Date: May 02, 2021 06:56 pm Title: Chapter 23
Again Jim is way too passive here but I do get it in this case because Pam is asking him to be. But I really do think you've latched on to the weakness in Jim's character in a really interesting way. I really really enjoy this fic. Despite not usually being a connoisseur of angst.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! That's really lovely to hear haha - I don't know that I was totally intending for it to be quite this angsty when I first started writing, but...
So I did go back and forth a bit on how quickly Jim would want to act if he was in this scenario. I think his instinct would've been to break up with Karen immediately - I think he's passive up to a point, but once he's realises he wants something he goes for it - but yeah, I also think he doesn't like making things difficult for people. I couldn't have seen him voluntarily carrying on with something like this for several weeks though, which is sort of the timeline in Something Borrowed.
Date: May 02, 2021 06:51 pm Title: Chapter 22
This is totally fair, and definitely something Jan would do. Interesting that Karen doesn't seem to have called Jim or anything like that... But then again the relationship is really not that great. Poor Pam.
Author's Response: Thanks! That is something I wanted to have a bit of in this chapter - it's not just that Karen isn't really there for Jim, it's also that Karen doesn't look to him for comfort/support, and he doesn't know how to offer that to her in a way that works for her. And her not calling him is just part of that. Which is a big contrast to his relationship with Pam. And I know, I think I've let Pam be screwed over by the timing quite a lot in this fic, oops.
Date: May 02, 2021 06:42 pm Title: Chapter 21
So I really enjoy how you use elements from both season two and season three here in a really productive way to make your own AU make perfect sense. I love what you did with the place.
Author's Response: Thank you very much! I'm really pleased you think it worked - although it is definitely easier when a lot of the excellent material is already there, haha.
Date: May 02, 2021 06:39 pm Title: Chapter 20
Ah there's the Jim and Pam banter. Love the choices you've made in this chapter and so glad you included Michael.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! Really glad you enjoyed it :) And yes haha, I did want to bring Michael in at some point...
Date: May 01, 2021 09:00 pm Title: Chapter 19
I don't hate you. But I think I hate your Jim a little. Because he folded. Again. Without even thinking about what he's actually said. It's a very bleak S3 version of Jim (and maybe a little of when they made Athleap Jim a dick too) so it's in character--just the weakest parts.
Author's Response: Ooh so I'd not really thought as much about Athleap Jim while I was writing this...but yeah, he was a real dick at that point. He really doesn't come off great when he's cornered in an argument. And yes - I did come to the realisation that to make Jim into a version of the S1-2 Pam/Something Borrowed guy in this, I've made him pretty useless. But I think he can have some of the same tendencies as Pam on the passivity and self-delusion - I've just sort of leaned into them quite a lot here, lol.
Date: May 01, 2021 08:30 pm Title: Chapter 18
Ah that is SUCH A GOOD PRANK! So good. Also I like the tuna for Pam. Nice little switch.
Author's Response: Thank you so much! So I realised writing this that it's actually incredibly hard to come up with ingenious pranks, I have no idea how the writers on the show came up with so many. I'm really glad you enjoyed this one though! And the tuna hehe, I feel like the only way Andy could've made that more annoying would've been by making it Pam's nickname...but yeah, I'm assuming at this point that Jim is not trying to re-invent himself like he was in the show, so is happy with his ham and cheese sandwiches.
Date: May 01, 2021 08:25 pm Title: Chapter 17
O-o-o-oh Jim. Glad you're noticing your own reactions; hope you're capable of parsing them...
Author's Response: Thanks! Haha - I think it's fair to say this sort of triggers something in him, but he's not quite there yet...
Date: May 01, 2021 08:16 pm Title: Chapter 16
Another spot on chapter of character flaws.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! :)
Date: May 01, 2021 07:00 am Title: Chapter 15
I think Jim has a point here in terms of Karen always thinking that her motivations are legitimate and logical and that Jim's are not. But once again Jim is being reactive and not active in his own life, which is fairly true to Canon.
Author's Response: Thanks! And yeah, I don't think either of them come off brilliantly in this chapter - I didn't want to make Karen's frustration totally unfounded - but I think some of that is also just another sign that they're *terrible* together, and don't really have very much faith in each other.
Date: April 30, 2021 10:05 pm Title: Chapter 14
So Karen...has entirely regressed by the modern times of this fic.
I like how you made this happen in the flashbacks. It's really good storytelling. But it also highlights that Jim is way too passive about his own life.
I think both Jim and Karen are really in character here and it's impressive.
Date: April 30, 2021 10:05 pm Title: Chapter 14
So Karen...has entirely regressed by the modern times of this fic.
I like how you made this happen in the flashbacks. It's really good storytelling. But it also highlights that Jim is way too passive about his own life.
I think both Jim and Karen are really in character here and it's impressive.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much! And yep, Karen has - although in her defence, I think Jim has also regressed into giving her plenty of reasons to feel insecure and not actually doing anything about it. I'm really pleased you think they're in character here though, thank you: I was vaguely worried at points that I was making Jim a bit *too* passive in this, but it's sort of like an extended season 3 Jim that has lasted several years...
Date: April 30, 2021 10:00 pm Title: Chapter 13
Woah. That's...that's a bad day (also Pam probably has a lawsuit if PA isn't an at-will employment state, but it probably is).
Author's Response: Haha, thanks! Yeah, so I'm a bit woolly on US employment law I have to say (I'm pretty sure she would have had a case in the UK), so may have taken some liberties with that...
Date: April 30, 2021 09:52 pm Title: Chapter 12
Ok, this does a really good job of explaining some shit and does redeem Jim a bit for me from the earlier chapter. People are idiots around death. Good chapter, really good character work. Love it.
Author's Response: Thanks very much! I'm really glad to hear that haha - and yeah, I think it's the kind of thing you're never really equipped to deal with, but especially not in college/when things are already quite confusing. I'm hoping it does at least help make more sense of why they are the way they are in the present though!
Date: April 30, 2021 09:41 pm Title: Chapter 11
I like what you're doing, but I do need to quibble with this: "He can’t quite tell her without admitting what had happened with Ed’s list."
He could totally say "Ryan went behind my back to tell Ed I'm not committed to the company" without mentioning the list at all.
But yeah...all of this character development is very good. Nice chapter!
Author's Response: Thanks so much! That's great to hear, really glad you enjoyed the character development :) So I think you're totally right lol - in my head some of it was also just Jim being a bit irrational/not being sure how to deal with the whole Ryan situation. It's the type of thing he could tell her if he was just her friend...but is trickier when he's an interested party but can't quite admit that.
Date: April 30, 2021 09:32 pm Title: Chapter 10
I mean, I'm chill with this but very annoyed at Jim for not just being honest and going with this from here on out.
Author's Response: Haha, I think you've come back to this in a later review...but yeah, not entirely his fault. I'm not saying his handling of this is stellar though.
Date: April 30, 2021 09:24 pm Title: Chapter 9
Doubling down on disliking Ryan. And frankly, I get where Karen is coming from (this is totally reasonable) but also Jim needs to think things through before he's in Stamford with nothing he actually wants.
Author's Response: Ha, yes - I have to say that I really enjoyed the Jim/Ryan rivalry on the show, and how terrible Ryan was, so I sort of had that in mind here...it was fun to write! And yeah, I think Jim needing to think things through/get himself together probably summarises most of this fic lol. Thanks so much for reviewing!
Date: April 30, 2021 09:00 pm Title: Chapter 8
Well this was a lovely interlude from the angst; I mean not that there wasn't any angst but it was different. I really enjoy your version of them in college possibly because it reminds me of college students I know.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! Yeah, I did want to have a bit of a break from the angst haha, and show them actually having some fun...and I really enjoyed writing the college versions of them in this, so that is really great to hear on them reminding you of actual college students!
Date: April 30, 2021 08:50 pm Title: Chapter 7
So yeah I hate Ryan. Not your version of Ryan who actually seems pretty reasonable. But show Ryan and especially anytime someone pairs Pam with Ryan. So it's high praise that I did in fact finish this chapter and enjoy it.
Author's Response: Haha, that is high praise - thanks very much! Ryan is definitely one of those characters that I love to hate: I actually found him quite hard to write, as I feel like he does have some moments on the show where he's not totally awful (which is what I was going for here), but...his awful moments are also pretty funny.
Date: April 27, 2021 04:46 am Title: Epilogue
What a wonderful way to wrap this up - going back to the past with a reminder that it will be revisited 10 years out...but still with the bits of humor they share too...
I may or may not have finished my lit paper.”
“The guy from Jaws who shot the shark?”
then in the present the way it comes full circle and they talk about the one night from the past and then think another 10 years forward - seems like they'll get what they really want this time.
This was such a well written and entertaining story. Thank you for sharing it.
Bravo!
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked the Jaws line too haha. Thank you so much for taking the time to review this - I've really enjoyed reading your feedback, and I appreciate it so much :)
Date: April 26, 2021 03:59 am Title: Chapter 28
I've been reading through and didn't get a chance to stop and write a review until now.
Let me begin by going back a bit - yikes all that waiting until the right time so they could spare her feelings and then to have her find out that way - way to pile on the angst and make them both (Pam and Jim) look so much worse in fact quite the opposite they've been. I hate that Karen has so much venom for Pam - it was all their faults including her own...and that she doesn't take ownership in the follow up chapters during her rows with Jim and their more calm discussions shows she's gained nothing in perspective and will only be become like Jan (which I love how you make her become professionally - since it lines up to who she will be in her love life too).
Ha Michael here is a lot of fun in the exit interview and I love how Jim gets to stick it to Ryan before he leaves (although he may be doing him a favor - he and Kelly mfeo - and the bits about HR person nice nod - on and i like how it's Holly without ever saying it is
As for the Pam and Jim storyline - I'm glad you had her go - nice twist that it is Paris (since she is already in NY) but it makes the ending that much bigger of a "Jim Gesture". I wasn't expecting that but I did love it.(Are you a fan of SATC by chance).
Can't not mention the comic book - another canon bit that was nice to see tied in here.
Well done! A very entertaining story from start to finish...now onto the epiologue.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! And yeah, not great timing for Jim and Pam lol...I'd like to think that Karen will eventually gain some perspective, with time. But I have some sympathy for her for not immediately being in that place when she feels like she's been cheated on/played for a fool. I think I would probably be bitter for a quite a while too. But yes - she is definitely not blameless in this.
Glad you liked the exit interview, and the Ryan/Kelly and Michael/Holly! You're right though haha, might not end up being the worst punishment in the world for Ryan...
I've actually never seen SATC! But if there are big romantic gestures in Paris then I maybe need to get watching. I did want a Jim gesture at the end - especially as I felt like making Pam the 'Jim' character earlier in the story meant she was doing more of the work. Really glad you liked the comic book too!
PS my email tells me I've got a message from you on Discord, but I seem to have disabled my account (I'm not entirely sure how...) - but just to say: YES on the heavy breathing. I have much sympathy with Karen here. Drives me crazy. But I also don't think I'm the quietest sleeper. So.
1 [Report This]Date: April 22, 2021 07:10 pm Title: Chapter 6
I mean, it's kinda expected that Jim will end up with Karen here given his later connection with her. So that angst is earned. And I just assume they all have good fakes.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I think I did write this knowing I had several more chapters of angst planned, lol. And ok, that's good to know on the fakes (at this stage I'm pretty much basing my knowledge of this on Superbad. Which may not be entirely reliable). Thanks v much for reviewing!
Date: April 22, 2021 06:22 pm Title: Chapter 5
I think this is a fair version of Karen given the change that you made to the rest of canon. And frankly, she isn't a very good girlfriend here but I'm not sure she would have been a good girlfriend to Jim in the series even without Pam.
Author's Response: Thanks very much! That's good to hear - but yeah, I agree she might not have been an ideal girlfriend for Jim in the series regardless (just maybe not as awful as she is here, lol). Thanks so much for reading and taking the time to leave feedback!
1 [Report This]Date: April 22, 2021 06:14 pm Title: Chapter 4
Aaaaaaaah. I mean, college students are like this. It fits. But also...aaaaaah.
Author's Response: Haha, thanks very much! And yeah, I figured college Pam and Jim might be even more useless than adult Pam and Jim at this...
Date: April 22, 2021 04:35 pm Title: Chapter 23
Okay Lady - you have got me on a super twisty, loop-de-loop roller coaster with my feelings about and for Karen...and Pam and Jim.
Hate her, then feel bad for her, then really hate her then feel really bad for her, then feel like she's the biggest fool (even more than Michael who hard to do here)
in that she does not see Pam as a real threat and then feel like no she can't be that self important and think that high of herself she's just being manipulative - she knows her time with Jim is numbered so she'd playing the pity card and then no back again, she really doesn't have clue.
Anyway - want to scream at Pam and Jim both for being the caring nice people they are since it comes at their own cost (but hey this is so true of them - both spent 3 years not being with each other, her because of obligation to an outgrown relationship and him becasue of his respect for that relationship). Wish they would just rip off the Karen band aid - cause like Jim says - "there’s never really going to be a right time.”
Aside from all that angst between them - the whole bit with Michael so on the nose and entertaining. I especially like how Dwight says "“Oh no. That’s my nemesis.”
Speaking of Dwight - the stockroom scene with Monkey and the realization they (Pam and Jim) are about to witness something they DO NOT WANT To unless they make some noise. All fun stuff.
Hoping the "week" goes fast".
Author's Response:
Thank you so much!
And haha, so I think I have written Karen to be pretty awful here, but: a lot of this is not helped by Jim and Pam's long-standing inability to communicate how they feel. So I did sort of feel for Karen while I was writing it too. She doesn't help herself - but there's also an element of Pam not ever putting herself forward before this, which is part of why Karen's never seen her as a threat. And Jim has basically been lying to Karen (and himself) for years, however well-intentioned.
But yeah: I agree on there never being a right time to rip the band aid off!
I'm glad you enjoyed the Michael scenes hehe, I really enjoyed writing them. And I liked the idea of Dwight and Michael competing if they didn't actually work together. I also loved writing the stockroom scene, lol. I feel trying to have secret conversations in the stockroom does carry the risk of running into a Dwight/Angela hook-up...
Thanks so much for reviewing!
Date: April 13, 2021 04:27 am Title: Chapter 21
Another perfect twist - with Pam telling Jim about her crush but saying she was long over it.
Glad she called him out on Athleap but even more glad with how this chapter ends. Can't wait for the next one.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! So this scene is pretty much where I started with the idea for this fic: I wanted to sort of mix the scene from Something Borrowed where she admits to her crush from college, with a swapped Jim/Pam from The Secret. It just took me... many chapters, to get there. But I’m really glad you enjoyed it, thank you! And yes, I did feel like she needed to call him out on the Athleap lol. Get it together, Jim.
Thanks so very much for your feedback!