1 [Report This]Date: January 17, 2021 03:24 am Title: willow
The cover art is hauntingly beautiful as is the writing.
Author's Response: Thank you! (for both ;) )
1 [Report This]Date: January 16, 2021 01:41 am Title: willow
I'm not going to ask you how you are so genius.
I'm not going to tell you how much I love your style — I hope you've already known that (but I do, I love it so much!)
I'm not going to describe all the feelings that flooded me while I was reading (but that's only because I'm not sure I have enough words to embody them).
I'd like to quote my favorite lines, but there are so many of them that I need a separate comment for it. A chapter-size comment.
I have a question, though. That picture Pam was talking about in Paris — is it a real piece of art? Your description of it fascinated me, and I'd like to see it!
Thank you so much for your story in a fantastic AU!
Author's Response: As always, thank you so very much Dernhelm! Your reviews are always so fantastic. So, the painting. I wanted it to be an actual painting. I even thumbed through some of my Louvre books I got when I was there in February but nothing quite fit what I wanted to convey. So, all this to say, no, it doesn't actually exist. I wanted to hint at my other evermore chapter coming up (because I'm weird like that, and like to tie things together) and touch on some of her insecurities as well, so I just made up a narrative analysis. Some of the the paintings in the Louvre are as large as a house though! ;) Thank you again, lady!
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 11:27 pm Title: willow
I...you...I mean...
You have an extreme talent, lady. The way you are able to string together words and paint this beautiful picture is incredible. I tried, and I’m not just saying this, to pick out a few lines I loved but I honestly loved every one of them. Your writing makes it so easy to envision everything perfectly, but you do it in a way that gives it such a life and soul of its own and basically I’m in awe and never ever stop writing. Ever.
Thank you for this! Really truly, it was phenomenal.
Author's Response: Oh WW, you are always so wonderful in your reviews, thank you! Your words are so encouraging and I absolutely covet them. :)
Date: January 15, 2021 09:09 pm Title: willow
Oh and just as I was softening to Karen via HMOH you send her in to crash this party. Well played. The emotions you made me feel from her showing up even though we all knew he was done with her and would never allow her to get in between them.
Like of the same way watching a movie based on real life events. You may know the ending but it still has you on the edge of your seat. That's a talent to being able to do that.
Author's Response: Well, DC's Karen is a work of art, so I can understand that inclination. ;) I'm so glad that scene played out the way I wanted it to, thank you!
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 08:58 pm Title: willow
I'm speechless. This was gorgeous.
Through your words I can visualize the beauty of Paris, the passion of their lovemaking, the playfulness of their friendship.
The visual of her in his shirt, the Braille floor number on her back. Home had a new meaning (My first dance as a new bride was to "you're my home" so this whole para tickled me.
You write with so much eloquence and heart. And you took a line that caused so much heartbreak, turned it on its head and put a beautiful coda on this piece.
Bravo.
Author's Response: Thank you so much, Max! I really love that you pick up on all these little details I try to incorporate. Your words are so wonderful and kind, thank you. :)
Date: January 15, 2021 08:12 pm Title: willow
(Also, there needs to be a third chapter of this with a Roy confrontation. Or at least a oneshot.)
Author's Response: You never know when we will see London Jim again. ;)
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 08:11 pm Title: willow
I remember thinking the Paris date was a great note to end the first half of this on. I was wrong. I really needed to see the Paris date, because he’s actually taking her to Paris for their fourth date! Pam is 100% the sort of person who grew up dreaming of Paris. Well spotted, Jim.
Jim getting pulled down the path of least resistance and it proving destructive is very him and feels like something more fanfic should explore. Go-along-to-get-along, drifting Jim could have easily made some pretty terrible decisions, especially in concert with a similarly path of least resistance Pam. (And it’s good to set it up here in this innocent moment so we’ll have it in mind when… later things happened.
There were SO many great lines in this and in the Paris section in particular. “It all sung to her in the language of her soul. She looked over at him to find him already looking at her, and she knew he heard that song too.” “the city around them sighed in relief at another love story reaching its natural end.” His whole inner monologue at the museum, Jim’s inarticulateness and inability to express the soaring wonder within him. SO well written. I will not copy-paste them all, because you wrote them and don’t need to read them again. But you are a poet.
Wow. Power move from Karen here. Bold. This is a woman who gets what she wants. You can immediately understand how her relationship with a go-along-to-get-along type of charming guy might have worked, and why it ultimately might have failed. In what could potentially be a really awful moment for her, I still feel like she’s being a little manipulative. It’s an efficient sketch of her in not very many words.
Jim being cordial to get on the universe’s good side was a good note and a nice light moment in the midst of some heaviness. That seemed like a really bad situation in the making. I’m glad Jim had the good sense to break out of it.
AND TO WRAP IT UP WITH A PROPOSAL. You are a beautiful starfish.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much, DJC! I always enjoy your reviews so much. I was looking forward to revisiting London Jim for this and I love Paris so very much. It is absolutely one of my most favorite places in the world so it was terribly easy to write about.
And being a beautiful starfish...I'll take that. ;)
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 08:09 pm Title: willow
Pardon me while I go burn my laptop to the ground. Bored, the way you write is just gorgeous. As if I needed another reason to love you more, you give us this and just like how Pam could never repay Jim for taking her to Paris, I could never repay you for giving us this masterpiece. You did have me honestly scared, though, when Karen showed up and Pam left. But it was so worth it for Jim's speech at the end. Ugh. I loved every second of this.
Author's Response: Please don't do that, we need your lovely stories too! ;) Thank you so much, Aly! You are always so wonderfully supportive and it means so much.
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 07:25 pm Title: willow
Oh that cliffhanger was brilliant. Bored, your writing never ceases to amaze me. I get so wrapped up in your words and how they flow that time just feels different. You have one heck of a gift.
Author's Response: Haha well, you never know when we might see London Jim again. ;) Thank you so much for your lovely words, Beth, they are always so encouraging!
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 06:50 pm Title: willow
Ok, now that I've calmed down a bit, I'll try and formulate a response to this, this masterpiece of fic.
Love that we get another look into this world. Jim and Pam are doing great together and I love that. Nice that they have some discussions about clearing up the past too. Get all that out of the way so they can move on together.
Their weekend in Paris was just amazing. I'd try to pick out my favorite part about it, but it was all great. Their travels around the city. Walking through the Louvre. Falling more deeply in love in bed. *chef's kiss* Mangnufiquie (the spelling is horribly wrong there I'm sure)
Jim distancing himself from Danny is another thing I liked. He didn't like who he was or was becoming with Danny so it makes sense he breaks away from that. Danny still wants his wingman and Pam is wise to be on her guard. Nice way to add in that bit of tension only to mask what's really coming.
Karen just shows up! Oh holy crap. Jim all but begging Pam to stay is so great. He clearly knows where his heart lies now and its with Pam. His armor stays up there with Karen in the apartment too. Sorry Karen but that ship has sailed. I don't blame him at all for being abrupt with her.
Jim running away from the apartment to find Pam. Could there be a better way to say 100% who he wants to be with? I doubt it and I love it.
Then those last sentences. YES! All the yes. Perfect ending for a great adventrue. Thank you so much for writing it.
Author's Response: Thank you so much Warrior! I was really excited to come back to London Jim and Paris is one of my most favorite places in the world so I loved pulling that into this story. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 06:41 pm Title: willow
I don’t know how to review this because nothing I say can measure up to the brilliance that this was. Honestly. The weaving in of lyrics and canon moments and the imagery and the literally everything in this. I am consistently in awe of you and your talent and I too feel lucky that my existence in this place and time collided with yours.
Author's Response: Oh BT, I just adore you. That is all.
1 [Report This]Date: January 15, 2021 06:31 pm Title: willow
I was in love before the end of the 3rd paragraph. I love the visuals of Paris. I love the love scenes. I love the angst of Karen and how Jim feels an ancient pull to her (but of course doesn't follow it). I love the callbacks to canon. Just beautiful. What a start!
Author's Response: Thank you so much, Sprinkles! I love Paris so it was extremely easy to write about. ;)