#CONNVERSE ACTIVATE

[screwpinecaprice]

SHIIIIIIIIING ✨✨✨

Tried to work on my late Glow Week entries, can't make it. Have to make it extra late.

[fulldlscl0sure]

connverse dump

reminder that i’m much more active on twitter!!

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

connie vs catra: falling in love with a hero

so one thing in SPOP that reminded me of SU is when Catra gets upset and angry at Adora for needing to sacrifice herself in order to save the world. something very similar to this happens in SU where Connie gets upset at Steven for turning himself in to the Diamonds, so that he can prevent everyone else from getting hurt.

and i wanted to compare these two scenarios and talk about why this kind of conflict worked with connverse, but not c//a.

1. Past Relationship And Hypocrisy

Connie and Steven had a healthy relationship prior to this incident. Connie was always supportive of Steven and quite honestly, was one of the very few people who had no expectations for him based on his mother.

the Crystal Gems constantly talked about Rose and knowingly or unknowingly put pressure on Steven to live up to her image. Greg often mentioned Rose too, and while he may not have intended to make Steven feel pressured, that was the outcome.

Connie, on the other hand, saw Steven for who he was - a 14 year old kid who had way too many expectations to live up to. she served as Steven's rock and his connection to human life, letting him goof off and relax like he should. she listened to him when he was feeling troubled, and assured him that she would always be there to support him. Connie made Steven feel loved and understood.

they also made a promise to always fight together after Pearl tries to pressure Connie into sacrificing herself for Steven. Steven is clearly uncomfortable with this and doesn't want Connie to act like his bodyguard and put herself in danger.

so it makes complete sense that Connie felt hurt and betrayed when Steven decided to do exactly that and sacrifice himself to save her and the rest of beach city. it makes sense that Connie was worried sick about Steven after he surrendered himself.

Connie feeling upset about this situation makes sense because she actually cares about Steven. she always has.

meanwhile Catra constantly used Adora's fears and insecurities against her, even when they were on the same side and especially when they were enemies. Catra made Adora feel worthless for existing, she made Adora feel like a failure.

Catra actively and knowingly contributed to Adora's self-sacrificial complex and her habit of putting everyone else's safety above her own. and then she's surprised that Adora wants to sacrifice herself to save the world. wow. who would have thunk it?

Catra has absolutely no right to act like she cares about Adora after all this. and she certainly has no right to get mad at Adora for doing something Catra herself conditioned her to do.

it makes no sense especially because the show acts like the previous seasons never happened. neither Catra nor Adora nor anyone else brings up the fact that Catra was one of the main contributors to Adora's hero complex and her insecurities. the show just glosses over that and acts like Catra being upset about all this is tragic and sympathetic.

2. Expressing Anger In A Healthy Manner

Connie is upset but she communicates her feelings to Steven in a calm manner. she tells him that what he did hurt her feelings. she is obviously angry and upset, but she's also visibly trying to keep it together and not let her anger get the best of her.

i also think that Steven kinda messed up when he replies to Connie's "i'm hurt" with "no you're not". he decided that as long as no one was physically hurt, there was no problem. he didn't stop to think about how this might have affected Connie emotionally. (i'm not hating on Steven btw, he was in a pretty tough situation himself and was just happy that everyone was safe and alive. this is a situation where both of them were in the right and it was just a complicated issue to navigate.)

basically, Connie deals with this situation more maturely than some adults might have. she felt hurt and betrayed, but she didn't use that as an excuse to hurt Steven. she said what she wanted to say and then she left to give her mind some clarity.

also she does this AFTER Steven returns home safely.

Catra, on the other hand?

she screams at Adora, accuses Adora of picking favorites and pushes her to the ground. Catra is supposedly in her 20s at this point, and she still hasn't learned to express her anger in a healthy manner. she says once that she was working on her anger issues and that's it. we never see her try, we never see any improvement.

and then Catra just abandons Adora because “she couldn't bear to watch Adora sacrifice herself”. Catra didn't just leave because she needed some time to cool off, she was basically willing to abandon Adora and let her die.

3. Clear Motives

Connie's feelings and motives are clear from the get-go. she was worried about Steven putting himself in danger, and she was angry and upset that he broke their promise and her trust.

Catra though?

first she's mad that Shadow Weaver called her a distraction. then she's concerned about Adora's choice to sacrifice herself. and finally, she's upset that Adora doesn't like her in a romantic way.

two of these were very self-centered motives. it's hard to believe that Catra was just concerned about Adora's safety when she's whining about how Adora chose Shadow Weaver over her, as if this was some kind of competition. and it just comes off as the writers shoving in as many reasons as possible for the viewers to sympathize with Catra, rather than writing an organic conflict.

in conclusion, if you want to write a relationship involving a self-sacrificial hero, do it like Steven Universe did. make it make sense instead of shoving in hypocritical conflict.

[nugatorysheep]

B, L, X?

B - A pairing–platonic, romantic or sexual–that you initially didn’t consider, but someone changed your mind.

As far as things I actively ship and not stuff I think is just kinda cute: Stevencest or Bispearl (kinda).

I was not a Stevencest person for quite a while- or I guess not what I personally figured a Stevencest person was supposed to be. I had people in my old server shipping it and I had an AU that while not intended to be that, I was okay with people shipping together the two Stevens for (though way down the road it did eventually turn into that lol), so my opposition to it was mainly that it wasn't for me based on the type of content I usually saw of it. Like this isn't my thing and it's kinda weird but if it's tagged so I can block it, sure go nuts. (There was also a LOT of Connie and Connverse Hate + NTR in Stevencest spaces and as a big fan of Connie I didn't want to be in places where I would constantly hear people shitting on one of my favorite characters. Steven has two hands!!). Basically the barrier to entry was too costly for me so I just kept my distance.

Last year though I got to know more people in this fandom and had the chance to freely experiment with my characters in ways I couldn't before, so I've grown to enjoy it a lot more. Being told "Hey, you can like. Do what you Want," was very helpful in pushing me to branch out. I have a lot more fun now doing things I like and ignoring people who do things I hate lmao

I'm not sure if Bispearl counts but it was something that NEVER crossed my mind until Bismuth Casual first aired and a light bulb went off in my head. I was into that almost instantly the moment it was shown to me.

(And more recently with the Rose/Bismuth art the Becky Sucrose dropped, now I can do the Pearl/Rose/Greg/Bismuth polycule of my dreams <3 Though in the context of canon Bispearl is the most reasonable/logical ship to me.)

L - Say something genuinely nice about a character who isn’t one of your faves. (Characters you’re neutral about are fair game, as are characters you merely dislike. Characters that you absolutely loathe with the fire of ten thousand suns are exempt, as there is no point in giving yourself an aneurysm over a character that you hate.)

I do not like Jasper much and her fanbase tends to be obnoxious BUT she is a very well-made character. She is consistent and straightforward in her motivations and goals and weaknesses in a way that in theory is easy to grasp (which is why I'm so shocked so many people don't seem to really Get her at all). When people say the writers screwed her over I disagree, because she does exactly what she is meant to do in the story and then fucks off, something I cannot say for several other characters LOL

At the end of the day, Steven Universe is about... well, Steven Quartz Universe, and the way Jasper serves his arc is more than enough for me :3

She's also really funny when used right and more people should use her for comedic effect

X - A trope which you are almost certain to love in any fandom.

Found family is something I'm a sucker for and I tend to like ensemble casts that have well-developed and interesting dynamics (platonic or romantic) between the characters, but I'm not sure if that counts as a fandom thing or a media in general thing. I'll be honest, I don't participate much in fandoms. SU is the first time I've engaged heavily in the fan areas VS just consuming Canon Material With a Chance of Fanart so the things I like trope-wise are less broad and more specific to just SU.

I also like fan kids or just seeing younger characters as adults in the future. It's fun to muse about, downside is if the ship you like is not mainstream enough you'll be sorely lacking in that category 😔

[novantinuum]

SU 7?

(Re: Salty Ask List)

7) Is there anything you used to like but can’t stand now?

I wouldn't say "can't stand," but I used to be super into Connverse. Unfortunately, due to the extreme stress of the fandom during SUF surrounding the Together Forever leaks and a few other things I won't get into, this particular ship is kinda... not something I can get as invested in anymore, just because there's a lot of anxiety now associated with it.

I used to actively seek out Steven and Connie fluff back in my SU hayday, but towards the end... that interest waned. And that's okay! I can live with that. It's a little sad that this had to happen because of fandom dynamics, but the past is the past.

[universallywriting]

When ever Connie and Steven kiss, it seams Steven is a bit more proactive, and Connie is more chased and smitten by his charm. Witch I’m all about. But it would be nice to see Connie be the more dominant one.

So, to start off, I assume you mean for, like... making out?  In which case the next time I get a prompt that works for kissing I’ll be sure to do that for you.

But the other thing, because I just find this really funny, is one of the reasons I wrote that way was sort of as a response to fandom trends. When I was first writing, the vast majority of connverse involved Steven being inactive. To be honest, often to the point of helplessness. He was more of an object to be coddled than a person in his own right.

To me, because romance has always been one of the things Steven loves most, that wasn’t something that made a lot of sense to me. Steven loves love, Steven is extremely proactive in their relationship, for him to be shy and stuttering and helpless in these things felt like removing a very core part of Steven to me. So when I wrote connverse, I wrote him being more active in their relationship.

I know I’ve certainly written Connie kissing him, though I’ve only written a handful of scenes where they really kiss, in which I think Steven takes the lead in most. It’s just funny to me because, like, as I became a very prolific connverse writer, that meant that the thing I wrote became something a lot of people saw. So I was here like “fuck I’m so sick of Steven never getting to be an active kisser” and I guess I’ve solved that problem for everyone else by being the one to write it, lol.

I have also forgotten that I write quite a lot of snippets with my friends in which Connie is the more active kisser and partner which I just don’t publish publicly. LOL. Oops! But next time I get a prompt good for kissing I’ll toss it to ya.

[screwpinecaprice]

Oh oof I slipped and hit them with dark and serious beam. 😣

[ankle-beez]

Ship game thingy: Steven+Connie?

OH HELL YEA IVE BEEN WANTING FOR THIS ONE

when or if I started shipping it - all the way back from bubble buddies

• my thoughts: I think this is my favorite ship in all of media. Just a 10/10 on all fronts

• What makes me happy about them: the fact that they prioritize how they feel about each other before anything else. They had a really good rock solid platonic friendship that seamlessly and effortlessly transitioned into a romantic relationship by the end of the show. And nothing changed between them! Its just Steven and Connie, being Steven and connie. And that's beautiful

• What makes me sad about them: see: Steven universe future (2019-2020)

• things done in art/fic that annoys me: not a big fan of how prominent perfect!Steven was in connverse fanart back in spring. Didn't sit right with me. I also didn't like the needless angst with Steven hurting connie. That also didn't sit right with me

• things I look for in art/fic: the comfort. The fluff. Sometimes the angst. I want it all

• Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: i don't think there's many candidates but if peedee got more screentime and more episodes in general I'd probably ship Steven with him. Or! Or! aroace Steven and connie. Galaxy brain take I know

• My happily ever after for them: being able to grow up together

• what is their favorite non-sexual activity? - I feel like just being in each other's vicinity is enough for them

[shinneth]

So... the way Steven Universe Future ended. As its own season, as a story, as a franchise, ended.

I don’t think I can make a comprehensive list of all my thoughts on the finale in one post, so bear with me. I’m also not gonna be all that extensive with everything that happened because... well, plenty of others covered this stuff better than I will.

But I’ve got some things to get off my chest before I can get myself to write. also never got to play one piece pirate warriors 4 because it refuses to acknowledge my controller so no stress relief pre-finale for me

So... I’ll anticipate at least some degree of backlash, depending on how many people read this.

I don’t think the finale was bad. But I don’t think it was good, either.

It hit pretty much all the cliche notes I expected it to. While that’s not always a bad thing, there is one event that pretty much embodies what I did not want to happen more than anything else. And it’s a scene everyone really really loves. So... here we go.

I hated everything about this scene.

What I hoped wouldn’t happen, above ALL ELSE, was for Connie to be glorified to the extent where she basically makes all the gems collectively come off as incompetent and dumb by comparison. 

They not only did that, but they made goddamn sure to put in the visual effects that she is the light of hope and everyone’s goddamn fucking savior because only she knows the full extent of Steven’s pain.

No, she isn’t.

I haven’t been a fan of most of the gems being written to be excessively dense in general during SUF, but this entire time, I couldn’t help but notice that Peridot, Lapis, and Bismuth weren’t blubbering about how they fucked up with Steven.

That makes sense. NONE OF THEM fucked up with Steven this season!

In fact, Peridot in particular witnessed Steven’s internal struggles not that long ago. Peridot resolved her misunderstanding with Steven in In Dreams, and for once Steven remained HAPPY at the end of a SUF episode! 

So.... what I’m saying is:

I’m not against Connie being part of raising morale and getting the group to get their shit together in concept. 

I AM against the concept of Connie being the only one to do this.

This would have been so much more powerful if we had Connie, Bismuth, Lapis, AND Peridot doing this speech together! As I said, none of the aforementioned gems were wallowing in a pity party.

And I felt so insulted when Connie basically grouped them together with the sadsacks anyway.

Brushed to the side, just so Connie alone can be portrayed as the true remedy for Steven’s monstrous form. 

Of all the times for the writers to go “fuck continuity”, I think this is a moment where it actively pissed me off the most. 

I’ve said before that I don’t think the fanbase really acknowledges how human Peridot especially has become over time. She’s adapted to Earth life, Earth culture, and Earth society better than most other gems - including the ones who’ve lived there thousands of years longer than her.

I did personally love that Steven gave Peridot one of his old shirts, telling her to “be the Steven you want to see”. 

Honestly, I think Peridot’s done her best to live by Steven’s example ever since her redemption arc. I fully believe her investment in befriending Lapis and endearing her to Earth was inspired by how Steven went to great lengths to help Peridot adjust to Earth life.

So in Steven’s absence in Beach City and Little Homeworld, Peridot has basically taken the mantle of “Steven”. And she’s the best candidate for that position, by far.

And not too long ago, I thought of the coolest thing: what if Steven doesn’t necessarily need a human to get back in touch with his human side?

Wouldn’t it be fantastic if the one who helped rebuild a broken Steven was a gem who he did the same for in the past? A gem, who Steven helped learn to embrace the human spirit, returning the favor? That would’ve been amazing.

But sure, let’s just have this BS instead.

Because even if I shipped Connverse, I would say this afflicts the ship with the dreaded conditional foundation.

I said in the past I’d gain mad respect for Connie if she stuck to her guns and just kept things professional with Steven. She handled the rejection as well as anyone could, because Steven was an idiot through-and-through with his proposal attempt. Considering the circumstances, this is not the time nor place for a relationship when Connie has plans and goals for becoming the person she wants to be. Especially when Steven’s so mentally unhinged; he shouldn’t be in any kind of relationship until he sorts his shit out.

But nope! Connie backpedals, gives Steven exactly what he wants (well, not a “yes I’ll marry you”, but the kiss thing is close enough, imo), and now that cures him.

I mean yeah, I know it was a collective effort with all the gems, but...

I earnestly believe this scene would have been just as powerful if Connie just fucking hugged him like everyone else.

Speaking of that group effort...

I can’t believe nobody has brought this up...

I AM MY MONSTER’S RESOLUTION IS LITERALLY IN DREAM’S RESOLUTION - ONLY WITH HIGHER STAKES AND MORE PEOPLE

OKAY? IT TOTALLY FUCKING IS

And that’s why I say In Dreams is still the best SUF episode overall, by far.

But hey, way to make that whole affair a red herring just so Connie can look super mega cool, right? 

So yeah, that’s the story of my least-favorite part of SUF’s finale and how the CG B-Team, Peridot especially, got robbed.

Guess I’ll end that here. Other parts of the finale rubbed me the wrong way, but with all the Connie worship I’m seeing around me lately, I just had to get this off my chest.

Because I couldn’t get my controller to work with a game to let me beat up thousands of grunts to let off my steam, you see.

[conn-verse]

su doesn’t bring me a lot of joy anymore for some reason. this blog isn’t gonna disappear it’s just th activity is gonna fade out. it’s just not that comforting anymore and i want to focus on my original story and characters, since i like made them to be cathartic and comforting. connverse just doesn’t seem to do much for me idk why.

hope that doesn’t upset anyone, y’all are great <3

[blapis-blazuli]

Connverse?

Sure!

• When or if I started shipping it: Oh gosh, it’s been a while now. Probably not that long after my brother and I started binge-watching the first season together. • My thoughts: They are a great ship • What makes me happy about them: They’re both very supportive of each other! • What makes me sad about them: I’unno • Things done in art/fic that annoys me: Not to bring up bad memories but remember when people would try to blame Connie for all kinds of things? Or had guessed that Steven was going to hurt Connie at some point? Yeah, that sucked. • Things I look for in art/fic: I’unno, I just like it when they’re happy. • Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: You know, everyone seems on board with Dipper/Connie and/or Steven/Mabel, but has anyone ever considered Connie/Mabel and/or Dipper/Steven? Just a thought. • My happily ever after for them: President Connie and First Husband Steven. • Their favorite activity: Listening to music, singing, just chilling out together.

Thank you so much!

(Send me a ship?)

[susoftjockau]

This blog has been a godsend. I’ve had the worst like year and this has been a ray of sunshine, I check this blog everyday I have notifs on and everything. Love it beyond words. When you get a chance, can you pls post anything fluffy? I love for fluffy connverse. Thank u for all u do

You are so sweet. Thank you so much for this absolutely lovely ask. Lots of us want to make fluff for you, so if you see more after today know it’s for you. <3

----------------------------

Touch was a word Connie associated with herself, which was odd and not odd at the same time.

Connie remembered teachers who had explained patiently to her mother, “She’s a high energy young girl, a kinetic learner. Let her be active.” Her mother had tried to take that advice, shoving Connie outside with her books and telling her to keep herself busy. She had done her best, poking and prodding and exploring at the world around her, and there was quite a lot to explore. They had moved quite a bit, so that world was always changing. Sometimes quiet moments in the loneliness of nature, sometimes bustling cities.

She had always been alone in that, though. Connie touched many things. She touched bugs and plants and doorhandles. She dug into the innards of radios. She fiddled with meat and vegetables as she figured out dinner, learning through feel and instructions all alone in a silent kitchen. She felt the vibration of a violin string beneath her bow and adjusted it all through the physical sensation, her eyes less useful than her fingertips.

Connie touched. She was never touched.

And then Steven had happened. Casual, friendly, sweet and touchy feely Steven, who checked for her consent but eagerly swept her up in a world of sensation once it was given. His soft hands constantly found her own, casually resting his palm against hers like it was the most natural thing in the world. He hugged her and warmed her when winds blew cold and he was too big to freeze.

No demand. No expectation. Steven touched because touching was comfortable. When he nuzzled his nose against hers, their faces pressed together, she never felt an unspoken ask for a kiss. When his arm wrapped around her shoulders, she never felt the pressure of it wanting to wander to more private places. When he kissed her forehead, she never felt like it was a poor substitute for lips.

Somehow, in the span of a year, Never Touched Connie was Always Touched Connie. She found herself comfortably nestled against his chest, his arms around her. She found herself comfortable behind him as they spooned on the couch, and knew it was just fine for her arm to drape across his belly. Peaceful. Quiet. Together.

Connie confessed softly as his hand brushes hair back from her face, “I think I really needed a friend like you. Someone all… touchy.”

Her hands rested against his chest, and Steven gently kissed her forehead. “Me too.”

She looked up in surprise. “But you touch everyone!”

“It’s different,�� he said. He frowned, trying to find the words, then said, “You’re family when I’m not with family. Hugging people is great but hugging you is…”

“Right,” she finished. “Natural. It’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

Steven beamed and hugged her close. “Exactly. I’m supposed to touch you, and you’re supposed to touch me. Everything is better like this.”

- @universallywriting 

[steven-universe-search-history]

Do you have any happy Connverse headcannons? I need some cuz I don't feel okay-

ya ya ya

kisses ok i am BACK ON MY BULLSHIT. my fave connverse kisses continue to b steven kissing connie’s wrist (or where her neck meets her shoulder) and connie kissing steven’s neck

MATCHING OUTFITS OKAYYY

they plan lots of date nights while steven’s on the road. they pick a town and steven drives there and connie takes lion and they take it in turns to come up w their activity for the night

they r just disasters together when they find smth funny. like u know when ur laughing w ur friend and u both keep adding dumb things and making weird little noises thru ur laughter until ur both on the floor absolutely dying w laughter. that’s them

they both write each other little love notes. sometimes it’s more meaningful stuff and sometimes connie wakes up to find a post-it note stuck to her jacket that says “i like your face :p”

[starchildsteven]

Littleschool's Little Helper: Connie Maheswaran at Your Service

Rating: T Characters: Connie, Pearl, Garnet, Amethyst,Bismuth, Peridot, Steven, Other Character Tags to Be Added Relationships: Minor Connverse.

Summary:

It seems completely impossible and yet somehow it's true. Short on a newly required one hundred hours of community service it looks as if Connie isn't going to graduate high school!

Unable to find an opening anywhere else this late in the school year and desperate to get back on the fast track to college, when Steven suggests she spend her volunteer hours working at Little Homeschool Connie reluctantly agrees.

After all, she's only got three months left until graduation and working for the Gems won't be too hard... right?

AO3 Link

-----

Chapter 1: Time Management

Connie can't wrap her mind around it. She has done everything, absolutely everything, right from the first day she started at Seaview Cram School! She crossed every "t" and dotted every "i." She has a 4.0 GPA. All of her teachers gave her glowing recommendations. She excels at her extracurricular activities. Her SAT scores are nearly perfect! She has been in contact with admissions offices and scholarship boards for years! She is already all set to go to college! There is just no way this can be real!

Yet it is; Connie Maheswaren isn't even going to graduate high school!

The meeting with her parents and guidance counselor that afternoon was an informative one since now Connie knew she would not be graduating with her class. She was so preoccupied with preparations for college she had missed the memo that her school now requires a certain amount of volunteer hours in order to get your diploma. As she had been unaware of this policy until that day she hasn't logged in any hours yet.

“A hundred hours?!” Steven says over a video chat call the same day she gets the news.

“Yeah, a hundred hours,” Connie says as if they haven’t gone over it already. She can see the city lights behind him past the guitar strapped to his back and hears voices as he walks.

Seemingly in just as much shock as her, he asks, “As in the number?”

“No, the letter.” She is pacing around her room feeling the tears prick at the edges of her eyes. “If I don’t complete my hours by the deadline then I have to do them over the summer."

"That doesn't sound too bad."

"Steven, without a high school diploma, I can't register for classes," she explains though she can't blame him for not knowing that. "I'll have to wait another year before I can go to college."

"Oh."

"I have until May.”

“But that's only three months away!"

AO3 Link

[ghost-maya]

Conn'dverse for ur favourite steven kinnie <33

connverse for peachie self proclaimed steven universe kinnie <33 

When or if I started shipping it: Could not tell you a date or episode really - I guess I always thought they were cute since Connie was introduced as a character!

My thoughts: I really appreciate that the show prioritized their friendship and bond over the romance like so many kids shows would have fallen into. And when we finally do get to see that romance aspect in SUF it’s handled very realistically, and they allow themselves to still be separate people, who happen to be in love. I really love how casual their first and only on screen kiss was.

What makes me happy about them: They love each other so much, and support each other like it’s nobody’s business. They never have a moment of ‘we should break up’ because their bond isn’t the kind of fragile one you see in some romances. They put so much work into their relationship, and honestly it makes me feel really seen as a person who finds love through time. 

What makes me sad about them: It’s never been confirmed, but it’s implied that Steven will probably live a lot longer than most humans. He’ll probably live for a long time after Connie is gone. It also makes me a bit sad that their life paths have taken them apart right now, but I know they’ll find each other again. 

Things done in art/fic that annoys me: I’m not in the fandom that much so I’m honestly not sure, but I suppose if someone made their relationship out to just be ‘dating’ it’d leave a sour taste in my mouth just because of how out of their way the show went to show that their love for each other is far deeper than simply ‘dating’. Also comparing Stevonnie to having sex is wrong.

Things I look for in art/fic: They’re a fantastic ship for hurt/comfort--the few fics I’ve read of them featured that and it was great.

Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other: There’s literally no other kids their age in the entire SU cast lol so nobody LOL.

My happily ever after for them: They get to live together in some really homie cottage in some remote area, and probably raise some children together, they’d do that. They’d definitely get a dog and a cat too. Every so often they’ll take a spacecation touring planets and not having to worry about the safety of the universe. 

What is their favorite non-sexual activity? I’m not sure honestly! Maybe doing projects together? Or going out and trying new things with each other. 

Send me a ship || Original post

[universallywriting]

Hey, I started reading Connie’s little universe when you posted about having written wedding Connverse, and then I got to your Spinel chapter and it fascinated me. I’d already read you say you’re not crazy about Spinel, but once again you channel Diogenes (I’m not that anon but they were spot on, holy shit) and make a really inspired take on her. Care to talk a bit about why you see her so childlike? She may be innately playful, silly, and immature, but most see her as an “adult” or “teen”. 1/2

Brace yourself for a long post! (1600 words)

I’ll start off with saying that I think Spinel is a really well written character. I really like her place in the movie, I love her design, and Sarah Stiles is phenomenal. She’s not a character who is relatable to me. Personally, the character I’ve always felt the most similar to is Steven, with Connie as a close second. Understandably, I was just as exhausted towards Spinel as Steven was throughout the movie, lol.

Why I Don’t See Spinel as a Teenager Forgive me, I’m not actively involved in Spinel discourse here, so I’m a bit blind towards people’s arguments as to why they think of Spinel as a teenager or an adult. I may be missing things or have gaps, but I would like to start with the fact that I in no way intend to argue that other interpretations of Spinel are invalid, or that I’m right.

I think my biggest argument hinges on one huge point, and it’s something I rarely see talked about outside of jokes. It’s Word of God and implied in the show that only Pearls can be bound to follow orders. This means that when Spinel was ordered to stay in the garden, she chooses to stay. I don’t say that to mitigate Pink’s cruelty, nor to call Spinel stupid or to blame her for what happened. I say it only because I think it’s a crucial part of her character. Without this piece, I feel like you ignore so much of what makes Spinel, well… Spinel.

Spinel is dependent on other people to a ridiculous degree. She defines herself by other people. Without them, she is nothing. She is unquestioningly obedient in the hopes of her affections being returned, no matter how absurd it becomes to follow those orders. At any point, Spinel could have stepped onto that teleport pad and tried to find somewhere in the universe to call home. This is not what she does. She waits. At a certain point, she must know that Pink is not coming back, but she waits. She hopes. This, to me, is not characteristic of teenagers. It’s characteristic of children.

Continuing here: She has control over her emotions. She has no barriers to them. Her default state is high energy, obsessed with joy and merriment and entertainment. When Spinel is reset, the trauma that has set in makes her emotions volatile, easily triggered and aggressive over the idea that she might not be the center of attention. While these are traits teenagers might have, I don’t think of them as teenager traits. I think of these as childish traits. When teenagers are this clingy, this cutesy, this bubbly, this emotionally unstable, I do not think “Ah, I typical teen”. I think “You need to grow up. You should be learning to be better than this.”

This does get a bit more complicated if you factor in trauma or other mental health issues, but despite people being very insistent about this idea, Spinel is in no way meant to reflect someone who is neuroatypical. You may read her as such, but to say that was authorial intent or to state that she objectively is a representation of BPD, or severe autism, just isn’t true. But, again, please feel free to headcanon her that way and have interesting discussions.

Pre-Abandonment Spinel is a Baby Pre-Abandonment Spinel appears to be a child in literally every way to me, and I really don’t see how you can see her as anything else. We see Spinel and Pink interacting in the garden during the song montage. Spinel plays hide and seek and juggles, she bounces around and clings to Pink. Pink’s behavior goes from amused to rapidly exhausted of her antics. The faces Pink makes, the way she interacts with Spinel, is very much an adult attempting to humor a child. And, in a way, this is one of the things Spinel intentionally represents. Spinel is a children’s show watching her audience move on. Quote from Rebecca: “[Spinel] is also about that pain of making cartoons, understanding that your audience might move on and leave you behind, and how ridiculous that can make you feel.”

I mean, as cruel as it is, people seem to miss exactly how Pink’s abandonment works here. She’s playing the quiet game with Spinel! “Let’s see who can be quiet the longest!” It’s an attempt from an adult or an older teenager to get a child to behave, incentivizing them through a game. This is absolutely something you do to a child, and Spinel responds in a childlike way by playing the game. I cannot see Spinel as anything other than a child pre-abandonment.

I also think it’s important to note that Spinel is given as a child’s toy, created to be a best friend in the same way you give a toddler a plastic steering wheel. This is an act of pure condescension of the other Diamonds towards Pink, a way to say “You do not want responsibility or respect or independence. You’re simply bored. You tricycle is just as good as car keys.” Spinel is intended to be a way to shut Pink up about her own colony. A child’s toy for a child who outgrows her nearly instantly.

Reset Spinel is a Baby Reset Spinel’s ideas of play are simple and childish. She wants to play tag and make silly faces and wrap Steven up in big hugs. Spinel talks to Steven the way Dora the Explorer talks to her audience. “Maybe, if we put the pieces together, we can solve this puzzle!” She’s silly, and wacky. She’s an outdated children’s cartoon, which makes her feel like a child.

I would argue this is the reason why Steven is so frustrated with Spinel and why Spinel is a villain for timeskip Steven specifically. Little baby feral gremlin S1 Steven would adore Spinel. What child wouldn’t like her? A best friend who plays silly games with whacky smiles who wants to put all her attention on you? Reset Spinel is a dream come true for a little kid.

Big Boy Neck Steven, however, becomes her babysitter throughout. Spinel is playing, joking, dancing around. I’ve seen some people argue that it wasn’t ever a game for Spinel, and I honestly don’t see it. Spinel before she was abandoned, and reset Spinel, are absolutely playing around nonstop. That’s what they’re made for. Just like Pearl exists to serve, and Ruby exists to guard, Spinel exists to play. Steven has to tend to her, has to be amused by her, lest he upset her. Steven is a teenager babysitting a child.

Eyeliner Spinel is a Child’s Tantrum So, here’s where I feel the biggest divergence will come from different people. I feel like people think of Spinel as an adult, or a teenager, because Spinel possesses power and speaks as an adult. She’s voiced by an adult who makes no effort to sound younger. But even here, even at what feels like her most adult moments, I truly cannot think of her as mature in the slightest.

When Spinel gets her memories back, she still expects Steven to be her emotional labor. She can’t control her emotions. She can’t control her actions. Steven must always be on guard to never upset her. This is, again, something I see as extremely childish - and that’s being charitable. If it’s not childish, this is abusive. This is toxic. A child can be excused from not being able to understand and lashing out at the people around them, because they are young and need to learn to behave better. As an adult, this is simply unacceptable.

It is not mature or adult to demand that others be perpetually on guard at risk of offending you. It is not normal for a teenager to try to physically harm others because they are feeling upset. It is not the behavior of anything but a child to demand that people become your friend, that they devote their time and energy to taking care of your emotional needs, that you become the center of their world.

Spinel may have power, and a cute accent, and the vocabulary and accent of a character out of Popeye, but there is not a single action she takes that I can read as anything other than childish, assuming that this is a character who is not dealing with a mental health disorder.

Spinel needs to be tended to. She needs to be coddled. She needs affirmation and help to become a better person. Help is not bending over backwards to her every desire. Help is not giving in to her tantrums. Help is not allowing her to cling to people like a useless sack of potatoes. Help is slowly guiding her away from her dependencies, to be more self-reliant and to care for herself so she does not demand all the emotional energy and attention of those around her.

I think she’s a child who needs to grow up. The chapter of CLU has Connie gently guiding Spinel’s attention away from the people she clings to, and she does so through the same childish games Spinel loves more than anything else in the world. That’s why I wrote it that way, and that’s how I see Spinel as she appears in the movie.

However, I love everyone’s different interpretations of her! So, you know, write and draw what you love! Multiple interpretations can and should exist!