Date: September 24, 2008 10:07 am Title: Sales Call
Wow. It's crazy how accurately you were able to capture that time at the beginning of the show. Back when there was still hope and the angst hadn't become too heavy to breathe.
Date: September 20, 2008 03:14 pm Title: 180
I'm so glad you decided to take on the whole teapot (it's something like the whole enchilada, but more romantic). It takes a special talent to turn a simple prompt like a Boggle timer and turn into a lovely portrait of a relationship between two people who feel so much but say so little. My favorite part is the end, when Pam instinctively cheers Jim up without fully realizing how she's doing it (at least, not consciously). Their pre-Casino Night interactions break my heart sometimes. Especially when they're written as well as this.
Author's Response: You're right - despite their awesomeness, there is nothing romantic about enchiladas. Thanks for your review, Blanca. There is something very delicate and sweet about Pam and Jim in seasons one and two. It makes them both difficult and rewarding to write. I'm glad my version of them works for you. I hope you enjoy the subsequent chapters.
10 [Report This]Date: September 19, 2008 09:30 pm Title: Sales Call
I read this yesterday, and only just now noticed the dedication to me! I am very honored! There's so much to like here, but I wanted to bring up one detail which is very true-to-life: Pam's compulsion to share things with Jim about herself and her relationship with Roy, for reasons she doesn't fully understand. This is a great observation about people in these situations, and rings so true to me. Wonderful work, as always!
Author's Response: It's a well-earned dedication, Ms. Winslow. Thanks so much for your review. I'm glad I'm not the only one for whom compulsive sharing is normal. :) I owe you an email - it'll be coming in the next couple of days. I hope.
Date: September 18, 2008 03:55 pm Title: 180
oh gosh I can't wait. update soooooon PLEASE!!
Author's Response: Thank you for your reviews, raspberry. I'm hoping to update sometime in the next week.
Date: September 18, 2008 03:49 pm Title: How It Must Look
ahhhh :D
Date: September 18, 2008 03:44 pm Title: Sales Call
Oh *swoon* This story is perfect :)
Date: September 18, 2008 02:16 pm Title: 180
i think this is fantastic...it's a really unique handling of a popular idea (just what the heck is behind those nifty teapot gifties?). i love the way you deal with pam's uncertainty of just how she feels about jim - she's not head over heels, but she knows he's not just a friend, either. way to walk that fine line.
i'm definitely looking forward to the rest, so i'm hoping for an update soon. amazing work!
Author's Response: Say, it's one of our new guys! Thanks for the review, Little Comment, and I'm glad you like this one. I'll be posting an update next week (I think).
Date: September 18, 2008 11:11 am Title: 180
Oh, so sweet! So very bittersweet. Jim got exactly what he needed to feel better- some time and attention from the person he loves best. And she totally did figure out how to keep him from being like Michael, by loving him back. Perfection. (And the pranks at the beginning are fun, too- very much in-character!)
Author's Response: See, exactly. That's what he meant when he said he felt better at the end. Pam is, of course, completely oblivious to this, but isn't she always? I'm glad you liked it, lis.
10 [Report This]Date: September 18, 2008 10:38 am Title: 180
I really like this story so far, Talk. I think it's very realistic of the characters, and interesting to see how these little pieces of their history fall into place. I'm guessing this chapter took place pretty early on in their friendship. Poor Jim. I wish we could tell him it works out in the end.
Author's Response: From a timeline standpoint, this takes place after the cameras arrive (as mentioned in the story), but well before Christmas 2005. And, yeah, poor, poor Jim. But he'll be okay in the end. I'm glad you like it, Mountaineers. Thank you for your review.
Date: September 18, 2008 09:21 am Title: 180
That was wonderful and so very much in character. You definitely solved the mystery of the Boggle Timer.
Author's Response: Thank you, Abigail. I'm glad you liked it.
10 [Report This]Date: September 18, 2008 08:32 am Title: 180
This is amazing! You are amazing! It is so cute and heart-breaking at the same time.
"You've got three minutes to do whatever you want to make yourself feel better." Pam why must you torture poor Jim? I love it though, and you know she soooo would say this. I can't wait for whatever you have next.
Author's Response: I've begun to wonder if Pam used to say things like that because of some sort of subconscious impulse or because she really wasn't paying attention to what she was doing to that poor boy. Maybe both? Either way, she's lucky she didn't get her face kissed off.
10 [Report This]Date: September 18, 2008 08:17 am Title: 180
Lovely work. You take such good care of these characters and give them all of the depth, emotion, and heart we know and love. Looking forward to your next chapter.
Author's Response: Thanks, bitterpill. The next chapter's going to be quite different from this one. Like I said, it's going to earn the 'M' that I've assigned to this. Hope you'll like that, too.
Date: September 18, 2008 07:46 am Title: 180
Oh, I love the timer. Maybe it will make a reappearance?
(And the 'blindfold' on Pam's yogurt? Priceless.)
Author's Response: I hear it's going to end up in someone's Christmas gift. But that's just the word on the street.
Date: September 18, 2008 07:33 am Title: 180
Brilliant 3 chapters! I loved the last, so nice. It does get so frustrating near the end when Pam doesn't do anything! :P I keep expecting a kiss or something... but no.. that can't happen.
Shucks.
Great fic though, can't wait for more. :D
Author's Response: Thank you, Starree. And yeah, even as I was writing it, *I* wanted her to kiss him, but it wouldn't really be right. Come in here, brutalize yourself with some tension, and then go watch Fun Run. It makes everything better.
Date: September 18, 2008 07:27 am Title: 180
This is just unbelievable. I have no words, ok that's not true, I have lots of words (some would say too many), but they're all good. Seriously, I was intrigued by what you would do with the Boggle Timer and this exceeded anything I could have imagined. I'm really enjoying this :)
Author's Response: Thank you, shootingstars. I'm pleased that you're enjoying it. The Boggle timer was the one I was the least sure about going in, but it seems to have turned out okay. :)
10 [Report This]Date: September 18, 2008 06:56 am Title: 180
Ok. I'm back and I'm more composed. You set a trap with all these light-hearted challenges and then you killed me with this building sexual tension and desperation. That break room scene? ::starts talking gibberish::
Standouts:
She wondered when someone last kissed Jim while he was shaving, trying to picture a bare back she had never seen and the wet ends of his hair sticking to his neck. Oh, didn't we all?
"I didn't want it to be able to tell the authorities where I had taken it." *giggle giggle*
He listened for a moment and then said, "oh," in a small, flat tone. How did you manage to convey so much in one little sentence? I wanted to cry.
"You've got three minutes to do whatever you want to make yourself feel better." Oh, really?
And she was quiet; quiet enough that she could hear the hiss of the sand in the timer growing fainter, then stopping. Awesomely awesome.
She moved her fingers in a single stroke from the crown of his head to the collar of his shirt and then down, a feathery touch between his shoulder blades. He didn't move... Just what the doctor ordered, yet I'm sure it killed him at the same time.
...the moment suspended in the dark of his pocket or the warmth of his hand. Great ending, as always.
How much time do I have before "yearbook photo" starts? I need to take a bathroom break, make some popcorn and get some Junion Mints ; )
P.S. Talkative, you're so...great.
Author's Response: Glad to see you got your wits back about you, Tink. And, yes, I'm totally trying to kill you to get back at you for making me choke on my drink last week (*thud*). And, yeah, "You've got three minutes..." was originally followed by a twss, but it didn't work for how upset Jim was in the moment. I would say you have about a week(ish) before "yearbook photo" (working title: "Nothing Like It Was In My Room," but I'll probably ditch that). So don't eat all of your Junior Mints during the trailers, okay?
Date: September 18, 2008 06:01 am Title: 180
Reviewer is presently unable to form a coherent thought. Please stand by.
Author's Response: Are you familiar with Magritte's "This is Not a Pipe"? Well, this is not a review. Thank you!
Date: September 18, 2008 05:35 am Title: 180
Another wonderful chapter. I really love this story. Can't wait for the next chapter!!
Author's Response: Thank you, Desslok. I imagine the next installment will appear sometime next week.
10 [Report This]Date: September 17, 2008 09:06 pm Title: 180
Oh, this is just so many kinds of awesome. They come alive so vividly--their interactions and the banter are just so fantastic. And your imagery is palpable--that last scene in the break room, her hand in his hair--well.
Favorite lines:
"Watch out, Halpert. You're next." The end of his tie dragged on her desk. She wanted to tug on it.
She wondered when someone last kissed Jim while he was shaving, trying to picture a bare back she had never seen and the wet ends of his hair sticking to his neck. "It's just one of those boy things," she replied as he drew the knot closer to his throat.
And the whole "I'm stalking you" exchange. Brilliant.
Author's Response: Thank you, callisto. You're one of my favorite writers here, so your feedback means a lot. I'm flattered and a little surprised by the positive response to this one. I'm happy I've hit on something that everyone's enjoying.
10 [Report This]Date: September 17, 2008 08:56 pm Title: 180
I don't know how you keep doing this. Be honest - you write for the show, yes? Because honestly, it's like you ripped a page right from a script. So in character, such wonderful detail. I don't think I would be able to think of all these challenges, but it's like you could do it without batting an eye. You truly have a knack for writing them, my dear. Well done.
Author's Response: Didn't mention that I'm B.J. Novak? I could have sworn... anyway, just don't tell anyone alright? NBC's got this whole pesky "contract" thing and my little side project might interfere with that... Btw, those *^$#@ challenges were the reason this update took so long. I'm glad it looked effortless, because I spent way too much time at work/laying in bed at night thinking "Okay, so what could they do with a Boggle timer?" Honestly, I'm glad it's done.
Date: September 17, 2008 08:15 pm Title: 180
This is WONDERFUL! Every challenge is perfectly in character, and the last scenario is so intimately sweet. Well done!
Author's Response: Thanks, Vamp. I'm so glad that you enjoyed it. I hope you'll keep reading.
9 [Report This]Date: September 17, 2008 07:45 pm Title: 180
Oh, I absolutely love this! It was very visual for me - I could picture all the scenes, particularly the last one. How did you know this was just what I needed tonight? ;)
Author's Response: Simple - I have nanny cams all over the place in your house. Please don't replace your toaster without contacting me first.
10 [Report This]Date: September 17, 2008 07:38 pm Title: 180
Oh, yay. That was really sweet and so playfully Jim/Pam. I love these vignettes - well-written, tender and of-the moment.
Author's Response: Thank you, nimble. I was going for cute, because it gets, uh, less cute (?) from here on out.
Date: September 15, 2008 01:39 pm Title: How It Must Look
This gets better and better with every word. The hot sauce back story, the tango, the flirty teasing--all golden. I hope this continues...
Author's Response: It will certainly continue. As I mentioned, I've got portions of the subsequent parts written already; I just have to find the time to finish them.
Date: September 13, 2008 11:09 am Title: How It Must Look
Oh, something I forgot to mention before. When the interviewers ask Pam if she likes being a receptionist, that story reminded me of the one Jenna tells about her audition for the show. Was that intentional? If so, bravo for the meta.
Author's Response: Completely intentional. Give that woman a cigar!