FF: Take a Bow (Part 1)

[cypanache]

Title: Take a Bow (Part 1)
Pairing: Leslie, Ben, Leslie/Ben (with cameos by almost everyone else)
Word Count: ~7,900 (this part)
Rating: PG-13
Timeline: This starts after 4x03 "Born and Raised" and will proceed to move through canon up to 4x06 "End of the World" at which point it will likely take a hard left unless canon really surprises me.
Author's

Comments

[americnxidiot]

I mean who wants to go through life making plans with only three colors. And one of them is white, which isn’t even a color. No idea written on a white index card is going to inspire. It’s like the Jerry of index cards.

This made me laugh a lot. And then I got sucked into reading and didn't stop to c/p anything else, but this is so great. You really did an excellent job getting into both of their heads, particularly Ben and he comparison of moving to Pawnee for Leslie with Ice Town. Oh and Leslie! Justifying that she needs Ben to get over things a little faster so she doesn't have to miss him? That's so spot on. And so sad. I'm really glad you felt compelled to write this, because it's absolutely wonderful.

Also Benny Sundance/Tommy Fresh are my new friendship OTP.

[cypanache]

Thank you so much. Since you're the writer who first gave me a Leslie perspective I could understand and started my thought process heading down this direction, it really means a lot to me that you think Leslie's perspective makes sense.

I'm glad you liked the flashback. I intend to do more as we go, because I think part of what's important about understanding the choices they might make is getting more of a peek at their relationship during that two month 'sneaking period' (also because I like writing them happy but actually suck as established relationship fics, so this is my opportunity).

Also, I agree Benny Sundance/Tommy Fresh are my new mental 'miami vice' pairing.

[stars_inthe_sky]

It feels vaguely how he imagines Galileo must have felt when he first considered the possibility that the Earth revolved around the Sun rather than the other way around.

Wow, this is...wow. All of this. I don't know how you do it, fic after fic...

[cypanache]

Thank you. It was tricky to find the appropriate way to describe how I thought Ben first becoming conscious of the possibility of dating again would feel for him (simultaneously scary and a little ridiculous and yet . . .), so I'm glad the comparison worked for you.

[anonymous]

The office supply thing was so adorable I'm just going to imagine it as canon.

becomes a regular at Sue’s Salads, goes to the Eagleton Farmer’s Market on Saturday, even gets a library card.

Those are some harsh betrayals, Ben.

This is incredibly well-written and true to the characters, I am so eager for more! Fabulous job as always.

[sullen_aquarian]

Seriously, only in Parks could getting a library card be a serious act of rebellion. Love that.

Also adored the Ben and Tom scenes, I kind of missed seeing them hang out the past two episodes and hope we get more that on the show soon.

[cypanache]

Yeah . . . he's a rebel. *G* But I did want to explore this idea that there were these choices Ben was making based on his assumptions of what Leslie would want (choices she never asked him to make), and that subsuming of his personality extended beyond the big stuff like changing jobs and breaking up. And in a way by doing so he denied Leslie the chance to really know all of him. So this is kind of that first little step.

[shornt]

Oh my gosh, all your Leslie groundwork as you wrote this REALLY paid off. That is spot on to me - and kind of this weird twisted thing of how Ben had to wait for her to like him as much as he liked her, and now she has to wait for him to be okay with breaking up as much as her, and wow. I just really love that whole chunk of Leslie's perspective and just a really great interpretation of what's going on in her head

[cypanache]

Thank you and thank you for your help with this. It's been really helpful for me to have all of you be willing to listen to me ramble through everything while trying to sort Leslie out.

I'm glad you enjoyed both the Tom/Ben and Leslie/Ann friendship portions of this fic as both friendships will continue to play a fairly good size role for these two as we go.

[anonymous]

You make me feel so many feelings, the strongest being affectionate annoyance that you've written yet another beautiful perfect fic for me to become attached to while leaving me hanging on all your other beautiful perfect fics in progress. How dare you be so wonderful and talented and have so many great ideas.

[popgurlie]

i'm going to second all of this and come back later to give actual, proper thoughts. i feel like a glutton for glorious punishment because you always break my heart in new and devastating ways, but i always welcome it because you do it so beautifully.

[cypanache]

Yeah . . . you are more than entitled to be annoyed with me. Even non-affectionately annoyed with me. Honestly I almost didn't write this story because I felt so bad about doing so when I knew I owed you guys updates on other stuff. (bad undisciplined Cy)

As I said this really came out of the fact that my season 4 feelings were starting to infect my aus and color my writing of them in ways that weren't right for those stories, so really by putting all of this down on paper and at least starting the process for Ben and Leslie in my head it's partly my hope that I'm able to get back to writing happier versions of them in my other fics.