Super late to this party...
I’ve loved The Office for a few years now & have dabbled in fic for other fandoms. Deep in another rewatch, I thought there’s got to be some amazing fic out there for arguably one of the greatest shows of all time & here I am - potentially attempting to devour the MTT archive in its entirety?
If I manage to stop reading for long enough, I may attempt to add a few ideas of my own. Time will tell.
Edit May 19: Understandably, I've fallen head over heels with this archive and all that it offers. I've started a Fic Rec Friday thread on Twitter, where I enthuse about the many stories that have brought me joy. So, I'm just putting it out there if you'd like to stop by and have a look. I'm also super open if you have any suggestions that you think should be added/are must reads...
My The Office dedicated Twitter: @chilibabies
You can also find me: @standardcatlady
Jim and Pam, a snowstorm, and a bottle of tequila. Could a Christmas miracle finally force these two to be honest with each other?
Takes place immediately following A Benihana Christmas.
I’m so happy to see an update! I’m loving this story. Thanks so much for sharing! Can’t wait to read the final chapter.
Author's Response: Oh, thank you! This one has been a lot of fun to write so I’m really happy you’re enjoying it! Thanks for reading! :)
1 Coley, coming back to re-read this fic is my new favorite Christmas tradition (& I am the kind of person who very much loves Christmas traditions). I actually think this fic was the very first one I reviewed on MTT. I love it SO DAMN MUCH.
“I already do.” MY HEART.
The turtledoves?! Perfection, just utter perfection.
Pam’s bread baking? I love a good reference to reality.
It’s all so wonderful. Merry almost Christmas - I’ll be back again next year with further exhalations.
Author's Response: Jenna! Everything about this review makes me so happy. I had so much fun writing this story and it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written; so I love knowing that other people enjoyed it as well. I too love a good tradition and I agree that reading this one yearly is a great one 😊 Merry Christmas!
1 Oh my! I love how you repurposed that line about Roy here & managed to break my heart (& Pam’s) all over again. Looking forward to seeing what comes next.
Well, that’s bound to make things a bit complicated... I feel for this Pat guy, he seems nice & I’m guessing things aren’t ultimately going to go his way. Although, there are definitely stories out there that don’t end with Jim & Pam together... It’ll be interesting to see where you take this one.
Pam and Jim’s friendship is fragile and their hearts even more so, will a Christmas time prank on Dwight be just the thing they need?
Canon divergent after A Benihana Christmas. For the Secret Santa Fic exchange
1 I can’t stop thinking about this story! I also can’t wait to see Pam’s one-kitchened apartment! I’m desperately hoping that you’ll finish it (& keep the Christmas spirit alive well into the new year).
1 I can’t even begin to tell you how excited I am to see you update this one! I love absolutely everything about it. Your Dwight and Angela are spot on. The quite affection every one has for one another is so great - Dwight for Pam, Angela for Pam, Pam for Dwight/Angela. It’s so lovely to see the little ways in which they have each others backs. I can’t wait to see how the Christmas baking in Pam’s one-kitchen pans out.
1 It was supposed to be a welcome back present?! I’m sorry, are you trying to make me cry? And at Christmas no less... 😉
Oh cool, now you’ve turned Pam’s gift into essentially her teapot/teapot card. It’s fine. I’m fine. My heart can definitely handle that.
I need to know what’s up with Jim! When you say you’ll try get un update up before Christmas, you mean Christmas in July, right?!
1 NLM! I adore this story! I am so, so glad to see an update! And on Christmas Eve no less! This chapter was delightful. I love that Jim dug out the teapot card & that they’d signed off in the same way to one another. The whole thing had me brimming with Christmas joy!
1 The cat swatting at the pickle ornament had me laughing out loud. It’s too real.
This whole chapter was perfection, just the right amount of fluff and fun and Christmas spirit!
Your Dwangela remain so very brilliant. I’m so very glad you came back to this story this year!
1 Oh my heart! This was such a lovely blend of funny & sweet. I loved it.
Author's Response: I'm glad! Thank you for the review, it's really nice to know I hit the sweet spot I was going for.
An AU version of season 2's "Valentine's Day".
Pam is more than a little annoyed and Jim steps in. Holiday fluff ensues.
[I got the idea after reading "V-J Day", by Comfect. I you haven't checked that one out yet, do it. Now.]
Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
This Valentine’s Day is really delivering on the fics! I can’t wait to see where this is headed!
Author's Response: Thanks so much! I hope you enjoy the rest :)
1 I loved this chapter! You’re killing me just a little by ending it on a cliffhanger. I can feel all the tension in the air. I can’t wait to hear Jim’s response!
I hope you’re feeling okay after your accident! I don’t think it’s diminished your writing at all!
1 Welcome back! I’m sorry to hear your summer was tough.
This was lovely. It’s nice to see a less harsh version of Karen. I feel like she’s a little gentler here. A little more accepting of the inevitably that is Jim’s feelings for Pam. A little less eager to hang on when things aren’t looking promising.
Much like canon at this point, I just want to push Pam and Jim together and make them honestly sort things out. I think you’re building the story nicely to have it feel organic when they eventually work their way back together.
I thought it was interesting to have the 5 years conversation with Wallace at this point. I hope it prompts Jim to think a little more seriously about what he really wants (and how to make that happen).
Looking forward to seeing your post Cocktails fallout - especially the interaction between Roy and Jim...
1 Oh my heart. You conveyed so much emotion in so little words. I would say you’ve definitely proven you can master the short chapter/story too!
Author's Response: Thank you for the kind words. It's a challenge to be sure but fun.
1 Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. Oh my gosh. I have been dying for someone to take that blooper and turn it into magic and here we are. I’m so excited to see where you go with it. I can’t express how overjoyed I am that this is happening. Also, anytime is a good time for a Christmas fic. Did I mention that I am very, very happy that you’re writing this...
Author's Response: You know, you may have mentioned it once or twice. :) Granted I'm changing it up a bit, since Dwight deserves to be waiting for his helicopter after all. However this should be fun. Thanks for the support.
1 Oh boy. This is really the gift that keeps on giving: the most fic-worthy blooper of all time, adorable JAM times and angry Roy (I love me some angry Roy drama). I can’t wait to see what the next installment will bring!
Author's Response: Thank you. I've got a bunch of fun ideas brewing for this story. Hopefully you'll find them just as engaging.
1 I haven’t had much spare time this week & I’m back to find 3 new chapters! I feel very blessed. I loved that Karen’s got no grounding to be self-righteous and indignant considering that she is very much in the wrong in this scenario. The Danny scene was fun. Once again, I can’t wait to see where you go next!
Author's Response: I'm glad I could get some good chapters out quickly for you to enjoy then. Yeah, Karen and Danny aren't some of my favorites, thus those scenes. Glad you're enjoying it so much. Thanks for the review.
1 Happy Birthday! I hope you have a lovely day! Thank you for gifting us on your day. Loved the canon adapted reveal. Dwight wanting to be notified about the desk change was so very Dwight. Very fun to end it on a “cliffhanger” like that. This has been a super fun read!
Author's Response: Thank you for the birthday wishes and all the great comments. I had a lot of fun when I thought up the ending to this chapter/story. I'm very glad you liked it so much. Hope to hear from you again when I start up my next story.
The only thought fixed in his mind is how easy he and Pam have landed into that comforting, exciting place of banter and pranks and how he never ever wants to leave it again.
Pam is jinxed and Jim knows he has to take this chance.
Set during season 3.
1 I love everything about this so much. So many sweet little perfect one-liners. “Suddenly.” It was everything a great one shot should be and more.
Author's Response:
Thanks very much!
I really enjoyed writing this one.
1 Let’s be honest, a fairy-tale romance is what I wish for for Jim and Pam in every fic ever so I’m very excited to see where this goes. Michael with the not so motivational posters is amazing, and so very in character. I can’t wait to see where you take us next.
Author's Response:
Thank you! And yes, I really believe Michael would have grabbed the wrong motivational poster and not realized it - it was that idea that really sealed with me where I was going with this story.
And right? That’s all we want for Jim and Pam - one of the good fairy-tales, not like, Rumpelstiltskin, because that would be kind of weird...
1 This continues to be a super fun read. It may have increased my love for Kelly tenfold. That double date was all kinds of awkward. I have a relative with all kinds of epi pen level food allergies so that inclusion felt all too real/relatable. Poor hay fever-y Mike, he’s never going to make it past that third date (& definitely not with Pam). What a lovely culmination of this fairytale-esque adventure.
Author's Response: Thank you so much for reading! I loved writing this silly little thing and I love that you're on the Pam/Kelly BFF train with me. :)
1 This is just so fun! I am very much in love with magic-mirror-Kelly, she is a delight. I wondered where you were going with this & I never in a million years would have guessed Snow White. Looking forward to the next chapter!
Author's Response: I loved writing Kelly so much for this story, so I'm glad you enjoyed her too!
1 This story was everything that is good and pure in the world. I loved it so much. If only Pam had been so bold so early. This iteration of Larissa was a great inclusion too. Thanks for sharing!
Author's Response: Aw, thank you so much! I'm delighted to hear all of this, particularly the part about Larissa (I'm always concerned about writing her since she's basically a non-entity in the show). Thank you for reading!
The documentary crew is about to start filming but they need an actress undercover, to make things a little interesting. Pam wants the long term job, only it'll prove much harder than she thought, especially in terms of not getting involved with the subjects.
1 “Just a regular couple doing regular couple things” Oh I shouldn’t laugh, but this feels a little too close to some of Pam and Roy’s canon interactions... It makes this premise all the more believable.
“Hey, Brian” Nope. I don’t like where this is headed. Nope, nope, nope.
"Are we allowed to have a drink? Together? I mean, if you want to."Â Umm. No. Nope. No thank you.
I kid. Mostly. This is a great twist! My bias for hating on Brian is definitely getting in the way. I don’t hate him hate him, but I don’t love him getting in the way of Pam and Jim in any capacity either.
Katy is even more meaningful in this context. I wonder how Pam will feel about her final realization. After all, she’s backed off from Jim to protect him from the deception taking place, and now he’s being deceived by someone with even less regard for his feelings... I have my fingers crossed it will propel Pam into some sort of action!
Author's Response:
Thanks so much for such a lovely review!
In this scenario, poor Pam doesn't even have "regular couple things"... hence, Brian. And I knew he's a character people love to hate, which is, of course, fun to write. Fun fact: do you know that actor voices Mickey Mouse?
So Pam gets some action and then, indeed, Katy arrives and it's clear she won't have Jim's interests in her heart. Now it's time for Pam to do something. Will she though?
Thanks again!
1 This is such an interesting premise! I actually think I had been reading it as you posted. The first few chapters definitely seemed familiar. I’m glad you’ve come back to it!
I really quite like this version of Roy (and that’s not something I’ve written all that often before...) It’s a little sad that as a fake fiancé I feel like he has more genuine conversations with Pam and seems to have her back a whole lot more.
I feel for Pam. She’s so torn between her job and her genuine chemistry with Jim. It hurts my heart a little that she essentially chose her job over him in this chapter. Poor Jim must be so very confused over her turning cold on him, although I assume he would think that it was all about Roy.
I’m really looking forward to seeing where you take this next!
Author's Response:
Thanks very much! It's proving to be difficult to write, because I fell like I have to put in a lot of explanations before really getting into the good stuff... well I hope you don't get bored.
I kinda like this Roy, too. He¿s not really a bad guy, and in this case he is a bit of an ally to Pam.
And her choosing to start ignoring Jim is a little about her career but also about him. You review made me realise that was not very clear, so I added a few lines on that regard. She know he'd feel really stupid if he finds out she'd been going along with the flirting knowing that it was just a show, so she stops.
Anyway, next chapter is almost done and I hope to move things a little.
Thanks again!