#rnm echo fic rec

[dr-lizortecho]

A collection of Echo centric fics (if your echo fic or favorite isn’t on here feel free to send me a link so I can add it to my bookmarks!)

General Audiences

Today’s Milkshake by @tasyfa (183 words)

Summary: With Max’s secret out -not being a big fan of mint- Liz sets out to determine what flavor of milkshake he actually enjoys.

Rec: This fic however concise really captures the playful and loving side of Liz. Focuses in on her love of science and the structure it comes with, in a light hearted and warm way that doesn’t usually get depicted in fic. It captures a short and sweet moment between the two of them that displays exactly how well their personalities complement each other.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply, Max as a science experiment (alright, ik I’m not funny, sorry guys)

A Milkshake and a Sweater Conundrum by @aflawedfashion (525 words, Isobel Evans & Max Evans with mentioned Liz Ortecho/Max Evans)

Summary: Isobel needs fashion advice, and her brother is the last person who could actually help. But in the wake of his recent resurrection he’s the one place she wants to go. To her surprise she finds him drinking a Little Green Man.

Rec: Even though Liz isn’t in this one it really does show how much Max is hung up on her. Using the milkshake as a vehicle for him to discuss those feelings with Isobel.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply

Coda by @wunderlass (618 words, canon divergent)

Summary: alternate ending to 4x13, Liz holds onto Max for a little while longer, before making a life altering decision.

Rec: This fic really takes the final moment of the series and allows it to breathe. And in doing so it breathes life back into both Liz and Max, allowing their characters to continue to make complex decisions. Specifically allowing Liz to have what she wants while opening up endless possibilities for her, something she has been striving for her entire life. The choice also allows her to keep one last promise to Max, one of the very foundational pieces of their relationship, back from when she refused to kiss him the very first time. As for Max it allows him not to make yet another sacrifice for the alleviation of guilt.

Content Warnings: 4x13, no archive warnings apply

Where I follow, you’ll go by @thesquidkid (1.605 words, AU, all human)

Summary: Liz is a researcher who happens to be in Roswell for a science convention. Max is a writer passing through Roswell on a road trip to inspire his next novel. The universe interferes, and they collide. Not once, but twice.

Rec: It really captures the heart of their dynamic in a less straightforward sense. Instead this story relies on the narration to paint a scene, one full of contradictions and facts. How some would claim fate, and others mere coincidence. Which draws from the very thing that brings Echo together not once but three times throughout the show. The very thing Max noted in his farewell letters in season three. In a way it captures their different perspectives on their relationship. Max’s more poetic, Liz’s more realistic. (Truly it holds the same theme the show runners depicted in the song choice of Superposition)

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply

We were once upon a time in love by @thesquidkid (2.665 words)

Summary: Liz gifts Max with a challenge, one she knows he will both be delighted and distraught about. For his Christmas present she will buy anything from the local Barnes & Noble, under specific and difficult conditions of course.

Rec: This fic really captures their physicality, how they move in tandem and seem to occupy the same space naturally. Both Max and Liz being more than tactile throughout. It also has casual everyday uses of telekinesis which isn’t something a lot of Echo/Max fics incorporate. Most of all though, it shows Liz doting on and having fun with Max’s nerdier side. Depicting them at their softest while allowing the same light teasing their more domestic scenes in season three and season four had.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply

Becoming Ortecho by @ajna-eye-cogitations (4.891 words, WIP)

Summary: Max goes to ask for Arturo’s blessing, but when he suffers a heart attack Max has to kick into action. Once Arturo knows the alien secret he starts asking questions, one’s Max doesn’t have the answers to. And in an attempt to prove he is worthy of wielding Arturo’s name, deserving of his daughter, and not some freak of nature, Max sets out on a journey of self discovery.

Rec: The narration is beautiful, weaving a story inside of Max’s head gloriously. Tapping into his feelings of love and guilt and adding meaning to each action he takes. The story has Liz for just a short span of time in the latest chapter, but their connection was effortless, Max aware of her without his senses online. Liz stepping in to play negotiations between Max and Arturo, as well as biting her tongue as not to break her father’s heart shortly after his injury.

Content Warnings: fatal heart attack, discussions of religion, no archive warnings apply

Blueprints for a Great Escape by @myrmidryad (29.505)

Summary: Max spends time researching dungeons and dragons after he and Liz watch Stranger Things. Which leads to him going through a research spiral. So Liz gathers the podsquad and Team Human together for a campaign as his birthday gift.

Rec: It captures Max’s angsty nerd persona so well, while also allowing him to be the damsel in distress (to Rosa and Isobel’s teasing that is). Echo’s dynamic feels so lived in throughout, homely and warm like the decor of Max’s house.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply

Teen and Up Audiences

Change by The_Young_Wolf (250 words)

Summary: Max’s POV of seeing Liz for the first time in a decade.

Rec: It really drives home how much Max can get into his own head, especially in regards to his attempts to help people (by joining the force). But in showing how stuck he can be in, it really opens up how far gone he was for Liz from the start. Shedding a bright light on how affected he was by her presence, even after a decade apart.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply

no grief or folly ventures by @haloud (1.535 words, season three au)

Summary: After their victory over Jones, Liz gets a quiet moment to just be with Max. To contemplate him and their relationship, everything that led up to them being able to share this moment.

Rec: The physicality is easily reminiscent of their sex scene from 1x13, while maintaining the softness and gentle touches of 2x10. The narration reads like poetry, weaving story and emotions together flawlessly. Allowing Liz to reminisce on their shared history, the mistakes and victories that made them themselves, while depicting exactly how much of an eternal mark they’ve left on each other. And how much more they have left to do.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply

Love the Very Blood of You by soldierwitch (13.304 words, AU)

Summary: Set in an alternate universe where Max was adopted separate of Michael and Isobel, growing up apart from them and never having been reunited by fate. He goes through life without ever becoming fully connected to Earth or it’s inhabitants. All while Liz struggles through the highs and lows of supporting and propping up her sister, helping Rosa get clean time and time again. Their paths cross one fateful night in a hospital. Max a priest attending a bedside, Liz a sullen family member awaiting news.

Rec: This AU keeps both characters so well intact it’s beautiful. With Max taking up the priesthood for the very same reasons he joined law enforcement, to help people in hopes it will ease the guilt that weighs him down. All while Liz keeps her frayed edges and distrustful nature, though she didn’t lose Rosa, she faces the same wearying journey year in and year out in regards to Rosa’s addiction. They both meet in this space that’s been carefully constructed and orchestrated to depict both of their struggles and fears as characters. One made to depict and pull to light all the spinning questions and possibilities thrown so casually between them in season one, about religion and the universe. It also makes a point of maintaining that original draw between them, Max finding Liz magnetic and Liz finding him a mystery to be solved.

Content Warnings: no archive warning apply, drug addiction, blasphemy, religious content

Heart of Lightning: A Roswellian Tale by @suzteel (20.095 words, AU medieval)

Summary: Ser Elizabeth Ortecho is sent by her queen to retrieve King Maxwell’s heart from a dragon. The first step in her decade long journey to waking her sister from a curse.

Rec: This au does a lot to display how both Max and Liz are leaders in their own rights. Warriors and lovers to their very cores. It shows Max’s anger and how quickly it can light, while depicting how easily he trusts and relies on Liz, putting his faith and surety in her above all else. While showing Liz’s quick thinking, and determination. The whole story following Liz as she becomes willing to unlock the cage around her heart so she and Max can build something together.

Content Warnings: violence, non-consensual mind control

Mature

Cowboy Take Me Away by @wunderlass (960 words, smut)

Summary: Max returns home to Liz in a playful mood, she decides to prance about in his cowboy hat and loot his work belt.

Rec: This really nails home a sense of saftey and surety in their dynamic. Cause yes it’s smut, and yes it’s rough, but the start and end really do a great job of depicting those as pleasures. Something they can take part in after a long day, both having removed their armor so they can be fully seen.

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, bondage

Blanco Navidad by @ajna-eye-cogitations (2.336 words, smut)

Summary: Liz reminisces about childhood as she prepares the same cookies she, Arturo, and Rosa used to make during the Christmas season. But after she sends Arturo to bed she’s all alone in the kitchen, till Max shows up with the promise of a memorable night.

Rec: This fic really captures Liz’s almost wistful side, the pieces of her drawn to memory and attachment to the past. While showing her in a place where those memories can be beautiful again instead of just full of pain and regret. The way the memories are interwoven with desert imagery is stunning, the narration building a world that comes to life with each new emotion she feels.

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, no archive warnings apply

Crash Into Me by @wunderlass (2.948 words, canon divergent au, smut)

Summary: Set after Liz learns the truth about Rosa. Max has secluded himself outside of town to keep from causing another blackout. Isobel sends Liz after him, hoping she can curb is anxiety and maybe calm him down.

Rec: This story really allows Liz’s betrayal to breathe, while examining the complex feelings she has towards Max. Because those didn’t fade or twist when she learned he loved his sister as much as she loved hers. The conversation and physicality is weaved together with storm imagery that serves to keep in mind what’s at risk. While creating an ‘electric’ atmosphere.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply, explicit sexual content

Choler by soldierwitch (14.576 words, canon divergent, WIP)

Summary: Their relationship is fractured post resurrection. Liz having been scarred again, left behind with no warning or understanding. Leaving her spinning and creating a new form of armor over her heart. All while clinging to Max and pushing him away all at the same time. For fear of losing him, for memory of losing him.

Rec: Liz’s internal dialogue is flawless, it allows her character to feel the complex emotions and wants and anger that should follow such a traumatic event. Closely examining what she might have meant in their 2x13 breakup about ‘trying to find where you end and I begin’ and ‘I love you and right now I hate it’. But it does more than that, it shows all the small moments that lead up to that break, allows her the complexities the show only ever hinted towards. All tied together with symbolism and physicality. It really examines how much their relationship is forever imprinted by their mistakes but Max and Liz get to choose to love each other anyway.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply, depression, sexual content, so much angst and it’s not completed so take that as you will

State of Love and Trust by @wunderlass (18.188 words, canon divergent)

Summary: After Max’s resurrection his memory is wiped, leaving him a husk. But Isobel and the rest of the squad have prepared for this, for the inevitable supercharge he will be coming back with, the urge of destruction and chaos. Max’s fears of killing them not being taken lightly. And no matter how much Isobel and Alex protest and push back against, Liz won’t let herself be far off when Max comes to. She’s his connection to life and humanity after all.

Rec: The entire cast is allowed to be exhausted and grieving for the entire start, showing their cracked and frayed edges. Liz in particular is allowed the space to worry and mourn, even as Max breathes on the other side of the glass. Her self reliance shines through beautifully in an ensemble piece, that’s built around her complex feelings and wants. There’s storm imagery and mystery, tapping into that same vein of magic season one seemed to hold over the viewer, each new piece of the puzzle bringing more questions. But it’s the physical aspects and the way they’re drawn by something almost primal to each other in the end. Max incapable of truly hurting Liz, not once he’s connected enough to feel her, remember her.

Content Warnings: no archive warnings apply, violence, light horror aspects, explicit sexual content, dubious consent

Explicit

Inside Me by @suzteel (313 words, smut)

Summary: Things take a turn during sex, and Liz is of course going to examine that while letting pleasure wash over her.

Rec: Alien strangeness is why the show has appeal, and this really nails home how little we know about their sex lives in reference to alien biology. It also keeps in mind Liz and Max’s penchant for getting it on despite… literally anything.

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, no archive warnings apply

No Plan by treaddelicately (1.571 words, smut)

Summary: They’re horny morons in love, with pesky public sex kinks, which of course leads to Liz crowding Max against a wall during his break at the Pony.

Rec: Liz’s confidence is flawless, the way she knows how much power she wields over Max and uses it to her advantage is amazing. While Max does what he does best, buckles under the force of her wind.

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, no archive warnings apply

beneath this bowl of stars by sabrinachill (2.897 words, canon divergent, smut)

Summary: Liz is restless post resurrection, she doesn’t know Max’s secrets yet, but when their psychic connection brings him- or rather an astral projection of him into her bed things take a sexy turn.

Rec: The narration really builds a picture of what Liz knows and doesn’t know, allowing her scientific mind to reel. But mostly it examines how their armor is fully removed, how the darkness seems to crack them open bare. Both Liz and Max allowing themselves to get close and want what they want. It works well because it doesn’t rely on Max’s logical decision making to have him pull away, both of them convincing themselves it isn’t real on some strange level.

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, dubious consent, no archive warnings apply

Truly Madly Deeply by circular_infinity (6.092 words, canon divergent, smut)

Summary: Their first time having sex is planned -though they get a little bit out of hand, abandoning the plan in favor of just jumping each other’s bones.

Rec: The communication is flawless, them both asking the right questions in the sexiest ways. Because though they’re both consumed by lust and just allowing the moment (or rather moments) to envelop them, they’re forever conscious it’s something they’re doing together. Both Max and Liz are purposeful in their communication, allowing full consent to be given without ever breaking the action and lust. Both characters come to life flawlessly, echoing their canon selves in their desire and recklessness. Also, peak filth just seems to naturally exist between them, Max able to weave dirty talk like poetry and Liz able to make control and lack of control something that can exist in tandem.

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, unprotected sex, no archive warnings apply

When I Say “Forever” it’s the Goddamn Truth by @maeglinthebold (7.829 words, fluff and smut)

Summary: Max and Liz go on vacation, exploring Europe together and separately.

Rec: Their playful banter is beautifully depicted throughout, both of them smiling and happy. Finally getting to experience the world together like they’d dreamed of as kids. The story weaves together that exploration with their differences, Max spending time in museums while Liz is at a science convention for example. But it also depicts how those differences bring them together and their genuine fondness for those aspects of each other. While characterizing them flawlessly, with Liz ready to make a sharp witty crack at any moment and take control. While Max is willing to ramble about anything he’s learned and try anything Liz wants to try.

Content Warnings: explicit sexual content, no archive warnings apply

[pleasantfanartist]

Alex returns from his final tour in a flag-draped pine box. Michael is willing to do whatever it takes to get him out of it. But they end up raising a lot more in that cemetery than they bargained for.

From the fic Two Ravens by @sabrinachill

[kaliz-rnm]

“Is he tall?” Liz asked. “He looks tall... why does this man have no social media?”

“Cause he’s avoiding creepy scientists,” Alex said, throwing a pointed look her way. Liz shrugged, completely unrepentant. “But yeah, he’s tall.”

The Truth is Right Here by @ladynox and @beautifulcheat

[rnmsmalltownlegends]

Shelter

Max and Michael talk, about Alex, and about Liz.

Coda to 3x03.

G | @ravens-words​ | Max Evans & Michael Guerin — (Pairings: Echo & Malex)

Why We Love It:

We love to see fics with brotherly alien bonding, and this coda delivers! It captures the essence of these two characters and how they’ve bonded once more. This displays how they’re moving through the pain of the past yet addressing the unknown of their futures. The support you feel is something that makes you smile, and you can recognize how they both needed to just open up and express their wounds, fears, and even their hope for the future. Max is there for Michael as he finally tells about his shared moments with Alex. Michael does the same as Max explains his vulnerability with Liz. Sometimes all you need is that one person to open your eyes to move forward in the direction you need to take—that’s what the writer has established for these two characters. Here’s hoping we see more shared moments between the Pod Squad on screen, too!

[larenoz]

Roswell, New Mexico Fic Rec Request

Dear Roswell, New Mexico Fans,

I want to get your top five fav Echo fic recommendations. I haven’t read much in the Echo side of fandom, so give me some great fics to start with!!

Add a comment in the notes, reblog with a list, DM me, hit me up whichever way you like. Give me the Echo goodness!!

[maxortecho]

Missing Witch and all the good content and creativity that she brought to the fandom like I am?

Well, the good news: she started posting a new Echo fic over on Ao3.

Read Choler here.

“In the aftermath of Max's resurrection everything should be fine. Everything should be better than fine. It should be perfect. And yet it's not. Nothing is okay, and Liz is slowly losing the ability to pretend the more she thinks about the six months she spent saving a man who didn't want to be saved.”

[lambourngb]

day 1 who do you think you are - character recs

Creator’s Week 2021 for @roswellnewmexicocreate - Day 1 : Character Recs

This is my favorite fandom event, and my third year doing it. The last year was really difficult, and fanfic more than ever was my escape from it.  Shout out to all the writers, commenters, and lurkers who kept fandom going during it.

Rosa Ortecho:

heal it or break it all apart by @adiwriting​ : (7,600) All Rosa’s ever done is break things. Her entire life she’s destroyed everything she’s ever touched. So it’s really no surprise when she comes back that her powers do the same. Alternatively- 4 times somebody tries to get Rosa to seek help with her powers and one time she decides to help herself.  GEN

why i like it: I pretty much love whatever Britt writes, but in the light of how season 3 is going, I found myself returning to this fic more than a few times. She really captures the fierce but vulnerable Rosa in this beautifully.

Kyle Valenti:

at every occasion i’ll be ready for a funeral by @bydayornight  (1,330) Kyle goes on a vacation after the events of 3x04 and meets an unlikely beach companion. GEN

why i like it: Christine has become one of my new favorite writers, and has been a season 3 coda writing machine. Here is where we all would like Kyle to be - lounging on a beach without a care in the world (with that RNM twist! lol)  She also does a brilliant job with the Kyle and Michael vibes here.

Maria Deluca:

Butter(bar)flies by @andrea-lyn​ (4,447) When all of Maria’s people fly away for new opportunities, she needs to find new ones. The lost decade and what should have been. MILUCA

why i like it: Manda has written some of my favorite stories, and even has dragged me into Ted Lasso, but this little lost decade AU is one of my favorites. She captures the flirty vibe of season 1 Michael/Maria, and inserts it into a time when it really makes sense to me for that a friends-with-benefits-relationship should have begun, to give weight to a choice for Michael. Maria is wonderfully characterized here, and it really makes it clear how a real love triangle should have been structured.

Liz Ortecho:

heart of lightning (a roswellian tale) by @bitch-ass-aliens​ (20,095) When Ser Elizabeth Ortecho of the Roswellian Court is sent by Queen Isobel to retrieve the heart of the missing King Maxwell from a fearsome lightning dragon guarding it, she knows success could bring her one step closer to completing a quest of her own. Ten years ago, a mage named Ophiuchus curse her sister with eternal slumber, and Liz has been searching for him ever since. Saving the king could be the key to learning Ophiuchus's true identity and saving Rosa. But the dragon is not what it appears to be. Soon Liz finds herself needing to guard her heart from feelings forgotten long ago as she and her friends journey back to Roswell, King Max by their side, with more than just the fate of Rosa hanging in the balance. For Ophiuchus's plans are bigger and more dangerous than any of them realize. ECHO

why i like it: This was part of the RNM Big Bang last year and as a fellow participant, I did my best to read and feedback the other submissions, which meant reading something that wasn’t Malex 😂🤯 - suz made it easy, writing a beautifully detailed medieval AU that retold the story of Rosa, Noah, and Max’s S1 sacrifice, through the amazing POV of Ser Liz. This story had everything I love about Liz- her devotion to her family, her bravery in doing hard things, and her love for Max.

Max Evans:

highway to the sun by @angsty-nerd​  (22,236) Noah’s heart is failing, and Max is on the verge of death. His final wish is to see Liz one last time, so he and Michael road trip to Los Angeles so that Max can say his goodbyes. ECHO

why i like it: Another part of the 2020 RNM Big Bang - Instead of a focus on Liz in this Echo story, we’re deep in the psyche of Max Evans, who is trying to tie up loose ends before he dies. I love the atmosphere of the road trip, the sadness of the clock that Max is trying to run out, and the whole Michael/Max brotherly bond in this story. It’s got all the sweet elements of some of my favorite romantic dramas - like “Beaches” or “Dying Young”, but mixed with the sci fi of RNM. Even though it was written pre-season 3, I really love how it ties up season 2 here.

Alex Manes:

i’m just like my mother, we both love to run @meneatyoghurt​ (5,211) After what his dad does, he runs and runs and runs. A look at Alex's relationship with running, from track and field to leaving Roswell. MALEX IMPLIED

why i like it: Alex is one of my favorite characters on RNM, mostly because of how hard he tries in spite of his flaws. I love a good story that focuses on why it’s a struggle for Alex to be present, and doesn’t shy away from the fallout of his actions. This is a gorgeous look into Alex and his tendency to run to feel safe, and how that affects his relationships, and why he wants to stop. I just have a lot of feelings about Alex, especially after reading this.

Michael Guerin : 

looking for yourself out there by @haloud (6,670)  It’s early; it’s a weeknight. Michael can only be here to get blasted or for Marco himself, and both of them know it.It’s been a while since this was a game, for Michael. The flirting he did with Maria was something else, a class all her own. Sex, and the lead up to sex, for the longest time was either life-or-death or it was a helpless, hopeless lashing out for any human contact. (It was either Alex, or it was Maria, or it wasn’t.)So this is nice. MICHAEL/OTHER

why i like it: I privately think hal understands Michael Guerin like no other, and their fic is just a delight for anyone who wants to look under that macho cowboy exterior to see him. One of the things we both agree on as Michael Guerin fans, is that Alex is not the male exception for Michael. And while the show will probably never deliver a Michael/OMC storyline like they have with Max/Jenna, Isobel/Blair, Liz/Heath, Alex/Forrest - that’s what fanfic is for and this story is so satisfiying. If you don’t come away from this story loving Marco and wishing he was real... I don’t know what to tell you. I was so inspired by it, I wrote my own Michael/OMC story.

Isobel Evans:

future starts slow by @foramomentonly​ (4,799) The bartop is sticky, but Maria's skin is clean and soft.This is how it starts. Brushes of fingers as Maria passes over a glass of wine; her cool, dry hand cupping Isobel's wrist as she reads her palm; Isobel's fingertips pressed to Maria's temples, wisps of curls caught around her knuckles as they practice combining their powers. MARIBEL

why i like it: It’s just facts that Maria and Isobel have incredible chemistry, their banter is off the charts, and I love this sexy story of Isobel approaching Maria for more after they’ve been circling each other for a while. It’s a gorgeous look at two strong women who very rarely let down their guards, but for each other, they do. The sex is really hot, but I think what lingers most with me is how this story rewards the swan dive of hope, Isobel after a lifetime of “being who she should be” becomes who she wants to be, a woman who loves fiercely but not destructively. Of course, Maria is no wilting flower here, which makes it all the sweeter.

If you like any of these recs, please leave a comment on the story- a ‘this was awesome’ is enough to propell an author into the stratosphere with happiness, so don’t worry about coming up with a unique, never before shared insight- sometimes a keyboard smash and emogi makes all the difference! 

[prouvaireafterdark]

I can't believe how quiet the rnm fandom is, I mean its always been such a small fandom anyway but after season 1 there was always a steady flow of content even though the hiatus was just under a year. I feel like if it wasnt for the fanfic writers keeping things alive the fandom would be a wasteland I don't even see any echo content anymore

EXACTLY, like people are still writing fic, which is amazing and I love everyone who’s doing that, but it feels like no one’s really reading it anymore, at least not the way people were before (and I’m not talking about the beautiful people who always comment on fics and stuff, I’m more talking about the casual/silent readers bc they seem to have completely vanished).

I vote we all make rec lists for our hiatus fics when the show comes back, maybe then more people will see them lol

[jule1122]

RNM Creators Week Day 4 Fluff

Fluff is a big category. Is it just about the ending?  Can there be angst along the way?  I decided to focus on stories that make me smile.

recovered echoes by @goldenfiligree

“I didn’t know you were afraid of dogs,” says Alex. “I’m not afraid of dogs,” says Michael. He just doesn’t get the human obsession with them: loud, dirty, dumb, always getting into everything.

I think we are all a little in love with the idea of Alex having a dog.  Watching Michael reluctantly accept and learn to love Ripley is a true joy.  Bonus for a wonderful Isobel in this story.

To Begin Again by @litwitlady

Michael and Alex are back together but haven't told their friends yet. 

I really admire writers who can write frequently.  She has a lot of fluff to choose from, but I choose this story because it is one of my favorite troops.  Michael and Alex are just not subtle.

Unwind Me by delgay

“Think you can manage that? Sitting next to me, without picking a fight?” Michael challenged. “Can you?” Alex returned. “No idea,” Michael admitted with a sideways grin that never failed to make Alex’s stomach turn over, “But I’m eager to find out.”

Alex is avoiding everyone, but he can’t seem to escape Michael.

Due to my previously mentioned habit of losing fics, I spent a lot of time today looking for this one.  It was so worth it.  Its not pure fluff, but it brings such joy to me heart.  Alex is completely unaware that Michael is trying to court him.  Even Kyle helps!  My favorite example of Michael building Alex a leg.

you can see it from space by @bellakitse

“I think I’m in love.”

Isobel lets out a snorting noise next to him, and Michael tears his eyes away from Alex to look at her.

“First,” Isobel starts, holding up a finger. “Remove the ‘think’ part of that statement.

I have never mourned an author moving on from a fandom as much as I mourned @bellakitse no longer writing Malex.  I tried really hard to love Tarlos, but it just didn’t click for me.  I could list so many of her stories here.  She writes my favorite kind of fluff, the kind that is rooted in emotion.  There is a joy and vulnerability in her writing that sticks with you.  When I am having a bad day, hers are the first stories I go to.  This one is especially comforting to me.  Future established Malex fluff that lets all of us bask in their love.  It doesn’t get any better than that.  Read all her Malex fics and cherish them like I do.

Bonus recs for @bellakitse because I can’t leave it at one

Cause all of me, love all of you

Michael breathes in deep and gives Alex a fake bold smirk. “What do you want to talk about?”

Alex gives him an unimpressed look, calling Michael’s bluff. “You told me you loved me and then you left before I could say anything about it.”

****

Isobel hosts a single's mixer at Maria's bar, as Michael watches guy after guy hit on Alex, it forces him to confront his feelings.

Michael’s attempt to avoid the conversation with Alex is one of the funniest things I’ve ever read.  Maria and Isobel are wonderful in this.

more than he loves the stars

Michael shows Alex the pods and shows him everything he feels.

I don’t think I’ve ever read this without at least tearing up.  It is the most beautiful description of their love.  It’s overwhelming in the best way.

[capmanes]

Malex fic rec time before I’m off to watch 911 and RNM.

@spaceskam‘s season two fixit fic our fainted thrill carries on is AMAZING. 

@andrea-lyn​‘s no regrets if we walk this new road is PERFECTION. Also includes Echo and Kylobel! 

@iwontbeyourmedicine​‘s the person that you'd take a bullet for is behind the trigger did me in in the BEST WAY! 

Read them all and bask the talent! 

[gra-sonas]

I'm new here. You've explained your tags before I know I saw, but are there general tags that everyone uses? I see rnm spoilers and roswell new mexico. Some seem to use roswell nm, but not as much. I don't see rnm much... just was wondering if there were standard tags for me to check so I don't miss what everyone is saying!

Hi nonnie, welcome to the fandom!

I think one main tag is definitely roswell new mexico, I think some people also use roswellnm (I don’t tho), bc that’s the show’s hashtag on Twitter.

Then there’s malex and echo of course, and all the other ship names, so if you’re into ships, make sure to check out those tags.

Then there’s character tags like alex manes, michael guerin or liz ortecho etc, also worth checking out if you want to see more of a specific character (same goes for the actors btw, unsurprisingly, I’ll rec my personal favorite tag: tyler blackburn. Not to forget vlamburn, that’s also a fun one. ;)

For spoilers I’ve seen rnm spoilers (that’s also the tag I use), roswellnm spoilers, roswell new mexico spoilers etc, but I think rnm spoilers is probably the one that’s used the most?

I also use rnm speculation when I answer asks and there’s speculation about possible upcoming storylines we don’t have actual spoilers for (if spoilers are involved, I also tag rnm spoilers). I don’t know how common the tag is across fandom tho (I’ve never actually checked tbh, I rarely ever check tags, that way madness lies...)

Then there’s the tag malex fic, in case you’re a Malex fan, who’s also interested in reading Malex fanfic. I don’t know anything about other fic tags (probably sth like echo fic???), I only ever check the malex fic tag, guess you’re on your own with that one xD

Then there’s a bunch of tags for edits (gif sets etc), I think the most common one is probably rnmedit, then there’s malexedit or alexmanesedit, it varies sometimes, but you’ll probably find most of these posts in the roswell new mexico tag, too.

Good luck, hope you’re having a good time! ✨💚👽

[dr-lizortecho]

🐞🐜

Recommend a favorite fic or several from one of your friends, or a fic author you really look up to!

Oh damn- one friend??? One author I admire?? Imma cheat- it’s has to be three or whatever

@ajna-eye-cogitations is one of my favs ofc

Heartlines : a beautiful echo fic thatshows a sweet and emotionally intimate moment between the couple, really putting Max’s romantic -and kinky- side on the table, and being written really poetically as always

Blanco Navidad : a Christmas time fic that is sooooo sugar sweet it gives me a toothache and also is super sexy but in an understated way- weaving together imagery through memories and experiences and emotion instead of physicality

Thicker Than Pod Vapor : a look at the stress and destress Max would feel welcoming his kids into an unwelcome world- lines of this still haunt me, like knowing he will never fully be at peace and believe himself safe nevertheless his children

@rewritingroswell’s fics are also amazing <3

Impulsive Decisions Made Under The Moonlight : for those Max/Charlie cravings :P

The Consequences of Being a Tease : Delvecho- what’s not to love. Also, super sexy as always. And like… my brain short circuits everytime Max calls Maria ma’am. Also, just the decision to make a fun little competition to make Liz orgasm? Instead of an angsty who’s better in bed? Glorious.

I’m Burnin’ Up On You : t4t echo! They’re soooooooo. And then they’re- ugghhh- this fic captrued them so well, their earnest communication, their burning desire. It’s all there and more. Go read it. Please.

Cheating a second time with @ladynox and @beautifulcheat with two joint works and then one individual (cause I can’t not- they’re too good to pick just a few)

The Truth is Right Here : xfiles. Meets rnm. Malexa and Kaliz and mystery. And just- it’s so god. Truly one of the most intricate and well handled stories (emphasis on story not fic!) I’ve ever had the pleasure to read. From Michael and Max pretending to be ghosts, to Liz fiercely gathering mushroom samples, to Kyle bumping shoulders with Max, to Michael buying Maria a tacky bracelet, to Alex accidentally implying a threesome vacation, to Maria wearing Michael’s hat, to all the fucked up alien stuff (and lemurs) and Jesse Manes it’s a wild ride more than worth taking. Go read it. Like truly- even if you haven’t seen the show, you’ll fall in love with these characters.

Dealing With Dragons : Maria is a witch. Michael a dragon. Fate brings them together in a magic forest? What more could one ask for? The answer is a beautifully written fantasy setting that will have you purchasing the inspiration book to sit on your nightstand.

Nox’s Rough Stock : ummmmmm sexy. like so sexy. brain dead type sexy. Maria pegs Michael- need no say more? Well I will- it’s slow and sensual and just so well done. Sorry- your work is so amazing and I’m like ah the smut.

Beautifulcheat’s Surreal Estate : *hides cause I’m behind* Just the best. Like these three girls are perfect in this setting. Not only that but the romance and the ghosts as metaphors is so well done. I’m on the edge of my seat every chapter head spinning to figure out all these mysteries. Also there’s a cute little demon dog. Precious.

Recommend a fic that makes you laugh! A crack fic, or something that's just really funny!

Ohhhhh- I just rec’ed this in like two servers, but Guerenti Gay Chicken in which they have a kid before someone loses????? Perfection.

That’s How You Lose The Game by @andrea-lyn

Ask Me For A Fic Rec <3

[pleasantfanartist]

by Lilith696

Summary : The Alliance was gathered around one of the tables at the Wild Pony, nursing actual glasses of orange juice as each of them shared their own problem.

This was such a joy to read! It includes all the couples, and we get to see Team Human being so cute and working together 🥰 I was smiling the whole time ❤️💕💜💗💖

[lesbianmaxevans]

i'm new to the roswell fandom (just binged it on netflix) and i was wondering if you have any fanfic recs?

um ok so:

1) thank you so much for thinking of me when you were wanting rnm fics. I often feel like I'm screaming into an echo chamber w this fandom bc it feels like my content doesn't get a lot of engagement compared to a lot of the other content creators in this fandom (altho to be fair, this is true for most of my content outside rnm too lol it just sucks when I was creating content p much nonstop from the beginning of the show up until the last few episodes of s2 kinda zapped my interest/enthusiasm)

2) you may have noticed I primarily talk about/create content for echo/liz/max/maria/rosa so I've never rlly looked at fic focusing on the other half of the cast lol. so these are mostly echo fics that I'll be rec'ing lol.

3) given that I didn't rlly like s2 like..... at all bc the blatant shift of focus from liz to michael (thanks 2x05 for making that clear and killing a lot of my enthusiasm/lowering my expectations for the rest of the season!) and liz's character assassination w the whole unethical alien research plot I haven't rlly been looking at fic much since like.... 2x06 or 2x07 I think?? and I just completely stopped looking after 2x11 lmao. so the majority of these were written pre season 2

ANYWAYS that being said I consumed a ton of fic over hiatus, so I know there were other fics I enjoyed but these were the ones that stuck out to me that I was still able to find fairly easily. also tagging the writers if I know who they are lol

breakfast can wait - just a cute, quick fic about a morning max and liz have together

wide open spaces (by @latessitrice) - max and liz have a date in the desert

little earthquakes (also by latessitrice) - set in high school. maria starts noticing power surges when max is around liz

shooting stars and comet tails (by @dotsayers) - potentially my fave max centric fic? max decides to pursue writing and sorta unintentionally becomes a children's book author. it’s v cute

yellow ledbetter (by @cypresssunn) - angsty echo fic that spans pre show to the end of s1

mindfulness inspired by hello fresh - sensory prompt featuring liz thinking abt her rship w max while she gardens

holding the universe together (by @piccolina-mina) - pre show. about max and maria's rship

fire & lightning (also by piccolina-mina) - liz and max reunion post s1

on wintery nights (also by piccolina-mina) - max and liz spend a day together

(mina also has a bunch of other rlly great rnm fics both on ao3 and her tumblr, these are just the ones I think abt the most)

uh I’m just gonna go ahead and link all of @circular-8′s rnm fics here bc I love them all and think they're the best at capturing max and liz out of all the folks writing for them, it's mostly cute fics looking at pre series max and liz and them processing their feelings for each other, but they've also written a couple of v hot smutty fics

the consequences of being a tease - maria/liz/max smut if threesomes are your thing 👀👀

anyway again thank u I’m v v touched you thought of me when wanting recs

[rnmsmalltownlegends]

This is the second part of the @rnmbb fics rec. There are even more fics on the AO3 page that you should check out!

I will trust in your voice

Michael knew that spending the afternoon scouring through the Manes' murder cabin with both his exes and his sister was probably not the best idea. He expected there to be a little drama, maybe some unkind words, and for the night to end with him drinking alone – not for Alex to accidentally inhale some alien powder that would make him sink into a coma-like sleep, unable to wake up.

Meanwhile, Alex is lost in the jungle of his own mind, unable to escape. With Michael's presence beside him, the two of them try desperately to find enough order in the chaos of living to bring them both back to the surface - before it’s too late.

T | @wish-on-a-wing​ | Michael Guerin/Alex Manes

Why We Love It: This is a wonderful adventure inside Alex and Michael’s mindscapes, and a great dramatic story of finding each other in the face of crisis. We love the action oriented pacing, and the story unfolds like a movie in front of the reader’s eyes. 

To Fall, There is Death

The day Alex died was the beginning of the end. Liz would be hard pressed to tell when it had all started, when the pieces had first been put in motion. So much had happened to lead them there, one step away from checkmate, one step away from the end of the game. Lord Michael, Lieutenant of the Red Guards and natural brother of the King, shoots and kills Alex Manes, Captain of the Musketeers, in broad daylight.One year earlier, Michael challenged Alex to a duel and won.Ten years earlier, Michael gave Alex a ring, and Jesse Manes caught them together.They're all pieces in a large game of chess, and each move brings them closer to freedom.

M | @emma-arthur​ | Michael Guerin/Alex Manes

Why We Love It: Team Human as the Musketeers! Michael as an adversary! Jesse Manes being a villain! This fic combines the best of action, palace intrigue, and the cosmic malex love in a way that is different and brilliant. The fic makes great use of flashbacks, and once you start you won’t be able to stop reading till the end!

Highway to the Sun

Noah’s heart is failing, and Max is on the verge of death. His final wish is to see Liz one last time, so he and Michael road trip to Los Angeles so that Max can say his goodbyes.

G | @angsty-nerd​ | Max Evans/Liz Ortecho

Why We Love It: This fic does a wonderful job flipping the hero trope from canon on its head. Liz is the savior here, while Max needs her help. We weren’t sure what to expect with the author’s “major character death” tag, but thankfully the fic did not leave us heartbroken and weeping. Come for the angst, and stay for the happy ending!

All the Smiles that are ever gonna haunt me

Fresh out of both the Air Force and rehab for his injury, Alex moves into a new home that seems too good to be true. The catch? His best friend, Maria, is convinced it's haunted.

T | @manesalex​ | Michael Guerin/Alex Manes

Why We Love It: A love story with a twist! Or a ghost story with a twist! This imaginative fic about the budding relationship of Michael and Alex in a setting that is unusual so to speak. The author thankfully spares us a slowburn, delving right into action and opening up the connection Michael and Alex share, which is always always a delight to read!

[larenoz]

RNM Fic Rec Request - Echo

Dear Roswell New Mexico Fans,

I want to get your top five fav Echo fic recommendations. I haven’t read much in the Echo side of fandom, so give me some great fics to start with!!

Reblog with your recs, make a new blog post and tag me, whatever!!