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firendgold · 11 months

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Pk now I want to hear tour rant about how Harrydore is bettter than Grindeldore. Bring it 🤣❤️

ohhh, this one's easy. I've been in this fandom on and off since 2006, and seen how Harry, Albus and Gellert were written pre- and post-'Dumbledore closet interview'. cracks knuckles

got to hit you with that readmore though. and it's going to be in two parts. I rambled again. ^^

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(...'rambled' is perhaps an understatement.)

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grindeldore vs harrydore

grindeldore

the tl;dr of the below is the following sentences, and then I'll get into it. My philosophy on gr*ndeld*re extends to all other ships in all other fandoms, especially HP: if it's not an AU and you have to excessively mischaracterize Character A to get them to 'fit' with Character B, then it's not a good ship, canon or not. Albus Dumbledore is quite often mischaracterized in order to 'fit' or 'keep' him with Gellert Grindelwald.

here's my problems with how gr*ndeld*re is most often portrayed:

Inconsistency within canon. JKR is partly mostly to blame for this (because she has contradicted her original 2007 statement in the present day with more interviews in the 2010s and with the Fantastic Beasts movies), but the first problem is: gr*ndeld*re was originally an unrequited ship. The original statement was that Albus was dazzled by Gellert's power, his presence, their similarities, their shared ideals... but That Woman wasn't explicit on whether Gellert ever returned his feelings. But based on her quotes where she says "falling in love can blind you to an extent" and that [Dumbledore] was "terribly, terribly let down" by the result of that whirlwind relationship, I think it's safe to assume that her original idea of Gellert cared far more for seeing his grander plans realized than for the needs and feelings of his 'equal'. And yet... in fandom, they are most often portrayed instead as star-crossed lovers torn apart by 'conflicting ideals'.

The second problem is that in the avalanche of fics and art that have come from The Reveal, the original lesson (/moral...?) behind the reveal of gr*ndeld*re, and how it shaped Albus as an adult, leader, and progressive, just... got lost. Completely lost. The whole point of it was to show that even Albus (supposed 'paragon of goodness' until book 7 showed the fandom that he is a regular human being) can make 'relatable' mistakes like... you know... being friends with a fascist. Being in love with a fascist, even. Thanks to said retcon interviews and the new movies (and even before that tbh) the fandom has since: overexaggerated Albus' new clay feet to the point of bashing him, idolized Grindelwald's red flag traits and ideals to the point where he has become the new "Tom Riddle was just misunderstood!" guy, and twisted that lesson/moral/whatever to mean that actually Albus and Gellert were tragically kept away from each other by an itsy bitsy little difference of opinion. A minor little fight. Casual death of your sick sister. Haven't we all been there?

The fandom diminishing the real reasons why Albus and Gellert eventually clashed, were destined to clash, is bad enough. What's worse is the opposite end. Some Dumbledore-bashing fans go the other way and paint present-day Dumbledore with the same brush as Grindelwald, even going so far as to say he still supports The Greater Good even though his entire character is literally built on being the opposite of the pro-magic, anti-Muggle philosophy. Albus has also been painted in some fics and even meta discussions as someone who 'regrets' his past not because his sister died and his brother is estranged from him, but just because his ex-boyfriend is in prison and he maybe kind of regrets not going full fascist with him. Like... bruh. NO. There are people who ship gr*ndeld*re just because they feel like Grindelwald, the worst dark wizard in the world, the reason why Voldemort is only a minor league little lord in comparison, is an appropriate "punishment" for the character they already dislike and thus misinterpret. (Side note: I'm not sure if I'm in a worse hell watching Albus' character get whitewashed for fascism or demonized so he can be a miserable lonely gay.)

Albus diminishes himself to meet Gellert's needs. An in-universe problem this time instead of a meta/RL one: Albus and Gellert were lovers, yes, but in order to be so, Albus had to actively start neglecting his siblings (since in Aberforth's words he was 'doing all right' taking care of them before Gellert showed up) and leaning more into anti-Muggle sentiment. He put all his energy into what for most of the magical world was a wild goose chase after some fairy-tale items. (Remember, most wixen don't give a shit about the Deathly Hallows, or think they're even real.) He became the person Gellert needed/desired most. Albus became a version of himself that he despised later in his life and after his death.

Relationships often include the members changing, and it's easy for even the most devoted partners to fall out of love if they change and are now too different from one another, or one person changes and the other... doesn't. After Ariana died, Albus chose to become a different person and champion the same people he and his family once despised. He chose to stay away from Gellert, whether he called it cowardice or principles or whatever else. And his choice put him in conflict with Gellert, who at sixteen refused to change course or rethink his ideals even when his choices led to the death of a magical person (the type of person he supposedly prizes above all others). His magical boyfriend's magical sister, even. And we see no sign that Gellert changed, repented, or considered Albus until decades later, at the very end of his life—far too late.

Healthy relationships require give-and-take, sacrificing for your partner in things big and small. For high-stakes relationships like Albus and Gellert's (queer in the 1800s, sweet Merlin), that is even more true. During that steamy summer of 1899, it was Albus who did all the sacrifcing/giving and Gellert who did all the taking. Gellert may have entertained the idea of bringing Ariana along on his quest with Albus (we don't know), but Aberforth was right to say that it would have been torture for her—and no alternate idea was brought up that would prioritize the wellbeing of Albus' siblings while he was away. And in the moment of required reciprocity when Albus was at his lowest, Gellert left him behind and went off to go rule the world. Not even the most diehard shipper can argue against the fact that when Ariana died, Grindelwald left.

This problem is even more personal/biased than the other ones. Albus and Gellert parted ways in 1899. They didn't see each other again until the duel in 1945 (because fuck Fantastic Beasts, the scripts don't even make fucking sense). Albus defeated Gellert, put him in prison, and then went on living for another fifty-two years. And That Woman expects me to believe that Albus never had a relationship with anyone before Gellert, and never even looked at another wizard afterward? In 52 years, he was one-and-done? He never once fell in love with other people, whether or not he fully trusted them/let them in? Be serious. Pull the other one. It's not realistic, and it doesn't speak to the kind of man Albus Dumbledore is. He may not have found a man to check the same boxes Gellert did, but he wouldn't arguably be looking for someone too similar to his old flame. He might not trust them unconditionally or be the Perfect Partner for them (bc whew traumaaa), but there would be other people for Albus in a realistic Magical Britain (even discounting time travel shenanigans). Before the reveal, the most popular people to ship Albus with were Minerva, Alastor, and Elphias Doge; these options are still arguably more valid. Albus Dumbledore loves love, he champions love, and he doesn't think he deserves it after his sins, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't go looking. It's mind-boggling to me that with all the well-deserved disavowing of JKR following her anti-trans hate (and her shameless pandering to the same people calling her a witch poisoning their children's minds decades ago), that some people still treat her words about Albus and Gellert's relationship and its effects on Albus in particular as gospel. I sure don't. (Especially because she said he became "asexual" after His One Gay Experience when like. That's not. What asexuality is??? And ace gay people exist???) Whether you count the FB movies or not, there are still decades of Albus' life that are a mystery, and I refuse to believe he closed his heart and caged his dick for all of them.

IMPORTANT END NOTE: These observations obviously do not apply to all gr*ndeld*re shippers. Some people genuinely do like both characters, characterize them correctly, and still want to see them together for reasons. I'm not going to judge them. I ship a frigging time travel age gap ship, how the fuck could I. And I'm also aware that a lot of fics/art are made to color in between the lines of what we don't know in the fandom, bringing Albus and Gellert together during the mystery years, or making one wizard better for the other to address all the ship baggage. I just can't join them because of how rarely that occurs (and, admittedly, how much I personally can't see it). You would not believe how many fics and discussions I've seen that lionize Grindelwald and treat Dumbledore like an accessory, or completely mischaracterize Albus' motivations, intentions, and actions, and then put him with "the other Big Bad". UGH.

Most of the time, I see gr*ndeld*re the ship hurting Albus the individual. It's very rare to find an iteration where Albus is not bearing the consequences of Gellert's choices, Gellert's actions, Gellert's mistakes and harm done. I think Albus deserves better than to be Gellert's accessory just because he loved him deeply long ago.

okay. whew. that was a lot.

a character limit prevents me from continuing here, so the second half of this versus will go elsewhere, sorry!

#fireandgold #fireandgoldposts #kazuza-art #thanks for the ask!#tried to make it *non*-bashing but... eh I just really don't like most iterations of That Ship #I also put 'relatable' in quotes bc as a POC I simply could never be knowingly connected to a fascist. couldn't be me #it's WORSE bc Albus' mum is implied to be Native American and he just hooks up with wizard HITLER I cannot... I just can't...#granted. I have read really really good grindeldore fics. I just could never ship it/write a fic for them myself. perhaps it's my flaw lol #I tried to censor the name as often as possible so sorry if it ends up in the other tag #time travel harrydore #harrydore #dumbledore meta #potter meta #why not grindelwald #<- that tag is for later #...I have to split this post in half. damn you tumblr ''character limit''

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toasteaa · 1 year

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No but fr, the only lady in genshin that I actually have genuine interest in is Signora and it's literally because she has some of the most interesting and heart wrenching lore. And she was killed off.

There's a problem here.

#toast talks #My partner asked me why I wanted Shenhe so badly and I couldn't give him any response other than her design is nice. Like that's it.#And I'm so mad about it because there are so many women in video games that have no substance and are just 'pretty things to look at'.#No one talks about Lisa being one of the most powerful witches of her time or Candace being one of the strongest warriors in Aaru Village #Or Ningguang being the head of the Qixing and making actual political decisions or Rosaria murdering the treasure hoarder that raised her #And I HATE it. I hate that I can't even talk about the women in genshin in a server because someone immediately starts sending #suggestive art or smut of them and starts talking about how hot they are like SHUT THE FUCK UP #And I know it's because they only want to talk about the characters they think are hot or the ones they get off to because the second #my friends and I bring up any male character they either have to change the subject to a woman from that region #or ask if we want to fuck the guy we're talking about #like it's not always about smut my guy!!!#Anyways I'm mad as hell again about how hyv treats all the women in their games good bye

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drumlincountry · 1 year

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EVERY fantasy book EVERY scifi novel every starwars movie every post apocalyptic show. I ask, WTF??? The same same question EVERY time. Say it with me - WHERE’S THE FARMING?

#ursula k le guin is guiding me. hand on my shoulder.#approx 200 generations of agriculturist ancestors stand at the other shoulder and they are yelling #where does your food come from? who makes your clothes?#who repairs them?#how do you store these things? how do you preserve them?#What fuel do u use to cook how many people are you feeding?#look. too much of the art i consume comes from the imperial core/global north where most of us have to think about where our shit comes from #approximately none of the time #but if u are writing about an alternative world u HAVE to have these systems #i just watched the gay episode of TLOU and it was pretty good in that regard but in the early part the guy had chickens #excellent move good work #and then the chickens never reappeared?? nor the food garden? we only saw leisure activities? which sure u could have some time i guess.#but what the fuck were you feeding those chickens? did ur big metal fence keep foxes away too?#and then at the end [spoiler event] WITHOUT LIKE. REFERENCING WHAT WOULD HAPPEN TO THE ANIMALS?#YOU HAVE DEPENDENTS MY DUDE. YOU CAN'T JUST [SPOILER].#and how do those quarantine zones work? those walled citiess? we saw the land 10 miles to the east and it was wilderness?#and weirdest thing there was pasture? grazed pasture? but no animals on it? is this city land?#why weren't the fugitives avoiding it? why was it in the middle of forest?#or was it some other self sufficient person? in an underground bunker? who herded all their sheep in when they heard people coming?#which if u have ever worked with sheep. good luck doing that urgently.#me fein #agriculture

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gottagobuycheese · 2 years

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“Heewon-ah, what’s the matter—” she barely has the time to say before falling silent. Jung Heewon looks like a mess. Her eyes are bloodshot, her hair windswept, and she is trembling. She is wearing no jacket despite the rain outside.

Instead, she is wearing clothes fit for combat. On her hip hangs a familiar sword. Han Sooyoung would recognize it anywhere. Her pupils tremble as she raises her eyes to meet Jung Heewon’s gaze. It’s pale blue, the color of the sky in summer.

“Sooyoung,” Jung Heewon whispers, and Han Sooyoung can’t help but stare. Are those tears welling in her eyes. “My Sooyoung.”

“I,” she tries to say, because she knows that voice, she knows that tone, and the next thing she knows is Jung Heewon lifting her up in her arms, wrapping her in an embrace so tight it makes her ribs wail. If she was a regular mortal without her constellation status she probably would have broken a bone or few.

“I found you,” Jung Heewon, her Jung Heewon sobs, “I finally found you.”

(excerpt from saying goodbye is death with a thousand cuts by Karelyon)

(I’m fine I’m fine I’m totally fine I’m absolutely completely sane about them okay)

anyways this is all to say HAPPY HUGTOBER 2022!! you’ll be seeing a little bit more of me this month before I disappear into the ether again for unspecified bursts of time

and that is all to say that if thinking about how 1863!hsy left that regression without saying goodbye to her crew, only to march toward her certain demise for the sake of one person not dissimilar to someone else we know makes you go insane and also like a femslash twist to things can I heartily recommend the above fic

(just the lineart below the cut, because I like it a lot and also the rest will probably be colorless)

[ID: a lineart-only piece of fanart depicting Han Sooyoung and Jung Heewon from the webnovel Omniscient Reader by Sing-Shong. Jung Heewon lifts Han Sooyoung in a tight embrace, leaning back slightly as she wraps her arms around Han Sooyoung’s back, who is hugging her back with her arms around Jung Heewon’s neck and her legs crossed behind her hips. Both of them smile tearfully, closing their eyes as they cling to each other.]

#han sooyoung #jung heewon #omniscient reader's viewpoint #orv #soohee #omniscient reader #hugtober 2022 #hugtober day 1 #my attempts at art #‘cling’ is such a good word #it sounds exactly like it feels #anyways I have many many Thoughts about them at all times #and if I can ever get them to paper I might be able to know a moment of peace #but for now I will have to settle for frothing at the mouth like any other person every time I remember them #ANYWAYS HERE'S TO DAY ONE #I've got 8 more lined drawings set to go #I don't think any of the rest will be in color #the only reason this one is is because a) it's the first one b) I strongly felt that jhw was wearing blue in this scene don't ask me why #and c) it is the only non-canon hug in this line up so it gets to be special #can't wait to find a million and one mistakes in this as soon as I hit post #but at least jhw is wearing short sleeves here like she's meant to

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shenyaanigans · 4 months

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the journey of a writer is you begin writing just for the sake of writing and often hand wave details that aren't that important to you to get to the fun bits. then you decide you want to improve and you go through a rigorous process of thinking about lots of mechanics and abiding by sense and rationality, because the most damning insult to a piece of fiction is testing the reader's suspension of disbelief too much. this level of self criticism then colors the interpretation of other texts as well, where they are held to a particular standard where every detail must be perfectly logical, well researched, and contain no contradictions (cinema sins, if you will). nirvana is when you realize that doesn't matter and you go back to hand waving details that aren't that important to you.

#kat chats #i know i complained on my priv twitter abt smth like this but i just saw ANOTHER post of this caliber #i'm SO close to doing a deep dive on the suspension of disbelief and its merit as a method of literary criticism #spoiler alert i feel very strongly that if your criticism could be easily suspended through narrative buy in its not a valid critique #or at the very least the buck Does Not Stop at you not believing the author. you have to answer the question why #'it's not compelling because i'm not immersed' ok. why. what's broken the immersion #like. idk. sometimes there are interesting discussions to be had wrt narrative risk vs narrative payoff vs suspension of disbelief #and the fact of the matter is some narrative risk on the part of the author can lead to MUCH greater pay off #can lead to truly affecting art #and sometimes the narrative risk does not have a high enough reward to justify itself #sometimes this happens for only some people and other times this happens for large swathes of the population #shaping what literature we societally say is Good vs Bad #it's a good discussion to have in craft circles and to be aware of #but ultimately stories without narrative risk are almost meaningless. if they're even stories at all #and also sometimes your issue with suspension of disbelief comes down to pedantry #and forgive me but being a pedant does not make for good literary criticism #actually it makes you incredibly bad at it #you can't see the forest for the trees. you cant see the story for the extremely niche nitpicks that do nothing but buff your own ego #remind yourself that reading is not just a self indulgent exercise. you are entering a conversation where you have to listen for a long tim #and you must make meaning of all those words #you are not required to continue going through something that doesn't speak to you #anyways...

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kjzx · 2 months

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An important thing to remember as an artist that started out drawing characters crudely and then started learning the fundamentals, at first your art will not look nice.

At first, drawing faces and bodies in different positions will make your characters look weird, then poor perspective will make your characters look weird, and finally when all the kinda things I mentioned above will be dealt with, just the hype of finally knowing how to draw anatomy will bite you in the ass because you can do all these things, you can draw them correctly or close to that, but whether that's figure drawing knowledge gaps, or awkwards poses/composition, or just not a very harmonious combination of realism and stylization in facial features or in general, but your before and after pictures might get this look of "clear objective technical improvement but many would consider it a downgrade"

That's a very common thing. I used to be in this before/after art community, and it was so toxic it was a meme within the community that no matter how much you've improved there will be people that will say that the before is better. There's a seed of truth to these words though, what they fundamentally get wrong is this implication that you "ruined your art"

That's a big example of why you shouldn't listen to non-art people for art advice. Keep going. You're closer to your art dreams than you ever were, you just need to look into all these things like the remaining knowledge gaps or personality to your art you might've lost as you were on your anatomy grind.

Keep creating, keep looking at art that inspires you and try to think of how to make yourself like your art better. Don't get stuck on it, if it begins being unfun, please do take a breather. Also, none of that is objective, people will still prefer things different to what you find beautiful. It's alright, create what you like, that's what this post is about. If you don't wanna, don't focus on aesthetics, just the process of creating art is fun and will eventually get you in the right place, that's what I do, I just occasionally throw in things I like and sometimes they work. Take care.

These are my current thoughts on the topic. I wouldn't take them too close to heart, this is just a blogging site and I'm blogin 👍

#Art #Art tips #Art community #Art advice #Technicality wise I have a very very long way to go #But as someone who finally started seeing and incorporating what I genuinely Like in my art it's a bit like opening my art #folder or sketchbook and kind of getting a feeling like I'm on a page of an artist I like and would actually follow #(Not bc of how I currently handle posting my art and how I choose pieces to post but I'm talking about my art archives so regardless)#An insane feeling #Also!!!!!#I chose not to include it in the post because it stood out against the main point of the post #but what the so-called Tumblr art style is all about is kind of related to this #Most of the people you'll see if you google Tumblr artstyle would have 'passable' or even 'decent' art #if they sticked to drawing thin anime girls with Eurocentric features #Current art idea floating around or almost like an unspoken rule:#If you wanna draw fat people/non Eurocentric features/disabilities or any minorities you gotta be a level above the people drawing today's #conventional beauty standards to be considered an equal to them among *gestures vaguely*#I hate that but that's something you have to keep in mind as you deal with art criticism #And as opposed to that #By harmonious in this post I mean very vague ideas and the many many ways you can stylize a real person #These are two ideas you can't detach from each other entirely but I do believe that we can discuss them separately #Just because a good drawing of an ethnic minority is going to be judged harsher than an opposite of that doesn't make it the worse drawing #Again that's why you gotta dismiss opinions of people who don't draw well and by that I'm obv talking artists better than me #Just getting that out of the way #//rambles #My thoughts on this whole topic inspired by this tweet that called the Tumblr art style too ambitious for the artists' skills and that #if anything that's something that should be praised in people #I thought that's a very interesting topic in a wider sense #I strayed away from it but as you might've noticed I wrote a post on the topic in the tags anyways #Sigh

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