Date: February 05, 2019 11:39 am Title: Kill
when he finally manages it she’s still talking to him about fucking Halpert. Even when the guy has a girlfriend of his own he can’t stop messing up Roy’s life.
I love how that line shows that Roy, really, was a rebound of sorts and he realises that.
Author's Response: Thank you! I don't think he has a lot of smarts, but he is capable of getting some things in his gut. Eventually...
Date: February 04, 2019 03:32 pm Title: Art's Sake
So Jim's clearly not at his best here. Really not a fan of him intentionally ignoring Pam like this, but it does makes sense considering how you've built this up this story. At least this Jim is aware of his self-deprecation even if he's not willing to act one anything yet.
Author's Response: Yeah, I'm not a fan of it either, but it seemed the most true to me about his current state of mind as of this episode. You mentioned in the last one that you think of Phyllis's Wedding as their low point; I think it's here, for precisely that reason. Don't worry, after one more cutting remark (thanks, The Negotiation) they'll be on the upswing.
Date: February 04, 2019 02:40 pm Title: Un
I really felt for Pam in this episode so I'm glad you gave Jim's POV and had him realize how upset she was and why, even if he didn't do anything about it. I liked the part where he admits he's not being honest to anyone else so he might as well be honest with himself.
Author's Response: Yeah, my problem here is that I like Jim, so I don't want to make him entirely an ass, even though I think the writers kind of did. So at least he'll be honest to himself for me so I can write what he ought to think. Thanks for the review!
Date: February 04, 2019 02:08 pm Title: Art's Sake
I need something hard to smack him in the head. Ideas?
I'm glad you did his pov on this one.
Author's Response:
Just re-use the items you were using to smack Roy! I recommend the 2x4 in particular.
Thanks! I decided Pam's and Roy's POVs on the art show were overdone, so Jim was my best bet (also Cocktails and the Negotiation are quite Roy-and-Pam-centric).
Date: February 03, 2019 07:54 pm Title: Phyllis's Wedding: A Triptych
First off let me say I'm glad that this is one of the few fics I've read where Pam doesn't go to bed with Roy after the wedding. I know a lot of fics have that in there, but it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth, so to speak. So good on you for that.
So there's Roy. At first I was kind of given the impression that him not remembering all the stuff about the aborted wedding wasn't really his fault. Maybe Pam really didn't do a lot of planning around him. Almost started making me feel not so angry at the guy. Then he lapsed back to form. He got the simple thing, but doesn't understand the complex issues.
Jim. Yes he's hurt, he's angry, he's frustrated. After everything he's been through, then seeing Pam leave with Roy? Yeah, I get why he can't really see that the problem is him. He's trying hard to be over her. Denying his feelings. I always saw this as the low point of Jim and Pam's relationship. Never mind all that stuff in Season 9 (close second mind you), but here and how you've written it shows how out of sync they are when usually they're on the same page. Even if at times they don't know it.
I'm glad you still have Pam seeing Roy for what he is. Yes, he's familiar, but the line in there that she knows he's not a long term prospect is great. The fact that there was stuff all over the house for the wedding made sense to. Roy wouldn't even go tot he cake tasting? That right there should have caused her to break up with him. Tasting the food is the best part of wedding planning. I know I wouldn't have missed it for the world when my wife and I got married. Anyway I digress. That Pam is basically using Roy as armor to ward off her feelings of jealousy and loss about Jim is a great take on this.
Great chapter. Now that we're past, hopefully, the really low part we can start seeing the train of events that lead to "Beach Games," and "The Job." Brilliant as always.
Author's Response:
Thanks! That's something I've also often thought about the wedding; Pam jumping into bed with Roy right then feels off. They do start dating again, but that feels strangely out of place for me too. Glad to hear someone else agrees with me.
Thanks for the feedback on the rest of it; I realized as I was writing this that I feel fairly strongly about the Pam-using-Roy angle of this part of the story, so I'm very glad I could make it convincing.
Date: February 03, 2019 05:57 am Title: Idiocracy
Hey double updates are always fun. Remember last Pam chapter when she thought to herself that such thinking was going to driver her crazy? Yeah, I see her still going down that path. Not that I blame her. She's very clearly ready to be with Jim, she can't be with Jim, so she tries the next best thing of wanting Jim to be happy, but that either makes her miserable (see the previously poopy day) or she has days like these.
You're still doing a great job at getting all these confused thoughts and feelings out.
Author's Response: Thank you! With confused feelings, it can be very hard to tell if I'm clearly expressing confusing ideas or confusingly expressing them. So this is really helpful to hear.
Date: February 03, 2019 05:50 am Title: Feelings, Woah Woah Woah Feelings
Considering how you've set things up in the previous chapters of this story, yes this works well. I do like the fact here that Jim is aware that his romantic feelings for Pam haven't changed. He knows she's still the one he wants to be with. However given their history it makes sense that he's scared to open his heart again.
Yes having the moment pranking Andy was a great return to form, and along with his admission to Karen should have been a catalyst to try and seek out Pam more. However the way you have his thoughts here organized shows just how hard he took her rejections. The fear of being hurt again is very powerful even if it's not seen on the surface. However here in Jim's thoughts it's still there. If only he could realize how much he DIDN'T misinterpret, I'm sure he would have found his courage a lot sooner.
Author's Response: Thanks. I do wish Jim had (well, the writers had let Jim) come back to Scranton more single. Technically, sure, you might argue he wasn't actually dating Karen until they got there, but really? For me, that's the root of the cowardice, or at least the original act of it: not being able to face Pam on his own.
Date: February 02, 2019 10:46 am Title: Feelings, Woah Woah Woah Feelings
Sounds pretty canon to me. And yeah, Jim is one big fat coward.
And I also think he is a little cruel to Pam on purpose.
Great update!
Author's Response: Thanks! And yeah, I'm sorry to say that's pretty much my take too. Which is a shame, since I kind of want to identify with him (or at least, like him all the time). Oops.
Date: February 01, 2019 11:49 am Title: Options
That scene with Dwight is one of my all time favourite Office moments. And THE absolute favourite that doesn't include Jim and Pam (close second: Michael at the art show)
Loved the list!
Author's Response: Thanks! I love that moment too; explicitly including it didn't quite fit, but I'm glad the nod to it worked for you. And the list was a lot of fun to write.
Date: February 01, 2019 10:11 am Title: Options
"She was going to go insane if she kept wondering about things like that."
Truer words were never spoke. Well in this case thought, but I'm sure you get what I mean. It's interesting seeing Pam create this Pro/Con list. It's usually more seen as something Jim does, but here it's Pam. Granted it's also a good way to organize one's thoughts, but the JAM fan in me can't help but see this as yet another way Jim and Pam are meant for each other.
Yeah it was a rough day here for Pam, no question. I do like that after all is said and done, she still realizes Roy is still being his usual thoughtless self, and that there could be more than just one side to the relationship problems she's in right now.
Author's Response:
As always, good catch! I was indeed intending this to be a case where Jim's habits have become Pam's imperceptibly. Though note that hers is much less intricately woven than the Jim list we saw back at the start of the fic--she's not yet had the time to get entirely wrapped up in it in the way Jim has.
And thanks for the note on her noticing Roy. I think this is going to be one of the (many) fics where "Phyllis's Wedding" and the aftermath are going to suck majorly for some of our cast.
Date: January 31, 2019 02:24 pm Title: Trey
Good on Jim for taking things out on the court. Roy's still being Roy. Looking in all the wrong places. Thanks for the little shout out there at the end.
Author's Response: Hey, when you're right, you're right, and it deserves to be acknowledged as such! I find it interesting that both you and Kuri33 are pro-Jim taking this out on the court on Roy, while I, as I was writing it, was thinking that this is pretty immature given that he's displacing everything onto Roy instead of dealing with problems he generated himself (Roy didn't start dating Karen...at least not until I write a different AU).
Date: January 31, 2019 09:27 am Title: Trey
Ha, Jim taking revenge through basketball because... guys. And well, Roy, you're a moron. Sorry.
Author's Response: Thanks for reading! Not even sure if it's revenge as much as it is...sublimating the fact that he won't or can't act towards Pam the way he wants to and Roy can. Which I suppose is kinda like revenge, yeah.
Date: January 31, 2019 09:22 am Title: Song
I really liked this prank, even though there was something cruel in it. Great to know Pam and I agree! Thanks for the update.
Author's Response: Not sure how I missed responding to this the first time around. I love it when I agree with people's characters, so I'm glad I could give you that experience too!
Date: January 31, 2019 07:06 am Title: Song
That's a different take than I think is usually seen with that prank. I think that there's usually more of a feel of "maybe this is what will start getting them back together." There's a deleted scene where Pam sicks Andy on Jim in similar fashion and Pam has a big grin on her face at the time.
There's a lot more thought going on here. That Pam feels Jim is letting private things out in the open like this isn't really something I'd ever considered. Nice touch.
Author's Response: Thanks for reading! Yeah, I know this is the opposite of how it's usually taken (I take and leave the deleted scenes as I feel like it, because they didn't air so I don't see them as 100% canon). But it seemed to me that without any further movement on Jim's part in her direction, Pam's ultimate takeaway (if not her first reaction) would be sad. And there's a long way to go before they actually find each other.
Date: January 30, 2019 10:35 am Title: The Merger: A Triptych
Oooh come on! (With the voice of Andy in that intro with the square bouncing on the monitor)
I know, I know, yoy did what you had to do but this chapter... oh how I hate it, and how a hate Jim above all and how I wish Pam would just grab him and tell him to stop being an ass.
Ehm... ok. Enough ranting. Super work, as usual!
Author's Response: Thank you! I am sorry in advance for the upcoming angst.
Date: January 30, 2019 09:49 am Title: The Merger: A Triptych
Good job with all three here. Jim still feeling confused, hurt, and tortured by all the memories seems to makes sense. Yet there's still that ever so slight tendril that says his heart still belongs to Pam. Having him have his monitor angles so he can see her was a great way to get that across.
Roy is, well, Roy.
I do feel for Pam here. Her confused feelings also make a lot of sense. The un-returned email and text, the fact the last time she saw Jim he was saying he loved her and now she's getting the cold shoulder. Still some good points I liked her completely seeing through what Roy is up to, nice touch there. Then her final thought. It may taken her a while, and yes there's still more angst to come, but that she can at least admit her real feelings to herself shows that she is growing and moving forward.
Author's Response: Thank you! I appreciate your detailed thoughts (especially the ones on Roy).
Date: January 29, 2019 09:40 am Title: Giant
Well, this Roy surprised me. I actually wanted to hug him and tell him it's going to be ok, but then I realised it's Roy and... gah!
I really like the way he notices Pam in this one... ans hiw he didn't think of Jim at the end. Great update!
Author's Response: I considered having him think of Jim, but then decided it didn't work with where I wanted this to go. I'm glad you found him actually sympathetic until you remembered who he was (and he did too). Thanks for reading!
Date: January 29, 2019 09:10 am Title: Giant
At first it looked like Roy was starting to turn a corner here. That he was starting to think more about Pam than he was himself, but then there at the end, no. Since Scranton is staying open, he still doesn't really have a reason to change. Almost there but not quite.
However it also looks like he's doing some deeper introspection. Looking at ways that he caused the relationship to falter. That he relied on her to much. He's still pretty self absorbed, but this time it felt a little more rounded off.
Author's Response: Starting to turn? Probably. Turned? I don't think he can really have turned a corner if I'm going to properly build up to "Cocktails." But he's definitely...changing (even though I think he hates that word).
Date: January 28, 2019 12:13 pm Title: Jagermeister
Oh Drunk Jim. Even now you still can't stop over analyzing things. But it also makes sense that Drunk Jim would have his thoughts ramble on like this. A return to form that Sober Jim would have probably thought he's evolved past.
Even though he's drunk, alone, and confused, the way you have his drunk ramblings is actually pretty funny at times. The D&D references, the constitution of a Yak lightened up the angst a bit to have those in there.
Author's Response: I very deliberately did this as pure stream of consciousness with minimal editing for grammar to get that sense of rambling drunkenness, glad it appealed. And I did hope those things would help lighten the mood a little, so I'm glad to hear they did!
Date: January 28, 2019 11:49 am Title: Jagermeister
19 episodes are a sh*tload of episodes!!! Sorry, sorry, ehem. I'm cool. Except, not really.
What if he had answered, though?
Author's Response:
That's true, but there won't be a chapter for each necessarily, so it'll be sooner than you think.
And if he had? If I were going AU with this? She'd have answered back. And then they'd have gotten into texting each other. And then maybe The Merger wouldn't be such a cluster****.
Date: January 28, 2019 08:14 am Title: Shirt
Oh look, he still thinks everything Pam does should relate directly to or be about him.
Suck it, Roy.
This story is taking me on a roller coaster of emotions; that's all I know.
Author's Response: I hope it's a fun rollercoaster, not one of those awful gut-churny ones (or those boring sedate ones, though we don't tend to call those rollercoasters). And yes, Roy is very solipsistic. The ass.
Date: January 28, 2019 08:11 am Title: After
Damnit Roy, you couldn't even cancel the food like you were supposed to. Give me the 2x4, I'll handle this for Pam.
"Because even now he won’t actually hear her tell it to him. He thinks he’s being considerate and attentive, but he’s really just being an attention hog. And she hates it. Almost as much as she hates not being able to look over and roll her eyes with Jim whenever it happens. But…not quite." I'm so glad Pam is recognizing Roy's selfishness for what it is, but I hate that she can't get a clean break from him.
Author's Response: If I could have given her a clean break, I would. But...canon. Sorry. I tried by making her notice it, even if I can't make her get rid of him yet entirely...
Date: January 28, 2019 08:07 am Title: Pack
Jim's trip down Pam Memory Lane at the office is so well done... but I have to admit I laughed really hard at "This present is special because it has bonus torture." I also really liked the moment where he was both on the phone with Jan but checking his flight options again just in case - that's a really great moment in showing just how desperate to leave he is.
Author's Response: Thank you! I'm glad there was some laughter to leaven the angst, because I think that's a crucial element in this series. It can't all be sorrow even if it is mostly going to be for a while.
Date: January 28, 2019 08:02 am Title: Casino Night: A Triptych
"Only she didn’t know how. It became awfully, terribly obvious how uneven their relationship was—how much she took from him and how little she was used to giving—as the words tumbled out of her mouth and she discovered that while he had been comforting her for years, she didn’t know how to comfort him." So heartbreaking; right up there with the possibility that at first "I can't" was only the beginning of a sentence.
And then there was this: "For a woman who loved jinx so much, silence from her was a real threat." DAMN COMFECT. This is so real. I love it.
As for Roy's part... to quote Michael Scott, "Oh my god, something's happening" And I Am Here For It.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I was really trying to tug those heartstrings (it's Casino Night after all!) so I'm delighted to hear I did. Weird as it feels to say I'm happy you're sad...
Date: January 28, 2019 07:41 am Title: Angry
Jesus, Roy. Imagine if spent even a quarter of the time he spent worrying about Kenny, worrying about Pam instead.
I do like the continuity of Roy only having one way of placating Pam, and it's food. This seems on par with the character and it makes me laugh every time.
Author's Response:
Right? That would be such a different Roy.
And hah, I hadn't noticed I was doing that but now that you point it out that is literally the only way I can see him placating her, so yeah. Nice catch!