Three little facts about me:
1) I'm a work-from-home mom from Kyiv, Ukraine.
2) I'm super late to the party, but I do my best to turn my excitement with the show into the content (hopefully, qualitative).
3) I care about Pam Beesly more than about any other fictional character in all the existent fandoms.
A Coffeeshop AU.
Pamela Beesly, recently unbetrothed graphic designer, stumbles into The Comedy Roasters, a new coffeeshop with a manic owner and an intriguingly attractive barista.
Awwwwww!!!!
As much as I enjoy the plot, I need more fluff and nonsense like that!!!!
But, maybe, this IS the plot, so I need it even more then.
And, of course, the list elaboration :)
Thank you!!!
Author's Response: Thank you! The fluff is very much the point (if not technically the plot) so I'm glad you're here for it!
I can't help it, I feel bad for Dwight here. And for the purse girl.
And I'm quite happy to watch Jim and Pam so cozy together :)
Also, a tea-taste-tester should be a real job. I'd apply for this one!
Thank you for writing!
Author's Response: Dwight will be made fun of here a lot, but he shouldn't be TOO sad. He'll still get his fun in on his own terms too ;) Thanks for reading!
Oh, I love Pam's compassion so much here! It's nice to see her communicating with another girl and taking care of her (I know it's a bit of a stretch to say so, but it feels this way).
I hope that despite crazy weeks you'll have enough time to take a rest, and I'm looking forward to the next chapters!
Author's Response: Thank you! It's nice to let them be actual friends...
"they'd just befriended each other" - I like this moment very much!
And also, the prank itself. Maybe, Jim and Pam owed Katy dinner for making her dealing with Dwight, but, at the same time, Katy would sell some of her purses, so... it compensated some of her discomforts :)
Thank you!
Author's Response: :) They will get dinner...later. Because Pam and Jim shouldn't have a third wheel, should they ;)
1 That was absolutely beautiful. The sweetness in the beginning, the heartache, and the honesty — seems like a perfect (and so very realistic) morning after.
And one little thing:
"You should know. You were there." - love it!
Thank you so much for sharing!
And when he walked me home that night
All the stars were shining bright
And then he kissed me
She left her house that night with nothing but a too tight dress and a plan to leave as soon as possible. She walked back home with the man who would become her everything. 1950’s Scranton.
1 Oh, Aly, this is amazing! I'm giggled, blushed, and grinned (not speaking of constant awws) all the time while reading — I love that version of them. Beautiful writing, and so, so warm.
Thank you so much for sharing!!!
1 Aaaaa! That's fantastic, Alyyyy! And now I'm craving for the Psychic Jim.
And a salat.
All the jellybeans to you!
Just two women watching rom-coms, drinking wine and gossiping about boys and kissing. Just two gals being pals...
1 Okay, I have to confess: my main ship with Pam is Pam+Happiness (Paminess?), and with whom she gets it is slightly less critical. I'm still quite anxious about mature stuff, but at the same time, I'm curious very much about the outcome of your scenario!
(The thing that gets me was Karen's softness. It was a really, really lovely moment)
Thank you!
P.S. Any chance that you're secretly working on the KaPam 'Portrait of a Lady on Fire' AU you've mentioned on Discord?..
1 It's so charming, and the imagery is so beautiful. I love to see them deliriously happy :)
Thank you so much for this little piece of happiness, and I hope you'll share more of your stories with us!
Author's Response: <3
1 Ohhh, that's so sweet and cute and just perfect! And I NEED your short holiday stories for the rest of the days in the year :)
P.S. We took two slices of bread, a little ketchup or other sauce, sliced sausage and cheese, and then put everything into a grill. But since we sent the device to my parent, no grilled cheese sandwiches for me now :(
Author's Response: Let's see how long I can actually commit to this. I'm not on your level. Glad you liked it, though! The addition of sausage sounds CRUCIAL. But clearly you need a replacement device now...
1 Ah! What a wonderful way to start my daily routine — with deliciously sweet angst. I love it, love every single bit, the way you paint Jim's thoughts about everything and their games — silly, but fit so very much to the canon. And the moments when they so suddenly become them... goosebumps.
Thank you so much for writing this!
By the way, the National Paper Airplane Day is celebrated on May 26... just saying...
P. S. Martin Freeman. I'd say Domhnall Gleeson, but he's Irish, so... Martin Freeman.
Author's Response: Better than caffeine to get you going in the morning! I'm really glad you enjoyed this. I'm never sure if I get the swirl of Jim's thoughts right, or if it just seems like his confusion is bad writing. The fun-moment-that-suddenly-gets-serious VERY much inspired by Drug Testing, which will take place just a days down the line. Rough month for Jim. Thank you for reading and reviewing, and giving me another chapter idea. Martin Freeman's solid, but would he already have been well known by 2006? *checks IMDB* Yes, yes he would have, from a little show called "The Office." Ugh. Missed joke opportunity.
1 Oh, this is so lovely, and it made me so emotional. I mean, your writing is wonderful as always, and it amazes me how you transfer the story from silly to serious to romantic to heartbreaking and back again to silly so seamlessly and naturally. I have to confess I didn't find the references you've mentioned :( But! The picture of Jim spinning around in Pam's chair is adorable, and the hands' sketch... did I mentioned that your story was heartbreaking?
Anyway, thank you so much for these little gems!
P.S. With deep regret, I discovered that the National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day was celebrated on April 2... oh well, it's just 341 days until this holiday.
Author's Response: I'm really glad you liked it, my friend, and again, I point to canon - the way Jim and Pam go back and forth between silly and serious is very much what drives this.
At least one of the references is very subtle, but the author should notice it at the very least... let's see if they weigh in.
I was happy with the chair spinning especially, it just feels like SUCH a Jim thing to do.
I'm sorry it was heartbreaking... just remember it's out of order, and the sweetness of National Grilled Cheese Day is what's coming for them!
I will make a note of National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day, but there should be... a few between now and then, if I keep this up. I'm not quite sure how you pulled off this posting every day thing.
1 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!
"Sleeping alone wasn't as awful as people liked to make out, Pam came to realise."
Or: Those quiet nights that make you reflect on everything that has ever happened to you.
1 Awww, that was very sweet! I do like Pam's reflections and that she felt content with her time alone (I wouldn't call that period loneliness).
And Jim's care was lovely to witness!
Thank you for sharing, and welcome!
Author's Response:
Thank you for reading and for your lovely comment! I agree, I don't think she's lonely here - a person can feel lonely while surrounded by others and content while completely alone, and I think she'd actually prefer to spend that time alone than in company she doesn't enjoy!
~ Saturn
An Amélie AU with Pam as Amélie, Jim as Nino, and all our favourite ensemble characters thrown in for good measure!
1 Oh my gosh, I LOVE it! I like to blend things I like together myself, and you chose such a fantastic AU! Your story is so whimsical and dream-like and just perfectly captured the movie's spirit. And I like that just in a few sentences, you introduced us to the main characters and other heroes of this story. Thank you!
I am looking forward to the following chapters!
Author's Response:
Yay! Thank you so much! The more I was thinking about the more I realised how PERFECT these two would be for an Amelie AU, so I'm glad you're enjoying it so far!
~ Saturn
1 My heart swells from the sweetness and subtle sadness of this chapter. Poor Phyllis, waiting for a husband who never comes back (if only you won't change it ;)), and I found it amazing to give the role of Raymond to Michael. Can't wait to see how their friendship will develop, as well as can't wait for Kevin's reaction to his childhood treasures!
Author's Response:
Thank you! Something tells me Pam will come up with a way to cheer Phyllis up! I think I'm going to have to take a bit of artistic license with Michael... I need his heartfelt moments of wisdom to be a little bit more frequent than usual. It'll be hard for him, but I think he can do it (that's what she said).
~ Saturn
1 AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!
I mean, AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!
And I recalled that you said that we would be disappointed???? HOW COULD IT POSSIBLE???
Okay, my pinky's tired from pressing shift, so... that's just great. So witty, and so in characters, and there are so many fantastic moments! 'Sabre truly values employees efficiency...' and 'Team Reception' and THE ETSY SELLER THAT DISAPPEARED WITHOUT TRACE!!!! But my favorite was this little gem:
'JIM:
(bleeped)!'
I just love this story so very much! Thank you so much for FINALLY publishing it!
P.S. Gabe and his mugs reminded me very much of this painting: https://www.studiorayyan.com/the-favorite
Author's Response: For the record, the Etsy seller disappearing without a trace is part of the real Tooth Mug's backstory, so I can take no credit for it. But Jim's bleeped moment of surprise is a personal favorite of mine too, so I am tickled you liked that one. And I'm just happy overall you enjoyed this and that it lived up to your expectations! Thanks for taking the time to review.
Gabe would've absolutely loved that painting. And Pam definitely would have painted it after one of her mug-induced nightmares.
She had spent her whole life trying to put it into words.
1 Three things I did while reading your story:
1) Walked about 400-500 meters around my living room;
2) Made me three or four cups of tea (I didn't really count);
3) Turned the tea I drunk into tears;
I mean... I'm in awe of you. Of how you put the simple (and not so simple) words together and create something breathtakingly beautiful and deep. How you notice and distinguish all the nuances of human emotions and pass them to us in a form that hits the core and makes us feel. How you just... I don't know, bless us with your talent? I can't find proper words, but I'm deeply grateful to you.
And also have no idea about the song that inspired you, but the way you weaved the lyrics into the story is fantastic.
Thank you so much!
Author's Response: Aww, thank you Dernhelm! I love tea as well, so I can relate! You are always way too nice to me. Thank you for your endless encouragement and thoughtfulness. I appreciate it more than you know. :)
33 1 Oh my, this is fantastic! And yeah, Jim definitely should've been called out on this one :)
Thank you so much for your little collab and these sweet stories!
1 Awwwww!
So sweet and wonderful!
A look through a yearbook has Pam in tears. Set in the future.
A tale of motherhood, fatherhood and teenagers, goodbyes and new beginnings, reunions and memories and a visit to Schrute Farms.
1 That was beautiful and heart-aching. Thank you for sharing this story with us so much! My daughter is only four, but I've already apprehended the day she'll sail to her own journey...
P. S. For a moment or two, I believed that Cece was genuinely going to colonize Mars, and my heart nearly broke. Thank goodness that Pennsylvania is so much closer than the red planet...
Author's Response:
Oh Dernhelm, you have so much ahead and yet it goes fast. This one was my way of getting out some of the emotions I had as I watched a 4-year-old boy walk across the stage to get his high school diploma - and there I go crying again.
But as I say in the story - I want nothing less for him than to go off and have his own story (and hopefully not want to become an astronaut or even travel so far he can't come home from time to time).
That - the trip to Mars - is a whole different story.
Thanks so sharing your review. I love hearing from you.
24 1 First of all, the title.
Secondly, the disclaimer (!!!).
Thirdly — and I should've probably started with that — the way you capture the voices and reactions so perfectly never fails to amaze me! I feel so much sorry for Pam here (though everyone, except, maybe, Larissa, had their share of desire to sink through the floor...).
Also:
JIM (has had this exact nightmare) — can we learn more about this one? Please?
I do hope you'll publish the rest of the chapters soon because I googled, and Labor Day is in freakin' SEPTEMBER!
P.S. Your working title misses 'c' ;)
Author's Response: I've got to be honest, I came VERY close to just calling this "Larissa Explains It All," but it would've set expectations too high.
Thank you - it's fun playing around with these voices in a familiar situation like this. Pretty canon-style humor. I'm concerned about how the next part is going to translate.
Yeah, poor Pam - although in the context of what's coming, this feels like it would have been worst for Karen.
We might or might not learn more about that nightmare - but I will offer this: Jim is in his underwear.
I KNOW! I'm sorry! The third chapter is mostly in pretty good shape, but the second one is an unbelievable mess right now and I don't know how to fix it.
HA! You win points for first to ID the reference. I miss that show.
1 My reaction? I'm this close to crying in the middle of the workday (and where's my Phyllis?) And I love Karen here, you did justice to her!
And Jim's an ass. Fantastic, charming, heartbroken but an ass nevertheless.
And also, I like that the zest of the story was revealed only in the end. I went from 'ohmygoshnoooooo' (the 'staying at his parents' part) to 'huh, nice turn of event!'
I'm quite anxious about Jim/Karen's content generally, but I'm looking forward to more chapters from you!
Author's Response: Sorry!!!! Yeah, I feel like Karen's kind of easy to access here - which is maybe how you need to get into her head? Figure out who she'd be without Jim?
That's a *really* interesting reaction to Jim here, because a lot of this one is about me trying to make a non-wishy-washy, doing-right-by-Karen, mostly-morally-upright Jim. I will say in his defense, the last line is right! Karen will probably be fine in Scranton! She'll be running the place by Christmas... which will have karoake machines!
I'm glad you think the twist worked!
Just know, this is all about JAM as seen by Karen. These will mostly have happy endings. Mostly.
1 Okay, I know nothing about bonds, but this is hilarious! I like the way Beesly sisters bonding (and it feels very real!), and also, I quite like David Wallace, so it's nice to bring him into the story!
Thank you for sharing :)
Author's Response:
Savings bonds - the simple explanation- you buy them from government either at less than face value and wait for them to mature to full value (or beyond) or at face value but with a higher interest rate. Either way they are a low-risk investment that encourages saving.
My dad bought them for me (and my sister) when I was little - I still haven't cashed mine in. They were also once given as a gift at milestone events like graduations, bar/bat mitzvahs, etc.
Anyway, I'm so touched you enjoyed the sisterly love and it felt real to you. Me too about David Wallace- he was always such a good man, nice to see things worked out for him after DM. Glad I could have his fortune touch the Beesly girls in more ways than one.
1 I... I'm slightly confused about what's going on here, but even more, I'm excited to find out! The theme of the Scranton Strangler is so intriguing and unexplored, and I'm curious what you're going to do with it — looking forward to the following chapters!
Author's Response:
Confusing innocent readers
Check
*dusts off hands, wanders into the kitchen for ice cream*
I mean, thank you, you are very gracious. :)