1 [Report This]Date: May 08, 2021 09:00 am Title: Wait
Oh how I loved this chapter...from the way you addressed her dislike of the courses she was taking, the ones that pulled her away from him, to her expressing her disappointment at his delay in the proposal. I am so glad he explains he had planned to do it and Andy "schruted" it. I am pretty sure that revelation came out in canon even if we never did see it.
And the flashback was beautiful- making the rest-stop something more meaningful than just a rest stop at exit 17. Oh and you should add this story to the Exploding Soda Challenge.
The addition of this...
Sometimes the simplest, most ordinary things are the most beautiful.
to what we see of the proposal is just gorgeous as is that he has shared how he has had the ring a year.
This story has been a joy to read so thanks for sharing your vision.
Author's Response: Hi, I've been so bad at responding to these... I'm new to MTT, so what is the Exploding Soda Challenge? And thanks for your review!
Date: May 08, 2021 08:27 am Title: Wait
I'm always so impressed by the scenes you choose for the flashbacks and how you relate them so well to the present day. I had wondered if there was something a little more special about that rest stop besides the soda explosion, and I love how you made that moment and that location more meaningful for them before the proposal.
And then the last line was absolutely brilliant. Very true to Jim and Pam.
Date: May 03, 2021 06:24 pm Title: Plans
You know, Roy is absolutely the guy who doesn't ask for his longtime girlfriend's father's blessing after dating her for seven years, and not at all for "she's not her father's property and it's none of his business" reasons. I also like you working in the hints of the trouble in Pam's parents marriage ahead and Jim's subtle feelings about pride about being better than Roy.
You've got a really good sense of these characters - the bit about Jim feeling something of a pang about Pam chasing her dreams mostly related to himself seems very plausible and maybe like something they should have included.
The flashback is just lovely.
But the ending. Wow. She was drawing him the whole time, and she can finally acknowledge why! SO sweet. And this: “You were with Roy." “No. I was really with you.” That's just this really clear, gorgeous, clean way to summarize their first few years. It's a great line.
1 [Report This]Date: May 03, 2021 09:42 am Title: Plans
I should be working right now, or at the very least working on my own updates but instead I spent the morning reading all 7 chapters you've posted of this and it's been time absolutely well spent.
You're so good at this. I'm in love with the cozy world you've built for Jim and Pam. The flashbacks perfectly provide backstory as needed, and I'm always a sucker for seeing them outside of the office.
Okay, I didn't hate seeing them IN the office in that PDA chapter. Didn't mind that at all.
And that line you wrote a few chapters back? The one about him kissing her half a decade deep? That's going to ruin me for at least another 3 hours.
I really want to end this review with "this was great, babe" but I also don't want you to think I'm creepy. I promise I'm not - ask almost anyone here. But I am now a big fan of this story, so I can't wait to see what you have in store for us next chapter.
Author's Response: Thank you so much, your review made my day!
Date: May 03, 2021 09:19 am Title: Plans
As brilliant as you are with working in the angsty memories, I loved this fluffier flashback. (Boy, that's a good alliteration.) You still made things super real and beautiful with the ending scene. The line “No. I was really with you.” just stopped me in my tracks. You are really making me like Jim and Pam more with this story, and I was already obsessed with them.
Joining the discord is pretty easy: you just click on "my account" at the top of the site, and "join our discord" is the first link.
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I’m used to writing Mulder and Scully so angst is typically my jam. But Jim/Pam are really allowing me to explore that fluffier part of myself. And thanks for your comment on the “I was really with you” because that was my favorite part of this chapter. :)
Date: May 03, 2021 08:39 am Title: Plans
I really liked this one. Jim being nervous around William and Helene tracks for me. After everything they've gone through it would make sense there would be some hesitation from other members of their families. I really liked the conversation Jim and William had. Nice bit there where William says Jim is the first to ask for his blessing and other revelations.
A not-so-angsty flashback this time. Loved it. Nice way to put in that their relationship is growing and as such they should be talking about it.
Jim being 100% behind her about Pratt is just great. However her saying that despite everything she was his during S3 is just so sweet with just a touch of angst. Yes that was a hard time for them, but they're also opening up about it and talking about their true feelings. The image I have of that blue and pink drawing of them is also lovely.
Great work with this one.
Date: April 29, 2021 03:00 pm Title: Dwight
"Indulging Dwight all day long while simultaneously poking fun at him is, at this point, an odd form of foreplay for them." That is... spot on. Just nailing them there. I loved the Hays code reference, too.
The vibe here feels very them - half-silly and half-sexy and mainly real and also deeply romantic. I think you really caught the spirit of them well here.
The beds being literally bolted to the floor is funny enough, but Jim knowing Dwight well enough to make sure he has a wrench, just because he has a feeling, makes it art.
It adds a whole new element of comedy to canon that they're literally getting interrupted mid-foreplay every time Dwight and Mose are making a fuss, so thank you for that.
I really liked this versio nof Dwight in the flashback. He's a hard guy to write as a non-comic character in normal interactions, and I think you made it work.
The birds were a great joke and a great image to close on.
1 [Report This]Date: April 28, 2021 05:38 pm Title: Dwight
I love this fic and how you filled in the missing scenes from these two great eps! I loved the fluffy parts the most.
Author's Response: Thank you so much for reading!
1 [Report This]Date: April 28, 2021 11:40 am Title: Dwight
The playful banter at the start of this one was just so great. I'm with Jim, Pam in her pj's, especially those pj's, super cute and really sexy. Pam staring at Jim like he's a steak she's about to devour was delightful as well. The line that messing with Dwight is foreplay for them was just so perfect.
So there are really two things Jim's paid close attention to over the years. Anything and everything Pam, that goes without saying. And Dwight and what he gets up to. Thus the forsight of needing his own tools.
Flashing back to S3 this time. It's tough, but at the same time it's also kind of sweet. The Dwight/Pam friendship has always been one of those almost underated aspects of both of their characters. You really did well in portaying all of that.
As always your way of going just a bit beyond what we see in canon was great. It all fits perfectly with the scenes we're familiar with. Rather than taking anything away you just add depth that melds perfectly with what we know about them all. Fantastic work with that.
Author's Response: Thanks for the Pam/ Dwight comment especially, I love their dynamic and found it incredibly interesting and fun to write. :)
Date: April 28, 2021 11:37 am Title: Dwight
When I started reading this chapter, I immediately began to wonder what the flashback scene was going to be. I honestly wasn't sure, but I was very curious. And then when I got to it, I actually gasped out loud and immediately messaged a fellow MTT reader to rave about this chapter. (By the way, if you're on Discord, MTT has a server and you should join so that I can rave about you some more. Rapidly moving along so you don't think I'm a weirdo.) I know I say this every time, but the way you set up flashback with present day and fluff with angst is just insane. I'm in awe of every chapter, and this one was no exception.
Author's Response: I think I might have a discord account but I haven't used it in forever... but I'd love to go anywhere people are talking Pam and Jim. If you could direct me to how this works, I'd be much obliged. And thanks for continuing to keep up with the story, I really appreciate you taking the time!
Date: April 25, 2021 05:43 am Title: Date
Correction to previous review:
Couldn’t just drop an “I liked it”
1 [Report This]Date: April 25, 2021 05:40 am Title: Half
Lately I’ve had less time to really go in depth with my reviews (I do like to share the things I notice and love because that is what I love to see in reviews I get).
But this chapter I could just drop an “I liked it”.
This chapter really was so well done and hit all the notes it needed too.
First of all I’m a fan of the structure of this whole story. The way you tie together a current moment with a complementary flashback That framing deepens both the present and past narratives.
I usually will scoff at stories where Jim sees Pam and is in fully in love immediately just from seeing her face but you’ve given enough added reasons for him to be smitten that I buy it. Her line about him being the top hammermill salesperson seals that for me.
The scene with Phyllis is also a lot of fun. She’s hard to get at her character but I think you captured her essence.
And that last line was beautiful.
Thanks for sharing this wonderful story.
Author's Response: Thank you for taking the time to write this review, I really appreciate it! Glad you're enjoying the story!
1 [Report This]Date: April 24, 2021 04:16 am Title: Half
“and kisses her half a decade deep.” Fantastic line.
I’m really, really loving this and your writing. 42 donuts— I see you with that little XF reference. ;)
Author's Response: Thanks! Did you catch the 10:13 too? ;)
1 [Report This]Date: April 23, 2021 08:13 pm Title: Half
A bit more sweet than angst here. Expanding on their pizza date on the roof was a lot of fun. From what we see in canon it totally makes sense that a trip down memory lane to Jim's first day would come up. Same with the grilled cheese date.
Everything was going so great for Jim until Pam mentioned Roy. And then he comes in and just steamrolls over everything. Very much a vibe coming off Jim of "why are you still with that guy?" Seems Pam kinda gets that vibe and even acknowledges the truth of it a bit too. Great writing to bring that out.
However it's when we get back to the roof that the sweetness picks up again. They're back to the loving couple they are and any time Jim and Pam dance is a great scene.
Really well done with this as ususal.
1 [Report This]Date: April 23, 2021 06:48 pm Title: Half
You did well capturing the smitten-ness of them here, both in the early days of their friendship and the early days of their relationship. And the ending to this is just adorable.
This also is a strong Phyllis. You've got that weird combination of matron and sex kitten down. She is definitely someone who would call herself a cougar within five minutes of meeting Jim while also simultaneously encouraging his crush on an engaged woman.
"She seems to take his comment as sarcasm, which he finds interesting. She rolls her eyes and sighs. “Yeah, well… that’s Roy,” she says. “Sometimes it feels like he never really left high school, you know?” She then smiles, as if she finds this objectively unattractive trait somewhat endearing." - There's a LOT going on in this paragraph. It feels very telling about their relationship, both that she assumes that Jim doesn't like him and that she hasn't quite realized that *she* doesn't like him.
Also nice that you acknowledge that Jim must have felt a little emasculated through kind of a lot of this period.
Author's Response: Thanks so much... writing the secondary characters is difficult, so I'm glad Phyllis came across.
1 [Report This]Date: April 23, 2021 06:42 pm Title: Half
You leave me speechless with every update. Your seamless integration of fluff and angst is just phenomenal, as is the way you transitioned from your dialogue to the canon dialogue. It made my heart melt. And then you broke my heart with Jim’s first day. That was some real angst in the kitchen there. I legitimately wanted to cry.
Oh and then the last line: “kisses her half a decade deep.”
Fucking murder me. And then revive me so I can read more of your chapters.
Author's Response: Hahaha your comment killed me (in the best way), thank you!
1 [Report This]Date: April 21, 2021 08:13 pm Title: PDA
I love this game. This is very them, very much their humor now with the sex no longer having to remain just under the surface. The playfulness of it is perfect. And the connection with the scorekeeping in The Fight is a lovely use of flashbacks.
You've got Angela and Kevin's voices down here. Angela would discover new strange things to get upset about. (Also, thank you for having Jim drop the standard description of FNL.)
Funny, I also just read Maxine Abbott's latest, which ALSO gives a backstory to the kiss. I love it when that happens.
HE LITERALLY GOT UNDER THE DESK. You slay me.
The ending is deeply adorable.
1 [Report This]Date: April 20, 2021 06:53 pm Title: PDA
I was just wishing there were more fics with Jam sneaking around the office that summer! I love the balance of humor and fluff,thank you!
Author's Response: Thanks so much for reading!
Date: April 20, 2021 05:17 pm Title: PDA
This one was super cute. Loved that they were in the middle of a game there when they were outed to the office. Seems very sweet and absolutly something they would do. The flashback served as a nice counterpoint. Pam's right, there had been feelings on both of there parts for a long time before Casino Night.
The scene with Jim under her desk and Kevin and Oscar in front of her desk was positivly sinful. If there's one thing they can count on it's Micheal making a scene that's usually bigger than anything else going on.
Nice work.
1 [Report This]Date: April 20, 2021 04:31 pm Title: PDA
I don't know how you just get more and more amazing at this. I mean:
Receptionitis15> Thanks. Is this your idea of sexting?
JIM9334> No. This is me controlling myself.
I'M DYING OVER HERE.
Your Angela was also really good. The solitary "No." made me LOL.
1 [Report This]Date: April 17, 2021 01:15 pm Title: Dundie
I love the way you write this. How it's after they get together but we still get the flashbacks and emotions from the years before. So, so good.
Author's Response: Thanks! I wasn't sure if the format was working properly, I'm so glad you like it!
1 [Report This]Date: April 17, 2021 11:06 am Title: Dundie
You've done well identifying the simple joys of their relationship here, like Jim being able to look at her as much as he wants. And I always appreciate people acknowledging how invasive the camera crew is into their ordinary lives.
But what I really liked about this was the flashback to the 2004 Dundies! In a fandom with a lot of well-traveled ground, this is a relatively unexplored area - I can't actually recall anyone digging into it before. Kudos on finding new territory. And the details of it are good... I love Pam having consciously or subconsciously chosen his car to hide by, and the idea that this moment doesn't really go too far considering where their pre-canon relationship must be.
P.S. WHY 42 DOUGHNUTS? This will haunt me.
Author's Response: Hahaha WHO KNOWS? We'll never know the way Michael's brain works! And thank you so much for the kind words :) I love the idea Jim would always put her feelings first, even when his own heart is breaking.
1 [Report This]Date: April 17, 2021 10:45 am Title: Dundie
I love this. You’re putting lots of great detail in that fixes some of the things I was always sad and frustrated about. I love that they are having those conversations.
Author's Response: Thanks for reading!
1 [Report This]Date: April 17, 2021 10:42 am Title: Dundie
How do you do it? I mean seriously? How do you weave fluff and angst together this seemlessly? Opening with them getting out of bed together like that. Then to transition not to the Dundie night from canon but the year before that? I mean that was inspired! Wonderful to see that bit of their history come to life even if it was also a bit heartbreaking.
Then their quips to each other at the end? Just perfection. Bravo! This one was amazing.
Author's Response: It's funny, Jim and Pam are such a fluffy couple but their angst, when it pops up, is SO delicious. I really appreciate your compliment on the way I'm trying to do both throughout. Thank you so much!
1 [Report This]Date: April 17, 2021 10:09 am Title: Dundie
You're brilliant. Okay? It's important to me that you know that.
When I read the line "It hits him then that of all the cars in the parking lot, his is the one she’d sat down next to." I literally had to get up and walk around for a minute before I could keep reading. You set up the flashback *so* incredibly well, especially considering we only get a small taste of that night on the show. You are so insightful with the way you unpack Pam's thoughts about Roy and knowing that he would only care about his pride and his image, not about her. And then that simple, beautiful line at the end just hit me DEEP in the feels.
I need more chapters, please.
Author's Response: Oh, thank you so much! And more are coming!