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Vidder: DayIn3Musical 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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Fandom: Parks and Recreation/The Muppets Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, other canon Length: 8300 words Author on LJ: stillscapeAuthor Website: TumblrWhy 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 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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Fandom: Parks and Recreation Pairing: None Length: ~1400 words Author on LJ: kittu9Author Website: tomatocagesWhy 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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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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Fandom: Parks and Recreation Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt Length: 950 words Author on LJ: americnxidiotAuthor Website: TumblrWhy this must be read: Through a series of notes and text messages, 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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Fandom: Parks and Recreation Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt Length: 2600 words Author on LJ: shorntAuthor Website: TumblrWhy 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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Fandom: Parks and Recreation Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, background other canonical pairings Length: ~47K words Author on LJ: jncarAuthor Website: Master ListWhy 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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Fandom: Parks and Recreation Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt, everyone/everyone else Length: 8.5K words Author on LJ: saucydivaAuthor Website: TumblrWhy 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 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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Fandom: Parks and Recreation Pairing: ...various? Length: 7,900 words Author on LJ: stillscape Author Website: Master ListWhy 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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Fandom: Parks and Recreation Pairing: Leslie Knope/Ben Wyatt Length: 5400 words Author on LJ: saucydivaAuthor Website: TumblrWhy 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. 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 Alzheimerâs! )Safety Zone | |
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