I enjoy a story with a good trickle down effect. You set that up well here. Michael doesn't fire Devon, no bonus, can't buy ipod,needs to accept Phyllis' homemade gift., no Yankee Swap, Pam gets teapot with note.
I also enjoy when Pam figures things out a little sooner and can act on what she's figured out.
Oh and your Kelly was a lot of fun.

Author's Response:

Thank you so much! Yeah I basically started backwards with this one, what would have caused Pam not to trade the teapot, and then when I realised the iPod was only there because of Michael's bonus, well, the rest then fell into place!

Glad you liked this, and thanks for the review! 

So I know about those cat cafes -don;t know how but I do and I love that detail in this story.

"He wondered why she knew so much about the inner workings of the warehouse, but didn’t press." - OH No...this can't be good for Jim.

*People didn’t always listen, but animals had a way of making you feel noticed.* - this line - esp. in light of your news really tugged at my heart. And very characteristic of Michael.

And I appreciate the line about the pot on the roof having just come from a concert where I'm sure I got a contact high from the smell. But being it's Michael who said it, it could just be an herb garden, someone growing basil and oregano.

I see you with those finger guns...

I love how organically you have introduced and inserted the characters and some canon moments...Dwight as the officer, the firing at DM, the PPC, Phyllis, Sprinkles' death.

I agree with Pam. This is going to be fun.

Author's Response:

The weed garden will definitely come back, lol. Glad you picked up on the warehouse reference... there be trouble ahead...

I knew you (and only you) would pick up on the finger guns <3 

1

Watch it wiggle - see it jiggle, cool and fruity, Jello brand gelatin - okay now this is going to be in my head all night. Not sure if this is the same one you grew up with and referred to in this fic, but to me this is the classic jingle!

I was intrigued if a bit confused diving into it at at first (you warned me not to but I plunged in anyway) but when I got to the reveal I was like "BRILLIANT" and you nailed it.

(now I know that feeling of having something said on OL AFTER you had already come up with it - part serendipitous, part frustrating since like you said there might be doubts as to who said/wrote it first). Knowing you, I know this was without a doubt one of your clever ideas.

Speaking of clever, that disclaimer was the perfect tie-in to what this series will be and should have been the first clue.

Some other things I noted - he Jell-Oed Pam's Jelly bean container - is nothing sacred?

And how come a grown Mose still needs a legal guardian? Wait don't answer that, he dressing the goats.

I am looking forward to more commercial breaks from you.

Author's Response: I was more thinking about the tune at the end of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SoLMCms36Mc.

Well, I'm glad you didn't hit your head!

It's just been sitting there, almost completed, in my drafts for so long... very sad.

Sometimes I think I enjoy coming up with the disclaimers more than the actual writing.

I like to think Jim was clever enough to have them replicate the jelly bean container for the ad... even as he convinced Dwight to use his actual Dwight bobblehead.

I'm not going to lie, the Mose guardianship talking head is basically why I wanted this fic to see the light.

Thank you! Hopefully more coming soon.

1

“On a scale from one to ten, how crazy was what happened this morning with Michael for Dunder Mifflin Scranton? How does “grilling your foot on a Foreman Grill” fits in your daily lives? Because, try as I might, I don’t think I have a full perspective on the local landscape yet.”

Nodded through this whole passage - like I said in my earlier review - when you look at something long enough it seems normal - (excepting the times where you start to wonder if you spelled a simple word wrong after staring at it so long- you know where you doubt for a blip since you have spelled it million times - this is how I see the DMers - Karen has an internal spell check).


“Yes, you have the stupid yet unpredictable premise, the classic and insulting overreaction, and then the legendary conference meeting with props and guests,” Pam paused in reflection. - loved this.

SO I need to ask - since you have shifted events and things are happening not quite in same episodic order - where are we in the Michael and Jan storyline?Just a kiss or have they gone full into their wacky relationship. Either way - be careful Pam - you don't want to send your new friend and confidant running scared.

Fun chapter.

Author's Response:

Thanks! Yes, Karen has a strong internal spell check and DMers are speaking in a different language altogether.

Regarding the Michael/Jan storyline, we should still be following events from season 2. More or less. 

Tbh I never got the appeal of Danny Cordray but I enjoyed how you brought him and Karen together. And at least now he won’t have had dated Pam.

Author's Response: Thanks! I am a huge fan of Timothy Olyphant so I have a soft spot for Danny Cordray :)

1

Well this is a casino night ending I can get on board with. It is sad that Pam will lose her best office girlfriend but like a fairy godmother, she came and did her job and it’s now time for her to move on. I hope they can still stay close.

Nice job and congratulations on finishing your first MTT fic.

Author's Response: Thank you! In my head, they stay close and reconvene often to go over the office's shenanigans (among other things). And thank you for commenting from the beginning, it made this experience truly special to me.

1

What a poignant look into Pam’s regret and her pain at knowing her fear of change and taking a risk led to. That inner turmoil is loud and you gave voice to her hindsight.

Thanks for sharing it.

Author's Response:

Why thank you! Pam goes through a lot, and we don't ever get to hear her inner turmoil. We just get to see it. So, I'm happy to provide her a voice!

Thanks again! 

1

First of all nice work getting this up in time for the auspicious (I have faith in you for tonight, you seem like you do this often) holiday today.

It's not like you had much time but to be fair I shared as soon as I learned of it myself. And the way you weaved it into the story felt very natural and very Roy - who absolutely burned the pasta (the food you make in the thing that puts out fires) on purpose so he wouldn't be asked to cook again ever. Cad!

Okay have to remark on the painting. Nothing of substance, she can paint it but can't recognize it in her own situation (but hoping this might be remedied soon) 

As for the couple, am I being presumptuous that the Beth was for me? If it was. I'm touched and honored and if you just like the name, well so do I. I did appreciate the advice they told them about engagement period - I can only hope Pam did too.

And that was a funny bit about the prom photo shoot - always enjoy these side stories too.

 Enjoyed this chapter a lot.  

1

First of all - very clever title - Pam was boiling alright by the end of this chapter and halleluiah for that. It's about time she saw the light (in part thanks to one very helpful Beth and of course in seeing that her cooking partner is a better an than her potential future partner. I do hope her decision sticks!

Other things I enjoyed in this chapter -

how Jan has to pad the due date knowing Michael so well - and that Darryl knows how Jan knows Michael so well. Little details that add to the overall story.
Little nods to show elements - like the strip bar and going to Niagara Falls.

The little call out to a MTT classic. The locker scene - yup classic Roy. I thought you nailed character of Kenny too.

The small visions of family life (the ones she would like to have that she shares with Beth) are so sweet to read.

Great details to have Jim anxious to check on the cook. However I am with Kenny however about the mushy peas. Not of fan of peas at all but make them mushy and sorry to say but I'd toss them down the sink too. Sorry to yuck anyone's yum.

Now that Pam is a free agent looking forward to how you title the next chapter - and of course how it plays out.

Author's Response: Thank you! I've been having fun with the chapter titles in this one for sure. Both Jim and Pam had moments where they were boiling so it seemed to fit, though of course it was also intentional. Pam's gotten a lot of fresh perspective from a new source here and it's made all the difference. To be looking more at actions rather than words and if those actions are the kind of thing she'd want going forward. Kind of a look to the past to predict the future kind of thing.

Glad you caught all the little details I put in. Jan knowing Michael, various locations from the show, the MTT call out. Always fun to put stuff like that in and see if people catch it.

I've got some fun ideas for the next chapter. Thanks as always for your detailed reviews.

1

Great to have you back to writing these. They are always a lot of fun.

This is a frenetic song which lends itself to the feeling here.In bringing in many of the characters to participate and the reasons behind their motivation to do so, was well, well done. Stanley's especially nice callback to Healthcare.

However, I do detect the sense of melancholy too shadowing over the whole prank. Jim is NOT fine. He already seems to have set his own plan in motion and while he may not know yet what he will do at Casino Night, all the references to it just really got to me.

"got to do a lot to break even"
"Go big or go home."
The "leave it all on the table" line really struck me.

So having grown up on REM - I could appreciate all the references and I love a fic that hits on song beats (even when they feel very far from being a Jam jam) although it is very much foreshadowing the end of their world as we know it ...at least for the season that would follow. However, I don't think I picked up on the pun. Maybe you need to fansplain this one.

Oh and have to give you kudos for the disclaimer - anytime we get mention of Dwight's apocalypse readiness I just have to smile.

Keep em coming.

Author's Response: Oh, man. This one... this one has haunted me. I'm glad you liked it, but honestly I'm more glad I never have to think about it again if I don't want to.

I had entirely too much fun identifying the various Dunder Mifflinites who might have a continuing grudge against Dwight. He leaves a lot of hurt feelings in his wake, that guy. I'm pleased (if unsurprised) you caught the shadow over the whole thing... which was a major part of the point of this fic and also what held it up most, figuring out how to execute that, this sense that Pam needs the status quo restored and Jim is just looking for one last hurrah before he leaves. The intention was very much to have Casino Night on the reader's mind. Glad it worked for you!

Who doesn't love REM? That would be just wrong. The pun is that Michael's dentist appointment is at 2:30... aka tooth-hurty, a great time for a dentist appointment. Maybe I'm overthinking this.

Dwight would survive and thrive in the apocalypse. And all his co-workers would be begging him for help in the end.

Thank you so much!

1

Well you took your Karen up a notch in the b factor...but you took your Roy to a whole other level with what he did to Pam....whoa that was intense.

But jumping ahead...Pam's plan seems to be working as they enjoy time in the breakroom and make plans to take care of Jim's lack of decorations at home. That they had the convo here was a nice set up to what I thought was going to be an early resolution and reunification.

But then we get to the "thing"... first the confrontation -tense but wow - not expecting what he revealed about where Pam was (trying not to be spoilery in my review hard not to with next comment)...not that I wasn't concerned for Pam but the see some of your OCs return for this story...I'll take it. Love that I always get some details from them and you that are new and interesting.

Looking forward to the happy ending (I hope)

Author's Response: Yeah, the B factor in Karen jumped up a notch, but from where I sit it did the same when she felt there was any kind of competition for Jim's affections. Angry Roy is known to get physical. Drunk Angry Roy could get even more so.

It was a lot of fun to write that heart-to-heart in the break room. A few more steps back to themselves.

Glad you liked the return of Medic 4. The ending should be fun too.

1

This covers first two chapters I've read so far.
First thing I'll say is I know Tom Lehrer and appreciate his songs (they are very nostalgic to me since my mom played his album for me a lot as a child and I have shared New Math with my son) but I did not know this one (until now) - what fun!

The set up here was really well done - I mean your Roy is pretty clueless and awful and having all that culminate in revealing to Michael info he never, but would be very dangerous in his hands was well played.

And then it all begins - all the craziness that ensues once Michael knows is fun to read and his gaffes seem very him (although to be fair I roll my eyes when the Matzo gets prominently displayed for every Jewish holiday at the local grocery -so Michael is not alone when it comes to this stuff)

Looking forward to reading the rest of the craziness than unfolds as Pam celebrates her holiday (without Roy).

Author's Response:

Thank you! Did you know he recently put all his songs in the public domain? Great guy (and I grew up on his music, so I'm very happy right now).

 Thank you for the nice words! I hope you enjoy how I bring this sucker home.