... So... we meet again... after so long.
I appreciate you, if you're reading this because holy shit has it been a while. Been what... seven years? Give or take? *sweats*
If you're like me and skip all the fluff and go straight for the recipe, then you can skip the first half of this. It's mostly me just oversharing on the writing process behind this fic. Skip to the bold ANNOUNCEMENT for the actual... well... announcement.
I am grateful if this notification popped up in your inbox and you still decided to click the link after so long. I still get notifications of people favouriting and following this fic even up to now and that warms my heart.
I'll be honest. I lost the plot with this thing for a long time. When I started writing this I was flying by the seat of my pants. I had no idea what planning was and just sort of threw things together to make this story. And I loved it. But... sometimes love isn't all something needs to keep going.
Rereading this story, something I realised with it is, while I personally found it enjoyable (and i see a few of you agree) it wasn't very... coherent? Years later I see gaping plot holes that I don't think i could have ever filled and red herrings that definitely would have gotten nowhere and which gradually led me into writing myself in to a hole. I think i had most of the next chapter written for the longest time but I realised I couldn't go further in any way that i think would have been worth while to read. And that made me sad. So I stayed away from this story for a while.
Another problem that came up with writing this was Alyssa herself. She was created perhaps half an hour before I started writing this story? Basically, I knew nothing about her. And I'm the type of person that needs to understand a character (even if it's just a little bit), before writing them. I was discovering Alyssa at the same time as you guys which of course led to some inconsistencies. I loved her but I wasn't happy with her.
Now, however many years later, I know her the best of all my OCs. She's been written into other stories as a main character, side character, villain and more and I think I can finally do her the justice she deserves for this story. After all, this was really what she was made for.
Finally... plot. I think I fell into the trap a lot of OC and self insert fiction writers sometimes do in that I followed the plot of the manga a little too closely. Sure I strayed here and there but I don't think I actually gave Alyssa a lot of her own agency aside from simply reacting to Sebastian and Ciel. And that's just a shame.
This is where I have to admit that, while I've learned a lot of lessons I certainly haven't learned all of them. I still don't have a complete plot for this thing. I have goals for each character, and certain arcs and adventures set aside for each of them to complete in order to attain these goals. But a definite plot? Once that goes from A to B? Not so much.
That said, I am looking for a beta for this story. Someone to help and provide the occasional criticism as I move along and can hopefully keep me on some sort of schedule as well. DM if interested. If not I'll just muddle along -.
So. With all that rambling out of the way, let's get to what you actually came here for. The...
ANNOUNCEMENT
Black Witch is being re-written! *weak woo and one sad firecracker goes off*
I have solid plan for like... a quarter of this story so far but even that's a lot because I'm an idiot that doesn't know when to stop typing. So that quarter will easily bypass the current amount of published chapters. Don't worry y'all have content to come. If you choose to stick around that is.
I know some of you may feel attached to this version of the story, and that's fine. I love it a lot too. But I don't think I'll ever be able to create a satisfying ending with my vision for these characters in the setting I've made so far. I could try, but I wouldn't enjoy it and I don't think that product would be enjoyable either.
So. A rewrite.
I'll be posting the re-write under a different story but I know that not everyone may be willing to follow this story to a whole new page. That's totally okay. So I'm posting the first half of the new prologue after this announcement. That way you can see if the new take is something you're interested in or not.
I'll also be cross posting the new version of Black Witch to AO3 if some of you prefer over there. The choice is yours. Just know I'm grateful to every single one of you reading this right now. 3
Prologue.
"As we await the convening of the Council of Seven we hereby place one Master Flumina, Alyssa under house arrest."
As annoying as house arrest is, at the very least it gives you time to think. To ponder. Time to come to terms with your place in the world, if you are happy with it and what you'll do to change it.
In my case, it gave me time to plot.
'You continue like this and you'll get yourself arrested again,' Celine fretted, the serpent coiled nervously around the legs of a nearby table while I selected my ingredients.
"I'm already under arrest," I replied, smiling at the huff of disgust the cheeky response got from my familiar.
Several small fires burned low in their hearths and over them, potions of various colours and scents bubbled on. The overall smell of the usually serene garden was entirely unappealing but that held no concern to me. All that mattered was the end result… if I could ever get there.
Visibly agitated, Celine wound herself tighter around the table's leg. It creaked ominously for a second before she settled and relaxed.
'This is disgusting,' she hissed. For a snake she was rather opinionated about… well… everything.
"That it is, but if all goes well then perhaps something interesting should happen." What was supposed to be a reassurance fell flat in the scaley face of Celine's disapproval.
'We're going to end up in a cell soon enough and when that happens I hope your ears are ready because I'll be right there saying 'I told you so' the whole time.' The threat made me wince a little but brightened almost immediately afterward when the potion suddenly changed from black to a shimmering violet.
'What's this interesting thing that's supposed to happen anyway?' Celine asked while I frantically began gathering ingredients for the last stage of the enchanting.
"It's a wish granting potion. Maybe we can think of something to help us out of our 'sticky situation'." Three pairs of fairy wings (willingly given of course. So few people knew the little guys shed their wings regularly and were far more likely to help you out with ingredients if you just asked instead of trying to trap them) and two clockwise stirs.
'You've never been one to resort to wishes,' Celine said, looking doubtful at the concoction.
"Well, there's a first time for everything," I cheerily responded, sounding a lot more confident than I felt. To be quite honest, I wasn't quite sure why I was doing all this anyway.
With my trial looming it probably would be in my best interest to simply sit still in the manor, play nice and hope for a light sentence… but what were the chances of that actually happening? The Flumina name had been a blight on the Council for ages, too full of wild cards and lone wolves to fully qualify as a family and far too full of witches, wizards and sorcerers more invested in themselves than the 'greater good'. Me included.
Why should I waste my time, energy, and (more importantly) brain cells bettering a council of fools who only wanted more ways to stockpile power in their stupid games of politics anyway? I'd never held much regard for the Council and their juvenile restrictions and I wasn't about to start respecting them now.
If they were gonna decide to take me out, then the least I could do was go out with a bang.
The moon climbed higher as did Celine's doubt but there was no going back now. I'd committed to this course of action and wherever it led.
I dimmed the flames to bring the cauldron to a simmer and poured a hollowed unicorn horn full of dragon's blood and began to stir.
Three stirs clockwise, a stir anticlockwise. Pause. Three more stirs clockwise, a stir clockwise, pause.
More stirring.
A glance at my watch. The timing had to be perfect as my wish had to be spoken during the last ten seconds of midnight.
"Any potential last words my dear?" For all her complaints, in the end Celine was still my chosen familiar and would follow me to the ends of the earth and beyond (even if she'd be complaining the whole time). True to form, she huffed and secured herself around my body, wrapping herself sturdily around my waist and draping her head across my shoulder.
'Let's do this then, idiot.'
I couldn't resist giving her a fond smile and I pressed a gentle kiss on her head.
As soon as the second hand hit 10, I took a deep breath. My heart was pounding but there was no hesitation in my words.
"I wish… to be at the heart of a great adventure!"
Midnight passed. The moon shifted. Nothing happened.
I pouted. "I suppose I was too vague?" I pondered, scratching Celine's chin as I put out the flame. "But I didn't want to be too specific. Where's the fun in that?"
'Well I'm sorry your grand plan didn't work,' Celine said, rubbing her cold face against my cheek to take the sting out of her sarcasm. The attempt at levity was appreciated but just as I was about to start putting away the potions, the potion sparked.
A jet black flame shot out of the cauldron, shooting high into the air.
Startled, I jumped back, hand raised and magic at my fingertips, ready to respond. Celine reared her head; fangs exposed hissing dangerously at the threat.
Then, as quickly as the black flame came, it died down only to be replaced by a flame midnight blue in colour. This time, it didn't shoot as high as before, but shot out one spark before circling out, engulfing everything it touched in blue flames. It quickly ate up the garden foliage and in no time was racing over to me.
"Shit!" I snapped a barrier into place but the flames seemed to eat up the magic and just as quickly as the shield had been raised it was gone.
Celine dove from my shoulders and grew larger, encompassing me and forming a living shield against the building inferno.
"NO!" The flames surged and Celine began to scream but she tightened her body and refused to move even as I beat at her enlarged body, begging for her to let me out. The smell of roasting flesh hit my nose and I gagged. I tried to summon my magic to do something, anything, but it felt like fire had taken the place of blood in my body and I couldn't tell which way was up or down.
Screams filled the air but who was screaming? Was it me? Celine? I couldn't tell… My skin felt like it was being flayed off my body while fire continued to lick at it.
I wanted to cry but did I even have eyes to cry with anymore? Where did I end and the pain eating at me begin? It was too much. Delirious with pain and with the smell of cooking meat still in my nose, I slipped into a world of darkness.
The last thing I saw was Celine's eyes, full of agony and reaching for me as flames consumed us both.
And there you have it! A bit of a change from the previous version no? Hope you stick around to see what else is coming!
The new story is officially live with the rest of the prologue up. Hope you enjoy!
-Ray
