1 [Report This]Date: April 27, 2021 04:12 pm Title: Chapter 15
Well done on moving house, glad it’s at least out of lockdown now!
Awesome (and pleasantly long) chapter, sets things up for some big revelations in the next instalment, I sense?
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! (And yes haha, I am blithely ignoring news on the Indian variant/possibility of a 3rd lockdown...)
There are some revelations in the next chapter 😃 thanks so much for reading and taking the time to review!
Date: April 23, 2021 06:21 pm Title: Chapter 14
I feel like I Don't have much to say about this chapter other than that I enjoyed it a lot. Feels like things are barreling towards a conclusion now and you did some good table-setting for it here. There's some VERY 60s stuff in here - the Californias swinging and how they intend to make use of it, Danny's "modern" attitude towards Pam "getting it out of her system" (although presumably he's also kind of using her as bait to distract Jim, which... I guess isn't any shadier than setting up her father for negligent homicide and holding her hand through the trial, but isn't exactly putting him on the road towards fiancee of the year, either). You did well creating the tension in the planning sequences and in Pam's conversation with Danny. Looking forward to seeing their scheme play out.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! And haha, that is very good to hear on the 60s stuff (I sort of occasionally forget that that's when I'm meant to have set it. Like, moving between plot points without mobile phones is very hard. I don't understand how people ever got places or met anyone on time without them). Bur I felt like Robert California + 60s had to = swinging. And let's just say Danny has identified what he thinks is a win-win-win situation here. But no, no fiancé of the year award for him. Thanks as ever for reviewing!
Date: April 23, 2021 06:03 pm Title: Chapter 13
The bookended scenes in bed in this chapter work really well, going from the awkwardness and intimacy and stillness of this moment at the beginning to the comfort of it at the end, the two of them able to admit their failings now that they've been through some things and have each other to confess to. Very well constructed.
You also did a great job throughout showing us the toughness of Pam. Jim's right, she really has proven to be the lead investigator here, in spite of all she had to lose.
I do enjoy Jam/Dwangela as a weird team, the peculiar honor of Dwight and the peculiar turn-ons of Angela. Lot of amusing stuff here, although I'm not sure I want to know exactly what Dwight and Angela were doing in the back of the truck.
Some deep cuts here - did not expect to see Devon in this story. And allow me to pause and do my "I was able to correctly interpret the foreshadowing" dance.
The dance sequences is very satisfying - does a good job of tying together the past they're nostalgic for and the longing they've maintained for each other over the years and the new possibilities ahead of them.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! Yeah, I'd decided I wanted the two bed scenes to start off with, and then...took a while to actually figure out what went in the middle and how they got there, lol. And I did want some tough Pam!
I do also really want a Jam/Dwangela team. I sort of wanted to find a way to incorporate the Angela/Dwight feet moment from the show into the back of the truck - but I wasn't sure logistically how Pam would only see their feet. Which maybe means I spent a bit too long thinking about it. But let's just say they were doing in the back of the truck whatever they were doing in that scene.
And haha, I think that is your second correctly interpreting the foreshadowing dance!
Thank you so much for reviewing :)
1 [Report This]Date: April 23, 2021 02:23 pm Title: Chapter 14
I've been terrible at reviewing, but know that I'm absolutely in love with this story! I know I have said it before, but the thread you weave and the picture you paint is phenomenal. Not only do you nail the essence of Jim and Pam, you have also created a story that would catch my attention even if they weren't the main characters. So much depth, great conflict, and the gradual release of these important details is so good. And I love the slow progression of Pam initially not trusting Jim to being the only thing she can actually lean on. It felt natural and perfect.
Never stop writing. That's what I'm trying to say.
Author's Response:
Ah, thank you so much!! That's incredibly kind of you to say - I'm really glad you're enjoying it :) That's also great to hear on Pam's relationship with Jim - I was actually finding it quite hard to write her not trusting him for very long, lol, so I was worried I might have shifted a bit too quickly...
Thanks so much for taking the time to leave such a lovely review - I really appreciate it!
Date: April 22, 2021 02:55 am Title: Chapter 14
Oh my, what a chapter! You painted the tension so very well, and I'm both anxious about the plan and can't wait to see how it's unfolded.
Also, I admire Pam here. She's so innocent (I love, love, love it about her!), and so, so brave. Please don't let anything bad happens to her!
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! I'm really glad you enjoyed it :) And don't worry - I feel Pam has already had her share of really bad things happening to her in this story...
Thank you so much for reviewing!
Date: April 20, 2021 09:39 pm Title: Chapter 14
I love how you describe in detail what Jim and Pam are thinking. You do it so well, it feels like getting in their heads. And yet, you have this great way of moving the story forward. It’s absolutely brilliant writing. You put attention to the minor details and, at the same time, the story is always in motion and never stifled.
Another fantastic chapter
Author's Response: Ah, thank you so much! That's so kind of you to say, and really lovely to read :) I think I have a tendency to get a bit carried away with their inner monologues sometimes lol, so that's really reassuring to hear on the story! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback: I'm so thrilled you're enjoying it.
Date: April 20, 2021 07:17 pm Title: Chapter 1
Looks like everything’s on track for a clear-cut ending. But I know your writing better than this. It won’t work out perfectly, will it?
I think it’s sweet that Pam is noticing all these tiny things about Jim as the day goes on, like how he kisses her differently and how he actually cares about her well-being, instead of trying to placate her like Danny. I can almost imagine how freeing it is to finally know that the person you love loves you back.
I’m glad that they’ve put out in the open how they feel about one another. Like Jim said in the wedding speech (cue tears), he would be willing to wait for her forever because he knew she would be his eventual wife.
As for Robert and their plan, it makes me sick to think that Danny would ‘swap’ wives with Pam, leaving her so uncomfortable that she won’t even go to dinner with him and his boss. It’s a good thing that Jim noticed how unhappy it made her and was repulsed, but it’s infuriating that Danny didn’t even think about it.
So I can say that I’m not looking forward to the awkwardness of the dinner, but I am pleased that Jim is so worried for her - I mean, that he cares for her that much that he needs to know for sure she’s okay with it. Pam in this chapter reminds me a lot of S3-S5 Pam (especially late S3) who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to take risks. Sweet Pam, I love her. And defiant, too. She’s proud of herself that she won’t let Danny poison her family any longer.
If what they’re suspecting to be true is actually true, then I hope Danny gets actual justice. I hope he’s torn apart in the newspaper and I hope Dwight writes it. I hope William Beesly gets some kind of closure and that the Beeslys aren’t strangers in their home anymore.
Hopeful,
BlindManCassidy
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! And haha, I can't guarantee that things will work out perfectly with their plan, but: I will say that after keeping Jim and Pam apart for so long in my other fic, I didn't want to do that here. So I'm not planning any more serious relationship curveballs or angst. (But maybe other curveballs....)
And yeah - part of that is, I wanted them to at least have more of their feelings for each other out in the open! And the wedding speech 😍
I can also promise the dinner will be awkward, lol. Late season 3 Pam is the best.
There will be *some* kind of justice. Eventually.
Thank you so much for reviewing!
Date: April 20, 2021 10:25 am Title: Chapter 14
Well that's a plan. Tying in one of Robert's more execessive aspects from canon and trying to use that against him seems reasonable to start with for sure. Hopefully it all goes according to plan.
Nice to see that Jim and Pam had a discussion about their feelings. How they told each other they're not going to change their mind. Really nice to see that.
Danny seem ominous here. Clearly he doesn't trust her and a smart guy like him would know there's something going on. I wonder if he's been forwarned by Gabe or Devon that people had been snooping around? Could make things not go quite according to plan.
Feels like the drama is all about to heat up that's for sure.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much! And yes lol - I recently saw that deleted scene with Robert, and I still find it a bit disturbing tbh. Although I think I generally just find Robert slightly disturbing. I will say that how ominous Danny is or isn't being is a bit clouded by the way Pam now sees him, knowing what she knows. But how much he knows will be revealed...
Thanks so much for reviewing! :)
Date: April 18, 2021 11:38 am Title: Chapter 13
I just swallowed all your three latest chapters (I regret I can't do that earlier), and I'm not able to express my feelings adequately. Wonderful writing (are you a professional writer? I bet you are!), and fantastic storytelling. I love how you weaved moments from the series into a completely different setting, and I love that every character here feels so, so real (I was crying reading this and previous chapters, the sweetness and nostalgia there were a little too much to me). Also, I enjoyed revealing what Danny was actually up to, and I wish him to be miserable (at least, miserable).
And there are so many great lines that hit right to the heart — I don't quote my favorite ones only because I have to fit here all three chapters. I'm grateful to you for writing this story and sharing it with us. I'm looking forward to the next chapter immensely!
Author's Response: Ah thank you so much, that's really kind of you to say! (And sadly not a professional writer haha, I find fanfic much easier than writing my own stories...) I'm really glad you enjoyed these chapters though :) I think I *possibly* went a bit overboard with Texas cliches/what I think Southern USA is like in my head - but it was a lot of fun to write. Especially in a JAM context. Thanks so much for your lovely review, I really appreciate it.
Date: April 17, 2021 10:22 pm Title: Chapter 13
Gah! You did it again. Brilliant writing. The emotions are so raw. I just love this story.
I’m already planning on rereading the whole story once it’s over. But I really don’t want it to be over. The story keeps getting better and better with each chapter.
Many, many jellybeans
Author's Response: Ah, thank you so much! That's so amazing to hear :) I'm really glad you're enjoying it, thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback - I really appreciate it!
Date: April 17, 2021 11:20 am Title: Chapter 1
All the hookups! Yes!!
So first off, we’ve learned that Pam no longer wants to wear the wedding ring. No doubt is she too embarrased and angry to be linked to Danny anymore, and Jim seems happy that she isn’t.
Then we find out that Angela and Dwight have slept together. I always loved their relationship because it’s so weird and complex and perfect; and Angela was clearly happier when she and Dwight were on good terms. I think this could have influenced Dwight’s claims to support Pam, and it’s a nice mention of Schrute Farms. Like I mentioned before, I’d be hell-bent on getting revenge if it was my house torn down, especially by my SO. I think it’s sweet of Dwight to be so completely loyal to this and be able to put himself in Pam’s place - and I think it’s adorable how proud of him Angela is.
We see Pam getting lost in the moment on the drive. She knows it’s not supposed to be fun, but she must be seeing how her life could be if she and Jim were married, like he says when they’re getting lemonade.
And then the bombshell is dropped, that the accident that killed people was not William’s fault. It was Robert California carrying through a plan to gain the land while creating a scapegoat out of Pam’s father, ruining his life.
But however heartbreaking this is, we finally see our Jim and Pam moment at the square dancing. JIM KISSES PAM!!! (Can’t do italics here, sorry!) I was terrified she was going to reject him, but she didn’t, and I can see why. She’s just aching with relief that someone cares about her - and, like she mentions later, Danny’s deceit on top of his constant dismissal of her gives her a good and final reason to end it with him and pursue who she really wants. I just hope she gets it. She deserves it, and so does he. So do Dwight and Angela.
I hope you're planning on tearing Danny and Robert apart, and I want to see Angela and Dwight participate. It’s time to destroy these bastards.
BlindManCassidt
Author's Response:
Haha, thank you! Yeah, I thought it was time for some hookups. And yes, same on Dwight and Angela! I also always enjoyed Dwight and Pam's brief stint into getting revenge on Frank the warehouse guy on the show, so I was thinking of that here...
I figured I'd done enough chapters of Pam rejecting Jim, lol. And I don't think she feels any loyalty to Danny any more, unlike she did with Roy on the show. I can confirm Dwight and Angela have destruction in mind...
Thanks so much for reviewing! :)
1 [Report This]Date: April 17, 2021 10:32 am Title: Chapter 13
"Was I drooling on you?" Okay, starting this whole chapter off with that piece of adorableness was amazing. As was the rest of this chapter. Them wakin gup in each others arms like that was a delight. big feelings last night that may have cooled to a low simmer in the morning, but are still there. And more fun bonding with each other while watching Angela and Dwight also get close.
There were some nice bits in there too with Dwight and Angela. Kind of feels like hints of the Dwight and Pam friendship from canon. I liked it. Also it seems like Jim is getting better at reigning Dwight in from the harder version of himself. Or maybe credit for that should go to Angela. Or both. Both is good.
Nice call back with bringing in Devon. Though what he reveals is very telling. And you say you can't create a believable shift corporate person. Robert and Danny cutting corners to create "accidents" and then stepping in to take care of things is a very devious plot. Though I get the feeling that things got a bit out of hand with the Beesly's, thus Danny proposed and took care of everything to distract Helene, Pam, and Penny from what was really going on. More and more reason to truly loathe those two.
Okay, now that that's all out of the way, lets talk about the real reason this chapter is so good. Jim saying Pam is his wife? Her internally swooning over it? Yes, very much yes. Talking by the creek with their feet in water? Beautiful. Eating greasy food as the sun goes down? Sign me up! Square dancing followed by swaying and fireworks? There are few things that could make the night get better.
Then they finally kiss! And there it is one of those things that make the night better. And they keep kissing. Though smart to put on the brakes before things get to far out of hand.
And even as all that wonderfulness is going on, they're finding the strength to be honest about their feelings for each other and the situation.
Master work with this chapter.
Author's Response:
Thank you so much! This was much nicer to write after chapters of angst haha, so I'm really glad you enjoyed it :) I thought it was about time for some more honesty. And kissing. And yes, lol, I think it's a combination of all three on reigning Dwight in!
I mean, I don't know if corporate people would actually go as far as staging accidents to get their hands on some oil...but lets pretend it's a credible winning business strategy. You may not be a million miles away with your theory on Danny.
Thanks so much for your feedback!
Date: April 16, 2021 04:24 pm Title: Chapter 12
I love Jim for actually kinda rooting for Danny not to be quite as dirty as he looks for Pam's sake. That's very Jim. As is him coming to grips with not having been there for her at these crucial moments.
Some really good casting here - Creed as the sketchy small-town bar owner is a given, but Meredith as the drunk angry townie is the role she was born to play in AUs. (And awwww. She stood up for Jim!)
I love the parallels with Jim and Pam here both realizing feelings that they've been pushing to the back of their minds and can't ignore anymore. Once again, this moment of realization about Danny feels like something that very much could have been about Roy, Pam not quite accepting how much of her unhappiness was about HIM and not just the situation they're in.
So they didn't want to drill near the house, then there was an explosion, and now they're drilling under the house. Hmmmm. Nothing suspicious there, DANNY.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much! I'm glad you enjoyed Creed and Meredith haha, I feel Meredith probably spent a lot of her time outside the office as a drunk angry townie too. And I do alway love Pam standing up for Jim. Yeah, I think that's really true about Roy! I think the blaming a situation instead of realising it's the person is one of those mistakes that's very easy to fall into.
I don't want the spoil the next chapter, but...these accidents happen all the time. (in my made up oil rigs that I have very little understanding of the mechanics of). Nothing suspicious at all.
Thanks so much for reviewing! :)
Date: April 13, 2021 06:34 pm Title: Chapter 12
This feels like the death knell for the Danny and Pam relationship and I am 100% here for it. He doesn't respect her, has no idea who she really is, only sees her as an object, blatantly lies to her face, and has had her childhood home torn down for nothing more than to make money. I'm really hoping the next time Pam sees Danny she tears that god-awful ring off her finger and throws it right in his smug face. But that's also coming from the heart of an irredeemable JAM shipper.
Interesting to see how the townsfolk still regard Pam. I'm not sure if you've told us how long its been since the explosion, but it seems there are still deep wounds.
Love that she's finally in a place to allow Jim to really comfort her like that. Feels like after exploring outside her cage for a bit she turned to look back at it and really saw how awful it was. It's a shock to be sure which explains how she reacts there at the motel.
Lots of shades of the pining for Pam Jim we remember from canon. Even after he moved away he never forgot her. He may have tried but she was always there in his mind. Now that they're really re-connected and discovering what they have it feels like he's going to try and hold onto that connection in a way he never did before in order to keep it strong. Also I love that he's just there for her. Not trying to diminish what she's feeling or trying to white knight her pain away. She's had enough of that. So he's just there for her. Wonderful image.
Should really be interesting to see what unfolds when they get back to the big city.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! And yes haha, I was intending this chapter to be a death knell of sorts, so really glad that came across. My thinking on the length of time between the accident was roughly 2-3 years - but yeah, I think this is one of those things where in a small town, with something so catastrophic, the consequences would be felt for a while.
Date: April 13, 2021 04:52 pm Title: Chapter 12
...
That was a lot of emotion. There wasn’t a terrible amount of action, but a lot of emotion.
I’ve gone back to work last week, which means seeing someone who I know I can’t have. So Jim reminiscing on his thoughts of Pam, even as he desperately tried to forget her, is something I can really relate to. Moving on is hard, and sometimes it takes forever, especially when you see people you know living the life you want (like Pete.)
And now we finally have some info on the big accident that killed Meredith’s husband and isolated the Beeslys. Being an outsider in your own home must suck, especially when you’re being held accountable for things you didn’t do. (Of course, Meredith has to flirt with Jim while she’s at it.)
And then we see what Danny has done.
Recently, I drove by my childhood home. The playground has been torn down and replaced with a shed; I built that playground with my father. I have memories in that playground that were lost with the destruction. I could not imagine losing the house in its entirety.
And to have my soon-to-be-spouse contribute to that destruction while lying to my face, scheming behind my back... The betrayal would be equivalent to literally being stabbed in the back.
You portrayed that raw emotion excellently here, just as you did in the college story when Pam’s mother died. Grief and betrayal are often accomplices; both are a loss of something that used to be. Pam’s vulnerability matched with Jim’s silent comfort is just perfect. He knows what she needs.
I must say, I’m a little nervous to see the two of them spooning in a hotel bedroom. I can only imagine what will follow.
BlindManCassidy
Author's Response: Thank you so much :) Ah, I’m really sorry to hear about that on going back to work: I can really empathise, that is definitely a double edged sword of being back in that environment. And about the playground too - I really would struggle with something like that.
1 [Report This]Date: April 13, 2021 08:09 am Title: Chapter 12
Ugh, I'm gonna kill Danny. I was right alongside Jim and half hoping that if they found anything, Danny wouldn't know about it. But he knows and has been so condescending and lying and I'm gonna kill him. But this did make Pam ask Jim to stay with her and honestly? Might be worth it. I can't wait to see what their next move is. I want them to just destroy Danny and everything he is.
Author's Response:
Haha, thanks so much! Yeah, I feel like I may have gone a *tad* canon divergent again with this awful version of Danny, but...it is fun to write. (And handy for getting Jim and Pam together). Thank you so much for reviewing, I’m really glad you’re enjoying it!
Date: April 13, 2021 05:33 am Title: Chapter 12
Basscop, are you a fellow Brit? This was fab BTW, finally they are alone together for a cuddle! And the truth is out about Danny! Loving it!
Author's Response:
Haha, I am! Hope you also got (/will soon get) the joy of huddling in a pub garden in a group of 6 at slight freezing temperatures 😁
And thanks so much! Yeah, I thought it was about time...thank you so much for reading and taking the time to leave a review, I really appreciate it!
Date: April 12, 2021 11:56 pm Title: Chapter 11
Wow. I am gripped. And every chapter seems to be getting more cliff-hangery. This is absolutely awesome.
Author's Response:
Ah, thank you so much!! That’s so amazing to hear - I’m really glad you’re enjoying it :)
Date: April 12, 2021 10:07 am Title: Chapter 11
She doesnt want to marry Danny. Thats basically all I got out of this chapter and really its all I need. But for real, this was such a fun chapter. I love that Jim and Dwight joined in on Pam and Angela’s mission. How much Jim is just trusting Pam with whatever she needs to do. Their moments in the truck just about killed me. They fell asleep together and held hands multiple times and she never moved. Dead. Also Gabe being the head of the farm Im dying. I absolutely cannot wait for them to sneak back in!
Author's Response: Haha - I mean, that's pretty much the crux of it...? Pretty much insert that for the whole story. But thank you so much, I'm really glad you enjoyed this one! And the Gabe lol: I was trying to work out who the worst character was that you'd want in charge of the Beesley's farm and...thank you, Gabe. Thanks so much for reviewing :)
Date: April 12, 2021 06:40 am Title: Chapter 11
Nice to finally get going on unconvering some of the mysteries of everything Robert and Danny are up to. Shift buisness types like them who are only out to turn a profit. Makes sense they'd want to keep things under wraps.
Love how the connection between Jim and Pam keeps growing. They're clearly getting more and more comfortable just being around each other. Revisting their old hometown with all the memories I'm sure is helping that along nicely.
Big development for Pam. At least finally admitting to herself she doesn't want to be with Danny anymore. I'm sure there's still a bit to go down that path, but it's a big development. Rather than just poking her head out of her old cage, she's taken some figurative and literal steps out of it. Seems like she's also discovering there's a much better world outside of it for her too.
Love that Jim is just on her side. I've got a feeling that he's still committed to not writing the article he had planned. That is unless a certian someone tells him he should. Great job as usual.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much! And yeah, I slightly realised in writing this that I'm maybe not cunning enough to come up with a super sneaky/elaborate plot from Robert and Danny that's also vaguely believable...so I think a future as a shifty business type may not be in the cards for me, lol. But I'm hoping there is at least enough mystery to keep it interesting!
And Pam is getting there on the cage, haha. You may be right on your hunch about Jim and his article...
Thanks so much for reviewing :)
Date: April 11, 2021 08:44 pm Title: Chapter 1
Soo... I went on a bit of a hiatus and missed two chapters of this story. It’s currently 10:36 and I’m exhausted, so this review will be more general and cover both chapters 10 and 11.
I’m glad we finally got to understand what happened with Dwight. He’s always been a little weird in terms of confidence, especially when it comes to Jim, who is constantly undermining him. In a way, I can understand why he got so upset. This is such a big story.
It’s good to see him and Angela bonding well, and it was adorable how flustered he got when Jim brought her up( super adorable that both men are falling HARD for the women they were supposed to be seducing) and when he tried to compliment her when he was with Pam. The subtle awkwardness suits him and Angela.
And we’re finally seeing a mutual - affection, I guess?- being acknowledged between Jim and Pam. Even if they can’t act on it, it’s good to know that they do care about each other in a special way. This was especially prevalent when Pam recognized his fear of heights (and oh my GOD, when he reached for her because he thought she was falling) and got both of them down without him having to admit it and THEN managed to cheer him up afterwards.
There were just so many scenes of them comforting each other that it gave me hope for their future. Pam literally said (thought) that she didn’t want to marry Danny, and she almost told Jim. Jesus, I’ve never felt so awful for a character. How terrible it must be to just feel stuck, to never have someone on your side, and the one person who is on your side can’t be with you. Jenna Fischer said this about the scene in Boys and Girls where Pam and Jim get into their first fight, and it rings so true here. It just pierced this stone heart.
I am ready for these two to get together. And I am ready for the Californias to be torn apart, and I am ready for Pam to destroy her engagement to Danny.
BlindManCassidy
Author's Response:
Haha oh no I'm sorry, thanks so much for taking the time to leave feedback anyway though! :D
And yeah, I am a big Dwight and Angela fan, so I'm really gad you enjoyed that - and that was my initial plan when I first started writing this lol, that Dwight and Jim would go in with the idea of seducing them and...end up getting seduced, basically.
Yes! That Boys and Girls scene and what she said is just heart-breaking. I just think that would be so awful.
And ha, things might be getting torn apart by Jim and Pam very soon...
Thanks so much for reviewing :)
Date: April 11, 2021 07:22 am Title: Chapter 11
I love the rental shop dialogue. Very easy to hear all their voices there, and I appreciate you acknowledging the pretty heavy burdens Pam and Angela might have faced as women investigators at this particular moment.
Anna Karenina *does* do a lot of almost fainting, doesn't she? But regardless: I liked their subtle physical reactions to each other here. I do think that sort of hyper-awareness of each other works for this story and at this juncture in their relationship. Their dynamic here is great - they're saying a lot without saying much, and they're able to pick up each other's signals in a way that makes sense with two people who used to be so close. AND you worked in her falling asleep on his shoulder!
The Dwangela here is deeply entertaining as always.
I think the idea of Danny not being on her side is important, in particular because it establishes that even if Danny isn't up to something nefarious, he's still just... not the partner Pam wants, and he's never going to be.
Author's Response:
Thank you! I really enjoyed writing the rental shop dialogue, I feel like we need more Dwangela + Jam scenes in general.
(And I mean, she really does?! Don't even get me started on what happens every time she gets on a train in that book). I'm really glad you think their physical reactions worked here though - them being able to pick up each other's signals on the show is something I always love.
And yes, I sort of wanted some nefarious hijinks in the plot, but I also didn't want that to be the only reason she picked Jim...I wanted it to be a genuine partnership.
Thanks so much, as ever, for your review! :)
Date: April 10, 2021 08:42 pm Title: Chapter 10
I love the way they're looking out for each other here - noticing each other's discomfort, stepping up to protect each other and doing it in a way that Angela and Dwight and Frank won't notice. Lovely. The shower scene was adorable.
You're just a really good writer. You really effectively made us feel the physical dynamic and the undercurrent between them in this escape from their routines and their usual place in the world. Really well done.
Author's Response:
Ah, thank you so much! That is really kind of you to say, I’m really pleased you enjoyed it :) Tbh I was worried it was starting to read as a bit much with all the flushing and Pam getting hot and dizzy (I recently tried to make my way through Anna Karenina and couldn’t with the amount of times she fainted from being overcome with the heat and/or desire, so that may have crept across…) But I’m relieved to hear it was ok here!
Date: April 10, 2021 08:23 pm Title: Chapter 9
Not just a Karen cameo, but an Andy sighting! Wonderful.
Again, I love the way you're playing with the Pam dynamic with her fiancee with the ring - she's got a set of anxieties built up about it that are the total reverse of how (at least I imagine) she would have felt about her chintzy ring from Roy.
After your last adventure with Karen, I'm glad to see you've made her such a supportive figure for Pam this time around. I love the story of how she meets her Dan... and how she recontextualizes Danny's manipulations of Pam in a way that she can maybe start to recognize them as about something other than her inadequacies.
You did a good job in this chapter filling out the connection between them - the way Pam has never really replaced it, hasn't found a new confidante, and the way Jim still feels obliged to put his faith in her.
"Almost. But not quite. Because they’re grown up now, and what if this is earth-shattering for her? Because talking to Jim about any doubts that she might have about Danny feels both like betraying her fiancĂ©, and like - well, there’s just something terrifying about it. Like if she tells Jim, he’ll know, and then it will be real." In addition to being a wonderful paragraph, this also feels a lot like something Pam would've had on her mind between Booze Cruise and Casino Night.
I have a growing sense Danny knows, either instinctively or through subtle inquiries to Mama Beesly, about the dynamic between the two of them. Also, look, I'm not saying Danny caused The Accident. But Danny caused The Accident.
Author's Response:
Thanks so much! And yes haha, Andy in small doses I can handle. I’m really glad you like the ring/reversal with Roy stuff, I agree it’s a different sort of dread to what she would have felt with Roy’s ring. I was interested in the idea of her getting on the surface everything she might want, but it still not being right because it’s still not the right person.
I did feel like I owed Karen more after dragging her through mud in my last fic, lol. Including giving her happiness here, although I then realised her husband in canon had the same name, so…I’m glad you enjoyed that!
And yes! on the Booze Cruise and Casino Night: I think it’s that, she can’t pretend with Jim and that’s slightly terrifying thing.
Danny is very good at reading people. And ha - I can neither confirm nor deny on his involvement in The Accident…
Thank you so much as ever for your feedback, it’s really appreciated and I always love reading it :)
Date: April 10, 2021 10:47 am Title: Chapter 10
I... I don't know if there's something sweeter than Jam taking care of each other. That's so tender and sincere, and I'm just melting into a puddle.
(Also, that was hot. I don't feel much comfortable around mature content, but... wow. Very much wow.)
And your writing is fantastic, and I want to tell you about that over and over again :)
P.S. Have no idea about these rig things, but I'm scared of height so very much... can relate to poor Jim here.
Author's Response: Ah, thank you so much! That's really kind :) I have a big soft spot for Jam taking care of each other. And haha, I'm definitely not great at the mature content, so am in two minds about how far to try to take it in this fic...but I'm really glad you liked this bit here. Thanks so much for your lovely feedback, I really appreciate it!