my latest hyperfixations

here are some screenshots of messages I've gotten over the months (SORRY DESKTOP USERS. I tried to format these images so they don't take up the entire screen but Tumblr doesn't wanna work with me what's new):

my friend has spoken about this issue years ago as well

I include these here bc I wanna show that this isn't just a "small nothing" issue. many POC feel strongly about this because well.... a lot of our daily lives are impacted by harmful stereotypes. what's "just fiction" to some, is reality to us

like yes, it's Four Swords Fandom on Tumblr Dot Com and usually shit isn't that serious here, but when it comes to the portrayal of different skin tones, it's important to remember that what we put out there has the potential to reflect/enforce certain biases

ALSO ALSO I just wanna put out there that if you see or hear people of color getting mad & being loudly upset about racism do NOT tell them they are being overreactive. PLEASE! A lot of the times, those same ppl have tried to be patience & kind when speaking about these issues, but after being walked over and ignored time & time again, that hurt turns into rage. just something to keep in mind

ANYWAY I don't want to discourage anyone from including diversity in their creative work. it's ok to make mistakes, and I will never hold it against anyone who is apologetic & makes the genuine effort to change from those mistakes. I'm a part of marginalized groups, and I myself have accidentally offended ppl of other marginalized groups in the past. I am not perfect and neither is anyone else; the important thing is to learn and grow from it

Okey, so

The basics are that these two live out in a forest somewhere, and I do mean out in a forest. They don't have like, a house or anything. Just kinda sleep on the ground or against trees if the need arises

Red does a lot of traveling. It's why he's got so many random bags and trinkets all over him; he likes to add to his collection once he leaves a specific area. Being a vampire, he can't really stay in one place for very long since it runs the risk of being found out, though he was once a human, and does somewhat miss the company of them

It's while he's staying in a small village on the outskirts of The Forest that he decides to try staying stationary for a while. He stays there for about three years, and in that time manages to fit right in with the community, obvious oddities aside. Remaining fed is a bit of an issue, seeing as he absolutely hates the idea of killing anything, so he only goes after animals and even then doesn't drain them very much

At some point, while contemplating moving on finally, he catches wind of the local livestock being picked off by what's believed to be a wolf pack. The villager are getting antsy, and don't like to be out at night with a potential danger sulking around, so Red decides to try and relocate the wolves if possible before he leaves town, as repayment for their kindness towards him over the years

Night descends, and with it, the wolf pack. Red arrives at the farm to find two of the village children have had a similar idea, and were staking out the farm to try and catch the wolf themselves. Only, this was not a normal wolf pack, it was a gang of werewolves, and they'd set their sights on human prey

Red steps in to protect the children, of course, though he's outnumbered, and has never been too good in combat as blood starved as he is. He manages to drive off the werewolves, but not without sustaining major injuries that aren't healing as fast as they should be. He'd had to rely on his fire rod for crowd control, which saps his already low blood reserves, and draws attention from the rest of the village

Once the townsfolk draw near, it doesn't matter what the children try to tell them, they only see a threat. Years of kindness and companionship are washed away as the men of the village chase Red out, pursuing him into the woods to finish what the werewolves had started

Red isn't able to escape them with his injuries, so as branches catch at his clothing and his steps become sluggish, he makes peace with the fact that he isn't going to see another sunrise. He's lived a good century, much longer than he was expecting, honestly, and he's seen much of the world as it changed season after season. He's just glad the children are alright

It's at this point that Red is caught, though not by the people he'd thought it'd be. He's trapped by the foliage itself, unable to wiggle his limbs out from the creeping vines and tangled bramble. It follows his movement, tracing his struggling in a manor much too intelligently to be accidental

He stops wasting energy and lets his body slump into the greenery, confirming his fears as the vines only continue to constrict. Something was manipulating them, and he knew it couldn't be any of the villagers in pursuit. None of them knew magic, and the vines weren't actively trying to strangle him, just restrain

He's left alone in the dark for a moment, resting as much as he can, straining to listen for the villagers, but he can't hear them anymore. Giving up didn't appear to be on their agenda, so the fact they hadn't caught up to him yet was a tad worrying, what with the magic at play. He has no idea what else is out there with him, the forest is as unknown to him as any other local

Red doesn't have to wonder for much longer, as Vio steps out from the darkness quietly. The faint magic humming through the still air roars into a frenzy, breathing through the very earth around them with each step taken. The sudden abundance is enough to make Red dizzy

It's so potent he can practically taste it

It signifies his end

Death; a fae approaches

Or at least, that's what Red figured, anyway. If not the fae, then his own withering lifeforce would probably spell the end of it. He tries to be polite, regardless, even if he is bleeding borrowed blood out into the soil. He metaphorically stumbles past all the usual pitfalls; his name is "Red", he wasn't intending to trespass and Vio is "very kind for not attacking him", etc.

It all goes about as well as it can for the most part, up until Red thinks to question where the villagers are, what became of them. Vio tells him that they were rather rude, swinging their torches around and making a ruckus, so he confined them in vines much the same as he's done to Red, except their ability to vocalize has been limited

Red immediately fears the worse, and offers to trade his life for theirs. He's just about reached the end of it anyway, and the villagers have families they need to get back to. It isn't their fault, they were just scared and lashing out, Red can empathize, he was once human too after all

They weren't bad people, they didn't deserve to die just for being scared

He offers his life, knowing full well it breaks one of the critical survival rules in dealing with fae, and to no ones surprise, Vio accepts the deal

Except, he doesn't want to kill Red. Or even trap him in eternal servitude

No, Vio didn't really care about any of that. All he really wants is an accomplice, someone who's able to leave this forest at will, and bring him back information he's seeking. He tells Red as much, and Red is..not sure what to make of that

But it's better then everyone dying, so he agrees to these terms, and Vio sets him free

As a bonus, Vio offers his own blood in return, to keep Red alive and able to follow through on their deal. It's yet another rule broken, but Red kinda can't care less at the moment, so he accepts a few mouthfuls of blood from Vio's wrist (the fae is too proud to bare his neck), and just that small amount is enough to leave Red blood drunk and woozy

Vio leaves Red to his magic blood induced stupor and goes off to free the humans as well, leaving them with the ominous warning that should they ever return, they would not be getting away so easily, and they only have the one they'd hunted to thank for their survival

This just about wraps up the backstory portion, since they proceed to spend at least a decade or so together, with Red coming and going as he pleases, and Vio doing whatever he does in the meantime

The information Vio seeks is literally just facts about other magical beings, as he's unable to leave the forest to study this topic on his own. Seeing as Red already likes to travel, it all works out, so long as he finds out new info on different creatures and returns to Vio before his blood reserves run out. The deal is pretty beneficial for them both, even if it is kinda strange

Their relationship to one another falls into an ambiguous zone, where they do have some idea of their dynamic, but anyone else curious enough to ask will have to pay up for any details. They keep it confusing on purpose, because they think it's funny

A few specific notes without any real placement to end this off:

Vio aligns himself with the "Autumn Court", a supposed spectator group not closely tied with either the Summer or Winter Courts. He's largely neutral in most things, including his view on humans. He can be a bit of a trickster at times, and he's as prideful as any other fae, though he won't go out of his way to hurt or mislead a random human passing through his woods.

Vio is also earth aligned, though it overlaps his general nature oriented habits anyway. He has an easier time cultivating plant life, and he's most at home resting among the roots of trees.

Red was training to be a mage before he ended up turned into a vampire. It's why he has a magic rod in the first place. He can still use magic, as well as sense magic, but it increases his bloodlust and might get a little out of control.

The children in the village that Red saved were a very young Green and Zelda. Whether or not Zelda is still royalty somehow or not is something I haven't decided, but Green will show up again in the future once he's an adult. They both remain human, though Green was raised to respect magical creatures after his father came back from the woods with a whole new perspective. He remains wary, but not hostile. He thinks they're neat, and will probably assist Vio in his studies once the timeline gets that far

Blue and Shadow's place in the narrative hasn't been figured out yet, but I'm thinking Blue is probably a winter fae that Red comes across at some point while on his travels. Blue and Vio might know of each other, but Shadow is kind of an unknown at the moment. I'm thinkin' of a plot, but I don't know if I want to commit to it yet, and Shadow is tied pretty close to it (he's an undead creature at the very least, older than Red, and also studied under the same magic teacher; potentially)

Red and Vio do sleep outside in the forest, but sometimes they cuddle. Usually they pick separate sleeping spots, or aren't asleep at the same time, although sometimes Vio just lingers nearby and watches Red sleep like a totally normal and well adjusted individual. Both mostly operate at night, but sunlight isn't too big an issue for them, at least not for Red (though he can't see very well in the daytime). Since he was once human, Red can almost function exactly as they do, save for the obvious differences in diet and constitution

The exact reason Vio can't leave the forest isn't known, but it'd be kinda funny if he just didn't want to lose his comfy forest home. He's the only fae in the area, and not a very well known one given his disinterest in showing himself to most mortals

Red cries blood, and it's a purple tint thanks to Vio. Crying isn't really a good idea when it comes to saving his reserves, but sometimes Red can't help it. Vio's blood being so magically infused can keep him going for a few weeks, though the near food coma he goes into upon tasting it remains a constant issue, in Red's opinion. Vio thinks it's amusing

Annnd I think that's good for now. I covered all the bases so far I think, so now I should probably go to sleep lmao

Okey, so

The basics are that these two live out in a forest somewhere, and I do mean out in a forest. They don't have like, a house or anything. Just kinda sleep on the ground or against trees if the need arises

Red does a lot of traveling. It's why he's got so many random bags and trinkets all over him; he likes to add to his collection once he leaves a specific area. Being a vampire, he can't really stay in one place for very long since it runs the risk of being found out, though he was once a human, and does somewhat miss the company of them

It's while he's staying in a small village on the outskirts of The Forest that he decides to try staying stationary for a while. He stays there for about three years, and in that time manages to fit right in with the community, obvious oddities aside. Remaining fed is a bit of an issue, seeing as he absolutely hates the idea of killing anything, so he only goes after animals and even then doesn't drain them very much

At some point, while contemplating moving on finally, he catches wind of the local livestock being picked off by what's believed to be a wolf pack. The villager are getting antsy, and don't like to be out at night with a potential danger sulking around, so Red decides to try and relocate the wolves if possible before he leaves town, as repayment for their kindness towards him over the years

Night descends, and with it, the wolf pack. Red arrives at the farm to find two of the village children have had a similar idea, and were staking out the farm to try and catch the wolf themselves. Only, this was not a normal wolf pack, it was a gang of werewolves, and they'd set their sights on human prey

Red steps in to protect the children, of course, though he's outnumbered, and has never been too good in combat as blood starved as he is. He manages to drive off the werewolves, but not without sustaining major injuries that aren't healing as fast as they should be. He'd had to rely on his fire rod for crowd control, which saps his already low blood reserves, and draws attention from the rest of the village

Once the townsfolk draw near, it doesn't matter what the children try to tell them, they only see a threat. Years of kindness and companionship are washed away as the men of the village chase Red out, pursuing him into the woods to finish what the werewolves had started

Red isn't able to escape them with his injuries, so as branches catch at his clothing and his steps become sluggish, he makes peace with the fact that he isn't going to see another sunrise. He's lived a good century, much longer than he was expecting, honestly, and he's seen much of the world as it changed season after season. He's just glad the children are alright

It's at this point that Red is caught, though not by the people he'd thought it'd be. He's trapped by the foliage itself, unable to wiggle his limbs out from the creeping vines and tangled bramble. It follows his movement, tracing his struggling in a manor much too intelligently to be accidental

He stops wasting energy and lets his body slump into the greenery, confirming his fears as the vines only continue to constrict. Something was manipulating them, and he knew it couldn't be any of the villagers in pursuit. None of them knew magic, and the vines weren't actively trying to strangle him, just restrain

He's left alone in the dark for a moment, resting as much as he can, straining to listen for the villagers, but he can't hear them anymore. Giving up didn't appear to be on their agenda, so the fact they hadn't caught up to him yet was a tad worrying, what with the magic at play. He has no idea what else is out there with him, the forest is as unknown to him as any other local

Red doesn't have to wonder for much longer, as Vio steps out from the darkness quietly. The faint magic humming through the still air roars into a frenzy, breathing through the very earth around them with each step taken. The sudden abundance is enough to make Red dizzy

It's so potent he can practically taste it

It signifies his end

Death; a fae approaches

Or at least, that's what Red figured, anyway. If not the fae, then his own withering lifeforce would probably spell the end of it. He tries to be polite, regardless, even if he is bleeding borrowed blood out into the soil. He metaphorically stumbles past all the usual pitfalls; his name is "Red", he wasn't intending to trespass and Vio is "very kind for not attacking him", etc.

It all goes about as well as it can for the most part, up until Red thinks to question where the villagers are, what became of them. Vio tells him that they were rather rude, swinging their torches around and making a ruckus, so he confined them in vines much the same as he's done to Red, except their ability to vocalize has been limited

Red immediately fears the worse, and offers to trade his life for theirs. He's just about reached the end of it anyway, and the villagers have families they need to get back to. It isn't their fault, they were just scared and lashing out, Red can empathize, he was once human too after all

They weren't bad people, they didn't deserve to die just for being scared

He offers his life, knowing full well it breaks one of the critical survival rules in dealing with fae, and to no ones surprise, Vio accepts the deal

Except, he doesn't want to kill Red. Or even trap him in eternal servitude

No, Vio didn't really care about any of that. All he really wants is an accomplice, someone who's able to leave this forest at will, and bring him back information he's seeking. He tells Red as much, and Red is..not sure what to make of that

But it's better then everyone dying, so he agrees to these terms, and Vio sets him free

As a bonus, Vio offers his own blood in return, to keep Red alive and able to follow through on their deal. It's yet another rule broken, but Red kinda can't care less at the moment, so he accepts a few mouthfuls of blood from Vio's wrist (the fae is too proud to bare his neck), and just that small amount is enough to leave Red blood drunk and woozy

Vio leaves Red to his magic blood induced stupor and goes off to free the humans as well, leaving them with the ominous warning that should they ever return, they would not be getting away so easily, and they only have the one they'd hunted to thank for their survival

This just about wraps up the backstory portion, since they proceed to spend at least a decade or so together, with Red coming and going as he pleases, and Vio doing whatever he does in the meantime

The information Vio seeks is literally just facts about other magical beings, as he's unable to leave the forest to study this topic on his own. Seeing as Red already likes to travel, it all works out, so long as he finds out new info on different creatures and returns to Vio before his blood reserves run out. The deal is pretty beneficial for them both, even if it is kinda strange

Their relationship to one another falls into an ambiguous zone, where they do have some idea of their dynamic, but anyone else curious enough to ask will have to pay up for any details. They keep it confusing on purpose, because they think it's funny

A few specific notes without any real placement to end this off:

Vio aligns himself with the "Autumn Court", a supposed spectator group not closely tied with either the Summer or Winter Courts. He's largely neutral in most things, including his view on humans. He can be a bit of a trickster at times, and he's as prideful as any other fae, though he won't go out of his way to hurt or mislead a random human passing through his woods.

Vio is also earth aligned, though it overlaps his general nature oriented habits anyway. He has an easier time cultivating plant life, and he's most at home resting among the roots of trees.

Red was training to be a mage before he ended up turned into a vampire. It's why he has a magic rod in the first place. He can still use magic, as well as sense magic, but it increases his bloodlust and might get a little out of control.

The children in the village that Red saved were a very young Green and Zelda. Whether or not Zelda is still royalty somehow or not is something I haven't decided, but Green will show up again in the future once he's an adult. They both remain human, though Green was raised to respect magical creatures after his father came back from the woods with a whole new perspective. He remains wary, but not hostile. He thinks they're neat, and will probably assist Vio in his studies once the timeline gets that far

Blue and Shadow's place in the narrative hasn't been figured out yet, but I'm thinking Blue is probably a winter fae that Red comes across at some point while on his travels. Blue and Vio might know of each other, but Shadow is kind of an unknown at the moment. I'm thinkin' of a plot, but I don't know if I want to commit to it yet, and Shadow is tied pretty close to it (he's an undead creature at the very least, older than Red, and also studied under the same magic teacher; potentially)

Red and Vio do sleep outside in the forest, but sometimes they cuddle. Usually they pick separate sleeping spots, or aren't asleep at the same time, although sometimes Vio just lingers nearby and watches Red sleep like a totally normal and well adjusted individual. Both mostly operate at night, but sunlight isn't too big an issue for them, at least not for Red (though he can't see very well in the daytime). Since he was once human, Red can almost function exactly as they do, save for the obvious differences in diet and constitution

The exact reason Vio can't leave the forest isn't known, but it'd be kinda funny if he just didn't want to lose his comfy forest home. He's the only fae in the area, and not a very well known one given his disinterest in showing himself to most mortals

Red cries blood, and it's a purple tint thanks to Vio. Crying isn't really a good idea when it comes to saving his reserves, but sometimes Red can't help it. Vio's blood being so magically infused can keep him going for a few weeks, though the near food coma he goes into upon tasting it remains a constant issue, in Red's opinion. Vio thinks it's amusing

Annnd I think that's good for now. I covered all the bases so far I think, so now I should probably go to sleep lmao