#Steven and Connie were suppose to be looking at Lion looking up at them but I didn't draw Lion.

[screwpinecaprice]

I woke up feeling like I was crying to sleep when I wasn't??? And my dream was about Mei from Turning Red riding a snow sleigh. Um There's nothing sad about that??? Lol

Anyway, the warm up sketches. The colors were added in Medibang. It was pretty fun, might do that technique some other time. My body still refused to recover from being bummed out throughout the day so I did house chores instead of commissions. 😅 Will try again tomorrow.

[haphazardlyannotated]

So I was thinking about how Steven, Connie and Stevonnie all have a duet with one of the main Crystal Gems and I realised how masterfully these songs are deployed to tell us things about them.

First of all, On The Run for Steven and Amethyst.

Amethyst is the Crystal Gem who relates the most to Steven's experiences and vice versa. They're both the 'juniors' in their household, they've both been struggling with being respected by the older Crystal Gems for a while now, and though Amethyst is very much Steven's guardian when it comes down to it, she's also Steven's peer in a way that Garnet and Pearl just aren't even when they try to include Steven.

And now this song sets them up as parallels in other contexts, too. They're both from earth! They both don't wholly belong in one category (Steven as a half gem, half human, Amethyst as a Crystal Gem who never fought in the rebellion and whose existence runs against the Crystal Gems' original wishes for Earth), and as we are about to learn, they both came into existence at the cost of other life and might harbour guilt about it, even though they had literally no say in this.

And then later on they continue to be parallels, especially in season 3 (though they share the child of divorce energy during the Sardonyx Arc). They both compare themselves to impossible standards of what they 'should' be (Steven to the idea of Rose, Amethyst to Jasper) and it is their recognition of their own struggles in each other that allows them to at least partially overcome them. No wonder Smoky Quartz is Steven's first fusion with another gem!

Next up: Do It For Her, sung by Pearl and Connie.

Speaking of parallels! It's pretty obvious watching the episode that Pearl is spending some time in projection city regarding absolute devotion to a beloved, if not revered partner, but she might actually be closer to the truth in some respects than she realises.

Remember Lion 2: The Movie? When Connie said that she didn't understand why Steven would hang out with someone as normal as her? Doesn't this remind us of someone else who feels like she's objectively inferior to a special (in several ways) someone? Someone who stepped out of the predetermined role she was supposed to fill to join her loved one on their dangerous path? Who lived a double life to avoid retribution from controlling authority figures? Couldn't say.

Also, they're both the knowledgable planner to their all loving goofball partner.

With all of this, I think Do It For Her both draws parallels between Pearl and Connie as well as Pearlrose and Connverse, and shows us how the example of Pearl and Rose's unresolved dysfunction could stop Steven and Connie from falling into the same trap before it was too late. I think seeing Pearl demonstrate the end of the road they were beginning to walk was what enabled Steven to step in before they got to Pearlrose's point, where Pearl was to deep in her self sacrificing mindset for Rose to reach her.

And finally, Here Comes A Thought for Garnet and Stevonnie.

First of all, obviously, Garnet and Stevonnie as an embodiment of the love and harmony between Ruby and Sapphire and Steven and Connie respectively.

It also draws parallels between Ruby and Connie and Steven and Sapphire though. (I saw a great meta about that in my lurking days, which I will link here if someone could kindly direct me to it). Sapphire and Steven as people who would rather bury negative feelings, like Sapphire tries to in Keystone Motel and Steven in... the entirety of suf to name just the most prominent one. Which of course only leads to more problems in the long run, because they haven't processed the feelings at all.

On the other hand, the comparison with Ruby draws attention to a trait of Connie's we maybe wouldn't have noticed otherwise: She is, for the lack of a better term, much more confrontational about things that make her unhappy. Just look at The New Crystal Gems.

Also, letting Ruby and Sapphire demonstrate their conflict resolution for Steven and Connie gives us an insight into what goes into keeping Garnet together through everything. Love takes work indeed. It's also worth pointing out that Connverse have been paralleled with both Pearlrose, Rupphire and (a little bit in We Need To Talk) Gregrose this way.

This show has so many layers, I swear, I'll be on my deathbed and I'll still find new nuances to write an essay about. Well done, Crewniverse.

[steven1123x]

A Half-Gem Boy’s Adventures In The Creek; Chapter two

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A portal opened up by their new house, A pink lion jumped out carrying a brown-skinned girl with black eyes, she wore a white polo shirt and gray jean shorts, she also wore white Converse. The girl dismounted from the lion and petted him, Lion looked at the girl, yawned, and fell asleep.

The girl — Connie Maheswaran looked at her phone, she got the right address. She saw that Greg's van was parked in the driveway, Connie then knocked on the door.

Steven was playing his GameCube in the living room, he was playing Super Smash Bros with his dad.

“Beat you again!” Steven said, Greg smiled as he ruffled his fluffy hair. A knock was heard again, Steven got up, ran to the door, and opened it. He froze when he saw his friend standing there, the Lion in the background now chasing a butterfly.

“Connie!” Steven said as he hugged her, Connie hugged the boy back and smiled.

“Steven!” she smiled, then broke the hug, they held hands for a few seconds and let go. “Connie…” he said, trying to find words. “W-What are you doing here? I thought you were training or something!”

Connie moved some of her hair out of her eye and smiled. “Well, I asked Pearl to take the day off today, so I decided to go to Maryland on Lion,” she said, Steven smiled, he wanted to jump for joy at that moment! Steven had missed his best friend, Steven grinned, and then A long-haired man in a tank top and shorts walked up, and he had a smile on his face.

“Hi, Mr. Universe!” Greg waved.

“Aren’t you supposed to be heading out to the Creek, kiddo?” Greg asks.

Connie was now interested, she talked with Steven about the Creek over the phone but she had never seen it in person, she wanted to meet all of Steven’s new friends he’d made over the last two days coming here.

“Let’s go!” Steven said Connie and Steven went out of the house, Steven got on Lion’s back, and So did Connie. Steven guides Lion to the Creek, Connie’s eyes widen as she sees a forest filled with trees and well — A creek. They stopped at The Traiding Tree where Kit was trading snacks and other things to kids.

“Steven….” she breathed, not believing what she was seeing. There were kids of all shapes sizes and ages. Connie dismounted and walked to The Trading Tree following Steven.

“Hey, Steven!” Kit smiled. Steven smiled and waved, he got two items out of his pocket — A topper toy that he’d got at the bottom of a cereal box, and a small toy truck he’d found at the creek.

“Alright, Steven. What would you like?”

“Do you have Cookie Cats?” Steven asked. They’d stopped making them in Beach City, but he wondered if they had them here.

“Yes, I do!” Kit said, Steven’s eyes lit up as she opened the cooler and grabbed two packs of Cookie Cats. Steven thought he was dreaming when he saw the ice cream sandwich-shaped cat in his hands. Steven handed the other one to Connie. Steven opened the wrapping and took a bite.

“This is SO GOOD!” he yelled out. Then Steven sang his cookie-cat song.

"Oh, he's a frozen treat with an all-new taste

'Cause he came to this planet from outer space

A refugee of an interstellar war

But now he's at your local grocery store

Cookie Cat

He's a pet for your tummy

Cookie Cat

He's super duper yummy

Cookie Cat

He left his family behind

Cookie Cat!”

Kit and Connie both laugh as Steven eats more of his ice cream. Its strawberry and vanilla flavor with the chocolate sandwich cookies was just perfect. Steven ate his Cookie Cat, and Connie did as well. Steven and Connie then went to The Stump so she could meet Craig and the rest of his friends.

“Hey guys! Meet my friend from Beach City, Connie!” Craig smiled and waved.

“Hey, Connie!” Craig said.

“Good day, Connie!” Kelsey said, sharpening her ‘sword’

“Hi, I’m JP!” the boy in the large T-shirt said.

Lion walks up to them, Craig gasps and smiles. “Is that Lion!” he asked excitedly. Connie and Steven both nod, Craig amiled.

“Welcome to the Creek, Connie and Lion!” JP said, walking up to Lion, and petting his pink mane. Craig was concerned. Steven saw him. “Don’t worry, Craig. Lion is nice, he won’t bite you guys, JP is petting him," he said

Craig walked over to Lion put a hand up to his mane and petted him, Craig smiled as Lion looked with a blank stare on his face, he then licked Steven, and Steven laughed and hugged him. Craig did feel much more comfortable now that Steven was doing it. Craig went towards him and petted his mane.

“He’s so soft…” JP said. Kelsey nods.

🌳⭐️💎🌳⭐️💎🌳⭐️💎🌳⭐️💎🌳⭐️💎🌳

Steven, Craig, JP, Kelsey, Omar, and Connie were all on the Other Side Of The Creek, Connie stared at a large tree that said 'The Candy Bar.’ written in cursive. Steven and his friends went in, Lion was about to go in but Steven petted him. “Lion, you can’t go in. I don’t know how Raj and Sawn feel about animals in here.”

Lion just looked at him, went down, and rested his paws on his chin. Steven smiles and pets him. They go inside. Connie saw that an electric guitar was placed with a drum set, piano, and microphone.

“Hey, Raj!” Steven said.

“Hey, Steven! Are you going to sign up for the Candy Bar Concert?” Steven smiled, he walked to the bar and picked up the clipboard, attached to it was a pencil, and he wrote his name down. Craig went next, then JP. Kelsey, Connie, and Omar were left and they put their names down. Then the songs that they were going to pick.

Steven, Craig, and JP were going to do a song, then Omar, Kelsey, and Connie. Steven looks at Raj and asks him to give him some water. “When is this concert starting?” Steven asked.

Raj smiled, cleaning a glass. “It’s going to start in a few minutes. Sit and have something to drink.” Steven nodded as Raj handed him a glass.

“Thanks, Raj,” he said, Raj smiled. Connie looked at Steven as he drank his cup and ate his candy.

Just then, Shawn walked up to the microphone and started talking into it. “Kids of the creek! we would love to announce. Our first-ever concert here at the Candy Bar! And the first ones to come up are Craig, JP, and Steven!” the boy said.

They were all on different instruments, Craig was on drums, JP and Steven were on guitar, and Steven was in front of a microphone.

“Go, Steven!” Connie said, smiling. Steven, Craig, and JP start playing the song.

"…Hey, Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Hey, Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Make beauty stay if I take my life? (Hey!)

Woah-oh-oh

… With just a look, they shook

And heavens bowed before him

Simply a look can break your heart

… The stars that pierce the sky

He left them all behind

We're left to wonder why

He left us all behind

… Hey, Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Hey, Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Make beauty stay if I take my life? (Hey!)

Woah-oh-oh

… Dreams of his crash won't pass

Oh, how they all adored him

Beauty will last when spiraled down

… The stars that mystified

He left them all behind

And how his children cried

He left us all behind

… Hey Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Hey Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Make beauty stay if I take my life? (Hey!)

Woah-oh-oh

… What's the hook, the twist within this verbose mystery?

I would gladly bet my life upon it

That the ghost you love, your ray of light

Will fizzle out without hope

… We're the empty set just floating through

Wrapped in skin

Ever searching for what we were promised

Reaching for that golden ring, we'd never let go

Who would ever let us put our filthy hands upon it?

… Hey, Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Hey, Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Make beauty stay if I take my life? (Hey!)

Woah-oh

… Hey, Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Hey, Miss Murder, can I? (Hey!)

Make beauty stay if I take my life? (Hey!)

Woah-oh”

Raj smiled and walked up to the stage once more as Steven and JP both put the guitars down on the guitar mounts and walked off, Connie hugged Steven. “Have fun, Connie.”

“Thanks, Steven,” she said.

“Let me introduce you to the stage, Kelsey, Connie, and Omar!” Connie picked up the guitar and strapped it on, Kelsey did the same. JP sat at the drum set and picked up the sticks. Omar walked up to the microphone and they started to play.

"I got your picture, I'm coming with you

Dear Maria, count me in

There's a story at the bottom of this bottle

And I'm the pen

When the lights go off

I wanna watch the way you take the stage by storm

The way you wrap those boys around your finger

Go on and play the leader

'Cause you know it's what you're good at

The low road for the fast track

Make every second last

'Cause I got your picture, I'm coming with you

Dear Maria, count me in

There's a story at the bottom of this bottle

And I'm the pen

Make it count

When I'm the one who's selling you out

'Cause it feels like stealing hearts

Calling your name from the crowd

Doesn't that mean you'll be the showgirl of the home team

I'll be the narrator

Telling another tale of the American dream

I see your name in the lights

We could make you a star

Girl, we'll take the world by storm

It isn't that hard

'Cause I got your picture, I'm coming with you

Dear Maria, count me in

There's a story at the bottom of this bottle

And I'm the pen

Make it count

When I'm the one who's selling you out

'Cause it feels like stealing hearts

Calling your name from the crowd, whoa

Ha, ha

Take a breath, don't it sound so easy?

Never had a doubt, now I'm going crazy

Watching from the floor

Take a breath and let the rest come easy

Never settle down 'cause the cash flow leaves me

Always wanting more

'Cause I got your picture, I'm coming with you

Dear Maria, count me in

There's a story at the bottom of this bottle

And I'm the pen

Make it count

When I'm the one who's selling you out

'Cause it feels like stealing hearts

Calling your name from the crowd

'Cause I got your picture, I'm coming with you

Dear Maria, count me in

There's a story at the bottom of this bottle.”

The kids cheered for them, Steven took a video on his phone and then sent it to Pearl. Pearl texted him back, saying that this was amazing. Steven smiled and wiped some tears from his eyes.

Connie ran off stage and hugged her best friend. “That was so good, Connie!”

“I liked yours too, Steven!”

Steven smiles.

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Steven, Connie, Craig, Kelsey, JP, and Omar were all hanging out again. Connie didn’t have to go on missions with the gems so she was able to hang out with Steven and his friends at the creek all week — or maybe the whole summer if Pearl allowed it.

Connie, Craig, Kelsey, JP, Omar, and Connie all went back to Steven��s house. they were going to play on Steven’s GameCube in the living room. Steven gave Connie a house tour. When they got to the living room Connie saw his mom’s portrait hanging on the wall. “Steven, isn’t that the picture of your mom?”

Steven nodded.

“Yeah, why?”

“It looks nice hanging up in your house,” she said. Steven smiles.

“Thanks.”

“Okay guys, what games should we play?” Steven asked, picking up the controller and a handful of games.

“Sonic! I want to go first!” Said Craig. Steven handed him the controller, selected it to the right input and they played a game of Sonic The Hedgehog together.

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A/N: Hi guys! thank you for reading part one of this fic! Here is part two. I am going to work on part three as soon as possible, and how did you like Connie meeting the creek kids, i think it was a lot of fun to write! Well, see you in the next one!

[universallywriting]

Are you still doing the requests for story mash up? 42 and 83?

This is my second try at this, because the first one turned into something else. o this one comes with a longer companion piece!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32987944

On Archive, Steven says I love you with music. In this one, Connie struggles to hide her feelings in art.

-------

Drawing was supposed to be a hobby, but Connie had forgotten a long time ago how to do anything halfway. She was always careful about it when she was little, if only because after the incident in Rose’s Room she was cautious about pushing her strong thoughts and opinions onto Steven. One time, he saw her drawing guidelines on a head, and he asked, “What are those?” and she had overexplained how it was just her way of doing things, and he could do it his own way.

By the time she’d gotten over those worries, it was too late to show him her art. She still drew cat girls and dogcopter, but in between she drew personal things. She felt like she was capturing something about the way she saw Pearl when she drew her long, birdlike features. She felt like it said something about how she thought of Garnet as she drew angles onto her face. The softness she put into Steven’s eyes felt like some kind of diary.

Connie stuck to showing him her fanart, and very rarely a picture of a real person. She never showed him the pictures she drew of him, especially now that he was starting to really look his age. He was starting to look older than she was, and she found herself getting flustered when she looked back over her drawings.

She thought that it was best not to bother him with the way her heart skipped a beat when she found the right line for his broad shoulders, or when she perfectly captured the cupid’s bow of his lips. With everything he was going through, he didn’t need her crush on him adding extra pressure.

And then, one day, she left her sketchbook at his house.

She hadn’t meant to. He was drawing lately too. He called it therapeutic. But they used the same kind of sketchbook, and they had swapped by mistake when she packed up for the day.

He looked through the whole thing. She thought that they probably needed to have a talk about boundaries, because she hadn’t gone through his whole sketchbook, but she couldn’t get too mad at him. They had gone through each other’s drawers at sleepovers to wear each others clothes - why would he have thought a sketchbook wouldn’t be alright?

After a conversation where she tried to hide just how humiliated she was about it all, he asked her if he could model. She said no, because she wasn’t stupid, but then he started offering her money. He started calling it a commission. Then, suddenly, she was agreeing to do it for free.

That tended to happen with Steven. He had a talent for turning a no into a yes.

She went to his house to draw him, and he was in makeup. She had hoped it wouldn’t get to her, but it did. He wore maroon. Or burgundy. She called it maroon and he said, “it’s closer to burgundy” and for some reason she found him all the more attractive for being specific with color names. She gawked at the deep red of his jacket, the black shirt underneath, the burgundy that was across his cheeks and lips and eyes.

He asked if it was too much, and she said it wasn’t but she didn’t think she’d nail drawing it, and then he was ruffling her hair in that affectionate way that sent shivers down her spine as he assured her that she would do great.

Steven had a rough year, so she promised herself not to be romantic about it. Even if his normally soft cheekbones were lined with dark red shadows to define them, and he was stretched out like a cat in sunlight, and the way masculinity and femininity had blended together on his face made her hands shaky.

Connie ordered him to close his eyes for the drawing, but she only did it because staring into his eyes was giving her too many feelings again. She tried to keep it all normal as she drew, and she was focusing hard so it was up to Steven to make conversation. He talked about a game he was stuck in as she drew the rough shape of his head and mapped out his features.

She paused to draw a single curl that had tumbled down his temple, and it set her heart pounding so badly that if he wasn’t Steven and she hadn’t promised she would have made up an excuse to run home.

Lion had been her only model before, and she found that it was much different drawing Steven in person. She couldn’t draw without admiring the striking angles to his face, the softness of his nose, how she loved even the smallest things about him like how his eyebrow curved.

As she searched for the right pencil to match the color of his cheeks, he said, “Your pictures make me look really good,” and she said, “It’s easy when you’re already handsome”, and she didn’t even think about it.

She didn’t even notice that it stopped him from talking. She was too busy drawing curl after curl after curl. It wasn’t until she looked into his face that she realized his eyes were open, and he was staring at her, and she froze in place.

“I…” she began, then swiftly changed direction. “Forget about it. You’re focusing on you right now.”:

He sat up slightly, eyes wide. “Uh, hey, just wondering, I know that marriage and permafusion is off the table, but what is?”

She looked from him to her drawing, swallowing a lump in her throat. Connie should be responsible. She should tell him that he should have a conversation with his therapist, as she would hate to be the reason his mental health slipped again.

“What do you want on the table?” she said carefully, which was almost nearly the thing she probably should have said.

Then he said that he’d like to start kissing more, and she only had the self-control to set her sketchbook delicately on the ground before she rushed to his spot in the sun. Her hand slipped along the jawbone she had just put to paper, and since he had just shaved his skin was baby soft beneath her fingertips.

She almost never wore makeup, but right then all she can do is adore the waxy taste of lipstick on her mouth. She could feel sunlight warming half her body as she gasped through her nose, and heard a matching one from him. They’d never been the type to do this kind of thing in public, and so then it only happened in the silent beach house, with the sound of their little movements filling up the whole space.

“We probably ruined my makeup,” he said as he leaned back.

She had a response to that, but his thumb came out to gently rub at the corner of her mouth, which she was sure was stained maroon or burgundy or whatever it was supposed to be. Red. Her fingers curled along his wrist, and it took her several long seconds to gain her bearings again.

“I’ll draw you as much as you want,” she said.

“I’ll write you music.” He laughed.

They collided again and gleefully ruined his makeup, staining both their lips red.

[minijenn]

Opposites Attract Preview 2

Featuring the Momswap CGs (well mostly two out of three of the Momswap CG). Gotta say while this chapter is... kind of fucking plotless, writing all of these character interactions is hella fun. Enjoy!

***

When both sets of kids arrived back at the temple, they quickly found they weren’t alone. While both Lions had stayed put, cuddling together on the couch with Waddles snoozing not far away, a familiar pair stood near the portal, investigating it curiously. 

“Where do you think it came from? And what even is it to begin with?”

“Well, obviously it’s some sort of… hovering orb of otherworldly light.”

“Oooo, very scientific explanation there, Peridot. That really helps.”

“Well at least I’m trying to figure out what we’re dealing with here, Lapis, unlike you!”

“Um… you guys?”

“Steven!” the pair near the portal, this dimension’s version of Lapis and Peridot, no doubt, spun around to face Rises Steven as soon as he piped up. They rushed over to greet him, relief filling both of their faces as they checked him over. 

“Oh, Steven, thank the stars you’re alright!” Rises Peridot squeaked as she scooped him up into a hug. Strangely, she still had her limb enhancers, making her much taller than the other group of kids had become familiar with ever since their own Peridot had lost hers. Her hair was far less angular, almost taking on the shape of a star as opposed to a triangle, and her overall attire was much less of a uniform, instead adorned with several poignant stars, just any of the Crystal Gems’ attire would be. “We just discovered this strange… thing here in the living room, and Lapis said it was probably nothing, but I couldn’t help but fear that might have done… something to you since you were nowhere to be found, but-”

“But you’re safe. That’s all that matters,” Rises Lapis interjected to calm Rises Peridot’s frantic rambling down. The blue Gem didn’t look that much different than her alternate counterpart, aside from her dress, which was designed quite a bit differently, bearing a star similar to the ones Rises Peridot toted. She also sported a set of strappy sandals, a stark change from Lapis’ usual barefoot look. Her calm, steady smile quickly fell however, when she spotted the other set of kids accompanying the ones her and Rises Peridot already knew. “Uh… since when are there four more of you guys…?”

“WHAT?!” Rises Peridot gasped, setting Rises Steven down so she could look between him and his counterpart. “There’s two Stevens now?! I barely have enough tech to keep one safe on a daily basis; where am I ever supposed to get enough supplies to build extra dehumidifiers, heart monitors, electronic thermometers, and UV scanners on such a short notice?!”

“Do you actually need any of that stuff?” Steven whispered to his Rises counterpart. 

“No, Peridot’s just… really big on making sure I stay safe and healthy…” Rises Steven explained with a frown. 

“So where’d the rest of you come from anyway?” Rises Lapis asked, her hands on her hips as she looked the group over. “Did you guys find some weird thing out in the woods that made more of you and you just decided to dress them up in different clothes for fun?”

“Oh man, if only!” Rises Dipper exclaimed, stars in his eyes. 

“That’d be so much fun!” Rises Connie readily agreed. “We’ve gotta look for something that’ll make that happen later on.”

“Focus, you two?” Rises Mabel interjected before she turned back to Rises Lapis and Peridot. “They’re from another dimension. They came through that portal over there.”

“...There’s an interdimensional PORTAL in the house?!” Rises Peridot exclaimed, panicked as she spun back around to face it. “Steven, get out of here! The temple is not portal-proofed!”

“Oh, uh, ok,” Rises Steven turned to do so, though Rises Connie managed to grab his arm to keep him there. After all, he didn’t deserve to miss a moment of this humorous first meeting simply because of his guardian’s usual paranoia. 

“Oh, so that explains why there’s two Lions!” Rises Lapis guessed, glancing over at the nuzzling pair of big cats. 

“Does that also explain where the pig came from?” Rises Peridot asked, side-eying Waddles. 

“Yep! They’re with us!” Mabel confirmed cheerily. 

“It’s really nice to meet another Lapis and Peridot,” Steven said with a warm smile. “Are you guys hanging out here until the Crystal Gems come back?”

Rises Lapis and Peridot exchanged a curious, confused glance at this before the former let out a small snicker. “Uh, we are the Crystal Gems.”

“Whoa, really?” Steven asked, amazed. “So you guys both officially became Crystal Gems here? That’s so cool! What do the others think? They must be so excited for you!”

“...What others?” Rises Peridot asked almost warily. 

“Do you mean… everyone bubbled away in the temple…?” Rises Lapis asked, sparing a sad glance back at the temple gate. 

“No, I mean Pearl and Amethyst and-”

“Oh, uh… I don’t think they really care?” Rises Lapis shrugged. 

“Those two are too busy watching that… Camp Lonely Souls show over at their apartment downtown to care about much of anything at all these days,” Rises Peridot huffed with a dismissive wave of her hand. “You’d think the least they could do in exchange for getting to live here on Earth peacefully is lend us a hand protecting humanity from time to time.”

“Eh, to be fair, Pearl helps,” Rises Lapis countered. “Sometimes.”

Before the conversation could continue any further, the temple gate suddenly shined, splitting open to reveal the apparent third member of this set of Crystal Gems. A Gem that outright terrified half of the kids the moment they saw her strong, imposing silhouette. “I-is that…?” Connie began in a whisper, though Steven, Dipper, and Mabel were quick to fill in where she’d left off. 

“Jasper!”

[appleb18]

Cartoons Relationships Are Terrible

Back in the day of cartoons, the romantic subplots were simple and yet very heartwarming to see such as 

Katara and Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender

Phineas and Isabella from Phineas and Ferb 

But now, modern cartoons are taking romantic subplots into heavier territories that something that some live-action shows would do. While it does sound interesting that making relationships more realistic and complex but the way that has been written in the previous decade is pretty bad. The writers try to make romance relatable to the audience but fail on doing so such as making likable characters to really cringy and awful people, shoving down our throats of how cute it is and having the romantic subplot more focus than the actual plot.

Adventure Time and Regular Show 

So you must be wondering why I put Adventure Time and Regular Show together instead of separate categories. The thing about these two shows is they used to have bad romantic subplots but as the show progresses, they really did it well and I have to say it did better than most cartoons that failed to do which I’ll talk about later. 

For Adventure Time, Finn and Flame Princess broke up in “Frost and Fire” due to him deceiving her by having FP fight Ice King/Simon Petrikov for his amusement

After their break, he tries to rekindle his romantic feelings for Princess Bubblegum and thinks age is just a number in “Too Old”. However, it doesn’t end up too well that she has people to watch over and that’s when he realized that he really did donk up with Flame Princess. 

Although he apologized to FP in “Earth and Fire” to her it didn’t fully restore their relationship and Finn still had romantic feelings for her and Princess Bubblegum. 

Thankfully, Finn matures in later seasons.

Finn realized it’s better for him to be friends with Princess Bubblegum 

He then fully apologized and realized what he has done wrong to Flame Princess and she tells him that he really matured and hang out by playing guess who and rapping in “Bun Bun” 

and Princess Bubblegum, and Marceline. They both finally reconcile at the end of “Varmints” and start to hang out more which develops their relationship from being platonic to romance.

For Regular Show, in “Steak Me Amadeus' ' Mordecai asked Margaret to be his girlfriend and although she would like that, she can’t because she got accepted into college which broke his heart.

It didn’t last when he’s been reunited with CJ in “New Years Kiss”. 

As the show progresses, the two become a couple but then things get complicated when Margret returns. It made things awkward between CJ, Mordecai, and Marget like CJ always gets jealous and runs away when she sees Mordecai and Margret together. 

By the end of season 6, he dumps CJ in front of everyone in Muscle Man's wedding. 

Like Adventure Time, Mordecai and Margret hangout and realized they should stay as friends in “Just Friends” 

While Eileen and Rigby become a couple. 

Now it’s time to talk about other cartoons shows and their romantic subplot problem  

Steven Universe 

Steven Universe relationships can sometimes be well written but most of the time can handle poorly.

Such as Lars and Sadie were starting to develop their relationship in “Joking Victim” however it repeats itself throughout three seasons until the end of season 4 where Lars develops. Then there’s Sadie trapping him and Steven on the island in “Island Adventure” so he won’t have to leave and they don’t resolve and don’t even mention it ever again in later seasons. All they show was Sadie scar and that’s it

In “Steven Universe: Future”, Sadie and Lars didn’t get together and she’s now with Shep and they did it off-screen. So throughout the whole thing with Lars and Sadie, they don’t get together. The show kept teasing it and they might get together in the future but the writers just said screw it, let's have her date a nonbinary while Lars goes on a space adventure. It feels like a waste of seeing those two characters that the show keeps showing them together and not have them become a couple. Unlike SvTFoE, Shep just came out of nowhere with no proper introduction and doesn’t establish they and Sadie's relationship and it’s really bothersome! 

Connie and Steven's relationship was good for the first four seasons. It was really had good chemistry and she was a good partner for him 

then season 5 came in and it kinda got ruins by after Steven escape from Gem Homeworld and coming back to Earth, it starts off with Connie leaving Steven with lion and never to be seen for a month according to “Keven Party”. The Steven and Connie arc was really bad like why was it dragged for five episodes? The whole thing could’ve been resolved in one episode by having them talk about their feelings like how “Mindful Education” and “Full Disclosure” did by they talk about their emotions instead of running away. 

Then in “Gemcation”, Steven the most important thing to him is Connie's relationship than worrying about Lars and the Off Colours' safety. That has to be the dumbest thing I’ve heard in my life and I can’t believe Rebecca and the Crewniverse have written it like that. 

Then there’s Ruby and Sapphire. I’ll be honest, the relationship feels like old Disney love stories like Cinderella, Seven Dwarfs, and Sleeping Beauty and that’s not a compliment. In “The Answer”, after they accidentally fused, they escape and wander Earth that caused them to fall in love which kinda contradicts what Garnet said to Jamie about love, at first sight, isn’t good in “Love Letter”. 

In “Pink Diamond” Arc, the plot came to hold to make room for Ruby and Sapphire’s wedding. 

While it is revolutionary that they show an LGBT wedding live on television but as a narrative standpoint, it feels rushed. The reason for that is after that Blue and Yellow came in after the wedding. They were no build-up or anything, they just came.The reason why they did it so some countries can’t take it down due it the main story which is stupid. It’s nice they represent LGBT but why in the middle of a major story arc, that’s just sloppy. 

Voltron 

So Voltron has a reputation of queerbaiting the audience that Shiro is gay and he has a boyfriend. The writers keep telling us on Twitter that they’ll show his boyfriend in season 7 but when it finally aired. It was terrible 

The first time we saw Adam was a flashback but it was nothing, it was more friendship than romance. 

When he finally shows up in the present he dies. Shiro goes to the memorial and signs than that’s it. 

The writers really made a dumb move of hyping it up but they let us down by having him die. They try to make it up by having Shiro marrying some guy who has a very little screen in the final season. Similar to Regular Show with Mordecai marrying a batgirl but not dumb while Voltron trying to get brownie points for having LGBT rep. 

Lance and Allura were really forced. For six seasons, Allura was never interested in Lance and only saw him as a friend but in season 8, the two confessed their love for each even though there wasn’t any chemistry nor sign that they truly love each other and they insensitively become a couple for one date. I would’ve supported if their relationship was established back in season 2 

The Legend of Korra

The love triangle between was handled so poorly with bad timing, making characters look terrible, making things force and having it engage more than the plot. 

For the first season, there was a love diamond. Bolin liked Korra, Korra likes Mako and Mako liked Asami and those two go out. Korra and Mako kissed which broke Bolin’s heart but he got over it but when Asami finds out when Korra was missing, she gets jealous. I understand that she was concerned about her relationship with Mako but during when Korra, the avatar that is missing while Equalis are on the move? That’s not the right moment to get jealous when Republic City is gonna be under attack but of course, Mako and Asami break and Korra gets in with Mako. 

In season 2, things get worse when the happy couple keep nagging and they break up

Which he tries again with Asami 

After Korra got her memories back but forgot breaking up with Mako, she asked him if it was bad however though he lied and everyone judged him for that dick move, especially Asami who started to have feelings for him again. Thankfully they broke up because that was just an awful way to get someone back by having their mind erased. 

Also, Bolin was with Eska and it was abusive. Forcing him to be her man, changed his whole entire to match with hers and she forced him to marry her. 

What’s worst about it is no one is concerned about him being with her and instead they just laugh like it’s supposed to be funny. Being in an abusive relationship isn’t funny and I hate how the show treats it so. By the end, they just forgot the whole thing that ever happened and moved on with their lives. 

Season 3 and 4 kept the romance to a minimum with Bolin x Opal and Jinora x Kai but there was one romantic relationship that had to happen with no hints or build up and it’s Korra x Asami. By the end of the series, they decided to go to the spirit together while holding hands and having their eyes glazed toward each other and they become a couple. 

While many of you may say that they hinted it since season 3, however, it looks like friendship. Blushing and writing to her isn’t enough to say they have feelings towards each other. That is what best friends do too. The creators even have to confirm that they are a couple and the comics showing their love while it’s nice and all but it would’ve been a lot better to show it either on streaming service or live television than buying volumes to see more of their pairing, it’s balderdash. Now it’s time to talk about a cartoon that has one of the worst romance I’ve ever seen in my entire life of watching shows. 

Star vs The Forces of Evil

Star vs The Forces of Evil has one of the WORST romantic subplots I’ve ever watched, it is even worse than CW’s Arrowverse romance and that’s saying something. The romantic subplot makes Star and Marco look like terrible people that only care about each other more than other characters. 

Jarco 

Out of all ships in SvTFoE, Jarco has the most establishment than most others. Marco liked Jackie when he was little and it was bound to happen that those two will date. Ever since season 1, the relationship has been growing to platonic to a romantic couple in season 2. 

Their chemistry together worked well but then “Sophomore Slump”. When Marco finally went back to Earth, he was obsessed with Mewni and Star and he won’t stop talking about and he still wears the cape. When Jackie told him to stop obsessing over Mewni which he tries to do but it got the better to him by he still wears the cape when he was on his date with Jackie. It’s really BS when Marco said to Jackie “You’re my best friend” which ruined everything that it established since season 1 and this, of course, caused them to break up.

 Then he left Earth to go to Mewni the day after their break up. It’s a real shame that building up their relationship and giving Jacie character got shoved aside for Starco. Although she returns and meets up with him again I can’t help feeling that it just for fan service and being inclusive for Jackie being Bi

Tomstar 

Before the show started, Star and Tom were a couple but broke up due to him getting angry very easily and he wanted her back for the past two seasons luckily he stopped trying in “Mr. Candles Cares”. Their relationship becomes healthier when Tom gives Star space and that causes them to get back together and not have feelings for Marco anymore.

 Tom went through a lot of development for Star and it was a Mewni x Monster romance which is similar to Eclipsa and Globglor and it fits season 3. After rewatching it, it was pretty good. However, like Jarco, it was doomed from the start due to fans wanting Starco to be canon even though Tomstar was getting good. Also, Star was a terrible girlfriend to him. 

Star never told him she kissed him, Marco did and when Tom confronted her about it, she got mad and tried to walk away. 

She mistreats him by nagging somethings, blowing on his face and angrily ask translate

She declined on going on a vacation with him so she can be with Marco.

Even his mom was afraid that she might break his heart again and her response “Everybody breaks up. That’s what teenagers do! Teenagers are dumb”. He went through so much development, changed his character and gave her so much but she never returned the favor. What an awful girlfriend 

Kellco

With Tom and Star getting together (for now) it left Marco feels devastated that she’s dating someone and can’t get rid of his feelings for her while Kelly doesn’t want to be with Tad which she broke up with him. They both have something in common and start to hangout and their relationship has developed throughout season 3 and he’s with her more than Star. 

They became officially a couple as “breakup buddies” in “Kelly’s World” and it also when they did a perfect synchronization between two partners. 

So they’re pretty much a good pair but everything changed when the episode “A Boy and His DC-700XE” and did an off-screen break up. I don’t care who or what you write but never, ever a major plot point or character development offscreen. Kelly finds happiness when she leaves Tad but they break up with no explanation. It was glossed over like for five seconds and Marco doesn’t even care about their break up, what an a*hole. 

This relationship feels like a real waste of time and serves nothing to the plot nor character development, it was just there to waste time.

Starco

Before I talk about Starco, I used to ship it and I thought they were enjoyable characters. They would've worked in a relationship if things were written better and would have been the next Phineas and Isabella but sadly the writers messed up probably the easiest romance to write. 

Season 1, Star and Marco became best friends. Although there weren't many romantic moments they still look pretty good together 

Season 2, As Star was happy for Marco that she’s finally dating Jackie, the girl he has had a crush on since preschool,

 on the other hand, she started to have feelings for him and she has trouble expressing it. 

In season 3, Marco started to have feelings for Star which caused him and Jackie to break up. Star told him that he wants nothing to do with him romantically in “Lint Catcher” and Tad told him that he does have feelings for her in “Lava Lake Beach” and he wasn't happy to find out about it at all. Then in Booth Buddies, they were held hostage by some freak until they kiss and they were completely in denial about having feelings for each other

Then season 4 is when Starco becomes really sour. Star and Marco always keep saying that they don’t want to have feelings for each other and yet the writers have several episodes before the end of the series

. They never showed any romantic interest until “Mama Star” where he confessed his feelings to her and then they kissed in the second last episode. By the finale, instead of either of them going back to their dimensions they went back to the World of Magic and held each other. It would’ve been more meaningful if they got together before the end of the  show. 

It’s very odd that they risk their lives for a relationship that just started. However, for some miracle, both of their worlds collide and become one with no explanation of what so ever. 

Starco could’ve been a lovely ship but the writers have to keep messing around with it till the very end. 

Conclusion 

Whenever a show presents a romance, I don’t mind as long it either fits with the narrative of the story it be fun but 2010s romantic subplots have been written very terribly by having it the main focus but sacrifice pacing and quality of the story, forcing characters to become a couple without establishing it enough in the show, and having characters go off for the sake of drama. Romantic stories can be simple and cute like Kim x Ron from Kim Possible, Suki x Sokka from Avatar: The Last Airbender and Starfire x Robin from Teen Titans and that’s all right. I do hope that this generation will fix what the previous decade of cartoons has failed to do. 

[c-atm]

"Is something going in between Maheswaran and you?" 

Steven looked up from his phone at one of his friends, A tanned freckled-face girl with ginger pigtails and cherry red irises.

"Not especially Spinel. Why?" He arched his eyebrow.

"Curious, Stevie, you two have been spotted together a lot over these few weeks."

"So? I thought me and Connie’s 'rivalry' was a well-known topic."

"Sure, though the stories ain't as much of a 'rivalry' as it is a romance."

"Shipping real live people is wrong."Steven sighed as Spinel chuckled. 'This is gonna be an awkward day ."

"We're here," Spinel announced as the train pulled up to the 35th Avenue stop. Putting his phone away, the president grabbed their book bags before leading his cohort off the train.

"So what is the thing going on between you two?" Spinel asked with a grin as they made their way to the street, bounce in her step. 

"Why the hell do you think there's something going on?" He scratched his left chin.

"I wonder." 

Steven groaned at the teasing tone from Spinel as they walked The streets of Upper Hattan, loud and lively as usual. 

"So, where are we going anyway?" She inquired, following him.

"Actually, we're going to pick someone up, then play it by ear."

"What, no itinerary? No objective?" Spinel gasped, putting her hands on her cheeks. "Doesn't seem like our hardass of a student body president." She gave him a tooth-displaying grin." Maybe the rumors are true, and a certain delinquent is softening you up? Huh, huh? Making you more flexible by showing you her flexibility , Huh, huh?" She knocked his arm playfully, causing him to roll his eyes. "You wouldn't mind giving me the inside scoop, would ya Stevie?"

"There's no scoop, you gossip reporter."

"Sure, sure." She waved him off, digging into her bag and pulling out a high-end digital camera. "Still, nice day to be in the city." Raising the scope of the camera to eyes, Spinel continued, "People out and about; shopping, chilling, hustling." She scanned the area as they walked. "I'm sure there will be a few shots worth taking."

"Nice of the school to allow non-school related articles."

Spinel sucked her teeth at his smug tone, "stop fishing for compliments." She accused, taking his smug mugshot. "It's creepy, see?"

"What?" He said, looking at the screen of the camera," I look good." Rubbing his chin as he looked at the picture.

"Cocky and creepy." Spinel joked before giving him a gentle smile, "Thanks, though, for fighting for the media clubs."

Steven shrugged, "No, biggy, I agreed with your stance, and wouldn't you know it. Students actually subscribed to the newsletter."

"Shocking, right?" Spinel faked a gasp, "Who would have thought other students would relate to their schoolmates."

"One of the wonders of the school."

The two laughed as they continued their journey.

"So, where's this friend of yours supposed to be at, Stevie?" Spinel asked, taking a shot of a pair of kids getting chased by pigeons, "Evil winged buggers." She muttered with a chuckle.

Steven was about to answer when he heard it. 

He closed his eyes, listening to where it was coming from. The rhythm of 'Am I Wrong .'  being played on Violin.

HER VIOLIN.

  Am I tripping for having a vision?

My prediction; I'mma be on the top of the world.

  Accompanied by HER VOICE.

"Steven?!" A surprised Spinel yelped as he took her wrist and led her into the nearby park, nearly dragging her as he ran.

  Hope you, hope you don't look back, always do what you decide

  Don't let them control your life; that's just how I feel

  "Get your camera ready; you don't wanna miss this."

Spinel arched an eyebrow at her friend's excited and slightly blushing face, but she followed his directions as they came to an outdoor stage where a medium gathering of people sat, and the music was coming from.

  Fight for yours and don't let go, don't let them compare you, no

  She saw a cute little girl with waist-length, curly, 'nearly black' brown hair, going through the audience getting donations in a small bucket; it made for a funny picture since she looked so severe one moment and sweet the next.

Steven sat them at the front middle bench, giving them a perfect view of the stage.

 When she turned to the stage, her eyes widened.

  Don't worry; you're not alone; that's just how we feel

  A four girl street band, consisting of a curvy short-stack of a Latina on a portable drum set with flowing violet hair, a towering voluptuous Afro-American girl with a perfect square afro on keytar, an even taller girl with vitiligo, lion mane white hair, and a muscular yet feminine built on bass; and a familiar face that took a second to recognize, playing the violin and leading the performance with her eyes closed.

Until they opened and revealed very familiar raven eyes.

  So am I wrong for thinking that we could be something for real?

  'Holy hell, that's CONNIE MAHESWARAN!!! ' Spinel mind screamed as she recognized the well-known delinquent of their school perform with her friends and sing the lyrics soulfully, beautifully, 

"This..."Spinel began as she instinctively started setting her camera to record as she took pictures.

"Steven did you-"

 She turned to her cohort about to tease him about this when she saw his face.

'Stevie, you liar .' Spinel tried to bite her grin back as she took her phone out and snapped the picture of his face. His dopey, broad, crooked smile, large eyes filled with so much affection for the delinquent, and that blush trail across his face. It was gossip gold.

'He better be careful with all that emotion on his sleeve, don't want...OOPS. Too late !' Spinel took a look at the stage, at Connie, and was surprised again to see her looking straight...them?

"Oh, no...She's looking at..." Spinel whispered as she looked at Connie's face. "She looks like the cat that ate the canary."

Connie's eyes were slightly narrowed, her brows furrowed downward, her lips pursed in a curved smug smile. However, the smugness didn't reach her eyes despite how they look. 

No.

Those eyes. 

They reflected the same affection that Steven was giving her.

Spinel had to back up to get both in them in her camera crosshairs. The

Image of two people, entirely in a world of their own.

"First page."

*click*

[susoftjockau]

art by @badartbysomeguy 

“I can’t believe how cute it is,” Steven giggled, his legs kicking happily behind him as he laid on her bed. Connie did her best to ignore him, trying to focus on her own tablet. “He feels just like me! You were so right. I’d be such a cute golden retriever. And pink! Of course I’m pink. I love pink.”

Connie couldn’t ignore all praise, though, and heat burned up her cheeks. “Okay, you can quit gushing about it now.”

”Never!” He grinned slyly. “Unless you want to talk about the other thing.”

“Don’t you dare.”

He slid up behind her, leaning over the back of her chair so she could feel him towering over her. “What would you be, Connie? You have the power to draw yourself as any animal and you’ve never done it? Don’t lie. What species are you? What’s her name?”

“I have never made a fursona,” Connie said for the thousandth time, her voice as flat as ever.

“Then we can make one. Together.” He stroked her cheek tenderly and she groaned again (along with a few choice swear words). He continued, “You’re so sweet. Smart. Funny. Aggressive. I think you’d be something like… maybe a German Shepherd. Or a Husky.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’d choose something cooler than a dog.”

“Oh. You have thoughts about not being a dog.” His lips came close to her ear in a dark whisper. “You’re halfway there. Embrace the fur.”

She laughed and squealed, pushing him away. “You’re such a dork!”

“A wolf! Like a cooler dog!” Steven suggested, then eyed her face. There seemed to be no affection for wolves there. “No. You want something really cool. Not who you are. Who you want to be. I’m thinking big cat.”

She grinned. “Lion.”

“No.”

“Spirit baby,” Connie insisted. “Kindred love.”

“You can’t kin Lion!” He laughed as she stuck out her tongue. “Maybe you’d be… a tiger. Largest big cat. Strong. Confident. Cool stripes.”

“Nah. I’m not cool enough.” She shrugged.

“You are cool enough, but that didn’t speak to you.” He crossed his arms as he pondered that. “Hmm… ooh, a cheetah! Fast. Nimble. Busy.”

“Feels like the kind of animal that can’t enjoy a snow day,” she teased. “Too frantic. I thought this was supposed to be wish fulfillment. I’m not busy in my fantasies.”

“Then a snow leopard,” Steven said. “Quiet. Private. Definitely knows how to enjoy a snow day. Adorable, but underneath, a rarely seen powerful hunter. Slower than a cheetah but more nimble. Chasing prey over sheer cliffs.”

Connie bit her lip. Snow leopards were pretty. And strong. And cute. By the time she finished zoning out, Steven was beaming from ear to ear, making a giddy squealing sound.

“You’re thinking about it! You’re a snow leopard! Draw a fursona, Connie. Connie. Connie, look at me.” His hands came down on her shoulders as she forced herself to do as he asked. “Embrace it. Draw a sona.”

She flushed and covered her face. “Shut up.”

“Cute kitty paws that could kill a man.” He pushed her hands aside to replace them with his own, squishing her cheeks. “Oh my gosh, you’d be adorable in snow leopard ears. All fuzzy!”

She squeaked. “No! I’ll draw it right now if you promise to never say that again!”

“And a tail!”

“Steven!” She shrieked with laughter as she smacked his hands away. “Forget this whole thing. You’re incorrigible!”

Beat away yet again in his quest to convert Connie to furrydom, he settled back on her bed to admire her previous work. But later that night, after he had gone home, Steven’s phone buzzed in his pocket. He tugged it out to find a very adorable Snow Leopard anthro, with a simple text of, “Help me name her? And don’t say I told you so.”

- @universallywriting​

[blue-maiden4]

Together Forever and Growing Pains

I'M IN LEGIT PAIN RIGHT NOW.

MY POOR BOY 😭😭

Anyways I'm gonna leave my thoughts on these episodes down here so spoilers right ahead:

-First of all: Ruby, Sapphire I know you tried to help, but dear Arceus proposing at the age of 16 IS NOT A GOOD IDEA AT ALL.

-Can we appreciate how handsome Steven looks on that shirt and suit? Damn he looks good on it 👀 (If he weren’t a minor I would marry him, but my heart already belongs to Leon so nevermind, pretend I said nothing)

-Rather than saying a straight 'no', Connie said 'not now', AND HONESTLY THAT'S SO SWEET AND IM DYING. And Steven's heartbroken face DESTROYED ME. I've never experienced such feeling but I can imagine how much it hurts. I really appreciate how Connie handled the situation in such a mature way, like she wanted to talk out things first and such. She is without a doubt Steven's soul mate ❤️.

-Watching Steven just laying on the sand while crying broke my heart in a million pieces, I felt your pain Steven, and it sucks that you have to go through this when you’re dealing with some heavy issues right now.💔

-"There isn't a future where you didn't proposed" I'm double dead now, the fact that no matter which time line they're on, Steven would propose to Connie. My heart 😭.

-Also I've seen some people asking why Steven is so worried of Connie leaving, like, he can just go visit her with Lion's help, but remember he can do the same with Lars and he acted the same way, so despite being able to visit them, the whole feeling that he's getting left behind is what is triggering these kind of reaction (or at least that's what I think).

-And remember, no matter how much you love a person, do not propose to them at the age of 16 (sorry I had to this xd) 

Okay now moving onto Growing Pains aka the episode that destroyed me physically and emotionally:

-BOI Where do I even start with this one? Okay first, seeing Steven all depressed over Connie's rejection and just eating ice cream and all kinds of sweets as a coping mechanism hits home. And this is something people do in real life when they are going through a heartbreak. Poor boy he needs a hug. 

-I would be lying if I said I didn’t scremaed the moment his body started growing our of nowhere, HOLY SHIT THE CORRUPTION THEORY IS SLOWLY BECOMING A REALITY. LIKE THAT SHIT STARTED AS SOME SORT OF JOKE, IT AIN’T FUNNY ANYMORE 😰.

-Connie being concerned about Steven and convicing him to see a doctor is the best thing ever. FINALLY SOMEONE THAT MAKES HIM SEEK HELP (Sort of)

-Okay, the fact Steven’s bones are fractured or broken is really worrying. Like, the only reason this kid isn’t dead is because of his healing powers is really messed up, and if we remember what happened in CYM, it makes sense why he was so weak and nearly dying, it was ‘cause his body was so damaged on the inside and the only things keeping together was his own gem half.

Seriously just look at all those cracks in his bones

-Also, the way Dr. Maheswaran explained how his body was constantly healing, yet it looked that mentally he hasn’t healed, that hit me like a truck. It also reminded of Pink Pearl, her gem showed no signs of damage, yet that crack on her eye was mostly due to the trauma she still had.

-The fact Steven is having the same side effect is just so....AGH I can’t even describe it, there’s no words that can say it.Seriously, he’s been through some heavy stuff since he was 13, with being so close to dying a million times, seeing loved ones die in front of him, his self doubt and existencial crisis due to Pink’s/Rose’s mistakes. That’s some serious and heavy shit, that surely was to have some effect on Steven at some point.

He��s been trying so hard to just forget about it and move on, but it’s not that simple. Those experiences are somthing that will haunt him forever until he adresses them properly. Also, the fact he tended to bottle up his emotions as a kid had also a role in all of this, he had to deal with this stuff on his own, he couldn’t talk to anyone about it, ‘cause he didn’t knew what else to do without becoming a burden.

-”What you haven’t told her?!” 

DUDE, YOU SERIOUSLY EXPECTED CONNIE TO TELL HER MOM HOW YOU FRICKING PROPOSED TO HER? COME ONE, SHE IS OBVIOUSLY NOT GONNA TELL HER, SHE WOULD HAVE FREAK OUT AT THE IDEA OF 16/15 YEAR OLDS GETTING MARRIED FOR HEAVEN’S SAKE.

-Bruh, the moment he was starting to tear up, due to all the stress and pressure he was feeling at that moment. And the way he snapped out at Connie....oof, like I don’t blame him at all, but it broke my heart. The pain he was feeling at the moment...god...😭😭😭.

-Greg getting in there and comforting him, that’s what made me cry, the whole thing that Steven’s feeling like he’s always about to die, and how he’s supposed to be happy now that everyone is saved but just can’t....it hurted....a lot. 

-And my respect and love for Connie and her mom increased here, not only she called the only person that could calm him down/help him, but they also treated Steven in way as to not alter him more and without judging. Seriously, I’m surprised Dr. Maheswaran, wasn’t like WTF the moment Steven started listing all of his traumatic experiences, instead she only explained how all of this gem stuff he’s been involved with has caused him so serious trauma.

-Now let me just say, that even though it is mostly th CG and Greg (to some degree, like the dude tried his best), we have to remember that the Gems have no idea about how a human body works, let alone how a mind of a person works. And it’s true that it wasn’t a good idea for Steven to move in with the Gems at such a young age, heck Greg is his father, he is supposed to take care of Steven and such, but considering the circumstances and that Steven is half-gem, he probably thought it was for the best, as he couldn’t teach him about gem stuff, probably the CG convinced him about this. Now, with the whole ‘they should have noticed or figured out something was wrong with Steven’, let me tell you one thing: that’s not how it works. Sure a parent should be able to tell when there’s something wrong their kid, but considering Steven became so dang good at avoiding the subject and bottling up his emotions (keeping them to himself), it practically impossible to tell when something is wrong. Parents aren’t physics, they can’t read our minds, so unless we are the ones that address the issue, there’s no other way they can’t find out about our problems. And that’s what happens in Steven’s case, and since they didn’t wanted to push him to talk about it, well, that makes it harder.

CONCLUSION: 

THIS TWO EPS DESTROYED ME, SERIOUSLY THEY LEFT ME IN LITERAL PAIN.

I was expecting them to make me cry, but dear lord, they were such heavy episodes, they even suprassed Prickly Pair, which is an episode that also messed up with my emotions. But these two made me cry. They just hit so close to me.

I’m not sure I’m gonna survive til the finale (really one of the next week eps is called Fragments, and that doesn’t give me any good vibes)

NOW IF YOU’LL EXCUSE ME, I WILL GO CRY IN A CORNER WHILE CURLED UP IN A BALL AS I LISTEN TO DEPRESSING MUSIC CAUSE I DON’T KNOW OF ANOTHER WAY TO COPE WITH THE PAIN.

[amalgamau]

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Is here quicker then most updates will be! I felt like posting it quickly so that there was a bit more content out there for ya! Expect more updates for the actual story to be closer to a couple times a week, but lets go all out for the start Eh?

Directory

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Steven’s eyes slowly opened to see Yellow and Blue standing above him. He jumped to his feet and looked around in desperation. His eyes landed on Connie, lying in a crumpled pile with lion at her side gently nudging her, trying to get her to move, but to no avail. As Steven crawled to his feet with tears in his eyes, he was suddenly snatched up by Blue, who clung to him, sobbing.

"Ohhhhh, Pink! I can't believe it! You've been here all along!"

Steven, however, entirely focused on Connie and forced himself away from Blue in tears.

"CONNIE! C-CONNIE!!"

Steven rushed to her and looked down at her lifeless body, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Connie... you can't.... you can't die... you just said we're supposed to be in this together! You can't leave me..."

He pulled the limp body into a hug, his tears fell onto her and, writhing a moment, she began to glow and slowly turn pink. Steven was taken aback before remembering what happened to Lars, the realization dawning on him. He pulled her tighter, sobbing in relief as Connie slowly opened her eyes.

"St-Steven? What happened...?" she mumbled with a groggy tone.

"Connie! I'm so sorry! I w-wasn’t fast enough.. the gems.. and you... you were..."

He breaks off into sobs unable to speak as he clings tightly to Connie, who hugs back, looking down at her arms.

“I was....? Wh-wha? The last thing I remember was running at Blue Diamond, and then.... It’s all fuzzy... I-is my skin... Pink?” Connie asked as she looked at her arms, which were wrapped around Steven, who couldn’t stop crying. While Connie collected herself, Yellow was trying to get her hand ship to take off, but with no luck. Blue watched Steven cling to Connie  as he cried in concern, but, in fear of upsetting “Pink” even more, she decided to stay silent.

Meanwhile, Connie pulled Steven back to look him in the eyes and spoke to him in a slow and calm voice.

“Steven. It’s okay. I’m right here. Take deep breaths and walk me through what happened slowly.”

Steven nodded and gulped, taking deep labored breaths.

“While I was in the psychic mind place…” he began, "I was trying to get the Diamonds to listen to me... but their thoughts were too strong... and then they poofed everyone with an attack... and then... the.... Gems... the gems got...” He paused and choked on his tears.

“Shattered...” Connie recoiled in alarm and looked around her; she could see indents in the sand where each of the Crystal Gems fell before poofing... and in the indents where Garnet and Amethyst had collapsed, shimmering shards were scattered. A fine light powder, slightly off the color of the sand, dusted the hole where Pearl had fallen. Connie felt tears in her eyes as her mind raced. However, she was able to see the Gemstones of Lapis, Bismuth, and Peridot still unscathed along the beach. As she tried to process what had happened, she turned to Steven in concern.

“Steven... do you... do you think you can heal them? You brought Lars back... You brought....” she paused, gulping as she realized what she was about to say.

“Y-You brought me back.... Can you do the same for them?” Steven sniffled as he looked up at her.

“I-I don’t know... they’re in pieces... even if I tried, I don’t know if I could get all of them...”

Connie paused and looked back at the shards that littered the ground.

“What about Rose’s fountain? If you put them there do you think it would fix them?”

Steven looked down and mumbled “I don’t know.... Maybe...”

Connie grabbed his hands and stood, looking him in the eye with an uneasy smile.

“Then let’s try it! It can’t get much worse can it?”

The pair scrambled to collect the remains of their friends while Blue stared in confusion.

"Pink, what are you doing?" she asked, but was ignored as Steven and Connie focused on grabbing everything they could and bubbling them for safe keeping. As they finished gathering the unshattered gems, Yellow turned exasperated to Steven.

"How could you do this to us Pink? Why did you let us think you were shattered? Why the strange disguise? Why are you doing a voice? Why didn't you say something at the trial? And what are you doing with those gems?"

Steven turned to Yellow with an angry and cold expression.

“I am NOT my mom,” Steven stated in a matter of fact tone.

Yellow in exasperation and confusion asked, “What in the cosmos is a mom?” 

“By its simplest definition,” Connie interjected, “a creature that births another creature, typically of the same species.”

Yellow coughed and ignored her, however, turning to Steven and asking,“Pink, could you PLEASE tell your pet to stop its incessant yapping?”

Steven snapped and turned fully to Yellow in a rage, a sinister aura in the air, causing Connie to slowly back away, holding the remaining gems and bubbled shards.

“CONNIE. Is not my pet. And I am NOT. PINK. DIAMOND!” As he screamed at the top of his lungs, a shock wave erupted from him, blasting the sand around him away in a cloud and shaking the entire beach. Steven took a step towards Yellow, his imposing presence even catching the diamond off guard as she recoiled slightly.

“I. Am. Steven. UNIVERSE!” he cried, as another shock wave sent everyone to the ground,the earth rumbling beneath them. Both Yellow and Blue were stunned into silence, Connie desperately clinging to the gems.

“YOU. KILLED. MY. FAMILY. SHUT UP AND LISTEN TO ME!”

As Steven gave out a final shock wave, the cliff side by his home cracked with the power of his words. The deafening crack of stone snapped Steven out of his rage momentarily, long enough for him to gather his priorities.

Steven takes a long deep breath and walks over to Yellow, the diamonds both gathering themselves to get back on their feet. He looks her directly in the eyes and, through gritted teeth, he growls at her.

“Pink Diamond is gone. I am half gem, half human. I was raised by the Crystal Gems who saw the beauty in life and living. You MURDERED them in cold blood, and You. Will. Help. Fix. It.”

Yellow slowly stands back up before looking down at Steven, scowling with his eyes full of tears. Yellow sighs defeatedly.

“Pi- errrmh... Ste-vahn... Even if I wanted to, they were shattered. They can’t be fixed!”

Steven gives a chillingly cold glare as he wipes the tears from his eyes, staring through Yellow with a look of hated. “I don’t care. Either you fix them. Or you stay out of my way.”

With that Steven turned from Yellow and walked back to Connie.

“Let’s go Connie,” he said in a very matter of fact tone.

“O-okay...” Connie replied with a nod, still shocked by his outburst. She adjusted her hold on the gems, Steven taking the bubbled shards to help carry his friends as they walked toward the wrecked house that was the Temple. As they walked away, Blue, climbing to her feet called out to them.

“Where are you going?”

Without turning or stopping, Steven calls out,“To Rose’s Fountain. You can either come with us, or sit here and think about what you did.”

Blue and Yellow look at each other and both begin following Steven and Connie. Upon reaching the Temple, they help clear the debris from the warp pad before all getting on and warping away.

[starscheme]

Change My World

Chapter Twenty-Five: Separated 

Rushing through the portal to follow after Lars and the others, Steven was holding tight to Spinel as they traveled on Lions back. Since the light from the portal nearly burned their eyes, Steven and Spinel simply held fast and waited for the exit to come. However Steven started to feel dizzy and even though he held tight to Spinel, he couldn’t feel her in his arms. Something was wrong. 

He heard her voice shouting back at him, but it sounded different. More cheerful somehow. “Steven! Let’s play a game!” 

His vision was already blinded by the portals light, but when he tried to open his eyes, the light was no longer coming from the portal. Instead, Steven seemed to be floating in a storm of white butterflies. Their fluttering was almost deafening as they swirled aggressively around him. 

“Spinel?!” Steven cried out, his voice barely audible over the butterflies flapping wings that seemed to echo off of nothing. 

He didn’t understand what was happening. A moment ago, he was on Lions back trying to escape with Spinel. Now, he was alone amongst these strange insects. “What is happening?!” He demanded, holding his hands to his ears in an attempt to drown out the horrible sound that surrounded him. 

“You did this!” A voice rang out in the distance. The same voice that he heard before. The woman that told him to use his power better this time around. However, her voice was no longer gentle. It was angry. “You’re a monster!” 

“No!” Steven shouted back, barely able to hear the woman through the butterflies. “I’m not! I didn’t do anything wrong!” 

The sound of the butterflies ceased at once and suddenly Steven was standing alone in a room full of pink, Dawn colored clouds. 

“You really think you did nothing wrong?” 

Steven gasped and turned on his heel quickly to see Connie standing behind him. Her face was covered by a large white butterfly that had landed there, but he knew it was her. Why was she here?

“Connie? ...what are you-“ 

“—you’re selfish. You turned everything upside down and yet you still can’t protect her.” 

Steven could feel his heart pounding hard beneath his chest. Something was building up inside of him, something he didn’t want to remember. “St-stop...” he pleaded, placing his hands over his ears once more as tears gripped the corners of his eyes. “Just stop! I don’t like this! I don’t want to see this anymore! Just take me back to Spinel!” 

As Steven tried not to listen, the floor beneath him began to ripple and a mermaid surfaced to grab his leg with her hands. Her face was also covered by a butterfly, but the rainbow colored hair reminded him of the mermaid they’d seen on stage. “Because that’s what this has all been about, hasn’t it Steven?” Asked the mermaid bitterly. “But once she’s gone, we’ll be free.” 

“Gone?! What are you gonna-“ 

Another mermaid emerged to wrap her hands around his other ankle, holding Steven there so he couldn’t escape. This time, the mermaids face was uncovered. It was Volley. Her left eye had been hallowed out, but she had a wild smile on her face as she looked up at the horrified young man. 

“You’ll be back to normal once she’s gone,” volley insisted in a cheerful, desperate voice. “Just let her go, Steven.” 

“Get off of me!” He shouted angrily now, frantic to get away from their grip and that empty eye that he couldn’t look away from. 

“Once she knows what you did...she’ll hate you,” Connie began again, walking towards Steven slowly. “Once she remembers what you really are and what you’ve done...” 

Steven wasn’t entirely sure what Connie meant, but the image of his hand penetrating Spinels stomach was quickly brought to mind and he began to panic further. He didn’t really kill Spinel, did he? Wasn’t that just some horrible nightmare? 

“She’ll remember soon enough. You’ll remember everything...and then you’ll lose her again. Because you can’t control it anymore. You’ll break everything just like before.” 

“C-Connie...I-stop this! Please! I just want to see Spinel! Let me go back!” 

“You can’t hide behind her anymore!” The three shouted together. As Steven looked to each one in a panic, a terrible sound began to echo from Volleys hallow eye socket and suddenly a swarm of white butterflies sprang from it, forcing Steven to close his eyes and shield his face from the oncoming swarm. 

“This game of pretend is coming to an end soon Steven. ...let’s see if you can hang on until that happens...” said Connie, her voice somehow clear over the butterflies flapping wings, which soon consumed everything around him, leaving Steven feeling helpless as he fell in the tunneled storm of insects. 

As Steven was lost in the illusion, he was shouting for everything to stop and Spinel had been trying to bring him back to reality. She’d turned around, holding onto Steven by his collar in an attempt to keep him steady on Lions back. 

“Steven-STEVEN! Snap out of it!!” She pleaded aloud, unsure how to bring him out of this. It wasn’t until Steven started struggling did Spinel lose her balance and began to feel herself and Steven slipping off of Lions back. With a gasp, Spinel hugged Steven around the waist as they fell into the portals light. 

This light vanished quickly and Spinel only panicked further when she realized they were falling through the clouds. “Oh my gosh!! Oh my gosh!!” She shouted in a frenzy, her mind racing over what she was supposed to do. 

Steven opened his eyes with a start, expecting to see the butterflies, but instead, he saw the open sky above him and felt the sharp wind at his back as he and Spinel fell towards the ground. 

“Wha—Spinel!” Steven shouted in a panic. 

“We’re falling stupid!!” Spinel replied, trying to shout over the wind, but refusing to open her eyes. Spinel was not good with heights. At all. 

“How?!” 

“Does it matter?! What are we gonna do?!” 

Steven wasn’t sure how to get out of this, but the ground was fast approaching and he was sure they wouldn’t go unscathed once the fall was over. If there was ever a time to remember something about these powers of his, it would be now. He grit his teeth and wrapped his arms around Spinel tight, pleading with any force out there that he might be able to protect Spinel somehow. 

Suddenly, the wind around them ceased and everything became a tinted pink color. They were still falling, but their descent had slowed and miraculously, Steven had managed to put some sort of bubble around them. “Spinel, Spinel open your eyes!” He insisted in relief, shaking her shoulders a bit. 

Spinel cracked open one eye, but was still frightened when she saw how high up they still were. Even if she was relieved they weren’t falling anymore, she was frozen from fear. “G-good! Now-now get us down!” 

Steven glanced down, holding Spinel close as they slowly floated in the sky, now trapped in a bubble he made without knowing how to control it. It slowed them down, but he wasn’t sure how to speed up the process or how long the bubble would even last. “Thaaaat...might be problematic...” he replied with a sigh, “...but at least we won’t be turned into pancakes.” 

“How did we even end up like this? What the hell happened to you?!” Spinel demanded, her heart beating so fast that she was sure to pass out at any moment. 

Recalling the unfortunate images he saw, Steven was forced to remember Connies words. How Spinel would hate him once she remembered. The thought terrified him. What if he really did hurt Spinel in some past life? Was that what he kept seeing? “I...I don’t...remember,” he lied. 

Such an obvious lie as well. Spinel could tell right away that it wasn’t the truth, but she was not in the mood to drag it out of him. She just wanted to put her feet back on the ground. “...well I-I don’t really do heights. We should have just taken the train like we planned.” 

Luckily, Steven still had their duffle bag strapped around his shoulder and across his chest. Being separated from Lion would mean they’d need travel expenses again. That is, once they figured out where they were going to land. He looked down once again and his heart skipped a beat. They had already caught the attention of some soldiers that were traveling along the road. It seems a pink bubble descending from the sky wouldn’t exactly go unnoticed. 

“Goddammit,” Steven muttered before pushing Spinel off of him. 

“Hey-! What’s—“ 

Without much time to explain, Steven removed the duffle bag from his shoulders and quickly wrapped its strap around Spinel. 

“I’m sorry,” he said before he cupped her face in his hands and kissed her lips. 

Spinels heart skipped a beat, but before she was able to question anything, she saw Stevens skin start to turn pink. Gasping lightly against his lips, Spinel placed her hands at his chest to push him back. “Steven! You-“ 

“-just stay hidden and stay safe,” Steven interrupted, looking rather troubled. “I promise we won’t be apart for long.” 

“Apart? What—?!” 

Spinel was panicked now. What was Steven talking about? Without a moment to connect the dots, Steven placed his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away, a separate bubble forming around her. Suddenly, she realized what was going on. He was sending her away. Though she initially wanted to avoid looking down, she glanced at the ground below and saw the patrol of soldiers waiting there, getting ever closer as they lowered slowly.

“N-no! Steven! No!” Spinel demanded, banging at the edge of her bubble as it slowly parted from Stevens original bubble. “Don’t do this! Let me out!” 

“Sorry,” Steven said again, a little weaker this time. He wasn’t even sure he’d be able to make two of these things, but he was glad it worked. Those soldiers couldn’t have been down there by coincidence. It’s like they knew somehow that he and Spinel would be falling towards this place. He couldn’t let them capture her. Who knows what kinds of torture she would have to endure at the Capital. If he had the power to get her away safely, he would try anything. 

Though Spinel was shouting and banging at the edge of her bubble, Steven could barely hear her. He was starting to feel weak, but he still had something left to try. Concentrating hard, Steven raised his hand and smashed it against Spinels bubble, finally fully separating the two and sending Spinels bubble away like a shot.  

Watching silently as Spinel was sent away, Steven smiled and tried to catch his breath. It worked. He knew she’d be angry and maybe even a little scared, but hopefully she would land somewhere safe. At least it would be safer than here. If he had the strength, he would try to avoid the soldiers himself, but sending Spinel away took so much out of him that he was having trouble keeping conscious. 

As Stevens bubble finally neared the ground, a soldier stepped forward to approach it, raising a brow when he saw an unconscious Steven inside. It was Caden, who recognized Steven from the festival that ended not long ago. 

“You said there would be two,” stated Caden, tapping the bubble curiously. 

“...does it matter? After all...he’s the only one you need,” answered Garnet as she stepped out from behind the soldiers that followed Caden. 

“If he really is who you say he is...than I guess the girl is of no consequence. Still, I’ll need to send some men to look in the direction she went,” sighed Caden, eyeing Garnet suspiciously, “men, come and break this bubble. Once we do, we’ll need to take the prisoner to the Palace.” 

A few soldiers took their horses and took off in Spinels direction, while the rest did as instructed and went to work on an attempt to break down Stevens forcefield while their Captain stood back, keeping his eye on Garnet as she watched things play out silently. 

[fanfoolishness]

Greg Universe’s biggest mistake

First thing’s first: Greg Universe is an incredible father. What I would have given to have a dad like him... he’s amazing. And I think he deserves an enormous amount of credit for doing his absolute best to love and care for Steven through everything, especially through his own grief.

But there’s one decision he made that I think is going to come back to bite him and Steven both in Steven Universe: Future. And that’s Greg’s insistence that Gem stuff isn’t his thing.

Long post ahead about how this has affected Steven, Greg, and their relationship, along with some musings for what it might mean for Steven Universe: Future.

***

In early seasons it seemed to have been a very hard and fast rule. Initially he states in Laser Light Cannon it was insistence by the Gems:  “Wait, is that a magical thing? The Gems told me not to get involved with magic stuff. It... it could be dangerous or interfere with what’s left of my hair.”  The Gems reinforce this rule by acting less than enthused when he shows up with Steven.

 In Catfingers Greg excuses himself because the shape shifting is a Gem thing.  “Whup! Magic stuff! Should I get out of here? Is there going to be an explosion?” he asks anxiously.  While he helps Steven escape his predicament in the end, it’s clear Greg is pretty overwhelmed by the situation.  

It’s probably for good reason Greg doesn’t go on many missions. Of course, as a good dad, Greg is willing when the situation is desperate.  But he’s more comfortable helping Steven with things like transportation as opposed to leaning in to the magic inherent in the situation.  While Steven’s glad to have his dad along in Ocean Gem, Steven also sees him get his leg broken, a good lesson in Dad and Gem stuff don’t mix.

There’s several possible reasons for why both Greg and the Gems enforced this rule.  One is simply that Greg is human and more likely to be hurt on missions.  But we get another possible reason why in Message Received.  Greg’s hurt to see how the Gems see him as useless.  “I think so highly of you... it just isn’t fair.”  Which makes sense. Greg’s always known the Gems and their war were so much bigger than him. He’s looked up to them, even Pearl who often barely tolerates him. If this has always been their dynamic, no wonder he would feel inadequate when it comes to Gem stuff and he would want Steven to get the best information from them, instead of whatever he could cobble together.  He’d also know he’s unable to protect Steven the way the Gems can.

In The Return, Greg tries to explain some Gem things to Steven, one of the few times he does so, and it’s only because the Gems themselves have pushed Steven away to protect him.  It doesn’t go super well.  Greg’s intensely uncomfortable, and Steven is horrified to hear some of the truth behind the Gems’ presence on the planet.

Then in Full Disclosure Steven really starts to understand how uncomfortable his dad is with this stuff, especially once Steven realizes how much bigger it is than just the Crystal Gems he knows and loves.  “Now Dad’s really freaking out, what do I do...”

Greg, for his part, still does his best to stay involved in Steven’s life.  He takes Steven to the Barn to help with working on the drill to use on the Cluster, he provides a loving and stable presence in Steven’s human life, and he routinely checks in with him when he sees things like Stevonnie or Steven hating Kevin.   He talks to Steven about how much Rose loved him and wanted him.

Unfortunately, he messes up again during Steven’s Birthday.  He doesn’t encourage Connie to talk to Steven about her worries.  He doesn’t bring Steven into the conversation.  When he does talk to Steven, it isn’t really helpful, and he doesn’t apologize to Steven for the “wait and see” comment.

Greg: Why are you doing this? It... really isn't like you. Steven: Because, Dad, I can't stay a kid forever, when Connie grows up and becomes president what is that gonna make me? First Boy!? Amethyst: Steven, you can't just keep stretching forever. If you hold it too long, you could really hurt yourself. Steven: Yeah well, I'm half human so maybe it works different for me, we'll just have to wait and see, right? Greg: *sigh* Steven...

This is par for the course.  Greg understands when Steven’s stressed out from human problems.  But Greg doesn’t see when comfort is needed because of Gem things (i.e. never growing up).  Steven never discusses what happened to the Cluster or Jasper or Bismuth or even being lost in space in Bubbled with his dad.  Not that we see.  Did it happen off-screen?  Maybe....  

Except we know how good Steven is at repressing things.  Even Connie, the human he’s brought most into his life as a Gem, didn’t know who Bismuth and Eyeball were when encountering them in the hallucination as Stevonnie.  My guess is, no, Steven either never told Greg about these things, or downplayed them into funny anecdotes or quick asides.

After The Return, we only see Greg discussing serious Gem things when Steven brings it up, and it’s usually in relation to Rose, not about other things Steven has been through.  In Steven’s Dream Greg tells him who Rose was when he knew her, but he doesn’t talk about what Steven’s really asking about.  He wants to know what Rose was thinking when she shattered Pink, what the reason was, if it could possibly be justified.  Greg tells him Rose was an amazing, loving being, but how is Steven supposed to reconcile that with her image as a shatterer and a liar?

Steven gets another important lesson in Dad-and-Gem-stuff-don’t-mix when Greg gets abducted. Steven absolutely believes this is 100% his fault, and is so panicked he left Connie behind despite her wanting to help, and almost crashed a spaceship. Does he need any more proof in why he can’t involve his dad in this part of his life?

Even after they get back to safety, there’s no evidence that Steven and Greg talk much about what happened. Steven uses Rose’s room to try and process a lot of what he’s been going through, but to frightening effect. He’s starting to feel like he can’t talk to anyone about these things.  If he talks to Greg, he puts Greg in danger. When he tries to talk to “Rose,” he puts himself in danger from his own feelings.  So he represses. Again.

Lion 4: Alternate Ending shows Greg for one of the first times that Steven is really struggling with this stuff. He’s supportive, but deeply surprised. He had no idea Steven was thinking along these lines... because this is the area they don’t talk about. Steven cries out in frustration that he doesn’t know what he’s for, what his magical destiny is supposed to be — what an enormous responsibility he’s trying to take on.  Greg does try to reassure him.  

At his core Steven still believes he was made to deal with Rose’s problems, even if he’d like to believe otherwise -- if he didn’t, how could he just give himself up to Homeworld like that?

Gemcation shows that unfortunately after so long of this, Steven’s starting to have problems opening up about even his human problems.  He worries what Greg and the Gems will think if Steven admits he messed up with Connie. And Greg, convinced Steven is upset by what happened on Homeworld (you aren’t wrong, Greg, it’s just Steven hasn’t realized it yet!), keeps trying to make the Gems talk to Steven.   Because obviously, Steven hasn’t talked to Greg.

“But I know it's not space lag. This is some Gem thing he knows I won't understand. I don't know anything about Homeworld. I don't know anything about your society. Whatever horrible things he saw out there, you guys have to put it into context.”

After all the emotions brought up in A Single Pale Rose, Steven and Greg get one line of discussion together about Rose. Steven asks how Greg’s doing and Greg tells him it’s fine. Greg most likely doesn’t want to worry Steven at all -- a valid impulse! -- but come on Greg, there’s no way it’s fine. By modeling that it’s okay, it doesn’t need to be discussed, Greg loses a chance to connect with Steven on something important and painful for them both.  He doesn’t even ask Steven how he feels about it!

In the movie we see that Steven does reach out to Greg to help when the Gems get reset. This is typical of the pattern we’ve seen before. When there’s a physical problem with Gem stuff that needs help, Steven will feel okay asking Greg for help, and Greg will feel brave enough to try. Laser Light Cannon, Catfingers, Ocean Gem, Message Received, Steven’s Dream.  If Steven needs him physically, he’ll ask and Greg’ll be there because he does really want to help!

 But Steven never shares his dream of happily ever after with his dad. After all, that would suggest there was an unhappy past that needed to be overcome... and that’s not what they discuss, it’s not what they ever discuss.  So Steven shares this dream with the Gems, he mutters it to himself at one of his lowest points, he longs for it after the Gems are reset, he even tells Spinel.  He doesn’t tell Greg.

It may be important to have Steven and Greg face the ramifications of this head on. I fully believe SU:F is going to be about Steven learning to truly combine his Gem and human heritage and heart, because he is starting to lose the connection to his humanity in favor of all his work as a Gem and a Diamond.  Hell, he almost died because he forgot about his human self in all the struggle to regain his Gem powers!

Humans struggle. They grow. They make mistakes. And as teenagers, they rebel, sometimes especially against the ones who have loved them the most.

But what would make Steven rebel against Greg?

Consider Greg seeing Steven suffering, struggling with new powers he’s afraid of, and Greg pleading with Steven to talk with him.

Consider Steven, furious that after all the things he’s been through, Greg is finally asking him how he feels about Gem problems. “You don’t understand what’s going on. You never do!”

And the most painful thing of all would be that Steven isn’t wrong.

TLDR: Greg meant well by trying to separate Gem and human parenting responsibilities, but in the end, he fucked up. As all parents do in some ways, even the most loving, kind and supportive. I think it’d be an important message from the show to see that parental relationship shaken to its core — and then made stronger than ever with real discussion between them of what Greg’s choices meant for Steven, with both of them working towards a more honest and adult relationship together.  

It would show kids that their parents are human and they make mistakes.  Sometimes as a kid you need to be honest and tell them when they've messed up — but you also can trust that a good parent will love you through all of that, and that they are doing the best they can.

If we don’t see something like this in SU:F, I’ll be disappointed, as every other main player in Steven’s life has grown and changed tremendously.  Whereas Greg is always stalwart, supportive and loving, but not changing.  Maybe this would be the catalyst for their father-son relationship to change and mature.  I know I’d love to see it.

[crystalgrow]

What about Mica?

Mica was pretty used to hearing it by now. Everywhere she went she heard it. It was pretty common for her to hear. But that never made it easier to hear.

She tugs on the orange bands in her hair, letting it fall out of the ponytail; though it had been in for long enough that it sort of hurt now that they were free. Steven was busy with little homeschool today, and she was supposed to be running errands right now. Except she hadn’t even made it inside the nearest building before hearing it again.

“Yeah, she’s away at college right now, but she should be coming back this summer.”

“This summer? She’s already graduating? Man, time sure flies.”

“Yeah, I bet her and Steven will be attached at the hip again.”

Mica places her hand on her chest, attempting to will her heart to stop speeding like a runaway car down a mountain, but it was no use. It beat faster than a drummer at a rock show, and hurt just as much as standing next to the speakers.

“What about Mica?” Her ears pick up her name before she can get her feet to walk away. Metaphorical cement pouring down and around her heels: she couldn’t move even if she wanted too.

“What about Mica?”

“What’s gonna happen with her when she comes back?”

“Eh, who knows, but I’ll betcha twenty bucks, Steven’s gonna get back with Connie.”

The voices fade as they continue their own walk down the boardwalk. Mica’s hands push a bit harder on the space above her heart, maybe if she pushed hard enough it would stop.

Exhaling through her nose, Mica decides to send Steven a quick text, letting him know that she wasn’t feeling great but not to worry, and if he could finish the errands on the way home? It didn’t take long to get a reply, and she began walking back to the house. Her hands tug on her hair; the humidity was already causing the kinks to come back so who cared if she ruined the style she had spent an hour on this morning? She kicks off her heels as she enters the room, Lion looking up at her entrance.

“Hey bud,” she smiles softly, walking over and flopping onto the large cat, who gave only a grunt in response before laying his head back down. “At least you can’t talk.” Mica chuckles, running her hands through his fur as she slowly sinks to the ground next to him, but hidden from view.

“Ah! Have you heard?” Pearl’s voice reaches Mica’s ears and makes her nearly flinch. It was always a bit louder and a bit more high pitch than Mica was used too

“I know,” Amethyst chuckles, though it’s clear there’s food in her mouth. “Connie’s coming back.” Mica’s heart sinks, not even in Steven’s house could she escape it.

“I missed her! She was so exceptional. A wonderful student, and a wonderful partner to Steven as well.” Pearl smiles.

“She was pretty cool, funny too.” Amethyst nods.

“She was also so great with handling gems.” Pearl lets out a sigh, “Why couldn’t Steven had just waited for her to finish school? That is the only reason they separated anyway.” She sighs, and Amethyst nudges her.

“Why? Don’t like his current girl?”

“No! No,” Pearl is a bit too quick to say through clenched teeth. “Mica is...fine.” Her hands trail over the counter as she thinks of something to say, “She’s just not quite Connie, is she? She’s so---”

“Human?” Garnet interjects, as if trying to cut the conversation shorter.

“Yes.” Pearl nods, “Human! And not that there’s anything wrong with that, of course. But Connie wanted to learn, and she was so quick witted too!”

“Yeah, I mean, Mica is cool too.” Amethyst shrugs, “But Connie is…”

“Better!” Pearl nods, clasping her hands together. “A better fit for our Steven. I just don’t think Mica is quite good enough.”

And then the three gems are out the front door, leaving the house deathly quiet.

Mica takes a deep breath, before pushing her face into Lion’s mane and letting out a quiet scream. She clutches to the cat a bit tighter for a moment, and Lion makes a small uncomfortable noise.

“Sorry, Lion.” She says gently, pulling away, and getting herself to her feet. Brushing off her shirt, she stretches her back a bit more.

“Steven?” The voice comes from the front door, and Mica feels her heart fall into her stomach. The Universe is really just asking Mica to end someone's life today, isn’t it? She huffs before making her way to the door, and opening it with a forced smile.

“Hey Connie,” She smiles, “Steven’s at little homeworld, and the gems left not too long ago too.”

“Oh, hi Mica.” Connie smiles, adjusting the bag on her shoulder. “I was coming to surprise Steven but--”

“Don’t worry about it,” Mica shrugs, gesturing for her to come in. “I was about to head to my house for the weekend anyway.”

“It’s Thursday.”

“A long weekend.” Mica corrects, placing a hand on her hip, turning to Connie. “Congrats, by the way.”

“Huh?”

“I heard you graduated college.” Mica shrugs, “It’s a big deal.” She heads up the stairs, Connie trailing behind a few steps. “So, congrats are in order, right?”

“Oh, right.” Connie laughs, but it dies in her throat rather quickly. Her own brows furrow as she looks around what used to be Steven’s room, but now seemed to clearly belong to both Steven and Mica.

The bed was haphazardly made, the cookie cat clock was still on one side of the bed, but a second table had been added on the opposite side with a framed photo of the couple and a diary. The shelf behind the bed had been expanded upon: books of geology as well as Steven’s own collection, and a few Gem items from old adventures along with a stuffed animal from one of their first dates. Connie looks around, spotting a third dresser between the TV and closet beside the one that held Steven’s mini terrarium, on top of the new dresser was a geode made into book-ends, which was holding up two more geology books.

“Wow.” She states, letting out an awkward laugh.

“What?” Mica asks, walking over to the closet, and grabbing a bag from it.

“I just--I didn’t realize how serious you and Steven were.”

Mica blinks at that, stopping and turning to look at Connie, who was looking at the photos strung up along the walls; most of which were taken by Steven himself. A mix of the two of him and Mica on dates, mica herself, places around Beach City, as well as many locations in Empire City. The biggest frame though, which had taken the place of the painting of Steven and Garnet (that had been moved downstairs), was a painting of Mica and Steven done by Vidalia of the two of them at Mica’s dads’ wedding.

“What?” Mica asks, practically kicking herself back into gear. She walks over to the geode dresser, beginning to pack for a weekend away. “What do you mean?” She’s now avoiding having to look at Connie.

“Well, I mean, you’re practically living here.” Connie laughs, running a hand along the top of Steven’s dresser; picking up the photo of herself. “You’ve basically moved in, it looks like.”

“I do spend a lot of time here,” Mica shrugs, “I don’t technically live here though.” She says nonchalantly; though Connie gives her a look.

“No?”

“No.” Mica sighs, shoving the last of her clothes into her bag, before walking over to the bed and grabbing the stuffed animal off the shelf, adding that to the bag along with her phone charger, and zipping it up. “So, you’re welcome to stay until Steven gets home. I’m sure he’ll be glad to see you.” She smiles, before walking towards the stairs.

“You’re not gonna stay to say goodbye to him?” Connie asks, tilting her head as she sits on the bed.

“Nah,” Mica shrugs, not bothering to look up at the younger girl. “You’re way more important.” And with that she pulls out her phone, and heads outside to call her dad to pick her up for the weekend.

[love-takes-work]

Steven Universe Comic #36 (2020) - Outline & Review

The thirty-sixth installment of the ongoing comic series for Steven Universe is about Connie and Steven's latest trip to Buddwick library. Steven learns about the organizational power of libraries, but it's all for naught when all the books they want are missing even though they're not checked out. Could someone or something be snatching Buddy's books?

Plot:

Steven and Connie head back to Buddwick Library, where they had an adventure once upon a time reading about Buddy Buddwick's adventures touring the world documenting Gem stuff. They decide to find more of his books, including the original journal, but Steven doesn't know how to use the library's systems. Connie helps him learn.

After they use computers to track down a bunch of Buddy's books and write down their locations on cards, Steven and Connie split up to find them and mysteriously, none of the books they're looking for are on the shelves. They ask a librarian, but the books are listed as checked in. They're not sure what to do.

Connie suggests the books must all be shelved improperly somewhere in the library, and when they begin to search more thoroughly, they find evidence that a creature is lurking among the books. They track it down and find that this creature is a corrupted Gem who has snatched all of Buddy's books and has thrown them all into a closed-off room!

The Gem attacks, so Connie and Steven battle it and poof it. And when they get a look at the books it's been hoarding--all of them Buddy's--they find all kinds of books documenting Gem history.

They enjoy reading and looking at pictures of places they've been and creatures they've encountered, and Steven is surprised how much Buddy got around. He speculates that the corrupted Gem collected all these Gem-related books so it wouldn't have to feel alone and could be surrounded by something familiar. But now, it does not have to be alone, and someday soon it will be okay.

Notable:

1. Connie mentions that a new book is out by the author of Unfamiliar Familiar. I wonder if it's a new series? Neither of them said anything about how Connie didn't like the ending of the last one. I wonder if she still considers herself a fan.

2. Connie's hair is short in this comic, so it takes place after "Kevin Party," but Steven still mentions "Mayor Dewey" even though he stepped down to let Nanefua be mayor in "Dewey Wins" (several episodes before "Kevin Party"). I guess this is either an inconsistency or a manifestation of Steven just doing what lots of fans also do--still calling him "Mayor" even though he isn't because we've known him that way for so long.

3. The Diamonds’ murals as depicted on the Moon Base are included in one of Buddy's books. The comic does say that the murals are "across the world," so I guess it's suggesting that the same murals that are on the moon are in various locations on Earth too. This struck me as strange that there would be a bunch of Diamond murals around and we've never seen them in Steven's travels on Earth, but I guess they wouldn't necessarily have to be in protected Gem locations.

4. There's a monster listed as "The Leviathan" that looks kind of like a monster in a previous comic, but I'm not sure whether it's a specific show monster. It looks like a Centipeetle but with a wormy tail, in the water. I wonder if it's supposed to be what William Dewey encountered while coming to Beach City. Other locations and images are familiar--the Sky Spire, the Communication Hub, Rose with her lions, the Centipeetle, the Great North monsters, more Diamond murals with speculations on what they'd really look like, and even a cute old-timey image of Ruby and Sapphire in old fashions. When the heck would he have seen that??

5. This comic implies that Buddy's work primarily focused on documenting Gem activity and Gem places, since his books were the ones the creature stole. I kinda thought the episode "Buddy's Book" implied that Buddy documented his Gem-related travels in one book and then was encouraged to become an author by Rose, after which he went on to write about other things because he didn't want to just be "a tourist." But she did emphasize that his documentation was unique and that he was talented at it, so maybe that's what encouraged him to keep finding and writing about Gem stuff. There are dozens of books in that room, though, and I had trouble picturing that many volumes all with the same format.

[SU Book and Comic Reviews]

[avatarmerida]

Pros and Cons

Set between the movie and the start of Future because you can’t convince me these kids weren’t dating the whole time and we deserve to see more schmaltz from Steven. Wrote this on mobile, so I’ll fix all spelling and formatting things later. Enjoy!

——————————————————————

“Connie, Steven is here!” Called Dr. Maheswaran to her daughter, who hardly needed to be told since she was already bolting down the stairs at full speed.

“Bye mom!” Called the girl as she rushed passed her out the door.

“Be back by 10!” Her mother called after in a stern voice, though small smile found its way onto her face as she slowly closed the door, happy to see Connie so happy.

“Hey Connie!” Exclaimed Steven, grinning ear to ear once she entered his sight.

“Steven!” She sang as she ran to him, leaping to tackle him with a big hug. Steven returned the embrace and the pair laughed. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever!”

It had only been a few days. “I got you something,” he said, presenting a bouquet of flowers to her. A collection a vivid blue flowers, tied together with a matching bow, everything carefully selected and presented to be picture perfect.

“Aw Steven!” She swooned, taking the flowers from him and bringing them to her nose, the smell light and sweet. “Oh, they’re so beautiful! Thank you.”

She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his cheek before hopping in the passenger seat. Steven blushed wildly, and ran behind the car to his seat so Connie wouldn’t see. She had been doing that a lot more lately, not that he minded. It was often enough that it didn’t catch him totally off guard but rare enough that he still wasn’t quite used to it. Pro.

He jumped in the driver’s seat and snuck a quick look at her as she continued to fawn over the flowers. She was wearing her favorite blue dress and Steven couldn’t help but thank she looked like an angel. She carefully undid the ribbon from the bouquet and used it to tie up her hair and the simple act made Steven’s heart spin. Pro.

Truthfully, that feeling was nothing new. Connie had always made him feel this way, but lately there was something different. Every time she touched him he felt light headed. He suddenly noticed they touched so much. She’d rest her head on his shoulder when they watched movies together or they’d hold hands when they took walks, but now he felt himself hesitate to do the things that were once so second nature. Yet somehow, that made him want to do then even more. Pro.

“Um Steven?” Asked Connie and his daze broke, and he realized he had been staring at her in silence.

“Oh uh, right,” he laughed awkwardly, starting the car. Connie didn’t seem to notice his nerves and started playing with the radio as they began to make their way to Beach City.

“- oh it was so hard not stopping the instructor every five minutes,” said Connie, finishing her story. “I mean, he was only focused on this solar system, he wouldn’t even listen when I tried describing Homeworld! Sure, Jupiter is cool but I think a society of gems is much cooler.”

“I think have to agree,” laughed Steven. “But other than that, space camp was fun?”

“Of course,” she said. “I wish I could’ve spent more time with you though. Next time you should come, you could probably teach the class!”

“I’ll think about it,” he sighed, fighting the urge to stare at her again, knowing he had to keep his eyes on the road. She continued talking about space camp, though most of it he had already heard on the phone, but he just enjoyed hearing her voice. Pro.

He suddenly longed for the day when they would sit on the beach and she’d read aloud to him, nothing else to do and not a care in the world. Just the two of them. But of course they both had other responsibilities now, but that only made Steven think of the future more. He was never shy when it came to telling Connie how much she meant to him, but tonight he wanted to add something more. In his jacket pocket he had a list or pros and cons which confirmed his decision to ask (even though the pros side was mostly just tiny things her loved about Connie). His dad said it was ‘taking the next step’ and Steven kind of agreed. It did feel like a big step but at the same time, a natural one. But if marathoning Camp Pining Hearts with Peridot has taught him anything, it was that big feelings required a big gesture.

Finally, they reached Temple. Steven made sure his parking job was perfect (parallel parking even though it wasn’t necessary but Connie found it impressive) and then frantically ran around the side to open Connie’s door for her.

“After you, my lady,” he said in a mock fancy tone, offering her his arm.

“Why thank you, my lord,” she responded in the same tone, taking it and the two made their way down the beach “And where shall we be dining tonight?”

“Why, only the finest eating establishment of course,” He said and then ran ahead to present the setting to her. “Ta-da!”

“Steven...” murmured Connie with wide eyes as she took in his creation. He had brought out a simple folding table and with a long tablecloth and a few lanterns, he had transformed the beach into something from a fairy tale. Around the table, four poles displayed twinkling lights and glowing bracelets, like the one that had brought them together. It was like their own personal fallen star, a tiny spotlight on a calm night. Lion sat close by, fast asleep which somehow just added to the lore.

“Oh wow this is amazing,” she whispered as she marveled at the details. “This must’ve taken you all day!”

It had. “Oh, it’s no big deal,” he blushed, pulling out her chair. She sat down and continued to look astound, utterly enchanted.

“But wait! It get better!” He said as he excitedly leaned over the table to present the pizza box the gems had set out minutes before they arrived. Steven said they couldn’t watch but they wanted to be knocked anyway they could. “Ta-da!”

“Pizza, very classy,” said Connie with her fancy tone, though pizza was kind of a let down after the lighting display.

“Notice anything weird about the cheese?”

“What do you-?” Connie questioned as she looked closer, and sure enough she did. She reached inside and hidden amidst the cheese was a yellow envelope. “Steven, what is this?” She laughed.

“Why don’t you open it and find out?” He beamed.

She did and once she did her face lit up lighter than the candles on the table. She looked up at him with utter disbelief. “These aren’t-.”

He nodded, trying to keep his cool. “They are!”

“Tickets to the new Unfamiliar Familiar Movie?” She said still in shook as she read them small pieces of paper. “They sold out weeks ago! How did you get these?”

“I was the first in line to get them,” he said as if it were no big deal and he hadn’t camped outside the theater for hours. Then he admitted somewhat sheepishly. “I didn’t realize you could buy tickets online, but I knew how much it meant to you so I-.”

“Aw, you’re the best!” As she ran around the table to wrap him in a tight hug.

“Nah, you’re the best,” he blushed, luckily it was dark enough that Connie probably couldn’t see. “Lion can take us after we eat. Have any theories about how this one will be different than the books?”

“Ugh, so many!” She said as she sat back down. The two sat and ate their pizza as Connie discussed her theories. Steven, of course, was hoping they’d make sure the wedding cake was as accurate as possible which made Connie laugh which made his heart jump. Pro.

“Wow Steven, I just can’t get over how great this is,” sighed Connie, placing one of her hands on his.

“Well, you’re worth it,” he said, resting his chin on his other hand as he looked at her. “I really wanted to make sure tonight was special.”

“Why?”

“Why? Uh...” this wasn’t supposed to be when he asked, he had it mapped out so perfectly. “Because, well, with school starting back up soon you’ll be so busy studying and I just wanted to make sure that any time we spend together is extra special.”

Now it was Connie’s turn to blush. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and gave him a sweet smile. “Time with my jam bud is always special,” she said, tilting her head. “Wow, just wait until I tell the girls from camp about this. I told them all about you and Beach City and they all kept telling me how jealous they were of my magical boyfriend. If they saw this they’d-.”

His heart leapt at the word. “B-boyfriend?”

“Huh? Oh yeah, they would sometimes call you my boyfriend,” she said as her blush got bigger, trying to make the word seem like less of a big deal. “It was just teasing, no big deal. Nothing, I mean I didn’t-.”

“Did you correct them?” He asked sheepishly, hoping for a certain answer.

“Um, at first,” she admitted, averting her eyes from his. “But most of the time they called you ‘Steven’ so I didn’t need to to. I mean, it didn’t bother me when they called you my boyfriend. I mean, when you break down the components of the word-.”

“Connie it’s fine!” He cut her off with a laugh. “It doesn’t bother me.”

“Are you sure?”

“No, I mean actually...” he began to reach under the table to where the final part of the plan was carefully hidden: a box of donuts from The Big Donut in Connie’s favorite flavor with a customized design, one read “By My” and the other “Girlfriend?” Steven knew it was cliche and cheesy but Sadie assured him it was really adorable. “There’s actually something I wanted to tell you... or ask you? Okay, wait, there are two things-.”

“Steven do you feel that?”

“Well, even since-.”

“Steven, I think it’s starting to rain...”

“What? No, Garnet said...”

But sure enough, a roll of thunder cut him off and the rain came shortly after in buckets. Con.

“Oh no, all your work,” said Connie frantically, not worried about herself getting wet. “Steven, the lanterns!”

“It’s okay,” he insisted conjuring a shield to protect them from the rain. “Let’s just grab the tickets and Lion can teleport us to the theater.”

“Okay,” said Connie, reaching down to grab the, only to find they weren’t where she thought she had left them. “Wait, where are they?”

“They should be right by the centerpiece,” answered Steven as the rain came down harder. “Are they by-.” his eyes darted between the empty space on the table and Lion at the table’s edge and suddenly he realized what had happened.  He dropped the shield and went to pry open Lion’s mouth. “NO!”

“What?”

“He ate them!” he exclaimed not finding anything between his teeth, confirming his fear.

“Oh no!” said Connie, though it was hard to see with the rain coming down so hard. “Well, do you still have the receipt? Maybe we can try-.”

Con. Somehow knowing he was no longer needed, Lion turned and ran away from the pair. “No, wait!” pleaded Steven, looking back and forth between where Lion was running to, Connie was standing in the rain, and then he remembered the donuts getting soggy. This was no how this evening was supposed to go at all. Steven’s mind raced for a way to fix it but nothing came to mind, everything started getting blurry but he needed to focus on Connie. He needed to-

“Connie, I’m sorry!” he exclaimed, rushing over to her and suddenly the rain was o longer dousing them. He looked up, confused, and saw that he had summoned a bubble without realizing it. Luckily they were safe from the rain now, but still soaking wet. “Ugh, Connie I’m so sorry.” he said again.

“Why? Because it rained?” she laughed, wringing her hair out. “Steven, you can’t blame yourself for the weather.”

“No, I’m sorry for this whole night; it was a disaster,” he admitted as he sat down, defeated. “I was just really nervous and excited and I wanted everything to be perfect.”

Con.

“As long as we’re together, it is,” she insisted, sitting beside him. “Remember the last time we were trapped in a bubble? We still had fun. We can still have fun now. Look, the rain’s starting to let up.”

Steven turned and saw she was right, it was no longer down pouring and had downgraded to a faint drizzle. Pro.

“Oh, the beach is so pretty at night,” Connie whispered as the moon appeared from behind the clouds, reflecting majestically on the water.

“Yeah, it is,” Steven agreed, though he wasn’t looking at the moon. “Hold on, I have an idea.” He stood up and summoned a great amount of foucused, jumped up and hit the top of the bubble. He was stuck only a moment but soon the bubble rose with him and the pair were floating up into the sky. The hovered toward the water until the had a fantastic view of the beach and the whole town.

“Wow,” said Connie breathlessly, taking in the view. “Steven this is amazing!”

He shrugged and sat back down beside her. “I mean, I guess. I just wish I hadn’t left the snacks on the beach.”

“The candles might be helpful too,” added Connie with a shiver. “For an airtight bubble, it’s pretty chilly in here.”

Con.

Of course she’s cold, Steven thought, she’s still wet from the rain! “Here,” he said as he removed his jacket and placed it around her shoulders. “Better?”

She nodded, her eyes wide at the noble gesture she had seen countless times in books and movies. He did it without hesitation or flair and her own heart spun. He sighed as he looked to the ground, still upset that things hadn’t gone according to plan. But as far as Connie was concerned, this was better than anything he could’ve planned. She couldn’t help but smile as this moments brought back memories, Steven planning things as best he could only for some magical element to derail things. Every moment, no matter how small, was an adventure. Even just sitting there taking in the view, that was something only Steven could deliver. Pro.

She rested her head on his shoulder, half to reassure him that she was fine being there and half because it was such a natural action at this point. He relaxed a little and allowed his head to rest on hers as he truly started to appreciate the view. Pro. Pro. Pro.

“It’s not as good as the movies, but I guess it’s okay,” said Steven with a laugh, his positive attitude returning.

“Steven, it’s okay,” Connie laughed gently, looking up at him. “Really, it is. We can see the movie another time, or rent it later on. And Lion’s eaten worse things than paper, he’ll be okay.”

“Ugh! Of course he ate the tickets! They were covered in cheese,” Steven sulked at the memory, burying his face in his hands. “Can’t say I blame him.”

Connie laughed. “But... why did you put them in the pizza?” She asked with a raise of her eyebrow.

“I thought it’d be... romantic,” he admitted, hiding his face in defeat.

“‘Romantic?’” Connie repeated, half surprised and half flustered at the mention of the word.

“Pretty silly right?”

“No, not at all,” she said with a small chuckle. “It... it was kind of romantic.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” she said quietly. “But um, why did you want it to be romantic?”

“Well I was going to ask you... I mean, I was going to tell you...” he turned and saw how close her face was to his, her large eyes reflected the moonlight and the sight made his ears hot and his throat tight. He cleared his throat, trying to summon some courage and took a long, deep breath in and closed his eyes. “ConnieIwaswonderingifyoumaybewantedtobemygirlfrienditsokayifyousayno.” He said as fast as he could.

“What?” Asked a bewildered Connie. Before any further explanation could be offered, the bubble popped and the two found themselves hurting towards the ground. Steven quickly grabbed Connie’s hand and pulled her close as he controlled their descent and had them land safely.

Safe on the beach, the pair stood in a loose embrace as Steven searched his mind for what to say next. He didn’t know if should ask again, he wasn’t even sure Connie had heard him the first time. Or maybe she had? And she was looking for a way to let him down gently? Maybe she-.

“Lion, stop!” He suddenly heard her laugh as he snapped back from his dreamlike state. He looked and saw the creature licking Connie’s face, happy to see her. Steven smiled and reached out to pet him.

“Hey there buddy,” he laughed. “Where did you go? Usually you’re in bed by- oh no! Connie! What time is it?”

She pulled her phone from her pocket and gasped at what she saw. “It’s 9:57!”

“Your curfew!” Exclaimed Steven grabbing her hand. Con. “C’mon, we gotta get you home!” The pair hopped onto Lion’s back who knew exactly where to take them. They traveled through the portal and landed outside Connie’s house and instantly jumped off and headed to her front door, both panting from the mission’s urgency.

“We made it!” Breathed Steven victoriously.

“Yeah,” agreed Connie. “That was close.”

The two stood on the porch in silence for a moment, a very familar feeling in the air. “Steven, I-,” Connie began, only to once again be interrupted. This time by the opening of the door.

“9:59,” said Connie’s mom, looking at her watch. “Just in time, can’t tell if you’re pushing it or punctual. Either way, you’ve got tennis tomorrow so upstairs young lady.”

“Okay mom,” said Connie, entering the house. She offered Steven a small wave and her mother closed the store.

“Have a good night, Steven,” said Dr. Maheswaran as she gently closed the door, her voice stern but caring. “See you soon.”

“See ya soon,” Steven sighed as he looked at the closed door. He was worried he had blown his chance or if this was a sign they weren’t mean to be. So nothing changes, he thought as he walked back to Lion, so what? So we’re still friends, still jam buds, we can still be Stevonnie. She’s still in my life, that’s what matters. These were all true, but his heart still felt a twinge defeat and long list of cons.

Then, he felt his phone vibrate and the quiet air was filled with Connie’s ringtone. He couldn’t help but feel nervous as he answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“You forgot your jacket,” said Connie in a whisper.

“Where-?” He turned around and say Connie at her bedroom window, waving it like a pink flag.

“It’s fine, you can keep it for now,”

“Steven Cutiepie Quartz Universe, I gave you this jacket are you trying to regift it?” She said in a faux stern voice. “That’s very rude. I insist you come retrieve it right this instant.”

“Um, I’m pretty sure your mom is very strict about her 10 o’clock curfew, no exceptions.”

“You don’t need to go through the house, you have floating powers, silly.”

He couldn’t argue with that, so he quietly made his way to the side of the house and floated up to her open window.

“Pickup for ‘Universe’” he said, placing his elbow on the window ledge, casually. Connie laughed.

“Here’s your order sir,” she said handing him the folded jacket, but when he went to take it from her she didn’t let go. He looked up at her, expecting another joke but instead he found her face inches from his, filled with the same gentle moonlight from before.

“Yes,” was all she said.

“Y-yes?”

“Yes,” she repeated, and pulled the jacket back toward her and thereby also pulled Steven. As he went forward, she moved her face in front of his and their lips met in a kiss. At first, Steven was surprised but Connie was unmoving until he finally accepted it was real and placed his hands on her back to steady himself and hold her. He felt her smile as she moved one of her hands behind his head, the other still held the jacket, and brought him closer.

He felt like he was melting and freezing at the same time and he knew his entire face must be blushing but he didn’t care. He swore they were like this for hours but at the same time it was like no time had passed at all, like they were outside the world. When they finally parted, it was only because Steven found his body was floating upward. Connie giggled and reached up to pull him back to the window, giggling more when she saw the large, goofy grin he wore.

She attempted to stifle herself, worried her mother would hear, but her nerves combined with her giddiness made it hard. Steven was deliver to see she was also blushing and he joined her laughter.

“Don’t go floating away,” whispered Connie as she made sure he was holding on to the windowsill.

“I’ll try,” he said, feeling both shy and bold somehow. He wanted to stay right there and just stare at her, but he knew that was a pipe dream. He slipped his arms into his jacket. “I, uh, should probably get going.”

“I guess,” sighed Connie, though neither of them moved. “Text me when you get home?”

“Sure thing,” said Steven as he prepared to lower himself. Before he did, he lungded forward and gave Connie one more surprise kiss on her cheek, quick and light but it brought her blush back nevertheless. He used the ledge to kick himself backward and floated back to Lion. “I’ll text my girlfriend as soon as I get home.” He said, cherishing the word as he gave her finger guns.

“And I’ll be waiting for my boyfriend to text me,” Connie whispered back matching his giddy tone, watching him from the window. He landed safely on the ground and waved to her until Lion lifted him onto his back and teleported him home.

Once back on the beach, Lion lowered the lovesick teen to the ground and Steven later in the sand and marveled at the moon for a moment. He sighed, content, and went to get his phone from his pocket to text Connie. When he did, a piece of paper came out with it: his pros and cons list. He opened it up and saw that now the cons sign had a giant X through it and the pros signs was circled several times. Even though it was just Xs and Os, he recognized Connie’s handwriting anywhere.

[c-atm]

Hometown and City

Hometown & City

"I should really get a car." HB muttered to herself as she jogged towards LHW R&D. A look of determination and concern as she did. Peridot text was usually long winded speeches of how great she was because of their current achievement in whatever project they were working on, but there were exceptions when Peridot words were straight to the point..or even cryptic. Usually, when something was about to go down. She looked down at her phone again, at Peri's text…

P-dottie: Something's coming through. Assault spheres on standy. Get here now.

There was definitely something going down tonight. Part of her thought she should call Lion back with the younger duo and she mentally kicked herself for it. 

"Come on, Maheswaran. We don't even know if the thing is an enemy...Don't ruin their fun for a possibility" 

Demon hunters or whatever they may be, they were still teens, her 'younger siblings' and they still deserve to have a time out to enjoy themselves. 

"Still.. better safe than sorry."  

She smirked as she turned the phone to her home screen. The background which was once a picture of Mister in costume during their empire excursion, her new save screen; were replaced by a picture of Witchy, Dapper, and Mister each snoring on her couch after a long winded night of gaming. She happened to walk in on them after returning from R&D and almost giggled at the sight.

Dapper and Mister slept in almost the exact same  position ; head tipped back, eyes closed, mouth slightly opened, controllers on the table. 

The difference?

Mister hands being in the playing position while Dappers right hand rested on the waist of Witchy intertwined with her own hand. Witchy was curled up, using Dapper thigh as a head pillow. Her feet were lightly pressed against Mister's leg. 

She remembered she changed into her houseware before snuggling next to Mister, only for him to wake up and sit her on his lap, holding her around her midsection, before welcoming her home, leaning her head on the crook of his neck and falling back to sleep after kissing her temple. Such a homey feeling  it was.

She shook her head to focus on the task at hand, pressing the diamond Icon bring up the insignia the diamonds, she pressed on the pink diamond at the top of the screen. The diamond communicator app, only available to phones jailbroken or made by Little Homeworld R&D or Homeworld R&D.

She waited for his phone to ring as she continued her way about to turn on to the street LHWR&D stayed, when she saw Garnet and Pearl chasing someone little gem in a cloak out of the building, weapons drawn.

"Come back here!" Pearl ordered to no avail. 

"No, I didn't do anything!"

The lilith gem, in annoyance, readied her spear before launching a concentrated blast of energy, with all intentions of poofing the gem.

The gem looked as the blast got closer before her reflexes kicked in, leaping out of the way in the last moment. Grimacing as the blast licked her arm, a glancing blow. She growled but turned to run only to  feel her legs slipped from under her and land on her back. She didn't even get to grimace when she felt a weight on her chest. Opening her eyes to see Connie and the gems glaring down at her, the human straddling her stomach and her blade in her face. A steady cold eyes meeting her own.

"That's enough, stand dow-"

"Bi..Big sis."

Connie stopped when she heard whimpering from the gem. Removing the hood of her cloak, the three crystal gems gasp at the oh-so familiar purple face staring back at them.

"Amethyst?" Connie glanced at the purple on black eyes, the purple circular marking on her cheeks and the horns on her head...Things that place Dapper in her head. "You're a demon… You're Dapper's and Witchy's Amethyst."

Connie climbed to her feet almost instantly sheathing her blade. She held out a hand to the demoness and an apologetic and shameful smile on her face. " We have some things to discuss."

"Like, why'd you're so much taller, scarier and filled out?" The demoness looked up at her as she took her hand.

"Among other things.." Connie joked as she helped Amethyst up, just as she was about to introduce herself two things happened. Steven returned her call finally, and….

"Well, little witch. Sorry, I guess you aren't so  little now huh?.. How long have you been here?" The four turned to a figure on the roof of the R&D building perring down. 

He was a fine dressed gentleman, admittedly. Nice white and red checkered collar shirt, white jeans, black heeled pointed toe flats. He also had reptilian green teeth, yellow beady eyes, tan skin and was boney; near skeletal. The way he looked at Connie put her on edge.

He spoke in a slick and almost adoringly voice. "You look like you aged a bit, but for me..not even a half-hour passed since we met…"  Anger slipped in his voice as he grabbed his collar revealing his third degree burnt collarbone, and slashed throat. " Lucky me, that spell casted us away before you finished the job.."

'Good going you two.' Connie thought in pride as  she arched an eyebrow at the supposed demon. "Maybe you should have stayed in your hole then." 

"So spunky even now, even without your partner. Where is your little demon?  Did he get lost in the streams of time? Maybe crying over your grave in the future as we speak."  

Connie did not like this person at all. His conceit reminded her too much of Kevin of the past. Before she could say anything, Garnet interjected, taking a step forward, her fist tight.

"Who are you? What's your business here?!"

"You golems are so aggressive.." He shrugged  playfully " You know when I finally to this.." He paused to take a deep almost euphoric breath of air. "Realm...The other golems asked me the same thing with weapons towards me. All I said was the truth, I was here to kill a half-demon and his witch harlot..and they attacked."

He smirked as he took a pouch from his pocket opening it upside down as the uncracked but dimmed gems of Peridot, Bismuth, Amethyst  and Lapis, fell towards the street. Garnet caught them giving the two a reassuring smile, before turning to the demon with rage.

"Though they were so grateful to help me recover a bit.. Draining their essence in all, though inorganic energy are never as good as demon or human magical energies. It always leaves me empty...Help me out huh?"

The demoness Amethyst kept her eyes on the demon growling standing behind Connie's leg, only to be surprised by the human's palm on her head comforting her as she kept her eyes on the opponent in front of her, sword in hand.

"Don't worry." Connie looked back at the knee high demoness.  " We got this."

"Confident aren't we.. That's fine." The demon crouched low growling as he did. Black wisps of magic seeped off his body and surrounded Crystal Gems.  "I'll just break your confidence with your body."

While HB was fighting within her hometown, A pink portal was opening up on top of an Empire city roof and through it came the laughter of two teens, who slid out of and almost off it, on a pink lion; Dapper and Witchy. In Witchy's hand was a giant strawberry and on Dapper's back was a couple of Homeworld style sais. 

Woah Boy!" Dapper exclaimed as He wrapped his  hands around his lady's waist keeping her close, as they nearly tipped over. "I'm starting to think Bro was right and you do need parking practice."

Lion responded with an annoyed stare. only for it to turn to a pleased mewling as Witch scratched his head.

"Lion's perfect as he is. Don't listen to those jealous Steven's" She praised as she kissed the jungle cat head.

Dapper just shook his head with a smirk as he climbed down. He walked to the edge of the roof and sat down taking a look at the city below. A bit of a serene look on his face. Wordlessly, he held his hand towards his lady, asking for her company.

"Sheesh." Witchy gave her partner a gentle smile as she joined him, strawberry in her left hand. "You're  so starved for my attention, Steven." Witchy teased as she took a bite of the strawberry, humming in sweet surprise as the juice shot down her throat.  She blushed as she heard him chuckle giving him a small glare.

"What?" 

Dapper shook his head before wiping her  strawberry covered lips with his thumb. "You're a mess, my lady." He slurped up the residue from his thumb with a smirk. "Almost as sweet as you."

Face a beautiful maroon half pout, Witchy wrapped her right arm around Dapper and leaned her head on his shoulders. "I swear. Is every Steven a flirt, tasked with making every Connie a flustered mess."

"I'm sure it's the reverse a good amount of the time as well... if bro and sis is an example of the norm." Dapper chuckled. "Maybe it's an undeniable truth of existence."

Witchy looked up, intrigued but also smugly."What, that you were put on earth to raise my blood pressure?"

"I was put on earth to make your heart race, my lady." Dapper joked flirtatiously, getting a half hearted groan from Witchy. "Jokes aside..I'm starting to think for every 'Steven', there's a 'Connie'."

"Really now?" A relaxed smile graced her face. "It's almost like you're saying our lives are intertwined.. Like we're fated to be with each other or something like soulmates?"

"You jest but there's an older version of us who's the embodiment of 'honeymoon' phase."

"Despite not being 'together'."Witchy added with a knowing smirk.

Dapper nodded in agreement a chuckle of his own before settling to a smile. " Then there's us…"

"Please don't say we're soulmates." Witchy bemoaned.

"But we are!" Dapper announced as he took a bite of the strawberry. "Mmm! That's dang good"

"Hey, get your own, greedy demon." Witchy ordered as she pulled the berry away.

"You're so mean, my lady. Just one more bite." Dapper reached towards the fruit.

 Witchy leaned back trying to keep the fruit away. "Oh, yeah right! I know what a bite from you is like."

"You do, don't you."Dapper stated as he leaned closer to her, his smile falling to a sly grin and his attention on her alone.

Blushing as she was, she didn't back down, deciding  to take a page from HB's book. She cupped his chin and gave him a small coaxing smile. "Of course, I do. I have your mark to prove it, 'soulmate'. "

She chuckled when she saw Dapper, blushed and turned away. "That was smooth, my lady." He looked back at her teasing grin.

"You're adorable when you're flustered. It actually feels good to be on the other side." Witchy impishly poked the demon nose as she giggled.

"Oh role reversal is it?" Dapper gave his lady a dangerous smile as his fingers went to her sides. "then I guess I get to punish you as you would do me."

"Steven, don't you daaaaAhahahaha."

Witchy squirmed and laughed as she succumbed to his tickling. She kicked  and tried to block his careful claws, but it was to no avail. 

"Such a beautiful laugh, my lady. Maybe it's a traif of being a Connie. " Dapper half-joked, he really did love his lady's laugh and preferred it over HB's

"Ahhhhaha,,Like schmaltzy...haha! flirting..Is a Steven trait." Witchy said between laughing and catching her breath.

"You like it!" Dapper stated as he tickled more vigorously getting more laughter from the Witchy.. "Give..Give...Give."

"Nooohahaha! We...Connie's...dohahahaha...don't  falter!" 

"Neither do us Steven's! I guess we're at an impasse, then."

"Wait..I'll give you the..Hahaha..Behahah. The berry!"

Dapper paused for a moment."Tempting…"

Witchy used this moment to catch her breath and try to slip from under him  when he stroked her sides with his claws. 

"But I rather, your laughter." 

"Nohahaha! Wait Lion help!" 

Lion looked at the two antic before walking over and nuzzling Witchy neck as if he was trying to tickle her as well making her laugh even more.

"Nohoho! I've been forsaken, betrayed, and cheated!" Witchy yelled through their affectionate assault. "Ok ok! ..I can't breath...You got it!"

"What was that?" 

"You win!"

Dapper looked at Lion for a moment before grinning at the beast and pressing his skull to him. He rolled over laying next to the tired and still giggling Witchy.

"Connie's never falter huh?"

"You had help." She laughed again, getting a lick from Lion. She turned to the pink cat with  a side smirk. "How are you going to betray your aunt?"

Lion yawned before going to the center of the roof to give them privacy.

The two layed there looking up, hands instinctively  interlocked.

"I'm going to miss this world. It's so fun and peaceful. It's relaxing."

Dapper looked over at his lady, her face was reflective as she stared up at the night sky, stars in her black eyes..

"I mean..it's been awhile since we felt like...Teens..No hunts or anything..It's nice."

"But…"

"I'm ready. I want to go back." Witchy said with conviction. "I miss our world. Miss studying with our Pearl and Garnet, walking around our city with AAmethyst. Miss our garden, our living room, our kitchen. My bedroom..I miss our home."

Dapper watched as his lady wiped her eyes to keep from crying. 

She gave a strained chuckled before continuing  "Strange, I miss our adventurous and comparatively dangerous lives?"

Dapper shook his head. "No I feel the same." 

If you asked Dapper about his opinion on the matter of worlds,  he'd tell you he'd rather be wherever his lady was..Truthly he could see them settling and getting caught in the go with the flow aura of Beach City and Little Homeworld...But it wasn't their world to enjoy.

They didn't put in the work or battle the enemies their older counterparts did and still are if what Mister and HB stated about the peace being 'relative'. They themselves didn't see the relative part of the peace, but there's a reason for LHWR&D and for Mister to still engage in ambassador duties

Still his main concern was staring at him  looking for him to continue. He gave his lady hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm in the same mind as you...but I think part of me wishes you wanted to stay here. Would be easier to keep you safe here."

"So you want to slack on your responsibilities?" She teased the demon turning to him.

"Perish the thought, my lady." Dapper retorted with. grin before facing her. Stroking her chin with the back of his hand. "Just mean I could focus more on making you happy than keeping you safe."

Witchy blushed bright as she looked down " You do both, Steven.  No matter what world we're in. I only feel this safe and happy knowing you're with me." She looked up into his demon eyes and only felt affection from and for them. 

"I'm grateful for it. For entering a contract..for being best friends..for having such a loving and loveable dapper demon as a 'soulmate'." 

"Only for you, my lady." 

It was inevitable. The pull of affection, the city light below them and the natural ones above. The serene silence and their shy and excited smile. They instinctively moved closer. their breath brushing against each other. 

"My lady?"

"Please."

He nodded feeling nervous as he moved in eyes closed lips a thread apart from his lady's…

"Guys!"

The two broke apart as if they were burned  and looked toward Mister..Who was half way out of Lion's mane.. Before either could say anything Mister interrupted..

"Connie's fighting a demon."

That's all they needed to hear.