Everybody Knows (30 Rock, Jack/Liz)

[michellek]

Title: Everybody Knows
Fandom: 30 Rock
Pairing: Jack/Liz
Word Count: 474
Rating: PG
Summary: Liz and Avery run into each other. (Part of the ' Stay With Me' series.)

Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue!

Comments

[frey_at_last]

Auuugggh Liiiiiizzzz. (I like it I like it!)

"And you're certainly not going to be the last woman Jack brings into my daughter's life, but you are going to be the one who sticks around after he stops sleeping with you--"

Doesn't it suck that you can put this line in Avery's mouth and it isn't particularly bashy, but sounds like canon?

It's interesting how this whole series is completely from Liz's point of view - after every one I keep feeling like, what is going on in Jack's head?

[michellek]

It does suck, yeah. Though I'm glad it sounds like canon, since every time I include Avery in something I always worry about what I make her say/do something that feels like me going, 'hey, I don't like her! Did you know that?' Which I think is why I haven't written relatively few fics that directly deal with the recent episodes. (Previous seasons, I was post-eping all over the place! Now I leave it to Mindy.)

I'll be honest, I haven't really decided how Jack is viewing this situation. Most of the time, when I write a fic/series of fics from one character's POV, I do have in my head 'this is what's going on with Liz or Jack,' but I still haven't decided -- and perhaps it's partly because I still don't know where I'm going with this series -- if Jack is being selfish/oblivious and accidentally cruel because of that or if he assumes there will be a future between him and Liz and her playing weekend mom to his daughter is part of that.

[parisgal3]

I like to believe Liz is just being insecure and Jack is trying to protect himself by not letting his true feelings known.

And that's what I will continue to believe until you tell me otherwise (please don't tell me otherwise!).

[michellek]

I approve of what you chose to believe!

[frey_at_last]

Yeah, I know how that feels - I haven't really written anything this season, but when I try to go back to work on what I have, I keep feeling like I don't know how to portray Avery (or even Liz's SOs) because it can never be completely neutral. But in general I think you have a very even-handed voice as a writer, so I never feel anything amiss in your characterizations.

That's hard, because I feel like either scenario could work at this point. It sucks when a character gets to a point where two radically different things might be true of them, and either would work. It's hard to write. That said, I always prefer "happy" endings, as long as they are messy and hash things out

[michellek]

It is so tricky, knowing when you're crossing the line towards being too slanted against a character or just portraying them fairly, though in a somewhat negative light. In my initial concept of this segment, actually, I think I was going too far... not that she walked into the elevator with a puppy she'd recently lit on fire, but I felt like I was making her more overtly mean than I wanted her to be. (And thank you.)

I do think I am going to try to write a Jack POV thing about this, just to sort of sort out what feels more right to me. Because, I seriously have no idea what he wants. I prefer reading happy endings, but I do seem to like writing unhappy ones. (And, sometimes, pretend in my head that things worked out somewhere down the line.)

[michellek]

Reading this comment again, it occurred to me you could mean not bashy towards Jack but more like canon as to how he treats women/what would actually happen in this scenario. Either way, it does suck. :/

[frey_at_last]

I actually just meant bashy toward Avery, but that could work, too. Like I was saying above. Both could fit. :-\ (I miss believing in a Jack who wouldn't actually be emotionally cruel or dismissive about women he cared about. Because I feel like he was a fairly good guy in that way up through C.C. and Elisa.)

[michellek]

I'm glad I didn't misread it. I was worried I was accepting a compliment that wasn't given; then egg and my face would be in alignment. That meaning probably wouldn't have occurred to me if I didn't hadn't taken Jack to task for his behavior in fic (and various posts, also). (Me, too. A lot.)