Date: September 06, 2021 02:35 pm Title: I feel like for the first time in a long time I am not afraid -Ben Rector
Ah, this was such a lovely way to wrap this up :) I really liked the glimpse into everyone’s reactions to their maybe not so secret relationship (and Kelly finally getting there, lol). Phyllis winking her words is also a spot on description of a knowing Phyllis. (And double lol at oblivious Stanley). Jim and Pam teasing each other about their drunken conversations is just adorable. And the ending line about their future was absolutely perfect. I loved all of this fic!
Author's Response:
Thanks so much- glad you had a good time with this.
Always appreciate your reviews!
1 [Report This]Date: September 03, 2021 10:27 am Title: I feel like for the first time in a long time I am not afraid -Ben Rector
Awwwwwww! A lovely end to a very rounded story. Very satisfying reading as usual!
Author's Response: Thanks - so glad you enjoyed.
Date: September 03, 2021 10:18 am Title: I feel like for the first time in a long time I am not afraid -Ben Rector
This is such a lovely way to end this journey - the buying of the ring, everyone noticing how happy they are. And I think it was a nice touch bringing in Michael's similarly hasty proposal, which seems like it would have weighed on him at this particular moment in the chronology. Just goes to show you, the line between romance and creepy is very much founded in self-awareness.
And Beth! Beth is an OC who is perfectly capable of crossing universes, I think. Or maybe this is all just part of the Max-iverse. Either way, I'm glad they got a Christopher's proposal.
Really enjoyed this one... and VERY MUCH LOOKING FORWARD to what comes next from you. *checks calendar*
Author's Response:
Thanks again for all the help with this one - it might have never otherwise seen the light of day.
It had to happen here, so in this universe Beth could get her win - you know I love my OCs - glad you do too.
Speaking of OCs - just wait, there's another one coming and I'll say no more than that.
1 [Report This]Date: September 02, 2021 05:36 pm Title: I feel like for the first time in a long time I am not afraid -Ben Rector
Nice way to wrap this one up. Even more fun bringing in some other OC's. If the canon characters can inhabit more than one AU so can OC's I think. Lots of good insights here. The realization that Jim and Pam had been doterh for a lot longer than their "official" start was a good one for example. Loved envisioning Pam light up as Jim gets down on a knee and holds out the ring. Lovely way to bring this one to a close.
Fortes Fortuna Adiuvat
Author's Response:
You know I love my OCs. And Christopher's and a good proposal. Glad you liked it all too.
Thanks for being along for this one!
Date: September 02, 2021 05:55 am Title: Future Looks Good (Reprise) - One Republic
Ooooh I did not see this coming. Go Kelly and her incessant chatter! This was such a pleasing chapter to read, Max.
Author's Response:
So glad you had fun with Kelly! Good to know here powers can be used for good sometimes.
Thanks again.
Date: August 31, 2021 12:29 pm Title: Future Looks Good (Reprise) - One Republic
Ok, I loved this chapter so much. The Kelly call!!! This was hilarious, and amazing, and maybe the most perfect way for Jim to finally find out what’s going on with Pam. (I also really enjoyed the little glimpse of Roy and Kelly interaction, which I’d never thought about but is something I’d pay to see). I liked the touch of the medal initially being something that reminded him of her friendship and wanting to get that back too, before his Kelly call. And I loved, loved his reminiscing on the Dundies night, and this bit about Casino Night:
‘He knew now lips were never meant to hear and so that’s why they heard wrong. His ears too, must have malfunctioned when they twisted her words to make them sound like she’d said, me too before they reached his brain.’
I was very happy to see that the story’s not completed yet (although that was a perfect ending to this chapter) - can’t wait to see where you take it next!
Author's Response:
Playing a little catch up - you always make me so happy with your reviews the way you seem so joyful about the things you liked.
I'm glad you liked my Kelly, she's a handful but I used her incessant chatter for good here.
Love to see the lines repeated back - it gives me joy to know they were noticed since they sometimes take forever to get just right.
Thanks again!!!
1 [Report This]Date: August 30, 2021 10:49 pm Title: Future Looks Good (Reprise) - One Republic
A bit more of wishy-washy Jim there at the start, but then it's Kelly of all people who blasts through all that. If Jim was in the process of building up another wall around his heart in regards to Pam, well here comes Kelly with a wrecking ball just in time. Lots of fun with that.
Oh Pam, look at you trying to put on a brave face there in your talking head. Though we all know you're hurting on the inside. However there's the classic Jim line. Loved reading that. I can just see her face light back up as she looks up at him. Lots of fun there to be sure.
Author's Response:
Kelly and her wrecking ball - it served him well this time.
I'm so pleased you could see what I was doing there with the talking head and you were happy with the way it turned out.
Thanks for all your great reviews always.
Date: August 30, 2021 10:46 pm Title: The Greatest Show- the Greatest Showman ensemble
Back from vacation review number one. I did read this chapter when it was posted, but with two kids bouncing off the walls in the hotel room there wasn't much time to write reviews. I digress.
I always liked David and you did him justice here. Really glad he was able to see through all of Josh's BS and call him out on all of it. Even better that he takes the time to listen to Jim and come to the correct choice about who is the better manager between Josh and Micheal.
So things are really looking up here so that's good. Good on him to stop things with Karen before they got to far. Probably a but further than anticipated anyway, but still he was able to pump the brakes in time. Seems like Jim is starting to get more courage there towards the end too. Nice way to round that all out.
Author's Response:
Oh how I miss those days - but I also feel you man! Hope you had a great time with them though.
Love David - he's one of those character that seems to be very Dadlike in his patience and wisdom (but to be fair he's not with any of them on a daily basis - except Jan and she hadn't hit maximum crazy yet).
Sparing Karen and leaving Jim a little less tarnished in character seemed to be the right choice.
Thanks always for the reviews- they are always appreciated!
Date: August 29, 2021 11:41 pm Title: Future Looks Good (Reprise) - One Republic
"It seemed the fame had a surcharge." With love from Boston, this is New York City in a nutshell.
There's a lot of fun material in this chapter, I've always thought. I think the metaphor of the wall Jim is building himself really strikes true to his thought process in canon, and you did some interesting things with Jim's insecurity with regards to Danny we don't see a whole lot of (since as you note, not exactly what Roy provokes). It's an insightful journey into his thought process.
AND THE KELLY CALL. This is quality Kelly dialogue, and props to working in the deeply disturbing references to weird Dwangela sex.
But mostly, I really love the way you restructure and play with the beats of The Job here - from finding the yogurt lid to the question at the end. Easy to make that feel forced, and it comes through as organic here.
Talking heads were a nice touch too! Easy to visualize.
Author's Response:
Catching up on responding today after falling way behind.
Thanks so much for always being there with your encouraging comments and reviews - even after you knew what was coming.
I do enjoy writing about my beloved city even if it is damn expensive.
Thanks as always!
Date: August 29, 2021 09:55 am Title: Future Looks Good (Reprise) - One Republic
When I got to the phone call with Kelly and saw the wall of text I squealed in delight. I love how she completely inadvertently put Jim back on the correct track.
Author's Response:
So glad you enjoyed my version of Kelly.
Many thanks for the review.
Date: August 29, 2021 09:44 am Title: The Greatest Show- the Greatest Showman ensemble
* It was in part, why he left in the first place. Sure, it was self-preservation, to make the pain of her marrying another easier to bear but deep down he knew he left to free her too. He removed himself from her radius in order to spare her the angst of knowing how much she had hurt him. To keep her from having to see his pain every day as the fateful date neared. To save her the guilt that could wrack her sleep and contaminate her dreams as his were now.*
This is a great observation, and I like it. That Jim would be concerned about her own feelings is something I never really thought about much. But I totally buy it.
Love that he described Karen as his “armor” and I really enjoyed David’s acceptance of why Michael works as branch manager.
Author's Response:
Thanks for that - I'm glad you agree.
To me, Jim always seemed to consider her as much as himself (at least until season 9 but we won't talk about that here).
Appreciate the review and the love for this story.
Date: August 28, 2021 09:38 am Title: The Greatest Show- the Greatest Showman ensemble
Ooh I hadn’t thought about this song in the context of The Office before. (I once went to a wedding where someone played this walking down the aisle, and the look of alarm on the elderly relatives’ faces with every ‘whoa’ is the only thing I can now think of when I hear it). But I like it! Anyway, I digress: this chapter!! This whole thing coming together with the dream, and him going to David (also, David fixing it because I love David) is just wonderful and deeply satisfying. I love Jim’s realisation here that he misses all the other people in Scranton too, followed by the realisation that having Pam as his friend is better than not having her in his life at all. Beautiful. (I’m also really glad that you didn’t have Jim sleep with Karen - mainly, as you say, for Karen’s sake. She deserves better than that). And then the final line at the end! I really, really can’t wait to see what happens next :D
Author's Response:
I love David too - he's a real smart guy here.
As for Jim - if all he missed was everyone else he may have adjusted but it was the lack of Pam (even just as friend) that did him in.
I wanted to spare Karen some hurt but also I think it would be a pretty rotten of Jim too.
I'm glad you are enjoying - thanks for the review.
Date: August 28, 2021 09:31 am Title: Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
Ok, I’m v excited that I’ve got two chapters of this to catch up on! I’m loving seeing more of Jim’s friendship with Matt, and the fact that he seems like a pretty decent guy (unlike Josh…) Also, Jim disillusionment with Josh for not having any integrity, and him barely sparing a good job in Massachusetts a thought, is lovely and very Jim. And then his concern for Pam and not wanting her to lose her job 😍 Although this call that he overhears with Pam & Danny gets more heartbreaking with every bit of new perspective lol, you’re killing me. Great chapter!
Author's Response: Very behind on my responses so I'll just say many thanks. I do appreciate all your comments.
Date: August 27, 2021 11:24 pm Title: The Greatest Show- the Greatest Showman ensemble
Ooooof. Well, I guess Karen isn't as bad off here as she is in canon. And I think you pitched how far Jim went with her right - in addition to pulling back, I think him having literally just felt rejected by Pam again gives his initial decision to pursue her a little more context. Hot-blooded rather than cold-blooded.
"No matter how far away he would go, no matter who he tried to love in her place, no matter how much he tried to wipe her from his soul, she was always first in his thoughts and he couldn’t bear to know of her distress." I just really liked this line. And how much it all, still, fundamentally comes down to Pam. And always will. I do think Jim is ultimately right - even if they hadn't made it as a couple, they were ultimately better off being in each other's lives than not.
I love you preserving the "Dunder Mifflin This is Grace" moment, and giving David Wallace his moment to demonstrate why he's the only competent person in the Dunder Mifflin hierarchy. Clever man. And maybe he doesn't understand what Michael ticks, but he's at least thoughtful about what it MIGHT be.
Author's Response:
I do feel bad for Karen, here and in canon. She just fell for a guy who was not emotionally free...not to mention she found herself amongst a bunch of crazies to be with him when she could have just gone to NY...but that's a whole other story (but I'm going to leave the Karen stories to DC as she writes her so well.)
Thanks for your mention of that line and your agreement with that. I also think as much as it hurt to watch her with someone else, wiping her out completely had to hurt even more. His impulsive nature couldn't take that into account - even though he often made his lists to think through things in this case he went with his gut and very hurt heart and learned his mistake too late. Good thing Josh was a snake right?
That was a golden moment and I'm glad too I got to work it in. And DW - yeah I kinda love this character -his calm, level-headedness I always admired. I had a boss like him once and he was a dream to work for. Sadly, even I pulled a Josh (the not so snaky version and left for a better position and it bit me in the ass when my next one was a complete (Insert any name for male genitalia here))
Anyway -thank you once again for not only this review but the fabulous betaing you did for this story.
Date: August 27, 2021 05:18 pm Title: The Greatest Show- the Greatest Showman ensemble
I’m really glad you didn’t have Jim and Karen sleep together. Great writing as always.
Author's Response:
Thank you twice - I knew you would be glad.
And thank you as always for the review and the reads (notice the plural there)
Date: August 27, 2021 05:18 pm Title: The Greatest Show- the Greatest Showman ensemble
I’m really glad you didn’t have Jim and Karen sleep together. Great writing as always.
Author's Response:
Yeah me too. Sometimes I can't control what happens even in my own stories but glad this time I could.
Thanks friend.
1 [Report This]Date: August 27, 2021 11:14 am Title: The Greatest Show- the Greatest Showman ensemble
I'm a big fan of your decisions. I have no problem with Josh being an even bigger jerk than on the show and definitely no problem with Jim not sleeping with Karen (way to go Jim!).
It was a nice moment when Jim reflected on the "unique" personalities of his old co-workers and realized Pam wasn't the only one he missed.
Interesting that Jim asked David about Michael's book. As out there as making that book may have been, it does humanize the people in Scranton and shows Michael feels strongly that the people are what is most important to the success of DM.
Can't wait to see what happens when Jim returns. Hopefully Jim wasn't the only one resisting meaningless sex!
Author's Response:
Why thank you - it was a tricky thing knowing where to have Jim draw the line. Josh, I am having fun making him a REAL jerk.
And to me Jim's unhappiness in Stamford was not just about missing her, it was about his abrupt departure from a comfortable friendly place, no matter how chaotic and 'unique' it was.
The book was the germ of this story - I heard the song and had to make a way to get a bunch of photos into the story but when I did come up with it I realized how much it fit (as a companion piece to the film Michael made) and how much the book could represent. So I really love that you noticed it and picked up on it.
Hopefully!
Thanks again for letting me know your thoughts - I always appreciate hearing them.
Date: August 26, 2021 08:25 pm Title: Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
*All day he’d been pouring all his hope into the idea of a second chance, a vessel for happiness while the rest of his life fell apart around him. Now he knew he’d been filling up a glass with a hole at the bottom and he felt as empty as the used coffee cup that lay sideway on the pavement next to his car.*
Oof, this hit.
Author's Response:
My favorite line I wrote in this chapter too. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks as ever for the read and review.
1 [Report This]Date: August 26, 2021 08:38 am Title: Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
This is great how you are filling in the back story to the Jan conversation, the Pam phone call. It's so well done.
Okay, so I'm loving this Matthew guy. Besides the obvious weirdness of the whole Brian storyline on the show, I've always thought they would be friends with these people that they worked with for years behind the cameras. They had to have. And this original character is great.
I also really like how you're are making Josh out to be a real villain!
Author's Response:
I had fun expanding on the characters - and giving Josh a more villianous streak.
This order of this story was what made it tricky but I always enjoy episodes of shows where we start in the future and then go back to see how we got there so I gave it a shot - a lot harder than I thought.
Thanks for reading and reviewing - I do really appreciate it.
Date: August 24, 2021 10:27 am Title: Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
UGH. Josh is such a SNAKE in this story. I'm with Matthew, he can't possibly be trusted to keep his promises to anyone at this point, let alone Jim. I eagerly await his comeuppance.
Hmm. More than Starbucks burning through him here. Jim really takes a bunch of stomach punches in a row on this particular Friday, doesn't he? And it gets worse before it gets better. *sigh* Poor Karen.
Author's Response:
I should really be nicer to the Josh character but in the interest of juicier subplot I had to make him a bigger villain than he was (and I don't think what he did on show was so bad but maybe I've just seen so much worse in my days in the business world.)
Thanks for coming back to review this one. I can always count on you!
Date: August 22, 2021 07:16 pm Title: Love the One You’re With – Stephen Stills
Okay, I went back through previous chapters to get a sense of where we are in this story right now. Just needed to get my head in the right spot so I can figure out what's going on where and with who. Seems like Jim has some very convincing evidence against Josh. Evidence he would rightly assume there would lead to something big with Jan. A bit of a slight build-up of hope with Jim there that he has this big kind of news. Hope that gets pushed away with Jan's reaction.
Then there's his reaction to him calling Pam. They really have the worst timing in this stage of their life. To get a hold of a drunk, sad, Pam who was just hit on by Danny would sting. His heart is hurting again and it seems that pain leads him towards Karen. Some more of those landmines I mentioned earlier seem to have gone off. Really looking forward to seeing how this all pans out.
Author's Response:
Thanks as always for reading - going back to re-read and reviewing (yes, I know it was a little but confusing in the non-linear telling. I think from here on in it will be a lot easier to follow.
Timing is not really on their side just yet. Karen - she's the unfortunate one to get the short end of that. (But wasn't she always).
1 [Report This]Date: August 19, 2021 07:33 am Title: Oh If I'd only seen that the joke was on me -Bee Gees
It's really cool seeing all of this Stamford stuff, leading up to what happened with Josh and the character of Matt.
I'm really interested in what finally pushes Jim to go out with Karen.
*He wanted to, wanted to take his dream at face value and stop blocking the future he thought possible but in the weeks of mulling it over he decided he’d made enough first moves. The ball was in her court and it looked to him like she had no intention of serving it up. It was looking more and more like point, set, match… point Beesly… game over. Again.*
This is great. Looking forward to the Merger...
Author's Response:
I found it interesting I made up the name Matt, I like it and it seems a common name for the age of the character and then on a deep dive they spoke to DP Matt Sohn and I was like I wonder if my subconscious knew and made his name for me. Anyway my feeling is that if they had become friends with Brian (at least for a while) it stood to reason that if Jim and Matt both came over to Stamford alone they would fast become buddies.
Now as to what pushes him to Karen - you should already know - remember this telling is not linear. He already had a call with a drunk Pam after finding out she had a call with a drunk him.
But it will become clearer in next chapter.
Thanks as always for your review.
1 [Report This]Date: August 17, 2021 05:42 pm Title: Oh If I'd only seen that the joke was on me -Bee Gees
I appreciate the song choice :D Jim’s fax to Dwight is brilliant, and I love that this prank leads to him overhearing Josh’s conversation. (Also, one thing I’ll say for snakey Josh is that he at least seems to love his wife…?) Gah, I love that Jim knowing he’s had a phone call with Pam (even if he doesn’t remember it) is enough to give him hope, and I’m glad - also for Karen’s sake - that it seems to have halted whatever might have been happening there for now. This misinterpretation of the phone calls between him and Pam is just really well written and filled in on both sides, even if it is slightly devastating. And I'm really enjoying Jim's sort of friendship with Matt - I’m glad he’s got a potential ally in Stamford! Greatly looking forward to what comes next.
Author's Response:
Thanks for your review. Always great to hear what you notice and like. Glad you like the prank - they are so fun to write but hard to come up with new ones. Yeah, and don't get the hopes up about Karen, you already know (since the timeline is non-linear) that he has at least taken it somewhere with her.
Funny thing about Matt - I chose name out of blue - or maybe it was subconscious since I later was listening to a deep dive podcast where they talked to DP Matt Sohn. Anyway, we know there was a friendship with Brian (at least for a while) so I felt it would be natural that Jim and the guy sent to follow him around with camera would strike one up right away.
Anyway glad you are liking that and thank you again.
1 [Report This]Date: August 16, 2021 03:57 pm Title: We keep this love in a photograph - Ed Sheeran
I'm slowly but surely working through your updates. ;)
"For her it was the start of something, for him it was just a way to numb him from everything he’d learned that day.
He’d gone long enough without a romantic connection both mentally and physically and while she’d never be Pam, she could be just the thing to help him rebound. He knew he could continue to let her be his antiseptic, let her temporarily block the pain for as long as they were both employed in the same town but did he want to be that guy? A who made promises with his body he had no intention of keeping." - This is exactly how I believe he saw the entire origin of their relationship but wonderfully articulated here. She was a distraction that turned into a relationship out of sheer apathy. And while his integrity wanted to try and make it more because he knew his feelings didn't match hers, the truth was, as you postulated, it was never more than the shallowness of its beginnings.
I, too, love writing Jim drunk and I love how you wrote him here. He's adorable. And oh what a way to end it. You can almost hear Pam's mind racing with the misunderstood information.
Great chapter!
Author's Response:
So great to get your reviews and know you are with me on the Karen/Jim thing. Not the first time (Katy) he went for something he really didn't want, felt obligated to give it a go, and was basically going through motions.
The drunk part was really fun - glad you enjoyed.
Thanks for coming along on this one and your great reviews.
Date: August 16, 2021 09:38 am Title: Oh If I'd only seen that the joke was on me -Bee Gees
This feels like the start of something big. Jim is a planner when he has a mind to be. He's also loyal to his friends, even if at times he has his less than stellar moments. He's also sober now and feeling a bit more hopeful. Seeing that Pam did call does put him in a better mood for sure. How long that mood will last when he finds out what Drunk Jim told her remains to be seen, but we're getting ahead of ourselves. Jim also has a fair sense of justice. Probalby why he pranks Dwight so much. Not only to make Pam laugh and his own sanity, but to remind everyone in Scranton that Dwight's Dwightishness won't be tolerated without reppricusion. So to hear everything like this with Josh I'm sure stikes a cord. To hear your boss badmouth his employees like that, hear him say he's planning on ripping off Dunder Mifflin and he doesn't care, and to find out he's also embezzeling money by taking his wife out on the company dime shouldn't sit well with anyone let along Jim. It all paints a very stark contrast between Josh and Micheal and also goes to show why Micheal does lead the stronger branch despite everything crazy about Micheal.
So we have the start of something to be sure. Feels like there's still some landmines to overcome and more than likely one or two might blow up, but we at least have a starting point.
Nice job.
Author's Response:
Yes I took the differences between the bosses to the extreme. And I think the way Michael always stands up for his employees and goes to bat for them really says a lot. But we all know Jim didn't leave due to issues with Michael so yes, all this stuff with Josh is just compounding his feeling like a fish out of water. (maybe that's why Andy named him Big Tuna).
Always a joy to get your thoughts and insights.