This was really original and clever! LOVED the last sentence.

Author's Response: I'm glad you liked it, wallflower!  This was the first story I posted by myself; the idea just came to me one day, mostly because I was careful not to use 'hard' in the forums myself, to avoid the TWSS's.  Thanks so much for reading and reviewing! :)

10

This was really good. I liked that it was Karen/Jim, but you knew where his thoughts were the whole time, and the whole thing flowed really well. Also, I loved the symbolism of Karen cooking all these gourmet meals when Jim is really just satisfied with grilled cheese and the familiarity of what his mom made him every year - but especially the grilled cheese. I feel like there's a phrase that goes, it's not about the food, it's about the company? Or something.
Anyway. It was awesome that you gave it a couple of levels, it was really a great, concise read. Thanks.

Author's Response: I'm glad to hear the parallel between the cooking and what Jim needed and was thinking worked for you, wallflower! And that you enjoyed this - thanks so much for the generous comments!

Please continue! This was so well-written, I can only imagine how the anticipation must be slowly shredding her patience!

10

I love Toby! I absolutely lovedddd What The Kids Were Watching, I'm so glad you wrote this all about Kelly and Toby! Seriously, I never would have even thought of them, and nowwww... I really wish Toby had a Kelly.
I love that they were both so true to their characters, I LOVE you writing from Kelly's POV, it is so freakin perfect and spot on, like "She didn't know why exactly. He was lots older than her. And while he wasn't bad looking or anything, he certainly wasn't gorgeous. And he wasn't fun or anything."
I love that just by being surrounded by her and happy things and frivolity, he just improved. And I like that Jim and Pam were understanding but that Toby was still ashamed of himself. I love that he couldn't understand why she would want to date him when he is so broken and she's so young and happy, but she's just firm and honest and determined.
So freaking awesome. You have identified the characters' inner voices so well - just perfect.

Author's Response: Oh man. Thank you for such a nice review. I\'m sure it\'s obvious by now but I really ship (shipped?) those two and I think those two could have really been good for each other. I love writing Kelly\'s pov - just getting in touch with my inner 15 year old. I\'d like to think Jim and Pam would be understanding about Toby\'s behavior if they knew it was a deeper problem.

10

Yay! I get so excited when I see you've written something new. You not only nail Toby's inner voice, but you nail everyone else's too. Creed! And Kelly! "Why are you at the loser table?" Just awesome.
I like that he went and it really wasn't what he expected. And he feels like he didn't really get to experience what he wanted to. I like that he came back for Sasha. It is so many of the little things in this that make it so, so good. Like the ex-wife complainign about Sasha's mumbling, 'she gets that from you'. and then the spelling bee! 'she gets that from you.'
That statement about the broken clock being right twice a day, is so ingeniously used. I would never have thought it would have relevance to Michael's statements, but it totally does and that makes it even more sad. Like that Michael has said so many means things about Toby that maybe one or two or them are bound to be right.
I like that he saw a couple of people from DunderMifflin. The tying in of the Costa Rica statement was so nicely done as well. Especially at the end.
Creed was just...awesome.
"Did I sell you pot?"
"We used to work together!"
"Didnt say we didnt!"
Man! Just! Awesome.
I like how you portray Jim as well. Just earnest and genuine and not malicious or resentful of Toby, he just kind of understands.
Toby and Kelly need to be canon. You make it so plausible and sweet.

Author's Response: Thank you so, so much. When I was coming up with ideas for the epic fic, the broken clock phrase just stuck in my head and i knew I had to use it. Thank you for saying that about Jim - I find him difficult to write. And I wanted to write Jim as knowing that he won and Toby lost and recognizing that Toby\'s obviously not doing well - so he could extend some much needed kindness even if his teasing to break the tension didn\'t go over too well.\r\n\r\nAnd Kelly and Toby. I love them (obviously). I wish they had gone that route so badly.

10

Well, the 'research' definitely paid off, because it made me think 'wow, that's exactly how shaving cream sounds when you pop the lid off, and I never would have thought to describe it that way'.
The imagery was awesome. I love the bittersweet melancholy of it, and the awesome little details, like that they would go grocery shopping so far away just so that they could do it together. And that she doesn't associate the memory with itself, she associates the memory with the memory of TELLING him the memory. Awesome.

Author's Response: Thank you! :) Glad you liked it (and, once again, happy my \"research\" paid off).

10

STEPH! i think this is possibly my most favourite OF EVER. So amazing; I burst out laughing so many times, it was hilarious but still tinged with realism and impeccable characterisation, as always.
LOVE Kevin and his MILF! And Kelly being the third world baby that Michael saved from poverty, bahaha. Such a perfect Michael. The Chaperone Chair = GOLD. And everyone that sat in it was so perfect and hilarious and in-character. Dwight's pages of notes. Andy getting antsy.
I love the way that Toby's insecurities are always present, he's perennially waiting for the other shoe to drop, he's almost bracing himself for her to just snap and change her mind.
I love the callbacks to the list of things Toby does right, the cupcakes, and the shopping cart, which is totally the greatest dance move ever invented except for possibly the sprinkler. And I love them throwing the crumbled up balls of notes over the Dunderball wall. It's those tiny wierd things that make The Office so awesome, and make this story stay so true to the format and the tone and just embody the quirks completely. If that makes sense.
Awesome.

"They had a name! They were so like Brangelina it wasn’t even funny."

That line is so awesome it isn't even funny.
TOBY! YEAH!
I love how Kelly is sometimes so ignorant of just how worthless Toby thinks he is, and just how used to things being horrible he is.
I love Pam's little inserts of sanity.

“Honestly, Kelly, I think it’s that he thinks that little of himself.”

Such a bittersweetly accurate portrayal of him.
HAHA! Elizabeth's presence. So freakin sweet, such a good little added thing. That little extra component that just adds huzzaah or oomph or just fun.
And Michael's long letter of complaint to Ryan, hahaha.
Sasha was so perfect! It wasn't lame or cliche and she didn't like her TOO much, but it was just so good and accurate and purple, yes! Starving! Pizza! And all shy but liking Kelly. That picture was awesome, I want a copy. And the purple bracelets.

Just, WOW. The way Toby is at the bar on his last day, all weightless and happy and his duck laugh, and it being so obvious and such a huge contrast to him every other time. So awesome. Kelly is SO the awesome lightness he needs in his life, for real.

You write Jim so well. And Pam.

"And maybe a little because beforehand she had told him that he was HR, which was like being a psychiatrist, which was like being a doctor.

Her sisters referred to Toby as Grandpa, in a language he fortunately did not understand. They told Kelly later that Ryan was way hotter than Grandpa and she should totally get back with him."

Those lines are so awesome and so Kelly and fit so well, and are just SOOOO FUNNY. HR - like a psychiatrist - like a doctor - basically a doctor - GENIUS.
And Kelly's sisters haha. Just typical. At least Toby doesn't look like ZACH BRAFF. Bahaha

I like Michael's little sidebar about Amber being horrible. It's so accurate, just fits perfectly as to what would be expected by Michael. There's no way he would ever admit that Toby isn't the devil, but he can complain about someone being horrible hahaha.

I love that she didn't even suspect. And I'm so happy that he wanted to propose all by himself, and that she made him that happy, and everything.

Ryan Howard and SKANK.
Bahaha!

The little pieces of information that even just get glanced over are still so awesome and incredibly Kelly - 'using her purple pen', hahaha.

LOVE that even Amber is too high strung for Angela. And Angela's comment about 'modern weddings!' So! something that would come out of her mouth.

And Toby worrying about Sasha around all the strangers, and then she's just happy with the sari and the hair and the family and everything, and Kelly's sisters.

And Jan! Noone ever asks for more information from Jan, she just spits it out and assumes anyone is interested. Bahahah. Sooo goood. Seriously.

So articulate and awesome and IMPECCABLE CHARACTERISATION.

Feel free to write as many of these awesome awesome, sooo awesome fics as you can ever manage. They put me in suuuch a good mood every time I read one, and just leave me feeling genuinely happy and warm and they're funnyyyy and so goood.

Author's Response: I am so overwhelmed by this review I don\'t even know how to respond coherently. Thank you, thank you, a 1000 times thank you. I am so glad you enjoyed it so much! Just... wow. I just (still) love Toby and writing him and thank you for the encouragement to write more. I don\'t know if I\'ll write any more in this series (although for awhile I was tempted to write Kelly and Toby being married and Amber terrorizing everyone) - but I always have some ideas. Wow. This review just made me so happy.

10

you have this incredible ability to make me laugh out loud at like, three lines in a row, and then the fourth one is just so real and sad and toby and bittersweet, and it just brings such an extra level to everything. i enjoyed this so much. your kelly is so perfect. and it was so sad, but always so funny and poignant, the sadness of it never drowns out the joy even though it is so sad.
sequel, PLEASE?
this is the greatest universe ever. i hope kelly ended up staying some more days. or that toby followed her back to scranton. or got a tan, or started wearing colors.

Author's Response: Thank you so much! I\'m so glad you enjoyed it. \r\n\r\nWhile there\'s part of me that would love to write a sequel, I just don\'t think that many people care for the Toby character anymore and wouldn\'t be too interested. I always have ideas though. Thank you again!

10

i am laughing sooo hard. you definitely nailed all the characters - kelly, creed and dwight especially made me laugh. AWESOME! can't wait for more

Author's Response: Thanks so much! I LOVED writing Creed.

10

this is incredible. i don't recall anyone ever writing michael so well, or so accurately! i can actually hear him in my head with each sentence, the characterization is amazing. "zing-ah!" classic. and their humor! man i love their humor, but it is sooo weird and goofy and specific and silly and sooo nailed through the use of chandler bing and seinfeld and Alf and Michael asking who it was that moved to France! God. That is such an awesomely excellent Michael thing to say. Just nuts. And you've totally conveyed his sweet sweet ignorance, which is the cutest thing ever. Sooo completely loving it.