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*fight, fight, fight* Ohhhh I can’t wait. I really liked how you had Pam dissect her relationship with Roy and kind of come to the understanding that she’s been putting up with (and excusing) crap for a really long time.

Also, I love the Beeslys!!! Your dialogue for them is just so, so good.

Excited for the next one!

Author's Response: Thank you! I had a lot of fun with the Beeslys (there's nods to both Oscar Wilde and John Mulaney in there) and I'm glad you liked them!

Ok, so I'll start out saying I loved the Beesly's here. Helene raging against all things Roy. William calmly cooking brisket and ribs. Then stepping up with the fatherly duties. Both his attention to detail in cooking and eating well cooked BBQ. Plus 10 Dad points to William there. Seriously, I'm sure he's had a shotgun, 40 acres, and an alibi lined up since WELL before even the first hockey date. Add another 10 Dad points to William. And of course Penny being wonderful supportive Penny. Absolutly great to see that kind of family support.

Pam figuring taking in all that information and distilling it down to what it truly means. Roy doesn't care about her. He only cares that she's there to take care of him. Since Roy has someone to take care of him, he has no reason to care about anyone but himself, and thus the cycle continues. Yeah, enough to make anyone pissed.

Also a little moment there that I really loved. Pam refusing to think of Katy as "the Purse Girl." Lovely bit of parallel thinking between her and Jim.

If there's one thing I'm a little critical about it's the title of this chapter. Pam didn't swear once. At least not out loud. With that title and the set up of Pam emotions, I was kind of expecting a rightious anger explode out of Pam. The kind that would trigger a Michael Jackson eating popcorn gif as you watch Pam rightly unload on Roy. Kinda hoping we still see that. Figured I'd let you know. She thought swear words a couple times. Which for early seasons Pam could be considered a lot if you think about it.

Roy's still an ass and you write him being an ass really well. That part was great too.

Author's Response:

Thanks! Writing ass-Roy is my gift, what can I say. 

I titled the chapter after realizing that I don't usually say "fuck" in any of Pam's chapters in S1, so it felt like a lot of swearing--but you're right, it was all in her head. Maybe that means a future chapter will have to have her swear out loud. Maybe it won't. You'll just have to see ;)

I'm glad you liked the Beeslys. I had fun writing them (there are nods to both John Mulaney and Oscar Wilde in there) and I thought the biggest thing that might help S1 Pam move on from Roy would be if her family was at her back. Thanks for the review! 

A big puzzle piece falling in place here. That Roy is an insensitve jerk. Hopefully she doens't stay to angry at Jim once he tells her everything that happened with Steve and Katy. Hopefully she also doesn't let Roy off the hook either. I mean here he just showed how little he's invested in their relationship. Good for Pam to keep going down the though line of Roy is a jerk. She is still kind of making excuses for him. "but that's Roy," over and over. But she was really hurt by him and what seemed to be intentional disregard for her feelings. Get out of there Pam.

Also you know me well, what with my long chapters and all. Though I do have two 1,000ish word per chapter stories too. What can I say I like delving into detail.

Looking forward to more as always.

Author's Response: Thank you! I decided while writing this that this is kind of like the snowball that starts an avalanche, or a butterfly flapping its wings to start a hurricane: Pam's just that little bit more annoyed at Roy, who's just that little bit more of a jerk, and things go haywire. Fast. As I think you'll see coming up...

I'm happy that Katy had a proper date with a man who was clearly interested in her not just because of her look (to be honest, Jim's behavior with any other girl he dated who was not Pam was rather... meh).
But otherwise, I felt so my compassion for Pam, I had a lump in my throat reading about her because this day everyone around her showed that she was not good enough, that she was always a second place. I think Pam, at this point, desperately needed validation, but instead, both people what important to her and people she didn't pay special attention to chose someone over her, and there was no one to stand by her. Perhaps, I took all of this too much to heart, but I felt like Pam was here at her lowest point. Good news: there's only one way left — up and up! Hope she'll find some strength to move forward...
Thank you for such a thought-provoking chapter, and sorry for my rambling.
P.S. And, as usual, after reading your chapters, I have to do a little research. I get a blue shell joke!!! Yay! Thanks to a random letsplayer on YouTube :DDD

Author's Response: Thank you! I agree that Jim was not the best boyfriend...so Katy can get a better one and also Pam can get a better life. Not a better Hot Girl day--that probably sucks worse--but, well, you'll see. Thank you for the review, and I'm glad you get the reference!

I really love this take on Katy! It's totally realistic to think that he would want to make Pam a little jealous, especially after witnessing Roy being, well, Roy all day. I know he kind of does that in the actual Hot Girl episode, but this way he gets the reaction and also doesn't have to awkwardly break up with Katy on the Booze Cruise! Haha

Oh and the blue shell line at the end was awesome. I loved it so much.

Author's Response: Thank you! I'm quite happy with getting Katy out of Jim's romantic life, and hopefully Pam will be too...

I'm with Pam here, the "competitive" side of Roy should definitely not be seen in any setting, at least not in the form we've seen it here!

I do like that Pam is taking time to paint still, even in the middle of these frustrating and confusing situations.

So I guess Hot Girl is coming up eh? I'm excited to see how that goes, you know that episode has a special place in my heart.

Sorry to review bomb, I've been busy and just now got all caught up!

Author's Response: Hot Girl it is indeed: there's a lot going on in my changed Hot Girl, so I hope you enjoy it. And I'm going to reply to all those reviews, so you get a counterbomb... thanks for them, I appreciate knowing your thoughts!

Ah yes, Dwight's implicit trust of faxes...

Pam's and the "You can tell me anything" works well in this context.

I love that Pam is inspired to paint Dwight's disbelief, I hope she gets to share.

Author's Response: Thank you! I'm glad this repurposing worked for you!

Ouch, Pam's thought process and avoidance of thinking about getting a date set for the wedding really struck a chord.

Roy not getting the prank is just another reminder that Pam and him are on different wavelengths, and one can't help but wonder when they'll open their eyes and see the destructive interference that causes (physics analogies!? I guess I'm just in that mood).

Author's Response: I like the analogies! I guess that makes actual S9 Jim a wave of light, capable of interfering with himself? Thanks for the review!

Ah, blessed context for the tub comments.

I think the slow process of Pam figuring out what's going on in her own head on Roy and Jim is working well and paced just right.

Author's Response: Yeah, I hate that comment. A lot. So I changed it. I'm glad you like the pacing! Thanks for the review!

Another puzzle piece falling for Pam here. I really like that she's starting to think about all these things. Also that she's starting to realize that things aren't as good as she might have thought with Roy. She shouldn't have to apologize for him, make excuses for him, or any of that.

What might have been attractive as a high schooler is now just immature. Good to see that kind of reasoning become more prominent.

Author's Response: Yeah, there's a lot of slow progress I want to build up inside Pam (though this next episode, Hot Girl, will be some faster progress), so these little updates are there to mark it. Thanks for the review!

Lots of tension here. This feels like the usual tension between Roy and Jim has been turned up a notch. The way I viewed Roy in S1 and S2 was that he knew Jim and Pam were good friends, but he was never threatened by Jim. Roy's ring was on Pam's finger so what was there to worry about.

This chapter though seems like Roy is flexing his muscle a bit. Literally and figurativly. The trash talk, popping Jim in the face, cuddling with Pam on Jim's desk. In a subtley that usually seems rare for Roy, it seems he's at the same time challenging Jim to try something and also threatening Jim that any challenge from Jim won't go anywhere.

Considering this if from Jim's POV that's great writing to bring that out. Or maybe because it's Jim's POV, that's the feeling we get from Jim who is more subtle than Roy. So could it be Jim is reading into things that the usual Roy is doing by accident?

Maybe it's both. What is true is this was a great chapter to bring all that out. Well done my friend.

Author's Response: Thank you! My personal read on Roy is that after The Alliance (and this is just after that episode) he gets a little more wary until Jim gets a girlfriend in Hot Girl (which we will absolutely be getting to very soon). And here I think he's also jealous, both of Pam noticing Jim (the prank activates that a bit, I think) and of Jim getting to be lazy. So that's how I got to where you see him. Thanks for the review!

I feel like there's a puzzle taking shape with Pam here. What with her love of logic puzzles and all. There's another piece falling into place here. Namely her musings as to why she felt off when Jim wasn't in the office. The thing about this puzzle is that while the pieces are coming together, the box cover to show what the completed picture will be has been placed face down on the table. So when the puzzle is complete and Pam finally realizes she had deeper than friendship feelings for Jim it's going to shock her. That is until she pushes the box cover upright and sees the picture's been like that this whole time.

Other than that, lovely chapter. Great introspection as usual.

Author's Response: Thank you! It's a good metaphor. I think the key for me to writing S1 Pam is that it has to be this kind of slow build--she's just not where S3 or even late S2 Pam is, and it takes her a little bit to get there...