earthphoenixstories

[earthphoenixstories]

Cove isn't the stepdad, he's the dad who stepped up: Part 6

The haters said it would never happen ... here is Part 6 to the series in which Baxter gets you pregnant in Step 3, leaves anyway and doesn't answer your calls and then you and Cove fall in love and raise baby together then get engaged and boom Baxter is wedding planner.

Here is a link to the last part, which has links to the previous part etc. When we last left off, Baxter ran away again after making friends with your son ...

When Baxter broke up with you five years ago, promising to never bother you again, you were heartbroken. Weeks later, when you realized you were pregnant, you were lost.

But tonight?

Tonight you were furious.

A couple of hours had passed since your eventful rehearsal dinner. In that time, you'd settled Dylan down, the poor boy desolate at having lost his newest friend when Baxter made yet another impromptu exit. You'd finished dinner, doing your best to avoid the concerned looks from your friends and family. Dylan was sent off to spend the night with your moms, and you and Cove had an unfortunately tense drive to your hotel.

The plan had always been for the two of you to have separate rooms, to build up the anticipation of seeing each other before the wedding, but now you were just thankful that your precious soon-to-be husband didn't have to see you pacing restlessly, stewing in rage over your ex-boyfriend.

You didn't want to be doing it. You hated the fact that you were wasting feelings on Baxter during what was supposed to be one of the happiest times of your life. You hated him for putting you in this position, and you hated yourself for giving into it. But you couldn't help it -- you couldn't shove these feelings back down, no matter how hard you tried.

"I'm sorry," Cove had told you softly as he drove the two of you over to the hotel. "I wish things were different, I wish there was something I could do."

"You don't have to be sorry, it's not your fault," you'd told him, tucking a strand of green hair behind his ear.

He'd caught your hand in his and pressed his lips against your palm. He gently rubbed your thigh when he realized you didn't feel like talking, and he gave you tiny, tender kisses on your lips and all along your face when he dropped you off at your room. He offered to ditch the extra room and stay with you.

You wanted nothing more than to take him up on the offer, to let Cove do what he always did and bring you peace. But it didn't feel right, and that made you even angrier.

You stopped pacing for a moment, and without thinking too hard about it, you pulled out your phone and scrolled through your contacts until you found the number for your wedding planner.

There was one ring, then another, then it went to voicemail.

"Are you serious?" you texted Baxter.

You waited, phone in hand, and just when you thought you might throw it against the wall, it started ringing.

"Baxter?"'

"Yes, hello," he said, his voice small and sad. "My apologies for not answering your call originally, I --"

"Could you just not?" you asked.

"I ..." he began, then faltered. And that was your opportunity.

You cursed him for leaving the restaurant earlier, for not giving a proper goodbye to Dylan and leaving him upset. You called him on being just warm enough to make himself seem safe again and for hiding the fact that he was still that scared little boy who couldn't ever pick up a phone. Everything you ever wanted to tell him came out in that call, and by the time you were done, you heard strangled little sobs coming from Baxter, but you felt better. Cleansed, in a way.

After taking another moment to gather yourself as best you could, you said, "It's not that I hate the idea of you being in his life or him knowing who you are, and it's not that I think you're a bad person. But Baxter ... you need to do better. You can do better."

He laughed, no mirth whatsoever to it, and said, "I'm not sure that that's true, but it's nice of you to say."

"That's a shitty attitude."

"... So it is."

All that nervous energy, all the anger had left you at this point. You'd said what you need to say, and it was out of your hands. Baxter could get himself together or he could disappear again, but that was his call. You'd done everything you could.

When you told him that much, you hung up, but instead of getting ready for bed, you grabbed your room key and went down the hall to Cove's room.

He answered the door, already in his pajamas, and when he saw you, he smiled. An easy smile. Things with Cove had always been easy.

"Do you think maybe I could change my mind about us spending the night together?" you asked.

He laughed and pulled you into his room and into his arms. He held you tight, and you breathed him in.

"The plan is to spend every night for the rest of forever together," he said, placing a kiss on top of your head. "What's one more?"

[earthphoenixstories]

[earthphoenixstories]

[earthphoenixstories]

Harry nO-

New chapter out!

[earthphoenixstories]

Be mean to your characters.

What do they take for granted? Take it away from them.

The one thing they know for certain? Make them doubt it.

Their worst fear? Throw it at their faces.

Make their plans fail. Make them cry. Make them question things and then learn about them and the way they react in the process.

Be mean to your character. Then be kind to them for a while, because after all that they may deserve it.

[earthphoenixstories]

i can’t believe this is real

[earthphoenixstories]

The Chicago Manual of Style is WRONG

Asking for a friend.

#sorry Ave

[earthphoenixstories]

hey so it’s march now aka the beginning of endometriosis awareness month and i feel obligated to remind you that debilitatingly painful periods are not normal. if you or someone you know is ending up sick or bedridden every month, you are not crazy and deserve medical attention from someone who will take you seriously

[earthphoenixstories]

Asking for a friend.

[earthphoenixstories]

5k and under fic appreciation rec list (14)

✨ read, kudos, comment, bookmark and enjoy!

✨ please heed the tags and rating!

✨ tracking tag: #under 5k list

A Very Tomarrymort Christmas 2018 series by Earth_Phoenix

2593 words, 4 works, general audiences, established relationship, christmas fluff

Summary: One shots with a christmas theme!

Two Men, One Fish by aUniqueUsername

522 words, explicit, creator chose not to use archive warnings, dead dove: do not eat, dark crack, it’s the fish trope in this ship alright?, pls heed the tags okay?

Summary: The tags were not lying. Harry takes a fish up the butt. And he likes it. He wanted it.

The Stain On My Skin by Rhodium

588 words, general audiences, soulmark au

Summary: Soulmate AU where the first thing your soulmate says to you is written on your skin.

Pros: a free tattoo and easy identifier of the love of your life

Cons: ….first impressions really matter

because you’re mine (I walk the line) by wynnebat

544 words, mature, established relationship, dark!harry, unresolved sexual tension, power dynamics, implied sexual content

Summary: Maybe this is where any version of him would’ve headed. Maybe a Harry Potter raised by Molly or Lily and James would still be right here, staring into Voldemort’s red eyes as his knees and arm ache. It’s a rather comforting thought. Harry doesn’t think any version of him should be any less than he is, not less dark nor less brave. His bravery has a habit of eclipsing his other good traits. It’s led him here, after all.

Sighs, Lies, and Spies series by qualamity

1853 words, 2 works, teen and up audiences, creator chose not to use archive warnings, graphic depictions of injuries, pre-slash for the second work

Summary: In which they all work for MI13, the magical equivalent of MI6.

[earthphoenixstories]

5k and under fic appreciation rec list (15)

✨ read, kudos, comment, bookmark and enjoy!

✨ please heed the tags and rating!

✨ tracking tag: #under 5k list

Fireside Cuddles by Earth_Phoenix

536 words, general audiences, established relationship, fluff

Summary: Tom has a cold. Harry is amused. Poor Lucius.

Tower of Thorns by stapling_pages (WIP, 2016)

535 words, teen and up audiences, fantasy au, crack taken seriously, humor

Summary: Tom Marvolo Riddle is an Evil Overlord trapped in a tower surround by unicorns and butterflies, and he hates every minute of it. Harry Potter is a naive Prince on a quest to save his Kingdom (and not go mad with boredom). This is their story.

Don’t Clown Around (or clowns are not sexy) by qualamity

569 words, teen and up audiences, clowns, implied child abuse, established relationship

Summary: Harry wants to try sex. Tom tries to help. It doesn’t go as planned.

coming down, down, down by wynnebat

545 words, teen and up audiences, same age au, unhappy ending

Summary: “If I go on one date with you, will you leave me alone?”

“On Gryffindor’s honor.”

Closing Time At The Snake Pit by Earth_Phoenix

590 words, explicit, creator chose not to use archive warnings, pub owner!tom

Summary: Harry pays off a debt.

hazy and we see by of_wilderness (WIP, 2018)

609 words, teen and up audiences, crack, fae!harry

Summary: Harry lived right next door to whom he considered the strangest neighbour. Tom: a handsome and self-centered young man who liked to carry out satanic rituals in the dead of the night.

But there was a strong contender… a scatterbrained, stubborn, sassy pretty boy who slept in mid-air and owned a shapeshifting cat. At least, that’s what Tom said about Harry.

[earthphoenixstories]

I don't mean to be rude about it because maybe I'm misunderstanding, but maybe I can understand better.

You're saying that as long as someone is a POC or LGBT it's okay to change how a character looks and sexual identity/gender identity, but if they're white and straight it's bad?

I'm from a family of immigrants, but we are widely considered white. It would feel wrong if someone changed a character from my ethnic background because there are experiences that are unique to us...Or like I'm bisexual. If there were a character that were changed from that to gay and/or trans that feels wrong. If a character is made a certain way, I believe that they should stay true to that... Idk if I'm misunderstanding, but on the surface this feels hypocritical?

Well, I’m glad you’re not trying to be rude. But I’m afraid one of the most frustrating things to deal with is people not wanting to consider reality. Here is why I don’t believe it is hypocritical- majority groups who oppress minorities fucking exist. They make people’s lives so much harder than they should have to be. If you don’t wanna use your mind to figure out who they are and instead try to use concepts like “what about my culture, huh” or “what about potential representation issues among minority groups, hmm” as a way to believe it's all a wash, that’s your choice. But I don’t agree and feel like I shouldn’t have to explain again. I’ll do it anyway, though.

I live in the US, my game is set in the US, most of our players are in the US. That’s the culture and situation I’m talking about. And if you live in a place where some people have 90% and have only given up 10% while kicking and screaming about it, don’t say being fair is tell those with 10% to respect the 90% ‘cause whatever people create now, in today’s world, is what should be defended without consideration because I guess everything is perfect as it is. Nuance existing in some situations doesn’t actually change this point for me.

I won’t be answering other asks about this. I’m not going to tackle whatever mental gymnastics people come up with to try to make this matter Even Stevens across the board. You will not change my mind and I won't make excuses for this belief.

[earthphoenixstories]

Saw an ask about an apparent problem of people drawing Qiu whiter than he is and whitewashing. With that in mind, I think you should hold the same standard for Tamarack for artists that draw her darker than she is to outright black. Tumblr and Twitter in general have an obsession with coloring traditionally white/pale characters the complete opposite race or adding details like kinky/coiled hair and see no issue with it but raise hell the moment a poc is one hue lighter. It erases their identity just as much as everyone says whitewashing does but everyone constantly falls back on the "only whites can be racist so changing their identity in art is okay!!" pipeline

Tamarack comes from a German family and is white, so please take the same level of importance when artists "blackwash" her or any other character in your series.

You know generally, I don’t like to use this blog to as a place to act like I’m the best, most correct person in the world and respond to things where I’m simply telling an anonymous person they’re wrong. I’m just someone who has people following me because they like the stories this company makes.

However, this is something that people should know. If our POC players draw our characters having a darker skin tone than they do in-game and/or give them a different hair texture, that’s alright. I’ve fallen off on reblogging stuff on Tumblr but it’d still be liked or reposted on Twitter.

Whitewashing means far more than the literal act of a single individual making someone look white in a fanart. If a trans player wanted to headcanon a cis character was trans, that’s one thing. If a cis person decided to take the only trans character for miles and insist they are, in fact, cis, well that’s another matter entirely. Your experience with your race and your experience based on sexuality or gender aren’t the same things, it’s not a one-to-one comparison at all. But can people who don’t get it at least start to see how there can be a difference in impact here?

The people who are oppressed in this country aren’t hurting you by trying to enjoy the media that most of the time intentionally excludes them. POC weren’t the ones dehumanizing white people in horrific ways. The overwhelming majority of stories and representations of heritages out there have been and still are white people’s already. Anyone reading this who was thinking along the lines of what’s in this ask need to get comfortable understanding and accepting that. And if you don’t, maybe you should find another game because I’m not going to “protect white identities” from being drawn as people of color. In fact, I think it’s actually really nice if our characters are fun and comforting to people of color so much so that they’d like to imagine those characters being included in their own culture. I think it’s strange that someone would be angry about it.

[earthphoenixstories]

Please don't let anyone make you feel bad for liking the sweet little harmless things that make you happy. Life can be so hard, please take your joy where you can find it, even if someone tries to tell you that you're wrong.

Write the stories! Draw the arts! Share every silly little thought that crosses your head! I want to hear them all, and so many other people do too!

[earthphoenixstories]

Let’s talk Every Season After, Depression, and Not Writing

I’m forever grateful for my writing buddies. Anytime they feel some kinda way about their abilities, or the craft in general I always want to lift them up and support them and in doing so, I unlock my own issues and why they’re happening. Giving advice is always easier than taking your own I guess.

As anyone who reads my blog may know by now, November is a rough month for me. On top of the Big Sadness there’s birthdays (mine and an aunt I was close to who has sadly passed) and then it’s the usual Christmas rush. Maybe starting an upload schedule in November was a bad idea.

I still have a good 30k words written for the fic, but there in lies the problem. While I was writing I kept pushing away a question. “Is this alright to do? Retelling the main story like this?”

The answer, I think, it’s yes. Obviously it’s ok. No one is going to turn up and tell me to stop. But still, the doubt lingered and then while working on the ‘Baxter chapters’ I came to a grinding halt. Writing was difficult. Playing the game for inspiration wasn’t helping.

And then the excuses to not write started and now it’s the middle of January and I’ve written less than 500 words all month.

That is wildly off my normal pace. Even though I told myself I wasn’t going to focus on the word count as much this year, I still find myself worrying about it. I haven’t made much progress in my original writing either. Lots of ideas and backstories but nothing of substance.

I have a half written, mildly alright opening chapter. That’s not all that impressive for a little over 2 weeks work.

Taking a break hasn’t helped. Instead of writing I’ve been playing Stardew Valley. Yes, it’s fun, but I could also spend that time being productive.

Whatever this current mindset is, it’s time to snap the fuck out if it and start writing. Properly.

Writing is haaard man.

#writing with depression #original writing #writing #writerslife #writing is hard #writing is my therapy #our life baxter #our life beginnings and always #baxter ward #fanfiction #our life beginnings & always #ao3

[earthphoenixstories]

As someone who remembers the early days of fanfic (those 2000 era angelfire sites, ooo boy), I feel like we’re coming full circle.

There was once an intense love for “interactive” fanfic where once you had answered a bunch of questions, you would be inserted into the fic. And now we have MC’s, head canons, and moving away from toxic mindsets of the last decade or so.

This is only my theory but I think it comes down to 3 things: the downfall of Rowling, the rise of visual novels, and Gen Z being way more open and accepting of people.

When the HP fandom was in its infancy, there was a website called Fanfiction Alley, and on that site were the words: “Same sex fanfics are now allowed on this site. There are no gay couples in the books, and no gay characters. We have to respect JKR’s characters.” I’m paraphrasing a little, not much though.

Imagine any fandom being forbidden to write queer characters and couples today. It wouldn’t happen. Thank goodness.

Oh! This has reminded me of the time a BOYBAND popular in the UK in the early ‘00s who sent a cease and desist letter to a fanfic site and eventually had the site shut down. I remember going to the site in its final days and fans were devastated.

The audacity to have a fanfic site shut down is just - unbelievable. SMH. We’ve come a long way

Fandom culture has come such a long way, like I remember when I started writing fanfic and people would absolutely DRAG you for daring to write an original character, and heaven forbid that character have literally any strengths or good qualities.

Now it feels like a least three quarters of every single fic are about "you" and all these characters and I think that no matter what else has happened to us as a society this constitutes growth and it should be celebrated.

#fanfiction #harry potter fandom #old timer #early fanfic years #Fanfictionalley was a mess #oh and having to put warnings on fanfics that the story was gay incase it upset the hetros lol

[earthphoenixstories]

I feel like a lot of the time (white) ppl complain about how much harder it is to make a living wage nowadays without going to college + having direct job experience, they rarely bring up the fact that a lot of this....is due to racism.

like yeah sure, YOUR parents could comfortably afford to feed a family of five on a high school degree. mine sure as hell couldnt. a lot of black ppl couldn't. so then we started fighting to go to college to get the same opportunities as whites with high school degrees, and suddenly, not only is a college degree not enough, but getting a college degree costs ten times more than previously.

and we have to start fighting to get into STEM fields but then THATS not enough, now we need ~job experience~ even though most people only get those comfy high paying jobs via nepotism.

which black ppl dont get cuz we've been barred from most social and work spaces for hundreds of years that no one knows us.

like, you can complain all you want about capitalism and how CEO's have become more greedy, but failing to acknowledge that this road was paved by your very same racist parents who didn't want black and brown people to even have the same chance at the same opportunities....you're missing the whole picture, 1. and 2, we will never get anywhere until you grapple with this first and recognize the damage racism has done to the very fabric of society.