#su heart of the crystal gems

[madasthyhatter]

Kingdom Hearts x Steven Universe Crossover Repost Pt. 1! Pt. 1 | Pt. 2 | Pt. 3 | Pt. 4

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[owlcracker]

thinking about how steven universe literally saved me during the pandemic. like after i saw the movie all i would draw was spinel i loved her so much omg i started making AUs for her and everything

[novantinuum]

Steven's Breakdown Was Inevitable From the Very Beginning

I feel like the thing that fucks me up the most about Steven Q. Universe and how well conceived he is as a character is that the fundamental building blocks of why he reached his breaking point in SU: Future were laid out as clear as day in the span of legit only the first four episodes of the original show. The writing was literally always on the wall that future him would struggle with matters of self worth and identity in relationship to the others around him.

Let's take a look:

Gem Glow

"Awesome! What are these things?"

Foundational Trauma #1: Steven's home is always either under threat or actively being wrecked by antagonistic forces/beings, and he constantly copes with this by pushing down his fear in favor of a curiosity and silver linings based mindset.

Look at his initial shock when he opens the door and gets tackled by one of these things, and then his response when one of them spits acid:

The kid's freaked the hell out about all this, and while I do think there's a part of Steven that genuinely IS curious about what these lil critters are, I think he's subconsciously using that curiosity as a way to distract himself from his own fears and anxieties. This is Steven actively learning how to ignore the deeper problems in favor of emoting a facade to the others in his life that he can totally handle himself in scary situations like these.

The underlying reason why is incredibly apparent, when you look at the example from the next episode-

Laser Light Canon

"I don't know what a magic lady like her ever saw in a plain old dope like me..."

Genuinely- from the bottom of my heart- I think the above quote from Greg is a moment where his own insecurities around the Gems actually rubbed off on Steven.

At this point in time, Steven may be living with the Gems... but he hasn't started to harness any of his powers at all, so in his own head he might as well be the same as his dad- another human, just one who happens to have a gem! But the way Greg talks about himself... given Steven was living with him in the van for years before moving in to the beach house, he had to have heard negative self-talk from his dad like this before.

And then there's the rest of the Crystal Gems... always speaking of Rose with such reverence as if she were an all-powerful goddess... and Steven can't help but look back at himself, and his gem that won't work... the gem that the others still identify as Rose's...

"Your gem-! You have Rose's gem!"

And maybe he starts to wonder if- without any working powers- he's just a plain ol' dope like his Dad, too.

"Please work... Unlock! Activate! Go! Please-!! Everyone's counting on you, you can't just be useless!"

Foundational Trauma #2: Steven has Rose's gem, and as such, is constantly living under the silent expectation to live up to a standard that he simply cannot ever hope to achieve, because he doesn't KNOW her and he never will.

I want to highlight one of Steven's expressions while his dad is talking about Rose- look at that sad look. My god, I just wanna hug him. This is the expression of a child who has already come to terms with the fact that his only relationship with his mom is through the rose tinted stories that other people tell him about her.

Cheeseburger Backpack

So. Steven has learned so far that he needs to push down his feelings and emote a false veneer of cheer and bravery even when he's afraid, because the rest of the people in his life have expectations and hopes for him due to the legacy of his parentage and he can't bear the thought of letting them down. (And in a sad way, at this point "letting them down" literally just means... being an ordinary human boy. I believe Steven at this stage of the show is flat out scared to be human, because to be human is to fail at being a Gem, and no amount of love and sacrifice in the name of humanity in the seasons to come could've ever saved him from the fundamental fact that the wedge between him and this whole half of his being was already drawn long before the events of season 1 even started. But I digress.)

Let's see where we go from there. Let's check out Steven's first "mission." Or as Pearl puts it about 35 episodes later, his first "test."

"Yeah... they can't all be winners."

This episode is tinted with a little bit of tragedy for me on rewatch, because I genuinely do think the Gems handled the situation as well as they could've. They were supportive of Steven's successful ploys, and (for the most part) responded with grace when he majorly blundered and left the Goddess Statue at home. The main problem, however, is that Steven has already developed a bit of a complex about impressing the three of them-

Foundational Trauma #3: Even when they claim otherwise, Steven has convinced himself that affection from the Gems is transactional, and that when he messes up he's not truly a part of the Crystal Gems.

Of course we the audience know this isn't true- I mean, hell, Amethyst even said as much in episode one after her slip-up ("and you're fun to have around, even if your gem IS useless!")... that the Crystal Gems wouldn't be the same without him. But Steven... the poor kid is a complicated little guy living a complicated life, and whether they intended it or not, the language used they've used around him thus far has not backed up their attempts at fully embracing him, human parentage and all.

Thus, Steven just spends the entire episode wracked with anxiety trying to find creative non-power using ways to make the mission easier so he can convince them he's useful to have around.

Look how nervous he gets even when all three of them are visibly and vocally supportive of his presence here:

This is the face of a boy who feels like he's under constant judgement and scrutiny from those around him.

Blessedly, viewing this episode in isolation, he experiences a brief moment of mental respite where he finally accepts the Gems' encouragement and agrees that his ideas 'can't all be winners,' but this lesson does not stick for him moving forward. A shame, really.

Together Breakfast

"What's the matter, Steven?" "I wanted us all to have breakfast together, so I made Together Breakfast! But everyone keeps leaving..." "Oh, that's nice..."

Taken in context with what we've learned already in the last three episodes, Steven's desperation to spend quality time with the Gems here and his sadness that they keep leaving him alone doesn't just exist within a vacuum. He spends the whole morning watching them shuffle in and out of the temple, or come back from missions he wasn't invited on, and with the disastrous result of the LAST mission he went on probably fresh in his mind it's not hard to understand why this bothers him.

Foundational Trauma #4: Steven internalizes that the price of "not being useful" is that the Gems actively ignore him, meaning that the only way to guarantee their attention is to work as hard as he can to become a stronger member of the team.

I know this screenshot is usually used as a lighthearted meme, but I wanted to include it because I think it's a good example of how Steven's intense desire to impress permeates every facet of his personality at times. Just LOOK at how desperate he is to make Garnet laugh at his joke, to be the one that's at very least "fun to have around," as Amethyst put it in episode one.

The Gems do eventually drop what they're doing to spend time with Steven by the conclusion of this episode, but this only comes after Steven shows his growing strength and "proves" himself by saving their butts from the breakfast monster.

If he successfully gained their attention in literally any other way he might've come away from this episode with a different lesson, but no. Instead, his fears were proven true- the Gems value strength and utility, and if he's not exhibiting that, then what use is he to them?

These fears of his can be seen weaving throughout the foundational fabric of the entire show, but I think Steven lays out what he sees as his "stakes" in the clearest way possible in the episode 'An Indirect Kiss.'

"But- if I don't have powers, then I can't hang out with Amethyst, or Garnet, o-or Pearl, and- I-I can't go on missions!"

And these same insecurities even rear their ugly head as late as the movie.

"I can't believe this... for the first time in years, everyone's in danger, everybody needs me, and- I'm useless!"

Powers = Utility = Worth = Other's love, for Steven. Everything is transactional to the end, which is a hilarious double standard he's set for himself when he's made his reputation as the kid who always listens and encourages and gives others a chance to change, no matter their messy history with him.

__

So let's recap and restate those foundational traumas from Steven's perspective.

One: The only way to cope when your life is constantly under threat is to bury the damage and pretend to be fine.

Two: Everyone expects you to live up to the standards of someone you're not.

Three: The Gems only love you when you're of use to them.

Four: If you ever stop being useful, the Gems won't want anything more to do with you.

In sum, Steven's habit of burying his feelings for the benefit of others was there from the very beginning, not just since 'The Test.'

Those unreachable standards he felt so daunted and intimidated by all his life were the ones set by Rose, at first... but over the course of the series, the dynamic of this shifted. As Rose's influence fell into the background, Steven's rose into the front. And so it's with great irony that- by the time of Steven Universe: Future, the expectations this exhausted, worn down teenager is fighting to once again achieve are the ones HE set for himself. Many of young Steven's selfless actions during the war are quite admirable when analyzed in isolation, but almost none of them are sustainable. He set himself on fire just to save the world, but teen Steven is genuinely unable to see this for what it is yet- as a tragic sacrifice of his own childhood. You can't burn your own ends for others forever, not at all. His breakdown was simply inevitable.

When it comes to the interconnected beliefs three and four, these are exactly why the ultimate confrontation at the end of I Am My Monster HAD to be one fueled by selfless love. Steven is at his absolute lowest at this point- he's everything he fears he's become, trapped in a form that's nearly incapable of reason. He's big and angry and spiky because that's a part of the facade- because a part of him WANTS to scare the Gems away, wants to be left alone forever, believing this the fate he deserves as price for his misdeeds.

In this form, by his own definitions he is NOT useful to the Crystal Gems at all.

But they don't care.

Because it never WAS about Steven's 'usefulness' to them, they simply love him for being Steven.

With this in mind, the conclusion of Steven Universe: Future wasn't just a salve to teen Steven's immediate struggles, it was a salve to the foundational insecurities that have been plaguing him his entire life.

And hopefully... from this point on... his family's shows of love and encouragement will be enough to finally convince Steven that he's more than worth their time...

No matter what path the future leads him on, and no matter what form he takes.

[vershl]

Okay I think I made y'all wait long enough LOL

SORRY THEY'RE ALL UNCLOTHED BTW, I HAVENT FIGURED OUT OUTFITS YET- 💀

I don't really have a lot to share tbh in terms of lore/plans. This AU is very VERY fresh in my brain atm. But I will fill in some details for you guys so you somewhat/mostly understand the current characters I have for now.

---

Shadow

He is a red diamond (ultimate lifeform yada yada), and as stated, a "blood" diamond. I mean this somewhat in modern terms, but not entirely. In real life, diamonds mined in a war zone and sold to fund the costs, hence "blood". In this case; Shadow was created by the other diamonds (primarily white) as a weapon, the plan was to have a gem on equal footing in terms of strength and power that they could order around to do their bidding and do their dirty work.

Clearly, that didn't work out the way they wanted. Shadow pretended to be obedient, following white, and the other diamond's orders. He shattered other gems for whatever reason the diamonds deemed fit (among other things I haven't decided on yet), only doing so to avoid the risk of being deemed defective and shattered himself, or the gem being shattered regardless by someone else.. he at least knew he could give them a swift end without pain.

Once Shadow gained the diamonds trust to wander around as he pleased, the moment no one was looking, he stole a ship and left Homeworld. Going as far as he could into the universe until he found Mobius and crash landed there. It wasn't very long before Sonic found him, and eventually became allies, inviting Shadow into the Crystal Gems, to which he accepted, and chose the name 'Shadow'. He didn't want to be called 'Red' or 'Red Diamond' anymore. He was free now. (This is as far as I got with him, sorry y'all HAHA)

Sonic

Sonic is a yellow prism in the shape of an isotoxal star (the yellow is a nod to super Sonic). In my AU, because offical SU lore with gems is relatively limited, different colored gems even if of the same type, give different abilities/powers. In Sonic's case, yellow prisms give the ability of super speed, because of course, and he chose his name based on that fact as well.

Lore wise with Sonic-- He's the leader of the Crystal Gems (makes more sense considering the CG's signature symbol is a yellow star, so I just ran with that but changed the normal star to the isotoxal). But that's all I have for him.

the rest of these characters have 0 lore at all, i will just try to explain their gems a bit- sorry

Amy

Amy is a Mimetite, a heart stone which helps with emotional stability, inner balance, serenity, joy, and adventure (according to google). Because Amy is basically canonically that 'therapy' friend, mimetite fits perfectly with her personality. As you can see, there are only a few designs that have weapons currently, Amy's being obvious because it's her signature weapon and just works here in the AU as well.

Tails

Tails is a yellow peridot, it's obvious why, and I don't need to elaborate LOL. There isn't much different between peridot colors, it's more-so personality traits than abilities. Green peridots are quite egotistical and arrogant in themselves, while yellow peridots are more adventurous and selfless.

Knuckles

Sorry for his naked hands btw. Honestly, I don't think I have to explain why Knuckles is a garnet. It just tracks. (Reminder that in the show, Garnet isn't a real garnet, it's just what she decided to call herself. In this case, Knuckles IS a real garnet.) Is his signature gem weapon gauntlets/gloves, yes. Did I steal the idea from Garnet? Shut up. :] Besides, Knuckles needed his usual gloves somehow, and he fights by punching shit anyway, so why not? Star on the back of the gloves ofc for obvious reasons.

Rouge

GOD this stupid bat bitch, aaaanyway, ahem. In my AU beryls are information gatherers, either by stealing it or manipulating their way into obtaining it. Beryls are generally under diamond control and report back to their assigned diamond with information they demand for, obviously Rouge is part of the Crystal Gems, so she gathers information for them. And more often than not...is her usual self, and snoops around, digging up dirty secrets/information about her comrades and teases them to no end with it (Shadow being her favorite to torment for... reasons.)

Silver

I chose Silver to be a sapphire simply because of the fact that in the Sonic universe, he can time travel. So instead of time travel in this Steven Universe AU, he gets future vision. I mean it works, right?

Blaze

We can talk about her gem right.. right? It's really tasty and I want to eat it. So; opals are very, VERY rare (which fits with her whole being a princess thing or whatever). She was originally going to be a fire opal... that is until I found out about dragon's breath opals and changed my mind. Blaze is an absurdly rare gem, who knows, maybe even the only one of her cut. :]

Her gem gives her the ability to control fire as a weapon, and her unique cut gives her fire more power as well as makes the flames an unusual pinkish hue.

---

And that's everyone for now! I'm doing some little doodles that I might post a bit later on to compile together, but you can have the two I made of Shadow for now. eats him

[cremdotexe]

Rajbow week day 3: Any AU

I know I’m late but uni started back up so I’ve been busy :( Better late than never!

This is an AU I’ve been working on, on and off, Gem AU! More info under the cut if you’re curious, it’s LONG.

This is Gem AU, works like a lot of the other SU based AU where it’s a different universe than the cartoon, they don’t exist alongside Steven and the crystal gems or anything like that. They’re in their own bubble, the only similarities is that they’re gems with powers and some core ideas like gem rebellion.

Since this post is for Rajbow week, I’ll only go over their basic information (They’re the most complete as of now anyway.)

Raj is a Celestine. (Fully goes by Raj in the rebellion)

In this AU, Celestines are entertainers, specifically ice skaters. His summoned ‘item’ are a set of ice wings, similar to Lapis in canon. (The hockey stick is something he requested further into the rebellion.)

He has ice powers where he can summon ice, but not fully manipulate them. For example, he can turn frost the floor as he skates, he can summon spikes of ice to use as weapons, but he can’t freely shape the ice.

Because they’re versatile, Celestines are considered decently high-end, and are often accompanied by a Snow Quartz. ;)

Bowie is a Fluorite. (Fully goes by Bowie later in the rebellion)

In this AU, Fluorites are battle strategists, ranked much higher than pearls but still works under their assigned bosses. In Bowie’s case— Well…It’s unimportant now. His summoned weapon is a dagger, perfect for stealth.

Fluorite has the power to purity, this encompasses minor healing, cleansing, sometimes the more trained Fluorites can delete data from technology too. He was also given technology similar to Peridot and Pearl’s display screens.

This is a very outdated ref, since I completely overhauled their colors, but it’s fine I’ll update it later.

This is (outdated palette) Purple-Blue Ammolite! (He/They)

Ammolite is Raj and Bowie’s fusion, and their combined weapon is a scythe. (At this point, Raj had already acquired his hockey stick) However, Ammolite also has heart-shaped wings from Raj’s ice wings and Bowie’s digital screens.

Ammolite is an extremely stable fusion. They’re not exactly a permanent fusion, but Raj and Bowie do spend a lot of time fused, and they could stay fused for as long as they want. They have Bowie’s wits, sass, and the need to always look good, and they have Raj’s impulsiveness, loyalty, and pure unadulterated energy.

This post is getting too long, I’ll probably post about it once I have more content for the AU, but if you got this far and is curious, feel free to send in an ask! Thank you!

[pocket-gems]

Ok so this OC is pretty old by now since I've moved on from my SU phase, but she still holds a special place in my heart and I'm curious to see your take on her!

This is Variscite, the fusion of Amazonite and Turquoise. The components are included if it helps. She has cryokinesis and her weapon is a pair of ski poles. She's a crystal gem residing in Little Homeworld and she likes to explore.

• By submitting a gem I assume you have read the rules and agreed for me to judge •

Usually I would just draw the fusion but I guess they inspired me! I started with the components to make the fusion better (on my eyes).

I went with the way I draw Amazonites, hope you don't mind that. Make them more green for colour variety and super simplified their clothes. The star is kinda there if you can see it on the pants to boots transition.

With Turquoise, I absolutely changed them because they look like a cyan Lapis to me (hoping that wasn't intentional). With just some shape changes in the face and hair they can look so distinct, reasons like these is why I love doing this.

With the components done, we finally move to Variscite! I don't know what's going on with the clothes. One of the biggest ""sin"" is fusing the clothes. I feel like it's easier to just go with a theme that vibes with their personality. Also simplified the clothes per usual.

It may or may not be a lot of changes, depending on how you see it. I personally had a lot of fun with them and I really liked them! I don't know what they mean to you and I hope you like this as much as I did, or more ^^

[mx-piggy]

and still on my drunken SU shit, people are always talking about this show's queer rep, which is valid as hell. i figured out i was queer when i was 10, and i don't remember acknowledging SU's queerness at the time, but what i do remember is feeling super validated by its plus size rep. i remember being 9-ish, and that was around the time that i was becoming actively aware of and self-conscious about my weight, and seeing Amethyst, a cool, carefree short, fat humanoid was everything to me as a fat little kid (a girl at the time). and later down the line seeing her grapple with her insecurities (not weight-related, but still) in an actually emotive storyline meant so much to me, too. i'd seen fat characters on the TV and stuff before, but they were either completely repulsive or a comedic side character, and 99% of the time it was a dude (which i didn't knowingly align myself with as an AFAB kid). i love all of the Crystal Gems, but Amethyst will always hold a special place in my heart for making me feel like i had a place.

i really saw myself in her in a way i'd never seen myself in any other character before. so, whatever criticism you can levy against Steven Universe, i love this show so, so much and it really means so much to me for this reason and simply because of how great i think it is.

[celestiall0tus]

Amaranthine, Marinette

And we get the biggest design out of the way. The others will come later, but Marinette's is the only one that matters rn.

Now, break down. I know I've stated I hate designing armor, however I took this design from an old gemsona from back in my SU days, a Dragon Fire Opal. The base armor is the same, but the coloring, mask, and decals are different.

I went with black as a base to ground the brighter colors as I toyed with them. Originally she was going to be platinum and silver, but decided to go with gold because gold is a power source for magical creatures while iron (the gray) hinders magic. Even though it would have been platinum which is better than gold, I had some difficulty pairing the platinum with other colors, especially the gem pieces.

I'm not the type of witch that works with crystals, so research was in order. I was looking for a love crystal for attracting soulmates as that's Marinette's goal. The most obvious choice was Rose Quartz, but it seemed to have the addon of recovering from a prior heartbreak. I kept looking and found Morganite. A crystal like rose quartz, but primarily opening the heart chakra and attracting one's soulmate.

The vine decals come from Marinette's profession in Amaranthine. After meeting Longg, she discovers in her previous life, she was a green witch that worked with herbs and medicines. In her crusade to find her soulmate again, she mixes design, botany, and alchemy (courtesy of Longg) to manage a herb and flower shop. A place to sell natural, enhanced remedies, make flower arrangements, and sell medicinal herbs. I suppose this could make this a flower shop au too, but I'm primarily sticking to the soulmates bit.

Now, the name is where I'm faltering. Given the set up for Marinette to have been Rose's childhood friend and just as into fairytales, knights, and the whole lot, it raised interesting ideas. Her shop will be called Avalon after the legendary island in Arthurian legend where Arthur was brought to in order to recover from his mortal wounds so he may return to be the one true king (varies upon each telling). So, I had a pair of ideas. The first was Nimue, one of the names of the lady of the lake who gives Arthur Excalibur/Caliburn (depends on version). The other name was Pendragon because dragon miraculous, golden royal armor, and the dragon's weapon being a sword. That is if I don't go with Amaranthine.

So, for some fun, Amaranthine is something of multiple meanings. For the unenlightened, the word amaranthine means everlasting, unfading, eternal, and immortal. It also relates to the amaranth flower that is associated with the same meaning, making it symbolic of unfading affection and everlasting love. So, it's a thought rn.

For other designs, they'll come eventually. I know I will need to make designs for Adonis and the snake villain first and foremost. However, y'all will be waiting a hot minute for Ladybug!Chloe and Black Cat!Zoe

[lilweaselhub]

Okay so no one asked---but time for me to randomly be feral about Spinel. I don't plan on making this SUPER coherent or anything mostly because I've been running on fumes for a MINUTE now.

But recently, I was asked what I think the difference is between good spinel content and bad spinel content and well thats a loaded question.

Before I say ANYTHING about anything for anyone who reads this, I would like to preface;

These are my personal opinions on her character and I really don't care too much if you agree or disagree. Whatever makes you happy is fine with me. You can disagree and be entitled to that opinion.

That being said; I'm just going to come right out and cut to the chase before we even get started.

I don't like how the Steven Universe movie ended. I don't think Spinel going with the Diamonds was a good idea && Spinel in SU future was a major let down for me.

There. if you don't like ^^^^ that statement right there && if you don't think you can handle someone disagreeing with how she was handled I'd stop right here.

For anyone else; Allow me to explain.

When Spinel is introduced in the movie, it is immedietly clear that she is no typical adversary of the crystal gems. Shes incredibly cunning, and actually acknowledges steven as his own person. -&& seeks vengence anyway.

Despite KNOWING steven is a stranger.

Something we don't see in any other gem that the crystal gems go up against from homeworld. I'd argue this makes Spinel one of the SMARTEST gems we see.

The other thing thats immedietly apparent is just how VIOLENT and ANGRY she is. Her entire song 'other friends' gives the audience immediate insight that she knew pink diamond and knew pink PERSONALLY. She has a very personal vendetta, and is lashing out.

now im not going to analyse every single scene in this movie. I'm far too tired for that. Besides, we know it by heart by now. Everyones done it. But all of this to SAY-; what many people have pointed out is that Pink was akin to Spinels favored person, something a lot of people who struggle with mental illness have.

ESPEICALLY those with BPD, something that has been near universally agreed on with her.

During the first half of the movie, leading up to the garden flashback. We get to see Spinel as she was made--; before she was traumatized. How she was initially. Happy, bubbly, fun loving, and sweet. In my mind, this always was reminiscent of an allegory for childhood innocence.

A type of innocence one has before the real world hits them before they experience heartbreak, trauma, or real raw grief. Spinel in her beginning was NAIVE, and had no idea that Pink Diamond did not have the same undying loyalty and love that Spinel herself was programmed with.

Spinels feelings were not mutual, but she was too innocent at the time to really SEE This. She was too naïve and optimistic. During this time she was very much mentally like a young child.

Time passing && the garden itself dying could even be an allegory for the death of ones childhood innocence and wonder.

What being abandoned by pink can really be alikened to with Spinel is the experience of TRAUMA. Something that udoubtedly TRANSFORMS a person---; Much like in the movie. (That whole anime girl transformation as out of left field as it is, kind of makes a lot of sense to be emphasized. Its getting a point across.)

Trauma PERMENANTLY changes a person. For better or worse.

In spinels case--; it could be seen as a metaphor for trauma, and the effect it has on someones mental health. The Childhood innocence dying and growing up after experience significant trauma.

Spinel post transformation && in the very beginning / climax of the movie is much less naive. Much more cunning, and carries herself much older than when she was first created. While Spinel in the beginning was reminiscent of a young 8-10 year old child, spinel now reads more as a rebellious older teen to young adult. She does not have that mentality of a child anymore. She's impulisve, shes cunning, shes sarcastic and shes mad as hell.

Spinels trauma not only mentally changed who she was as a person--it PHYSICALLY altered her. It changed her entire person. This is what trauma DOES. this is what experiencing all the grief and negative experiences of growing up DOES to you.

Abandoned, forgotten and spiteful, Spinel sets her sights on steven && co in a last ditch effort to get her version of closure---revenge on those that wronged her and threw her away like garbage.

I would easily argue that the climax of this movie is were Spinel's character SHINES the most. This in my opinion, is one place where the movie SUCCEEDS where Future FAILS.

In the climax of the movie, we really see the moments that clinch that BPD allegory. The Back and Forth between her emotional impulse to spiral and lash out, and the desire to be better. It doesn't shy away from showing the UGLY and sometimes AGGRESSIVE symptoms of mental illness. But it doesn't necessarily villainize her.

Steven himself realizes that Spinel is not thinking logically, she's lashing out and letting emotions DRIVE her impulses.

It shows her as she is now, flawed, impulsive, and hurting.

" Why? Why do I wanna hurt you SO badly??"

" When you change, you change for the better---when I change I change for the WORSE."

" At least you liked the old me--"

Spinel herself acknowledges that she's changed. That experience has Permanently changed who she is, the person she once was is gone. She is mourning not only the relationship she had but the person she once WAS.

Now;------After this point in the movie is where I start having gripes. As spinel is shown through most of the movie as such a dynamic, interesting character and actual RAW representation for people who STRUGGLE to be a good person after what they went through. Individuals with UGLY symptoms and sometimes SCARY symptoms of mental illness.

Things that are strongly stigmatized in this society we live in. It was refreshing to have a character SHOW this side of mental illness and still be treated like a person, and not a MONSTER.

&& Before I start this next section, let me preface by saying i am ALL about healing journeys. 100%. I would love for Spinel to be happy, I want her to find a place to find her own and feel safe.

That being said, I want healing journeys for a character to be realisitc. I don't want a FIXED character, I want a REAL character. A character that feels like a person. A real one. Not sunshine and rainbows and a "love fixes me" type. (Ty @veroxins for verbalizing what i never quite could with her arc.)

Unfortunately that is EXACTLY what ends up happening to Spinel though. Suddenly it feels as though they run out of an idea for how to continue her arc. && At the end of the movie they decide that the diamonds finding her amusing and bringing her back up to homeworld would be the best course of action.

&& I'd argue that at this point in the movie spinel's characterization already starts seeming odd / contradictory comparative to what we JUST saw. && this only continues with her appearance in future.

Suddenly Spinel is Happy, bubbly and kinda...naive again isn't she?

Spinel in future (and partially at the end of the movie) is kind of reverted back to her old persona. The diamonds 'love' fixes her.

" Steven: Wait a second, you used to have vengeful thoughts. Oh, yeah! But I don't get 'em anymore. Steven: How did you make them stop? I met a little someone named "Steven Universe"! And he told me ♫ IIIII- I CAN MAKE A CHANGE! ♫ "

Whats worse than that in my opinion, is that not only do they take this representation away---and make the case that love just 'fixes' a person and puts them back to how they were--but they make spinel a joke.

They didn't even have her take stevens on struggles seriously or have them relate to each other in any meaningful way.

I like many others, hated peridots treatment for this very reason.

Not to mention--- a very important point. After all this time emphasizing how absolutely UNHEALTHY and TOXIC the power dynamic was between Pink Diamond and Spinel. WHY on earth would putting her right back in that power dynamic (x3 mind you), be condusive to her healing? At all?

I'll tell you---it wouldn't be. She's put right back in the position of being ENTERTAINMENT, a TOY. && Not being even given the CHANCE to discover her own personality, who she is now, or hell--who she ever was outside of pink.

I noticed that a lot of peoples fixation and interest in spinel greatly reduced after the future airing and I really don't think thats a coincidence.

&& AGAIN i have to PREFACE. ;I want spinel to get better. I do.

I have no issues with that.

But trauma permenately changes someone. Thats just how it functions. Spinel is not going to just go back to how she was before her trauma. && I think it sends a more powerful message for her healing to have her find a place as she is now, and be loved for her flaws and all, while making a conscious effort to be better.

For it not to be just a quick fix, and shes back to how she was, but to have her come to terms with the new her, and find a way to reinvent herself, with her flaws and still be loved as she is. Even if she still slips up from time to time. Because mental illness is not a straight and narrow road. it has its ups, it has its downs. you get better, you relapse and then you pick up the pieces again and keep going.

Tdlr; All of that to say. Spinel is a character that was REALLY important to me, a character that showed ugly mental illness symptoms, and didn't glorify or villainize it. A character that wasn't nice or tied up in a bow, but deserved to be loved, and deserved to have the chance to be her own person.

Outside of the diamonds, outside of pink, outside of her TRAUMA. and she never got the chance. She deserved better.

Also---sassy, chaotic, morally grey spinel is just superior in general. She's the goat and i want her back. rn.

[greekmythgal]

Another Time Travel SU Idea

Consider! A time travel fic where it seems like only one gem has memories of the future, and they try to change things subtly at first, only as time goes on more people start to remember the cannon future(which is no longer the future because butterfly effect lol) and it takes a while for anyone to notice since they figure its cause X thing changed that the others are acting different, only for it to eventually reach the point where one of the Crystal Gems lets it slip (im preferable to Amethyst, Pearl, or Peridot myself) and suddenly everyones like "OH YOU REMEMBER TOO!?" and so they begin planning and Steven helps come up with a (hopefully) less traumitizing way to get through to the diamonds and they all head off to homeworld! So they show up ready for a full scale confrontation with the diamonds, only for them to be like "Steven? Your not supposed to be here for another few months?" Cue Everyone relizing the diamonds came back too, and the diamonds immediatly being like OH its really you Steven! Great! Can you help us? We are trying to fix things but It is so hard to explain the sudden change of heart without you showing up as a clear catalyst! Also, despite our best efforts we are reaaaaaaly bad at talking to other gems in a nonthreatening manor :(

I dunno if that makes sense to anyone else but I love the idea of Everyone going back in time and gearing up for a big battle with the diamonds being like "This will be harder then even last time but Im sure we can do it!" And then they show up only for the Diamonds to be like "Thank goodness you are here! We need your people skills to fix things!"

[spinchs-field]

PLEASE tell me about the mechanisms steven universe au. there's so many things that could mean? are the mechanisms the latest threat the crystal gems have to face (funniest option)? is it a character replacement au in which case jonny should be steven just for the pure comedy of it. or is it the mechs as gems au in which case PLEASE tell me what gemstones you think the mechanisms are

it's a Mechs as gems AU :3!!! im still not totally sure if they encounter the canon cast but you're right it would be hilarious (especially considering what we assigned Aurora). but do keep in mind while reading this that i only know SU lore through osmosis and the wiki and have never actually watched the show itself. i did get a ton of help from a friend of mine while conjuring this up tho so shoutouts to Brook my bestie. anyway here's the AU:

the gem list;

Jonny - snowflake obsidian Tim - brown zebra jasper Marius - bismuth TS - red pearl Ivy - rose sapphire Nastya - aquamarine Ashes - fire opal Raphaella - peach moonstone Brian - gold Aurora - black diamond Beta - pyrite Scuzz - onyx Carmilla - bloodstone Lyfrassir - koroit opal

YES Aurora is a diamond. because it's funny. YES she is still madly in love with Nastya. YES they fuse incredibly often. and YES Nastya is like a fucking ant compared to Aurora.

as for the story itself? all of the crew is from Homeworld. Carmilla started what was basically a mini uprising against the Diamonds that led to a SHIT ton of infighting. Carmilla travels around to spread the rebellion which is how she meets the Mechs (they all got fucked up* in battle in one way or another and she decided to take them in and care for them). eventually it turned out that Aurora, despite being a LITERAL DIAMOND, actually hated the place and helped everyone leave. now they've just kinda been floating through space and passing the time with music (originally used to keep Aurora entertained out of fear but now they’ve learned she’s actually really niceys and just do it for fun)

*i'm still debating on if the Mechs should have cracked gems or just have their gem be where their mechanism is (with the exception of Brian and TS, which will probably be a reversed case in which Brian's gem is over his heart and TS's gem is on it's throat)

but um. yeah! im gonna start designing them eventually. if u have any other questions feel free 2 ask..

[strawberriandromeda]

Tagged by the beloved @majormeilani

shuffle your ‘on repeat’ playlist & post the first ten tracks, then tag ten people

1. Otherside - Lena Raine

2. Metamodernity - Vansire

3. Farewell, Crystal Gems/ Being Human - SU

4. Mayonaka no Joke - Takako Mamiya

5. Bay City - Junko Yagami

6. What a Broken Heart Can Do - Takako Mamiya

7. Kokoro no Mamani - Maria Asahina

8. Follow Me - Junko Yagami

9. Pearl's Theme/Pearl's Room - Steven Universe

10. Regent's Park - Bruno Major

Uhhhhhh i tag @venus-sanctuary @arrozaurus @blackwolfshadowclaw @yourmoonmomma @lesserdad whoever wants to try this :3

[novantinuum]

you can’t choose what stays and what fades away OR Reunited Alt POV fic? (I am eyeing doing that tag myself except. *glances at WIP folder*)

I am wiggling about my SU wips most of all, so I’mma selecting Reunited Alt POV fic (which LMAFO I need to come up with a banger of a title for so desperately, this one is like 2/3rds done so. Yeah.

This is a simple one to explain, it’s just the battle in Reunited but from Connie’s POV- thus, it covers everything that happens while Steven gets knocked into unconscious psychic ghost zone. Or, at least, my take on what happens. But uh… yeah. Watching your friend get absolutely trampled underfoot is inherently traumatizing, and I don’t think we as a fandom talk enough about this moment and how it might’ve impacted specifically Connie. Also I genuinely honest to god think Steven was seriously hurt from this- and that some of the fractures in his bones we see in SUF were from this strike- and that the reason he took so long to come to in “psychic ghost zone” even was that all his body’s energy was being routed towards Intense self healing. So keep that in mind re: snippit below:

_

Garnet keeps a watchful eye for any incoming projectiles as Connie skids to a screeching halt next to her friend’s comatose body lying limp in the sand. Okay. Okay. Here he is. Now all she’s gotta do is… carry him to a safe distance. Steeling her core in preparation, she squats down and tries to leverage herself to scoop him right up. Her legs, though… in the midst of her terror, her legs are simply too wobbly to bear his mass, and after one valiant but failed attempt she’s scared she’ll hurt herself (or him!) trying again. Which means… she’ll just have to drag him.

“Sorry—!” she says with a faint hiss of regret as she grasps both of his arms by the wrist and starts to pull him across the battle-swept sands. Sure enough to her suspicions, one of his shoulders definitely doesn’t feel like it’s aligned in its socket right, and she worries that yanking him along like this will only serve to further exacerbate it. Still, what other choice does she have? 

What choices do any of them have, all tangled up within the fallout of this thousand year war?

Ever-diligent in her role as lookout, Garnet circles around a few more times as Connie drags Steven off the battlefield, towards what remains of his house. She’s grateful for her help. Truly so. It allows her to focus her energy on protecting her best friend instead of constantly having to keep an eye out for stray attacks from the Diamonds. And boy, oh boy— she digs her heels into the sand, spent muscles all but screaming for her to rest, to drop her load and continue on alone— will her body need every last drop of energy she’s got. That’s why relief surges through her heart with all the ferocity of a tidal wave when Mr. Universe’s frantic voice comes into range once again. Because it means she’s here. She’s succeeded. She’s pulled him all the way to the base of the stairs, out of the way.

The exhaustion hits immediately. Huffing for a lungful of air, she drops the half-Gem’s arms to the ground and collapses to her knees. For an extended moment, the unwanted melody of warfare rings through her ears like canon fire. She can’t move. She can barely even breathe. She swears her friend’s dad is trying to say something to her— can feel his hesitant touch brushing against her shoulder in what barely counts as a whisper— but she can’t even manage to distinguish a single word. Her eyes brim with fresh tears, every last sensory input overloaded. It’s all too loud. It’s all too damn heavy. It’s all too—

“Connie,” Garnet pushes through the static with astute authority. 

She snaps her head up, her eyes flitting between the Crystal Gem leader (currently kneeling at her side) and a still panicking Mr. Universe (clutching his unconscious son’s hand). Her breath settles, slowly but surely. Her fingers twitch, tracing shallow patterns in the sand. The ringing lessens.

“Thank you,” she continues, pushing herself back to her full height. The long skirt of her wedding outfit flares behind her as she glances back towards the chaos of the battle. “For protecting him where I couldn’t. Now, keep watch. If they poof all of us, promise me you’ll evacuate the beach.”

“I-I… of course,” Connie says, her gaze still wet with terror and barely contained grief. “But y-you… you don’t really think you’ll—?”

Lose, is the word she can’t bring herself to say. Surely you don’t think you’ll lose?

[dev-nxbody-h3re]

i am unable to make a coherent thought right now. i need another au to think about. i need to create lore. how do i satiate this feeling.

With a new AU of course.

So have you guys seen *cough cough* The My Little Pony Equestria Girls movies? No? Yes? Well it doesn't matter. Because I'm going to explain my MLPEG AU.

This one actually starts with Evan. He's Princess Twilight Sparkle. Or, well, Prince Evan. He's the Prince of Childhood Innocence or something, idk.

So the before part doesn't really matter, but Elizabeth (who takes the place of Sunset Shimmer) steals Evan's magic crown. Obviously big no no. So Evan goes through the portal and is human and not pony. Helpy is Spike.

There, Evan meets Gabriel (taking the place of Applejack), Jeremy (Rainbow dash), Susie (Fluttershy), Fritz (Pinkie Pie), and Cassidy (Rarity). He does his friendship thing and Elizabeth takes the crown and transforms into Scrap Baby.

The MCI pony up and beat her ass with friendship, turning her back into Lizzy. They have a heart to heart and Evan goes back to Ponyville.

And then the second movie :)

My favorite movie :)

RAINBOW MOTHERFUCKING ROCKS. FUCK YEAH!!

So, Elizabeth is the outcast of the school now. The MCI are doing their best to help her, but it's difficult. Then, just like in Rainbow Rocks, we cut to a small cafe. People are arguing, and there's a faint green mist on the floor. We pan up to find four teenagers sitting in a booth, singing.

"Ugh, are you sure this is worth it? I hate eating fast food." One of them pouts, flipping their hood back to reveal black hair, dyed blue at the front. This is James.

"We take what we can get, James." Another flips their hood back, and they're Taylor, their hair coiled in a long braid. "We can't be picky."

"Doesn't mean it's good. It's just not enough anymore." A third pulls their hood down, and brown hair reveals Matthew.

The last opens their mouth to talk, but the friendship beams from Equestria Girls is shown in the background. All four of them gasp.

"Equestrian magic.." The last pulls their hood down, and they're Michael Afton, eyes shining with hunger.

He turns to his fellow Sirens and opens his mouth, the screen cutting to black.

Blah blah blah, boring band things. Anyway, the Sirens are defeated in a cool ass song. Their Siren forms are just their representative masks (Bonnie, Chica, Freddy, and Foxy respectively).

But their gems aren't destroyed, so Michael pulls them back and they run off.

And then the Friendship Games!

Instead of SciTwi being here, Crystal Prep's star student is one Jeremy Fitzgerald. Because I can't not have him.

He's wanting to pursue a higher education, but needs a scholarship to do so. He discovers magic and becomes enamored with it, trying to understand it with the help of a little doohickey circle thing.

He finds the portal, and sucks the magic right out of it and Elizabeth. He gets scared and gets on the bus.

Throughout the movie, their magic is depleted one by one.

They're all getting desperate. They need to win the games and everything is going wrong, and they can't even contact Evan. Elizabeth makes a decision, and during an intermission she goes out from the school.

The games continue on. The magic Jeremy has is getting harder and harder to contain, and Unleash the Magic happens. He releases the magic and turns into (wait, can you guess) Nightmare Mangle. What a shocker. Look, when there's only one thing the guy is known for you gotta use it.

He becomes obsessed with magic, and starts destroying everything a la Midnight Sparkle.

Everything is almost broken, until someone shouts.

"HEY!" It gains Nightmare Mangle's attention. "What do you think you're doing?!"

It's Michael. He looks different- more mature, bolder, more confident, whatever. But it's undoubtedly Michael.

Nightmare Mangle cackles. "Who do you think you are? A hero? Why even try when the world is breaking at my very presence?" He gestures to the gaping holes in the ground and in the air, which are slowly but surely growing.

"This isn't the right way to get what you want. Trust me, I'd know." Michael chuckles, clutching at the gem worn around his neck.

"What do you know of ambition? Is all you have to say meaningless words and promises of redemption?"

He clicks his tongue. "Well, I certainly know whatever the hell you're doing is giving off a lot of negative energy. And stop talking so poetically, you're not that kind of villain."

"Oh? Then, pray, what kind of villain am I?"

Michael doesn't look impressed, kicking a stone into the vast sky of the portals. "A lousy one."

This sends Nightmare Mangle into a rage, flying at Michael. The Siren hums a little tune and a giant fox is barreling into Jeremy.

All this time, Elizabeth is searching for the magic circle thing. Eventually she finds it while Michael distracts Jeremy, and does the Sunset Shimmer Friendship Games power up to try and talk down Jeremy.

Michael is eventually knocked out by Jeremy, and Elizabeth gains his attention.

They start fighting, and start beam attacking each other. Jeremy almost wins were it not for a blue rabbit kicking him away.

Nightmare Mangle growls and looks at James, who's standing over Michael's unconscious body protectively.

"You didn't think he came alone, did you? You're a fucking moron!"

While he's distracted with James, Elizabeth seals up the portals. The magic circle thingy is laying on the ground, and Taylor picks it up. They whistle, gaining Lizzy's attention, and they throw it up to her.

"Take his magic back! It's corrupting him!" They yell, narrowly dodging a beam.

Lizzy opens the pendant and points it at Jeremy, who claws at himself to keep the magic but is drained, falling in a heap on the floor.

She depowers and goes over to him. He's barely conscious, but shivering and shaking.

Matthew comes up to them, staring down at Jeremy thoughtfully. "He almost died, you know. That much magic in a person who hasn't had any before is dangerous."

Elizabeth sighed. "I know."

Jeremy is taken to the hospital for examination, and the MCI reconvenes near the school doors. The Sirens are with them too.

"Thank you for helping us, Mike. I think we would've died without you guys." Elizabeth brings Michael into a hug.

The MCI is confused. They tried to enslave the entire world last time they saw them and now Elizabeth is treating their leader as her brother?

"It's no problem. Just a thank you for helping us out."

Turns out Elizabeth had been visiting them and talking with them, and apparently had even convinced them to join the good side. They hardly ever used their Siren powers for anything malicious, usually just saving them for party tricks or real emergencies.

And then we get to Camp Everfree. The Sirens have re-enrolled in Canterlot High, and Jeremy has kind of joined their little clique. Turns out that having the magic of six borderline pony gods in a dude at once has some lingering effects, so Jeremy's learning to control his new magic. He's terrified he's going to slip back into Nightmare Mangle, but the reassurance from his ten (10!!) new friends can only go so far before he breaks.

Michael is determined to give his friends the most normal field trip of their lives. No magic weirdness, no powerups, no Siren junk, no nothing. Just being teenagers out in the woods.

Of course nothing can ever go to plan and Jeremy's magic starts misbehaving. The others are also having trouble with their powers, and the only people who know how to control it are the Sirens and Evan. So Cassidy finds a way to contact Evan, and he shows up.

"Hey, weren't you.."

"Yeah, trying to enslave humanity? That was a couple months ago, keep up."

So, they try and work on their magic, but a being known as Vanny Everfree shows up and wreaks havoc. (It's just their camp counselor, Vanessa A., using magic rocks she found in a cave.)

They have to power up to save the camp, but Jeremy's terrified. They try managing without him, but they are quickly overpowered.

Jeremy is forced to do a magical girl transformation, and it goes better than he hoped.

The Sirens are pretty useless here, so they're tasked with keeping people safe.

They do power explosion beams, raise money for the camp, and go on their merry way.

And they live happily ever after, fighting pony magic and being awesome.

That's it

[suau-raised-by-corrupted-gems]

SU AU: Home

Next morning, Steven had awoken to the scent of freshly cooked meat, causing his belly to rumble. Slowly, he picked himself up and stretched in a cat-like manner; arching his back and stretching his arms out in front of him. With a long weary yawn, he stumbled out of the cave, and was greeted with the lukewarm summer breeze whipping through his hair and the peaceful bird song in his ears. he couldn't help but feel a light smile come to his face.

For months the only things he had woken up to were the Pearl or Garnet prodding him awake for a mission, and stiff, overly fragrant air. The only good part about that experience was the breakfast, but even then, it wasn't Fluffy's fire-fried cooking.

Stars, how he's missed this.

He made his way into the clearing, where he found his Mother Fluffy was in the middle of the camp, sitting at her fire pit making breakfast with Centi beside her while Tri-T was sharing a her meal with lion.

Steven smiled joyfully at the display. He knew that they were always placid and open-minded towards other animals, but he somewhat didn't expect his feral kin to accept Lion so easily. They were much more understanding of him...

he trotted up to the group of gems, catching their attention almost immediately.

"Lil Q!" Tri-T jumped to her feet and ran over to the boy, to which he instinctively leapt onto her back. Tri-T then proceeded to dance in place and run aimlessly around the camp, laughing joyfully, while Centi and Fluffy watched adoringly. "Man, you know how much I've missed doing this!"

Steven laughed to himself, feeling his heart swell with happiness at her nickname. "I missed this to!"

After a brief run around the camp, Tri-T had stopped, though she was still bounding in place.

"Hey! Didja know about this big pink Fluffy feline? He appeared when you appeared! Isn't that cool? Big Q said that he might be an ally to you? Is that true? Where'd he come from??" Tri-T spoke with rapid succession, her words almost blurred together with how fast she spoke. Even if he's used to her hyperness, it still sort of overwhelmed Steven's still tired mind.

"Uh--"

"Tri-T, take it easy." Centi chided. "Lil Quartz just got back from being a... Crystal Gem. We should give him time to settle back in before overloading him with questions."

"Yes," Fluffy Quartz nodded. "Besides, he hasn't even had any breakfast yet, haven't you, dewdrop?"

As if to answer for him, Steven's stomach growled audibly, causing him to blush in modesty. "N-Not yet."

"Oh right!" Tri-T remembered, tilting her body forward so Steven could slide off. "I saved you the biggest carp!"

Steven smiled and nodded.

He knew that eventually, he'd have to answer some of those questions about his lion. They needed to know what he's learned so they could at least be prepared for what could come.

But at the moment, he put those worries to the back of his head as his focus was on the plump, young carp being handed to him.

Enough of the Crystal Gems for one morning now.

Perhaps after a good breakfast, he'd unwind with a nice wrestling game with Tri-T... or perhaps look for big pine cones with Centi? Maybe make flower crowns with Mama Fluffy!

He didn't know where to start. All he knew was that he was back where he felt happiest.

Home.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He's had too much Crystal Gems in one sitting and needs to unwind.

We'll get back to the action, but I think some nice fluff would be nice as he readjusted.

Next

Prev

[benjisfanart]

Magical March Day 2! Today is a Magic Powered 'Crystal', and I couldn't think of a better example than Stephanie, the fusion between Connie and Steven Universe.

Let's talk about fusions!...

One of the features of the Steven Universe story is the ability that Gems (an alien race of sentient crystals that project a physical form) to fuse together and create a new 'character.'

This aspect of the show is incredibly interesting and it is used to touch on a number of themes. At its core, fusion is intended to be a harmonious connection between two or more people with the outcome being someone entirely new while still being an expression of all members involved. It is demonstrated as an extremely intimate experience and should only be entered into with enthusiastic consent and a 'shared rhythm of the heart.' Often dancing is used to initiate the fusion process! In an extremely literal way, it is 'making love.'

One of the prime characters in the show (spoilers for season 2), is Garnet, who is one of Steven's primary 'carers' and core member of the Crystal Gems. They are revealed to be a fusion who almost exclusively and permanently live in a state of love between Ruby and Saphire. Though, this is not to say that Ruby and Saphire have their disagreements and at times 'Garnet' is split to accommodate for the two having space to find the rhythm again.

There are also unhealthy expressions of fusion in the series. In one instance, an enemy Gem from their homeworld is held as the bay in a fused form with Lapis Lazuli. However, this causes immense trauma to Lapis and it is something that she must work to recover from over the rest of the series.

This concept of fusion with your partner is not so foreign to how western culture has stereotypically treated romantic relationships. There is a very common assumption that two people become so intertwined with each other that their original selves are almost no longer visible. These people are ALWAYS together and rarely do anything for themselves that isn't for the benefit of the other person in some way. When this becomes extreme, it develops into a co-dependence. At this stage there is little to no space to separate from your fusion and on the odd occasions that you do, you are either pulled or dragged back into that state, almost against your better judgement. As a general rule, I personally would encourage people to learn how to be independent while walking on the same journey, rather than being so fused that you can't be told apart.

This being said, there is beauty in understanding the healthy aspect of this illustration. I believe that there should be an acknowledgement that people who are in a relationship together create a sort of 'new entity' in the form of the relationship itself. It brings all sorts of advantages in its own right. In the SU series, fused Gems have greater powers in combat and inherent abilities. This would also be the case for a healthy relationship, as it will express the passions and desires of those involved in a way that magnifies and encourages each of those individuals within. So, in a way, they become greater than the sum of their parts.