#rnmcreate

We have so many outstanding, creative people in this fandom! Talented gifmakers, artists, vidders, writers, etc. And we are so lucky to have them. So this week is about showing them our appreciation for all of their work.

Each day will have a prompt and we ask that you share a link to a creative work from someone else that fits said prompt, as well as tagging the creator and/or sharing a link to their ao3 profile, if they have one. Please also tell us why you love this work. Use this as an opportunity to gush about it and to tell others why they should check it out!

Day 1: September 1, 2019

Character: Share something you love that focuses on one of our amazing characters!

Day 2: September 2, 2019

Relationship: Family, friendship, romantic… Share something you love that focused on a relationship within the show (canon or not)!

Day 3: September 3, 2019

Angst: Some of us love the pain (and this show brings us so much pain). Share a creation that did that for you! Something that hit you right in the feels!

Day 4: September 4, 2019

Fluff: Some of us love the sweet stuff! Share a creation that made you smile! Something so sweet it practically gave you a toothache!

Day 5: September 5, 2019

Multipart/Series: Some creators come up with great series of work. Whether that’s a longer fic (or a series of fic), a series of gifsets (however you want to interpret that), or interconnected art in general. So take some time to tell us how amazing any series or multipart work in this fandom is!

Day 6: September 6, 2019

AU: It can be really fun to explore our characters in different situations and/or universes. Share one that takes our characters out of the lives they live on the show and transports them elsewhere!

Day 7: September 7, 2019

Cheerleaders: Okay, this is where we need you most, creators! Share with us the people who make your work possible! Do you have an amazing beta? Is there someone who leaves great comments or tag flailing? Does someone encourage you to keep working when you’re being hard on yourself? Tell us about them. Let us know about our underrated and/or unknown helpers in the fandom so we can all thank them for the part they play in bringing us amazing work!

Please tag each post with “rnmcreate19″ in the first 5 tags so we can find it and share it with others. Fans of any and all characters or ships are welcome and encouraged to participate.

I can’t mention my love of malex without mentioning my love of my two favorite writers of this relationship

@hannah-writes doesn’t just write fic, she is a poet, and meta writer, and a graphic artist. She tells stories that resonate, that grab onto your heart and settle into your mind. Her characterization of both Michael and Alex is both flawless and heartrending. AND she does all this while also being an absolutely lovely human and friend. I’m very very lucky she reached out to me out of the blue because her friendship is a light in my life <3

You need to read these 3 fics from her RIGHT AWAY (don’t walk, run)

Not in this world (or the next) this is one of those fics that’ll stay with you for a long, long time. Hannah doesn’t just delve into the world of Roswell but creates an entirely different world where Michael has a very different life. Be prepared to fall in love with Alex all over again, and both versions of Michael :)

Not so starcrossed remember how I said Hannah is a poet? Well take a gander at this amazing series where we meet Michael’s home world Antar, and the court poet Baxu, who is basically all of us Alex fans

Shattered apart (damn hopeful heart) this is a lovely study of emotions of both Alex and Michael, in a way that ends hopefully but takes you on a heartrending journey to get there

@beamirang was someone I legit stumbled onto while trying to read every malex fic out in existence. Her fic The Old Astronomer is one of those seminal pieces in fandom that everyone knows and can quote. But she is the queen of character studies and alternative universes, so it wasn’t a stretch to fall in love with everything she wrote. Having finally gathered up the courage to talk to her, she turned out to be just as wonderful a person I had hoped, and a giant goof who loves to torment us with crazy spooky stories :) 

Once you get past the epicness of TOA, take a look at some of these fics from Bea: 

Things the stars knew this is a short but deeply emotional fic that is the thread of continuity of Michael’s emotions I needed. Have a box of tissues ready!

So You’ve Conquered your First Planet is the first in a series of a hilarious au fics where Michael ends up King and Alex is his lionheart. It’s full of fluff, hilarity, and sweet boys who are idiots in forever love <3

Day 2: September 2, 2019 : Relationship: Family, friendship, romantic… Share something you love that focused on a relationship within the show (canon or not)!

I came into this fandom honestly, and late, for the queer representation on a CW show. A hot canonically gay character? Pining and miscommunication? Secrets and lies? Sign me up. I thought I was prepared but alas, I was wrong. I did not intend to have my brain hijinxed for months now in hyperfixation because of Alex and Michael. I did not realize that months later I would be taking probably throwaway lines from the show and building vast headcanons with them. I really had no idea I would feel the urge to write again, something that has illuded me for so many years I figured it was gone for good.

I used to be bored watching canon pairings play out on screen- it’s why I got into slash (Xfiles first, then Trek, Stargate Atlantis, Teen Wolf, etc), and even later on I enjoy the non-canon het pairing (Veronica Mars before LoVe happened, now the 100 with Bellamy/Clarke) - because if it is on screen, then what need do I have for fic? Then these two assholes came into my life, on screen, and proceeded to fuck it up and themselves over. So the grounds are fertile for fanfic to say the least.

So here are 3 AUs and a canon rec of interesting, compelling, original takes on Malex.

Falling in Love Is So Bittersweet by neapeaikea @neapeaikea https://archiveofourown.org/works/20027839 Michael takes that scholarship at UNM, and on move-in day meets Alex again for the first time since the night in the shed when they didn't kiss. [I love it when someone takes a left turn from canon. Here we have Michael reconnecting at university with Alex, saved from the trauma of their first time in the shed, but that doesn’t make thinks very rosy either. They are both keeping secrets, Michael’s more focused on their alien roots, and Alex is just trying to stay safe from his father.  This captures all of the fun of college- Alex has that disappearing roommate that seemed to be on every floor when I was in school, and Michael’s roommate is a cool OC trying to make his own identity in school. This has everything- sweet pining, the joy that comes from learning new things, the freedom to be yourself- ugh it just breaks my heart that Michael didn’t make it college in canon. ]

Satellite Call by erisgregory @erisgregory https://archiveofourown.org/works/18794380/chapters/44592784 WIP Alex is home from the air force but finds he is as lonely as ever. He engages an escort one night under a pseudonym and when the escort arrives it's his high school love, Michael Guerin. [So I am an easy bitch who loves a good hooker story in a fandom. This is canon adjacent, taking place just prior to the reunion and dovetailing through episode 5, where it leaves off. Even though it’s unfinished, this story hits so many good kinks of Michael pining, of Alex being touch-starved, of the two of them miscommunicating, and of course the sex is very hot. Alex being home in Roswell, after losing a leg, really wants to feel again, but he doesn’t trust himself in a hook up culture, he thinks a paid transaction would be easier all around, at least until he realizes he has paid for Michael. It’s just the right mix of hot and angsty- and gives new life to the scene where Alex sees Michael take money from another guy.]

Commit to memory this path of fire (a tale of symphony and rhyme by Lire Casander  @lire-casander https://archiveofourown.org/works/19474963 - Michael and Alex through the years with music as their shared language. [Here is the canon compliant rec, and it’s a good one. This fic is meant to be read aloud I think, because the language is very lush and emotive, and no surprise - lyrical. It feels just what it is supposed to feel like (I’m in awe at this feat) -it’s about music and love. 22,000 words that really make up a symphony in my mind of Michael, how he is formed as a person, how he loves Alex, and how music is not just the language they communicate best in, but how it ties him to the earth. The relationship of music and math is not just theoretical in this story, it’s visceral. This goes post finale and the payoff of their separation and coming together is so good and satisfying. A rainy day, your favorite album, a couple of tea and this fic, it’s all I need to have to feel comforted. ]

The Evanses came into the group home one day to adopt one kid, and they adopted two. They’re good people. Maybe I just smelled like trouble. by @curlsandacowboyhat

This fandom is full of amazing creators who share wonderful creations about every character on the show. I’m sharing a list of folks who love Alex Manes, just as much as I do!

One of my favorite people to talk to, @salmonthestoryteller writes wonderful posts about relationships within Team Human

The delightful human @gra-sonas who is a treasure trove of Tyler social media posts AND writes great fluffy fics!

A cadre of new Alex Manes defense squad friends I found! @usbournejez @lambourngb and @scottt190 who all write Alex characterization like my heart desires!

An incredible writer and person, @pastelwitchling who writes both great Alex insights AND fics!

And @jocarthage who wrote an AMAZING Alex recovery fic 

Last but definitely not the least, @laniew1 who has written the HANDS DOWN BEST Alex as a soldier series of fics in this fandom 

Alex thanks you!

I am an unapologetic angst addict, so for me to enjoy fluff- it has to be really good and sprinkled with a tiny bit of angst still. I truly want Alex and Michael have a happier ever after, so here are few stories I go back to remind me happy doesn’t have to be dull. 

Learning to Love You Right series by mansikka  @mansikkaomenabanaani https://archiveofourown.org/series/1389694 [ A relationship over 3 stories, being apart, being friends, and finally being together. I love this departure from canon that has Michael reconnecting with a fond foster placement in the wake of his mother’s death. I really hope there was a good place at one time- that it wasn’t meth heads and angry addicts. This series is set in Alex’s POV and it’s tangled with his wanting Michael to be happy and hoping that it doesn’t mean without Alex. The payoff at the end was everything I wanted- two partners learning to communicate together instead of at cross purposes. It also has the best story behind “Guerin” as his last name.] 

Truth Hurts by Bestillmyslashyheart @bestillmyslashyheart https://archiveofourown.org/works/19287586/chapters/45873199 Everyone's entitled to their secrets until Liz's new serum has an unintentional side effect that makes it impossible. When the aliens literally can't keep a secret or tell a lie, will their relationships survive? [I love a good sci-fi plot device, and truth serum is an oldie but a goodie. This has moments where I just flat out laughed - about Isobel’s shoes and Liz’s cooking. It also has some painful conversations about how Michael feels about his siblings, and how hard it was to be with Alex, too hard after his mother died. The payoff where they are all forced to communicate was so incredibly good, and it felt real.. Kyle really stood out as a phenomenal character in this. I guess this isn’t truly fluff- it has too much truth in it, but since I find truth and honesty comforting, here it is.]

I’ve Only Kissed out of Fear by lostin space @spaceskam https://archiveofourown.org/works/18922942/chapters/44923042 in which michael and alex get married out of high school [Yes, it’s another secret marriage fic. I’m a simpleton I guess. It takes the idea of Michael needing to know if Alex gets hurt or killed overseas, and it solves that problem with a marriage or domestic partnership. I really love how sweet and innocent they are at 17. Their wedding vows just made me swoon. It does end in a little bittersweet moment of parting, Alex leaving for Basic Training and Michael getting left behind.] 

lonely black euphoria and binary starlight bliss by @dancinbutterfly

I want to talk about this incredible fic because it is so much more than just angst. This is a fic that is a look at Michael Guerin as a creature of needs, in a world that doesn’t know how to provide. Michael’s self-understanding, exploration, and acceptance of who he is, how different he is, and the way Alex Manes is the other half to his soul is written in a way that transcends regular heartachey mediums authors go for (including me!)

This is a WIP, but I personally know how much the author loves hearing from old and new readers about this fic, and uses the insights and feedback shared, when drafting new chapters. 

It’s no surprise after watching an entire season of Roswell New Mexico more than a few of us came out of it loving Michael Guerin. He’s everything that our parents said were bad for us- rebellious, a loner, too handsome for his own good, sarcastic as hell. When you mix one part tragic backstory of being left behind at the group home, with one part tragic backstory of being in love with Alex, and final tragic current story of losing his mom-  it equals one alien sure to tug at your heartstrings. Then you factor in those soulful eyes and hair you just want to tug on… yeah, where was I? Oh yeah, the love affair for Michael. 

With all of that said, he’s not perfect. He had some troubling moments early on with Liz and then with his protection of Isobel that made me want to shake him. When I am stuck in this endless hiatus and I want to dive into Michael’s mindset there are a few fics that are my go-to comfort stories:

No Love Like Your Love by Andrealyn @andrea-lyn https://archiveofourown.org/works/18778177/chapters/44549803 Michael follows in his mother's footsteps and runs off to earth to escape his royal responsibilities, but what he finds in Roswell is so much more than he ever bargained for and may change his life forever. [This is mainly Michael’s story of falling in love with Earth, then with Alex, and then feeling the pull of duty. It hits the spot if you want to imagine Michael having a relationship with his mom, but that life is still not perfect. He faces that moment when you come of age and have to evaluation your parents- for better or worse. ] 

Every Traveler Please Come Home by Andrealyn  https://archiveofourown.org/works/18631024/chapters/44180332 Michael gets sent back in time to relive the best and worst day of his life. Then he does it over and over until he realizes that he has a chance to fix it. [ I am free to admit that I love everything Anderalyn writes- she has an insight into Michael that I really treasure. This story hits that beautiful genre of ‘Groundhog Day’ stories, where Michael stubbornly clings to the way things happened the first time around for way too long - before realizes he can doesn’t have to live in the past. He can formulate a better history for himself. ]

Not In This World (or the next) by estel_willow @hannah-writes https://archiveofourown.org/works/19374637/chapters/46099153 Michael wakes up in a parallel universe. [This recently was completed. So if you didn’t follow this during its posting, then you didn’t live on the edge of torture like the rest of us that subbed to the story. Hannah really sunk deep into Michael’s perception of himself, his deep-seated abandonment issues, and then she was like calculating PI to 23 degrees wasn’t hard enough, she was going to explore Michael if he had been adopted into a good family, and she gave us Mikey.  Mikey Evans will break your heart like Michael Guerin, but just in different ways. It’s no surprise this is a fandom classic already.]

It Comes and Goes in Waves by Nielran @nielrian https://archiveofourown.org/works/19603387 Michael doesn’t remember the first time he saw Alex Manes. [If you want to drown yourself in beautiful language in the head of Michael, this is the fic for you. It starts as every good fairytale with a version of ‘Once upon a time’ where Michael sets the framing of his relationship with Alex against the vast epic that is Max’s feelings for Liz - he can’t look to the single moment, instead there was just before and after for him. This contains the single most beautiful recounting of their first time together in the shed. I half closed my eyes reading this because it felt so intimate. The story ends a little past the season finale with a hopeful view, and it also helped me understand the choices that Michael made during that last episode a little better.  I love Michael but I was still very mad at him, and this story helped me become less angry and more understanding of his reasoning. ]