[FIC] - 'Theatre of War' [Round Three]

[oudeteron]

Title: Theatre of War
Author: euphony_of_love
Pairing(s): Albus Dumbledore/Gellert Grindelwald
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~7,800
Summary: Two different encounters, two scenes mirroring each other. An account of what could have been.

Prompt: 43. AU, 1940 - the height of the Blitz. "Albus, if you will not come back to me, then at least give me one kiss. Just one

Comments

[mustntgetmy]

Oh my - where to begin?

Every scene in this was infused with such tactile details that I would be able to recognize these places should I come across them in real life. And referencing how Gellert would send his energy out into a space and change it really gave these places the feel of magical places.

Your Dumbledore is absolutely brilliant and perfect - particularly on the first date. You take what JKR gives us with his tones and explain the reason and slipups behind them, and I really enjoyed that. Also, and this might've just been me, but I loved how the first paragraph was sort of a nod to when we first see Dumbledore in SS. A lot of times I find that I forget the source material when reading fanfic but you doing that plus the tonal notes allowed me to see them on parallel, which was lovely.

Oh, that scene in the prison! I was so dying for Dumbledore to say, "Ah, to hell with it," and let Gellert out, but I knew that wasn't going to happen. And the last line Gellert says was so perfectly agonizing.

Also, I really enjoyed how you were able to summarize their relationship. I felt such pangs for them.

I loved this, in case you can't tell. I feel like you placed each word deliberately and they all work so well together that it seems like you were able to place them there effortlessly. You should be very proud. This is an accomplished and brilliant piece.

[oudeteron]

Where to begin, yeah! Such an awesome comment.

I'm so glad you liked the descriptions of the places. There may be a lot of detail, but in the beginning I had just a foggy idea as to where everything should be or how the stuff should actually look. But Gellert's magic was something I'd been counting on all the time - it just struck me as particularly like him not to bother controlling it much back when he was so powerful.

Ooh, that's great you liked my version of Albus. He's such a fun character if one gets under his skin. Maybe because thanks to JKR it's so easy to see him as an admirable person with issues.
That parallel with his appearance in SS must have been about half-conscious. Somehow I imagine that the perfect entrance for Albus-on-a-mission would be looking at him from a distance.

That prison scene damn near finished me as well, to be honest. So glad that you enjoyed it! ^_^

Also, I really enjoyed how you were able to summarize their relationship. I felt such pangs for them.
That was my biggest hope for this fic - summarizing the whole deal. I'm inordinately pleased that came across.

And in case you couldn't tell, I've enjoyed every bit of your comment! Right now, I'm very proud indeed. Thank you!

[mustntgetmy]

It's funny that you should mention foggy because my impression of the places was that they were in an overcast setting. I really liked that. And Gellert's not a character I've particularly investigated, but now that trait is going to stick with me.

Ahh, Albus is one of her more perfect characters. Right up there with Snape for complexity.

You're so in tune with JKR you don't even know it :P

The summarizing was one of the bigger things I noticed.

Aww, well, it was a real pleasure reading the story. Thank you for it.

[oudeteron]

Really? I had an overcast sky in mind for the first scene, actually. And I'm glad I got you more interested in a character. ; )

So true. Albus is one of the characters with whom you don't feel like you know them inside out right from the start.

You're so in tune with JKR you don't even know it :P
That's why I need you to tell me. ^_^

We're just bouncing thanks off each other, aren't we? xD

[mustntgetmy]

Because I haven't read Gellert as much, your characterizations of him are definitely going to stick with me.

And he's not even one you consider as having more too him which is the genius of it.

I try :)

It's like one of those old timey movies where a Westerner meets an Asian person and they keep bowing back and forth cause the Westerner doesn't know when to stop and the Asian person knows they have to be the last one to bow.