#my mother watches roswell

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: monster/creature friendships

Do you like movies like Alien vs Predator, Venom, and Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes? Do you enjoy dragon riders and talking animal companions? Friendly yet deeply inhuman aliens? Monster children and monster parents? Consider yourself less of a monster fucker and more of a monster best friend? Watch horror movies and fantasize about befriending the horrifying ghosts and ghoulies? Then this is the list for you!

A note: some of these books do have romance subplots, but not as the most important relationship or focus.

A (second) note: the criteria for "monster" are subjective. I looked mainly for titles featuring creatures who neither look nor act/think human. In cases where they are more human looking, I wanted a distinctly inhuman mind and morality, meaning most books featuring vampires, werewolves, fey, etc are excluded. I may have included books you feel aren't monstrous enough, or excluded ones you feel are sufficiently monstrous but I don't agree about. Again, it’s subjective.

Feel free to leave your own recs in the notes, but please know that if you rec books featuring mostly human vampires and werewolves I will be judging. I have separate lists for those, go look there instead.

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir*

Ryland Grace just woke up from a coma, unable to remember anything. He finds himself alone on a space ship, and as his memories slowly trickle back, he realizes he’s been sent on a mission: to find a solution to the impending doom of the earth. Still struggling with holes in his memories, Ryland tries to fulfill his mission, but as he gets closer to his goal, he discovers someone else got there first. And they aren’t anything close to human. Funny, heartfelt, and heavy on the science.

Fragment by Warren Fahy*

The reality TV show Sealife is having a rough time - as it turns out, a ship full of scientists doesn’t make for the kind of drama they hoped for. Hoping for some excitement, they reach Hender’s Island, a fragment of a lost continent that may contain an interesting new ecosystem. But as they step foot on the island, they quickly come to realize the ecosystem isn’t just new, it’s highly dangerous and very hungry. Among all this life is one single species that may be more dangerous than any other, but which may also be the salvation of the scientists on the island. A bit wonky, but genuinely one of the most fun books I have read, I love it so much.

The Road to Roswell by Connie Willis*

Francie has just traveled to Roswell to attend her college friend’s wedding to a UFO conspiracist. Not a believer herself, Francie is shocked when she finds herself abducted by an alien. Her abductor is not much what popular media would have you believe, looking more like a tumbleweed than a grey alien, and is clearly on some kind of mission it isn’t willing to put on hold for the sake of Francie attending to her duties as a bridesmaid. As more people get roped along - among those a conman, an old lady, a ufo conspiracist, and a retiree with an RV - Francie finds herself getting closer to the alien and wanting to help it succeed.

The Last Human by Zack Jordan

Young adult. Sarya is a human - the only one of her kind. Living with her adoptive mother - a vicious, insectile alien - on a space station surrounded by hundreds of other alien species, Sarya spends every day staying below the radar and hiding her true identity. But when an odd new alien arrives on the station, she may finally get an answer to her biggest question: why humanity was deemed too dangerous to be allowed to exist.

Alien vs. Predator: Prey by Steve Perry & S.D. Perry*

On desert planet Ruyshi, businesswoman Machiko Noguchi is about to take over the leading position in a small human colony. Her job is made infinitely harder when the colony comes under attack on two fronts as two species of vicious aliens choose it as their battle ground. If you're reading this list, you probably already know of the movie by the same name. The book, while completely different in setting and cast, does feature many similar plot points, among those a third act team-up between a human woman and a murderous alien.

Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

Millenia and generation spanning scifi. After the collapse of an empire, a planet once part of a project to uplift other species to sentience is left to develop on its own, resulting not in the intelligent monkeys once intended but in sentient giant spiders. Millenia later, what remains of humanity arrives looking for a new home, only to be met by the artificial remains of the ancient woman who once led the uplift project - and she is not willing to let them on her planet.

The Moon and the Sun by Vonda N. McIntyre

You can’t go wrong with a Vonda McIntyre novel just, like, in general. This one is set in 17th century France, where a young woman and her brother travel to live at the royal court, where they are to care for and study a strange captured sea monster fabled to have the ability to grant eternal life. A lot of focus on court politics as well as the cultural and biological differences between the humans and the mermaid. Also available as a movie (but it’s not very good, please just read the book).

Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys*

Lovecraftian fishpeople! Aphra and her brother are the only survivors after the government raided their home, Innsmouth. Their only living family are the amphibian people of the deep, whom they will one day join, but until then they are bound to land where they struggle to build new lives for themselves after the great loss of their home and loved ones. Then rumors start to spread of a russian agent seeking dangerous and ancient magic, forcing Aphra to involve herself as they try to stop it. Does contain horror elements but is generally a much more optimistic look on cosmic horror than most lovecraftian stories, told from the perspective of one of his monsters. Lots of focus on found family and rebuilding of community.

The Doors of Eden by Adrian Tchaikovsky*

The Doors of Eden is something of an experiment in speculative biology, featuring versions of Earth in which various different species were the one to rise to sentience, from dinosaurs to neanderthals. Now, something is threatening the existence of all timelines, dragging multiple different people and species into the struggle, among those a pair of cryptid hunting girlfriends and a transgender scientist. Together, can they find a way to save the multiverse?

The Spider and Her Demons by sydney khoo*

Young adult. All teenager Zhi wants is a normal life (and possibly for her harsh aunt to be a bit nicer), but it’s hard when she’s half spider demon. Every day she must conceal her true nature and hide in human guise. When she slips up and eats a man in front of her rich, aloof classmate Dior, Zhi thinks her life is over. But Dior has secrets of her own, and she is dead set on making herself a part of Zhi's life.

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Young adult fantasy. Artemisia prefers the dead to the living, and is training to become a Gray Sister, a nun who helps the souls of the deceased pass on to the afterlife rather than remain as dangerous spirits. To defend her convent, Artemisia accepts the help of a dangerous revenant, a powerful spirit which grants her great power but also could possess her the moment her guard is lowered. As evil threatens her homeland, Artemisia and the revenant must find a way to work together.

Slewfoot: a Tale of Bewitchery by Brom

Historical horror. Young Englishwoman Abitha has only recently arrived and married into a Puritan colony when she unexpectedly becomes a widow. As she strives to save her small farm from going under in the wake of tragedy, something dark and dangerous stalks the surrounding woods. He doesn't know whether he's spirit, devil, or god, doesn't even know his own name, and in requesting Abitha's help, both their lives are changed forever.

Lycanthropy and Other Chronic Illnesses by Kristen O'Neal*

Young adult. Priya had plans to go to Stanford, but is derailed when the fallout from lyme disease puts her back, making her question if she'll ever get back to normal. Luckily she has her discord support group with whom she can chat and vent about her illness. Even more - she has Brigid, online fandom friend and fellow chronic illness sufferer. But when Brigid disappears from the web without warning, Priya must drive to Pennsylvania to make sure her friend is okay - and finds that Brigid's condition is a bit hairier than she expected.

Sorcery of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson

Young adult. Elisabeth is a librarian, trained to handle grimoires - books of magic which, if mishandled, can turn into horrifying monsters. When an act of sabotage leads to the release of one of the library's most dangerous grimoires, Elisabeth finds herself implicated in the crime. Forced to team up with an enemy sorcerer and his loyal and unpredictable demon servant, Elisabeth sets out to find out the truth of what happened.

The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey

In a post apocalyptic, zombie-infested wasteland, a group of characters try to stay alive and hope to find a cure. One of the characters is Melanie, a young girl who carries the contagion inside of her and hungers for flesh, but like many children of the apocalypse has kept her humanity. Is she and children like her the answer to the cure we are looking for? Or are they the start of something entirely new? This book has also been adapted as a movie!

Malevolent by Harlan Guthrie*

Lovecraftian horror mystery. Private detective Arthur Lester wakes up in his office, his partner dead, memories fuzzy, vision gone, and the voice of a malevolent entity in his mind. Unable to see, Arthur is forced to rely on guidance from the entity as he attempts to solve the mystery of what it is and where it came from. Is this a book? No. But as someone who reads mostly audiobooks, the difference between a book and a fiction podcast is negligible, and also I love this story and its characters and want all of you to do so too.

Parasyte by Hitoshi Iwaka*

Horror manga, heavy on the bodyhorror. Shinichi Izumi wakes one day after a strange dream: that an alien parasite crawled into his arm. Soon he realizes it was more real than dream, and that an inhuman creature, having failed to eat and take over his brain, now controls his arm. Forced to cooperate, the two do their best to survive as more parasites quietly infiltrate society, meaning to devour our entire species. Also available as a very faithful anime!

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy*

Young adult. Twelve-year-old Stephanie Edgley's uncle, famed horror writer, just died mysteriously and left her his entire fortune. As it turns out, the stories he wrote weren't entirely made up, and that which killed him wasn't entirely human. In trying to avenge his death, Stephanie joins forces with Skulduggery Pleasant, sorcerer, detective, and living, walking skeleton.

The Cloud Roads by Martha Wells

Moon doesn't know what he is. Having lost his family young he lives on the move, shifting his shape to hide his true form. The only ones similar to himself he's ever encountered are the vicious, bloodthirsty Fell, but he knows he cannot be one of them. When chance leads to a meeting with someone like him, he hopes his days of loneliness are over. But his new people stand against a dangerous enemy, and not all of them welcome Moon's help. A departure from other titles on this list in that it features only creatures, with not a single human on page.

The Girl From the Well by Rin Chupeco

Young adult horror. Okiku died three hundred years ago, her body thrown down a well. Now she spends her days hunting for and punishing murderers like the one who once killed her. When a strange boy bearing odd tattoos appears in her area, he catches Okiku's attention - as does something that follows after him. To save the boy, Okiku will be drawn into a journey taking both of them from American suburbia to a faraway shrine in Japan.

Monstrilio by Gerardo Sámano Córdova

When Magos loses her son Santiago to a longtime illness, she loses herself to grief and cuts out a piece of his lung. After hearing old folktales, she begins feeding it - and is shocked to find it growing and alive. Soon finding herself in charge of a hungry and bloodthirsty creature, Magos and her family must come together to care for what they can only see as a second chance for Santiago.

Semiosis by Sue Burke

A generational story following a group of humans trying to survive on a new planet, where a strange and unkowable intelligence is finding ways to use them to its whims. As the humans come across an abandoned city wrapped in the roots of a strange plant, they slowly come to the realization that mutual communication is the only path to peace and survival. Meanwhile, the alien finds itself tied all the more tightly to the growing human community.

The Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei

Maya Hoshimoto used to be an art thief, and a damned good one to, until a disastrous heist made her retire into academia, hoping for peace and coping with an alien disease which causes her to see glimpses of the future. When an old friend tracks her down and asks her help to find and steal a legendary artifact that could save his entire species, Maya is convinced to do one last job.

Magical Girl Dandelion by Mizuho Kaeru

Manga. Tanpopo Ohanami's parents were killed by a phantom monster when she was young, but her life was saved by Shade, another phantom. Ever since then, Shade has been her friend, watching over her and keeping her safe. But then Tanpopo is revealed to be a potential magical girl, meant to fight the phantoms and protect humanity. Her and Shade are meant to be enemies, but can they instead work and fight alongside each other?

His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik

It’s the height of the Napoleonic Wars, and soldiers on dragon back fight each other in the air. Will Laurence isn't a dragonrider but a sea captain, but when his ship captures a French frigate and discovers a dragon egg about to hatch in his cargo, his life changes forever when he and the dragon hatchling bond.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Middle grade. In Lyra's world, every person has a daemon: a talking animal companion who follows them throughout life. When children begin being stolen off the street, among them Lyra's friend, she must embark on a great journey to save him, taking her to the furthest north - and beyond.

A Redtail's Dream by Minna Sundberg*

Graphic novel inspired by Finnish mythology. When an irresponsible fox spirit accidentally traps an entire town in the dreamlands, it’s up to slacker Hannu and his talking, shapeshifting dog Ville to save everyone. Together the unwilling heroes must travel the dreamlands and locate the townsfolk, returning them to the waking world before the fox spirit sends them all on to death to hide his mistake. While the physical copy is all but impossible to get a hold of, the original webcomic can still be read for free here.

[respectthepetty]

Get To Know Me Tag

thanks for tagging me @telomeke and @dylogpenchester

Do you make your bed?

Yes, so my ass doesn't hop back into it!

What’s your favorite number?

3-6-9, and I blame Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz for that. "TO THE WINDOWS, TO THE WALLS!"

What is your job?

English teacher/instructor/professor, so I beat my ancestors' oppressors at their own game!

If you could go back to school, would you?

Lifelong learner, so I've never left school. Collecting these diplomas like Mariah Carey collects number one singles (with ease and unbothered).

Can you parallel park?

Yes. One-handed. While the other hand holds my cell phone, my tea, and the snack I'm munching on.

A job you had that would surprise people?

As a long-time vegetarian, it would surprise people that my first job was selling meat. Had no idea what any of it tasted like, but I could sell it and make gross men feel uncomfortable while doing it.

Do you think aliens are real?

I went to the UFO Festival during the 75th anniversary of the Roswell incident. What do you think?

Can you drive a manual car?

Do I know how to operate a stick? Only because I like saying it that way.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

I do not feel guilty about my pleasure.

Tattoos?

Heavens no! I'm afraid of needles. My ears aren't even pierced. But I love to admire them.

Favorite color?

YELLOW!

Favorite type of music?

I love all types of music (pop, country, electronic, rap, reggaeton, norteño, y todo), but I'm hella mad at how brief songs are today because I need four more minutes of GloRilla and Megan Thee Stallion saying "I don't wanna be saved, don't save me [. . .] You ain't my daddy. I'm not your baby"

Do you like puzzles?

Like trying to figure out where some people get the fucking audacity? Or who the fuck they think they're talking to? Yes. My favorite kinds of puzzles.

Any phobias?

It used to be the dark, but I embraced the darkness (aka I went to therapy)

Favorite childhood sport?

Playing? Softball (fast-pitched, not so much). Watching? Soccer.

Do you talk to yourself?

Who else would I talk to? God? Los santos? My ancestors? They don't need this smoke.

What movies do you adore?

Clueless, Pan's Labyrinth, Stardust, Esteros, A Walk in the Clouds, Wildhood, Another Gay Movie, The Best Man for this scene alone

Coffee or tea?

Tea. Coffee is burnt beans and taste like the ashes of Mother Nature. I wrote what I wrote.

First thing you wanted to be growing up?

Ms. Frizzle because her outfits were on theme, she understood the assignment, and she was never caught slacking. She is unmarried, has a Ph.D, an Ed.D, works in education teaching S.T.E.M., and has a pet lizard. I don't just want to be her; I want to be with her.

[pastelwitchling]

Alex Manes Appreciation Week (5/5)

                Michael hated everything about this.

                He hated watching Alex push himself out of bed at an ungodly hour Friday morning, ridiculously assuming that he would be making the drive to Texas on his own. He hated watching Alex walk into a flower shop on the way and buy a bouquet of wildflowers (“Scott’s favorite,” he said) and unwilling to let them go for the rest of the way. He hated watching Alex come to a gravesite where a blonde woman Michael didn’t know—Scott’s younger sister, Katie, he would later find out—jumped into his arms, her face streaked with tears.

                “Where’s Hannah?��

                “She’s on her way,” Katie said, clinging to Alex’s side. “Grandma called, I left while they were still talking.”

                Michael hated watching Alex with these people he didn’t know, from a world he’d never been part of, smiling at Alex like he was a son that Roswell had stolen away. Michael hated it worse that standing back and watching was all he could do. Alex didn’t need him here, he’d come for his own sake, he’d known that. And yet knowing it and seeing it were two completely different things.

                So caught up in how much he felt like an outsider, Michael almost missed Alex introducing him. “This is my husband, Michael Guerin.”

                “Hi,” Katie smiled warmly. “I’m Katie Mason.”

                “Oh, Alex, he’s gorgeous,” Hannah, Scott’s mother, told Alex, and in their kindness, Michael could see why Alex had warmed up to the family so quickly. They treated him the way his own family always should’ve and never had. And Michael hadn’t even known that they existed until a few days ago.

                But he smiled and he was polite and rubbed Alex’s back as he silently cried at Scott’s gravestone through a clenched jaw.

                It wasn’t until Alex bid them a fond goodbye and they were back in Michael’s truck on their way home that Michael shook his head and said, “I don’t deserve you.”

                “Hm?” Alex blinked. “What?”

                “You have this whole other life you could’ve escaped to,” Michael said, “and you stayed in Roswell to fight a battle that wasn’t even yours. Why?”

                Alex seemed to understand right away, and hummed, rested his head back against the headrest. “I love you. Where else would I be?”

                “Alex, you had a real family.”

                “You’re my real family,” Alex said, offended that Michael could imply anything else. “And—and so is Kyle, and Isobel, and Max, and Dallas, and Liz, and my brothers—I have a family in Roswell.”

                “But . . .” he swallowed. “These people . . .”

                Alex’s eyes softened. “Guerin, my men and their families . . . they’re just part of my life. Not all of it. I told you, you’re my everything, no one else.”

                Michael exhaled shakily, not knowing how afraid he’d been that Alex would agree that he deserved better until he refused it. “You sure you won’t wish you’d married someone else?”

                Alex chuckled and took Michael’s hand in both of his own. “I think even Scott would’ve said that I was ruined for anyone but you.”

                Michael squeezed his hand tighter at the mention of his army buddy, and he said, “I’m sorry about your friend.”

                A pause. “Me, too.”

                Neither of them said nothing for a long time, Michael’s hand clasped between Alex’s, and then finally Michael said, “Okay, Private, we’ve got a long drive back to New Mexico, so would you please get some sleep now?” Silence. “Alex?”

                Michael looked over and his lips quirked. Curled up on his seat, Alex lay there fast asleep, his expression one of a peace he hadn’t known in too long. Michael used his powers to lean the seat back, but Alex’s grip on his hand never loosened, like even in sleep he needed Michael close.

                “I know how that feels, baby,” Michael murmured, smiling against Alex’s brow before he pressed a soft kiss there. “I know.”

***

@alexmanesappreciation

I don't know where to start. Most people have gone inactive since the show ended, and it breaks my heart to go onto tumblr and rarely see an update in the tags anymore. I kind of saw it coming because even during hiatuses, the fandom turned really quiet, so this just makes a grim sort of sense.

Personally, I hope I never stop writing malex. I hope I'm posting fics on malex Monday years from now, I hope new projects keep coming, and until no one is reading anymore, I hope I don't stop. I understand others not finding the point, but I physically and emotionally need Alex Manes and malex, and I can't give them up. If I can last a year-long hiatus, I should be able to do this, right? At least for a little longer. And at least for my favorite airman.

So my beautiful Alex Manes, my magical Tyler Blackburn, my love, this is all for you ❤

[jaynnie-jane]

Yesterday I almost burst into tears when I told the psychologist that is doing my autism assessment "I had a very lonely childhood because of my parents."

At the time I was referring to my mum not liking the other mums so I didn't do play dates. I thought of how, being at a private school, in primary school all the other kids would have connector pen battles or be talking about their marble gel pens while I was left out of these social obsessions because I was not allowed such frivolities.

This morning, while reading 'Born for Love' (a wonderful book about the importance of empathy) it struck me again how my mothers attitude to money (which I am now very grateful for) robbed me of another group of friends.

There was one group of girls that I generally got along with, would have liked to spend more time with but I didn't wuite get because they were all TV obsessed. They used to watch Roswell, Smallville, Buffy and Angel as if they were religion. It's predominantly what they talked about too. Then there was me. My home did not have foxtell, I think at that point we didn't even have a DVD player yet (2002). So, I was totally excluded from a group of people because I did not carry their common interest. Have I since consumed all those shows and enjoyed them? Yup!

It is such a strange thing to ponder how dramatically different my life could have been if my parents had foxtell.

I probably wouldn't have fallen for the friend that I did and experienced a very difficult relationship with them.

I probably would not have shaped myself to be as forgiving, empathetic, unjudging.

Heck, maybe without the emotional turmoil of the group I ended up in I might have been able to perform better in school because my focus only had to be on one thing.

There are key people I would never have met - Bec, James, even my longest relationship would probably not have happened.

There would have been no Titanfall, Sydney or Josh.

Such a strange thing to realise how different my life could have been if my parents had foxtell.

[lesbianmaxevans]

Max & Liz from Roswell, New Mexico (2019-2022) || Nick & George from Nancy Drew (2019-2023) [part I] happy birthday @helloyona

[Image Description: Nine stacked gifs, each one divided vertically in half. On the left is a scene from Roswell, New Mexico. On the right is a scene from Nancy Drew. Each gif also has capitalized, blocky text overlaying the images in the center.

THE GUARDED, CLOSED OFF ONE: Liz says, “I don’t trust people. I’ve been burned too many times. I use facts and evidence to build a cage around my heart. I can’t help it, I can’t change it. And, honestly, I don’t think I would want to. It’s my armor.” // George says, “ I have a mother who is a neglectful alcoholic, and I’ve had to raise three little sisters on my own. It was really hard, but I adapted, and life hasn’t made me nice. It’s made me vicious.“

THE PROTECTIVE, RUNS INTO DANGER ONE: Max runs into a building as Liz calls after him  // Nick quickly runs into a lake after a friend (offscreen) while George watches, visibly scared

TOP-TIER LOVE CONFESSIONS: Max stands in front of Liz and says, “But you’re not perfect. I see your faults. And I love you. Easily. You believe in the good in me when I can’t see it. So, is it so crazy that I believe in you too? Without evidence. I just… know.” // Nick gently tucks a strand of George’s hair behind her ear. She stares at him in shock as he says, "I love you. You take care of everything and everyone, and I know you don’t need anyone to take care of you, but you need to know you’re loved. Okay, you asked me before what changed from yesterday to today, what do I stand to lose, and… It’s us.”

LIFE-ALTERING FIRST KISS: (this is pretty self explanatory)

DEATH & RESURRECTION: 1 - Liz cries over Max’s lifeless body. 2 - Rosa uses her new ability to restart his heart. // 1 - Nick stares helpless at George after she’s been impaled. 2 - George gasps for air after Nancy uses a magical shroud.

AMNESIA PLOT: Liz looks relieved as she hugs Max, when she pulls away Max says, “I’m - I’m so sorry. Have we met?” // George rushes to Nick, saying, "Nick, you’re okay!” He recoils from her and responds, “Uh, who are you? Wait, you know me?”

FATAL ILLNESS POST RESURRECTION: Max, clearly not in a healthy state is talking with Isobel. M: "The heart is what’s the matter.” I: “No. You’re better. Valenti did a transplant. It’s better.” M: “Yeah. And my body’s rejecting it.” // George is talking to her grandmother’s spirit, and she tells George, “Your life line is beginning to merge with Odette’s. Your original line had a rocky start, but ended up happy and long. Odette’s life line is violent and brief. If you do not find a way to sever your connection, your life line will be greatly shortened.”

 SABOTAGING NEWLY-FOUND STABILITY: After Max learns of her experiments, Liz says, “I’ve discovered something that could be the key to curing people who have no hope otherwise. I can’t walk away!” Max angrily responds, “So you’re gonna turn my family’s stem cells into the hottest commodity?” // George says, "[Dating other people is an] option that I never got to explore when I had an expiration date. I want us to be together for the right reasons, not because we just settled for each other.” Nick, in disbelief, responds, “Oh, you -- you settled for me?”

DOUBLE PROPOSALS: 1 - Max seems very emotional as he says, “What I want to say is that meeting you and being with you elevated my life. When you moved in, you did something I didn’t think was possible. You taught me that I can grow so much more.” 2 - On another occasion, Liz smiles as she holds a ring box behind her back. // 1 - George stands in front of Nick and says, “No more delayed gratification. No more waiting... Ned Nickerson… Will you marry me?” 2 - Nick kneels as he holds a ring box and says, “My answer’s yes. It’s yes. It always has been, with my… with my whole heart... No matter what tries to get in our way, I am never saying goodbye to you. In this life or the next.”]

[mrallnight57-blog]

The Island of Dr. Spy

Chapter 1

Rough Rough Rough Draft

Jenny Ramirez had finally been given the opportunity to go back to Roswell New Mexico. Up to now she had been busy following up leads, and trying to learn more about the criminal organization that funded the Gothic Lights over five years ago.

She knew the Organization had gotten its start, in her home town of Roswell New Mexico. Now though, the organization operated all around the world. So getting back to Roswell was not an easy endeavor.

Another thing that made her job hard, was the fact that cosmic children had now become mainstream. She had learned about them five years ago, and was even part of a conspiracy to cover them up. Unfortunately their battles on the streets had far too many eyewitnesses. Then the media got involved. So Jenny and other government agencies had to admit there existence.

Jenny was in her childhood home. Her mom was in the kitchen preparing her a cup of coffee, and her dad was at work. Even at 69, her dad was still busting his ass in the oilfield.

Jenny was looking at old family photos. As she looked through the photos. One caught her attention. It was a picture of her, and her older sister Maria.

Maria was ten years older than Jenny. Even with this age gap. The two of them were very close. Maria was basically Jenny's babysitter when she was a kid, and the two of them would play and watch cartoons together.

When Maria was eighteen, she went to college. She was always very smart, and had straight A's in school. In college she met a man by the name Andrew Drakos. His family was from Rhodes Island Greece. Maria would end up dropping out during her junior year in college, because Andrew had knocked her up.

Andrew would finish college and become a doctor. He married Maria and they had a son name Nicholas.

Nicholas was a genius. At five years old, he had already graduated from grade school, and was taken middle school classes. At ten years of age, he had already graduated from high school. Had Nicholas been around today, he would have probably been a Nobel prize winning scientist.

The reason he wasn't around anymore was because by the time he was eleven. Someone had broke into his house. Tied up his parents, kidnapped him, and set the house on fire. Killing both of his parents.

This all happened when Jenny was twenty-two. After police failed to get any leads. Jenny decided to become a police officer, and solve the case herself. Sadly all this happened sixteen years ago. Fortunately for Jenny, five years ago she got a lead.

It all went back to the night at the Gothic Lights compound. It was there she met Litias. A creature from another world. The two of them became friends. In fact when the creature left. It broke Jenny's heart, because deep down, she had fallen in love with Litias.

Before Litias left, she told Jenny about a man name Stan Maverick. Three months later, she met with the man, and it was him who had given her a lead on the people who were responsible for her sister's death, and her nephew's kidnapping.

Jenny was now sitting at the dinning room table. Still looking at the picture, when her mom came out of the kitchen, bringing coffee, and homemade cookies.

Jenny's mother Sofia, sat the cookies and coffee on the table. Then she sat down next to Jenny and started talking. "So tell me sweetheart. What have I done to deserve a visit from my world famous daughter?"

Jenny's face turned red. She was embarrassed by her mom's words. It's true that both her involvement with the government, and her high standings in the LGBTQ+ community had made her famous, but she really needed to spend more time with her family.

Jenny continued to blush. "I'm sorry for not visiting much. It just lots of stuff keeps getting in the way. My new position in the FBI, has me running around like a chicken with it's head cut off. The good news is though. I think I finally cracked the case on who was responsible for Maria death."

Sophia eyes widen. "Is that even possible baby girl! That happened sixteen years ago. I figured if you hadn't found the creeps by now. You would never find them!"

Jenny looked her mom in the eyes. "I will though! I finally have a lead, and a possible connection between Nicholas and the people who kidnapped him."

Jenny pulled a satchel from underneath the table, and set it on top. Then she opened it and spoke. "You remember all of stuff you sent me, that belonged to Nicholas? Most importantly his drawings."

Sophia nodded as Jenny began pulling out some old drawings. Jenny began organizing the drawings. Which were very well made, and very descriptive. Almost as if they were made by a professional architect, but in actuality was drawn by a nine year old child.

Sophia watched as her daughter began showing her different pictures. Some were of weapons that couldn't be made, because technology was just not that advance yet. This included a ray that could drain someone's energy and make the target as weak as a baby. It was called a weakness ray.

Jenny looked over to her mother as she pointed at the weapon. "I've seen this weapon. It's true purpose is to be used on people with powers. Like the Cosmic Children, but this drawing was made many years before anyone even knew cosmic children existed. I think Nicholas knew about them. In fact I'm incline to believe he was one of them!"

At this point Sophia was confused. "Are you saying our little Nicky had powers!?!"

Jenny nodded. "Could explain why he was so smart."

Jenny pulled up another picture. This time it was a picture of an island.

Sophia looked at Jenny and asked. "What's special about that?"

Jenny grabbed a couple of other pieces of paper and said. "These are the schematics of the island. It is a man made structure, that is one hundred miles long, and not only would the island float, but it would also be able to fly. It has a cloaking technology that can keep itself from being detected during travel."

Sophia chuckled. "Wow! Nicky sure had a hell of an imagination!"

Jenny pulled out a satellite photo of an island. "This island appeared six years ago outside the islands of Greece. Five months ago it disappeared, and reappeared one hundred and fifty miles away from the coast of Florida. Everyone who has been sent there has disappeared. Also on close inspection. It looks exactly like the island Nicholas had created."

Sophia looked at the pictures, then back at Jenny. "What do you think this means?

Jenny put her hand on her mother's wrist, and softly spoke. "I believe Nicholas is still alive, and whoever has him, knew about Nicholas's abnormal intelligence, and is forcing him to help them in their criminal activities."

Sophia was taken off guard by Jenny's words. "So you believe he might be on that island!?!"

Jenny softly squeezed her mother's wrist. "I'm sure of it!"

[set-phasers-to-whump]

Day 7: Post a link to your favorite whump fic of all time (or reblog it and/or make a list of them!)

ok i decided to limit myself to just 10 of my all time favorite whump fics. these are ones that i return to all the time, that i reread whenever i'm having a bad day, you know the vibe. all of them are very dear to me and i hope someone else will enjoy them too!!! i'll put them under a readmore since this got a bit long :)

Caged by Cargo - 911. Cargo is one of my absolute favorite writers and i've been in love with this fic for a longass time. the emotions and caretaking are absolutely top tier, and there's a lovely blend of emotional and physical whump. summary: "As Eddie stands in his kitchen after returning home from tonight's fight, he finally cracks. He starts falling apart and he knows there's only one person in the entire world he trusts to pick up the pieces. It's why he's dialling Buck's number before he even knows he has his phone in his hands."

Bloodshot Soul by OrionLady - bourne series. this one straight up has made me cry i can't even lie. it's a beautiful and very genuine exploration of the characters and the emotional whump is wonderfully painful. summary: "He cannot fathom why a crusty old skipper would care so much about a strange John Doe he fished out of the water, why he would smile and touch his shoulder and feed him pie. Then again, there are many things he doesn’t understand yet. The closer he and Giancarlo get, the less he wants to remember. An exploration into Jason and Giancarlo’s friendship during his two weeks aboard the fishing trawler."

In The Shadows of The Night by MissCrazyWriter321 - grimm. this fic is thee one that i turn to whenever i'm feeling sad. i love nick and rosalee's dynamic and this fic lets nick break down while keeping both of them perfectly in character. i'm absolutely obsessed with it. summary: "A board creeks beneath her foot, and he startles, but calms quickly when he sees her. “Sorry,” she murmurs. “I hope I didn’t wake you.” Obviously she didn’t, but she needs to be careful how she handles this. If she pushes too hard, he’ll just end up shutting down."

Eggs Two Ways by leslielol - law and order svu. something about the writing style in this one absolutely captivates me. like, there was a period of time where i straight up read this fic once a week and i'm not kidding. they're both super in character and it's a delightful read! summary: "It’s not often Barba has a reason to exercise a set of skills separate from those as a prosecutor. While sat in a holding cell nursing a broken nose, Carisi learns he’s as sharp as ever. (A missing-scene fic from 16x15 “Undercover Mother.”)"

Breaking all the things I'd wish to keep and Can't erase, can't rewind by Elisexyz - the man from uncle. ok yeah this is technically two. sue me. ely is like, my favorite fic author ever and i love all of her tmfu stuff, but these two hold a special place in my heart and make me go absolutely crazy every time (they go together btw). if you're into tmfu and for some reason haven't read her fics then uhh. get on that right now bc she's amazing. summary: "Napoleon maintains that attempted murder cannot be classified as an "accident"."// "“I didn’t think it was him.”"

the moon points to the sun by haloud - roswell new mexico. this fic has been making me insane for literal years. it's emotional whump and has a somewhat different vibe to the other fics on this list, but i absolutely adore it. this writer understands the characters so well and their style is absolutely incredible. top tier fic right here. summary: "They don't do apologies, Max and Michael. If they started, they'd never stop."

No Rules, No Winners by April_Valentine - person of interest. this is one of those times where you watch something and you're like 'man i wish they'd addressed this pain in the show' and then you find the absolute perfect fic that does address it. it's so tender and lovely and exactly what the episode was missing. summary: "Set just before the tag of "Baby Blue." After leaving Moretti's safe house, Reese goes back to the library."

The Car Accident by Tipper - sneaky pete. another one i've been obsessed with for literal years. it's on the longer side but it's so good, wonderful family dynamics and a really excellent storyline. summary: "After Julia found out who he was, all Marius wanted was one more Sunday night dinner with the family. It was a mistake. The trusting way they looked at him, the uncertain way she looked at him.... He left early, afraid to sink any deeper. The black truck came out of nowhere as he drove away..."

Too Hot (Hot Damn) by WasteTimeandType - the man from uncle. i loveee some heat exhaustion fics and this one is so good! i reread it recently when i was sick and miserable and seeing illya much more sick and miserable than i was really made me feel better lol. summary: "'Out of all the UNCLE missions, this was by far the worst. He’d been shot, stabbed, tortured with water and forced to run miles in a forest in the middle of Canada. All of that was preferable to this. The damn heat.' Illya suffers from heat exhaustion and Gaby and Napoleon take care of him. Kink Meme fill."

A Little Tender Care by ArgylePirateWD - person of interest. this one's a sickfic, i read it before i actually started watching the show and absolutely adored it, and i still adore it now. true to the title, it's super tender and soft and it's a really sweet read. summary: "The Man in the Suit doesn't usually take sick days. Usually."

and that's 10!! this is far from a complete list of all the fics i adore, but these are the first 10 (or 11) that i knew i needed to rec. if anyone wants more recs, lmk, i've got tons :)

[alltimefail-sims]

Today I'm sharing my Strangerville OCs full names, birthdays and zodiac signs because I realized I've never done that and it would probably be a good idea to document these things so I don't forget them!

(Help me my brain is so tired this took forever.)

ANYWAY my ramblings are under the cut if you're curious ↓

Zoe Renee Tate: February 10th, Aquarius

Erwin Michael Pries: October 15th, Libra

Tashia Latrice Moore : August 9th, Leo

Anwar ibn Samir ibn Hadi al Nabih: August 24th, Virgo

***** Note that Anwar's secondary names are not actually "middle names" as the western format would assume, but they actually are his father's name (Samir) and his grandfather's name (Hadi). In other words, his name would be "Anwar, son of Samir, son of Hadi. He only uses this formality in certain settings, mainly in the presence of his family and other Arabic-speaking people. Nabih is his family's identifying surname (which they actually chose for the sake of fitting western naming conventions when his father's family left Palestine three-or-so generations before Anwar was even born). Since most of his life has been lived in America, he has always just gone by Anwar Nabih in school/with coworkers/etc. "for the sake of simplicity and maintaining sanity."

Junia "June" Ahyoka Cahill - May 7th, Taurus

*****Note that Junia's mother was Hispanic (dad's side) and Cherokee (mom's side), so Junia's middle name pays homage to their native roots. It means "She brought happiness." Junia didn't actually have a middle name at birth, she received it once her mother felt she knew her daughter well enough to give her a native name that "reflected her true nature." (Junia was around 7 years old).

Bonus: Margaret Diedre Pries - June 29th, Cancer

Theodore Beckett Roswell III - January 3rd, Capricorn

*****Note that Beckett is named after his father, Ted Roswell (II) and his grandfather Ted Roswell (I), but he goes by his middle name "Beckett" when the story takes off. His mom actually calls him "Theo" though, as did the Strangerville locals who watched him grow up.

[dr-lizortecho]

Alright so I held back on my farewell to Roswell New Mexico this long for a slew of reasons. For anyone still following me post 4x13 you probably have a small hint as to why. But now I’m at peace with how the show went out (not happy, obviously. I’ll still maintain my views on pretty much the entire season and the writers involved). But I have been able to come to a place where my love for Liz and a lot of her supporting characters have surpassed all of that negativity. Cause though the writing felt like a knife specifically curated to cut into my heart it failed to tarnish the characters and relationships. The rest of this will be under the cut for being overly sappy and cringe <3

Roswell New Mexico came into my life not once but three times (coincidentally the same amount of times Liz came into Max’s), and each time it gave me something I can’t ever be grateful enough for. The cast and crew truly created a gift, one built with love and so much thoughtfulness (barring certain aspects as it continued on). Jeanine’s love and passion for her character shinning through flawlessly in all her scenes, even when the script she was working with was sub par.

First, I discovered the show with my brother through seeing a trailer during one of the arrowverse shows. And then we decided to watch. It was a wild ride, as season one was. Both of us having alternating theories and discussions about the show and the characters. This was at a time when my life felt empty and broken (I was a highschooler, lol). My brother -one of my best friends- was graduating and probably leaving my life in some way shape or form, creating a complicated mess of emotions. Through all of that we had forgotten how to interact and just be, without something external to bring us together. And RNM became that. More than that the characters dynamics reminded me of how my childhood felt, Max and Isobel’s dynamic reminiscent of how we’d been when we were little. Creating a firm nostalgia that helped me try harder and push the limits in reconnecting. Just seeing Max’s fear of losing Isobel was enough to make me certain I didn’t want that. All while Maria and Liz’s friendship making me homesick for the same thing with my best friend. Who I’d made the terrible mistake of attempting to date (cause highschool and questioning my sexuality), which had fractured our dynamic in a strange way. Not only that but struggling through that relationship being ‘outed’ to my conservative/religious family, and watching the way my mother distanced herself. Having her tell me it was something my father didn’t need to know about, because it was over and I’d never fall down that path again. So for two seasons RNM saved my two most important relationships to date, helped me reconnect with my two best friends. Because I was reminded by Alex in 1x07 to get out of my own head and talk to my best friend, reminded time in and time out by Max that it’s in the trying to communicate. If you love something you don’t let go, unless you’re asked to.

The second time RNM saved me is probably the most meaningful to me in some strange way. Though it took the longest, and seemed to stretch out for an eternity. All of season three and the entire lead up to season four (and half of it, though the current season wasn’t really part of it). Somehow between all the life events of starting college, losing my dog, and falling into a depressive state, I’d forgotten the show existed. Then while skipping a class (Chemistry, lol), because the anxiety was too much for me to handle, I opened Netflix and it was suggested for me. It was like a million memories crashed into me and they were warm and safe and comforting. So I turned it on and rewatched and relearned all the characters who had once meant so much to me, then when that was over I opened ao3 and tumblr (for the first time since the Supernatural obsession). Somehow I let my depression and anxiety get the best of me, flunking classes and moving from job to job. Whatever it took to stop the cold feeling of inadequacy and anxiety every time it seemed to take over. Long story short this continued for at least a year, one in which I fell so hard into the depression I stopped reaching out to my best friend, almost lost her honestly it was so bad. But along that line, getting to watch Liz struggle with similar things -though vastly different- was a lifesaver. It gave me that small bit of strength to push through and understand myself. By being able to examine her traumas and reasons for running so fast and so forcefully I was able to examine myself. Not just what I was running from but running too, like 3x08 tore my heart out and showed it to me. Not only that, but being able to watch how Max saw Liz, seeing her faults. How she was loud and took up space, how she ran from people, how she built armor around her like a cage. To be able to watch him love her unconditionally, to see him not only love her positive traits but the negative ones. It all helped break the cage around my own heart, helped me face myself and the people I loved. Not only that but being able to watch Liz Ortecho be loud and take up space- as a woman who’s spent my whole life being told by the people closest to me that I’m too loud and too opinionated. It just, she means so much to me. Her and Max’s relationship as well. Because in some convoluted way I am lovable cause they exist.

Like, it’s so hard to express it. But I’m finally in a place where I’m living my life instead of being a passenger in my body. Finally made it to a place where I’m at peace with who I am and what I want. And am actively building towards that, with my recent admission into a new college for my new major. For a career I want (not the one I was told I wanted). With my chosen family around me and knowing who I am for the first time ever.

The third time RNM saved me occurred during the second time, but in a very different way. It saved me through the fandom, the people who spent time reading what I created and commenting and engaging with me. (It was a big part in my realization I wanted to go into the arts not the sciences). But mostly it helped me learn how to engage with people on a social level on my time. And to anyone who’s taken the time to read this, that includes you. All of the people in the fandom space have been so lovely and welcoming and kind. And have by proxy of sharing their own content and engaging with mine, helped me smile a little more through some difficult times. Helped me fully come to terms with my own identity. So thank you all for making this show and it’s content impossibly more meaningful.

So though the show won’t be airing anymore, know my love for it will always exist. And for the fact someone in a room somewhere let these characters and their stories exist in my screen, I am forever grateful (even when I’m being salty about the show, I never will regret it). And as always the mandatory I will be here churning out Echo content till I die <3

[goddesspharo]

DEN for the fic asks, please?

For move it to the exits, as requested!

D: Is there a song or a playlist to associate with move it to the exits?

I don't know why I never create an actual playlist while writing because I usually will listen to a handful of songs on repeat while writing. It's probably because they don't necessarily have anything to do with what I'm writing – sometimes I just need the background noise of a song on repeat. In this case though, I was listening Semisonic's "Closing Time" a bunch (hence, the title) because it's not a song you can only listen to once. At some point it led to discovering this Spotify playlist (not mine) which was such a fun blast from the past and meant that I could just run that on repeat instead.

E: If you wrote a sequel to move it to the exits, what would it be about?

Unequivocally, it would be the one where Ann Evans comes to visit for a week, which prompts Kyle and Isobel to fake date (except for how they're totally actually dating but too in denial to admit) while she's in Roswell. They plan to stage a fake breakup before she goes except Kyle is too good of a fake boyfriend (this show depriving me of watching Kyle charm the hell out of Isobel's WASPy mother is one of my villain origin stories) and Isobel's having too much fun being wooed so they keep putting it off. Liz struggles to keep her "I told you so" in check.

N: Is there a fic you wish someone else would write (or finish) for you?

If it's one of my fics - at this point, it's finishing the apocalypse AU WIP! Someone go into my brain and then translate the rest of it into a word doc. In my head, it's basically done but I don't know why I'm dragging my feet about actually writing it. Why did I commit to A PLOT? Vibes only from now on.

If it's a fic that I wish someone would write into existence, I think the world needs more post-Speed (1994) fic where we ignore the existence of Speed 2 and find out what happens when two hot people stop jumping gaps in the freeway and start getting real. I want to see them DATING and having unhealthy coping mechanisms! It is a crime that neither Speed 2 nor The Lake House was a continuation of Speed.

Fanfic ask game - ask me things!

[natehackett]

joe keery he/him/cis man “ watch out , NATHAN 'NATE' HACKETT has crash-landed into roswell !! they look thirty years old and celebrate their birthday on march fifteenth. they are from reno, nevada, reside in the GREYSTONE COMPLEX and are currently working as an attendant at the lunar laundromat. one thing you should know about them is back in reno, his parents’ garage has his collection of comics and fan memorabilia – combined, they’re worth over $500,000. ” ( guppy, mst, she/her, 21 )

PINTEREST // SPOTIFY HEY, EVERYONE ! my name is guppy (or leila, but you can call me either) and i am twenty-one. i am about to study abroad in australia, but for the current time being i am in mst (mountain standard timezone). i will be playing nate hackett, who is a lover of all things comic books and punk/grunge music. keep reading for a bit more about him and his past!

–* THE PAST / PRESENT

nate is the second youngest of five children (two older brothers – brian & james, one older sister – heather, and a younger sister – beth) and was born/raised in reno, nevada. his dad has retired but owned his own appliance repair business. nate's mother was an emergency room nurse, but she has also retired. his parents now both live in a retirement community in north carolina so they can visit the beaches in the summer season. his eldest sibling inherited the hackett home back in reno, where nate's comic and fan memorabilia collection is stored.

since there were five kids in the hackett house, it was always kind of a whirlwind. there were always birthdays happening, friends tromping through the house, holidays with extended family, and fights over room/toy/clothes sharing. the one thing that nate had to himself was his love of all things geeky.

none of his other siblings shared his interest in various comic books, card/tabletop games, and movies. he was free to explore those interests all on his own.

every week, nate would use his lunch money to buy new issues of comics being serialized. he would draw, at first, by tracing the panels in comics that he found the most intriguing. he branched off to drawing his own heroes and villains, writing storylines for them, and stapling together stacks of printer paper he had turning them into "comics."

the same store where he bought his comics in reno also held various tabletop gaming nights where nate met many friends who shared his interests.

nate got his first job as a sophomore in high school at the comic shop, it was where he spent most of his time anyways so he might as well get paid to be there.

when it came time to decide on after high school plans, nate's dad was urging him to take on the family trade of appliance repair. already, nate's two eldest siblings were working on the family business. one had gone to technical school to become an electrician and the other had done training in general appliance repair while apprenticing with nate's dad.

his third eldest sibling had disappointed nate's mom and dad by leaving nevada and going out of state to study communications. they wanted to be a journalist, not work for the family's appliance repair business.

nate was about to disappoint them just as much, he applied not only for technical schools but out-of-state colleges as well. the university of new mexico gave him a hefty scholarship, and the opportunity to study visual art, but to appease his parents he chose instead to go to central new mexico community college to study heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR).

he loved new mexico so much, though, that he made the decision not to return home after completing his associates. his parents were upset at his decision, but were still proud of the fact that he had chosen to pursue the family's trade with appliance repair. he made the move to roswell after living in albuquerque from the time he was 18 to the time he was 24. while in albuquerque he was working as an appliance repairman but he honestly hated having to constantly zip around from house to house everyday just to do his job. he made the decision that he wanted to work somewhere stable.

when he saw the lunar laundromat in roswell was hiring, he thought it was the perfect fit. he had the skills to fix the washers and dryers when they went down, but he was also could sit at the counter and read comic books during the downtime he had. he could also work on drawing his own comic.

currently his paycheck goes to four things: rent/bills, groceries, comics, and art supplies.

he still does some freelance repair work for extra cash on the side. but, you'll mainly find him at either the lunar landromat, forbidden planet, or at home.

personality wise: nate is real geeky, he appreciates a good pun and rarely takes anything seriously. he will gladly ramble on and on about anything and everything that is related to his favorite subjects (art, comics, magic: the gathering, pokemon cards, the star wars franchise, the warner bros monsterverse, and other weird old movies)

his favorite color is a red-orange, he frequently wears his red-orange windbreaker and a las vegas 51s baseball cap. he prefers dc to marvel, especially because his favorite series is swamp thing. he is most proud of the fact he owns swamp thing #1 with a 9.6 certified guaranty company (cgc) rating. this means it is in near mint condition and alone is worth approx. $1k. he also has a personalized autograph from len wein (the original writer of the series).

he frequently drives to comic cons in the western states (primarily CO, NM, AZ, NV, and CA). for his 18th birthday, his parents bought him VIP passes for san diego comic con which was like his dream come true.

–* POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

since i know it can be difficult to find some connections off the bat here are some possible suggestions to get ideas flowing. i am also a fan of just starting threads and seeing where muse's chemistry goes.

D&D PARTY MEMBERS / we already know what a huge nerd nate is, but if your muse is also a nerd i am sure nate would love some party members for a d&d group in roswell. rather than an actual dining table, nate's apartment has a board game table. he just eats on his couch instead and uses the board game table for get togethers with the party. this doesn't have to be exclusive to D&D, but could extend to MTG and/or pokemon

FREQUENT FREELANCE CLIENT / is your muse prone to accidents? constantly blaming mercury in retrograde for their fridge breaking or their AC unit leaking? nate is happy to help, for a small price or a gift card to the forbidden planet so he can buy the latest issue of that one comic he's reading.

LAUNDROMAT PALS / since it takes at least forty-five minutes to get a small load of laundry washed and dried, nate is happy to entertain and talk to customers as they wait for their clothes to finish up. if you're real nice to him, he may even give you a detergent pod for free so you don't have to risk a couple of quarters at the janky dispenser.

EMERGENCY CONTACT / since nate's family is all out of state, it could be useful to have a ride-or-die who he can call at any time for anything. he definitely has broken a couple of fingers or slipped while jamming out too hard to the chats while in the shower. who you gonna call? nate's emergency contact!

[twyla19]

Now i know why i like watching tv shows by myself. I'm trying to watch Roswell New Mexico, and my brother keeps talking about it and making commentary. Using fucking slurs trying to "describe" someone that a actress protrayed/ was the mother to in a different show. Just pisses me off. But if i say anything, he will tell me im "sensitive." Once i am done with this episode, im gonna say im going to bed and continue watching it in my room 🙄

[emilysworldoffandoms]

What Am I Currently Watching/Reading? (August)

Beverly Hills 90210 Season 10, The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 2, Miracle Workers Season 4 (with my husband), What We Do in the Shadows Season 5 (with my husband)

Re-watch: Roswell, New Mexico Season 4 (with my husband) and How I Met Your Mother Season 7

Currently Reading: While the Duke was Sleeping By Sophie Jordan

[pastelwitchling]

Even without accounting for the AWOL of it all, I think its pretty clear Michael never asked Alex to stay, so I really don't get all the blame heaped on him for not staying. Alex made a life for himself outside of the town that treated him badly, he had a career where he was respected and escaped his abusive home. Was he just supposed to give all that up for someone who couldn't even say goodbye the day he left and who never once changed in ten years?? Michael started his "walking bar fight" phase while Alex was still around, what reason would Alex have to think Michael would suddenly stop if he decided to give everything up and stay in Roswell?? I just really don't get the expectation that Alex was supposed to be the one to upend his entire life to be with someone who never once gave any indication he'd be willing to do the same if he stayed.

I can't even count the number of arguments I've had on this front. The fact that Alex was punished over and over for not staying, but honestly? Why would he? I love Michael, but he was not without his flaws.

I know that if I loved someone who had been beaten the way Michael had when we were first found together, and then he mocked me every time I was afraid of my own abuser for years after, I wouldn't feel safe with him. I understand Michael felt abandoned, I really do, but does that change the fact that he never once asked Alex to stay? Does it change the fact that he never showed so much as an ounce of sympathy towards Alex's feelings concerning his father? Or a sense of compassion for the fact that Alex lived under a man who watched him like a hawk and judged him on every move?

Forgetting that this wasn't Alex's foster father, it wasn't someone who he knew wasn't family. This was Alex's actual dad, and he was punished for wanting his own dad to love him? For being unable to help but earn his approval? I get how Alex leaving hurt, but I also struggle to understand why he should've stayed in the first place. Did Michael ever once show him that he was a safe space for Alex to escape to if he ever did manage to get away from his dad? His options stayed either his father, the only connection to his mother and his family and the only home he'd ever known, and a cowboy who scoffs at him when he's afraid and acts like he really couldn't care less when he leaves.

Before anyone comes at me either, answer me this;

Did Michael ever so much as say the word, wait?

Did Michael ever say the words, That must've been tough?

Did Michael ever say, I want to know you?

Did Michael ever ask Alex why he keeps leaving?

Did Michael ever tell Alex it was okay?

Did Michael ever tell him he could keep him safe?

Did Michael ever tell him he loved him?

Did Michael ever tell him he liked him?

I rest my case.

[neeterloveschenford]

My mom just finished watching season 2 of RNM. Some of her thoughts:

- At least it ended better for Alex than it did last season.

- Why’d he kiss that green haired boy? (Me: It was blue, Mom, Mom: Are you sure? Me: Yes, it was supposed to look a little faded. Mom: Really? Don’t they have people who make sure people’s hair color doesn’t fade?)

- If he was going to kiss that green haired boy shouldn’t they have had more dates? He barely knows him!

- The not dead girl needs a hug.

- Thank God that bartender broke up with Michael. They had no chemistry.

- Why is Isobel’s eyeliner always winged? Can’t she wear normal eyeliner? (Fun fact, my mom really hates winged eyeliner.)

- Who is that girl with the doctor? Do we care about her? 

- Did someone from General Hospital write this show?

- Is Faux Todd really dead? (Mom used to watch One Life to Live. She calls every character Trevor St. John has ever played Faux Todd.)

- Michael shouldn’t have left when Alex was singing to him.

- Boy Max really screwed that up didn’t he.

- Why is Max’s dad from Georgia?

- What do you mean I have to wait another year!?! Fuckin rona.

So now you y’all know where I get it from. My mother. Proving that even at 65 you can be a massive fangirl!

[andrea-lyn]

no love like your love - andrealyn - michael/alex

She doesn’t seem so impressed. “I noticed you’re two weeks ahead of schedule. How many risks did you take programming that in?”

Michael scrunches up his nose, like he’s trying to think about the answer, but conveniently has no idea all of a sudden. “None?”

She clearly doesn’t believe him.

Michael follows in his mother's footsteps and runs off to planet earth to make up for lost time and escape his responsibilities, but what he finds is so much more than he ever bargained for.