1 [Report This]Date: August 23, 2020 08:52 pm Title: Daisy
This is my new head-canon for what happened between the talking head and the date. And I *love* the grace note about her noticing that he's been purposefully watching her all along.
Author's Response: Thank you! I loved writing this chapter, and filling in details I felt needed filling in (but wouldn't have fit in the show). Thanks for reading this!
1 [Report This]Date: August 23, 2020 03:42 pm Title: Silence
This is both really moving and really original. Pam's mindset about the Australia trip has always frustrated me, and this way to rationalize it is a new one by me - as is the idea of her trying to see how long she and Roy can go without speaking. Break my heart, why don't you?
Author's Response: Thank you! I thought long and hard about how she should react to both Australia and the silence, so I'm really touched that it came through in your reading!
1 [Report This]Date: August 23, 2020 03:13 pm Title: Pasta
I think I'm going to spend a long time wondering if Isabel being afraid of bears helped or hurt her relationship with Dwight.
Author's Response: I would argue help, since he probably believes that women, being the weaker sex, are having a correct cardiovascular response by trying to flee from the presence of the inarguably superior bear specimens (or something like that). Thanks for reading!
1 [Report This]Date: August 23, 2020 02:52 pm Title: Arcade
You've done a really good job of fleshing out Roy here - not too often you get a real tour inside his head like this. Sadly, this may be the most positive take on his mindset I've ever seen, too. Poor Pam.
Author's Response: Thank you! This fic mostly came about because I wanted to make Roy feel more like a human being, so I'm really glad it worked for you!
1 [Report This]Date: May 21, 2020 07:46 pm Title: Happy
I'm sure you've noticed that I've been working my way through your fics. I haven't been reviewing, which is honestly not really like me but I haven't had it in me. Things have been so crazy. But your fics have been helping me get through it, so first let me say a general: thank you so much and I love your stories and you're fantastic! I really appreciate the effort you have put into each and every one of your stories. They are all wonderful in their own ways.
Now for specifics: This story in particular has been just AMAZING. I'm a sucker for angst with a happy ending, so I've really enjoyed reading these internal monologues across all these painful times. You do such a good job getting in the heads of the characters so that they feel *real*.
While I have to admit that I'm mostly (unsurprisingly) talking about getting into the heads of Jim and Pam, I also really liked the glimpses into Roy's mind. Like you, I don't like him much, but I want to see him be a real person with three dimensions, not just an obstacle. You did that. He makes choices that make sense for him, given what he thinks and how he thinks about stuff. It was actually really nice to see him start to grow up and think about how to be a better version of himself there at the end.
This made me cry so many times! I mean, season 3...it's just so hard watching Jim and Pam make themselves miserable, choosing the wrong way to interpret things over and over, but for completely understandable reasons! Both of them trying to protect themselves, but really just ensuring that they stay stuck. But it's so worth it to see them finally figure their shit out and be happy at last!
Author's Response: Thank you for this review. It's really wonderful to hear that my writing is still getting read and that it is speaking to you--especially this story, which I really enjoyed writing for exactly the reasons you identify. Thanks for reading, and thanks for letting me know how you feel!
1 [Report This]Date: February 05, 2020 05:49 pm Title: Happy
I really enjoyed this story because of the way you wrote it and the care you
took in writing it... sentences like these:
She was aware of Roy in the way one was aware of the weather or the traffic. His moods were borderline predictable, in the way that February would be cold or rush hour busy, but still bore watching: the difference between a day he felt slighted and one when he’d won the warehouse poker game was as stark as between a blizzard and a thaw.
And this level of writing took place throughout the story. So many funny and unique phrases that were so in character (like Roy getting her wings AND jalapeno poppers - yeah that'll fix it, Roy...) and Jim noticing how he no longer had to hold back when interacting with Pam, something I hadn't thought must have defined their relationship in the beginning and a big change for them once together and out of the office.
I could quote something from each chapter, but I'll refrain and just say great job retelling this in a fresh way. Thank you for writing and sharing. I've read some longer fics that fade out in attention to detail toward the end and this one definitely didn't. Again, thanks for writing!
Author's Response: Thank you. I really appreciate both the time you took on this comment and the specificity of it. It's really wonderful to get feedback like this and I really am thankful!
1 [Report This]Date: April 24, 2019 02:12 pm Title: Un
So I know I’m late to this story, but this is really great, it’s nice to see Jim and Pam before the cameras
Author's Response: Late reviews are just as good as contemporary reviews, because they remind us that what we wrote stays up on the site for everyone to enjoy. Thanks for taking the time to review, and I'm glad you enjoyed the pre-series glimpse in this chapter. It was a lot of fun to write!
1 [Report This]Date: February 14, 2019 08:30 pm Title: Casino Night: A Triptych
I love this story arc so much ahhh! Great work!
Author's Response: Aw, thanks! I really appreciate hearing that.
Date: February 12, 2019 06:39 pm Title: Happy
It's been a lot of fun to see this one pan out with you. Great job and well done on the final word count.
I get the picture that Pam is sitting at her desk while all this is going on in her head. She has a soft smile on her face as she watches Jim make a sales call. Like you put in there so much has changed, and yet so much hasn't. She and Jim can just finally be together in their wonderful, playful, loving way.
You've done a great job getting into the heads of all three characters in this story. I'm a little sad to see it go, but alas all good things.
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
Author's Response:
Thank you! I know it's a bit silly to be so pleased to hit an exact thousand but it really did make me happy (also, it happens to be exactly the maximum length for a novella according to the one writing award I get to vote on, so that was also quite pleasing).
I hadn't really thought of where Pam would be as she thought this, but your suggestion makes the most sense to me. She's just watching him and thinking about him and they're finally together and happy. And that was where I wanted to end this, so I'm glad we got there.
I really appreciate all your feedback along the way. This literally would not have been the same story without it.
Si Quaeris Peninsulam Amoenam, Circumspice.
Date: February 12, 2019 05:22 pm Title: Happy
This was ther perfect ending!
I am sorry this is it, because I'm going to miss this story, even though sometimes it made me want to throw a punch in frustration... which speaks volumes about how good a writer you are.
Thanks so much for sharing!
(It was my pleasure)
I'd wish to leave you a ton of jellybeans, but I run out like 25 chapters ago :)
Author's Response: Thank you! I really appreciate all of your feedback along the way, it really helped me to keep working on the story and to shape it as I did.
Date: February 11, 2019 02:33 pm Title: Date
Great date chapter here. That they're getting things out in and the open for once is wonderful to see. I also like that you have them not making to big of a deal about their past. That yes it all happened, but why get upset about it now that they're together. Pam's comment that her Jim, the real Jim if you will, was there all the time was very cute and poignant of her.
All in all a great chapter as always. Wonderful to see them so happy together like this.
Author's Response: Thank you! I really enjoy different versions of the first date, but there are so many specific-to-that fics on this site that I wanted to kind of give an overview without getting too specific, so that was the aspect I wanted to cover (the getting things out in the open). Thank you for bearing with me in the angst on the way to their joy!
Date: February 10, 2019 07:16 pm Title: Un
Not saying she wouldn't.
Author's Response: Forgive him? I'm pretty sure she would.
Date: February 10, 2019 07:15 pm Title: Un
Not saying she wouldn't.
Date: February 10, 2019 05:20 pm Title: Daisy
Ok, ok. I forgive him. Might hit him in the head with a frying pan just because, but that trail of paper made me forgive him.
Author's Response: Don't harm him too much or Pam won't get full use of him. But I'm glad I could help you (and Pam) re-acclimate to liking him with the paper trail. Thanks for reading!
Date: February 10, 2019 03:41 pm Title: Daisy
Awww, this is wonderful. I love all the little notes he left around her stuff. That he's slipping back into the Jim she fell in love with. That she got a glimpse of the computer monitor was a nice touch too. The hope and expectation she has is great to see as well.
Great job as usual. Looking forward to seeing how their first date went.
Author's Response: I hope you like the date! I had a lot of fun with this one, because it's nice to get back to S1-2 type Jim actually interacting with Pam in a nice way. I love this couple, and the most frustrating thing about writing canon-compliant story has been avoiding the urge to couple them up early.
Date: February 09, 2019 12:15 pm Title: Stupid is as Stupid Does
He is an idiot indeed. (I just watched that christmas episode when he gets terrorised by Dwight's snowballs and in my headcanon this is Dwight getting a long overdue revenge for Pam)
Yay! We're almost there!!
Author's Response: I think Pam is quite capable of getting her own revenge (though snowballs are probably a good level of revenge, as one doesn't always want a more violent revenge on one's significant other). Thanks for reading!
Date: February 09, 2019 12:09 pm Title: Stupid is as Stupid Does
Good for Jim this time around. He's finally pulling his head out of his ass to realize what's been there this whole time. Well maybe not the whole time, Pam did have a lot of growing to do. So how about we say Jim's now realizing what's right there in front of him clearly for the first time since his return.
The analogy of the ream and the dump truck was a good one. Casino Night yes was huge, and you're right. This was in the same vein, but more subtle in these respects. Great job getting into Jim's head with this one.
Author's Response: Thank you! I feel like these last couple of episodes are done a lot on this site, so it means a lot to me to hear that you think I'm doing a good job of getting into Jim's head (as opposed to just wandering around in my own).
Date: February 08, 2019 12:59 pm Title: Jimpression
No. I need that 4x2 to run Jim over. 3 times. To make sure I did a good job.
Author's Response: Hopefully you won't feel that way after the next 2 chapters! But I'm glad you're experiencing these chapters strongly, as I am when writing them.
Date: February 08, 2019 12:15 pm Title: Jimpression
I like Pam's thought process here. That she's ready to accept either simple friendship or more than that so to say. Fancy New Beesly has come into her own here and it's good to see. She's getting rid of doubts and insecurities. It's been a long road but I'm glad to see it. You've done a great job getting her here. I'm going to assume that the next chapter with "Beach Games" will be a Jim notices Pam chapter. Really looking forward to seeing that one especially now that Pam is where she is.
Author's Response: Thanks! Yes, that was a good guess (hope you like it). And yeah, I think at this point Pam definitely wants at least to be friends with Jim--and I think it's important for her character development that she's comfortable enough with herself to accept just that if it's all she can get.
Date: February 08, 2019 04:11 am Title: Outsider
Can I give Roy a hug? I know, I know I wanted to kill him a couple of chapters ago, but now I love how he notices Pam standing tall.
Bye Roy. I'm not going to miss you but it's been fun anyways.
Author's Response: Is it a hug with a 2x4? I'm glad I was able to bring him around to a place where you didn't want to kill him (immediately at least) even if I agree he won't really be missed. Thanks for reviewing!
Date: February 07, 2019 08:50 pm Title: Galaxies
"His eyes had been speaking to her even more than his words had, and they invited her to fall in." Swoon. What a beautiful description.
Author's Response: Thanks! I enjoyed writing it, so I'm glad it was swoonworthy on your end :)
Date: February 07, 2019 07:13 pm Title: Outsider
Good way to wrap that up I think. I looks like Roy's finally put enough pieces together to gt past his own feelings and want to move on with his life. I think the way you wrote him hear shows that Roy is ready to move on with his life. He's ready to find out who he is without Pam. For so long she was his security blanket and it was pulled away. Here he's realized he doesn't need that anymore. Good on you for that.
Author's Response: I feel like Jim and Pam are both slow-burn realizers, whereas Roy is the kind of guy who either does or doesn't get an epiphany. And I think that the failed fight in The Negotiation was it--not Pam breaking up with him, not the DUI, not anything earlier. He needed to get his head straight, but I think that moment did it. Thanks for the review!
Date: February 07, 2019 04:53 am Title: Galaxies
I loved the whole parragraph about what part of the body Roy uses to think. Such clever sentences!
And yeah, the first time I saw this ep, I remember thnking after the punch that this was it. That now Jim and Pam HAD to get closer. But he behaved like a complete and utter assh*le
Author's Response: Thank you! I enjoyed writing that one. And yeah...I had the same thought and then they just made him a total dick there. Which is somewhat in line with the joyous surprise of The Job but still...
Date: February 06, 2019 08:51 pm Title: Galaxies
I get where you say this is around the low point in their relationship. A lot of anger simmering here on both their parts. Yes Jim is being an ass. He probably feels justified in his actions, but he's still being an ass. Gotta feel for Pam though. All the stuff bouncing around in her head like this. I get the feeling it's going to stay like that until it all just boils over at the beach. And then we all know how that ends up. Great job as always. Looking forward to seeing the upswing now.
Author's Response: Thanks! The upswing is kinda short, but I'm hoping to do it justice.
Date: February 05, 2019 12:07 pm Title: Kill
I almost get the feeling here that, had he been able to, Roy might have gone after Pam after he was through with Jim. Clearly he's pissed at both of them. Understandably so. However since he rarely stopped to consider that he was the primary cause for the first break-up, here he is looking for causes other than himself again. After all how could one kiss cause Pam to break off their multi-year relationship and engagement unless she wasn't happy with him or how their relationship had been? I mean, even after all this time the word "fiancee" still couldn't get into his head. Those are all the things he's clearly missed and thus it sets him on this path. Granted I've never really considered Roy to really be able to think all that anyway, but it's there from the outsider perspective.
Even going back to the scene in the show, Pam wants him to listen to her, instead he blows up, and insists he is listening when in fact he's not, nor has he really ever. Well done to keep this Roy in character like this.
Author's Response:
I think that this version of Roy might, but that he'd probably have it out of his system once he beat Jim. Displacement, you know? I really don't think Roy has processed this stuff at all, so he's still just lashing out.
And that's what I noticed in the show that made me go with this kind of attitude here: he really insists he's getting it when he's really, deeply not.