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expressionless animals (oikawa x iwaizumi)+reader

Deviation Actions

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little expressionless animals


| knight!iwaizumi x king!oikawa && agender!ace!witch!reader |

softly held the light beneath your skin
never drew a breath between our names;
i can feel this place becoming what it never was
do we embrace the hours, as if we never lost
one lonely resignation; tethered to your thoughts
i'm dreaming through these motions, in hopes that it will last



“She’s here, my liege.”

You squint your eyes at the words as you enter the large room, tugging your long cloak tighter around yourself as if to shield your body from the words. Your hilariously large hat sat evenly on your head and the large eye on it rolled, exposing how annoyed you felt right off the bat. The hat had been enchanted by your mother as a gag gift one birthday and you grew attached to it and never took it off; it was like having a second voice, a whole other personality to show everyone how pissed you were even if your face was smiling. An ideal asset for a witch.

“I’m not a she,” you said calmly as you pause before the throne, eyes lifting to connect with the King’s. “I’m a witch.”

The King leaned back and chuckled, despite how the knights lining the red velvet carpet that led you there tensed and lifted their weapons slightly at your tone. You had never been very good at being respectful; you even sassed your mother, and she was the Evil Witch of the North that the kingdom both feared and respected. She nearly took over the Northern kingdom during her rebellious phase when she was a little younger than you were. One time, when you made a smartass comment after she asked you to clean the floors, she turned you into a toad for a day and a half. You learned very quickly sassing your much more powerful mother witch was not the best idea.

But you had no qualms about showing a complete lack of respect for others, royalty or not. It did not matter that the King of the Western Kingdom had a golden crown lined with jewels, or that his robe was made of pure velvet and silk, and the collar was lined with the finest furs that probably cost hundreds of gold. In the end he was human and thus inferior to you. You weren’t as strong as your mother, obviously, but you had built up quite the reputation after she vanished. She had certainly taught you well. Not so much in the diplomacy department, however.

King Oikawa leaned forward again, resting his arm on the armrest beside him, fingers opening to reveal heavy jewel rings of various colors. It was so shiny and pretty and your eyes followed his fingers as they moved, almost barely hearing his words as he explained why he called you here--

“Miss [F/N], I’ve heard many things about you. I’ve heard about how you wiped a battlefield clean with a wave of your hand, about how you saved the lives of dozens of plague victims with a mere concoction, of how you had slain the dragon in the East and saved the kingdom and the village that it had been tormenting at the base of the mountains--“

“Ah,” you interrupted quite rudely, tearing your gaze away to look at the king again, “I didn’t actually kill the dragon. He was merely hungry and did not understand that humans are more than food, so I merely introduced him to a more secluded mountain in the North near my woods that have plenty of tasty animals free for the taking. He’s actually very good company, we’re good friends now,” you said with a shrug, looking down to adjust your boots. The leather was giving you a rash, you were sure of it. “May you please get to the point, my good King? I’m getting restless.”

He blinked, looking quite startled, and the knights once again stirred. One of them -- the one who announced your arrival, you recalled -- spoke up. “Do not speak to the King in such a way, young miss!”

“I’m not a young miss, I am a witch. A very powerful one at that.” You leaned toward the boy and grinned maliciously. “If you dare call me that again I will turn you into a cockroach then step on you with the heel of my boot.”

He gulped and took a small step back, which earned him a shove from the knight standing beside him to put him back into his assigned position. You cackled, but you stopped as soon as you realized the King was laughing along with you.

“My, the rumors are true, aren’t they!” There was a gleam in his eye that reminded you of--well, you--and it set your nerves on edge. “I shall get to the point, then. I called you here to request your…magical services.”

You tilted your head, admittedly quite curious. “How so?”

“You see, my personal advisor has fallen under a curse.” He folded his hands and looked sincerely troubled -- and you had to admit that made you much more sympathetic toward this “Devil King” you’d heard so much about -- but then quickly hid it with another shit-eating grin. “He shielded me during a battle with the Water Witch near the border. I’m sure you know of her?”

You sighed. Oh god, yes, you knew of her. The Water Witch Yachi aka The Goody Two Shoes Witch Scared of Everything. You had tried making friends with her because your mother always taught you to be on good terms with other witches, since they are very scarce and humans itching to get rid of magic are not, but it had…well, totally flopped. She was cute and bubbly but very jumpy and had troubled controlling her magic. She spend all her free time swimming and playing with small gross fish and frogs and she had no sense of humor. She had cried when you played a joke and turned a frog into a turtle then kicked it over onto its back.

You were surprised she cursed someone, though.

“I do,” was all you said. “Though I am curious how you got into a fight with her? If I recall correctly she is quite the pacifist.”

“Well, she was protecting something in her lake, I presume,” he said forlornly and oh, you understood, suddenly. Yachi lived in that lake in order to protect an ancient family heirloom of hers; some shiny blue stone she kept at the bottom of the lake that apparently had the generation of water mages powers contained inside of it or something. She was the last water witch thus the only one who could protect it from greedy humans -- like the one sitting before you.

“She did seem remorseful when she saw that she missed,” the King mused, tapping his chin with a finger adorned with a ruby ring. You wanted it. “But she claimed to not have the ability to reverse it. She did mention you, however, daughter of the grand witch of the North.”

“I’m a witch, not a-- ugh, forget it,” you grumbled, stomping a bit childishly as your hat’s eye twitched in irritation. “So what are you willing to pay me with?”

He smirked. “Why, anything you desire.”

You smiled and immediately pointed at his hand. “Then, those rings. All of them.”

He blinked. “Excuse me?”

“I’m not sure if you know this, but I am quite a fan of shiny, pretty things,” you said, smiling again. “It is not every day I run across a genuine stone or two...or three…or five.”

“That is all?” He seemed genuinely confused, which was kind of hilarious. “I could provide you with anything you desire…money…men…women…” he gestured wildly with his hands. “Territory? Homes? Horses?”

You pointed suddenly, eyes wide. “Oh! A fluffy horse! I want a big, fluffy horse!”

“Um…alright, then. Yes. Of course. Kageyama, fetch the stableboy and ask him to find the fluffiest steed he can. Tell him to search high and low and pay whatever price is asked.” The boy from earlier -- the one you threatened and had taken to glaring at you after he almost fell on his ass -- jumped to attention.

“Yes, of course!” he all but shouted, bowing quickly, before he turned and scurried off. Oh god, that little brat was such a loser. Damn. Was he even old enough to be a knight?

The King began pulling off his rings one by one as he spoke in a velvety voice that matched his ridiculous attire; “Well…I can give you what you ask. Kunimi, escort the with to the guest chambers.” He pulled the last ring off and gathered them all in one hand. He smiled. “Feel free to ask any of the staff if you need anything.”

You rose an eyebrow. “You do not wish for me to begin now?”

He gasped, placing his hand to his chest. “My! It is so late, of course not! Please, join us for a small feast tonight to cool you off before you begin in the morning. You’ll need your rest tonight.” He gestured for a small bald, tan knight to come over and he gave him the rings once he paused by the throne. “I’ll give you the rings now. The horse and some complementary jewels will be given after this is over.” You lit up at his words, cheeks flushing in delight. The bald boy timidly approached you and offered the jewels, eyes wide as they kept nervously glancing up at the hat. Your eye winked at him and he jumped, making you laugh as you slipped the rings onto your own fingers.

“Many thanks, my king.”

Content, the brunette smiled and leaned back into his throne once more. “Then, off you go. Get comfortable. And thank you.”

You assumed the tired-looking dark-haired male that suddenly appeared by your side was Kunimi. He, like the others, was clad in full armor and it looked ridiculous in your opinion; why did this king need to flaunt his power and position by having his little soldiers dress up for war when there was none? Unless he was worried you might turn violent? Ah, that seemed very likely. As you left the throne room you couldn’t resist flicking a small bolt of magic at the armor the silent man leading you wore, a bit surprised when it seared through and the male jolted, head shooting toward you.

“Sorry!” you said quickly, raising both hands. “I just…thought you had magic-proof armor or something.”

His expression was blank and he merely turned away and sighed, as if he was just simply so fed up with you for the whole four minutes he’s been in your presence. “Does such a thing exist?”

You shrugged. “Well, I don’t know! I have no clue what you strange humans do in your free time.”

He didn’t reply and the walk down the long, long halls was horrible. People stared at you and it made you want to do something extravagant and odd to make them stop being so rude and nosy. You knew everybody hated and feared witches, but that didn’t give them a free pass to openly gawking at you. Gods.

He spoke suddenly as you turned a corner down a long hall lined with heavy silver doors; “Was that true?”

“Huh? Wha?”

“The dragon,” he said simply, staring straight ahead as he walked. You pursed your lips then laughed.

“Yeah. You know, most dragons don’t have names? I gave him one, because he asked for one. I call him Phillip. He thinks it’s so beautiful and he asked what it means in ‘my language’ so I told him it means ‘celestial beauty’ and he blew smoke out his nostrils in embarrassment. Dragons are big, dumb animals who just so happen to have magic and sharp teeth.”

To your surprise this Kunimi guy seemed interested, head turned to you for the first time since you almost burned his skin off. He even cracked a little smile.

“Hm,” was all he said. He paused suddenly then gestured to a large door. “This is your room during your stay here. Do not hesitate to ask me if you need any assistance. I will come get you when the feast is ready.”

Then he left. You huffed, muttering a sarcastic “well bye to you too mister happy” before you eyed the door. Ugh, it was as showy as the king. The door was rather tall and large, lined with golden designs and crystal, shimmering spots that was supposed to be snow, maybe? It probably took hundreds of pounds of hold and hundreds of hours to make this one cheesy door. You hated royalty. You pushed it open anyway and entered, huffing at the large space and rich, soft furniture scattered around the room. Predictable. You didn’t bring any bags so you just sat on the bed and took off your hat, gazing blankly at the eye planted right in the middle of the fabric as it gazed right back.

“Did I make a mistake?” you muttered. You’d heard rumors of King Oikawa; he was selfish, childish, and an unfit ruler. Yet his knights adored and respected him; their loyalty made his people wonder if there was more to him and so they became just as loyal. Many other kingdoms believed there was something more to the obedience of his people, but you thought that perhaps the king wasn’t as bad as everybody claimed he was. Sure, he gave you the creeps, but he seemed like a laid back guy. He seemed to be really close to this friend of his (what was his name again? Ah, whatever) which meant he wasn’t a cold, heartless dictator.

Still. There always came a risk when you accepted jobs for money.

You passed the time by practicing some spells and writing down potential potions (you weren’t sure what yet, since you didn’t know what curse was laid upon the boy, but you knew enough about water witches to have a fairly good idea of the potential curses). By the time you had three potions written down on the paper provided in the guest room by the vanity, there was a knock on your door. It was Kunimi again and he told you dinner was ready. He wasn’t in armor anymore but instead a fancy, detailed tunic and clean pants. You followed him, leaving your hat behind for once, down to the feast hall.

The long table was filled with what you assumed were knights and personal friends in the castle. Oikawa sat at the head, but he wasn’t wearing his robe, probably so he didn’t get food on it or something. When you entered he eagerly waved you over and gestured to the seat beside him. You begrudgingly left Kunimi’s side to sit with the king.

“Would you like some wine?”

“Yes, thank you.”

In an instant a golden goblet appeared in front of you, filled to the brim with dark red wine. A plate full of fancy castle food followed shortly after, along with pure silver utensils and a rolled up napkin.

“So, witch,” he started as you took a sip of the wine. “I’d like you to meet someone!”

You looked up as he gestured excitedly to the pair sitting on the other side of him. One was a stunning black-haired girl with a beauty mark under her eye wearing a beautiful satin, black dress and a shawl that seemed to shimmer. Beside her was a tall silver-haired male, also with a beauty mark, wearing a dark outfit to match.

“Hello,” you said as you shoved a chicken wing into your mouth.

“This is Kiyoko Shimizu, our castle mage,” the King continued. The girl nodded. “That is her apprentice, Sugawara Koushi! They’re originally from the Eastern Kingdom!”

“I heard great things about King Shouyou,” you said as you shoved a roll into your mouth. You grasped the handle of your wine. “Why would you leave him for this lump?”

The King laughed. Kiyoko just sighed. “I ask that myself every day.”

“Ah! Hey!” the King feigned offense as you took a few (rather big) gulps of your wine. “Ah, I apologize, I must go bother my friends over there for a moment -- make yourself comfortable, little witch!” The king happily stood and strode off, leaving you with the two mages.

“If he has his own mages, why hire me?” you muttered, placing down your cup.

“This is embarrassing to admit, but we are not as powerful as witches,” Kiyoko said solemnly as she calmly picked up her own cup. “As you know, mages are merely humans with a single witch in their bloodline. Our magic is weak compared to yours.”

“Ah, that is true,” you said. You picked up your fork and stabbed the mashed potatoes on the corner of your plate. “Do you know what kind of curse was placed upon the King’s friend?”

“I was not there, but we saw him being brought in,” Sugawara spoke up. “He was unconscious, but there was a strange marking on his arm.”

You stuffed the potatoes into your mouth and blinked. “Marking?” you asked, rubbing your chin as food dripped off your bottom lip. Elegance and grace, that was you.

“Yes,” Kiyoko said as she watched you drink more wine to wash the food down. “It looked like a family crest of some kind. Nothing like I’d ever seen before. Don’t witches mark their curses with ancient symbols, not family marks?”

You froze, slowly putting your cup down.

“Oh,” you said, eyes wide. “Oh! I think I know!”

“Eh?” Sugawara asked as you beamed, shoving more rolls into your mouth to reward your genius. “What? What is it? You have yet to see him, how--“

“The only curse that requires a family crest to seal is a dream trap curse,” you explained proudly, crossing your arms and smirking at the two curious-looking mages. “It is a curse that recalls personal magic, hence the family crest being the curse’s seal. The curse traps the victim within his own mind, forcing him to come to a revelation that the curse castor has concocted before they can become free. It is an old curse, I’m surprised Yachi knew it, much less decided to use in the midst of battle. The curse was usually cast on lords and emperors during their sleep. I believe the last time it was used was…hm…a hundred or so years back by a witch who wanted to save his kingdom, so he forced the evil emperor to realize how harmful his rule was, and when he finally awoke he became one of the kindest rulers to date.”

“Well, that explains it,” Kiyoko deadpanned.

“Ha! Perhaps she wanted King Oikawa to learn to get his head out of his--“

“Out of his what?” The King’s chipper voice made you jump, which made you drop your seventh roll. “Oh, I apologize, I didn’t mean to startle you.” The ass, he was smirking. “What was it I need to get my head out of?”

You suddenly stood, grabbing your wine and a few more rolls from a basket near the edge of the table. “Ah, well, I seem to be quite full and quite tired, so I will be taking my leave for the night, if I may! Might I request someone fetch me in the morning and take me to the patient’s room?”

Oikawa nodded, eyes gleaming with amusement as you shoved the rolls into your shirt and fled.
.
.
.
.
Witches do not get hangovers. Witches do not get hangovers. Witches do not get hangovers.

No matter how many times you chanted it in your head, the throbbing pain in your head did not cease. Nor did the nausea. Still, you knew you would be picked up soon to begin, so you got dressed as quickly as you could before you slid out and crept toward the kitchen. You were surprised to find Sugawara there chatting with the cook, an older woman with a kind smile.

“Oh, good morning, [F/N]!” he said brightly.

“Ah, don’t yell…” you whimpered, waving at him. He frowned and the cook lit up with understanding. She quickly ushered you over, shaking her head.

“Oh, dear, it has been a while since I’ve seen such a youngin with such a bad hangover,” she tsked. You had to admit this was you’re fault for using your magic to constantly refill your glass until you were drunk on your bed casting spells at the wall and laughing at nothing.

Oh, the cook smelled good.

“Let me make you some tea I used to make my son after some rough nights at the pub,” she sighed, smiling kindly before rushing off to prepare the kettle. Sugawara chuckled and leaned against the wall beside you.

“Rough night?” he asked.

“Hmnngnghnhnh,” was your beautiful reply. He just grinned. “Wipe that look off your face, magey boy, I could take you in a fight.”

“Oh, I am aware that you could,” he said gently, lifting both hands in surrender. “Do you plan to add your own herbs to the tea to magically make your discomfort vanish?”

You pursed your lips. “Mmmmmperhaps….”

“What a witch thing to do.”

“I take that as a compliment.”

“I meant it as one,” he said with another smile. Before you could respond the cook returned with a hot cup of tea and you thanked her, shot Sugawara a playfully dirty look, and slid back out of the kitchen and into the hallway. You pulled out the herbs you had brought along (you kept all you ‘luggage’ in your hat -- it was magic okay, it could hold things just fine) and dropped them into the hot tea. You stirred it in with your pinky then gulped the liquid down in a matter of seconds, burping quite loudly in satisfaction before you wiped at your mouth and sighed happily. You already felt so, so much better. You placed the cup near the kitchen door then hurried back to your room, a bit put off when you saw Kunimi already there.

“Sneaking off?” he asked without humor. You shrugged and he wordlessly turned and strode off. You followed. Once again he did not speak during the walk but he did open the door to the room once you reached it, bowing slightly as you walked through. You weren’t that surprised to see the King waiting for you, along with a few knights -- the Kageyama kid was one of them. Upon seeing you he grinned and tilted his head, gesturing toward the bed.

“No time to waste, little witch,” he urged. You could…kind of see the urgency behind the playful attitude, and it made you bit your tongue and obey without complaint. You approached the bed and kneeled, leaning over to examine the cursed boy.

He looked like a rough guy, but there was a softness in his face that made you understand why the King cared for him so much. He had messy dark brown hair and thick eyebrows that creased even in unconsciousness. He was…quite handsome, you had to admit, and you couldn’t resist reaching out to brush your fingertips along his arm, right above the marking. “This is certainly a dream curse,” you announced. Kiyoko, who was also there (but Sugawara wasn’t, hm) and she perked up at your voice. “I will have to perform a rather difficult spell to reverse this. You see, it’s not as easy to chanting a few words or giving him a potion.” You pulled back and turned to look at the King. “The only way to break the spell is to have him solve whatever puzzle Yachi has put within the curse. All I can do is join him in his mind and help.”

King Oikawa’s smile fell and he leaned forward slightly. “What…does that mean you do not know how to cure him?”

“I just told you,” you said as calmly as possible.

He grit his teeth. “I did not hire you to explain to me what is wrong with him. I hired you to make him wake up!” His voice grew loud and he waved his hand violently. The Knights stepped back and Kiyoko looked uneasy. As much as you wanted to snap at him you had to keep things calm if you were going to perform the spell.

“Listen, I know this is frustrating, but it is either this, or you hope your friend here can find whatever message Yachi had created for you on his own.”

“How--”

“King Oikawa, if he does not finish the quest set out for him, he will be stuck like this forever,” you said, using your best serious voice.

King Oikawa hesitated, but lowered his hand. He bit the inside of his cheek and he looked so much like a child that you felt kind of bad. “I…I see. Yes. Okay.” he took a long, deep breath. “Please, perform the spell.”

You nodded, turning back to the cursed man. “Oh! Ah, this may be a bit late but I do not think you ever gave me his name?” You glanced over your shoulder and smirked a little.  The King cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed.

“It’s uh, it’s Iwaizumi Hajime.”

“Okay.” You turned back to the boy and softened slightly. “Iwaizumi, it’s going to be okay,” you whispered, gently touching his forehead. “I’m going to help you.”

……. .. ……… .. .. . ……………… . . . … . . . . …………….. . …… . . . ……..


The man’s mind was a mess.

Once your spirit entered this man’s cursed mind, your feet touched the ground and you knew something was way off. The skies were dark and littered with stars -- dozens, all pressed together, and it was actually very pretty. There was a tint of dark blue mixed in with the black, and the wind was cool, but the thing that threw you off was the location. This was not his kingdom, this was a location that did not exist, as far as you knew. Perhaps Yachi projected her memories of her home, or created one herself for this quest. It made sense. Kind of.

You began to walk, barely registering that your clothes had changed; another thing that did not surprise you. Though you had to admit the garb that you now donned was ridiculous and gaudy, but it did not matter to you. What mattered was that you found Iwaizumi Hajime and helped him find his way home.

You weren’t sure how long you walked. Your feet began to ache and you were sure if you were awake right now, with how much had passed, it’d have been morning by now. You mostly walked through an empty field of grass, but eventually you reached a forest. Even then all you passed were trees and trees and hey, more trees. There was no sound, not even the wind, though you did feel it brush against your cheeks and arms as you walked. Eventually you exited the forest, and that is when you found yourself at the foot of a tall, tall thick willow tree. That is where you saw Iwaizumi Hajime standing, head tilted back as he stared up at it.

You immediately rushed to his side. “Pardon!”

He jumped, spinning around to face you with wide eyes. “Who--“

“I’m a witch hired by King Oikawa to help you,” you said quickly, waving your hand urgently as if hoping it might help him understand. “I’m by your side right now surrounded by knights and your king.”

His expression did not change. “Can you prove this?”

You opened then shut your mouth, eyes narrowing quickly. “I cannot,” you admitted. “But listen, you have been stuck here for a long, long time correct? I am the first person you have run into? What am I other than a witch? What have I to gain by leading you through this maze?”

He hesitated then relented, sighing as he turned to look back up the tree. “I’ve been trying to figure out how to get to the top.”

“Uh, of the tree?” you asked, eyebrows lifting as you followed his gaze. “What’s up there?”

“I’m not sure. But…something tells me there’s something up there.” You looked at his clenched fists and decided to trust this human a little. It was his mind, so he knew it best. The curse -- while specifically made for the King -- could bend and adjust according to the body and mind it enters. So he knew the way out best, though some things would not change, which was why you were here.

“Hm. Alright. I’m not sure if my magic will work here, but let me try.” You cracked your knuckles and took a sharp breath before concentrating hard, pointing your palms toward the ground. Nothing. You let out a huff of air and turned apologetically toward Iwaizumi. “As I suspected, my powers have no effect here. You, however, may be able to adjust the surroundings if you try.”

He looked surprised. “I…what?”

“You heard me. Have you ever had a dream where you can control what is happening in it?” His blank look was answer enough. “Hm…ah, how to explain this…oh! Imagine this is your story. Imagine you messed up or changed your mind, and want to change something. Like how tall a tree is.” You pointed toward the top of the tree and nodded toward it suggestively. “Get it?”

“No.”

“For the love of--look at the tree and visualize it as being short enough to climb!” You threw your hands in the air. “Is that so difficult?”

“In theory no,” he said as he turned to face the tree. “In practice, very.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

He ended up trying and failing to succeed for what felt like hours before finally you announced you would just try to climb it yourself. He seemed unsure and suggested you couldn’t make the climb, but you just scowled at him and decided to prove him wrong. You hiked up the ridiculous dress this dream curse has put you in and tucked it into your bloomers, ignoring the embarrassed sounds from behind you as you grasped the bark of the tree and hefted yourself up--

Then promptly toppled down onto your ass.

“I told you,” he mumbled.

“You,” you said sharply and pointed right at him, “can shut that pretty mouth of yours.”

After a moment of watching you trying then failing to climb he looked up again, squinting, then slowly his expression changed into understanding and he marched right up to the base of the tree -- and kicked it. Just. Fucking kicked it. Hard, firm, sudden, and both you and something else fell off the tree at the same time. Landing on the ground with a grunt, you scurried to your feet ready to yell at him, but then you saw the apple resting next to you. No, not just any apple, a golden apple.

“What the…”

“Is this it?” he muttered, kneeling down to pick it up and examine it. “Is this real gold?”

“It seems so.”

“I think this is what I was looking for all this time,” he muttered.

“Are you…supposed to eat it?” you asked in bewilderment. “You know, golden apples are supposed to be divine food and the source of immortality in Norse mythology.”

“I doubt this dream apple will make me immortal,” Iwaizumi said. He stared at the apple and sighed. “Well, bottoms up, I guess.”

Your eyes widened. “Wait, you’re not--wait--“ before you could smack the apple out of his hands he bit into it. Golden juice dripped down his fingers as he pulled away and chewed, face scrunching up. He swallowed and met your wide gaze with a careless shrug.

“It’s very sweet, but that’s all.” He offered you the apple and you warily took it, staring at the bite mark incredulously.  “I don’t feel any different.”

You looked up and realized with a start that you were no longer standing in front of a ridiculously colossal willow tree. You were inside the throne room and for a moment you thought -- or, more like hoped -- you had somehow found the way back. But you knew that was impossible so you only watched quietly as Iwaizumi looked around in confusion before his expression changed.

“Oh,” he said.

You figured the apple’s purpose was to show King Oikawa something, but since Iwaizumi took a bite, he was being shown something. Whatever it was he seemed to know what it was because he looked very, very pale and nervous. His expression was only slightly strained but his eyebrows were narrowing then unnarrowing like he was unsure how to feel. You realized then that the throne room was empty, but soft sounds caught your attention as an image began to appear.

“No,” Iwaizumi hissed under his breath, squeezing his eyes shut as if trying to mentally force the apparition away. You blinked as an image began to become clear, and when it finally did, your eyes widened in an almost comical manner.

It was the king and Iwaizumi. King Oikawa had his crown off, resting on the armrest of his throne, and he was pressing Iwaizumi against the wall beside the decorations of velvet and drapes and jewels surrounding the throne. He was kissing him, hard, and Iwaizumi’s head was tilted back against the wall, his hands gripping the King’s shoulders firmly.  “Gods,” Iwaizumi -- the one standing beside you -- groaned in horror, running his hand down his face. His face was bright red. “Why…why is it…what…”

“T-Tooru…” the other Iwaizumi moaned and the Iwaizumi beside you (this was getting confusing, you thought in frustration) used both hands to hide his face this time, powerless to stop you from seeing their dirty little secret.  Then, the scene shifted again and Iwaizumi let out a breath of relief as your surroundings turned black. You inched closer to him, admittedly a bit unnerved.

“Okay, I will ignore the fact that you and the king are secret lovers and all that, but why do you think the apple wants you to see this?”

“I don’t know!” he hissed, rubbing at his face in irritation and mortification. Poor guy. “I don’t fucking know!”

“If it helps any, I have zero desire for sex or love, so I feel nothing seeing you and the King rubbing against each other like horny dogs in--“

“Oh god, stop talking!”

You snickered, but stopped when the scene changed to wilderness. Or more specifically, near the border and near Yachi’s lake. The King and Iwaizumi were awake, out of war gear and by a fire as the knights slept on the ground near their horses and weapons, waiting for the sun to rise so they can launch their attack over the border.

“You must marry soon,” Iwaizumi said softly as the King nuzzled against the shorter male’s shoulder.

“Stop talking, don’t think, just cuddle.”

“Tooru, I’m serious…there is unrest in the kingdom. You’re young now, but you will grow old. You turn twenty soon. You have no wife, no heir…” he trailed off and the King paused to lift his head and gaze at the other boy.

You looked at the present Iwaizumi and instead of him groaning all embarrassed, he was watching the scene quietly, face blank. It felt like watching a drama, to be honest, but you kept your mouth shut and just inched closer to him as you waited to be shown whatever it was the apple wanted to show. The King lifted his hand to touch Iwaizumi’s cheek and smiled.

“I love you.”

Iwaizumi closed his eyes. “I know. As do I. But…before you are my lover, you are my king.”

“What are you saying…” Oikawa whispered, propping himself up on his elbow. “Hajime?”

“We need to end this.”

The scene cut off abruptly, fading to black so suddenly that it scared you a bit. You pressed against Iwaizumi, feeling exceptionally vulnerable thanks to your lack of magic, and Iwaizumi felt oddly cold. He was stiff, eyes hard but sad, and you felt kind of bad for the guy. You couldn’t really understand the pain of sacrificing love for greater good, but you could only imagine. It must blow.

“Why did it show me that, of all things,” he whispered.

You bit your lip and watched as the scene changed yet again, this time to the battle what you assumed happened two days after what you had just been shown -- the moment he was cursed. Oikawa was swinging his sword recklessly, and seeing his movements and knowing how Kings fought -- how this infamous king fought -- you knew the words uttered that night was affecting his fighting. He was acting foolishly. Moving blindly, attacking blindly, blind, blind -- he did not see Yachi at all.

As you suspected she might be, she was crying. She kept lifting her hand and summoning water from her lake to wrap around the knights’ weapons and stole them under the water, but the men still came at her. She saw the King standing before her, sword raised and eyes on fire.

“Give me the stone!” he shouted.

“I refuse,” Yachi said through her tears, her voice firm and strong. “I refuse to give you the voice of my people!”

“Then you will die!” he yelled, and charged.

What a foolish bastard.

She pressed her hands together and sniffed, eyes sharp as her tears seemed to dry up. Water lifted from behind and surrounded her like a living shield as she whispered under her breath -- Tibi forte tyrannus stultus sapientia fructus est planta peccata redimere sanguine quaerere in animum , corpus, et quod intus inveniri anima , et musicorum, cadentes flet quod facit , facit quod weak; tunc videbis vitia habitabo vobiscum liberaret -- and sent a blast of magic toward the charging king.

“MY KING!”

The shout startled the King out of his self-consumed rage and he turned, eyes wide, watching as Iwaizumi ran toward him. He opened his mouth to speak but then the dark-haired male shoved him away, shouting in agony when the blast his him directly. His body flashed an electric blue, his skin seeming to be alive with stars and hot water, but it faded away and left behind a mark, and he fell to the ground unconscious with his king’s name on his tongue.

Once again, everything went black.

“I know what she wants,” you said.

“What?” Iwaizumi sounded weak, tired, completely done, but you knew you had to get him to understand. The scene around you started to fade back to the grassy fields you awoke at but you ignored it, instead turning to grasp both of Iwaizumi’s hands and look him firmly in the eyes.

“She wanted him to look at what he truly desires. The thing that makes him fall to his knees and weep, the thing that can change him--Iwaizumi, she wanted him to realize that you are the thing that can make him a better King.” You squeezed his hands, grinning like a cat, but you did not care. You figured it out. “He thought he was losing you, all this time. On the edge of breaking, your relationship -- he was nervous, unsure, scared, because you’ve never been honest with him. If you just…stopped being so reserved because he’s a king, if you just…” you released his hands with a breath. He looked stunned and a bit angry, but you trekked on. You knew what you were talking about. “You need to be the one to lead him down the right path, Iwaizumi.”

“You’re wrong,” he murmured. “I lost him the moment he kissed me for the first time.” He looked away and clenched his jaw, glaring at his hands. “You don’t understand. He…we…we were never supposed to happen. I knew I would have to let him go, so yes, I was reserved. Careful. I had a distance between us. Yet, in the end, I gave into what I truly wanted…”

“Give in, just…” you grabbed his hand again, eyes wide. “The apple is one of knowledge, don’t you understand? It’s shown you moments that you need to take and--just--god, just stop being a child and tell him how you feel!”

He shook his head. “It’s not so easy--“

“How is it not!? Yes, I don’t understand! I don’t understand how two people could have such love for each other and still have such distance!” You grabbed his arm and sighed. “Listen, to be honest, I could care less what you do after you wake up. You could avoid him and watch him marry and produce an heir, or you could wake up and kiss him and tell him you want to be with him. It is your choice. But if you want to wake up at all, just admit that what you want is to be by his side, not to watch him drift away from you.”

He was quiet for a long time, but you expected as much, so you pulled back and waited. Eventually the darkness fell away and you were surrounded by dark skies and green grass again. The golden apple rested by your feet and you gently picked it up, gazing into the golden reflection of your solemn face. This curse was so like Yachi; soft, easy, yet powerful. Maybe you underestimated the water witch.

“I want to be with him,” he finally whispered. You looked up right as white exploded between the two of you. You couldn’t stop the scream that left you as you were knocked back as blinding hot light seared your skin, pain running through your body like a lightning bolt. You knew coming out of this wouldn’t be as easy for you as it was for him; you were never meant to be here, after all. You weren’t supposed to know what Yachi’s spell was, what she said, what the curse was. You cheated, and the curse was punishing you.

But all that mattered was that you got the job done.

……. .. ……… .. .. . ……………… . . . … . . . . …………….. . …… . . . ……..



When you woke up, everything hurt.

You were not where you expected to be, either; you had imagined you would wake up by Iwaizumi’s bedside where you had drifted into comatose alongside him, but instead you woke up on your back in a soft bed. Groggy, you simply stared at the wall before you regained enough energy to prop yourself up on your elbows, though you were immediately pushed down -- though gently -- by a familiar face.

“Eyyyy, Sugaaaa. Magey boy,” you rasped.

“You need to rest.” He looked serious and a bit upset, mouth set into a frown and eyebrows furrowed. “You overdid it with that spell.”

“Good thing you weren’t in that room to stop me.”

“You could have easily sent him telepathic messages with a light spell. You didn’t have to…to…put yourself in danger like that!” He seemed so genuinely distressed that you quieted down, looking a bit ashamed as you fiddled with the sheet pulled over your legs.

“That would have taken longer. I couldn’t help him if I wasn’t there with him.” You looked serious so he softened a bit and patiently listened. “If he had taken any longer than a week, his body would have begun to be eaten away by the curse. I had no choice.”

“You…” Sugawara stopped himself then let out a soft sigh. “I suppose I shouldn’t be lecturing you, given how much stronger and more knowledgeable you are than I am.”

“No truer truth has been spoken,” you said, smirking. He just smiled a little and gave you some medicine that he enchanted to speed up the healing process. As you gulped it down with water you stopped to ask what happened to Iwaizumi, if he was okay, if he woke up.

“He did,” Sugawara said with a relieved smile. “The King is overjoyed.”

“Did he…say anything?” you asked softly, wiggling your eyebrows suggestively. Sugawara did not get it, so you tried to clarify without blabbing; “Did he jump into the King’s arms and declare his love?”

That didn’t count as blabbing, right?

Sugawara blinked, looking hilariously flabbergasted. “Um…no?”

“Oh. Okay, then. Hey, where’s my hat?”
.
.
.
.
.
After you were fully healed both the King and Iwaizumi saw you off, so you liked to assume that Iwaizumi told the King how he really felt. They even held a grand feast for you the night before your departure and you drank until you got sick and told amazing stories about your amazing adventures as a witch, and you captivated the whole room. Kumini specifically, funnily enough (he insisted you write a book). You were vague about the quest in Iwaizumi’s mind, using weak excuses like “Ahh..it’s all so…hazy…ahh, I feel faint, pass my another glass of wiiine…aaaaaaah” that actually worked, probably because everybody else was drunk too. Oikawa and Iwaizumi slipped off at some point but nobody noticed, and you - again - liked to think you had talked some sense into that idiot knight. They were probably off making out in the hall or something. Or having a heart-to-heart. Both were pretty gross and gay, so.

Now they were watched as you rode off on your fluffy horse (“The fluffiest in the kingdom, sire!” according to the eager stableboy as he handed off the reigns) with a bag full of jewels and rings. You waved at them one more time and your hat blinked, as if attempting to send them a farewell or something. Ha.

Instead of heading directly back to your woods, however, you dropped by Yachi’s lake. You found her sitting near the edge talking to a small frog perched on her knee, wide, creepy, gross eyes gazing at her in an almost human-like adoring manner. “O great water witch,” you greeted and she squealed, jolting a little. She blinked and flushed happily, beaming at you as she hastily jumped to het feet. The frog hopped off in an almost haughty manner.

“[F/N]! It’s been sooo long! Ah, I heard you broke my curse,” she said, voice turning quiet at the end as she lowered her eyes. “I really am sorry about that.”

“No, I get it. Everything ended up okay, so it’s fine.” You reached out to pat her shoulder and she blushed. “Besides, I think it worked. I do not doubt that the Evil King Oikawa might be a little less evil these upcoming years. But that’s just a hunch.”

“Well, they say a dark witch’s hunches are no different from predictions,” Yachi said kindly, smiling at you. “Ah! Since you’re here, do you want to eat? I was just thinking of mixing an herb stew!”

You scrunched your nose but forced a smile. “Well, hell, why not. I’d love to try some of your gross veggie stew, Yachi.”

She flushed in joy and told you to make yourself comfortable while she got the ingredients together. As she rushed off humming, you found a comfortable rock to sit on as you pulled your bag off your shoulder and placed it onto your lap. Your new horse, who you named Joseph because why not, J was a cool letter, wandered over to you and gently buried his snout into your hair. You ignored him, though you did gently push his face away when he began to chew on your hair like it was hay. You buried in your bag, smiling a little when you found what you had been looking for. A little souvenir from the dream trip--

the golden apple.

“[F/N]! Want to come help me make the stew?” Yachi called from a distance. You shoved the apple back in the bag and forced yourself to stop grinning like a fool. Who knew what powers this apple had outside of the dream realm.

“Sure thing! I’m coming!”

Maybe you had a little bit of your mother’s bad blood running in you, after all.
note: the reader is ace in both romantic & sexual terms
ie; aromantic and asexual! though that is made
obvious by reader's own words in the story........

this came out sooo long and boring and baaaaad
but idk i just wanted to write so i wrote...and wrote
and wrote and wrote and kept writing till my brain
fried and my fingers (& back) hurt. idk i just wanted
to do a medieval theme story and i was supposed
to be reader x iwaizumi in like...an aromate situation
but turned into....Not That...

anyway uhhh still hoped you liked it?? even tho it was
kinda shitty and long and very Not Romantic ehehehehe ;;;

AS USUAL THIS IS NOT EDITED SO PLEASE IGNORE
ANY MISTAKES, GRAMMATICAL, SPELLING, OR OTHER-
WISE. THANK YOU. ;;;;
© 2014 - 2024 kuragebot
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RoseMaylieGottschalk's avatar
When sugawara appeared I exclaimed I would be taking him with my winnings.