#i am back making malex edits

[fangeek-girl]

Fic Tag Game

Thank you @wibzenadarksiderwithasoftheart for the tag

How many works do you have on Ao3?

Works: 12 Fics: 11 One of my works is original fiction

2. What's your Ao3 word count?

242,814 (including 2 unfinished fics)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

At the moment Star Wars only, but when the mood strikes Roswell New Mexico as well.

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

Fix You (Star Wars, Obianidala)

Three Makes a Family (RNM, Malex)

One Love (RNM, Malex)

Halves of a Whole (Star Wars, Skywalker Dyad part 1)

Treacherous (RNM, Malexa)

5. Do you respond to comments?

When people actually comment, yes! I always feel my responses are superfluous, but I love when people take the time to comment.

6. What's the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Probably Last Kiss, considering it ends with Padmé's death...

7. What's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Three Makes a Family, but it's been in edits for over a year so nobody gets to see how wholesome it ends because I haven't been able to put myself back into the RNM writing mood 😭

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I did in the RNM fandom because some people can't handle polyamory.

9. Do you write smut? What kind?

Not much. I usually default to fluffy smut. The closest I've come to actual smut in published fics is Treacherous, and it's focused on their feelings rather than the action.

10. Do you write cross-overs?

I tend to stay in one fandom at a time when writing.

11. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Nope. And I'm not sure I'd like it. I would be too worried about whether they got the tone right.

12. Have you ever cowritten a fic before?

Once, when I was in the TVD fandom, years ago. The other two cowriters just stopped participating after like 3 chapters and told me I could do whatever, then got mad at me for taking the whole thing down.

13. What WIP you would like to finish, but doubt you ever will?

Ouch. Three Makes a Family is technically written, just not edited. So it's kinda finished...? But I haven't fallen back into the RNM mood, and the shitshow that was s4 made it very hard.

14. What's your all-time favourite ship?

Ships come and go with my special interests, so ask me every few months and the answer will be different. Right now, I'm leaning toward Obikin/Anidala equally.

15. What are your writing strengths?

Writing out feelings and lyrical prose. (What is this, an interview? 😅)

16. What are your writing weaknesses?

Continuity in a long arc. My brain goes too fast and gets stuck on subplots. Halfway through a long project I usually have to rethink my idea for the ending (if I even knew where I was going in the first place) because I strayed so far from the original plot lol

On the bright side I am slowly learning to actually outline my fics 😂

17. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language for a fic?

For real languages, it needs to be grammatically correct. I say this as a native French speaker who read way too many published novels where there's dialogue in French and it's absolutely awful.

For fandoms languages, have fun I guess! A translation in the notes or between parenthesis always helps tho.

18. First fandom you wrote for?

Either HP or Buffy, back when we posted on fanfiction.net. I read those fandoms a lot as a teen, but I can't remember if I wrote much back then.

19. Favourite fic you've ever written?

Treacherous maybe? I really love how it turned out.

20. What fic would you want to rewrite one day?

None. When I post a fic it's done in my head. If I start thinking about how it could be better, I'll never stop editing and rewriting it. And then no one would get to read it. My fics are by no means perfect, and there's always something bugging me about them when I reread them, but they represent my writing at that moment.

Tagging @bisexualalienss, @maeglinthebold, @burntblueberrywaffles, @palfriendpatine66 and @somethingsteff and anyone else who wants to do it. Feel free to ignore me 😉

#Fic Tag Game #my stuff #about me #tag game

[pastelwitchling]

My head hurts. I feel like I’m in a perpetual state of numbness, and the numbness cracks only to give way to misery. In other words, here are my thoughts on 4x10. Future rin edit; this one is long, I went on a bit of a tangent, I apologize.

If Michael or Kyle weren’t in the scene, I skipped it. I legitimately don’t know anything going on with the others except who they were working with and that Tezca is indeed good now, apparently, which was a wonderful choice to make with four episodes left. Truly, way to focus on the important stuff during the rest of the season. Marvelous pacing.

Whatever, I don’t care. Like I said, I skipped their scenes. Kyle was great, Kyle was the breath of fresh air I needed. I love Michael loving Alex and wanting to go after him, I really do, but... where’s feral Michael? Where’s the restless cowboy who’s fighting tooth and nail to get his lover back? Where’s the anger, the out-of-control power surges, the frustrated crying? Where is my Michael Guerin? Where is Alex’s Michael Guerin?

I swear, we better get Alex and malex enough in these three episodes to make up for everything.

Let me just get to it, okay? These writers, with all due respect, clearly did not care one way or the other what happens with Alex in the story. There was no effort put in to integrate him into the plot while Tyler couldn’t be there. I’m not complaining that Alex isn’t there. It sucks and I miss him and he’s the reason I breathe, but I can (begrudgingly) understand that Tyler couldn’t be there because of his health problems and he comes first, so fine. But this isn’t about Tyler being absent from the episodes. The very fact that the show uses that excuse as a reason to keep him from the story proves limit-mindedness and--I’m sorry--a lack of talent and creativity.

I saw someone suggest Alex be “in the episodes” since he went missing by communicating with Michael through lights and sounds like he only did in episode 4x08. I thought that was brilliant, and it came from a fan on tumblr who probably put maybe ten seconds of thought into it. You could’ve shown Michael missing him, texting him, leaving him voicemails. I can’t believe that they have the freaking nerve to talk about malex and how much they love them when the one malex scene of Guerin leaving Alex a voicemail was freaking cut so that they could make more time for Maria and Liz worship. I can’t BELIEVE that we had feral Michael for all of two minutes, then him apologizing to Maria and hugging Liz, everything forgiven, even though she was the one that told everyone to KEEP ALEX MISSING A SECRET FROM THE ONLY MAN THAT GIVES HIM ANY COMFORT.

I kid you not, I’ve been awake since 2:30 am to watch the episode and I went to sleep, numb and disassociated, thinking that I wouldn’t have any thoughts to share. And honestly, for the episode, I really don’t. Kyle and Michael were great, the little kybel moment was adorable but I didn’t really care that much with Alex not there, I needed more feral Michael, but the lack of Alex has drained me so that I don’t think I can properly feel anything about an episode until he comes back. That said, wow.

You know, Shadowhunters had a similar storyline to this. Magnus Bane had to go to Edom to save the Shadow World, and more importantly, the love of his life, Alec, but in doing so, it means he’s stuck there and can’t get back. So what do all of the characters do? Well, Magnus has become a dear friend and means a lot to them, not just for the wisdom he’s imparted but for the help he’s given them on multiple occasions. Not to mention, Magnus also means everything to Alec and Alec means a lot to them, too. So it’s a rescue mission. They gear up and decide to go to Edom together to save Magnus.

Clary and Jace are the main characters of the show. Alec and Magnus were sidelined for most of the first season. There are episodes in season 3 where they have a scene for a little over a minute. But when push comes to shove, Magnus is their friend and they are in this together, and that episode is one of my favorites because it doesn’t just have Alec talk about how important Magnus is and maybe doing one thing to try to bring him back. It values friendship and shows the meaning of found family, alongside true love.

What does Roswell New Mexico do after they find out Alex goes missing after an unrealistic amount of time without a hint of Michael missing Alex except for when he got sick and then said that Alex should’ve been the one checking in?

Well. Liz makes a dumb decision, everything is put on halt to save her, and then they bring out this storyline of how something is wrong with Liz and how everyone needs to turn around and help her with that, completely ignoring Alex and whether or not he might be dying in this other dimension. That’s when they’re not worshipping Maria and her nonsensical abilities that really would’ve made more sense with Rosa. Again, why wasn’t Rosa the main character? I feel like she and Michael would’ve led the damn parade through that portal in search of Alex, especially considering how similar the two used to seem when they were teenagers and could’ve been great friends. But they’ve never even spoken to each other in the show, so that’s a bust, I guess.

Yeah, that’s it. I really have nothing else to say. I’m so tired, I’m so sick of this, I’m usually painfully hopeful, even when I don’t want to be, but I’ve lost hope in this show. Believe me, for me, that’s near impossible. But I just want to see Alex. I’m so sick of the writers so eager to show how tolerant they are by forcing Maria down our throats in a role she doesn’t deserve and doesn’t fit, by refusing to let Michael get properly angry and feral for more than thirty seconds because it’s somehow toxic masculinity to fight for the love of your life, and by patting themselves on the back for their supposed work with malex that really shows their complete lack of thought, care, or attention to the couple that most people watch for. All the while, ignoring the queer guy, doing two woc injustice by having them be such selfish, self-involved, greedy, sometimes stupid, horrible people that never get called out for their flaws, and worrying more about how woke they’ll look in every episode instead of worrying about the actual story.

Merlin never needed to talk about Gwen’s skin color or how amazing her accomplishments were because she was a woman. She never had powers, never owned a business, and the only time she wielded a sword was when she was protecting her friend, and Maria DeLuca, for all the screen time, credit, and newfound abilities she gets, doesn’t hold a freaking candle next to my queen.

Oh. And as the biggest Harry Potter fan and a Marvel fan; a) don’t have Maria, of all people, reference my favorite work, and b) you wish you had anything on Dr. Strange. Do not flatter yourself, lady.

Okay. Now I’m done.

#alex manes #michael guerin #malex #rosa ortecho #rnm thoughts #rnm 4x10 #roswell new mexico #roswell nm #anti maria deluca #anti liz ortecho

[jule1122]

2021 creator’s wrap!

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2021. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

Tagging anyone who hasn’t done it yet.  I love reading these!

I was tagged by the lovely @lambourngb.  This was really hard for me because I made the mistake of looking at my stats page the other day (and I never do that) and realized everything was down from 2020 even though I didn’t start writing until April 2020.  In 2021, my word count was down and hits, kudos and comments were a lot lower.  I did meet my goal of posting at least once a month so I am clinging to that.  Anyway, enough whining, here are 5 fics I am relatively happy with.

What They’ll Say About Us (1921 words): This was the 2nd fic I posted in 2021 and it really set the tone for my writing for the year.  An intimate moment between Alex and Michael where Alex opens up about some of his vulnerabilities and Michael finds a way to reassure him.  It’s quiet and loving and features a surprise handprint.

Fall back into place (5755 words):  My Valentine’s Day fic (a month late) that looked a few Valentine’s Days in Alex and Michael’s life from getting back together to marriage.  I like the theme of sunflowers I didn’t plan and the edible tattoo kink I gave Michael.

I’ll meet you at the divide (4339 words): I debated included this one because the fic in my head is so much better than what I wrote.  I really wanted to show Alex as a caretaker and the different ways he relates to his friends.  I don’t think I did him justice, but I tried.  It was also a love confession prompt fic, and I do like Michael’s (repeated) love confession.  I think I’ll always be sad about what it could have been, but it has some nice moments.

In my mind, you are the road I choose to travel (1000 words): Did this make the list because singing the title makes happy?  Maybe.  Just 1000 words of Michael loving Alex and Alex loving him back.  Nothing much to see here.

You don’t have to go it alone (4179 words): Written for Alex Manes Week.  My beautiful Alex who needs so much love.  This is a look at the people who have loved him throughout the years, ending with Michael of course. 

Bonus fic!  One of the things I wanted to do last year was write some non Malex fic.  And I did.  I wrote friendship fic, Death, Kaliz, and character centric fics.  And with all my insecurities and desire for validation, I had to accept that there would be little to no audience for this fics.  I really had to write them because I wanted to and just be happy with my own enjoyment of them.  So I wrote of one of the craziest ideas I’ve ever had, one I knew literally no one wanted to read.  I wrote a fic about with Jesse and Mimi as a couple in some mythical time after Mindy left but before Jesse became a believer in Project Shepherd.  A few people read it, but honestly, it is one of my favorite fics.  One I think about at night and come up with more ways it could work, worlds were Mimi and Jesse work together to take down Project Shepherd, where Alex grows up loved and all the ripples it creates.  I’ll probably never write that world because it’s way beyond my skill level, but I have a little piece of what could have been.

This one goes out to the one I love (1254 words):  Maria has a vision that shows her Jesse wasn’t always a monster.  He was capable of love once.

#fic meme answers #rnm fic #my fic #malex fic #thank you!

[mayatawi]

(whoops this got loooong I have OPINIONS. If you wanna skip the leadup, my main point is in the paragraph after the tiny text.)

So I honestly thought the biggest make-or-break issue for whether or not I’d watch rnm s3 would be whether Michael and Alex get together or at least seem to be working toward that, and also the character dynamics in general. I am a character-focused consumer of media. Plot is generally secondary for me; mostly I care about the people.

But as it turns out, the plotting and overall narrative structure of s3 are offending me on, like, a deep spiritual level.

Other people have done a better job than I could pointing out the pacing issues, but in general it comes off like someone writing a WIP without any kind of plan and getting brand new plot ideas every chapter and running with them without bothering to revise anything that came before. I don’t know enough BTS stuff to say whether that’s likely due to time pressures or to Hollier being new to show running (has he done it before?) or to something else entirely, but SO MUCH about this season makes NO SENSE.

What the hell was the sequence of events during Kyle’s kidnapping, and why do none of the accounts given line up? Was anything actually changing in the vision? Was it even about Kyle, and if so, was that the case all along? Why is the audience just left to wonder whether that’s been resolved, or even whether the characters think it’s been resolved?

How the fuck did Liz drive from California to Roswell and then back and then back again in what, three days? And still have time to do literally anything else?

And on a thematic level! Why set up a “Kyle is underappreciated” thread at the beginning and then show nobody worrying about him being missing? What was even the point of the Wyatt storyline, and is that just done now, or is it coming back at some point in the 4 episodes remaining? Why bother bringing Greg back if they were going to retcon his previous characterization and only let him talk to Alex once so far? Why set up a throughline of “characters being called out for their flaws/mistakes” and then exclude Maria from that while inexplicably centering her in the whole season so far?

(And side note, speaking of Maria and flaws, I was trying to think last night—does she even have flaws that the show is willing to acknowledge? Like Liz has her science ethics issues, Max can be heavy-handed and self-righteous, Isobel has her alpha bitch tendencies, Michael is an emotional fucking disaster, Alex is closed off and controlling, Rosa has her addiction issues (and, you know, that whole impulsive teenager thing), Kyle… is a goddamn delight but i think still struggles with his high school self, and also is too easily led by Liz at times. What’s Maria’s flaw? The closest I can think of is being too singleminded about the vision thing early in the season, to the point of risking her own health and Max’s life, but was she ever even shown to be wrong about that? I can’t tell how the show expects us to feel about it! And then that was dropped along with the rest of that storyline, and now she’s the one telling Isobel that she’s too singleminded, which could have been some nice character development if that particular flaw of hers was addressed instead of just completely ignored. Like, I am checking myself, I don’t particularly like her character and I am examining whether it’s a race thing or a “but muh ship!” thing or what, and the thing I keep coming back to is that she is never allowed to be wrong according to the narrative, even when her actions as shown might raise some eyebrows. And flawless characters are boring, but flawed characters who are uncritically presented as flawless are infuriating. And making such a character so prominent in the season’s overall storyline is… A Choice. (Am I forgetting something? Can someone tell me what her narratively acknowledged flaw is supposed to be? And I mean an actual flaw, not a job interview “cares too much”/“works too hard” kind of flaw.))

And that’s not even my main point, just a tangent. My biggest issue with s3 is a corollary to the “characters are written characters, not real people” post I’ve seen going around—the narrative is a written narrative, not real events that happen and a camera just happens to be around to capture some of them. But they’re doing this thing where important events and character moments keep happening offscreen and the audience is just supposed to assume they happened. Why wasn’t Kyle or Max waking up shown onscreen? Why didn’t Rosa even mention her brother when he was missing? Why haven’t Michael and Alex even mentioned Forrest, if only to clear up that Alex isn’t still dating him? What did Michael even do between finding the Deep Sky building at the end of 3x06 and whatever he did the next episode? Did Alex ever tell the others where Kyle was, and that’s why nobody seemed worried? And I’m sure there are other things I’m not thinking of because, again, I’m not actually watching s3, just spoiling the shit out of myself. But from everything I’ve read, this season just has zero sense of narrative and thematic structure. Even malex FINALLY getting together falls somewhat flat in the overall context of the season, because it just… happens. I mean I’m glad it happens, and maybe it’s realistic for these two characters to just say “fuck it, we’ve wasted too much time, let’s do it,” but then we’re back with the issue that these aren’t real people or real events, they’re written characters in a written narrative. And from a storytelling perspective, you don’t spend two and a half seasons setting up an emotional arc just to resolve it with “fuck it.”

And… okay, let’s be real, all of the above is probably still not going to keep me from watching (though I will wait for the season finale at least). But it offends me. They have this amazingly diverse and (mostly) well-developed cast of characters, they have a surprisingly compelling overall storyline, they do such a good job establishing a distinct sense of place, but the one thread that’s supposed to tie everything together—the narrative structure—is a goddamn mess.

I love this crack show. But it could be SO MUCH BETTER.

(edit: in retrospect the tiny text should probably be its own post [hence the tiny text] but fuck it, I’m running with it. Not entirely unlike the s3 writers hey-o!)

#rnm s3 spoilers #rnm s3 clusterfuck #roswell nm #rnm #rnm meta #…i guess? #mostly rnm How Dare You Waste Your Potential Like This #rnm salt #rnm s3

[kelchase]

RNM Create 2021 | Day 2:  AU

I have been thinking about posting a rec list since June but, for some reason, I felt overwhelmed every time I wanted to sit down to put one together.  A friend of mine finally convinced me to submit one for @roswellnewmexicocreate so here I am.  Doing the thing. (Hopefully correctly - I’ve never created a rec list or participated in an event 😂 - please be kind) I don’t know that I will participate any other days but I do love to escape into a good AU so I think this was the right day to contribute.  If you haven’t checked out any of these stories I hope you will or revisit them if you haven’t read them in awhile.  Happy reading! :)

Send Me Home by @litwitlady (69,108 - completed)

Michael Guerin is the star first baseman for the Atlanta Braves. Alex Manes is a Nashville superstar. They meet at an after-game concert one cool September night, instantly connecting and unable to stay apart from one another. As Michael battles loneliness and a desire to embrace his various identities, he and Alex grow closer despite the many obstacles standing in their way.

Why I love it:  

1.  Aliens...but make it baseball. 😂  With that being said, the baseball is really secondary in this story. 

2. Honestly, Michael’s character growth throughout this story - *chef’s kiss*.  At the beginning of the story he thinks he is so alone with his secret & that he can’t trust anyone with it.  He eventually trusts his secret to Alex and Danny (aka one of the most wonderful OCs to ever exist) and they accept him for who he is.  Between Alex, and Danny and his family, he finds the home and family that he always longed for, realizing he is not as alone as he originally thought.  I hope we will eventually get to see this kind of love and support on the actual show.

3. You never doubt Michael and Alex’s love/attraction for each other.  Michael was all in right away to the point of making me giggle in delight as I followed along. 

4. The smut is 🔥 & I’ll leave it at that. 😉

-------------

Hold Onto This Lullaby by southern_stars

After moving in with Alex, Michael starts to adopt some of his habits.

Why I love it:  I often think while watching RNM “just let Malex be happy!”  This story delivers the every day domestic fluff that I dream of.

--------------

Heartbeat series by @adiwriting (133,057 - WIP)

During the lost decade, Alex gets Michael pregnant and Michael doesn't see or hear from him again for the next four and a half years. When Alex comes back to town, he discovers he has a daughter with Michael and they all have to figure out how to be a family.

Why I love it:

1.  I’ll be very upfront with you.  Mpreg is not my thing - no disrespect to anyone who enjoys it; it’s just not my usual cup of tea.  I truly almost did not read this story because of it and, let me tell you, my life would be lacking if I had not decided to give it a chance.  I will also mention that you see very little of Michael’s pregnancy in this series thus far.  I would say that there are less than a handful of flashback stories where you get a glimpse.

2. NOVA MAE.  @adiwriting has dreamed up the most wonderful little mixture of Michael and Alex.  She is smart and strong and sassy and I just love that Michael and his support system cultivated these characteristics in this vibrant little 4 year old.  I honestly just want to be Nova Mae when I grow up.

3. The fatherhood.  It melts me.  I have this secret notion of Isobel being a surrogate for Michael & Alex on the show.  I know that it is wishful thinking & highly doubt it will ever come to fruition so I’m happy to live in the world of Nova Mae and pretend. I also enjoy seeing the growth of Alex & Michael coming back together in their relationship while navigating fatherhood & parenting.

-------------

See Something You Like? by @prouvaireafterdark (14067 - completed)

Monday afternoons at Pandora's Box are the best. They’re notoriously slow so Michael gets to work his shift alone, which gives him ample time to grade the engineering assignments he procrastinated on all weekend while he sits behind the counter.

It’s a Monday afternoon, in fact, about a year and a half later, when Michael hears the bell above the door chime softly to announce the arrival of a customer who would change his life forever.

***

The Malex Sex Shop AU™️

Why I love it:  Sometimes you just need some filthy smut in your life and this story delivers. 🔥 Author does a great job with her tags if you want to see if it’s something that would float your boat. 😉

-------------

*Special mention: 

My Crown is in My Heart series by @litwitlady

This was an arranged marriage fic between Michael & Alex that was a work in progress. I was unable to track it down on AO3 so I assume the author has since removed it but I still think about this story so often that I had to mention it.  I hope she doesn’t mind.

Why I loved it:

1. All I want from RNM is some alien soulmate bullshit & I think this story was headed in that direction.

2. I rarely care about political side stories in my fic but I was honestly intrigued by the world that was being built around the truce between humans and the alien race.  

3.  If I’m recalling correctly, Michael was an alien king (albeit somewhat reluctantly) & I enjoy anytime that Michael gets to be the focal point over Max.

@litwitlady should you ever decide to revisit this universe, you will have at least one very loyal reader. Also, if I totally missed the story on AO3, please feel free to reach out & I will edit my post.

#rnmcreate21 #day 2: au

[female-overlord-3]

question, does it bother you seeing the 2x06 malex kiss in edits? bc as a editor im like hmmmmm about bc ewwwww it from that scene but then hmmmm bc its ✨malex✨ but then back to ewwww that scene. i am conflicted. like do you think seeing it in edits would make people uncomfy or would they not care? and what are your feelings about it?

I only briefly saw some edits when it aired then after and while I was not a fan and was warned, I did/do try my best to avoid m*luca content but its gonna be there and it was kinda everywhere after that episode.

The thing is I'm kinda crazy and don't blacklist tags 😅 cause I'm too lazy and I've been able to create a nice little corner for myself. Like I'm fine if I see it but it's so random and very unlikely unless I'm going through the Roswell New Mexico tag or malex tag (which not cool if it's not malex related. THOSE WHO KNOW KNOW 😂 Thank god I'm not that delusional) so like if it's an edit to shade that scene or anything M*luca or M*ria, I can endure 👀👀👀 this is me blatantly asking and if so SEND IT TO ME!!!!! I'm getting sidetracked.

There will be people that care and those that don't so I guess the main thing would to properly tag and have a warning or mention if possible. That's honestly the best thing you can do because while tumblr tags aren't the best they are at least there.

I totally get that whole situation is conflicting because it combined Malex and M*luca in a way that's just (for me personally) so gross and toxic. It was something I love with something I hate into something I want to burn to ash. So please be kind to yourself anon!!! I hope this helps!!!!

Edit cause it's late and my brain got all hyperfocused: the Malex kiss specifically is nice and splicing that baby from the rest of that awful event is always a good thing in my book! For me personally of course but ya still tag and warn.

#alex manes #malex #michael guerin #roswell nm #anti maria deluca #anti miluca #respect the tags people #mentions of 2x06 rnm #anon ask

[andrea-lyn]

 @lambourngb​ and @sabrinachill both tagged me for this one, thank you!

20 questions, writer’s edition! 

How many works do you have on AO3?

I am sitting at 427 now, which have been uploaded since 2010 when I joined it! 

What’s your total AO3 word count?

3,029,080 which is only scarier to think about how many things I never bothered to import to AO3.

How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

That would be 56, though a ton of them are fandoms where I contributed a single thing and that was it. 

What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

In order:

ready for my close up, mr. dameron

how to fall in love with a fairytale

Your Hand In Mine

what a tale my thoughts could tell

hallelujah, you're still mine

So, three Star Wars, two Old Guard (not surprised). 

Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

Always, always, always. I always want the chance to thank ppl for comments and I love it if conversation sparks and I get to know the readers more and then get to interact. 

What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending?

Given the comments and bookmarks from this fic talking about how people can’t read it more than once, I’m reliably going with  The Time Traveling Pilot for this one. 

What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending?

Honestly, I’m a sucker for happy endings. I’m 90% fluff and happy endings, and then 10% “I want to wreck you and make you sob”. 

Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written?

I do! I think the craziest was I did a gen Doctor Who & House MD crossover with a sequel where Ten took Chase time-travelling and there were a bunch of OCs and I actually really enjoyed writing it. 

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

I will preface this to say that I actually feel fairly lucky that I don’t experience much hate for what I write. I will get concrit sometimes where the reader and I don’t gel on what I’ve written, which is fine. I have received some hate though, the one that sticks out in my mind was on an RPF piece that just reamed me out for the plot. 

Do you write smut? If so what kind?

I do, but not very frequently because it feels very ‘insert slot a into tab b’ at a certain point, and it’s so mechanical to write and edit. 

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

This is a nope for me! 

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I have! 

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Cowriting is one of my fave things, and yes, have done a few.

What’s your all time favorite ship?

I don’t know that I have an all-time because I have a whole tab of pairings I’ll go comfort read. Some of my faves include McDanno, Joe/Nicky, Arthur/Eames, Pynch, Malex, Kirk/McCoy, Cherik, Gwaine/Percival, Peggy/Bucky/Steve, Peggy/Sousa, and Scott/Isaac. I definitely revisit those a lot.

What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will?

As far as my brain is concerned, all my current WIPs are getting finished. We’ll see in a few months.

What are your writing strengths?

Consistency. I’m very good at making myself work through the slogs and then editing it out later, so I do have a tendency to finish things that I wouldn’t have imagined I would otherwise, so long as there’s a plot I can write. 

What are your writing weaknesses?

Oh man do I suck at descriptive and beautiful prose. I can give you a good AU, some fun dialogue, but I can’t make your breath stop with my narrative. It’s been causing a lot of self-doubt lately because then when I do try, it feels false and not like me. 

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

It depends! Sometimes, I want the reader to feel a little on the outside, and then I’ll keep the translated language in, but I’ve come around to doing something like: “This is the dialogue,” said the character in French.

What was the first fandom you wrote for?

Okay, this is going to date me, but original Charmed as a very wee one (I was that kid who lied about my age on the internet).

What’s your favorite fic you’ve written?

I’m extremely self-critical of my writing to the point that I always hate what I go back and re-read, so if I picked something here, I’d go read it and then decide I disliked it, but I will say that I really and truly love the Anastasia AU that I wrote for Joe/Nicky, and it is a true fave.

Tagging @rhubarbdreams @raedear @knoepfchen @kaydeefalls @skjc-writes @insidious-intent @christchex @hklnvgl @el-gilliath @werebearbearbar @hazel-athena @inell @atthelamppost and anyone else I missed who wants to play writer 20 questions! 

#writer meme

[carynsilver]

Favorite Fics: Malex Edition

It’s a new year (quite definitively at this point), and a new set of fic recs. Just my small way of saying thank you to the writers who have made the past year, with all its challenges, a little better for me personally. Without the escape of reading, I don’t think I would’ve gotten through the past eleven months, so thank all of y’all for creating (now and in the past) and for sharing your work. You do it for free, and it’s amazing stuff.

If you’re interested, I previously shared my top 10 Stucky, Drarry, Stony, and Darcy Lewis (Wintershock, Shieldshock, and Tasertricks, mostly) fic lists. Today, I’ve finally decided on my top 10 Maxlex fics. So, in no particular order...

my love is a life taker by @jocarthage

If I were making a top 10 fics of all time list, this story would be on it. The breadth and scope of it is truly amazing, as is the writing. There’s world-fixing time travel and an interesting take on our favorite aliens and what could’ve been. Alex as a time agent is both so tragic and also so strong as he begins his journey of self discovery. He’s such an unreliable narrator, and yet also can clearly see so many things. Watching Michael’s growth through the years is just as fascinating as watching Alex travel through time. And it’s juxtaposed with the present so well. This Alex and Michael learn to communicate as they learn about themselves. And the story also taught me a ton about the Middle East and various historical events. I really love this story, and you should definitely read it right now if you haven’t yet.

To Trust Love by @laughsalot3412

This fic is amazing. It takes hurt/comfort to the nth degree. Michael, Isobel, and Max are the only remaining prisoners/subjects in Project Shepherd, and Alex (with the help of Liz, Kyle, and Maria) goes under cover as a guard to get them out. But to do so, first he has to gain their trust--an almost impossible test. The tweaks to the alien abilities and the handprint are interesting. Jesse Manes, as always, is absolutely horrible. But good wins in the end, and the boys are able to figure things out despite the mistakes they make along the way. I mean, trigger warnings for so much in a prison fic with Jesse Manes in it, but it is an awesome story. This author only wrote one RNM fic, but it’s a great one.

From Iraq, with Love by @adiwriting

Alex leaves for basic no way to contact Michael, so he reaches out to him via a YouTube channel. Alex writes years and years’ worth of love songs, hoping maybe Michael will see them and get in touch. The scene when Michael finally sees them is a gut punch in the best way, and the end is so satisfying. A truly excellent story, and I love how music from the heart eases their way into real communication--because, man, that is what these poor boys need.

unexpected tidings by @bestillmyslashyheart

The Vegas fic! Actually, that is not what this fic is about. There is only one scene set in Vegas, and yet that was the one I remembered when I was trying to find the fic again, lol. In this AU, Michael was never reunited with his siblings in Roswell, but he and Alex meet after Alex enlists. They meet three different times in three different states, and eventually fall in love. Then Alex has to come home to Roswell and take care of this little alien problem so his boyfriend can be safe from the horror that is Jesse Manes. One of the best things about this story is the past/present narrative structure. Only a really good writer can tell a successful story out of chronological order, and @bestillmyslashyheart really succeeds. Check out her other work, as well, such as A Simple Life (but with aliens).

Shadow Work by @myrmidryad

This fic has stellar world building. Alex and Michael are shades--people who work banishing hauntings, curses, etc. The scientific way the supernatural elements are approached is so interesting, as well as the different ways humans and aliens perceive them. Alex is a total unreliable narrator just because of how the haunt is affecting him, but he still gets the job done. This is a world you can just sink into. Totally immersive, and yet it works so well with the alien mythology we already have. And the conclusion to the haunt mystery is so satisfying. Such a great story!

Lovin’ you is a gift tonight (Lovin’ you for all of my life) by @bellakitse

Michael turned his cheek when Alex tried to kiss him, and then Alex and Rosa ran off to NYC before anything else could happen. Michael thinks of Alex as the one who got away, and then he runs into him when he’s stuck at the airport in Denver, trying to get home to Roswell for Christmas. Their reunion in the airport is fluffy and amazing, just a pleasure to read. And then they end up back in Roswell and all the other stuff comes into play in a really satisfying, let’s-deal-with-it-as-adults-instead-of-children kind of way. Ah, so good!

scream in there by thepredatorywasp

I’ll be honest, this one starts a little rough emotionally, but man, Alex and Michael really earn their happily ever after here. It is worth it. And then we get River! I enjoy a good kid!fic, and River the little alien found in a pod who gloms onto Alex and never lets go is amazing! River is my favorite kiddo that I’ve ever read in a Malex story.

truth (to the people we love) by @lambourngb

This is probably the shortest fic on my rec list. I am biased toward the long ones, I know. But man this one packs a punch. Alex recorded a goodbye message when he was overseas, and he has to tell it not to auto send every week. Then he is kidnapped for ten days... I don’t want to spoil too much, but just read it. It also plays with the narrative structure. And if you like this one, definitely check out @lambourngb‘s other stories. collect the bad habits and Vows are also great reads!

I Know Nothing Stays the Same by @aewriting

This is one of those stories that sticks in your head. It is awful (emotion-wise, not writing-wise) and wonderful all wrapped up together in the best way. Alex and Michael run away after the shed incident and go into hiding for five years. This is the past storyline. There’s also a present and a future. The ending of this story was so gorgeous, I don’t want to spoil it, but I remember it all the time when I think of Malex. Lovely and poignant. This is another version of this couple that <i>earn</i> their happiness together. And if you want even more in this ‘verse, the very talented @andrea-lyn (who also has a ton of great Malex stories) wrote a coda called There’s More Room in a Broken Heart.

Send Me Home by @litwitlady

I waffled back and forth about which story would fill the final slot. It’s always so hard to choose when there are so many excellent ones out there, but I had to have one of @litwitlady‘s stories on the list. She has quite a few excellent ones, but Send Me Home is my favorite. Michael the baseball player is both compelling and also heartwarming in his softer life. This is another fic where Alex is a musician, this one an actual country music star. So, it’s a sports fic and a celebrity romance, in addition to being a Malex RNM story. it is a WiP, which I sometimes hesitate to rec, but there’s only one more chapter to go, so I feel pretty safe about it. And she has lots of other stories you should check out. I’m fond of the Reunion series, as well.

So, that’s it for this post. Thanks again to all the amazing fanfic authors and their awesome work. I’ve read so many great Malex fics lately. On this list or not, I appreciate you guys!

#malex #fanfic rec #fanfic #reading #highly recommend #alex x michael #alex manes #michael guerin #quarantine reads #thanks for writing these fics

[cosmicclownboy]

Considering Alex is the person who has been around Max the least, it makes sense he'd be able to fool him the longest. But I am still confused about how none of the recurring characters are missing from any eps at least in the first half of the season, unless Alex does miss 3x05 since Tyler isn't listed in the press release again.

I know some people don't think otherwise but I think all the mains are in all the episodes. Between block shooting in specific areas and less sets it'd give the actors breaks to do stuff in between shooting s3. (yes I did another wager.... a pro Max edit this time)

Jeanine and Chris mentioned 3x05 and 3x06 in reference to Malex so Tyler is in both those episodes. The episode descriptions don't list all the main cast and differentiate who they list Amber and Trevino have been episodes and been unlisted. Believe me when I say I legit looked at the IMDB for all the mains contracted for 10 and not only are the IMDB lists not fully filled but the episodes that are unmentioned I've seen the actors being mentioned being in the episodes via interviews.

Bear in mind the show is given millions to complete a season. Bar the ones that are pre existing we've only really had Deep Sky as a new set. There are very few guest stars.

I think they've put the main funding into having all the mains for 13 episodes and on special effects. This season it's centralising on the characters and with the pacing currently I don't think anyone's missing an episode.

I doubt the Jones as Max lasts more then an episode because it'll come out and they'll find Max. But you can't really have Jones who was locked up not have an agenda. Not have a reason for being locked up. Maybe he was on the verge of finding something they didn't want him to find. Why are we going back to Long Farm?

To be fair to Alex I too would avoid hanging out with Max.

#asks #spoilers and speculation #rnm spoilers

[ladynox]

20 Questions - Writer’s Edition

Tagged by @kaydeefalls & @im-the-punk-who

How many works do you have on AO3? 15. I use to be a pretty profilic writer when I was a teenager (before AO3 thank fuck 😂) but I lost interest. Picked it up again somewhere in my 20s, only to lose interest or the drive or something again. Roswell's the first fandom I've written for in almost decade. Hopefully this time I'll be able to stick too it. Id' forgotten how much I enjoy writing. What’s your total AO3 word count? 233292. Most of that is from just the last year alone! Crazy! How many fandoms have you written for and what are they? Currently posted to AO3? Just three. Yu-Gi-Oh!, Captain America and Roswell New Mexico. If we're counting the stuff lost to long dead Yahoo groups or forgotten notebooks, or the stuff still on the internet because I can't remember my password but I will never own up to? Probably 8? With the addition of Gundam Wing, Sailor Moon, Digimon and Final Fantasy 7. There might have been more but I can't remember anymore. What are your top 5 fics by kudos? The 1-3 and 5 were co-written with @beautifulcheat 1. The Great New Mexico Fake-Off (Roswell, malexa, complete) Michael takes up baking after watching The Great British Bake Off and starts gifting his bakes to the people he loves. Mostly fluff and pining. 2. Milestones (Roswell, malexa, WIP) based after the series, in that nebulous well adjusted future we dream of for our favorite idiots. 😂 Maria, who has been living in a v poly relationship with Michael and Alex for years, realizes she's pregnant. Michael is ecstatic. Alex is conflicted, which dampers some of Maria's joy. Still a pretty fluffy and very domestic fic. This one's on hold because we're both busy with work, school and certification exams. So we only really have time for one, which is the following monster of a fic:

3. The Truth is Right Here (Roswell, malexa, WIP) X-Files/White Collar fusion where Michael is both Scully and Neal, and Maria and Alex are both Mulder and Peter. Yes you heard right. The alien is the skeptic. But the agents don't know he's an alien yet. hahah 4. Testing the Bonds (Captain America, Steve & Bucky) Bucky comes out to Steve during the war. 5. Petit Fours (Roswell, malexa, complete). Companion piece to Fake-Off. An assorted collection of text fics or short fics. Mostly about everyone else's reaction to how bad Michael is at keeping the secret that he's the one baking the cake. What’s the fic you’ve written with the angstiest ending? Hmmm looking over these fics, I realize that I don't really write angsty endings. I tend to like my angst with a happy ending, or a hopeful one. Whatever that might look like given the subject matter of the fic. So I guess the closet would be The Message (YGO, puppyshipping, complete). The fic starts after an incident of domestic violence. Jou is basically working through the horror/guilt he feels at what he's done. It's not a happy ending, but there's hope different decisions will be made. What’s the fic you’ve written with the happiest ending? A New Year, A New Hope (Roswell, malex, complete) is entirely made up of marshmallows from start to finish, so likely that one. Fake-Off's also tooth rottingly sweet. Surprising no one I'm sure hahaha. I love happy endings so I write a lot of fics with those. Do you write crossovers? If so what is the craziest one you’ve written? Yes I do! I'm counting fusion fics as crossovers too. I *love* AUs in general. They're super fun. As for craziest.... well I've already mentioned Truth above, which is likely the craziest because of how ambitious it is. I both love and regret ever starting this monster. Have you ever received hate on a fic? Oh yeah definitely. hahaha One day people will figure out the back button. Do you write smut? If so what kind? Yeah but not a lot. I want to write more smut honestly but I have a hard time writing it. I don't have a problem with action scenes so it's all mental. Just start thinking it's gonna suck or it doesn't make sense or it's boring. Dumb brain, cockblocking me. Have you ever had a fic stolen? Not that I know of? Have you ever had a fic translated? Nope. Have you ever co-written a fic before? All the time. It's the best. Everything Kat and I write is just to amuse the other, makes writing so much fun. Also, she and I have opposite writing strengths and weakness so it really works out well. What’s your all time favorite ship? Er? I gotta choose just one? Seems kind of pointless to pit different fandoms against each other. What’s a WIP that you want to finish but don’t think you ever will? I mean I have every intention of going back and finishing it but probably Six. A malex The Last of Us AU that I had a lot of grand ideas for but have lost all drive to finish. I do think that what's written can largely stand on its own as a 1 shot. One of these I'll go back edit it, give it a good "in conclusion" so to speak. XD What are your writing strengths? Hmm? Character voices/studies, I think. I like doing stream of consciousness a lot. What are your writing weaknesses? Everything. Kidding. Kidding. Probably smut and dialogue. Though I think I'm getting better at dialogue. Lately I've been getting the dialogue on paper before the descriptions. That use to not be the case! Yay! Improvement! What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic? Use it sparingly and carefully. Most of your readers are probably not going to be able to read that language. The last thing you want is to confuse or annoy your readers. What was the first fandom you wrote for? Gundam Wing 🤣 All of those fics are lost to time and I'm totally ok with that. What’s your favorite fic you’ve written? I am proud of everything I've posted to AO3. Um... @beautifulcheat, @maeglinthebold @jocarthage, @tasyfa and anyone else who wants to do it.

#tag meme #apologies if you've already been tagged by someone else #or have already done this #it's sometimes hard for me to keep up with my dash

[justlightlysedated]

20 Questions

20 questions, writer's edition, I was tagged by @lambourngb 😊❤❤

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

71! 70 for roswell and one for vagrant queen

2. What's your total AO3 word count?

468, 583!!

3. How many fandoms have you written for and what are they?

not entirely sure tbh, but let's count now:

timkon, bandom, glee, specifically pukurt, but some other ships too, merlin, doctor who, torchwood, teen wolf, agents of shield, runaways, the old guard, vagrant queen, and obviously, roswell new mexico

i think there might be more, but i don’t remember rn

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

the cost of greatness, which i cowrote with marlo

a cure i know that soothes the soul (does so impossibly), the first pwp i wrote for this fandom lol

the person that you’d take a bullet for is behind the trigger, which i wrote for marlo

for better or for worse (til death do us part), which i also cowrote with marlo lol

it might be your wound but they’re my sutures, which i also wrote for marlo

so the pattern im sensing here is that my most popular fics were written with/for marlo which sounds about right lol

5. What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

i am not sure tbh, i write some pretty angsty one shots and longer fics, but i TRY to at least give a slightly hopeful ending, tho now that i’m thinking about it, i think the angstiest thing i’ve written was that prompt fill based on the song, for island fires and family, i remember SOBBING the entire time that i wrote it (there is miluca in that one), but ALSO there is the fic i wrote in reaction to the season one finale, which also made me cry, which was called, we both know how this story ends

6. What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

once again i’m not sure, like i said before, i try to give my fics hopeful endings if they’re really angsty, and i love me some hurt/comfort, but i’m not entirely known for writing happy, fluffy fics, tho i do TRY sometimes for certain people

7. Do you write crossovers? If so, what is the craziest one you've written?

yes!! i do love me some crossovers, and i guess i would have to say the malex, sort of doctor who au, i’m technically still writing for tove

8. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

yes??? but i’m not sure if i could classify it, like i’ll write pretty much anything within reason and if it doesn’t squick me out

9. Do you respond to comments, why or why not?

okay, so like don’t hate me, but no, i rarely, if ever respond to comments, i just don’t know what to say at all, like i’m the type of person that really wants every single message to be unique and special, but there are only so many ways to thank someone for reading your fic, so i just tend to post things and then thank everyone for reading afterwards, if there is someone that shows up often on my notifications, or if someone asks me a specific question pertaining to the story, then i will answer, i also answer back if i wrote the fic for someone and they left a comment, and if i’m sent an ask on here about something that i wrote, but i am simultaneously the world's most shy and confident person ever, when it comes to my writing, so i’m so sorry

this doesnt mean that i dont appreciate every comment that i get because i really do, im just super shy and awkward and i may write good-ish, but i do NOT have the same way with words in person

10. Have you ever received hate on a fic?

not really?? if i have i don’t remember it, usually i’m the one who talks the worse about my own writing

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

not that i know of

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

yes, the only kurtbastian fic i’ve ever written was translated into russian

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

yep!! as y’all probably saw from my top five fics up there somewhere, marlo @bestillmyslashyheart is basically my fic writing soulmate, we just really click when it comes to writing

14. What's your all time favourite ship? to write for?

atm it’s malex, which is more than obvious, BUT before they hijacked my brain and made their home within my neurons, it was skimmons!!! i wrote fic for them for YEARS, even after i stopped watching aos

15. What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, i’m just gonna talk about fics that i’ve posted and haven’t updated and not any of the hundreds of wips that have never seen the light of day, my original witch au tbh, i just, roswell made maria and isobel somehow related, and just made me really uncomfortable with the ship, which is the main reason that i’m not gonna finish the fic if i’m being perfectly honest, there is ALSO that au i had where michael’s daughter from the future comes back to the past and she had been raised by alex, because of reasons that are petty, probably my space opera au as well, and only because i just want to write other things MORE

16. What are your writing strengths?

i think i’m good at describing things, especially kisses, i LOVE writing kisses, it’s one of my favorite things, that and my fight scenes are two of the things i pride myself the most on

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

dialogue, sometimes i feel the characters are ridiculously out of character, but then i don’t care because sometimes in canon characters are also ridiculously out of characters, also describing things, because sometimes i just feel like scenes don’t flow right, i am definitely a comma whore, and use dashes and hyphens in places they definitely shouldn’t be used, run-on sentences are my best friends, also english isn't my first language, so, sometimes the way i phrase things just come out wrong

18. What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

tbh completely honest, i follow the nora sakavic method where you just write the dialogue in english like, “hey there love,” they said in perfect french, and i only break this rule if i actually know the language because just translating straight from english always makes things sound stilted and weird

19. What was the first fandom you wrote for?

dc comics, i wrote several timkon fics which i posted on livejournal

20. What's your favourite fic you've written?

oh, i know that love is all about the wind, how it can hold me up and kill me in the end (still i loved it), no specific reason why, i just love it with my entire heart!!

and that's it!! im not gonna tag anyone cause I saw that most ppl were already tagged, but if you want to do this just say that I tagged you!!

#thank you for tagging me!! this was super fun!!

[pastelwitchling]

🚨 PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME YOUR SPECULATIONS/RANTS 🚨

Now, with that out of the way, let’s talk about 3x02.

Oh my gooooods, this episode, guys. This post won’t be nearly as long as last week’s (Edit from future Rin from half an hour later; it is indeed as long as the last one), but there’s quite a bit to unpack here, so let’s get started.

First, Liz. I skipped every single one of her scenes 😂 I am so bored and completely uninterested with her work in LA, and her relationship with Heath. I feel like these past two episodes, and this episode in particular, she really has nothing to do anymore with Roswell. Everyone has some role to play, but she has this whole separate storyline going on somewhere else. She just doesn’t seem to have any integral part of the story this season. So yeah, every time her and Heath came on screen, I just skipped until it was over.

Second. Y’all. I could not bring myself to skip any other scene. Everyone’s storyline was interesting enough to watch, everyone was so fascinating. I even legitimately enjoyed Maria’s scenes! (Save for the one with Michael catching her, but I really enjoyed her reaction to him! I like that they’re giving them their old banter back with none of the “romance”, if that’s what you can even call it.) I really enjoyed everyone’s scenes. There’s such a clear improvement with the writing so far (gee, I wonder what changed), and I really hope the rest of the episodes are as good and even better than this one was.

Max looked so good this episode, his smiles and laughs at the beginning -- MY HEART 😍 I’m so proud of him for having written a manuscript, and maybe it also just makes me really happy because he and I connect so much now 😂 He’s a bookworm who’s written a novel, I’m a bookworm who’s written a novel -- I just love it very much 🙈❤

Hate me all you want, I don’t care, but I thought the Wyatt and Rosa scenes were extremely cute. If the show goes in this direction of truly redeeming Wyatt, I could totally ship them. I really, really enjoyed them, they were very cute to watch. I swear, I had this smile I couldn’t help the whole time like, “Aww!”. Obviously, I want Wyatt to be properly redeemed, I want him to be an actively better person, and I want Rosa to firmly decide that he’s good first, but if they do redeem him, then I’m all for this, I really loved it 🥰💗

Michael is the Dictator’s son?! I’ll tell y’all honestly, I thought Mr. Jones was actually the Dictator, and I was really shocked in the best way. This is how you surprise your audience. Not shock for the sake of shock, but shock that is relevant, that makes sense in the story, that makes people want to keep watching, not stop. What a brilliant turn of events, and you know I had a fic planned the second it happened which will hopefully be coming soon. No promises, but I’ll do my best.

And finally, we get to my Alex. Yeah! Alex is in this! I love how the general consensus has just been shock that he’s in it at all 😂 (Hell of a job, PR team, I can see you’re really on top of things 👍🏻.) I will confess though, I was a little worried about that when I found out, just because we know that Alex has to miss two to three episodes, and I’d hoped to get them out of the way early on, but it’s Alex, so you know, the world’s a better place for it.

Alex is officially Black Widow, and I don’t normally do this, but I 👏🏻 CALLED 👏🏻 THAT 👏🏻 PLOT 👏🏻 LINE 👏🏻. The way the Black Widow movie had inspired me to write about Alex, the way I just envisioned Alex as I was watching in that theater, the number of fics I wanted to write but didn’t because I was done with aus. And then the number of non-au fics I ended up wanting to write instead. Nevertheless, it doesn’t matter because I 🌝 called 🌝 it 🌝. Here is the fic where I called it. I’m very proud of myself for that one, and even prouder of the writers for recognizing what I’d already known since the Black Widow release date.

Words cannot describe Alex’s beauty this season. In the diner, in his cute suit, in that white-tee, the scene when Ramos (who I guessed was the one conducting the psych eval the second I saw him, by the way) opens the door and the lights come back on, the purse of his lips, the way he studied the Lockhart Machine (did anyone else just immediately think of Gilderoy Lockhart when they heard the name?), when he said, “No. I’ll take this one,” like the freaking badass he is?!!! 😍

I really enjoyed this episode. Admittedly, I am worried now that Liz is back since it seems like every time she’s around, they focus too much on social issues as oppose to the actual story going on, but I’m holding out hope for the best. I had a lot of fun, I don’t trust Mr. Jones at all, even less after the way he talked to Isobel. I’m really hoping the writers don’t take the typical route of doubt gnawing away at her and then making her help Jones despite it being the obvious worst thing to do. I’m also a little frustrated malex hasn’t interacted yet, but I’m sure it’s coming, and, according to Vlamis, in a really, really good scene. I’m choosing to keep faith that these writers know what they’re doing.

Gods, could you imagine if these people had been free to work on season 2 without constant interceptions from CAM? How different life would be. Alas, there’s no use lamenting the past. I just know that I’m eager for the story to move forward, and as Alex had been, for the first time in a long time, I’m hopeful.

#alex manes #michael guerin #malex #rnm thoughts #roswell new mexico #roswell new mexico s3 #rnm 3x02 #max evans #isobel evans #rosa ortecho #kyle valenti #maria deluca #wyatt long #liz ortecho

[winged-fool]

Hey friend! Anti-max/echo/Maria anon here 🧡🧡 this is a long one hahahaha… I promised some happy thoughts after the Alex-less last two eps and it’s honestly taken me this long to get my thoughts in order… so I really loved the growth shown by Alex and Michael both in themselves and towards each other this season.. the communication between them was very refreshing 🥰 where there would be misunderstandings and fights in the past, there was open discussion and clarification, which was good to see! Did I hope for more of a build up before Malex reunited - absolutely! I look at all the time wasted throughout the season (on Maria and Wyatt and racists and racist cops and Maria and Maria…) and they definitely could’ve ditched some of that to focus on Malex… but to be honest, I’m actually glad Malex happened quickly because when have the RNM writers ever made a long term storyline work and make sense over multiple episodes..? Never.. so, while I was disappointed in the lack of build up (I wanted pining and longing looks because goddam Tyler and Vlam could’ve delivered it SO well!!), in hindsight I’m relieved because if they did attempt a slow burn then 3 eps later the writers would’ve completely forgotten about it and it would never be mentioned again… murder vision, anyone..? So the last two episodes… Le sigh…… to have Alex so isolated while literally everyone was at deep sky was beyond ridiculous… and there are rumours circulating that Tyler didn’t want to shoot group scenes because of covid (not sure how true this is..) but they could’ve worked around that!! Maybe film Tyler’s scenes alone and then EDIT the scene to make it appear that Alex is also in the room….. or have Alex be the one who found Michael (and Sanders!!!) in 3.12 (MARIA DID NOT NEED TO BE IN THAT EPISODE!!) and then have a scene where Michael explains to Alex that he needs to lay low as Jones knows who he is… like there were SO many ways to work around it but no… instead we had Alex not react in any way to Michael being kidnapped, then in the finale for 4 minutes, and we had Malex’s first date not shown and isolated from everyone… I just can’t even express how frustrating it was… I mean, I’ll still watch season 4 and bitch to you about it every week hahahaha but to see a show with such a talented cast, and interesting and nuanced characters miss the mark on pretty much everything ALL the time just astounds me.. and it shouldn’t because it’s been happening the whole time but I guess I just expected more… which is my own fault hahahaha… ok, I think this ends my rant hahahaha as ever, sending love and positive vibes your way my friend 🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

Hello my friend! Apologies for the delay in replying! Ah yes I also loved the growth for both Alex and Michael - both individually and together! You're absolutely correct that we can't trust the writers to deliver on a slow burn so I'm also relieved we got their reunion earlier in the season!! I am still pretty disappointed with the way they treated Alex's character in the finale - I'm so angry they missed the opportunity to have Alex losing his mind with Michael being kidnapped and then could have been to find him would have been lovely! Wasted opportunity... I just can't believe the way they dropped the ball on Michael being missing - literally NO ONE cared!! It was so lame and frustrating.

I'm really hoping that we can see better utilization of the characters and cast for s4. But as they've proven over and over again, the writers simply don't know how to handle an ensemble cast!! But yes, I will also be a sucker watching every week for s4 and we can continue to commiserate on how awful it is lol

Sending a lot of love right back at you!! Hope you've had a great Halloweekend!

#my asks #anti max/echo/maria anon #rnm salt #the Salt Mine

[angrycowboy]

2020 Creator Wrap: Favorite Works

Tagged by @adiwriting 💜

Rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (or so) favourite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought to the world in 2020. Tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

This has been a weird year for me. I let the fandom kill my desire to create much of anything for most of the year, and it wasn’t until last month that I just... got fed up with it. And it probably ended up being the best decision I’ve made - because I’ve felt more creative in it’s wake than I have all year.

1. Anchored Home in An Interstellar Sea - Months and months ago I told @ober-affen-geil I wanted to try and write a soulmate AU. Of course, she was all for it. And then I started throwing ideas at her. And snippets. And the story has evolved a bit since I started writing it, but the challenge of writing a WIP, of trying to keep to my outline and my original idea has been interesting because it’s something I’ve never done before. And the response to it has just blown me away - people are subscribed?? To something I’m writing?? I don’t even have words to describe how honored I am that people are enjoying my writing. <3

2. Gifset for “it comes and goes (in waves)” by @nielrian - This is the second gifset I made for someone else’s fic, and Nicki just wrote this absolutely heartbreaking and beautiful fic about Malex that remains one of my absolute favorite things to go back and re-read, and this is perhaps an edit I am most proud of.

3. GuerinCurls Series - I know this is cheating a bit, because I technically started the idea last year, but this year I took the leap and made a whole blog for the idea (with some encouragement from @haloud). The blog hit 400 followers last month, which is just so much more interest than I ever imagined. <3

4. Gifset for “last year’s wishes are this year’s apologies” by @lambourngb - Getting the pleasure to read this fic before it was getting published was a gift, but this line had me just so excited. The first time I read it, I wrote it down on my list of gifsets that I wanted to make. It took me entirely too long to actually make the gifset, but it’s perfect (like, literally, I wouldn’t change a thing about that set). L wrote literal poetry to describe Michael’s love for Alex, and it absolutely needed to have something created visually for it. 

5. The Heart I Know - This fic is completely 100% self-indulgent because it’s based entirely on an Arthur/Eames Inception fic that I absolutely adore. I’ve had the idea in my mind for some time, to write it for Malex, And I absolutely love my corner of the fandom which has been so supportive of my writing, as I spam everyone’s dashboards with my non-stop writing this month.

Tagging: @suzteel @ober-affen-geil @maxortecho @rosaortecho @ladynox @beautifulcheat @irolltwenties @angsty-nerd 

#malex fic #*notsogifs #notso writes fanfic

[sunflowerdigs]

Just something that's been bothering me

I'm still trying to trim down my Maria and misogynoir meta to a reasonable length, but...something else had been bothering me so I wrote it down. I'm hesitant to post it but, whatever.

The show created this situation. The show decided to pit Miluca against Malex. The show created parallel instances where Michael ran away from something hard by running into a relationship and, in doing so, asked fans to compare Alex's reaction vs Maria's reaction.

Most importantly, the show put Maria into a love triangle that will inevitably end badly for her because Michael is still in love with Alex. Michael said that he was going to try to date Maria because he and Alex aren't good for each other. The show is not (or at least should not) going to validate that belief because it isn't true. Prior to Jesse, Alex and Michael communicated fantastically and there's no reason to think they wouldn't have continued to do so had they not been victims of a hate crime. Homophobia created the toxicity in their relationship and they will both only heal when they face that fact, stop blaming themselves for Jesse's hatred, and accept that loving each other isn't something to be afraid of.

I'm sorry if the comparison of Malex and Miluca has caused hurt feelings on the Miluca side, but given Malex's story, it was also extremely hard for Malex fans to hear about how 'fun' and 'easy' a mlw relationship would be for Michael after homophobia torched what would have been a wonderful mlm relationship with Alex. A similar situation would be if a Klan hate crime had wrenched Michael and Maria apart before they even started a relationship, and then Michael got with a white guy because it was more 'fun' and 'light' than dealing with the pain of his past with Maria. As a black fan, I know that I would be upset by that. Especially if the show made us watch Maria admit, in a moment of self-hatred, that if she were Michael and she could date Michael's white dude (instead of her black self) she would.

Under those circumstances...I would not feel very positively about the white boyfriend and I would 100% be cheering on Miluca. Especially if Maria then forgave him for getting with Michael behind her back so that they could still be friends and she didn't even have the self worth to be pissed off.

(And, trust, I have a million feelings about the show using a black woman to play the more privileged half of the base of the love triangle, while at the same time ignoring any issues Miluca would have faced as a black/white interracial couple. But that's what the story is rn, so that's what I'm writing about).

Fandom misogynoir is inexcusable and isn't the fault of the show. But the show is kinda responsible for painting a huge target on Maria's back, particularly for the queer audience. I'm not super shocked that Maria isn't beloved and a lot of Malex shippers are looking forward to the end of the relationship. Because Malex isn't just "some racist straight girls want to see two hot dudes touch dicks" which is definitely an argument I've seen coming from the Miluca camp. And while I'm waiting for the Malex fandom to reexamine how they judge Maria vs how they judge every other character on the show, I am also waiting for Miluca fans to try to understand the way that homophobia affects Malex and Miluca, both within the show's narrative and in the real world (Carina had to fight the network so the Malex kiss in episode 1 didn't get cut. She's never talked about having that same problem with any other relationship on the show, three guesses as to why and the first two don't count) and to stop boiling this conflict down to "they're hating on a black woman for getting in the middle of their slash ship".

Fandom can't forget it is dealing with at least two marginalized groups here. Corrective rape still happens. Pulse Nightclub still happened. Homophobia isn't over because we got gay marriage and lots of shows queerbait. So, as a black gay woman, while, yeah, I 100% feel like fandom needs to stop judging Maria more harshly than every other character because none of this is really her fault (There are ICE agents on this show...but Maria is the devil? That doesn't make any sense), I also feel like everything I've seen written about this conflict has been very...one-sided? We absolutely can and should discuss what is misogynoir in this fandom and what isn't but we have to do so honestly and in good faith and I kinda feel like that's not happening.

Edit: Have changed the first sentence in the last paragraph to "at least two marginalized groups" to acknowledge Alex's Native roots and also his disability. I can't speak to those two experiences and how it affects the conflict, so I haven't done so here.

#malex #roswell new mexico #rnm speculation #miluca

[gra-sonas]

THE PICTURES ARE FROM A FEBRUARY 2019 PHOTOSTHOOT BTW!!!

Actor Michael Vlamis stars as Michael Guerin in the CW sci-fi drama ROSWELL, NEW MEXICO created by Carina Adly Mackenzie.

Aside from acting, Vlamis is currently keeping himself busy writing his next movie, selling his merch, creating youtube content, while constantly breaking barriers and opening doors of opportunities in the entertainment industry.  

In this exclusive interview, Vlamis talked about Michael Guerin’s character evolution, the character’s bisexuality, his web series Making It, acting, the scripts he wrote, and what keeps him busy during quarantine. 

How are you holding up amidst the quarantine?

I’m doing surprisingly well. Don’t get me wrong, some days and weeks have been tougher than others, but I’m writing my next movie and have been taking a bunch of Zoom meetings, which keep me busy. I also dropped my latest merch collection and have another coming out in June, so the designing, marketing, and fulfillment has kept me occupied. I will say, I miss my family and normalcy, just like everyone, but I’m ready to get back to Chicago and hug the fam.

What’s the best part about playing Michael’s character?

He’s a wild card. I love that he’s the type of character who is unpredictable. It makes my work even more fun and allows me to be free while filming.

What are the challenges in playing Michael and what surprised you the most about him?

There are new challenges daily, but I feel very similar to Michael Guerin, so everything I do is less of a challenge and more of a discovery. Our showrunner, Carina Adly MacKenzie, says that of all the actors in the show, I’m the most different in real life than my character, which surprises me. The difference between me and Guerin is that he doesn’t care if he’s being a dick. Hell, it makes better TV. What surprises me is the vulnerability I’m able to display through a character who has such a tough exterior.

How would you describe the unfolding of Guerin’s storyline this season?

He’s figuring out who he is. His entire life, he’s questioned where he’s from, if he’s loved, if he has a purpose, etc. The kid needs answers and this is the season of answers for him.

How was it to play Michael’s bisexual story in relation to the story as well as to the fans of the show?

In regards to the story, I treated it as a passionate love affair. That’s it. I never thought about being bisexual or alien or anything because in my mind, love looks the same, no matter who you are or what your preference may be. As for the fans, it’s been an honor giving them a character to look up to. I never thought I’d be that guy, but then season 1 came out and I realized the Malex story line with Tyler Blackburn is giving people the courage to be who they are and welcome their truth. I’m unbelievably proud to be able to affect people through our show in a positive, meaningful way.

Let’s talk about your acting journey. How did it start for you? What inspired you to pursue the craft?

I was gifted a video camera in 3rd grade and made movies every chance I could until I got to high school, which is when grades, girls, and sports were the only things that mattered. I’d like to go back and tell that kid to keep making movies, but maybe I wouldn’t be who I am today if I thought a film career was a possibility back then. Long story short, after my 7th surgery from sports, I started acting my senior year of college, taught myself how to edit together a good acting reel, moved to LA, made up a fake name and email and started calling agents pitching a young actor by the name of “Michael Vlamis.” It was awesome. And it worked. I can’t imagine a life where I didn’t pursue this career. I come from a family of storytellers, so although none of them are in this industry, it’s in my blood.

Out of all the roles that you’ve played, which one resonated with you the most and why?

Depends on where I’m at in my life. Michael Guerin resonated with me because I was dealing with heartbreak and loss in early 2018 when I booked Roswell, which is what he’s been facing his entire life. I produced and starred in my first feature film recently, 5 Years Apart, which just landed distribution, and that role is extremely special to me. I play a character who, in a lot of ways, was more mature and less mature than me in different ways. It was fun growing as a character and a person through the long takes of discovery that our director, Joe Menconi gave us.

Tell us about your web series Making It. What inspired you to create and where did you get your inspirations from?

I made that series because I was talking to my co-creator, Michael Gabriel, back in 2014 and we were just ripping ourselves and the entire film industry. We were broke and desperate, like most filmmakers in LA, and our situation made us laugh. Plus, everyone at the time was making a web series to try to “make it,” so that’s what we did. But in a satirical way. As for inspiration, everything inspires me. I wish you could hear my laughing while I say that. Otherwise, I sound like some pretentious douche. But it’s the truth. I’m constantly looking for the story in a situation and making a joke of everything serious, which is great for filmmaking.

What are you looking forward to the most this year?

I’m looking forward to seeing the scripts I’ve written get purchased and produced. I have a TV show and a few movies floating around, which have been getting a lot of exposure since the script I wrote with my writing partner, Kyle Anderson, Blue Slide Park, made the 2019 Blacklist. For those that don’t know, that’s the list of the best unproduced scripts of the year voted on by studio executives. That script has opened up so many doors for us, so I’m excited to see where those go. One day, I want to have my own one stop shop with my friends where we can make anything we want and bypass any “gate keeper” in our way. We pretty much do that now, but I’m trying to do it at the highest level with the entire world watching, which gets me thinking about our little film, 5 Years apart. I cannot wait for that to come out this year!

If you were a book, what book would you be and why?

This is such a fun, but tough question! I have so many books I want to mention, but if I was the book, it’d probably be some kind of inspirational, self help book, ha! I love firing myself and others up. My dad always said, “why not you?” What he meant was that if they can do it, so can you. I love getting people to believe they can do the impossible. Cue douchey closing statement… I’m living my dream and you can too! Woooo!

~ ABookOf

#michael vlamis #vlamburn #malex #mgv ig #davy kesey 2019 #mgv interviews