Just a guy with Jim and Pam on the brain, trying to get the song out of his head by singing it.
An AU inspired by Couples Retreat (feat. Jam on a tropical island, under Michael’s expert relationship guidance).
Okay, I will read this in the morning, but HOLY CRUD YOU'RE BACK. YAAYYYY.
Author's Response:
Hello! Thanks haha, I am really glad to be back. Also hoping I’ve not forgotten how to write. Hope you’re well!
OKAY, finally getting a chance to dig into this. Sorry to hear life got away from you, but again: I'm glad to see this back, and please don't ever leave us again.
I don't know what I love more about this opening sequence: Andy's songs or Oscar's musings on Michael getting scammed on knock-off brands.
"Kelly’s dramatic removal of her wedding ring. Twice." Never change, Kelly. Although on a darker note, between her and Ryan's exchange with Mark... I reread the early chapters to catch myself back up, and I'm struck by how often in this fic these folks have through miscommunication or intention ended up interfering in each other's relationships for the worse. Color me nervous about this Eden trip. (Flip side - it's nice to see Jim and Mark getting some tough love from someone they might conceivably listen to.)
"Mark raised a brow over the pina colada he’d been nursing for the past hour. The pina colada that Jim didn’t think he’d taken a single sip of. Like he’d given up on even that." Oooof. Humbly requesting a happy ending for Misabel too please.
The contrast between him finding her in the snowdrift and not being able to Find her on the island is a gut-punch.
Michael rediscovering his American side is great fun.
AHHHH. CHARLES MINER ALERT. Well. Glad I don't have to wait for the next chapter.
Author's Response: Haha, thanks very much! I feel I'm always at risk of getting slightly carried away with Andy's songs/Oscar's musings, so really glad you enjoyed them here. And sorry for all the Misabel angst. Also ngl, my tendency to forget that Michael is pretending to be French in this probably chimes well with Michael's own ability to remember...so part of me is looking forward to him fully rediscovering his American side :D Thanks so much for the review!
As MTT's resident Misabel shipper, you've done some really good work here drawing out why the conflict between them is so difficult to resolve... their relationship just isn't built around that kind of communication, and what they want out of each other isn't necessarily something they're prepared to deliver themselves. You've also done well making it clear there's something worth fighting for. Their courtship story is delightful.
"If she breaks her heart herself, she thinks dizzily as he looks her up and down, does that mean no one else can break it?" Um. Ow?
"It’s not clear what happened to Ryan, but Jim doesn’t care too much about that." I've missed your take on Ryan.
Oh, Michael. He's so charmingly buffoonish. (And the incongruity of Toby running a successful and wild-ish singles resort is used to good effect here. The air quality regulations being the last straw for him is perfect.)
Given my observation on the last chapter, nice to see them also very explicitly pushing their fellow couples in the right direction here as well.
The hi/hey at the end!!! Feels like a real breakthrough in progress for Jam...
Author's Response: Thanks so much! And haha as MTT's resident Misabel shipper, I think not doing them justice/ruining your ship was one of my worries, so that is a relief to hear! They are really fun to write, angst aside. I have to admit I can't take loads of credit for the whole other people in the resort initially driving the couples apart and then helping push them in the right direction, as that is the basic premise of the movie (I think), but really glad you think it works here. And yeah, the hi/hey is I think maybe one of my favourite moments from the show so I feel like I stick it in wherever I can lol. Thanks very much as ever for your review! :)
The Jim/Pam fake first meeting banter... I mean, I can *hear* that so clearly in their voices. And also see Toby accepting his inevitable fate in the background. And this waterfall scene... you've been very much missed.
THAT'S RIGHT ISABEL. PAST ISABEL HAD IT ALL FIGURED OUT. GO GET YOUR HAPPY ENDING. This is a very sweet reunion for them, and one that really feels earned.
The Michael/Holly hook-up does well with their mixture of ridiculousness and real emotion. "But I thought…I thought you only wanted to be friends.” “No, no, I want to have sex!” Amazing.
"I realized that I’ve spent months not listening to what I actually need. I’ve been holding onto this idea of what I think it should be, instead of paying attention to what it is." The Isabel-Angela semi-heart-to-heart I didn't know I needed.
Even Oscar and Toby get their happy endings! EEEEEP.
Author's Response: Ah, thanks very much! And poor Toby lol. I did want to give him some kind of happy ending after that. Haha, I'm really pleased you enjoyed the Misabel reunion (it turns out it is actually harder to write angst for characters that should have everything figured out). I feel like I always wanted an Isabel-Angela heart-to-heart on the show - or at least some kind of bonding over Dwight / acknowledgement that they must have something in common if they both find him attractive - but alas. So this was mainly satisfying for me. Thank you so much as ever for your review!
1 It is a little odd that they bring up Pete having a drinking problem once out of nowhere and never come back to it, isn't it? I kinda figured from that that Alice was just sort of exaggerating to make Pete look bad, but I'm glad you explored it going the other way.
And ye cats. You captured the sheer obnoxiousness of Season 9 Andy well here. He desperately needed this sort of talking-to from someone, and Erin earned the opportunity more than anyone. Also, Erin stopping in the middle of her rant to notice her rhyme is VERY Erin.
Honestly, I have Andy/Erin and Jim/Pam in such different categories that the parallels between those storylines just never came to me before. That's a really interesting connection. (And I was also struck here by how different Jam would've looked to someone like Pete who only experienced them in Season 9, also not something I've thought about before.)
I'm more into Secretly Perceptive!Kelly Kapoor than Secretly Perceptive!Kelly Hannon, but you did some fun stuff with her here! Nice work.
Author's Response:
Many thanks!
YEAH, right? You’d think that’d get some more development. Naturally, the thought of Alice making him look bad never came to my mind, but I find it more fascinating to take it literally.
That whole poet thing came to me as I was writing it. I saw that and went “No, she has to say this, it only makes sense.” But yeah, Andy was so repugnant that I really had to capture that before he descended into madness near the end, since it was kind of a flip of the switch.
I never really thought about those connections either, glad you enjoyed them! It seems weird to compare them but intentional or not they certainly become apparent, especially considering that the Halperts almost got divorced, which… WOW. Say what you want about Krasinski, he saved us from one of the worst writing decisions for a final season I’ve ever seen.
Perceptive Kelly is just as fun, but I see her as one who eyes like a hawk for the latest gossip, she’d be all over everyone’s business without them knowing; Erin is such a wild card and has her head in the clouds half the time that her putting the pieces together was interesting to write about.
Thanks for the review!
1 I mean, that's a FANTASTIC writing prompt for Jam. And you did well working it in organically!
I always love a take on Michael doing interviews, and him greeting Jim with an ice cream carton full of milk and cereal is just... very Michael. And the metaphor of Michael as neon bar sign and Pam as warm candle is sweet. I also like the idea that Jim instantly took to mentally fencing with Dwight, and won from the beginning.
I actually really like this version of the Pam and Jim first lunch. It allows Jim's initial crush on Pam to be a little more subtle, the sort of thing Pam might be more easily able to file away as unimportant and not let it get in the way of them becoming friends.
"Her musical smile seemed contraband now, in a way that it hadn’t before. He didn’t know if it was okay for him to make her laugh this way." Love this bit.
I also like that Jim tests out the tone of the office a bit - that he makes sure the wildly unprofessional behavior we see subsequently isn't going to raise any red flags before just leaping into it and finding out.
Ah, poor Jim. You've got a lot of kicks in the stomach ahead of you, pal. But still... not a bad first day.
Liked this one a lot! Lovely little one-shot.
As a child Pam found comfort in escaping to the worlds of epic fantasy stories. Now, in the aftermath of casino night, she calling on them once again for strength.
a re-imagining of Pams journey in season 3.
1 This is a well-executed extended metaphor, and one I can actually see running through Pam's head.
When Pam feels alone in a new city she meets someone who begins to feel like home.
A college au set in Bristol, UK
1 I thought the idea of Pam, who we know is not that confident, being deeply homesick on that scary first day was a good character note. And I *adore* this vision of freshman Kelly as the self-appointed social chair... I really enjoy a good Pam-Kelly friendship, so I'm interested in seeing where you go with that... and in seeing the rest of her and Jim's first meeting!
Congrats on your first story here! We're glad to have you among the ranks of MTT writers, and I'm looking forward to reading where you take this one! Always like a good college AU...
Author's Response:
Thank you so much for reading! I also love a college AU. When I was thinking about what kind of story I should write I knew it was a no brainer!!
Kind of pulling from a personal experience with the homesick element and will definitely continue writing what I know - maybe I'm using this as a form of therapy??
It won't be too much of a wait for the rest of their interaction, I am working on it as we speak :)
1 "His eyes remind her of travelling to Scotland with her family in the summer before high school - too old to be believing in the Loch Ness monster, but too young to let it go." I love this line.
Love a good Abba reference. And don't worry, Pam. Something tells me you might just run into this Jim character in his Pulp Fiction shirt again...
If unrequited love doesn't end up producing good writing, what on Earth is the point of it even? Might as well take advantage of it.
1 This was some real nice Jim and Pam banter here!
1 It is now officially a crime we never saw Pam cyberstalk Jim. I don't make the rules.
Author's Response: Hahahaha this made me chuckle!
1 Really enjoying young, shy, clearly enamored Jim and Pam here. They're too cute!
Ah, classic college fic. Very nice. Natural, organic, but still like there's a little bit of magic underlying it all.
This makes a little curious about what Canon Pam’s college experience was like - I see her facing some of the same challenges, but obviously without Jim there to help. Glad she had him around to help her through this...
I'm just really enjoying watching young Jim and Pam bond. I always enjoy a good callback to Michael's Birthday and their ability to make simple errands fun when they're together.
This introduction of Michael (and Dwight) is amazing. Feels like a good fit for the classroom, this Michael, and also like a great source of shenanigans. And I love the slow development of a new social group with our characters here.
"the time Jim shattered the back window with a golf ball after watching Happy Gilmore" sounds very much like a canon Jim backstory detail. And the Jim and Pammy Make A Porno shoutout was a fun touch.
Also, congratulations on the dissertation and the job! You're having a heck of a 2022, friend.
Author's Response:
The Happy Gilmore story may be inspired by my own events.. thought it'd fit well with Jim! I'm very grateful to MrsK for letting me add that little detail in.
Thank you for the review! Planning the next chapter as we speak :)
"I went to Harrow." "Yeah, well, I've had sex." The whole Never Have I Ever scene was a lot of fun, but this exchange in particular was hilarious.
Hey Beesly,” She hmm’d in reply, “I think you’re gonna be the one to show me what being in love feels like”. MY HEART.
Author's Response: I had fun writing those two lines in particular so I'm glad they have been well received!!
Awww. Poor Pam - too insecure to even get good advice is a rough place to be.
"And that’s how Pam Beesly found herself watching porn on Jim Halpert’s bed at 10:48am" !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Jim's mom interrupted them watching porn together? That is the sort of trauma he will need to discuss with a therapist. Although Betsy probably would have seen the humor in it - she comes across fairly Jim-like here.
Oh, Jim. I'm not sure whether Pam discovering that board would've been better or worse than your mom finding it, but it's pretty bad either way.
"other young adults aren’t that enthusiastic about giving away their drugs, especially for free." So true. Harsh realization for many university students.
BOOOOO ALAN. How do you manage to come off worse here than in canon? But Jim coming to her rescue is TOO CUTE.
Mr. Blobby will haunt my dreams. Also, I insist you write the Pam tractor hookup in its own universe since it didn't happen here.
EEEP. ADORABLE ENDING.
"Karen’s version is an angel of slutty descent and not true to the lord." LOL. This is an entertaining Karen.
Their dynamic here is very cute. Love the dialogue! Jam and college appropriate.
1 I definitely have a more favorable perception of Jim's actions towards Pam post-Cocktails than the average bear (he's definitely in the wrong, but I feel like a lot of people see this as a moral event horizon moment in a way I don't). But it's nice to see Pam able to get in touch with her anger in a real way in Season 3 - definitely a strong choice as an alternative scenario. And Karen frankly deserved to have this kind of moment onscreen.
Also, props on working in the "put it down, Dwight" and "onto greener prairies." Nice bit of levity injected into the seriousness, very canon-style.
P.S. Looks like the link to Explosion and The Aftermath is broken? Would consider link to the reviews or the table of contents page - the problem might be consent warnings from the MA rating.)
Author's Response:
Oh yeah, I fixed the broken link issue. Had NO idea what went wrong there.
Much appreciated! I'll definitely say Jim's anger towards Pam is justified considering her poor decision-making and how badly her actions hit him. But I dunno, for me it's the snide delivery and the choice of words that really grinds my gears, which makes me shocked that Pam didn't channel the kind of anger I wrote for her at that moment. But yeah, it was really fun to write for both Pam and Karen, especially the latter, after everything. She ain't perfect, but she was strung along. Well deserved moment, indeed.
I love that you enjoy those moments of levity, as I try and add as much as I can without completely breaking the flow of the story.
Thanks for the review!
He held her life in his hands when they were together, and she held his soul, and knew it.
1 So what you're telling me is that the long-awaited Pamela POV chapter is going to be a WHOLE PAMELA POV STORY????????????!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
...because I'd be okay with that.
"I will never admit to missing your ornery morning temper or the way you insist upon leaving your music sheets all over my writing desk but I will admit to thinking on them enough to commit the memories to ink and paper." This is such a great mix of time-appropriate speech and sisterly teasing. Makes their relationship feel really lived in. And Pam's sense in the letter that she has finally found a place and a relationship where she is free to be herself is lovely - and quite nice to see how much she is enjoying the fruits of this relationship that we know has brought so much joy to Jim.
Interesting conversation with canon here - Pam who is well ware that she wants more and won't be happy with this, but is trapped less by her own decisions and more by the world around her.
You also did well very economically establishing the just... A+ parenting of the elder Beeslys. Yikes.
The nicknaming of Pam as "The Cocker Spaniel" was cute. Also wondering if you're foreshadowing something with Pam's interest in the Great Plains... perhaps the Halpert-Moore feud might be resolved with James and Pamela making their future far away from Philadelphia? Or maybe high society is the REAL frontier.
I'm also just enjoying the chance to revisit these early moments of the saga, and to see their chemistry developing through Pam's eyes too. "A strange feeling of contradiction, of needing him to go so I could forget about him and desperately wanting him to stay a little longer, made a tightness in my chest that I could not explain" is a classic line that could easily fit here and in canon.
P.S. Also, not gonna lie - love the bodiced Pam facing left on the right side of the Aeternum title card and the open-shirted Jim facing right on the left side of the Elysian one. #ISeeWhatYouDidThere
Author's Response: Thank you! I think I hinted at this in one of my responses to your review like a year ago so I am glad I can *finally* deliever on it. Also, thank you SO much for noticing my complimentary covers. I spend entirely too much time on that stuff. Lol.
1 The contrast between Roy and James comes through strongly here, long before Roy gets violent. Pamela's baseline expectation of having a say in her own life is so clearly anathema to him. You do well illustrating his descent into something legitimately terrifying.
Oh, James. Such a charmer. Pamela is being overwhelmingly charmed. And at such a vulnerable moment, too. You really get a sense of the compiling disasters stacking up on top of her in this chapter.
"I dared to consider, as he shifted his weight, ducking his head and looking at me, that the stranger in him was no stranger at all; the stirring in my blood I felt when he held my gaze was a glimpse into a part of me that knew him already, that recognized his soul." EEEEEP.
I love Pamela's little vision of the girl and her mother on the street as a glimpse into her own desire to break free of the conventions of the world she lives in.
So great to see the other POV on these events!
Author's Response:
Haha yeah well you know I do Roy NO favors in my stories. :)
Thank you for reading and reviewing DJC!