What happens in Scranton when Casino Night hits the airwaves
Spoilers for Casino Night and assumes general season 3 knowledge. AU after Benihana Christmas
9 My lord, SixFlightsUp, this is fantastic! I've read fics before that are set after the documentary airs, but never one that sets the action sort of current while at the same time in light of the airing - what a great idea! And it's delicious to think of the tension between poor Jim and Pam every time someone mentions that night. Guh.
Off to the next chapter - oh, and YES, please, please continue this!
Pam's mom remembers.My god, this was beautiful. I don't get choked up at fics that easily, but I'm sitting here with tears in my eyes at this one. Reading about Pam as a little girl makes me that much more sympathetic to her - and I already was. This was just heartbreaking, worthy of the blue ribbon. Way to rise to the challenge, lis!
Author's Response: Thank you, as always. I'm sorry about the tears- Crying Pam just tore me up- she was so vulnerable. Can you imagine being her mom? It's a bad situation that I am confident will be ok for everyone. Except maybe Karen, but I can live with that...
9 I read this once before, but I don't think I reviewed it. (So, so busy - have time to inhale a few fics but not to review them, argh.) Anyway, I really enjoyed this - first, yay for a Meredith story! Second, you really captured her voice well here; I love the way she talks about Jim and the little info bombs she so inadvertently drops.
My favorite part? Her advice about the lonliness of being with the wrong guy - SO true.
As usual, well done!
You've got Karen now but her voice is lower and her hair is darker and she is in no way and every way like Pam: sometimes it just hurts too much.10 This story actually frustrates me because it's just so amazing that I know I won't be able to articulate how much or why in a single review...but I'll try.
First, you've nailed Jim's voice here, and it's got to be hard to capture him in first person. Second, the setting itself is really a brilliant concept - spatial symbolism at its best, as the cramped space sort of reflects the way their emotions have been slowly but surely closing in on them for months - years.
This is also incredibly erotic, too - his hand on her ankle before anything really happens, then the sudden sort of abandon as they let go for a second. I could really imagine it finally happening this way - in an impulsive, seemingly out of context moment. Because both of them at this point are so guarded that I'm not sure either would be willing to go out on a limb with a grand gesture (which is not to say we can't hope for it...)
This was one of those fics wherein it's really tough to isolate a favorite line/section - there are so many - but I settled on this: "There’s this chasm between you. It’s not Karen and it’s not Roy; it’s something like being too cautious for too long and all that lost, wasted time. It’s loneliness and wishful thinking and making the wrong decisions at the wrong times, and sometimes there’s this ache in your chest like a water balloon is slowly leaking, filling you and filling you until you’re not sure it’s possible to be any more full with this empty, hollow feeling. It’s like you’re expanding with nothing."
Incredible description, that. I've written 27 fics, some of them (okay, most of them quite long), and I've struggled in just about every one to capture in words what it must feel like for Jim. You've done it perfectly here - just perfectly.
Amazing piece of work - looking forward to reading more of your stuff!
This is actually the longest and most in-depth review I have ever received, and I can't tell you how much it means that you were willing to take the time to be so thoughtful and thorough. It's such a huge compliment, too, to hear you thought I did Jim's voice well because that's something I struggle with. And! I absolutely agree with you about the eroticism of him touching her ankle -- it might not exactly be a sexual area, but it's still sensitive and it's still those two who are in the situation, and I think that really ups the tension. Thank you for choosing your favorite line -- I always like to hear which sentences were particularly pleasing to the readers. The line you chose was actually the one that got stuck in my head (in a much more vague form) and eventually created this whole piece, so good for you for choosing such an important line.
Again, thank you so, so much. What an amazing review!
Jim and Pam discuss cohabitation on a Sunday morning. Written after Back from Vacation as an antidote to Pam's crying scene. Just couldn't leave it alone, now could I?
Disclaimer: Own nothing related to The Office. Sad, but true. No copyright infringement is intended.
10 Contented sigh. This is just perfect; I swear, I have the giddiest feeling right now. As well as you do angst, you do the happy stuff every bit as wonderfully. I love the way you capture snapshots of the simpler moments in a new relationship -- her calling him to come over in the middle of the night had me grinning from ear-to-ear. And the whole thing is just so very real - actually reminds me of my early days with Mr. Girl7 (been there with the dragging clothes back and forth!).
Also - and this is a stupid thing, I'm sure, for me to be all tickled about - but I love it that she holds the fact that she cried on Dwight's shoulder over Jim's head!
Now, if only you could slip this little gem to Greg Daniels & get him to make it happen on screen....
Excellent work, as usual!
Glad you liked it girl7. I like that - 'snapshots' of simple moments. I think I like imagining them that way, as opposed to in big melodramatic situations, because that's where that thing they have lives, really comes out. Sort of a romance in everyday moments. So, I'm really glad if this felt real to you..means alot.
Anyway, this one was no biggie, just a little defense against the idea of Jim 'living together two blocks apart' with Not!Pam. And making Pam (and me!) so sad. Thanks for your always wonderful take on things!
Jim and Pam. Tropical elopement. You do the math. 9 Okay, I'm just now getting time to read this, and...I bow before you, the master of subtle details! The white trail her finger leaves on his arm? The cracking elbow? Seriously?
I think it's the attention to subtle, seemingly unimportant details that really makes a fic.
And the premise here - wow! You've got their voices down, their chemistry -- love it that Jim is in her top three. Sigh.
I'm an idiot for not putting real life on hold and reading this sooner. :o) Terrific work!
Jim. From Casino Night to post The Return. Sometimes things go in a circle.
Disclaimer: Own not a thing related to The Office. No copywright infringement is intended.
10 Oh my god, colette. There's just no way anyone ought to be able to write Casino Night this far after the fact and somehow make it hurt that much more, but I'll be damned if you don't do that here: "He knows, dreads, the answer already. The she that was his, for just a second, is still in his arms. But she’s a ghost now."
As if that weren't enough...the rest of this- the delicious metaphors, the parallels -- "it's his turn to nod now." Oh my god.
Seriously. I know you would categorize this as angsty or moody (and yeah, it is), but it's beautifully so -- you strike the perfect balance here between articulating the raw vulnerability that makes Jim Jim (and he and Pam them) with the barely discernible hope that's brewing beneath the surface and has been since the beginning.
Don't care how passive she is or how long it took him to finally confess -- these two will make it happen, and stories like this just reinforce the why and how.
Awesome, as usual. (Question: Are you capable of writing a sucky story? I'm thinking not....)
You know, I was kind of hesitant to even touch CN at this point, but the parallels were just too tempting. So glad it didn't come across as 'been there, done that!'
And I agree - it's that vulnerability that makes Jim so appealing and relatable and there is an almost bittersweet quality of hoping against hope about him...which is partly what makes it so hard to watch this season. It's like it's been trampled.
Anyway, I'm really pleased that this spoke to you...and yes, I am more than capable of suckage (won't draw attention to which fics or which parts therein, but trust me, it's there.) And you're a fine one to talk! Thanks, as always, for a characteristically in-depth and heartfelt girl7 review...next best thing to one of your stories!
Jim and Pam share a dance and reminisce a little. Pure speculation - no real spoilers. And just a word of warning. If it were any fluffier, it'd be made of spun sugar.
9 Guh. It's bad to be all settled in your bed after an exhausting day, reading fic as a nice nightcap...then you find yourself all fluttering and holding in a gigantic squee. Sigh.
This was awesome - and you totally got me. I immeediately assumed they were at Phyllis and Bob's wedding; then I was all, ohhh, when I realized that they were finally together.
...Then the revelation that they're actually married, and I'm witnessing a happy ending unfolding before my eyes. (Ur...TWSS?)
Loved it - you do the happiness better than anyone!
...Seriously, though, can't you manage to get a job writing for the show? I mean...really?
Hee girl7. Good job. You were supposed to think they were dancing at Phyllis and Bob's wedding.
I have no problem being a happiness peddler.
Oh please. As much as I'm quick to pull out my first aid kit to stop the bleeding I think the writers are doing just fine. They surely don't need me. I think I'm better off staying right here. :)
Pam and Jim have lunch. Spoilers through "The Return," unspoiled speculation thereafter. 10 Oh my god - oh my freaking god. This was absolutely adorable. Warm as the hot chocolate they're drinking. (See what you've done to me? I'm all sugary and sappy, even in my review!)
In all seriousness, I really love this. And this:
She had talked non-stop in her car on the way here, her eyes carefully on the snowy roads. Her words were about Michael and Dwight and laundry and fabric softener (she remembered that?), and his silence and his laughter were about patience and suffering and anticipation and hope.
Wow. So true, so heartbreaking.
This was nothing but pure sweetness, and I loved every word of it!
Phyllis' wedding doesn't turn out the way Pam had hoped . Unspoiled speculation for "Phyllis' Wedding" and AU after that (I assume!).
Oh my god. Oh my god. I love what you've done here - did not expect Roy to be the one to cut in, and when I realized it was him, I was initially disappointed...then you described him in such a way that I found myself almost excited for Pam.
I would pay money - lots of it (that I don't have) - to see this happen on the show. So many of us have written fics set at Phyllis's wedding, but this one is really an original take, and one that is so compelling.
...Aaaaand I just realized there's another chapter - I am so out of here!
Gah. Okay, it's a testament to how freaking amazing you are that I was actually holding my breath at Pam waking up in her old bed. And god, I feel so much for them both - for Roy, who's trying so hard, and for Pam, who's still so lost even though she's taking steps forward (or trying to).
Is it wrong that I wouldn't hate her for it if this happened on the show? Because it would be so real and so understandable.
Your last paragraph about Jim? Killed me. Of course the universe would shift that way -- he'd wake up alone on the very morning that she wakes up in her old bed, her old home.
Okay, so you must continue this.
Yeah, I think all four of them are still in for a world of hurt before it all gets sorted out, and suddenly Roy is almost the most innocent party (quite a shift since season 1, isn't it?). Can you imagine the forum outcry if Pam would do this? Hee. You and I would be the lone voices supporting her, I think! Anyway, thank you so much for the encouraging comments. I hope you enjoy whatever I come up with next.
10 Okay, I may have already reviewed this once before (I've been so behind on reviewing and reading - too, too little time), but it bears noting again: This chapter was just so...sad - just left me feeling very blue for Pam and for Jim. As usual, you capture the nuances here with such simple, effective prose:
"she'd given in with no resistance when he invited her "home." Being with him was comfortable- he knew what she liked, all the ways to touch her that she hadn't been touched since she had left him." You know, I think it's really easy to forget how much this would be a factor in her falling back into things again.
"She loved him with the sentimental, childish love of a schoolgirl, and with the fond devotion of..well, a sister (they had grown up together, in many ways). There was no passion, no maturity, no room for growth in their love. He wanted her to come back to him the way she had been, and she couldn't. She wasn't."
Yes. It's too easy to think that, because of her feelings for Jim, she'd just have little in the way of emotion for Roy, but you articulate it beautifully here.
"It was the first real lie he'd told her. He'd evaded, exaggerated, made light of, omitted, and hedged, but he hadn't lied until now."
Guh. I'm one of the few (I think) who isn't totally disgusted with Jim right now, and it's because of what you expressed here - he's just caught in such a nightmare, trying to do the right thing and move on, knowing that it'll be damned near impossible to do so.
So in short - yes, loved this. On to the next chapter --
I don't know how to even start to respond to your comments- they're so thoughtful and detailed. I really appreciate you taking the time to articulate all of this. I'm thrilled that you reacted so strongly and so positively! This is the longest story I've done by far...I feel I owe you a debt! LOL
I totally get where they are both coming from right now. No disgust, just a lot of pity for all four of them (less now for Roy after the bar-trashing, but still...).
Thank you again...
10 My god. It is so hard to find quotes to mention in my reviews of your stuff, because literally, at almost every other line, I'll think, Yes, I'll quote that one - beautiful... Then the next line will blow me away as well.
That said, this? "He would not, of course, tell her that this was because the thought of Pam in Roy’s arms had broken him to the point where he had no strength to pursue anything but the next breath. Again."
....So gut-wrenching. And then you take it up a notch even more with this:
"She was beautiful. She was perfect, in fact, and Jim closed his eyes for a second to wonder why, in the name of all that was holy, he couldn’t just love her. "Jim, seriously, are you all right?"
He opened his eyes and nodded. He decided, for the thousandth time, to try to be whomever she wanted. Maybe the new guy would be able to love her the way the old Jim had loved Pam."
Wow. You really hit on the essence of what makes the situation in its current state (which is TEMPORARY, I'm telling myself) so tragic, and that is the possibility that all of Jim's feelings for Pam could possibly just go to waste. And that would be almost unbearable.
Another lovely chapter!
Wouldn't it be just awful? After all that love, all that devotion, all of Jim's pain, all the growth from Pam, everything...that it could come to nothing? Be too little, too late? I actually thought that's where I was going with this story, but I couldn't do it. I can't do it.
I'm just basking in the love from you, here, by the way. :)
10 Note to self: Do not read lis's stuff while eating lunch; it poses a choking hazard. :o)
I gasped out loud twice while reading this - the first time when Jim appeared in the office (oh my god), and the second at her telling him, "Roy's not the one I'm in love with." WOW. I could really see her saying something like that on the show - so understated, yet such a huge acknowledgement.
Amazing.
Oooh, be careful! I couldn't stand to lose one of my best reviewers! :)
This chapter was hard to write. I got him into the office and then had no idea what they should say to each other. It was too early for any "I love you's" but they had to say something. I'm glad it worked for you.
10 Ahhh! I'm actually nervous right now - butterflies, I swear.
First, I wish that all the people who really dislike Pam for not making a move could read this, because yes -- of course she thinks Karen's right for Jim! And I love the way you juxtaposed that realization with her awareness that Jim knew Roy was wrong for her. I've never seen this illustrated so clearly before. (G. Daniels could take a page from your book - no pun intended.)
Loved the way you wrote the break up - I felt suspenseful right along with Pam; it was really an effective technique to leave the audience in the same position as Pam, relegated to just watching and waiting, but unable to actually hear what was happening.
Two lines in this nearly killed me:
"She licked her lips nervously and stepped toward the future." (EEEEEEE!)
"He now knew that sometimes the only truth is what he'd said to Karen (what Pam had said to him):
I can't."
Amen - because ultimately, that's what it will all come down to for Jim, isn't it?
Another brilliant chapter - I'm so excited about reading the next one -----
I've written one too many Karen/Jim breakup scenes. I decided to let myself off the hook for this one and just let them take care of it without me. :)
Pam said it herself- she thinks Jim and Karen are "great together". She's wrong, of course, but I can totally see why she thinks it. Poor Pam. *sigh* Thank you, again, some more...
10 I swear, this just made me want to stand up and applaud! First of all, their conversation was so spot on - again, spare dialogue, but such a heavy subtext. Second, when she took his hand, I held my breath and didn't let it out until she finally just told him what she was feeling.
And this? "a half smile that promised healing and felt like home" - Just gorgeous.
You rock!
Written in response to the Evening Coming (aka the Scarf) challenge. Not usually one for prompts, but this one got me thinking.
10 Okay, I only have a second here because I'm about to walk out the door, but I couldn't not leave at least a tertiary review -- this was simply amazing. Once again, you've articulated the desire and the ache so beautifully. I love the idea that she'd find his scarf and cling to it -- and I love the way you wrote their finally coming together. His whispered, "Invite me over" gave me chills. Wow.
So many good lines that I want to point out -- will review again when I have time to do so properly. Suffice it to say for now that this was just gorgeous, as usual --
9 I let out such a deep sigh at the end of this that it startled my dogs.
Okay, the quotes at the beginning - particularly those describing the sounds of various emotions - breathtaking, and such an apt prologue for this story.
I know you're being vague here because things are in a state of limbo (temporarily, of course - we all know Jim and Pam will end up together, right? RIGHT?), but I think it works that much better this way. Something in juxtaposing the pronouns lends a sort of haunting feel to this -- the ghost of Jim is hovering around her as she backslides with Roy, if that makes any sense.
So, so sad, but -- just like the episode (IMHO) -- so very real.
Looking forward to the next installment!
I've been a quote finding fiend. :) I found a really good site so expect more as the story goes on.
My vagueness was more about what really transpires w/Roy and Pam. I don't doubt he makes a move but how far does she regress? Does she just kiss him and leave? I don't know if we'll ever get the full story so I didn't want to put that here. This story is about getting inside her head after each "episode" so I don't want to add too much. KWIM?
Thank you for your thoughtful review. I'm so glad it felt real to you. See you - next week. :)
10 Good lord, hugs, this is amazing! First of all, I love the quote at the beginning - so true. And I love the metaphor of the hairline fracture in the teapot. I also love your idea of having her write a little each night - that last entry made me want to snatch it out of the journal, go find Jim Halpert, and tie him to a chair and force him to read it.
...That, of course, would be difficult, as he isn't a real person. :o)
I really like the premise of this, and I'm thrilled to see that it's a multi-chapter fic -- can't wait for the next installment!
Thanks girl7! I can't take any more! LOL! I can just imagine what happens to Pam when she goes home every night. If she's like me - she'd analyze every moment. I just want her to MOVE and hopefully she will - both in my story and on the show.
RE: Jim Halpert - might I refer you to a work by Ms. time4moxie? She set me straight so I'll return the favor. ;)
Are you sure he isn't a real person?
I'm holding off and waiting to watch PW before I post the next chapter. I know where I want to go....I just want to see where they're going. :)
Typical slow days at the office with the Ladies of Dunder Mifflin.
Heh heh heh...I think I'm afraid to read Angela's answer! :o) God, this is so freaking good, Muggins! You've got their voices nailed...
Author's Response: I'm always afraid to WRITE Angela's answers. That girl scares me!
Ohhhh, good old Phyllis...I love her sometimes. And how adorable was Jim here? Such a sweetheart. Okay, sorry for the brief review, but I've gotta find out what Karen's answer is!
Author's Response: Ha! You have so not started reading or you would know...cliffhangers...cliffhangers...cliffhangers! Thank you for leaving a second review. That? Was unexpected! ♥
So I've been saving this story for when I could read and review it properly (as I've heard such amazing things about it), and I have to say, I am NOT disappointed so far. Excellent premise and so much fun! Spot-on voices, too.
Author's Response: Thank you! So kind of you to review. I hope that you keep reading and enjoying. You're in for a long haul though...lots of chapters before you and so many...many ways...for the girls to have fun at work behind the men's backs!
6 Listen, WildBerryJam, I'm trying to wind down and get to bed...and now you leave me all giddy and giggly and happy.
As someone who guards the date of her birth like a state secret - not because I care if anyone knows how old I am, but because I loathe attention on my birthday - I really loved it that Pam made him swear not to tell. If poor Meredith's birthday party was any indication, birthday parties at DM leave much to be desired. :o)
Speaking of desire...your Jim is great. The barbershop quartet line made me cackle out loud. Love the attention to detail - back to jelly beans, the mention of second drinks, etc. Lovely.
And the proposal? I did not see that coming, so it was all the more thrilling.
Such a fun story!
Pam finally gets pushed over the edge when it comes to Jim and his new girlfriend. Post-Ben Franklin. 9 Noooooooooo! Please say it isn't over...?
First: "Electrical Storm" is just a chilling, haunting song - every time I listen to it, I want to write. Sigh.
Second: Gah, what I loved most about this chapter was how seamless and natural it was when they finally...shed all pretenses. It's sort of second nature to envision such a moment happening in the midst of a dramatic flourish, but based on what we know of this show (and its commitment to realism), I really see it playing out more like the way you've written it here - a calm, understated, unobtrusive moment that we don't see coming.
I really enjoyed this, sharky!
8 Whoa.
So I thought I'd steal the opportunity to read some fic as I (ostensibly) watch the Super Bowl with the husband -- and this just sucked me right in. Holy mother of god. I'm still reeling a little at that parting image of Jim standing stock still in the parking lot.
There has been some discussion over at TWoP regarding Pam confessing to Jim, how it has been overdone in fic - and I know I'm guilty of re-creating the same scenarios in different settings because I can't get away from it - but this...this is so real. The spontenaity and the anger and frustration. I actually cringed when he said, "There is no us." Gulp.
And of course she's angry that he shared any details with Karen - no matter how abbreviated. I get the sense that that kiss has been what she's lived on for all these months (him, too - I still think Karen essentially forced his hand in divulging it), so she'd be understandably devastated if he somehow tainted it by talking about it to someone else.
Really, though, this is so damned good - I can't wait for the next installment!