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Reviewer: tinydundie Signed [Report This]
Date: December 12, 2021 05:40 pm Title: Joe Biden's Birthday (November 20, 2008)

Oh, one more thing... David Wallace? A hardcore Republican? SAY IT AIN'T SO!

Author's Response: It pained me to write it, but real talk: 2008 David Wallace? Highly likely. And from an economic standpoint, it's probably in his best interest.

Reviewer: tinydundie Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: December 12, 2021 05:38 pm Title: Joe Biden's Birthday (November 20, 2008)

Okay. Many thoughts.

I haven't really had an opportunity (or desire) to think about these character's political affiliations but I'm upset and slightly disturbed by the very obvious fact now in my head that Angela and Dwight both certainly voted for Trump. Ick.

Pam not knowing what the VP does is actually a brilliant move because Pam is sort of all of us, I think? In the show? And you're right, most Americans don't know the answer.

Your Kelly headcanon is interesting, I don't buy it, but I still like it. (For the record it makes a lot of your Kelly notes for me make more sense, ha!)

A few days ago I'd have agreed with you that Meredith hasn't voted a day in her life but after seeing that "Justice For Caylee" sign in her van I think she's more tapped into current events than I've giver her credit for.

This was fun and I can tell you had fun with it!

Author's Response: I by contrast have put immense thought into the political histories of pretty much all of our principals. *shrugs* But yeah, Angela for sure. I like to think Dwight's love of order and rules and hierarchies would have made him a little more hesitant... this is not a guy for whom "The Deep State is against me!" is going to be a rallying cry.

And in Pam's defense, she does know! She's just not positive that she knows!

Oh, have I never shared my "Kelly is secretly playing everyone" headcanon with you? Because yeah, that definitely shapes my take on the character.

She may well be the "I don't vote, it only encourages them" kind of non-voter.

Thank you! And thanks for taking the time to review!

Reviewer: warrior4 Signed [Report This]
Date: December 11, 2021 11:11 pm Title: Joe Biden's Birthday (November 20, 2008)

So that was fun. I thought you walked what can be a fine line really well. I can easily see Michael getting big into the spirit of something like this. It's actually kind of working too. Jim and Stanley getting new clients. Michael may be out there, but he does have good salesman instincts. That it's Angela who calls Corporate to complain rings true for me. Same with her choice of favored politician.

Nice job with this one. Like I said, it was a lot of fun to envision.

Author's Response: You know, this sort of thing used to be the norm, a sort of cross-political spectrum pride in a hometown boy made good. That had probably passed already by 2008, but as Ryan puts it, Scranton's usually a little behind, maybe they were still catching up. And yeah, for all of Michael's shortcomings, he has a clear understanding of the spirit of his hometown in a way that corporate simply doesn't.

Oh, Angela. (It was a sad thought in writing this that if there's one relationship that's likely to have shattered over the past 5-6 years, it's almost certainly Oscar and Angela's over this sort of thing.)

Thank you very much! And thank you as always for taking the time to review, my friend.

Reviewer: Maxine Abbott Signed [Report This]
Date: December 11, 2021 06:31 pm Title: Joe Biden's Birthday (November 20, 2008)

So thinking about it now it's a bit of a surprise that Obama was mentioned on the show but Biden never was being he was from Scranton.
Glad you filled in what was left off the show.

As usual, this was very much in the spirit of what we would expect from you and from our Dm crew (except Wallace which I already mentioned) Angela and Dwight landed pretty much as I expected.

I was tickled up top with the Uncle Pam and will say that the thing I most appreciated was the bit and take on Kelly, especially since the real Mindy is both a genius and supposedly very much alike the character she plays.

Wallace is right though, not really smart business to alienate a whole party especially in the paper business.

Glad you added the footnote about Cornell since it seemed like at least someone of note would have come from there and while I didn't know RBG did, I do now.
And I still see people wearing straight outta shirts so I 100% buy it and it made me laugh too.

Author's Response: It is a little odd, right? I mean, I'm sure it would have been a thing if he had been at the top of the ticket while The Office was still on the air, but still. Might have been a little David Wallace-style action from NBC, too.

Again, I will tell anyone reading since I've already told you - it makes perfect economic sense for Wallace to follow this line and it hurt to write it.

I will always take any excuse I can think of to write SecretlyAGenius!Kelly

But they're not alienating a party! They're celebrating Scranton's favorite son! *sigh* These days are behind us now.

That was kind of a lucky find on my part... I was kind of expecting some president or other to have graduated Cornell. But RBG is pretty good.

I'm pretty sure at some point I saw a screenshot of Michael and Dwight from Lazy Scranton superimposed over a Straight Outta Scranton meme, so this is wildly meta.

Thanks as always for taking the time to read and review my friend!

Reviewer: MrsKHalpert Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: December 11, 2021 11:56 am Title: Joe Biden's Birthday (November 20, 2008)

Loving all of the chapters so far, with special shout outs for Grilled Cheese day (the ending made me smiles so much and Casino Night (so confused but then was wonderful). All the chapters are just so well written and feel so very canon like. The Creed talking head at the end of Joe Biden was PERFECT.

Can’t wait to see what’s next

Author's Response: Thank you so much! I have a special place in my heart for that Casino Night fic. And I am calling on someone, anyone, to write the movie of Creed and Joe Biden's wild night. Appreciate you taking the time to read and review.

Reviewer: WanderingWatchtower Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: September 25, 2021 10:20 pm Title: National IT Professionals Day (September 21)

As always, wonderfully amusing and so spot on in every aspect. All the little details sprinkled in are so true to the show! Well done. More, please. :)

Author's Response: Awwww thanks! There *may* be another chapter or two of this in November. Maybe. Maybe not. You never know with me.

Appreciate you taking the time to review!

Reviewer: grc73 Signed [Report This]
Date: September 22, 2021 10:16 pm Title: National IT Professionals Day (September 21)

I really liked the way you wrote this, very much in keeping with how that would have played out in a real episode. A joy to read!

Author's Response: Awww, thank you friend! I definitely wanted this to feel like canon-style humor, so I really appreciate that. Grateful to you for taking the time to read and review!

Reviewer: tinydundie Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: September 22, 2021 08:22 pm Title: National IT Professionals Day (September 21)

Okay this entire thing was delightful but Angela’s TH killed me 😂

* ANGELA:
Yes, Sadiq is a godless heathen who rejects the word of our Lord and Savior. (pause) But he’s also the only person in this company who seems to care what Kevin’s doing on the Internet. So… he can have a snack while he waits to answer to the Almighty for his apostasy.*

Great button. Well done.

Author's Response: Ugh, now I'm reading this and feeling like I should have ended it at "answered to the Almighty," but thank you. This was the exchange that made me want to finish this fic and get it out to the world, so I'm glad it struck a chord with folks!

Appreciate you taking the time to read and review.

Reviewer: Basscop69 Signed [Report This]
Date: September 22, 2021 03:15 am Title: National IT Professionals Day (September 21)

Hehe, I loved this!! I was also very, very excited to see an update. The idea of them all bonding with Sadiq and not Nick is very funny (and I fully buy that Dwight was lying about Sadiq - he made the cut for the BBQ! - and that Nick just rebounded/was still holding out hope in his last episode. He seems persistent). I love all of Sadiq’s little ins with each character - I think Dwight and Kelly’s were my favourite, the borscht and Kelly’s dating views are genius. Also Oscar’s ‘can you imagine’ stage direction is so spot on. And *obviously* he’s into reports on antimicrobial resistance. The way you’ve written Nick getting gradually more and more irritated (from ‘service with a smile!’ to ‘f these people’) is brilliant, and hilarious. This was so great!

Author's Response: Awww, thanks! (There *may* or may not be another update or two before the end of the year...)

I feel really bad for Nick! He seems like such a friendly guy, and he gets slapped down literally every time he tries to be part of the Office in canon... and it does come across as a sharp contrast with how neatly Sadiq is immediately integrated into the daily life of The Office in both of his appearances. I appreciate the faith that I haven't completely sent a middle finger to canon... I suppose he does seem like the kind of guy who would talk himself back into "oh, if I just keep trying maybe they'll start to like me" and stick with it right up until the end.

Knowing that Sadiq was into NPR, the Oscar exchange really wrote itself. And he didn't even get an "actually" in there, although I guess it was implied. (Kelly should've gone for it with Sadiq. *sigh*).

Really glad you enjoyed these... thanks for taking the time to review!

Reviewer: Maxine Abbott Signed [Report This]
Date: September 21, 2021 07:35 pm Title: National IT Professionals Day (September 21)

SO happy to see you active again and this was a lot of fun...and a perfect tribute to DG

Sadiq, as everyone's best friend is a perfect thing to set Nick off. Very in line with the Nick that goes off in the episode when Jim can't remember his name.

The borscht and the All Things Considered were my favorite bonding items but I felt Angela was very in character too (have to admit I was missing a Kevin bit so happy to get the little mention of what Kevin watches on his computer).

Now that you're getting back to it looking forward to more stuff from you?

Author's Response: In classic IT professional fashion, DG basically had to wrap his own gift here, making it even more perfect in its way! :D

Yeah, this was originally the product of a Season 6 rewatch, and noticing how much of an effort Nick consistently makes to be nice only to get slapped down every single time. Felt like there was potential for comedy there, especially given that Sadiq seemed to be integrated pretty neatly into the office the rare times he showed up.

Honestly, a lot of these bonding items really wrote themselves - glad you liked them! I feel like there was potential for Kevin, but also that he either would a) resent both of them or b) not have it in him to be quite as rude to Nick as the rest of the office does, so nothing really presented itself.

::Michael voice:: maaaaaaaaaaaaaybe

Reviewer: warrior4 Signed [Report This]
Date: September 21, 2021 06:25 pm Title: National IT Professionals Day (September 21)

So this was fun. Nick is just ignored, while Sadiq is basically a part of the everyday office. Kind of a fun juxtaposition there. I mean everyone loves Sadiq and he's equally at ease with all of them too. Great fun to explore that one. Nice work.

Author's Response: Yeah, the idea came to me originally during a Season 6 rewatch... I mean, they invite Sadiq to Jim's house party the day they meet him, and yet literally no one's learned poor friendly Nick's name. What's up with that, guys? And the Dunder Mifflin crew does seem to be the type to take an irrational dislike to people and bond together in the face of it. Glad you enjoyed this one, and thanks as always for taking the time to review!

Reviewer: Dernhelm Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: May 14, 2021 09:10 am Title: 05-05-05 (May 5, 2005)

I like this chapter even though it made me sad. There's something about the first season that almost completely disappeared in the following ones: this aura of stagnation and hopelessness, the grey days at a monotonous job with no growth and no future, and only sparks of human communication could brighten this gloom. I think you grasped this moment extraordinarily well.
And you're right, there are not so many stories about the summer of '05. So thank you for writing one!
P.S. I've already seen that the next one is about Casino Night, and I'm afraid I'm not ready for it now. But I'll definitely return/read/review this one too!

Author's Response: It really is too bad they lost some of that, because it feels like a sitcom where you're always supposed to return to the status quo at the end of the episode would be a great genre to explore that. I mean, it would have been a lot less funny, but a lot more real.

There may be another in me, who knows.

Okay. Just remember: it's canon compliant, and that's a point I'm going to make over the course of the story...

Thank you as always for reading and reviewing my friend!

Reviewer: Basscop69 Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: May 13, 2021 05:55 am Title: Casino Night (May 11-12, 2006)

Um, I nearly cried reading this. I needed the kitten picture. And the happy ending, which I'm so glad is how it does end!

This is such a perfect - and heartbreaking - look at post Casino Night Jim. I think the bit that really got me is: "He’s thought all this before, but there’s always been a butbutbut at the end." You've just written the desperation and the yearning so well (also with the 'she said me too's later) - and it really does feel like the end of the 'but's for him after this. Although him still being worried about how she's going to get home, and not wanting to hurt her with the trash, is very bittersweet.

I was thinking - sheesh, bit cocky Pam - when I first thought she'd come back: but re-reading knowing that she's saying this once she actually knows how much he loves her, and what he went through, is so lovely.

I love the idea of Pam just wanting to make him feel better about all of this (and there are so many nice touches with the torn veil, and the congratulations on the baby, and the mobile!) Also very in character that she sort of maybe believes she might have been able to time travel, lol. I think it makes total sense that she would feel like what happened after CN needed to happen, but Jim...wouldn't (feels like S3 Pam goes through a lot of positive character development whereas Jim, for all his chat about evolving, doesn't). But then he sort of did his in S2.

And I love, love the little look into their honeymoon at the end, and that final sentence.

This was really beautiful!

Author's Response: Awwwww. Well, I'm happy I included the kitten picture now. The happy ending I take no credit for, I wasn't even one of the fans writing angry letters to NBC.

I thought it was important to include those little moments of care for her - as a writer on here I admire once noted, a lot of his distance from her in the year after this feels like it comes from a place of effort, struggling with his natural inclination to be tender towards her, and I think that would have definitely held true here. I'm glad you think I found the right balance between that and still putting him in a place of feeling like he had gambled and lost once and for all.

Oh, yeah, Casino Night era Pam would never have had the guts, and frankly would not have been welcome or helped matters imo. I also think the Pam who's lived through Season 3 can say a lot of these things and really mean them in a way that might have been a little likelier to reach Jim.

I take no credit for a lot of the details of this, which pretty much came to me fully formed. But a lot of it emerged about my thinking about the kind of commentary Jim and Pam would have about the documentary (filed under fics I will probably never actually get around to writing), and I do think that Niagara-era Pam would have mainly just wanted to give Casino Night Jim a really big hug. And yeah, the lady who saw the Man in Black? She's not NOT kidding about time traveling.

I tend to think Pam is more right than Jim here... I also think this is very much about Pam needing that year to be worth something because she was the one who chose to take it. (Similarly, my view is very much shaped by the fundamental horror at the idea that they went through all that for nothing.)

There should be more honeymoon fic. This is my final verdict.

I'm really glad you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking time to read and review!

Reviewer: Maxine Abbott Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: May 13, 2021 04:36 am Title: Casino Night (May 11-12, 2006)

Let's start with the cover art - not sure if it's new or I just missed it the first time but it's brilliant- never have brown and black, barely-filled balloons looked so festive.

Now onto the story, which was also masterfully written. One man's garbage is another man's treasure and never has that been more demonstrated. And I'm very curious what does a cootie catcher look like.

This line - No more sacrificing for a relationship he’s the only one in. - hit me right there.

You had me for a second - I thought you were going divergent, fix-it but what you did was even better. The ghost-like Pam was so much more than a real one could be in this story. I absolutely loved the framework here and this part:

*She touches him. Takes the tips of his fingers between hers, and puts his hand on her belly. He feels…
“You’re pregnant.”
She nods.*...gave me goosebumps.

SO true they both needed their experiences and I caught the allusion (right word?) to the possible plot twist mentioned in OL or by Jenna - that they were only meant to help them to get to another relationship - which I'm so glad didn't happen.

*He’ll fall in love again, and he’ll be better at it because of Pam. More gentle, more giving. More grateful. He’s sure he knows a little more about being a partner… and how not to be one.* (this was... - just so...no words).

and this...*Maybe one day when his son goes through his first serious breakup – his son who will not have curly hair or a knack for sketching – he’ll tell him about the person he loved so he could love his mother, about getting your heart broken and how to let it heal. About the people you meet who aren’t your soulmate but help lead you to them, make sure you’re ready for them.* You've captured not only the Jenna paraphrase but the experience (put from the Dad's perspective) that inspired me to write Sleepless Nights (of course from the mom's).

*She felt something* and *She said me too, she said me too, she said me too.* - more goosebumps.

Jumping ahead that she would be fearful any shift would change the outcome - ARE YOU IN MY MIND - I have a mini obsession with time travel and yet whenever I think what I might do different if I were to go back I always think this- the risk of changing anything by altering the past.

But her taking credit for leaving him hope - not through time travel per se but the magic of the kiss - very Pam.

I think you could say I liked it.

Well done.

Author's Response: Not only is the cover art new, I actually had to learn a whole new skill to make it. I'm becoming a terrible graphic designer! I hope you're proud of me.

Ah, see, I went with cootie catcher because I thought the image was more vivid, but when I was a kid we called them fortune tellers: https://content.instructables.com/ORIG/F8C/AM3J/H0KL0ROR/F8CAM3JH0KL0ROR.jpg?auto=webp. Which... probably would have been a better fit for the story, come to think of it, but either way, definitely the sort of thing Pam would have casually made for Jim to get them through a meeting and Jim would've kept 5eva.

I tend to share this Pam's view that canon Pam was not even remotely ready on Casino Night itself to pull a move like this... but I think in the future she would have had a LOT of regrets about that. Mainly this emerged out of some broader ideas I've had about Pam and Jim retelling their story in later years and what they'd think about it then, and the idea of this conversation kind of emerged from that.

I'm glad you liked where the pregnancy reveal ended up, that definitely went through a bunch of versions.

You know, in a way, Jenna got her wish. We very much saw that kind of relationship in the Office... except it was between Pam and Roy.

I mean, he's definitely rationalizing a little here, and the how not to be one is 100% a shot at Roy. But yay!

I'm glad you enjoyed it, AND now this is an excuse to reread Sleepless Nights!

Ooof. Those lines were not fun to write, because I'm sure Jim was tripping over those moments for a verrrrrry long time, poor guy.

This seemed like a very Pam concern, right? Like you want to write the AU where they just get to Exit 17 a lot faster, but honestly, who the hell knows if they were ready for that? (Also, if you haven't William Tenn's story The Brooklyn Project, you reallllly should.)

Hey, Pam may well think she can time travel. She believes in ghosts, after all!

ANY HOW. I'm really glad you liked it!!! This one's been long in the works.

Reviewer: grc73 Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: May 12, 2021 09:13 pm Title: Casino Night (May 11-12, 2006)

Reading this at 5am because I woke up and couldn’t get back to sleep. Just blown away by it. This was just about the most perfect thing I’ve read on this site. Absolutely beautiful.

Author's Response: Ugh. I'm sorry you're not sleeping well, friend. But I'm really glad I was able to help see you through to the dawn. You are FAR too kind. Thank you.

Reviewer: lazyloris Signed [Report This]
Date: May 12, 2021 07:17 pm Title: Casino Night (May 11-12, 2006)

I'm fairly new to MTT so don't know the underrated classic but I did love that you incorporated this paraphrase from Jenna from the Office Ladies pod: "About the people you meet who aren’t your soulmate but help lead you to them, make sure you’re ready for them." I've always been fascinated by that idea from Jenna even though I'm glad the writers didn't hurt us like that :)

Author's Response: I'm gonna be honest with you, I write the end note well before the final draft, and in the posted version the allusion is so slight there's really no earthly way anyone should get it. (But you should read Borneo anyways!)

Yeah, you know... I think it's a sentiment that makes sense coming from someone who presumably thought she found the love of her life incorrectly once or twice, but it's definitely a scarring thing to hear in Pam Beesly's voice. Fascinating, produced some devastating fics, but yeah. I too am glad the writers' room didn't go for that. I think it might have been comforting to Jim at this moment of his life, though.

Reviewer: warrior4 Signed [Report This]
Date: May 12, 2021 05:28 pm Title: Casino Night (May 11-12, 2006)

Jumping right into the deep end of Casino Night. The idea that Jim showed back up at the office to clean out everything seems to track. He's hurt and wants to start running right away. The dream/wish of Pam though was a very unique take on the night. The vision of Pam Yet to Come was nice. He's not ready for that Pam yet. They still have a lot to go through before they're ready for each other, but it's nice to get a vision of that at least.

The end scene of them on their honeymoon made it all worthwhile. Pam thinking she somehow time travelled to vistit Jim of the Past was fun to read. However even more fun is they're now ready for each other and have found that after all the trials they've gone through. Feeling baby kicking was a nice addition too. Good job.

Author's Response: I've always assumed that's what he was doing when he found Pam in the first place, to be honest.

Yeah, this mainly started with the idea of "what would Pam down the line have wanted to say to Jim," and it all just sort of spiraled from there. I think you're right that he wasn't quite prepared for 2009 Pam yet, but I do think 2009 Pam would have hated to think of him going through this. And is striking to me that as much strife as they went through... they really *aren't* all that far away from what turned out to be their happy ending, chronologically.

The feeling the baby kicking was always where this ended... I mean, if you're going to tempt 2006 Jim with the hint of that happy ending, you've got to show it, right? The Pam thinking she has powers bit was a bit of a late addition... I had long forgotten Pam thinking she saw a ghost, and ever since I was reminded of it (I think by one of Dernhelm's?) I've been deeply bemused by the idea of that divide in their marriage.

Thank you! And thanks for taking the time to read and review!

Reviewer: Basscop69 Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: May 09, 2021 06:46 am Title: 05-05-05 (May 5, 2005)

I'm surprised there aren't more 05-05-05 fics out there, but - I think this might be the only one I need! This party is amazing, and just so very Michael. I also really enjoyed the glimpse into Jim without the cameras, and the sense that he's putting it on a little bit feels very in character: he does actually care a bit about his sales and can be civil to Dwight. It's a really nice touch.

And everyone's reaction to Michael's news about the documentary - Dwight's drumroll and Oscar and Angela's concern about the glass, Stanley's little comment, Toby's expression - is just perfect.

I love pretty much all of Jim and Pam's interactions in this, and the way you've written Jim's conflict and pining and his intentions with Katy, and Pam basically needing him to get through the day - but I think my favourite parts are - the 'not good' line after he falls for Pam a bit harder with her shoulder drop, and this bit: 'Jim doesn’t know what he can say. What’s going to reveal too much. What’s fair. What he’s objective about. What’s in her best interest, and what’s he’s only convinced himself is.' It just feels so true of so many of their interactions in seasons 1 and 2.

And then I loved the contrast between Pam's 'she likes knowing what's coming...she's not ready for that stop' and Jim's 'he can't got on like this...something has to change' - which pretty much sets you up for the entirety of season 2. So great!

(Also I recently went down a wikipedia rabbithole about orcas after I watched Blackfish, so...this is just deeply satisfying).

Author's Response: I will confess, I think Jim's sudden attention to sales is mostly because he doesn't want to talk to Pam, but I have always thought of Jim as someone whose behavior is among the more impacted by the cameras, and I'm definitely glad you enjoyed this look into Jim not having to perform.

I do love a good ensemble scene, and you've got to feel for Michael here, right? I mean... he's saving the branch! With comedy!

It doesn't get explored much because Roy is so comically awful, but I do think that would be on Jim's mind a lot... he's in a pretty awkward position as Pam's go-to guy and would-be suitor.

(Blackfish is a genuinely game-changing documentary which I *definitely* wanted to work in if not for the anachronism, so I'm glad this was well timed for you.)

Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to read and review.

Reviewer: warrior4 Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: May 07, 2021 05:29 pm Title: 05-05-05 (May 5, 2005)

Tiring or not, you did a great job with this one. You're right there's not a lot of Post-Hot Girl fic. You really did a great job of nailing their characters along with the feelings that would go into not only the party, but the end of and news of the return of the cameras.

Jim pining away and trying and failing to detach himself from Pam was so bittersweet. Clearly he knows he's using the relationship with Katy as a way to distract himself from Pam, and he knows it's not working.

Very good feeling of early season Pam. Locking into the same predictable patterns and holding onto those because she's not ready for big changes yet. So she stays at her job, stays with Roy, stays just friends with Jim. Really well done with this one.

Author's Response: Their relationship to the cameras is FASCINATING and it feels like there's a lot to be written about it... one of the better bits of Season 9 imo.

Yeah, this is clearly not the first time Jim has gotten to this point, and of course we know it's not going to be the last. He just feels obligated to try even knowing he won't succeed because he doesn't see another option. Poor guy. Not too long, Jim.

Pam at this juncture in the story is tough, and I'm glad you felt like I got the vibe right. I do think she's noticeably more interested in Jim in the first half of Season 2 than at the end of Season 1, and I wanted to put her in a place where she was maybe starting to make that transition... but it may need more development than this.

Glad you liked it! Thanks for taking the time to read and review! Hope the ice cream hangover wasn't too bad...

Reviewer: lazyloris Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: May 06, 2021 08:15 pm Title: 05-05-05 (May 5, 2005)

I heard Michael's voice perfectly in my head, you really captured him! And I agree, there should be more summer post-season 1 fics!

Author's Response: Yay! I'm glad to hear it! Michael is... challenging.

*Sigh* Maybe I'll write one.

Thank you taking the time to read and review!

Reviewer: Maxine Abbott Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: May 06, 2021 04:01 pm Title: 05-05-05 (May 5, 2005)

So discovering this story was like discovering the bonus gifts in the teapot because well I feel like it is a bonus chapter that brought a smile to my face.

You are BADASS 😎- to be able to do this on the fly like this.

My first favorite line came early on - Pam has been having trouble whittling down her list to just five different ways she’d like to murder him.

I caught the reference about helping Roy's cousin move...I love the attention to the little details. And how the cameras are gone for a it - but what really struck me was your addition of the big reveal that they were coming back - and I did appreciate the way you mixed in fees to play a part in saving the branch.

NOw of course all Pam and Jim stuff felt very true to the time/season/feeling going on at the time. Getting a deeper perspective on Jim's feeling regarding the Katy stuff is great to see too - not a lot about that I've seen.

The vending machine prank was one of my favorites so got a little giggle at that coming.

The ending seems about right too. He's becoming more self aware that his situation is not healthy - and that well you said it - something has to change.

Nice job on this one. Keep 'em coming.

Author's Response: Ha. This one was a little rushed, and I think it shows.

Unusually, I think I had more fun getting the Michael interactions right than I did with anything else here. I have a greater understanding of the Office writing staff now, writing Michael bugging Pam was hilarious.

One of the big things I wanted to do with this was get into their relationship with the cameras a little more. It comes off pretty heavy-handed, I think, but it *has* always struck me that Dunder Mifflin has to be getting *something* out of this to let these guys hang around the office-most-likely-to-cause-a-lawsuit for nine years, and fees that end up being counted as sales DOES explain why Scranton keeps surviving.

I feel like Katy is mainly treated, both by the show and by the fandom, as an obvious non-contender for Jim's heart... and I get why. I'm also always struck by how she literally asks him if he thinks they might get married one day seconds before they break up, and it has occurred to me that out of Pam's sight that might be a more functional relationship than in comes off in canon. Which makes Jim dumping her on his work cruise abruptly and with great cruelty about 50 times worse.

Canon Jim goes back and forth a lot about what he wants to do about Pam, doesn't he? I think he must be very aware his situation is untenable, but not how to fix it.

We'll see! This one took a lot out of me.

Reviewer: BlindManCassidy Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: April 28, 2021 08:17 pm Title: National Grilled Cheese Day (April 12, 2008)

Oh my goodness. I’ve read the last two chapters, so those are what I’ll be reviewing.

First of all - holy hell, my friend. You know how to write drawn-out heartbreak in a way that makes me experience it just as much as Jim. I didn’t even know that this was pre-S4 until I read Jim wanting to bet Pam to kiss him. “He could bet a kiss. He could bet a kiss, and right now, in this moment, he knows she’d let him kiss her. But that’s the problem. He doesn’t know. Anymore than he knew in the parking lot the night they swayed or on that goddamn boat.”

I mean - who comes up with that stuff? Who has the audacity to portray the battle between love and fear, between longing and hesitation? I can see this in my head so clearly. I can see Jim thinking of all of this in a few seconds while Pam stares at him, unknowingly thinking the same thing. And it hurts more to know that Jim does end up making the decision to confess his love for Pam and it doesn’t work out for him. It hurts knowing how hard it was for him to put his emotions on the line and be rejected twice.

The next chapter was a bit more cheerful for me. It’s sweet to see Jim as a horrible receptionist and Pam trying to make him feel more comfortable. And it’s comforting to know that, even in their early days, Jim was not alone in his recognition of the connection between himself and Pam.

Well done.

BlindManCassidy

Author's Response: I appreciate hearing that you felt like you were in Jim's head a bit... it was a hard place to access, and I'm glad you felt like I managed to drag you in there with him and feel a little bit of what he must have been going through. It makes for good story telling, but I always want to recognize what a painful and confusing time this must have been for him. I think it explains a lot of the often not-great decisions he ends up making down the line. Who'd want to be back here?

I definitely felt like there was a little more sweet to go with the bitter here. I think that was probably true of this moment in their relationship, too.

Thanks for taking the time to read and review! Really glad this worked for you.

Reviewer: BigTuna Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: April 27, 2021 09:07 pm Title: National Grilled Cheese Day (April 12, 2008)

Sir? You are so good? And I just wondered how you came across the absolute audacity to be that way? The parentheticals holy crap just break my heart into a hundred little pieces why don’t you? Those were so perfectly placed and really captured the back and forth and “well does she know?” and “no, she doesn’t” in a really beautiful way. Maybe some of the best Jim train of thought/inner monologue type writing I’ve seen.

Author's Response: I found my audacity between the couch cushions, actually. It's almost always the last place you look... honestly, I had given up and was trying to get at the remote. Sorry for the heartbreak, but I'm glad you thought I captured Jim's inner turmoil well! Poor guy. Things are going to get a lot worse for him before they get better. Thanks for taking the time to review!

Reviewer: Basscop69 Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: April 27, 2021 02:55 pm Title: Pretzel Day (April 26, 2005)

Hehe, I love the idea of Jim at reception so much. And slightly failing at reception. And playing solitaire (but also leaving the last card for Pam so that she can get her card sound, aww). I really liked the little hints of Jim noticing how effortlessly well she does her job, and that she could be capable of doing so much more. But not being able to say anything. And then the sketch in her desk! So beautiful. (Although also, seriously snoopy cameras). I also loved, loved Stanley actually smiling when he find the pretzels. Stanely does not get enough happy moments like that in the show - I actually just really like the whole concept of Jim and Pam going to those lengths to make it up to him. (I also lol'd at the Leo/Bob Vance aside). I'm not buying at all that this is easier to write just because it's in script format - this is just brilliant writing.

Author's Response: I think it's probably genuinely not as easy as a job as Pam makes it look, and I think he would love the experience of getting a little bit of a better sense of her. It was fun to have him in a different space and have him see Pam from that angle.

The cameras ARE snoopy. I buy that they would do this - really, not nearly as bad as hiding and filming them during their second Casino Night kiss - but you may have to take them doing it with Stanley in the room with a grain of salt. I suppose he might not have noticed with a pretzel to contend with.

There really isn't too much that makes Stanley happy, but he *does* love him some pretzels... and I do like to think of Jim and Pam as the kind of people who would *want* to make it up to the innocent victims of their pranks.

I sharply disagree. BUT I appreciate you saying so, and thanks for taking the time to review!

Reviewer: Basscop69 Signed 1 [Report This]
Date: April 27, 2021 02:37 pm Title: National Jelly Bean Day (April 22, 2006)

I really hope there are many more of these random holidays, because having TWO chapters of this to read is honestly very exciting. This one is such a perfect mix of heart-breaking and very sweet. I love the subtle hint that Penny knows about the jellybeans/JIm (and that Pam might know that she knows), and all of their dialogue in this - especially Pam trash-talking Jim - is brilliant. You've just got all of their mannerisms/interactions down so well. And then, oof, all the Jim pining for Pam and not ever being sure if she knows what she's doing for him or if she's giving him an opening (which I don't think she knows herself half the time) - it's so painfully well written. But I think my absolute favourite part is him panicking that he's not going to come up with something fun for her, and the acknowledgement that actually maybe it's not fair that he has to be that person 24/7, before he...does it anyway. It's not fair, but he does also do it to himself. I also thought the ending was a really good build-up for Casino Night. I loved all of this, basically!

Author's Response: There are actually kind of a lot... I have a sneaking suspicion I will run out of ideas before I run out of holidays. *ducks* But there will definitely be a few more coming down the line.

Oh, yes, Penny definitely knows about the jelly beans... and probably understands what they mean way more than Pam does at this point in their relationship.

The Pam-Jim dialogue was a lot of fun to write - they just delight each other so much!

I don't think she knows either... Pam is so hard to pin down in the second half of Season 2... which makes it all that much harder for Jim.

And I'm REALLY glad you saw the build-up towards Casino Night here! Thanks for taking the time to read and review!

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