10

So yeah, that pretty much killed me. My mouth was wide open for the last half of this chapter--at first I thought the letter was going to be anonymous, but then BOOM. First person with DETAILS? Did not expect that.

Thank you for socking me in the jaw, GiTC. As you know, I love it every time. Can't wait for more! --CH

10

This says it all.

You kick indescribable ass, GiTC. Rock on. --CH

Oh Catie9, I love this already! You've done a wonderful job capturing the early days of their relationship, and it was such fun to see Pam fidgeting in front of him. I'm eager to see Stanley's reaction to her filching his crossword puzzle book, but I'm even more curious to see what happens next. Can't wait! -CH

Author's Response: Thanks, CH! I was actually kind of inspired by the idea behind your 16 Candles fic...I\'m very intrigued by the concept stringing a line (crosswords, office birthdays) from the beginning of their friendship onwards and seeing how that consistency shifts, changes as they do to redefine who they are to each other. Ha, and I hadn\'t thought of throwing in Stanley\'s reaction beyond Jim teasing Pam for harboring a secret desire to be Stanley...but I might have to rework that! Thanks so much for the kind words, CH, and I\'m dying for another installment of \"Euclid!\" ;)\r\n\r\nCP

10

Oh, Colette, Colette, Colette. DAMN. I saw "Jim/Karen" and winced a bit, but then I saw your name and said, "Well, she knows what she's doing." I'm so happy I read this. The insight and tone were simply incredible, and I loved every word of this. In fact, I've got to cite a passage that literally made lean forward as I was reading...

He thinks about burnt hot dogs and s'mores washed down with bug juice (flavor: red) at summer camp when he was a kid. He thinks about eating this insanely good Chinese noodle thing straight from the carton while sitting on his sofa watching a game, on the rare nights he gets to himself these days. Sometimes if there's no new game on, he watches an old one on ESPN Classics. It's a little crazy--despite already knowing the outcome, he finds himself hoping his team will win. Even when he knows how badly they've already lost. He thinks of grilled cheese sandwiches on the roof.

DAMN. So telling, and so much emotion packed into such a lovely, perfect paragraph. And don't get me started on when Jim "thinks about abandon," 'cause we'd be here all night and Lost is coming on soon.  ;-)

Wonderful work, my friend. Perfect. -CH

Brokenloon--I like this a lot! I think your description of Jim's transition and torment is right on key, and I'm eager to see how, indeed, he plans to apologize. Kudos on making Roy's flaws and imperfections a subtle discovery for our girl Pam. I think you've set up a fabulous story here, my friend, I'm buckled in and ready for you to take me down the freeway-of-fun-stories at breakneck (or brokenloon?) speed! --CH

Author's Response: Thanks much, CH, and thanks for your contributions.  I'm not exactly sure what brokenloon speed is--not terribly fast I don't think--,but we'll get down the freeway soon.    

LOVELY, Colette. Absolutely lovely. I'm not sure I can come up with a better way to describe it, so I'll leave it at that. Well done! -CH

Author's Response: I'll take lovely ;-) Thanks so much for reading and reviewing, Becky!

9

Wendolf--This was wonderful. The insight into Jim's character and frustrations was perfect, and I really enjoyed the "Beach Games" twist in having Karen encourage him to talk to Pam. Your use of the "iwishyouwould" device was brilliant, and the heart and emotion of this chapter were delightful. I cannot wait for more! --CH

Author's Response: Thank you so much, Becky. I so love writing these characters and I find myself excited to get back to the computer each and every time. I truly appreciate your comments -- it\'s nice to know that something works the way you hoped.\r\n
\r\nI\'ve printed up your Euclid story and am going to read it at lunch. I\'m quite excited!

9

ExtremelyGruntled--Oh, I was so happy to see an update of this one! I'm really enjoying this, and the added level of suspense here is unparalleled. I can't wait to see how Jim and Pam pluck themselves out of this odd little universe. Again, your creativity with this story is so impressive and delightful; this is a real treat for all of us as we wait for April 10th!!!  --Best, CH

9

I loved this, ExtremelyGruntled. Well done!! This was a wonderful conclusion to your story, and I think you've done a fine job telling a fascinating, what's-gonna-happen-next kind of story. Great work!!

9

This was lovely, kells. The characters' sensuality and playfulness were great elements of the story. Well done! -CH

Author's Response: Thank you, Becky!  It's funny because for a while, like, before Casino Night aired...even though they had great chemistry I had a hard time picturing them being intimate, if that makes sense.  But ever since that kiss it makes more sense to me.  Like, their chemistry and great friendship and, as you put it, playfulness would probably make their relationship even more intimate and sensual, you know?  I'm babbling now so I'll just say thanks for the nice review.   It's always good to hear from you. -K

9

This was lovely, bebitched! I enjoyed the vignettes. Nice work! -CH

Author's Response: Thank you!

9

unfold--I'm so happy to see a new story from you!! I read through this and thought it was Roy at first, but that's what I get for so hungrily devouring something you've written. A more careful reread revealed the deeper emotion between Jim and Pam, and that this was, indeed, an angsty twist on s2. I love the structure you used here with the punctuation and personification. This was great; don't go away for so long again! --CH

10

Okay.

First off, how fun is it to find a fabulous new writer on this site? I absolutely adore the burst of energy you brought to MTT in those last few days of the strike, and in all honesty, I think you're one of the best new authors on the site today. There's a freshness of your writing that one doesn't often find in the latest fics; it's sweet, and sometimes deliciously sugary, but it reaches a level of thoughtfulness we don't often see from "first-timers." You write with such precision and creativity that it's an absolute pleasure to read the same words over and over again, and I really applaud your fresh approach to fic and fun here at MTT.

There's a lot to love in this chapter, but I have to say that I'm madly obsessed with the balance you've struck between "cheese" and "meat," so to speak. Let me start by saying this: there's NOTHING wrong with cheese in fic, those perfectly gooey moments where we just want to curl up with a box of chocolates and enjoy the sweetness of a well-written fic. But you've done something different here. You've created these "cheesy" moments (which again are the bread 'n butter of fic) like Jim and his perfect bouquet of paint things and roses, moments like the necessary "hello" kiss before they could leave for the date, and balanced them with a hulking plot that really is "meaty" and fascinating. Too many people assume that Jim and Pam's first date after "The Job" ended with tearful "OMG I love you"s and hot sex against a brick wall, but I love the realistic subtlety you've brought to this story. Pam's apprehension and excitement to finally tell Jim how she feels is full of the realism I love to find in well-written fic, and the weight of her emotions adds a perfect balance to those sweeter, lighter moments you've written in the story. I say this to say that you're excelling in creating a sense of balance for your story, and the result is a charming chapter that's an absolute BLAST to read. Well done, well done, and try not to be so long with the next chapter, okay? Okay, good, we're agreed. Next chapter by Saturday, I ook forward to reading it.  ;-)

Now, judging from all those food references, you can probably tell I haven't had lunch yet, so let's go rectify that. Bravo again, my friend!

Never Acquiesce.  --CH