I've been writing fanfiction for awhile now. Just recently discovered The Office and figured I'd try my hand at that as well.
At first I thought of having all my stories in the same universe, but then I had some AU ideas. So any stories that occur within a common universe will be in a given series.
"The veil of complacency that she had worn for a decade had fallen from her eyes and she now saw everything anew."
A series of episode related oneshots taking a look at what was going on in Pam Beesly's mind.
1 No I don't hate you. Especially with the promise of hopefully what's do come that you've alluded to in replying to the reviews from last chapter. We're right in the dark days of angst of S3 here so all this of course makes perfect sense for Pam. Again you write her thoughts wonderfully.
The bits of colors starting to come into her life as she starts to figure out who she is by herself, the warmth she felt by hearing his voice, the dissapointment of not getting a reply text. And of course the pain that was the Merger.
"she pressed on the bruise of her pain masochistically,"
What a great way to describe everything going on with her. That right there for me really sells the feelings going through her. She let him go, now she has to face that. Not the best place for her, but again this is the reality of where she is and you captured that really well.
Author's Response: Thank you so much, Warrior. That is one of my favorite parts too. That pain you know you have to go through, of your own devices. Thanks!
1 Beautiful and haunting as always. Great look into her mindset. Now it's her turn to overanalize every move and gesture. To hold on to any piece of connection regardless of how small.
I especially love the end there. That despite everything there's still hope alive. Hold onto that Pam. Great to see an update.
Author's Response: Thank you so much, Warrior! :)
Hauntingly beautiful again here. You do such a great job getting into her head space. Also offering a ton of extra details. She's teaming up with Karen for more than one reason to get back at someone. Roy gives her a gift she already has and he should have known about. Her despair when she hears his rejection and then the faintest glimmer of hope when he accepts the present. The feeling of stealing time as they walk out the door and her imagination running wild while sitting in the car. All great. Glad you had time to get back to this one. Even though it stings a bit since we're in S3 you do a great job of writing Pam right where she is at the time.
Author's Response: Thank you Warrior, so very much!
Once more your talent shines in this one. All the grief and pain Pam's gone through to this moment are right there on full display. And then surprise it's Jim that finds her. You wrote their ability to communicate non-verbally so well. Really if it had been Jim that found her like this and we'd had a moment such as this one, I think the Real Jim would have shown up a lot quicker. While Jim has his moments of being a jerk, for the most part he's a good guy. Seeing her so upset would have easily triggered this response and probably a lot more.
Excellent work as always.
During mandatory lockdown there is still work to do, and Pam is nothing but a professional.
Contemporary AU lockdown JAM.
1 Very interesting set up here. A unique way to have Jim and Pam meet for the first time that's for sure. Nice to see some of the first inklings of what hopefully will be their friendship. Roy is being his normal loud boorish self. I kinda like that Pam lets Jim know about him right from the off. A lot of times the first meeting seems to go well since Jim doesn't know she's engaged. This time, it's right there. Should make for an interesting dynamic for sure. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
1 Lots of fun JAM banter galore in this one. Really kind of fun to see their connection grow like this. You'r writing them playing off each other really well.
Kinda feel bad for Pam. She's stuck at home with a bored and lazy Roy and since he's not working, he's even more bored and lazy. Feels like something might get to a breaking point with that sooner rather than later.
One thing, it would be helpful on the reader to somehow differentiate their text conversations from the narration. Bold font, italics, something like that. At times it's a little hard to determine where narration starts and text based conversation begins.
Great update.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much! I didn't notice that the Italics I used for the text didn't show on the final version. I think it's fixed now.
Actually the starting point of this was imagining Pam and Roy in a lockdown together. With would serve to speed up Pam's realisation that she's just engaged to the wrong guy.
Thanks again!
1 Very cute way for Pam to meet Jim face to face. I got a feeling if this keeps happening our beloved air fives will start making their appearance soon.
You've got a great dicotomy between Roy and Jim here. Jim is on "starving college student" rations. Simple quick and cheap stuff from the microwave. However I get the sense he'd really like and apprciate a good home cooked meal. Then there's Roy who CAN get a good home cooked meal but is acting like a 5 year old who's being a horrible picky eater. Then of course when Jim does get that home cooked meal he's over the moon.
I hope Pam's paying close attention to who really appciates her and who doesn't.
Love the banter/flirting going on between Jim and Pam. Feels very true to canon. Looking forward to seeing where this goes.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much for reviewing!
I was just yearning to make them meet f2f because... well, because it's them. And having them interact in a mask was fun.
Thanks for reminding me of the air fives!
Roy's being a bit of an ass is highlighted because of quarantine. I can imagine him just waiting until it's over, without making arrangements or plans or anything, as if this was a vacation and Pam was his server. And of course Jim is extra attentive because he's seen the potential.
Pam will come around very soon, promise. Cheers!
1 Aww Kuri, you're welcome. Social distance safe greetings and a lovely feature of JAM for years, air-fives are the best.
So lots of interesting things here. I REALLY like that Pam's starting to grow some steel in her spine. She's absolutly right. She's working, cooking, cleaning, getting groceries and Roy is just sitting on his ass all day long. Yeah the sooner she gets away from the man-child he is here, the better.
Love all the thoughts going through her head. That she wants to make all these changes and that she is starting to. And she's realizing that its because of Jim's encouragement. Wonderful to see that coming out. It feels like Jim and Pam have a ways to go before they're both out of the friendship phase but there are great signs it's heading that way.
Lovely update.
Author's Response:
I'm a sucker for Pam standing for herself, so Jim's there, of course, but deciding to leave Roy and actually doing it, is all her.
And the thing about quarantine is that, in general, has made us all more aware of who we are and what we want. Scare, in a way, but also liberating.
Thanks very much!
1 Huge moment for Pam here! And it's probably a lot different than how it's usually portrayed how Pam leaves Roy. She's scared. Scared of letting the life she though she had go by, stepping out on her own with no real direction forward, just grabbing the bare minimums. All during a pandemic lockdown. I get the sense she's barely keeping her head above water, but yet at the same time she's swimming just a bit stronger and making headway to shore as well.
Roy here is unbelivable. I mean I know the guy can get kind of dense, but to just let her walk out like that without a fight? I've got a feeling he's in trouble since he doesn't really know how to take care of himself.
I liked Jim there at the end. His first concern is her. How she's doing, and to send some needed supplies. Great to see him being a stand up guy like that. Also loved him inviting himself along to the shopping trip. Now that Roy's out of the picture, in the important sense, I am 100% behind a more forward Jim. Can't wait to see what comes of this.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much, w4!
Pam is, indeed, very scared. But determined.
And Roy needs to catch up. He lets her go without a fight because he still doesn't think she means business. He thinks she has just a bad case of cabin fever, and that she just needs some fresh air. He'll see how it is soon enough.
Jim of course is jumping up and down with joy, but has the common sense not to let it show right away. And so he becomes the nice guy she needs right now.
:)
I can very easily see that Roy doesn't think she's serious. You've got his teenager in a man's body kind of attidute down really well here. I wonder if that's going to become more of a factor as we go on or if that's basically the end of seeing Roy in this fic.
Still some trepidation on living on her own on Pam's part. However it seems she's getting over her fears fairly well. Also having Jim there is helpful too. You're doing a great job of them building up a friendship and adding in a lot of fun banter as well.
The video-taco date was fun. Yes maybe a bit quick, but at the same time it's really sweet. Jim's already gone on Pam and its adorable. Pam's warming up to him too and considering she's free of Roy it's lovely to envision.
Author's Response:
Thanks for reviewing!
I am still considering if Roy should appear back or not. He's somebody I love to write but I don't want to bring him back just because...
Cheers!
Seems like there's always something with these two. Just when they're getting ready to really be together, this happens. Now I'll admit it's a nice way to add in tension so I'll give that one to you.
The other nice takeaway is they're really starting to open up more about their feelings for each other.
As always really looking forward to seeing where this goes.
Author's Response:
Well, it can't be this easy now, can it?
But you know me, I'm a sucker for happy endings. :)
Thanks so much for your suport!
Very S3 feeling with Roy there. He only treats her nice after she's gone. It's an interesting take really. Most of the time Roy is seen as kind of a blockhead, but we often forget Pam and Roy were together for years. I'm sure some things tend to stick. Especially where there's things like what he sent over that are probably reminding him of her all the time.
Nice bit with the Jim and Pam interactions. They're still very early in their relationship so it feels right that Jim would be feeling like that. Likewise Pam's not at her best what with being sick. It feels very real that she'd be on edge.
That is Jim there at the door in the mask and faceshield right? Nice job with this one.
Author's Response:
Hi! Thanks a lot for reviewing!
You know, I didn't realise that last part was a bit of a cliffhanger, until you wrote that you were not sure if it was Jim. Roy showing up would've been fun, and very 3rd season.
I think he has his moments, but then he has this line of Pam's art being the prettiest of all arts and it's so cringey!
Anyway, thanks a lot! I'm glad you liked it!
Ahhh, ok, it was Jim there at the beginning in the face shield. Had me going for a bit.
So obviously I loved that Jim came over to take care of her. Damn the torpedoes and full steam ahead kind of a mentality. Looks like Pam really knows what kind of guy Jim is here. He's willing to get a sick just to help her out.
That Pam is the one to suggest he stay with her is lovely. Of course there's the practical reason, but it's probably the least important reason for them. The scenes of them dancing around each other in her kitchen and the first kisses were of course just lovely.
This chapter from Jim's POV also worked really good. Great to get an insight to how he's been thinking about all this. Been waiting for this update and it delivered. Great job.
Author's Response:
Jim's here, ladies and gents. I was a worried about writing from his PoV, but it was very fun.
At this point, Pam is head over heels, but she still wants to play it cool.
While the last chapter is already half-written in my mind, I'm still not sure if I should use Jim's or Pam's voice. Let's see what my next zoom meeting inspires me to do.
Thanks very much for all your support w4!
Lovely way to wrap this all up. Jim just basically moved in then? I'm okay with this. If they're going to quarantine, might as well quarantine together. It was a lot of fun to see this one come together. Well done on seeing it through to the end. Ending on a sweet note like this was wonderful.
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
Author's Response:
Thanks very much!
Let's say, Jim moved in while they are sick but... you know, since they have a routine already... who knows...
Thanks again for joining me for the ride.
1 No you're not bad at writing things at all. This seems adorably cute. Heading out for a weeklong office retreat to a camp seems very in keeping with something Micheal would do. I used to work at a few placed like this. Brings back lots of good memories.
Jim and Pam in the same cabin with all that tension in the air? Holy cow, yeah, this is going to be one heck of a week. Loved seeing Pam get so flustered there. She's seen him be active in the office vs warehouse basketball game and it was clear she was checking him out there. Now that she's seen a little more, yeah, things are looking to get very interesting.
Nice set up. Can't wait to see where we go from here.
Jim returns to Scranton from Stamford in a world where Karen doesn't exist. Pam wants to pick up where they left off on Casino Night but Jim tells her he's done all the pursuing so far, and he'd like be pursued (read: seduced). "Give me a reason to come back."
Inspired by the Taylor Swift song "I Think He Knows".
1 This seems very promising. Pam has a Jim shrine. I don't know if I should laugh of agree with Izzy there. Still it does seem kind of on point. Jim kept a bunch of stuff that reminded him of her and then put them all in the teapot. So it does seem fitting.
Her excitiment as the day of the merger was sweet to witness. Likewise without Karen there it feels much better. Sharing smiles, he's still drinking soda, much more ready to spend time with her. Nice to see.
Clearly she wants to pick up where they left off. Kind of makes me wonder what Jim has up his sleeve. Looking forward to more.
Author's Response: Thank you!
1 Really kind of interesting way to go here. They're honest with each other right from the off, including a great use of Pam's Beach Speech. Rather than just fall into each other's arms, there's still some lingering angst. That part feels real. A really close friendship broken, one trip to the bar, a couple of drinks, and some honest yes help a lot to repair that, but seems like it'll still take some time.
As for Jim saying what he did there at the end, yeah I can see it. They're both pranksters and like to have fun. From where I'm sitting now that a lot of the truth is out, that's more where Jim is coming from, rather than any sort of hard-to-get game. Hopefully that makes sense.
Nice job with this one. I liked it.
Author's Response: Thank you Warrior. Yes, you got my plan! I wanted to set it up so that the reader feels that both of them have shown their cards, and now they're going to have some fun. A bit contrived to fit the plot, yes. I think in reality no one would move that fast through the angst. Thank goodness we don't deal in reality here. 😊
1 Loved Pam's reaction there at the start. Seems very fitting for her. To be all flustered, especially by Jim.
Then the kiss-and-leave, yeah Iz is right. Pam's going to have a MUCH easier time with all this than she thinks.
Speaking of Iz, delightful to have her in on all of this. I love that she's there to offer encouragment and support for Pam.
All this sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun for both of them. Can't wait to read more.
1 Well worth the wait. This was just a ton of fun. Tipsy Pam going forward with everything was a delight to read. Espcially with Iz right there to encourage the shennaigans. Jim's world being rocked? How about my world being rocked! I mean the fact that Pam would actually send those pics to Jim! Holy crap! Then all the banter but dialed up all the notches!
It's also fun to see Jim returning fire. I think the tally is still in Pam's favor, but he's not backing down. Great update and I can't wait to see where we go from here.
1 "Cyber Medic 4, report priority one.
Medic 4, go ahead.
Medic 4 report priority one, report of a MCI, repeat multi-causualty incident reported, multiple patients down, caller states there are laptops, phones, and tablets all open to the same fanfiction website, priority one response.
Medic 4 10-4 enroute.
Medic 4 to dispatch, on scene, you can cancel the MCI, all patients on scene have expired, we'll need the Medical Examiner and an ice truck.
Copy Medic 4 how many patients are there.
Medic 4 to Dispatch, all of them."
That, that's what you've done with this. You've just killed us all. I mean, just everything. How does one even go about picking out a favorite anything when it's all this great? And the date hasn't even started yet!
Even if I could revive everyone, we're all doomed again. But damn, what a way to go.
Okay, I love Isabel in this chapter. How much she's pushing Pam to just go for everything. She also make sure to take the time to make sure Pam is in a good place emotionally. Sign of a great friendship there.
All of Pam's distractions and the subtle flirting were a delight. She's just being herself, the lovely person Jim fell in love with. I think that's probably one of the best seductions she could do. Of course adding in random touchings and kissings I'm sure didn't hurt anything either.
Their text conversation leading to voice was sweet and sexy all at once. Pam realizing she's been physically attracted to Jim for a long time and now is free to act on it is a great headspace for her to be in. Their lists of weaknesses was delightful.
Can't wait to see how it all goes down. Great job.
Perfect way to their evening to go. A bit of nervousness because this is A BIG THING, but in the end, they're them and they just fit each other. Not to say it wasn't fun. It was. The kiss cam was a blast. Also one more way Izzy is just the best. Then of course when they finally fall into bed it's just amazingly hot, sexy, and sweet.
Wonderful job. This one was a ton of fun.
1 I like it. We don't really see very much poetry type stuff like this. However I feel it really fits. Like this is something Pam would have written down after she got home from the Beach. Nicely done.
Author's Response: Thank you, Warrior! I'm glad that it wasn't too off.
Jim reaches an important and final decision that started from a simple lunch break with Pam in the break room.
Takes places during Conflict Resolution, and is canon compliant.
1 Welcome to MTT. Nice job for your first story. Lots of classic JAM banter. You really did a great job of getting into Jim's lovelorn head. It's painfully clear as to why he put in for the transfer when viewed in this light.
Author's Response: Thank you, I really enjoyed writing that part of this oneshot. I always wanted Jim to actually talk about what was the actual reason he transferred. Not just while comforting Dwight in “Money”, though it was a nice scene.
1 Ok so first off, I love this premise. All through S3 it seemed they just needed one good kick in the pants, one more moment of crazy insane courage and they'd finally get it through their heads that they belong together. We finally got there after Pam's coal walk, but it's always fun to envision where else something like that could have happened. This is no different.
I get why Jim is angry when Pam shows her hand there in the coffee shop. It's a private area and she's just kinda barged right into it. However she's right. If he'd truly moved on from her he wouldn't have kept all that stuff. ESPECIALLY after coming back. So great job in getting that moment of surprise right.
I really love that we're just really jumping into this one. Pam finds the note, which was super cute by the way, gathers her courage, doesn't take no for an answer, and hangs onto that courage even after Jim's reaction. Fancy New Beesly indeed!
Then that final tidbit at the end with them kissing over the table. Lovely.
Of course there's still Karen to deal with. It should be really interesting to see where this all leads. Can't wait for more.
Author's Response: Thank you so much for enjoying it! I am excited for Karen too.