Only you could write a fic with Jim on a self-destructive bender for the better part of the story and have me LOVING it. That's a compliment, BTW.) :o) Thanks for reviewing!
Date: March 11, 2007 06:33 am Title: Chapter 6
Wow. This is such a good story. And that last line was amazing. I'm speechless. And I can't wait for more. Good job girl7!
Author's Response: That is so great to hear - love it that the last line got to you! (And BTW, I also love your username; snark is so underrated, in my opinion.) Thanks so much for reviewing - hopefully I'll have an update posted in a few hours!
Date: March 10, 2007 11:28 am Title: Chapter 5
That was great. I am such a sucker for a happy ending. I think my favorite bit was how you really compared Roy and Jim and how each would react and how each would treat Pam and Pam's realization about that. Nice job!
Author's Response:
If you're a sucker for a happy ending, then I'm your girl; I seem incapable of writing a Jim/Pam story without a happy ending. (That's not true, actually; I wrote a smutty, dark Jim/Jan that decidedly did not end well for anyone but Jan. Ahem.)
I'm glad you liked the Jim/Roy comparisons - sometimes I get too heavy on the interior monologues and it can weigh the story down; I contemplated cutting that, but ultimately left it in because I felt like it's such a distinctive contrast, one that Pam would surely be hyper aware of, you know?
Thanks for reviewing!
Date: March 10, 2007 11:04 am Title: Chapter 6
Sad. It's much harder to see a break-up with this sympathetic Karen.
As for more chapters - we like more chapters. We live for more chapters.
This line "It occurred to him rather randomly then that he'd always wanted to cringe when she called him babe" came right after I was cringing because Karen called Jim babe. I don't think they're "babe" close. (When one of you is actually in love w/someone else, yeah, you're not that close! But she didn't know that then.)
I like that Jim goes right for the crux of the matter (that it was love and not a crush), instead of talking about the fact he wasn't really sick and something big happened last night.
I love the variety of these post-Cocktails stories. I can't get enough! I look forward to the final few chapters.
Author's Response:
I want you to know that I smile every time I see your username, because I think of Jim saying that. :o)
Glad the "babe" thing skeeved you out - that's what I was going for (well, sort of - heh). Yeah, I thought about having him get into all of it - the engagement and his night with Pam (the previous evening), but I decided to just keep it simple instead.
Thanks so much for reviewing!
10 [Report This]Date: March 10, 2007 07:35 am Title: Chapter 6
Oh, I would argue that this Karen is just as captivating- I mean, at least Jim is finding it truly hard to break it to her! In Squirrel he'll feel a bit more relieved! (But then again, I marked my story as AU, so I guess I was allowed to make Karen a bit harder than perhaps she's really meant to be....)
Either way, I was delighted to see a new chapter. Looking forward to the final two!!!!
Author's Response:
Well in Squirrel, I woudln't have a problem with Jim dumping her all coldy - a la Katy. And I'm not sure your Karen is that much AU, based on some of the deleted scenes. Almost ripping down that flier? Eeeeeee.
Thanks again for reviewing!
Date: March 10, 2007 05:38 am Title: Chapter 6
Ew! I noticed that Karen called Jim "babe". How Roy of her. ;)
That sooooo can not be the ending?! You are SUCH A TEASE! LOL (please say there's more? ;-) This story brings the drama in all the right ways. Next thing you know you're going to have another 30+ chaptered story on your hands... heheheh
Author's Response:
Heh - that's precisely why I had her call him that particular pet name (and incidentally, it grated on my nerves just to write it). There's more -- hopefully I'll update tonight! (And god help me if this turns into another mammoth 30+ chapter thing like "Only" - I can almost promise that it won't, because I'm feeling so guilty about abandoning "Only" so long ago - gotta finish it.)
Thanks again!
Date: March 10, 2007 04:12 am Title: Chapter 6
karen is growing on me and i feel bad that she is going to get hurt. because, really. yeah, the first episodes i didn't like her and was ready to kick her to the curb, but now... yeah, she is a good guy and i hate to see her get hurt. even when i don't like her because she isn't pam
Author's Response: I know - for some reason, she really won me over in "The Return" - the inflection of her voice when she asked, "Do you still have feelings for her?" was just so sad to me. Gah. Thanks so much for the review!
Date: March 10, 2007 02:11 am Title: Chapter 6
Damn, I feel so bad for Karen now; I need to read a KarenisaBitch fic before I start shipping more of Jim/Karen. God. I love how you've written her, though; realistic, she's not a cardboard character [although for this I'm willing to credit the brilliant writers and Rashida, even though I've started to really like Rashida] on the show, and it carries so well into this story.
"All this time I thought you were a good guy": freaking devastating, especially since I know that she knows he is - it's just that he's an idiotic good guy. Really, really stupid, insane; a typical guy.
And I loved this line, maybe particularly because it reminds me he is a good guy, maybe because of the comparison [but I think there's a bit of a similarity, there, too, because Pam doesn't cry in front of the guy who hurt her, like in Back From Vacation, but she cried in this story just because there's too much to hold in...huh. I'm going to stop here before I go off on a tangent.]:
He didn't really know which was worse: seeing Pam just let go, or witnessing Karen as she struggled so hard to keep it together.
And I love how he found it so difficult to break up with her, feeling guilty, feeling off. Because as much as they'd want a happy-ever-after...
Just a huge, huge idiot. twss.
It's strange, for all that we complain about you dragging out a story, we really read everything and can never wait for an update. [Are you working on Only? I need a girl7preparedFluffFix.]
Can't wait for an update, like I said. ;)
Author's Response:
moofoot, your reviews are always so awesome - thoughtful and specific and so much fun to read. I'm glad you liked Karen here; I've found that when I write her, I do tend to write her more sympathetically...probably because, much as I want her out of the way (like YESTERDAY), I don't envy her. ...Or poor Jim, because yeah, I do think he's the kind of guy who would really carry a lot of guilt for hurting Karen (which he should, to a point - should've taken care of things during the five nights of talking!).
Anyway, thank you so much for yet another terrifically thoughtful review.
BTW, I haven't gone back to Only just yet - other than to jot a note about a wedding present idea I suddenly had for Michael to give to Pam - heh - but as soon as this one's done, I'll get back to it. It's funny because I wrote a huge chunk of Only (the Jonathan heavy chapters when everything hit the fan) one weekend when my husband was out of town - just sat writing and posting for the entire weekend. He's going out of town for all of next week, so I figure that's a sign for me to get bakc to it, maybe finish it. :o)
Date: March 10, 2007 01:24 am Title: Chapter 6
Ouch, poor Karen! This is going to be really horrible for her, isn't it? As much as I want her out of the way...*cringes* Well done, I was wincing the whole way through. And the image of Jim stumbling out of bed in the morning was very yummy, so thanks for that!
Author's Response:
How could it not be horrible to lose Jim Halpert? (Although I would not have followed him to another state on the fly like she did, but that's just me.) Anyhoo....yeah, in for some more messiness here (and on the show as well, I'm sure - that is, if they ever get around to resolving things...)
Glad you enjoyed the image of Jim stumbling out of bed; I try to write yummy!Jim whenever I can (and have been known, particularly in my earlier stuff, to wander off on a tangent about his lankiness or his forearms....)
Thanks for reviewing!
Date: March 09, 2007 10:00 pm Title: Chapter 6
As soon as I read the last line the words, "Oh, wow." escaped my mouth. Because honestly, even thought Jim is a good guy, if I was Karen I would have to come to the same conclusion. Ugh.
I like your sympathetic depiction of Karen. I don't like the big dramatic scenes where she curses Jim out and reveals herself to be either psycho or a bitch or both. I don't think it's in keeping with the realistic feel of the show. So I really liked this.
And I'm also VERY happy that this is a multi-part epilogue :)
Author's Response:
Oh, I'm so glad to hear that! I've found myself writing sympathetic Karen more than once - probably because I can only imagine being in her position. I mean, he is a good guy -- just not her good guy. Sigh.
Thanks for reviewing!
Date: March 09, 2007 09:37 pm Title: Chapter 6
First, I love when you lie - what good is one epilogue, when you can have three! (Sometimes less is not more.) Second, thanks for giving me another image of sleepy Jim - is it okay if I imagine his jammy (ahem) bottoms as lace-up football pants? (What? When my son was a tyke, he had pj's that looked like a football uniform...it can happen.) Third...oh, guilty, tortured, yet hopelessly in love Jim - one of my favorite varieties. And, as usual, you make him feel so flesh/blood. He is a good guy dammit...but finally, he can run, but, as he now knows, he cannot hide. (Here's to him figuring that out on the show soon in our lifetime too)
And lastly, thanks for a Karen that is so much more emotionally believable than on the show. I actually want to hug her here (on the show, I want to pinch her - hard.) And I like that Jim almost wants to deny everything again, just to comfort her. But doesn't. Ah well, in the end, Karen will get over it...Jim never would.
Author's Response:
I want you to know that I hopped on this morning for a quick check, saw your review, and kept thinking about your last sentence all day long -- that Karen will get over it, but Jim never would. I've never heard that put quite so succinctly before, but you are so right. (I swear, even your reviews are simply gorgeous prose!)
And dear colette, you can have Jim's jammies any old way you like (though I'd have to second the football pants preference - wow). Thanks for the laugh ("I want to pinch her - hard" -- killed me), and of course, the review.
Date: March 09, 2007 09:08 pm Title: Chapter 6
Okay, I have to say that your Karen is one of the most believably Karen's I have ever read. She's just a woman, after all - she's not crazy or evil or anything like that; she's just caught up wtih a man who happens to be in love with Pam and you've done wonderfully capturing her brokenness here, in addition to Jim's guilt.
Fantastic.
Author's Response:
Guh...thanks so much fwf. The writers have frustrated me, because I really think Rashida's so talented (the inflection in her voice when she asked, "Do you still have feelings for her?" killed me), yet they leave Karen so underdeveloped. So for some weird reason, I feel the need to try to flesh her out. Aside from that, I think she's more believable as a decent woman who just found herself caught in the midst of an impossible, really tragic situation.
So thank you for the feedback, because I was going for exactly what you described. :o)
Date: March 09, 2007 08:12 pm Title: Chapter 6
I really like how you portrayed Jim here. Willing to turn his back on his own desires to prevent Karen from feeling pain. I also like how you put words that you emphasize in italics. It really helps me to narrate the story in my head. Loved it!
Author's Response:
It's funny that you mention the italicizing, because I did it twice in one sentence (in a Karen quote), and I was concerned that it'd be distracting - so it's nice to hear that it wasn't. And yeah...I've mentioned before that, while I'm fascinated by the discussion on TWoP re: Jim vs. Pam (i.e. who's at fault, why Pam's a passive doormat, why Jim's a sullen prick), I just don't subscribe to either opinion. My sense is that these are two people who are caught in a very difficult - and very real - situation that has been exacerbated by their inability to communicate honestly. (And I can also see why they're hesitant - all the misunderstandings and missed signals have come off as believable to me thus far, however impatient I may be getting.)
All this to say that I really picture Jim as struggling with the fact that he'll go down in Karen's history as a "bad" guy, because I don't think he identifies himself as such. (And with Katy, I somehow don't think he was as invested as he has been with Karen - maybe that's just wishful thinking, or selective memory on my part.)
Anyway...we will see a resolution soon, right? Right Greg Daniels???
Thanks, as always, for the review!
Date: March 09, 2007 03:04 pm Title: Chapter 5
*sigh* This story is like the show. I would have like some more...ahem...resolution, but I guess this is more realistic. Thank you. Now on your way to finish Only. :)
Author's Response: Hee, beetfarm. :o) I'll be writing more of a resolution, but then I'll get to Only. (So glad you're still interested in it - I was convinced nobody would give a damn, as it has been so long since the last update.) Thanks again for reviewing!
Date: March 09, 2007 01:52 pm Title: Chapter 5
Wow...realistic, satisfying, not too short-not too long. What a great story. I really enjoyed it.
Author's Response: I'm glad it worked for you, tab23 - thanks so much for reviewing!
10 [Report This]Date: March 09, 2007 01:01 pm Title: Chapter 5
I simply have NO idea how Pam could let him walk out that door without a few more hours of 'togetherness'. Seriously. Karen or no Karen. But then again, maybe that's why Colette is certain I'm satan. ;-) So well written dear, it really gets me in that area where my heart is supposed to be. :-D
Author's Response:
Amen to that, sister! And if you are Satan, then...well, I'll sell you my soul if you promise never to end Squirrel. :o) That story is so freaking brilliant - have read the lastest chapters but haven't reviewed because I've been thinking about just why it works so well, and I wanted to be able to articulate it semi-coherently. So look for a long review from me in the next few days, when I get a chance to catch up.
Thanks again for reviewing!
10 [Report This]Date: March 09, 2007 11:10 am Title: Chapter 5
Well I put "It's Not Over" on a continuous loop while reading this fic...I've always thought that song had JAM written all over it!! You are continuing this right?
Author's Response: Oooh, I'm glad you did that! I'm continuing this, but not for much longer; I want to tie up some loose ends that people have mentioned. Thanks so much for reviewing!
Date: March 09, 2007 08:09 am Title: Chapter 5
Okay, just a quickie, because I'm juggling about 12 things at the moment and shouldn't be on this site AT ALL! How very sexy when he wakes up all sleepy and disoriented, yet instantly, pre-thinking, just RESPONDS to Pam kissing him? And while I understand why he needs time, and respect Pam understanding that...dang, woman. Like that you end on the promise of a true relationship (a miracle indeed!)
You know I'd love an epilogue...first, because I'm a greedy, insatiable thing and gobble up everything you write and second, because I'd love to know the final resolution (I mean, I think I know, but I'd love to read it through your words.)
Author's Response: Just a quickie, eh? ;oP I will totally write an epilogue (although, having just seen the new pics from Leatherheads - holy mother of god, John Krasinski is hot - Jim may show up wearing lace-up football pants). :o) So glad you liked this - will get to work on the epilogue soon!
Date: March 09, 2007 07:20 am Title: Chapter 5
Yes! I want an epiloge!
And... my midterms are over, so I can get back to reading fanfic, which we all know is the most important thing in life.
And, yes, replying to reviews is all really awesome and nice. Because, it makes me feel special. Haha! But yeah, I really always do enjoy your responces. Make me feel happy and great. So, yeah.
All of that before I even read the story!
This was a great end. It still is like, yeah, its the future. It isn't all neat and clean - yet - there is still history to clean up, but the future and its going to be happy. and its just good. and realistic. even though it would be nice for it to happy just immediatly, real life isn't like that. so yeah. good job :)
Author's Response:
It's good to know that review responses are important, because I genuinely did not know that. Now that I'm doing it consistently, I'm realizing that I really enjoy it, too - it's sort of like being on the boards, only without a moderator to smack me with a ruler if I go off topic.
Again, it's good to hear that the realism worked for you; it's so tempting to want to just put a big bow on this pair at the end (and so many writers do a fantastic job of doing just that), but I was going for something that was as close to what might actually happen in such a situation. ...I mean, you know, if these were real people and all...
Thanks for reviewing!
Date: March 09, 2007 06:33 am Title: Chapter 5
First off, thanks for the shout out. I tried to ignore that song for so long, but it kept poking at me every time I heard it, so I finally just sat down and made the video. I'm so very glad you liked it.
I loved this chapter. It was sexy and heartfelt and intense. I'm interested to see where it goes - the confrontation with Roy, with Karen, and the inevitable reunion! Update soon!!
Author's Response:
No, thank you for the video. I don't watch American Idol, so I have no idea whether or not that Daughtry guy is a massive tool; all I know is that the song just would not leave me alone (sort of like what you said). And I loved what you did with it in the video.
Glad you liked this chapter, and yeah, I'll be exploring the Roy/Karen angles in the epilogue (which'll probably be another ten chapters, knowing me). Thanks again for reviewing!
Date: March 09, 2007 05:33 am Title: Chapter 5
I can see traces of that hug all over this chapter, but feel free to take that as you wish, because I couldn't [literally couldn't; my eyes shut automatically] watch this episode right more than once or twice. The Jim/Pam bits.
I loved the way she kissed him while he was still asleep, how disoriented and lost he was, before he was jolted back to reality.
I can't stop smiling yet, and I'm still feeling a little woozy with the after-effects of reading something so promising, spirit-lifting...so I'm just going to be quoting a couple of lines I particularly loved:
Jim tried to deflect attention from the things he did for her.
How true! In direct contrast with Roy, this is obviously more evident, but you can't help but notice he doesn't make a big deal of anything he does, especially for her.
Anytime Jim said "No.", because imagining him saying that, looked dazed, disbelieving, completely genuine = too much to handle.
And this is silly, but when they went Kelly at the same time? I could hear them say it, see them say it, and I cracked up.
Alright, truthfully, I loved a lot more, but I'd be quoting everything right back at you, which wouldn't make sense because you know what you wrote, because you wrote it!
Yeah, I'm up really late.
I can't wait for more of Only!! The brilliant-fluff of that fic never, ever fails to put me in a good mood. Or a sugar-high.
Author's Response:
Wow, your first sentence was so great to read; I'm really flattered! (And my husband had much the same reaction to the PLoD scene - when I wanated to re-watch the episode right after it aired - which is usually what we do - he was shocked, saying it was too freaking sad to watch again.) And thank you so much for such a thoughtful, detailed review; it's always nice to hear what specific aspects people liked. For the "no" bits, I had a few things in mind -- one, the way he looked both in "The Convention" sitting on the bed next to Michael, and of course, in "The Return" when he said the "Yes" heard round the world. But I was also consciously trying to sort of allude to the CN/GWH dialogue, with Pam's assertion that she wasn't drunk (as a counter to the "Maybe we're drunk") and with Jim's saying "Me, too" in response to her saying she was glad it wasn't too late.
Glad you're looking forward to more Only, too! Thank you so much for this review!