how would canon tree bros work?? does connor still kill himself in your version? just curious 🤔
so, okay. I have two takes on canon treebros
The first, the happiest but perhaps the least likely, is that Connor doesn't commit suicide. I firmly believe that if Connor and Evan had truly met, neither of them would have considered suicide again, not wanting to distance themselves from the only person who genuinely gives a damn about them. So I feel they could have been friends, best friends, then boyfriends (obviously) (and then they get married, have a daughter, and die of old age and are buried next to each other).
The second, the most likely, is that Connor, despite having Evan in his life and being very grateful for it, simply can't take it anymore and ends up killing himself (same reasons as the canon, or not, I'm not sure). THE THING IS: Connor and Evan, of course, were friends. But over time, they both began to feel things they would never confess out loud for fear of losing each other. Then Connor dies with his feelings buried with him, and Evan, devastated, regrets not having said anything sooner, not having told him what Connor truly meant to him; perhaps that would have saved him. But it's too late.
Things that would change?
1. Evan's letter would now be Connor's actual suicide note. Clearly, it wouldn't be exactly the same; he wouldn't appear so vulnerable, and it wouldn't focus so much on Zoe. It would focus on Evan and what he feels for him, but implicitly. Only Evan and Zoe suspect that what he really wanted to say was "I love you." And also "I'm sorry." Two things Connor could never have said out loud, even though he felt them.
2. Zoevan doesn't happen. If I stick more closely to canon, I feel that Evan did have feelings for Zoe at one point, before meeting Connor. But not only did Connor start making him question his sexuality, but Connor really made him feel seen. Zoe felt like an unattainable love (she never really noticed him, clearly because he never made a move), Connor was real. He laughed at his stupid jokes, was there when he called, listened when he talked, and that makes him feel so much worse when he tries to get close to Zoe after his friend's suicide. His feelings for Zoe resurfaced and made him feel like garbage (she's his best friend's sister, for god's sake). All this internal conflict would prevent Zoevan from ever happening, and their interactions would be reduced to mere cordiality (Evan doesn't want to feed those feelings).
3. This could be a point of discussion, but since Evan is so devastated by the death of his best friend/situationship, he wouldn't have the strength to carry out the Connor Project, or at least he wouldn't come up with the idea on his own (maybe Alana would be the one to create the project and persuade Evan to join).
After that, everything else would work the same way as canon (IF the Connor Project happens, the entire canon would continue, excluding the conflicts from Act 2). I feel that at some point Evan might consider suicide again after Connor's death (whether he succeeds or not depends on my mood /hj).
