#tkatc au

[bennydwight]

I stumbled across your Two Boys and Their Cars AU for the first time in a while and I forgot how much I love it! I'm curious. With the little nuggets of info that Steven drops by accident, what would Stan's running theories be about his home life? Would he think he was part of some sort of cult (like because of the gem names), or maybe a crime ring (because of the many people who have tried to kill him)? What would Steven's thoughts be about Stan's past?

Also, Steven has NOT had a standard childhood in the slightest, which probably skews his perceptions of normality a lot. What things/situations do you think would come as a suprise to Steven?

Hello hello! I also forget how much I love that au sometimes, I want to revisit it soon :P

Currently, Stan's running theory on Steven's home life is that his mum dipped when he was young (since Steven never really talks about her without an air of profound sadness/regret), and his dad was pretty absent until Steven starting being 'openly effeminate' (remember, this is like the 60s/70s) and he kicked him out of the house. Stan knows the situation wasn't good, due to all the attempted murder lol, but he has his suspicions that the fantastical stories Steven tells about his extended family and his adventures are just ways of coping and protecting himself from the horrible 'reality' of his life.

Steven doesn't have a whole lot to go on in terms of Stan's life, since Stan is very tight lipped due to it still being a fresh wound. He knows that there was a sibling involved just based off Stan's protective instincts, and he knows there wasn't much nurturing in the family since Stan flinches at true emotion. Other than that, and without much practical experience with typical family structures, Steven finds Stan to be hard to read.

In regards to normality, Steven is at a double disadvantage due to being 1) pretty sheltered, and 2) out of his time period. There are things he's been taught, especially relating to emotions and the expression thereof, that just do not fly in the time of Stan's childhood. He's also very openly himself, which makes people generally uncomfortable. There specific social cues he doesn't pick up on as a small-town kid, and a lot of the surprise on his end comes from people not reacting the way he expects them to. He also finds oddly mundane things to be fascinating, like a long stretch of highway, or a biome he's never seen, or laundromats. One of my favourite scenes in this au (as of now, unwritten) includes them both going to a science museum and checking out all the cool things inside!

And then the angst happens after that lol

[bennydwight]

Could your Two Kids And Their Cars AU also include Steven and Stan meeting Eda Clawthorne?

Possible, since Stan apparently had a thing with her! If I ever got that far though it would only be a cameo since I haven't actually seen Owl House lol

[bennydwight]

What's your favorite part of Two Kids and Their Cars Au? I just recently discovered it and I love it!!!

Ahhhhhh I saw all your notes on my TKATC pieces and you made my daaaay!!! ❤ I'm so glad you like it!

My favourite part of the AU (and possibly what put the idea in my head in the first place) was the potential for both Stan and Steven to grow and develop as emerging adults by interacting with each other. The Summer Job AU touched on their relationship a little, but since Stan was so much older there was a different sort of caretaking dynamic. I loved the idea of a very world-wise, action oriented boy kicked out by his family playing off a sheltered child soldier who's incredibly in touch with everyone's feelings except his own. Then, there's the double-protection angle, where they're both so used to shielding others from damage that neither know what to do when suddenly being shielded by someone else.

Two emotionally immature (yes, even Steven) teenagers who butt heads over differing upbringings/ideologies/worldviews, but choose to stay together and face the world head-on anyway. Polar opposites on the outside, but more alike than even they know.

Wow I really love the potential. 🥰