caeli0306

[caeli0306]

one more long blurb before bed 🫡 not sure when these last chapters will be done bc life is crazy rn and its sapping my desire to write, but we'll get there eventually!

===

Violet hummed gratefully when Xaden gently took the shampoo from her, turning her around as he squeezed some into his hand and lathered it through her hair for her. Leaning back against his chest as his fingers worked through the strands, Violet’s eyes fluttered shut.

“Don’t fall back asleep, love,” Xaden murmured in her ear.

She forced her eyelids open again, blinking blearily as he guided her back beneath the warm water’s spray. Suds circled the drain as the water rinsed away the shampoo. 

“Today’s going to suck,” Violet groaned as she wiped water from her eyes. 

“No, it’s not.” Xaden reached for the faucet handle, and Violet gasped when the water turned ice cold, the shock of it driving away any remaining dregs of sleep from her body.

Violet couldn’t step away from the spray fast enough, her teeth already beginning to chatter. “You're an asshole,” she hissed.

“That’s me,” Xaden quipped. This time, he shut off the water. He flung open the glass door, misted over with condensation, and grabbed a towel. After he’d wrapped it around his hips — and after Violet watched, a little too interested — he held open another towel for her.

[caeli0306]

blurb time!

===

Then, something heavy jumped right on top of her, knocking the air from her lungs and shocking her out of her half-asleep state.

“What?” Violet wheezed, her eyes flying open. At first, she couldn’t make sense of what she was seeing. Something was on top of her — something warm, something… furry? Black, tan and white filled her vision, and something uncomfortable dug into her skin through the sheets. Her half-asleep brain couldn’t keep up.

Footsteps from beyond the bedroom grew louder as Violet tried to shove aside whatever it was that just landed on top of her, but she failed, the creature dodging and weaving around her arm as it flailed.

“Sgaeyl!” Xaden’s voice was sharp and commanding, and the furry creature on top of her froze. “Down. Now.”

Sgaeyl — Xaden’s dog. Violet put the puzzle pieces together, but Sgaeyl seemingly had no intention of listening to her owner. The opposite in fact, because the German Shepherd opted to sit right on Violet’s chest.

[caeli0306]

WE'RE IN THE FINAL STRETCH OF CRUISE SHIP FIC BESTIES

===

Quinn hummed. “Imogen said you’re looking into Varrish.” The dim light muffled her hair’s riot of color, making it look like a sepia-tinted rainbow. “You sure you know what you’re doing with him?”

Violet couldn’t help but laugh. “You have no idea.”

“No, I think I do.” Quinn cocked her head as she took a sip of her drink. “There are very few people Burton Varrish hates as much as he hates you. Do you really want to antagonize him more?”

“What I want to do or not do is my business,” Violet said coolly. She accepted the beer the bartender slid her way with a grateful nod, then turned back to Quinn. “What I need to know is if you’re willing to go on the record.”

[caeli0306]

chapter 24 of castles crumbling (aka Tales from the Airport Bathroom extended version) now posted!

Chapter 24: Fear is now up on AO3: READ HERE

It's the last isles chapter! The spy idiots are back! LFG!

Edit: I forgot to add this before but THANK YOU @hockeyspiral23 for giving this a read before I posted <3

Summary:

Violet should already be dead. People whispered about her weak body and how she would never live up to her family's martial accomplishments. Violet rose above them all, however, fighting and killing to survive the Navarrian Intelligence Agency's brutal BASGIATH training protocol. Now, people whisper about Violet's swift ascension through the NIA's ranks as one of its most valuable operatives and assassins. The whispers don't matter to Violet: She has her own agenda, and it's a dangerous one - finding out what happened to her father.

But one mission changes everything: Suddenly, Violet finds herself in the crosshairs when she stumbles on information Navarre wants buried, and the country she fought for begins to turn on her. Violet knows too much, but she's determined to do what she does best: Survive. Her only hope is the son of the man who they say killed her brother, but their partnership is far from assured. Some grudges run deep, and trust is a currency too valuable to give freely. Xaden realizes Violet may be the key to everything, but with enemies seen and unseen closing in on all sides, the consequences of failure are deadly.

===

“We’re going to get caught.” This time, Violet drops the gadget from her face, turning over her shoulder to nail me with a glare. “This is a suicide mission.”

The records building is under heavy guard, no matter the time of day. This mission was designed to kill us; Navarre doesn’t expect us to succeed. But we have to try.

“Of course, it’s a suicide mission,” I say with a shrug, “we already knew that. Navarre wouldn’t have sent us if it wasn’t.” I pause before speaking again. “We’re not going to get caught.”

“I estimate you have a 62% chance of being caught,” SGAEYL supplies unhelpfully. When I emerged above ground, her snarky voice filled my head again, much to my relief. My time underground was the longest I’d gone in a long, long time without hearing her voice.

“You aren’t helping,” I shoot back.

Violet raises a doubtful brow at the same time that SGAEYL scoffs, then goes silent. Violet points at the main entrance to the records building, which is flanked by two guards. “Oh yeah?” she hisses. “Explain to me how we’re going to get through the entrance into this place without setting off every alarm on the base? You never got an ID badge that would get us through the doors, remember?”

I do remember. I remember sitting in that underground cell, regretting that the last conversation I’d had with her had been one where I let my frustration at my own lack of progress get the better of me. 

[caeli0306]

i think im ok and then i remember the last two chapters of onyx storm exist and then im Not Ok Again

[caeli0306]

I jinxed myself last night lol but since you guys have been so patient, here's a blurb since you guys have been asking about when the other dragons would begin coming up :)

===

“It wasn’t a total loss,” Brennan says. “He got a message transmitted before the NIA’s operative tracked him down.”

Hope flares in my chest. “Anything useful?”

“Just a word: ANDARNA.” 

[caeli0306]

we might have castles chapter 24 up tonight? maybe? we’ll see

[caeli0306]

Heyyyyoooo any chance you wanna share a snippet of castles crumbling??? The last chapter had me SCREAMING!!!

Well, since you asked so nicely!

===

“This is the only way we keep our heads when we get back to Navarre,” I remind her. They’ll kill us both if we don’t make it back with those weapon schematics.

“We’re going to get caught.” This time, Violet drops the gadget from her face, turning over her shoulder to nail me with a glare. “When I agreed to a detour, I didn’t realize you meant a suicide mission.”

The records building is under heavy guard, no matter the time of day. This mission was designed to kill us; Navarre doesn’t expect us to succeed. But we have to try.

“Of course, it’s a suicide mission,” I say with a shrug, “we already knew that. Navarre wouldn’t have sent us if it wasn’t.” I pause before speaking again. “We’re not going to get caught.”

“I estimate you have a 62% chance of being caught,” SGAEYL supplies unhelpfully. When I emerged aboveground again, her snarky voice filled by head again, much to my relief. My time underground was the longest I’d gone in a long, long time without hearing her voice in my head.

“You aren’t helping,” I shoot back.

[caeli0306]

chapter 12 of the art and science of a cruise ship hookup is now posted

Chapter 12: Braving the Current is now up on AO3: READ HERE

I'm no longer apologizing for the crazy long smut chapters. You guys know what you're getting into at this point. I have zero regrets. Enjoy!

Summary:

Violet never thought she'd be spending her honeymoon single, but when she's left at the altar, it seems pointless to waste the vacation she had planned. She fully intends to pass the two week transatlantic cruise by cursing her ex and drinking enough pina coladas to make the drink package she bought worth the price. But then she meets Xaden Riorson after a particularly clumsy accident after dinner, and it isn't long before she finds new ways to enjoy her newfound singlehood. He's cocky. Arrogant. And most importantly: All-too-eager to take her mind off her break-up with far more pleasurable pursuits.

or

Violet and Xaden meet on a cruise and fuck like bunnies

===

Xaden waited for her just outside the kitchen, hands shoved in his pockets as he watched her approach. The lighting in this part of the house was dim, perhaps on purpose, but Violet could just make out how the corners of his mouth turned upwards as she got closer.

“Hello, love,” he greeted. His voice was a silky, seductive caress against her ear, promising something so much better than dinner.

Violet stopped a few feet in front of him, sucking in a quick breath as she took him in greedily. He wore the exact same thing he had before — and her heart still raced at the sight of him, undeterred. His first nickname for her was “beautiful,” but she thought he deserved that moniker more than her.

“Hi,” she replied.

Xaden tilted his head as his gaze roamed over her. “Hungry yet?”

Violet rolled back onto her heels, then onto the balls of her feet. “Perhaps.” She tilted her head to the same angle as Xaden’s. “I think it depends on the meal.”

She let suggestion and sex tinge her stare, her words, the way she held herself upright. The air between them crackled with white-hot energy. Violet wondered, again, which of them would break first.

Slowly, Xaden smiled; a wicked, sensual curve of his lips as he undressed her with his eyes. His pupils were blown, obscuring the gold and covering them with primal desire.

“Don’t worry, Vi,” he said, “you’ll like what I’ve planned for you.”

[caeli0306]

also after I finish chapter 12, I'm going to pivot and finish writing the next chapter of castles bc I miss the spy idiots and they're calling to me. then we'll be back to finish the main story of the cruise ship fic! probably another 2 regular chapters + an epilogue (but I'll probably hold off on writing the epilogue for a bit so I can finish Danger Zone at least, I've gotten so many DMs abt it over the last few weeks lmaoooo). I'll eventually get around to finishing the next chapter of XRGTSAS too, which is halfway done like so many of my fic chapters but I just haven't touched it in a few weeks lol

[caeli0306]

chap 12 blurb bc im doing some rewrites so thanks for the patience!

===

“I know.” She offered a smile of her own. “I’m not easy to break.”

“You’re too strong to be broken,” he countered. Violet’s words died on her tongue, taken aback by the absolute conviction in his tone.

[caeli0306]

ok wait a sec i was looking at ao3 just now and when did so many ppl start reading cruise ship?? what the hell??? i can’t believe so many ppl are enjoying this weird post-OS brainrot fic i conjured out of my castles writers block.

im so happy rn 🥺

[caeli0306]

chapter 11 of the art and science of a cruise ship hookup is now posted

Chapter 11: Rip Current is now up on AO3: READ HERE

Ok I'm really glad I said I wasn't going to give an estimate on when the next chapter would be done bc this took way longer than I thought it would!

ANYWAYS enjoy :)

Summary:

Violet never thought she'd be spending her honeymoon single, but when she's left at the altar, it seems pointless to waste the vacation she had planned. She fully intends to pass the two week transatlantic cruise by cursing her ex and drinking enough pina coladas to make the drink package she bought worth the price. But then she meets Xaden Riorson after a particularly clumsy accident after dinner, and it isn't long before she finds new ways to enjoy her newfound singlehood. He's cocky. Arrogant. And most importantly: All-too-eager to take her mind off her break-up with far more pleasurable pursuits.

or

Violet and Xaden meet on a cruise and fuck like bunnies

===

“I don’t care,” Xaden growled. “Move.”

The investigator narrowed her eyes, crossing her arms over her uniform as she said, “Unless you are Ms. Sorrengail’s attorney or a member of her family, I cannot allow you in here.”

Xaden scoffed, wrath and rage melting any kind of mask he would normally wear in a situation like this, and Violet could see this entire situation going badly depending on how he responded. Two officers appeared behind Xaden, winded from the climb but poised to drag him out if the investigator gave the order.

Violet watched as his shoulders tensed again, his hands flexing on the doorframe until she was half-certain the old wood would splinter under his grip. Horror — clear, undisguised by the fog of shock that had otherwise dulled her senses — swamped Violet as it occurred to her that the officers might see Xaden as a threat and act accordingly.

“I’m her boyfriend,” he snapped, just as Violet surged to her feet and shouted, “He’s my lawyer!”

Xaden stopped glaring at the investigator, his eyes whipping toward Violet as her jaw hinged open.

Her cheeks flamed a vibrant crimson, and a glimmer of amusement, despite everything that happened, took root in Xaden’s gaze. They’d never defined their relationship before — and Violet had been mostly fine with that — but hearing Xaden call himself her boyfriend elicited a giddy feeling that made Violet want to jump around and kick her feet.

Violet loved him. She knew it in the marrow of her bones.

[caeli0306]

Shield of Sparrows Book Review

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

MINOR SPOILERS FOR SHIELD OF SPARROWS BELOW

I was pleasantly surprised by this book! I ended up reading it in one sitting (the only books I’ve done that with previously are the FW books) The world-building was actually quite good and the cliffhanger was enough to make me be like “THAT’S IT???” without being entirely miserable that I’ll have to wait a while for the next book, which I loved!

I liked Odessa and Ransom, but their characters felt a bit flat to me, which is primarily why I only gave this 4 stars instead of 5. I think that might be because there was so much that Ransom (and literally everyone else) couldn’t say because of these blood oaths, which honestly got a bit old by the end of the book but I think its an interesting magic mechanic and I’m looking forward to seeing how the Voster play into everything going forward.

I saw a review on Goodreads that was essentially saying “this book follows the Fourth Wing/Red Tower romantasy template.” I don’t necessarily disagree with that, but I think this story was pretty well executed and, again, really good world building. The whole monster concept is just really cool, and honestly I’d read this for the intrigue of that alone. The romance, imo, was the weakest part of the story but it’s also the first book so I’m not resting my hat on that.

[caeli0306]

"i don't comment on ao3 because i don't wanna be annoying or weird" skill issue + you greatly underestimate the power dynamic here, writing multi paragraph comments is like feeding a bunch of deeply insane and possibly starved ducks at the park and watch them go completely mad over having received a piece of bread

[caeli0306]

did anyone else preorder a copy of shield of sparrows and then get a copy with an already-peeling dust cover? kinda annoyed rn.

[caeli0306]

logged onto reddit for the first time in a while and first thing I saw was that all AO3 works up until March got scraped into an AI dataset 🫠 it got taken down from where it was originally posted, but who knows what corner of the internet it could pop up on next.

seriously debating making my fics registered-user only. i fucking hate this.