1 [Report This]Date: October 01, 2022 09:45 am Title: we work our way around each other
I enjoyed reading this, but I don't feel like that is the end. I would have liked something more conclusive, even if it's just a mental admission that he wants Pam more. Other than that, it was a great look into the dying days of Jim and Karen's relationship. I could not help but feel for Karen, whose only fault was not being Pam. Nice job.
1 [Report This]Date: June 05, 2021 07:14 pm Title: we work our way around each other
Omg, finish this!!
1 [Report This]Date: July 02, 2020 01:57 am Title: we work our way around each other
One of the first fics I ever read in this fandom, and remains both one of my favorites and the one I'm most likely to think about at any given moment.
10 [Report This]Date: April 06, 2017 07:45 pm Title: we work our way around each other
I am convinced this is what went down those few days. Absolute perfection.
I've missed them. And fic. So glad to come back and find this after all this time.
Date: February 19, 2017 08:56 am Title: we work our way around each other
I loved this. Beach Games was one of my favorite episodes and I'm so glad you explored Jim's reaction that we didn't get to see in the show. So well-written. Bravo!
Date: May 18, 2010 09:04 am Title: we work our way around each other
Callisto, I'd never read this before! I really, really enjoyed it and thought you captured what might have happened spot on! Great job.
10 [Report This]Date: July 23, 2009 06:22 am Title: we work our way around each other
I don't think Jim gets enough credit for what he went through during that time. I love how you portray him here, torn up in knots, going with the flow (because that is what Jim does) but desperate to do something else. And he got his sign, which is beautiful because it was Pam, herself, who sent it to him. I love this tremendously, particularly your portrayal of Karen. Just gorgeous. And nice, nice title, too. It is perfect.
Date: July 16, 2009 07:17 pm Title: we work our way around each other
This is exactly the way it happened that week. I'll try not to repeat all the things that have been said that I agree with, but I loved this story as much as Karen wanted to keep Jim. *grin* The characterizations were spot on, Karen's aggresive desperation and Jim's inertia while he processed what Pam had said. I especially loved how seamlessly it fit with canon with things like: " No kidding. I’ll be famous" setting the stage for the yogurt lid. Just plain awesome.
Author's Response: Thanks, jazzfan! This particular week has been the subject of such speculation and differing opinion. I'm glad to see that my view of how things might have happened resonates with so many of you. I'm glad you liked it! Thanks for letting me know. :)
Date: July 16, 2009 05:00 am Title: we work our way around each other
To echo the chorus, I totally share your take on that mysterious week as well. (In fact, I once wrote a far more abbreviated version in an old fic called Snip, that pretty much jibes with this, at least in spirit - but you've covered it here in much more complete and convincing detail.)
I'm always bewildered by board comments claiming Jim was a 'jerk' not to immediately dump Karen post BG - that he seemed perfectly 'happy' with her until TJ. Huh?!? Of course, taking him an entire week may have been a bit contrived (but hello? TV schedule!) But I found it utterly believable that - just as you've so beautifully portrayed here - it would have taken some time for Pam's (still rather cryptic) message to fully sink in - and for his laboriously constructed walls to crumble. After all, look what happened last time he misinterpreted her words/behavior! Plus, as you make so clear, he did have feelings - at least of obligation/guilt - for Karen. I think what those commenters often forget is that WE, as the audience, knew how Pam truly felt by then, so we could read ILU between the lines of her BG speech; Jim didn't know any of that for sure yet. He needed that final kick, that 'sign' - just as you so succinctly put it. What I saw in NYC was not simply a guy 'having fun', but a man making a last ditch effort to be that other guy, to finally convince himself he could embrace that life with Karen, play it safe/protect his heart....then all it took was one old yogurt lid and kaboom. (And btw, I don't think Karen seems one-dimensional here at all - shes seems like a woman who knows deep down she's playing a losing game, but desperately trying to hold onto her man...she loved him - or, at least her projection of him - and, as you so aptly put it: Karen with a plan was not a woman to be denied. Great line.
Anyway, clearly you don't need me to 'splain all this ;-) Beautifully written - love writing that creates such a full sense of the characters' experience/inner monologue in a few succinct lines/paragraphs. I also love the scene in the supermarket - just the right note of confusion, wistfulness, awkwardness...tongues painfully bitten. Also, the acute tacit discomfort of Jim not returning Karen's 'I love you' on the phone...and your final line is the perfect set up for TJ.I could go on, but I've already rambled too long.
This is simply how it happened.
Author's Response: I remember Snip. Excellent little fic, and in the end Jim's hair seemed to be a tangible expression of what was wrong with that relationship--Karen wanting him, but the version of him that she thought he could be. Or something. I agree utterly with the fact that Jim was torn, not necessarily in terms of love but between what kind of life he wanted to have, what kind of man he wanted to be. And I think that although a week is the kind of drama necessary because it's TV, it wasn't unrealistic at all that he would need time to process what Pam said and decide what to do with that information. He needed a sign, and despite Karen's attempts to hang on, being the good girlfriend (and staying firmly between him and Pam, as we saw so visibly in The Job), Pam still managed to get though. But that's all my love for the writers of the show pulling that off so beautifully. In any case, I'm rambling, but thank you, very much, for the review. I respect your understanding of the characters as among the most subtly perfect of all of the writers here, so, for obvious reasons, I'm glad to know you felt my characterizations rang true. Gracias. :)
Date: July 15, 2009 06:44 pm Title: we work our way around each other
Beautiful job with this. Pitch perfect characterizations. Karen's insecurity and increasingly desperate tactics to get Jim the hell out of the "Pam-verse", Pam quietly hoping that her words got through to Jim, but realizing that the next move has to be his, and Jim, conflicted, unsure, uncertain of where he seems to be heading, but still pondering the true meaning of Pam's speech: friendship or more? and naturally fearful of putting himself out there again, thus the wish for a definite sign. Yay for gold yogurt lids! And yay for you, for writing this winner of a fic!
Author's Response: Hi EH! Thanks for the review. I'm glad you say that about the characterizations; obviously opinions may vary on this, but you saw it exactly as I intended, so that makes me very happy. Yay for yogurt lids and inside jokes, indeed! It was not easy to write--getting into Jim's head this week was a major challenge. I'm glad you felt it rang true. Thanks for taking time to let me know. :)
Date: July 15, 2009 06:06 pm Title: we work our way around each other
Wow. I'm literally speechless. I wouldn't change one word of this story, it was so amazing.
Author's Response: Wow. Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked it. :)
Date: July 15, 2009 01:11 pm Title: we work our way around each other
This is SO amazingly good! Long (what's not to love!) and really well written (even better)! Please keep going, there's a lot you can do from this point - maybe the first date? Or Pam's pregnancy over the summer?
Author's Response: Thanks! Glad you liked it. This is where it ends, though, sorry. :) I wrote a first date story, so I don't want to tread that ground again (and there are so many other, better versions, too!). Just think about "it's a date" and there's your happy ending. :D Thank you for taking time to review. I appreciate it!
Date: July 15, 2009 04:50 am Title: we work our way around each other
Yeah, I kind of liked Karen back when she had a personality, too. And if I were dating Jim, I'd be hitting that every chance I got, so I can't blame the girl. Glad she's having hot dog man's little babies far, far, away though.
Author's Response: Hours from Scranton is where Karen needs to be! Yeah, I'm glad she's happy... with somebody else, far, far away. :)
Date: July 15, 2009 01:03 am Title: we work our way around each other
That was THE best account of that time between Beach Games and The Job that I've ever read. I can't even remember if anyone's ever done it before. Not only was everything so amazingly plausible and in character (Jim's take on Darcy in a British accent -- made of awesome), but there was just so much heart. The encounter at the grocery store...something tells me that maybe there was even an underlying inside joke that we weren't made privy to there...or maybe it was just the difference between french vs. italian bread -- either way, I loved this so much. Thanks so much for not thinking it was too late to share this.
Author's Response: Thank you, LoveFool! I love Jim talking in an English accent. Or any kind of affected voice, really. :D You should know that 'plausible' and 'in-character' mean a lot to me, so thank you for that. Glad you enjoyed it--thanks for taking the time to let me know.
Date: July 14, 2009 10:46 pm Title: we work our way around each other
I feel so privileged to have been able to go along with you in the crafting of this story, Callisto. I know you've agonized about it and worked really hard to get the characters just right, and in my opinion, you've succeeded utterly.
Karen is in a very difficult position here, and I think it's clear she's trying to figure out just where she stands with Jim. She's obviously torn between holding on tight and giving him the proper amount of space, but she also knows that she's got some stiff competition and she's got to bring out the big guns if she wants to keep her man. You've portrayed her as conflicted, complex and, most of all, human.
As for Pam, she's made her big speech already at this point. That was the moment she finally came into her own, and that's enough for her. As we saw on the show, she accepted that she would be okay no matter what Jim ended up doing. Of course, that doesn't mean she's not above getting those snarky little digs in when she can. She's not perfect; she's so much more interesting than that.
Finally, we come to Jim. He's the most conflicted of all. The writers gave him a whole week to think about things without actually doing anything about them. That's a wide gap, and would have to have been filled with lots of emotional turmoil, confusion and indecision. Jim is someone who feels too much, not too little. And Pam's speech obviously affected him, because he finally told her the truth about why he left. That little opening door had to have sent him into a tailspin, one that he would be struggling to hide from both Karen and Pam. At the end, where he's exhausted, raw and begging for a sign, my heart really goes out to him.
I feel like these people you're writing about are the familiar friends I've come to know on the show. This was a great idea for a story, and it was executed with maturity and finesse. Well done.
Author's Response: Blanca, thank you. We've talked so much about this that I can't even thank you enough for putting up with my questions and drafts and 'but, what about this...' You've been such a help, in more ways than you know. I'm grateful not only for your help but your friendship, and all the many times a day you make me snort with laughter. ::hugs:: :)
5 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2009 08:52 pm Title: we work our way around each other
I have to add something after reading the comments made by thatonenight.
My take on Karen in your story was that she seemed to almost be laying low, being the 'sweet understanding girlfriend' to make Jim feel like she wasn't pressuring him. On top of that she's doing everything humanly possible to make herself look good to him, including sexually, and pretty much bringing out all her guns as a female. I think that is very true to Karen's character, and I think you captured it well. With all that we know from the the actual scenes, she seems to have been desperately hanging on to him, so I think you did a good job of conveying that. Of course, all readers have their own ideas about it, and not everyone feels that way, but for me, I though you had her spot-on.
Author's Response: Your take on Karen is exactly what I was going for, so thanks for mentioning that. I'll never understand WHY Karen seemed so determined to hang on to a relationship that was obviously on thin ice...I suppose that could be another, interesting perspective to try to tackle this story from. Anyway. Thanks, Skeet. I appreciate it. :)
5 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2009 08:44 pm Title: we work our way around each other
I love this story. One of the most mysterious times in the show to me is this period after Pam has laid it on the line and a week later in TJ he still doesn't know what to do with Pam's confession. Your take on it is great, and I can't wait to read more.
Author's Response: Thanks, Skeet! Glad you liked it. When I was thinking about writing this I was wondering if it had been done before. I couldn't think of any stories like it, and now I know why. Jim is really hard to try to understand this week, but I liked the idea of his just standing still and needing a few days to think about things. Glad you liked it. This was just a oneshot, by the way. Just remember "it's a date" and there's the happy ending. :)
Date: July 14, 2009 08:40 pm Title: we work our way around each other
Callisto,
You have a wonderful ability with words and have a great grasp of the language. Having read much of your work, there’s no doubt that you have the knowledge and skill of a writer. Often times, when I read fanfiction, the stories lack conflict, plot, climaxes, and resolution, but your work definitely incorporates all of that and this story is no exception. I appreciate the time and effort you put into your work and it shows.
But if I could be so bold, I do have one major criticism and that is with the characterization. I understand that you wanted to make Karen seem desperate but here she seems too dark, too evil. I wouldn’t put it past her to use various types of manipulation, especially at the end, but I feel like you’ve taken it almost too far. She has little to no redeeming or sympathetic characteristics left and I believe that Karen should get some credit for being a human who is trying to hold on to a dying relationship.
Pam, on the other hand, seems almost like a ghost in the story, having a haunting presence. She seems almost too perfect, angelic in a way and the too perfect antithesis to the Karen you’ve presented. I wish you had given her a little more personality, more something to make her a more powerful person in the story. Instead of letting Pam be an understated figure, she is only a shell of a character who barely seems active. And for being the pivotal character in Jim’s life, I wish she had more presence.
I suppose you could argue that this is from Jim’s point of view and that point skews perception, but both Karen and Pam seem too much like archetypes of good and evil, opposed to actual people and overly simplistic of the complex characters given to us in canon.
As for Jim, he seems too over the place. I understand you were going for Jim to be conflicted over which path he should choose but I feel as though you’ve taken him to the extreme. He becomes unsympathetic as he wavers back and forth, being obsessed with Pam’s words while giving into Karen’s manipulations. It’s overly and unnecessarily melodramatic. I have a hard time believing that Jim would be as shallow and bullied as he seems to be presented here. At the same time, I have a hard time believing he would still be so distraught about Pam. If anything, I’ve always felt Jim was numb and very far from any emotion at that point.
I will end by saying, everyone has their own views on these characters and I suppose my take on what happened between these two episodes just happens to be a different vision.
Author's Response: thatonenight, thank you so much for such a detailed and thoughtful review. I really appreciate it. First, thank you for the compliment on my writing-- obviously that's very important to me. And clearly I can't agree with some of your takes on the characterization or I would have written it quite differently! If I may, though, I'll respond to a couple of your points. -- I certainly wasn't trying to paint Karen as dark or evil. Quite the opposite--I was trying to make her humanity show. She's simply a woman who is aware that she has just been put in a precarious situation and is doing what she can to hang on to a relationship she knows in her heart is doomed. Pam, on the other hand, is at a point where she knows she has done everything she can to change and rectify her past mistake with Jim and is now stepping back to let him make his decision. In The Job it seemed clear (to me, anyway) that she was absolutely ready to let Jim go, if that were his choice. And although before the beach, Jim did seem absolutely numb to all things Pam, it certainly looked to me like she'd shaken him during her speech. I cannot believe he wasn't consumed with thoughts of what she'd said during that week while he decided not only what woman he wanted, but what kind of life he wanted. It does pain me to see you use words like 'melodramatic' and 'simplistic,' qualities I despise in writing. :) You've definitely given me some food for thought. Thanks again for the review.
10 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2009 07:34 pm Title: we work our way around each other
So you're completely brilliant. I've thought so for awhile, but this story proves it.
I think I'm most impressed with the way you write Karen - so obviously the woman who is trying desperately to keep a man even though deep down she knows it's a losing battle. The flashes between seductress and insecurity and the carefully casual love you said mostly to fish for a response all reminded me of the little games we sometimes play in relationships, and it all felt very real and genuine.
Awesome, as usual. Can't wait for your next one.
Author's Response: Thanks, pigeon! That is a really nice compliment. Obviously perceptions of Karen may vary from fan to fan, but I did want to make her as human and sympathetic as possible. I'm glad it felt genuine to you. :) Again, thanks for reviewing! It's always great to hear from you. Glad you enjoyed it.
10 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2009 06:09 pm Title: we work our way around each other
I loved everything about the things this chose to be. :)
Author's Response: Thank you, Liv. That's sweet. :)
9 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2009 03:39 pm Title: we work our way around each other
aw, no! i want another chapter!
really, really heartbreakingly good.
Author's Response: Sorry, that was all! We know what happens next, though. :) Glad you liked it! Thanks for reviewing.
10 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2009 03:00 pm Title: we work our way around each other
What a perfectly perfect behind the scenes look at what happened during that week in-between. I truly love your version and I know that is exactly what happpened. Except maybe not as much Karen-demon-sex but that is just me talking. Seriously, this was awesome. After I read this again, it's going directly into faves!
Author's Response: Haha. Did she really seem like a demon? I definitely wasn't going for that. Hmm. Well, I'm glad you liked it. Thanks for reviewing! :)
10 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2009 01:54 pm Title: we work our way around each other
Lovely! I'm not reading many stories nowadays but your description in the New Fic thread pulled me right over; I'm glad it did. :)
Author's Response: Thanks! I'm glad you liked it, TLK. :)
Date: July 14, 2009 12:41 pm Title: we work our way around each other
This was amazing. Is it really finished? If so, I'm crushed.
Author's Response: Thanks! Yes, it's finished, I'm sorry. But we all know what happened next, right? Think happy thoughts. :)
10 [Report This]Date: July 14, 2009 12:08 pm Title: we work our way around each other
That was amazing, so well written and I could feel just how uncomfortable Jim was aw :(
Author's Response: Thanks, Hannah! He definitely had a lot to consider. Glad you liked it. :)