Erasing themselves from the memory of two young Gods in order to get away with their sin?
What broke wire could cause a thought so diabolical and crazy for them to attempt an idea like this? And how did it work out so well for them?
The leader, a Pokemon of gold fur. A bitter outlook on life, and a penny pincher. A Pokemon that seems very intimidating..
The second member, a strange Pokemon from another world, bearing a very strange blue color. An Ultra beast as you would call it. Trapped ours because of a worm hole that it did not want to enter. Vengeful towards all species of the light trio.
The third member, a very serious and calm intelligent pokemon. A Pokemon that learned how to manipulate psychic moves into having more effects than the ones they have in battle. A Pokemon with the ability to mega evolve, and bares the stone it needed around it's arm.
All three of these Pokemon glitter from their strange colors.
They all hate their coloring, they agree that they are misfits. And they do not belong with any other members of their species, they shut themselves away from everyone but the other two members of their strange trio..
The three of these Pokemon joined together for another three reasons rather than being strange, a different sin held above each of their heads.
Greed.
Wrath.
And Pride.
The three together made a flawless plan together, and put it into action immediately.
But what was their plan?
What did they do to leave these two so empty and pained, why them of all others?
There are these things called dreams. And in them, you and I meet daily for coffee. We walk through the sea of not so familiar faces, and in this world, I would’ve been scared because as of now I’m alone. But I don’t have to be. The coffee in my hands doesn’t cause cracks in my usually silent but strong facade. The coffee, the beverage I would be holding with you by my side, is now just a beverage.
Ok so I had an idea at 3 am (the best kind of idea) and I'm writing my selfships with all the fanfic tropes I like. Or even just tropes I know.
First up is Hanahaki disease because it fucks severely (or at least my version of it does, imo). In my canon hanahaki disease is an opportunistic fungus that feeds on the hormones released by infatuation, particularly unrequited infatuation for... reasons. Suspend your disbelief idk.
Steve wasn't sure why this was happening. At this point he was fuzzy on when it started, he could barely narrow down a month. Which was weird because he'd think he'd remember when something this strange started happening to him.
It didn't seem related to what happened earlier this summer, at least. He was pretty sure. Of course, it happened the same month, but he just didn't think it was that.
If it was, it'd be spores and not petals.
When it first happened, he tried to cover it up. It was just one little coughing fit toward the end of the day, and a few petals came up, wet with spit and kind of crumpled. It was weird but not too bad.
Then it was a few little coughing fits scattered across the day, a few petals surfacing each time. It was gross and freaky but still, managable.
Steve didn't mention it to his parents when they stopped by. Why bother? They'd just say the same things he was telling himself. Or his dad would think he was on drugs. Or think it even more, he guessed.
But he had to ask someone what was happening to him, just in case it was like, a real thing. Like some species of flower did this and he had to go to a hospital.
His thoughts turned to Teddy very quickly. She would believe him, and he'd seen the kind of dedication she had to getting to the heart of a problem and fixing it. If anyone could help him, it was her.
So here he was, at her house- the one in Chicago, with Murray.
"You have got to be kidding me, Harrington," she said.
"Uh... no, not kidding," he said. "What, you know what this is?"
"Dude it's weird you don't know," Teddy said. "Hanahaki disease? First documented case like, centuries ago or something? It's a fungal infection that mimics flowers and feeds off human hormones and amino acids."
"Hold on this thing is eating me? Like from the inside?"
"...No," Bernie said. "But it's pretty curable. You take some meds to suppress the hormones feeding it and then get a quick surgery, clears up in like three weeks. Should be pretty affordable for a rich guy like you." Kid of a rich guy, thanks, I lost my job slinging ice cream.
"Is there another option?" Steve asked. "My dad was pissed that he had to pay the paramedics who patched me up at Starcourt, he's not gonna want to shell out more cash because I got... what, Haki?"
"Hanahaki," Teddy corrected him. "And the other option seems to be resolving the cause of the disease." Or waiting it out but that was a dangerous game.
"The cause? It's a fungus."
"No, the fungus is just an opportunist that latched onto an ideal source. The cause is the hormones that attracted the fungus," Teddie said. Steve didn't seem to show any recognition. "You seriously didn't learn about this in health class?"
"I didn't go to health class, I was too busy doing the things they were talking about in health class," Steve said. He had that cheeky smile he wore when he thought he was being funny. Teddy smiled against her will, a tic-like twitch at the corner of her mouth.
"Good for you. I learned that Hanahaki disease infects people with an abundance of the infatuation hormones. Particularly when someone's in love with someone who doesn't love them back. That's why it's called the love disease or love sickness sometimes." Shit. Love? Did that mean he was in love? Fuck.
Was he really surprised?
Of course that was it. The timing was perfect. He got it a little while after he realized he was in love with Teddy.
And apparently she didn't love him back. Which also didn't surprise him, because lately it felt like he was the guy who helped women realize they could do a lot better.
"So... wanna tell me who it is?"
"What?"
"No you're right that's stupid," Teddy said. "It doesn't matter, that's your business." Plus it'd probably break her heart, just a little bit, to hear that he was still in love with Nancy Wheeler.
She'd thought she had a chance before, in that bathroom. And then right before they split up, the way he looked at her... it felt like they were about to kiss. She wished she'd just gone for it. She wished she'd stopped to talk to him on that curb instead of grabbing her dad and taking him home, too.
If she'd done that, maybe he wouldn't have this. Maybe he'd love someone who loved him back.
Then again if he was still in love with Nancy so long after they broke up, Teddy probably couldn't change that. It was dumb and kind of narcissistic to think she could.
*
Well that's part one. There's two more for Turn My World Upside Down and then some homosexuality is well overdue.
And again I show up to throw headcanons into the void and disappear. (Also there's a new s/i introdump coming as soon as I remember what the fuck their names were supposed to be).
Teddie meeting Steve's parents:
• It was toward the end of Teddie's degree, her junior or senior year of college.
• Steve's parents found out he was dating a girl (through the Perkinses or something probably) and asked him to bring her over for dinner.
• It was the first family dinner Steve had had (and the first family dinner with Teddie ever) since he was a sophomore in high school and this was nerve-wracking enough.
• Teddie's refusal to take out her piercings was even more so. But he supported it because he didn't want his parents to think he was in love with some fake version of her.
• The Harringtons were floored when the girl from his highschool graduation walked in and sat down.
• Steve's dad (who I named Gary) interrogated her mercilessly. He found out she was working for her dad and didn't hesitate to share his disapproval of Murray's choices.
• Steve expected Teddie to fight his dad the way he did but she just passive aggressively responded by implying Gary was a nepotism baby.
• And thus began the 'hating Steve' portion of the evening.
• Steve's dad tried to bond with Teddie (who he still hated, btw) over bashing Steve. Implying he didn't have a real job, he couldn't be a provider, etc.
• Teddie tried shutting it down gently at first but he kept going so she set a hard line about dissing her boyfriend.
• Steve found that sweet but this night had become so humiliating he just wanted to leave.
• His mom tried to peacemake the whole time. It didn't work.
• Teddie was less focused on Steve's mom not arguing with her husband and more on Steve's mom not trying to defend or comfort Steve. She found it appalling that his mom ran after Gary, to comfort GARY, after Steve finally snapped and Gary stormed off.
• Steve apologized on the drive home. Something about that broke Teddie's heart and also made her snap because the rest of the drive home was a long rant about how terrible his parents are and how they should consider themselves lucky if they even get put in a home later.
• Steve was oddly quiet that whole night but Teddie was there and that helped.
• He also asked her to let him be the little spoon that night. She couldn't refuse. Especially not when he held her hand so tight that it almost bruised as he had a very obvious struggle against tears.
Steve meeting Teddie's parents:
• Steve had already met Murray. Once at Starcourt Mall, briefly, and then again when he helped Teddie move, and a third time in 1986 after they lost against Vecna and everyone reunited in Hawkins.
• Murray really seems to like him, which he is very grateful for. But he needs Teddie's moms to like him too.
• Teddie also wants her moms to like Steve, but she sees it as a given whereas Steve thinks once again his reputation precedes him in the worst way possible.
• Teddie arranges for them to come over and eat dinner with her moms so he can see how much they'll love him.
• Steve is nervous as hell. He rehearsed greetings to himself, spent too long on his hair and was freaking out on the drive over.
• He assumed it'd be a repeat of when Teddie met his parents.
• Boy did he not know what he was in for.
• Teddie's parents (all three of them) don't give a single shit about who he is as long as Teddie likes him and he treats her well.
• So when they meet, they've already heard all about the wonderful Steve. How sweet, smart, funny, gentle, kind, deserving of love, badass he is.
• And they take to him so easily.
• Dorothy starts calling him "hon" and offering him drink refills and fussing over him like he's part of the family.
• Tracy claps him on the back and ruffles his hair and laughs and jokes with him and lets him help in the kitchen and says how much of a responsible young man Teddie's boyfriend is, good for her snagging such a catch.
• Teddie is beaming and joking with her family and they're eating lasagna ("Murray's recipe, he's not Italian by any stretch but he can cook") and no one hates each other or fights and they're close.
• It's clear they actually spend time together. They love each other, like families do.
• They stay longer than expected.
• At the end of the night, Steve is handed chocolate chip pecan cookies (the family recipe Dorothy perfected, no less). Not Teddie (though of course the idea is for both of them to have them), him.
• Tracy tells him to drive safe and Dorothy tells him he and Teddie are welcome over any time.
• Steve is having a breakdown. Maybe Teddie was right and his family sucks. They definitely do compared to this.
