Recent Entries 
28th-Jun-2013 10:07 am VID REC: Parks and Recreation - 5 Years Time
Vidder: DayIn3
Musical artist: Noah & the Whale
Pairing: Gen, with Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt bits
Vidder on LJ: Unknown
Vidder's website: Unknown

Why this vid kicks ass: The heart of "Parks and Recreation" is its ensemble. We all love the pairings and world-building and endless optimism about American politics, but the show is almost always at its best when it's everyone together. This vid embodies that--it's warm and wonderful and makes me smile every time. A lot of "Noah & the Whale" songs seem to suit this fandom for one reason or another, but this is definitely my favorite.

Five Years Time by DayIn3
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27th-Jun-2013 10:29 am "It Feels Like Christmas" by stillscape (PG)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation/The Muppets
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, other canon
Length: 8300 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] stillscape
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: This fic isn't exactly seasonal at the moment, but I was out of town for Crossover Day and wanted to make sure y'all got to read it, because it's hilarious and heartwarming and straight-up musical. It's [livejournal.com profile] stillscape at her finest and most crack-tastic, and if you don't come out smiling, well, there's not much I can do to help you.

The Christmas cookie explosion had started as a consequence of Leslie’s suspension.  )
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26th-Jun-2013 03:26 pm "It's All Your State of Mind" by Panache (T)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Length: 5,623 words
Author on LJ: Unknown
Author Website: FFN

Why this must be read: In a great example of "what could've been," this fic considers Ben's media meltdown as a potentially viral video, complete with personal fallout...and a response that only Leslie Knope could engineer. Bonus points for "Dunk a State Auditor" and probably the best context one could imagine for the line, "Leslie Knope. Don't tell me you're not ready to talk solutions?"

In the kind of miracle that could only happen in Pawnee (and Frank Capra movies, if Frank Capra had a really weird sense of humor) come morning he's become a kind of rallying cry, a folk hero of south central Indiana. )

It's All Your State of Mind
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25th-Jun-2013 09:56 am "Sweet and Low" by whyagain (PG-13)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Mostly gen with Chris Traeger/various and Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt in the background
Length: 2692 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] whyagain
Author Website: Fic tag

Why this must be read: I've long wondered why a lot of people put up with Chris after the first impression, especially Ben, who has to always be the one to say no. This fic pretty much explains exactly how and why, sketching out our favorite state auditors' relationship over the years and their subtle understanding of each other. It's just the right amount of melancholy and ultimately hopeful, and the ending makes me want to cheer.

And maybe once he’s gone, he doesn’t look back. He keeps his head down and maybe he misses birthdays and holidays, illnesses and milestones.  )

Sweet and Low
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24th-Jun-2013 10:52 am "Snapshots Left on the Negative" by cypanache
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Length: 13,101 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] cypanache
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: What starts as your typical "five times" AU fic spins quickly into something entirely atypical and entirely gorgeous, lyrical, and memorable. For those who thought the slow burn of Leslie and Ben's relationship in Season 3 was delicious, keep reading.

Simple version? Five conversations Leslie and Ben have in formal wear. (But of course life is always more complicated than that). )

Snapshots Left on the Negative
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21st-Jun-2013 10:18 am "All Roads Lead to You" by CyPanache (T)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Length: 6723 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] cypanache
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: Funny and sweet and sad all at once, this chronological fic follows the twists and turns and character-building moments that make Leslie and Ben who they are by the time they finally meet (or re-meet, depending on how you look at things). The prose is gorgeous and perfectly bittersweet, and the author's keen grasp of the characters' histories is unforgettable.

Twelve years from now he will wish that someone had pulled him aside and said 'you should have practiced more.' )

All Roads Lead to You
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20th-Jun-2013 01:13 pm IndiANNa by kittu9 (T)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: None
Length: ~1400 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] kittu9
Author Website: [livejournal.com profile] tomatocages

Why this must be read: Ann Perkins gets a bad rap sometimes, mostly because the writers never seem quite sure of what to do with her (besides using her as half of one of the best Bechdel-passing friendships on network TV). Here, we explore a bit of Ann's backstory, rendered in a deft and frankly honest hand, and (aside from the lack of Michigan) who's to say it isn't canon?

Ann lives a small life, and even if Leslie understands in all the wrong ways, Ann’s content. )

IndiANNa
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19th-Jun-2013 10:52 am "next stop, the world" by synecdoche (PG-13)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, Ann Perkins/Chris Traeger, April Ludgate/Andy Dwyer
Length: 11 chapters of about 3-4k words each
Author on LJ: synecdoche
Author Website: None (but LJ is all fic)

Why this must be read: This is another post-"Li'l Sebastian" entry, albeit one that's longer and a bit more upbeat than some of its peers. But this was an early favorite of mine when I began digging into Parksfic, and with good reason--didn't we all wany Leslie and Ben to find a way to navigate their relationship and her campaign? Throw in some surprisingly good Ann/Chris business and a dash of April and Andy actually kinda acting like adults on occasion, and you've got a recipe for awesome.

He closes with something like call me Bill, Leslie followed by see you at seven! but Leslie is too busy savoring the moment, the way her kitchen is illuminated by the green-gold of the May sunlight filtering through the trees in her backyard. Usually government is all about these small, great moments as a result of months and months of struggle and even if she hasn't particularly struggled for this exact phone call, she can feel the seconds swelling up inside her, building the moment bigger and bigger and, most definitely, great. )

next stop, the world
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18th-Jun-2013 11:58 am "Turn the Page" by drphungus (G)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Length: 1535 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] drphungus
Author Website: [livejournal.com profile] escape_speed

Why this must be read: We know from "Born and Raised" that Leslie gave the whole gang signed copies of her book, but she and Ben hardly interacted in that episode, much to the chagrin of everyone's poor little shipper hearts. This fic remedies that, while staying (almost) tidily in canon and making references to the actual, published-in-real-life book.

April gets seven pages of a lovingly rendered note, and he gets…nothing. The inside cover and endsheets of his copy of her book are blank save for his name. )

Turn the Page
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18th-Jun-2013 11:50 am "Count to Ten" by americnxidiot (PG)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Length: 950 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] americnxidiot
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: Through a series of notes and text messages, [livejournal.com profile] americnxidiot  ives us a fun, flirty, and heartfelt look at the early days of Leslie and Ben's actual-but-super-secret relationship, circa "The Bubble." The giddiness of two otherwise reasonable adults that we see onscreen is present in full force here, and I dare you not to smile when he writes, "Give me a number between one and ten."

Happiness is not a goal; it’s a by-product. )

Count to Ten
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18th-Jun-2013 11:46 am "Simple As It Should Be" by shornt (PG-13)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Length: 2600 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] shornt
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: Leslie frets, only a little unreasonably, about her future with Ben. Ann Perkins, friend and beautiful nurse, is there to tone down the crazy. And then there's a lot of wondering about proposals. My description isn't doing the sweetness and loveable fluff of this fic justice, I'm sorry, just read it.

You two are pretty gross, don’t you do that normally? )

Simple As It Should Be
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18th-Jun-2013 11:42 am "The Whole Sky Fell" by ohmyohpioneer (R)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Length: 2808 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] ohmyohpioneer
Author Website: Unknown

Why this must be read: The Harvest Festival goes off without a hitch, but in a tragic twist, Ben's father dies a few days before it begins. Watching him work through the pain of loss while confronting his complicated history with his hometown and is family is heartbreaking, and his longing for Leslie--even at this earlier stage of their friendship--is palpable.

His sister’s voice is strange on the other end of the line, but he ignores it with that awkward, stunted laugh he affects when someone asks to keep money in the budget for doughnuts at the weekly staff meeting. )

The Whole Sky Fell
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12th-Jun-2013 10:40 am "How Ben Wyatt Quits the Government and Finds Himself" by jncar (R)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, background other canonical pairings
Length: ~47K words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] jncar
Author Website: Master List

Why this must be read: This fic has long since been jossed and then some, but when it was written (in between "Li'l Sebastian" and "I Am Leslie Knope")...well, the potential of a Ben/Leslie breakup was on everyone's minds, and this fic delivered better than almost any other on both the angst and character-development fronts. I think a lot of us were convinced that Ben would indeed quit the government and follow Tom to Entertainment 720--and if things had gone that way, I'm still sure it would've looked like this, with expansive worldbuilding, lots of introspection, and the creativity and cooperation that define all of our favorite Pawnee citizens (native and otherwise).

But every time he really thinks about it—about how much he's given up for her, and how much he was ready to risk for her, and how little she was ready to risk for him—it feels pretty goddamn vicious. )

How Ben Wyatt Quits the Government and Finds Himself
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11th-Jun-2013 11:34 am "Ending on the Rhyme" by devlinacardigan (PG)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Donna Meagle/Jean-Ralphio Saperstein
Length: 2944 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] devlinacardigan
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: Okay, I know what the pairing says, but bear with me. It works. Told from Jean-Ralphio's inimitable perspective, this piece is an engaging mixture of sad and swag, and the guy has never been written better.

Even Tom calls with some story of a chick picking him up in the Target's parking lot when he was on his way over and Jean-Ralphio lets them all off the hook as gracefully as he can. )

Ending on the Rhyme
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10th-Jun-2013 11:53 am "The Day the Kinkmeme Came to Pawnee" by saucydiva (R)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, everyone/everyone else
Length: 8.5K words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] saucydiva
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: A lot of people, it seems, stumble into Parks fandom from the famed NBC kinkmeme, so it was really only a matter of time before someone mashed up the two, and [livejournal.com profile] saucydiva is absolutely the right one to make it happen. There's plot atop the (implied) porn, as well as some delightfully meta bits, everyone's perfectly in-character reactions, and a weirdly hot argument about the Declaration of Independence. If you're at work today (like I am), I dare you to read this with a straight face.

Jason has already determined that he cannot remove this board via any legal means, since it is being hosted overseas. Right now, our lawyers are looking into case law to see if there is anything that can be done to serve the site with a cease-and-desist, but as of right now, our hands are tied. Which, actually, is one of the prompts. )

The Day the Kinkmeme Came to Pawnee
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7th-Jun-2013 11:57 am "Brandi Maxxxx's Masterpiece" by stillscape (NC-17)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: ...various?
Length: 7,900 words
Author on LJ: stillscape
Author Website: Master List

Why this must be read: If you're new to the Parksverse, you may not have met Pawnee's resident porn star or come to understand her feelings of sisterhood with a certain Ms. Knope. Inspired by a crack theory that Brandi was running for City Council alongside Leslie as research for a film, this fic is easily the most hilarious and well-thought-out exploration of the adult film industry, method acting, and actual Parks canon that I can imagine, from start to finish. If you don't think that the debate speech "Leelee" makes is pretty much the best thing ever, I don't know what do you with you.

(That this premise basically became canon in Season 5's "Bailout" is just icing on a very, very sexy cake.)

Women had to stick together, because together, women could do anything—like control men using their collective sexuality, for a start. )

Brandi Maxxxx's Masterpiece
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7th-Jun-2013 11:40 am "Free-Range Hearts" by ratherdance (PG)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Carl Lorthner
Length: ~1600 words
Author on LJ: ratherdance
Author Website: Master List

Why this must be read: Of all the SNL-connected cameos on Parks and Rec, Andy Samberg's is a perpetual favorite. Who didn't want to see more of his outdoor-voiced park range? Therefore, in honor of this very rainy Friday (at least where I am), I give you this laugh-out-loud tale of Carl's rescue of Leslie while she takes over the hummingbird-feeder duty. It's (almost) a shame Ben Wyatt showed up a couple episodes later, huh?

And so Leslie had bucked up and undertaken her duty brimming with the spirit, compiling hummingbird-themed mental to-do lists )

Free-Range Hearts
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5th-Jun-2013 11:58 am E! True Hollywood Story: Janet Snakehole by torigates (G)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Gen (April Ludgate/Andy Dwyer?)
Length: 3103 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] torigates
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: I'm sorry, did you read the title? Do you need any other reason to go read this? (But seriously, it's a quick and hilarious read, and you really should click through.)

She was born [full name redacted]. She would take her husband’s name after their marriage in [year redacted], and assumed the name Janet after the events of [several paragraphs redacted]. )

E! True Hollywood Story: Janet Snakehole
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4th-Jun-2013 11:11 am "Dear Friend" by stillscape (PG-13)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, background others
Length: ~94k words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] stillscape
Author Website: Master List | Tumblr

Why this must be read: "Dear Friend" is the best sort of AU--one that transports set characters into a new setting, while both adapting them accordingly and keeping them entirely recognizable. Here, the Pawnee gang heads to summer camp as grade-schoolers, and Leslie and Ben face off in a meet-cute inspired by "The Shop Around the Corner." [livejournal.com profile] stillscape does a brilliant job of making everyone feel like teenagers (or younger), and she takes into account a still-changing canon with flair. Plus, the various bonus chapters and deleted scenes will make you giddy!

Benjamin Wyatt, we have had this discussion more times than I have manual digits. Your cousin Richie went there a few years ago. He liked it. It’ll be useful. You can get a first aid certification. )

Dear Friend
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3rd-Jun-2013 01:59 pm "Safety Zone" by saucydiva (PG)
Fandom: Parks and Recreation
Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt
Length: 5400 words
Author on LJ: [livejournal.com profile] saucydiva
Author Website: Tumblr

Why this must be read: This is LIT-RALLY one of my all-time favorite Parksfics, featuring the whole gang, water balloons, hilarious hijinks, and a hefty dose of Leslie/Ben sexual tension. [livejournal.com profile] saucydiva is one of the fandom's best authors--she has a loving, pitch-perfect grasp of the characters and an ability to make even the most mundane moments laugh-out-loud funny.

We are having a party to eradicate Alzheimer’s! )

Safety Zone
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