#gradaline week 2023

[gradaline-week]

Gradaline week

Wanderling/ Green

Party/ Gossip

Fire

Starlight

Anger/Ruin

Adoption

Dinosaur/ Bramble

March 12th -18th

tag this blog or @you-have-been-frizzled in the posts so i can see them!

[winterfireice]

Gradaline adoption prompt

@gradaline-week @you-have-been-frizzled

We canceled it, we canceled her adoption and now we can say were sorry. And we're so, so sorry, I keep going into her room, her earbuds are still on her desk next to the small human device, there's also a half-empty bottle of youth on her bedside table, her bed is made because she never got to sleep that day.

My daughter is dead and there isn't anything I can do just like last time, but this time I'm not sure I can even call her my daughter, she hated us and she deserved to, we were scared of getting hurt again, we were scared of hurting Sophie

Both things happened anyways and they wouldn't of if we had been brave enough to love our child like we were supposed to.

Sophie wouldn't have been so devastated if we hadn't canceled her adoption and she wouldn’t have been out in the caves if she felt safe enough to fall apart in her home, or what was supposed to be her home.

We never meant for Sophie to find the papers but I don't know if us sitting her down and telling her would have been better,

What would have been best is if we didn't cancel that damn adoption

There's not a second that goes by that Edaline and I don't regret that decision and now we can never make it better for that sweet little girl.

[official-kenralie-fanbase]

You Are Not Alone

Here's a fic I wrote for Gradaline week! Fun fact: It's an edited version of the very first KOTLC fanfiction I ever wrote! (Also, this is *technically* for Day Five: Anger/Ruin, so... ignore the fact that it's a day late.) @gradaline-week

Summary: When Jolie died, Grady and Edaline had no one to turn to but each other. Now, when tragedy strikes again, Edaline knows what it's like to feel alone in your grief.

I'm adding my tag list for Perfect Match updates since I don't have a general fanfic tag list yet, but lmk if you want to be added to either/both: @bronte-deserves-better @you-have-been-frizzled @axels-corner @marella-gossipqueen-redek @istanrandomfandoms

Content warnings for discussions of grief

Edaline's memories of those horrid nights only grew more vivid with time.

She remembered Grady's quiet sobs as he lay beside her, his haggard, weary face, his ever-present anger. The two of them huddled together, against the world and against the gaping hole of loss and grief that threatened to swallow them whole.

They'd had no one.

Juline and Kesler tried, of course, more than anyone else, but even they didn't really understand what they were going through. Everyone was sympathetic, but no one knew. "We're terribly sorry for your loss," they'd say with downcast eyes and hushed voices. People acted as if the Ruewens' tragedy was contagious, and by looking at them, something just as awful would happen to them. People tiptoed around them, treating them delicately, like they'd break with too loud of a word or too bright of a color.

And there had been times that Edaline felt like she would.

It felt like color had vanished from her life. She didn't see the beauty of Havenfield that she always had noticed before. The world was black and white, dull and grey, nothing like the happiness she'd felt when Jolie was around.

But at least she had Grady.

She'd never forget how they'd clung to one another in the middle of the night, buried too deeply in their grief to say anything, simply holding onto each other like lifelines.

Edaline would have crumbled if it weren't for him. They were both holding on by threads, but somehow, it felt more bearable when they were both on the edge of falling apart.

That was how they made it through those fifteen years. Isolating themselves from the people who didn't understand, growing closer to the only other person who did.

Sophie's presence was a healing balm Edaline hadn't expected, putting the broken pieces of her and Grady back together so slowly, she didn't notice it was happening at first.

Slowly, color began to seep back into her life. She noticed the red and purple flowers growing in the garden, the beautiful bronzed brown of Sophie's eyes, the deep green of the grass, and the tossing, wild blue of the ocean beneath. Gradually, Edaline and Grady began to smile again. There were still times that they clung to each other in the middle of the night, trying to ignore how similar Sophie and Jolie were. But the aching, pulsing pain of grief that had been her constant companion for years began to fade.

Everything was supposed to be beautiful now.

But then the disastrous healing arrived, and she watched as someone else's life was drained of color.

Edaline numbly stood at the funeral, her hand in Grady's as they watched the tree planted. The Councillors stood watching with stoic expressions, their faces all the same mask of acceptance.

All except for one. Slowly, Edaline's focus shifted away from the funeral rites, a process she'd gone through two too many times, and to the person standing among the Councillors that wore an expression with which she was all too familiar. Oralie's eyes were tear-stained and red, her expression dazed as she looked into the distance.

Edaline wondered how the world was looking for her. Could she see the bright red leaves of the sapling growing before them? Or for her, was it simply another reminder of what she'd lost? Another piece of her life that would never be the same again? All throughout the rest of the day, she kept wondering about poor heartbroken Oralie, drowning in her own grief, thinking there was no one who could pull her from the waves.

Right then, Edaline made a decision.

When Jolie died, she'd had Grady to lean on. They'd both been shells of themselves, their broken pieces breaking more with every passing day, but they'd had each other. Edaline knew that Grady was the only reason she was standing here today, and not catatonic somewhere in a darkened room with an irreparably broken mind.

But Oralie had absolutely no one. No one who would understand her grief. No one who she could lean on. They'd all say they were sorry, give her sympathetic smiles and tender pats on the shoulder, but no one would actually know.

For a second, she hesitated as the plan formed itself in her mind. She was going to approach a Councillor, after all, and basically accuse her of breaking a major law. The fact that the Councillor who was grieving and the Councillor who'd died had been in love was common knowledge, but still dangerous. Maybe it would be better if she simply stayed out of it. After all, with all the drama from the planting and the upcoming election, she didn't even know if there would be time. Maybe her presence would just be an inconvenience.

But she remembered the painful, heart-wrenching grief she’d felt in the days surrounding Jolie’s death. She thought of the long, sleepless nights she and Grady had spent clutching one another and mourning over their daughter’s loss. No one understood. Everyone gave their condolences and said how sorry they were, but no one really got it. 

Grady had been the reason she hadn't lost her mind. He'd understood when no one else did. Without him, Edaline didn't want to think about where she'd be now.

Now she had the option to be that person for someone else. The person she’d needed when Jolie died, who knew how it felt to lose someone you loved with your entire heart. 

Maybe by being someone who knew what it was like, actually knew, she'd help Oralie start to bring color back into her life. That gaping hole of loss would always be there. For her and Grady, and for Oralie. But the wounds would scab, and though they would leave scars, life had to keep moving on. That was a truth Edaline wished she'd known at the time.

So, without a second thought, she whispered “Eternalia”, and leaped away.

[fitz-avery-vacker]

ooc So I made a small aesthetic board for @gradaline-week :] edit: i forgot to say this is day 1 of it

[you-have-been-frizzled]

i just wanna say anything can be angst

Wanderling/ Green ~ obviously angsty

Party/ Gossip ~ either super fluffy or super angsty no in between

Fire ~ OBVIOUSLY. THIS CAN BE SO MANY THINGS. JOLIES DEATH. EVERBLAZE (the book).

Starlight ~ probably the only 100% fluff. if you wanna interpret this as not stellarlune. angsty

Anger/Ruin ~ ANGST.

Adoption ~ NVM THIS IS WHOLESOME. UNLESS.

Dinosaur/ Bramble ~ dinosaur is definitely a "look at edaline be a girlboss" but bramble can get real dark real quick.

tldr fav character angst week such a real bday gift

i know i made them that way on purpose, and starlight and adoption can be agnsty

see i have this headcannon that Starlight is the elves version of Sunshine, and that Edaline and Grady could have called Jolie Starlight before she died, do what you want with that information…

adoption? they canceled Sophie’s adoption imagine how agnsty that could be. the conversation that they had to make that decision, the conversations afterwards…

Sophie being kidnapped and how they felt throughout that entire experience….

OOOOH I KNOW WHAT IM WRITING

that little tag “not all of them are angsty tag” was targeted at @oracle-cookies who constantly yells at me for writing to angsty and tries to take custody of the characters away from me. while they don’t yell at other people for the same thing. like they didn’t blow a hole in one of their ocs parents i was proving that i’m capable of making things fluffy and i just make things angsty to make her suffer

[kotlc-theme-weeks]

kotlc theme weeks 2023

masterposts linked once the week is over

January

Keefitz week: 7-13 | masterpost

Tiertice week: 22-29 | masterpost @tiertice-week-2023

February

Finitar week: 5-11 | masterpost

Aro week: 19-26 | masterpost

March

Gradaline week: 12-18 | masterpost @gradaline-week

April

Song twins week: 16-24 | prompts @song-twins-week

May

Brant day: 1

Villain week: 13-20 | prompts @kotlcvillainweek

June

Keeper pride month: 1-30 | prompts @kotlcpridemonth2023

July

Keefex week: 9-15 | prompts @keefex-week

August

Neverseen Extravaganza 1-10 | prompts @neverseen-extravaganza

Four horsegirls week: 20-26 | prompts @4-horsegirls-week-2023

September

Kam week: 7-14 | prompts @kamweek2023

October

Keeptober: 1-31 | prompts @keeptober

November

Fedex week 1-7 | prompts @fedex-week-2023

December

Sofitz week 3-9 | prompts

Delivvy week 10-16 | prompts @delivvy-week-dec-2023

Secret Santa 20-27 |

[gradaline-week]

Gradaline week is in three days y’all!

[gradaline-week]

it’s the first day of Gradaline week

[gradaline-week]

In The Stars - Benson Boone

Anger - Sleeping At Last

The Other Side - Ruelle

Two - Sleeping At Last

Eight - Sleeping At Last

Daughter - Sleeping At Last

Tragedy Is Not the End - Joel Ansett

Laplace's Angel (Hurt People? Hurt People!) - Will Wood

…well, better than the alternative - Will Wood

State Of Grace - Taylor Swift

This Love - Taylor Swift

Starlight - Taylor Swift

Like You Mean It - Ruelle

Angel With A Shotgun - The Cab

The Cave - Mumford & Sons

Return To Me - Dean Martin

sTraNgeRs - Bring Me The Horizon

I Don't Care (with Justin Bieber) - Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber

Sun - Sleeping At Last

La Vie En Rose - Emily Watts

La Vie en rose - Édith Piaf

Green - Cavetown

I’ll Fight - Daughterly

Spotify link

[winterfireice]

Gradaline week prompt 2

@gradaline-week @you-have-been-frizzled

Im incredibly bored I’m at a stuffy noble party and have had seven adults come up and ask me where my sister is so far,

Like their not the reason she isn't here with all their prejudices against her boyfriend who happens to be talentless even though that's the smallest part of him,

I’m proud of my sister, I really am but these parties were so much more interesting when she was here to complain with me,

I see the door open and figure it's going to be another one of my parent’s friends so I try to leave the line of sight at soon as possible but hear someone call my name,

I turn around and find Grady’s light blue eyes, I want to wrap my arms around him in pure joy because I don't have to be here alone anymore but refrain because I don't have to draw any more attention to myself.

“Thank Atlantis your here, please tell me you have an elaborate ruse to get me out of here?”

“Honestly was planning on using the front door when no one was looking but if you want I can try to come up with something more interesting,”

“No the door is good but I'm pretty sure my dad is about to make a speech so can we go quickly?”

“Of course,” Grady says taking my hand and leading me outside,

After we light leap to somewhere in the woods he asks me, “So why didn’t you leave earlier? It's not exactly like that took a mastermind we just walked out the door,”

“I didn’t have anywhere to go I guess, plus if neither of the Ruewen sisters showed up at all someone would definitely notice,” I sit down on the damp grass and Grady follows taking a second to respond,

“Well now you always have a place to go, with me I mean, if you ever feel like ditching again call me and ill come and spend the day with you.” he says,

“That is very sweet Grady,” I smile,

“Well, I try,”

I think I'm going to start looking forward to these parts much more.

[winterfireice]

Someone remind me to post my gradline fic today

[winterfireice]

Was going to work on my Sophiana coffee au but then remembered gradaline week is coming up so finishing my short fics for that

[gradaline-week]

Gradaline week 2023 masterpost

general Gradaline

playlist

mood board by @fitz-avery-vacker

Wanderling/ Green

Party/ Gossip

fic by @winterfireice

Fire

Starlight

fic by @winterfireice

Anger/Ruin

fic by @official-kenralie-fanbase

Adoption

fic by @winterfireice

Dinosaur/ Bramble

[winterfireice]

Gradaline week 2023 starlight prompt

@you-have-been-frizzled @gradaline-week

Chapter two everyone!

——————————————————————————

“Where are we going,” I ask my boyfriend,

It's our fifth year anniversary and my gift was a blindfold which Grady then put on me and told me he had a second surprise for me all of a sudden we were walking towards a leap master and now we are walking through what I think is a field but can’t be sure.

“We're almost there I promise,”

“Just because I love you doesn't mean this is any less terrifying,”

“I know, I know but now we're here so you can take off your blindfold.”

I slowly remove the black fabric from my face and see a very happy Grady who is still wearing his tux from dinner and is almost jumping up and down from excitement though I'm not completely sure why anniversaries have always been something to look towards with us we spend so much time together it not like a fun date is out of the ordinary

That’s when I take in my surroundings, were in a field with wildflowers and there's a tree with a tan trunk and violet leaves near a picnic blanket that has blankets and pillows on top of it,

“Do you like it?” Grady asks me

“Grady this is amazing, I love it so much,”

“I hoped you would, I know how much you love stargazing and I wanted you to have the perfect night,”

“Well I get to spend it with the perfect guy,” I take his hand and give him a kiss understanding why he was so excited

“This is where we had our first date,” I say

“Yup, I thought this would be the perfect place to tell you this,” he lets go of my hand and takes a few steps away from me.

“Tell me what?”

Confused a turn towards him and he’s,

Down on one knee, starlight casting over him and colorful leaves from the tree floating down around him, there are tears in his eyes and I can feel some in mine as well.

“Eda, I first saw you in level seven studying for some test I've long forgotten about but I never have and never will forget about you ever since that moment I've been falling in love with you more and more, so I'm here in the first place we ever kissed asking you to spend the rest of your life with me so I can show you how much I love every day, Edaline Kelia Ruewen will you marry me?” He has tears running down his face

“Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you” I say immediately, he stands up and I kiss my future husband

The man that has been my best friend and other half, the man I get to explore the rest of my life with.

[winterfireice]

I have other wips but I want to be able to post at least something for Gradaline week this year so going to go try to write a short fic

[loulively]

How did I NOT REALIZE GRADALINE WEEK WAS GOING TO BE A THING?!

Gradaline week is in three days y’all!