#su:f theories

[fangirls-just-want-to-have-fun]

anyways, I’m still thinking about how the whole solution to the conflict in the Steven Universe movie was to give all the “pieces” back to each of our beloved characters to bring them back to their original selves and in doing so Steven was forgetting and neglecting Spinel which ends up turning her back into her villainous self, when Spinel being neglected and forgotten by Pink Diamond is literally WHY she became a villain in the first place and how Rebecca Sugar is absolutely INSANE for that

[squadron-of-damned]

you have... seasoned thoughts (that is to say, not too on the extremes) and if I may ask more questions...

what do you you think of the diamonds as an authority and as like... individuals? Lol I thought their sort of redemption in 'change your mind' was a done too and it was like only having a sip of a good, scalding soup and being told to move on with the menu

also it's okay if it gets a separate post but what do you think about pearl? as in our pearl

Honestly, I don't know enough about the Diamonds to have some well-baked thoughts. With that being said, let's have some half-baked ones, shall we?

If you think about it, really think about it, it comes out as obvious what I find the most intriguing about the Diamonds: Their faked perfection. (This is a connection I am making right now, the entire von Karma thoughts are staring at me like "glad to know you're catching up".)

Each Gem is supposed to embody an ideal or more of them. The Diamonds are not an exception to it, in fact they are a precursor to it if they created all the other Gems. In theory Diamonds should be able to perform everything any other Gem can do just as well. They have to be the shining examples. But... they aren't. By the Stars they do try, but they aren't.

And I agree with you that their redemption was done in Change Your Mind, for Blue and Yellow even before that.

All the Diamonds knew that they weren't perfect and they had spent aeons masking it by profiling and specializing themselves. Hell, White went so far as not to meet anyone in person unless it couldn't be avoided, and then she did not even let them speak.

Thing is that the Diamonds held themselves to an impossibly high standards, and to this standard they also held everyone else. So they redemption doesn't come when they realise that they aren't perfect, they already knew that, but when Steven & co. shows them that they can never be perfect... and that it is fine. That by trying to match themselves to perfection they are, in fact, harming themselves. And the Diamonds, moons bless them, are smart, and when they processed this thought, the reached the only logical conclusion: Holding anyone to the standard of perfection is harmful for them to the point of breaking.

Honestly, the Homeworld, in my opinion, was a few moments (like, from Gem point of view, from our short-spanned POV it was several millennia) away from an absolute collapse. Regular Gems having a breakdown could be reset and replaced, but it was increasingly hard to do so because the Homeworld was running out of resources even with all the colonies at their disposal. But sooner rather than later one of the remaining Diamonds would break on herself. Blue might have poofed and never emerged again in grief. White would have over-exerted herself in spreading her control, like that's the point the other Gems exist, because the Diamonds can't be everywhere at once, controlling more people and lager area had to be draining. Not sure what would happen with Yellow, actually I think she was the closest one to have an actual rebellion within her ranks.

So, uh... from the POV of a viewer, sure, the Diamonds' redemption looks rushed, but I think that from their POV we just see the scales tipping. They just needed to be told that they could change, that it was allowed, or rather that it was not forbidden, that it was in fact encouraged. It's not "got a taste of soup, told to move along with a menu". It's "got a taste of soup and realised 'holy shit, I could have been making soup all along!'" But we don't get to see that because it's not a story about them and most of this goes on inside of their heads. At least, that's the way I understood it. But I think that in SU:F where Steven visits them and sees them using their powers the other way around (making forms, making people happy, letting people be heard) confirms this thought.

Thoughts on Pearl later.

[xray-angel]

Here’s my Steven Universe Future theory

[bluekayanite]

Theory: WHY does Pearl Like Rose-like People?

I personally always thought it weird that Pearl is so into people who remind her of Rose - personally, I always assumed that they would bring up bad memories and feelings that would take priority.  Well, I've now thought up a scenario that I think might explain it... regardless of if the assumption I mentioned is actually weird to most people (or not... I wouldn't know). XD;

Details below the line... as well as a lot of artistic laziness. XDD

Okay, first off, in case you're not familiar with my blog: I'll note that this is based on my probably-crazy-sounding theory that White has the power to alter Gems' memories and Rose and Pink weren't really the same person - Pink might have made Rose part-Diamond, and maybe White's tampered with Steven's Gem to bring out what little Diamond there is in him... but they're not really the same.)  If you're not up for at least entertaining the idea, you might as well close this page now.

...

Still here?  Okay, let's go!

Possible Story

I've mentioned before that I believe that Pink actually did care deeply for her (singular!) Pearl.

I believe that this might mean that any accidents would've actually strengthened their relationship...  It could also be how Pink found out about any healing powers she has.

On the other hand, I believe that White was a LOT more uncaring.  Maybe she'd even take her anger out on Pearl - you know, "our" Pearl - sometimes.

And since Pearls seem to be programmed to be, ah... enamored with their owners, it could've been an especially hard wake-up call for her. ^_^;

Anyway, we've seen that Pearls do seem to hang out while their owners are busy - at least some of the time.

Maybe Pink's Pearl (...I don't like the nickname "Volleyball" XD;  I'll get to that, someday) bragged at some point.

...Could be why one Pearl has a positive association with the Reef, but the other one very much does not. XD;

At any rate, I think that Pearl saw that the two of them had a positive - and actually very close - relationship.

This more-than-likely would've evoked feelings of jealousy.  I believe that she intensely desired that relationship for herself...

...and possibly wished that the other Pearl could know the suffering of working under White, instead. ^_^;  (Pearl does have a history of jealousy.  Remember Coach Steven?  Strong in the Real Way?  Yeah...)

I've mentioned that I think that Pearl's "imaginings" reflect what actually happened... better than her (presumably) false memories, at any rate.  I believe that odds are that, when the time came for Pink to leave for Earth, she may have snuck aboard the legs-ship... possibly not long after White had been hard on her, giving Pearl even more incentive to leave.

...And during transit, realized how foolish it was to think that she could just be with Pink like that. ^_^;  There's no way that she'd just abandon her Pearl, and who knows if she'd end up bringing Pearl back to White?

After landing, Pearl probably snuck out.  Not wanting to go back, she may have also figured that she shouldn't stick around, lest she get caught.

Not knowing what to do, she would've felt lost.  However, I think that Pink managed to find her - like, maybe she spotted her through the observation orb.

One of my theories is that Steven's dream powers were originally meant as a way for Pink to contact Rose in secret.  I don't remember if I've mentioned, but I've long believed that Pink led Rose to Pearl.

Rose would've done something that most wouldn't: actually listened to the Pearl.

Maybe Pearl left out some details (namely the part about wanting to be with Pink), but she would've at least given the part about running away and not being able to return (lest she probably be broken).

And then Rose said the magic words...

"What do you wanna do?"  Something that I suspect she may have heard Pink say to her Pearl, but that - in this context - would've ALSO meant an awful lot more than simply letting a good friend choose what to do:

The idea that a Pearl could choose her own fate.  Be her OWN boss.

Belong to no one.

And so, Rose would've become associated with what Pearl had originally admired about Pink: a kind, loving person who cared about someone as lowly as a Pearl, and gave her the freedom to make her own decisions.

Someone who could help her to heal...

...in more ways than one. X3

Pearl's memories may have been altered, but I believe that the desire for that kind of relationship still rests within her: a relationship with someone who'd nurture even a Pearl, and who even led her to have the courage to create her own purpose, rather than worry about the one that the Gem Empire assigned to her.

...*cough*  Yet another detail that I think White may have tried to make her forget. ^_^;

Granted, I think that the 'enamored with owners' thing being directed toward Rose could also be a factor, but I suspect that it mostly comes from something deeper. ='3

(...Heck, I'm starting to wonder if Pearl's infatuation even existed before the Diamond attack happened. o.O  Appreciation?  Respect?  Sure.  Infatuation...?  Not so sure... XD; )

Anyway, tl;dr - Pearl saw how Pink treated Pink Pearl and wanted that kindness. Rose had a similar kindness - and enabling demeanor - and reminded her of Pink.  She's been forced to forget the (original) reasons, but the desire is still there, and it still gets brought up (subconsciously) whenever she sees someone who reminds her of Rose... despite the fact that Rose might otherwise be associated with a loss.

[ellathoompson]

GUYS IM SCARED

[squiirby]

prepared

[cupcakeshakesnake]

I don’t care how inaccurate this is, I was in the mood for feels

EDIT: I belatedly realized it was too long to scroll through and changed the layout a little. The actual comic remains unchanged. I apologize for any confusion or inconveniences!

[potatpup]

Ohohoho

It's all coming together now.

With the release of today's promo there was one scene that got me thinking which was this one

Now why would Steven's clothes be ripped like that? If it were from damage from a fight or from falling down something then the rips would be random but they're not. They're specifically around his arms, legs and chest as if they've been stretched somehow.

But wait. If Steven's been corrupted then why is he normal-ish here? The answer lies back in the episode 'gem hunt' where steven and connie go looking for a corrupted gem in the forest.

This was where steven explained what he thought of corrupted gems at the time; how it was as if they were so sick that they couldn't remember who they used to be. Then they run into a mixture of monster and humanoid tracks which leads steven to make this assumption:

Steven: "...there might be a conscious gem still inside there somewhere."

Connie: "Is that possible?"

Steven: "What if the monster is turning back and forth into it's original form? If it is, it might not be as corrupted as we think! There might still be a chance to save it!"

Connie: "How?"

Steven: "I can't heal gems that are corrupted, at least not all the way but, if its half corrupted..."

Half corrupted.... like how steven is only half gem...which makes it wholly possible that he would switch back and forth while he struggles with his emotionally charged powers.

And dont get me started on this scene where steven runs into the house covering his hand in his pocket.

In arguments against corrupted steven, people have been saying "oh he probably hurt his hand from punching that wall in the previous scene" or "his hand probably turned pink" to which my response is that if he bust his hand from hitting that wall he could practically kiss it to make it better. And as for it turning pink, the gems have already witnessed his pink mode so what else would he have to hide???

[jammagams]

Amid all the promo speculation of what he might have in his pocket I couldn’t NOT think of this. but then again my collective stream of thoughts is basically just memes and nonsense soooo...

Vine  (if it’s not truly a Vine it’s similar enough?)

[lemonyellowlogic]

“Father, go inside.“

I feel like that’s Steven’s gem half speaking, as Steven has always been very loving and gentle towards his father, but now, his diamond half is speaking, and he means business. 

Also, Steven does turn pink the very next line, so that does lead me to believe that Steven will always become very cold and numb before he turns pink, as his anger and/or fear is what helps him to switch and the numbness helps him to forget if he would hurt someone with what he does.

[thatoneraginglesbian]

Crewniverse: See! Steven's body is changing with how he feels. He appears to be bigger and stronger because he mentally felt more mature!

SU Fandom: chad steven

[fuckitupconnie]

so i was editing something when

i listened to pink steven yell, you hear this like.

it wouldn’t be fare fetch that we’ll hear this when steven goes worm on a string on us in the next episodes 👀👀👀

[somnumr]

Pink Diamond had destructive powers. So does Steven.

Pink Diamond tried to hide it, meanwhile Steven is showing it.

[kevyn-draws]

ok so these are quick cuz originally i was working on an animatic but since The End is nearing and also i hated it heres my take on corrupt steven theory via drawings

organic!Steven as we know can’t do a lot of the things a normal gem can do. he cant poof when hes overwhelmed or injured and retreat to the general safety of his gem to recuperate. hes forced to deal with his emotions and such like any normal human would, which leads to some issues as SUF has shown.

part of these issues is pink!Steven, who will appear when o!Steven has a strong desire- he allowed Steven to win against Jasper by providing strength, he appeared as speed to allow Smoky to save the people on the coaster, etc.

however when o!Steven’s desire cannot be solved with anything physical, we see that p!Steven releases that desire as a strong force of energy.

most of o!Stevens problems stem from what he (and the majority of the fandom) see his mother as- some nonredeemable monster, a person who only causes pain and suffering. someone who is a liar and abuser. he doesn’t recognize how she has grown and changed and developed. hes so afraid of what she was and what she did, that he is actively walking down the same path she began on

these emotions have developed into o!Steven randomly going p!Steven mode. so far he’s (sort of) managed to control these emotions, but what happens when it gets too much? what happens when he is no longer able to contain these emotions, the trauma that his loved ones have caused in his childhood, and the inability to learn and understand his mothers past?

p!Steven will appear, just as always, in an attempt to fulfill o!Stevens desires. however, the emotions will overwhelm his gem half. the build up will be too much and he will end up releasing those emotions, but they will result in corruption. 

again o!Steven cannot do things that a normal gem can do. his organic body will not allow him to corrupt, so instead p!Steven will corrupt AROUND o!Steven. He will be forced by the physical and mental pressure of p!Steven to retreat into a bubble, which will leave him in a stasis like how it did in Bubbled

will it actually happen this way or at all?? eh, maybe

in conclusion

[bluekayanite]

Theory: Steven’s Passenger

Okay, so not only does it seem like we're going to see more of Steven's adventures, but that he's about to spend the next set of them with a plot-worthy new friend!

More below the line.

So, not only did the SU:F climax not feel very climactic to me, but the part about Steven striking out on his own just kinda felt weird to me.  I mean, I guess in hindsight I can see how it was being led up to, but at the time it still felt a lot like it came out of nowhere. ^_^;  That said, that feeling seemed to be be based on some other, underlying feeling that 'no logical/sane person would do that'...

...and I think I've found out why.

One of the major plot points of SU:F was how Steven was struggling with PTSD, with the symptoms brought on partially by the fact that he was losing a lot of his supportive relationships, and that he either didn't reach out to, or couldn't be helped by the friends that stayed around.  Maybe he's gotten past a major crisis, but I can pretty much guarantee that his problems haven't simply vanished like that.

What Steven would really need is to get help from his friends, family, and/or a therapist or something, at least until he can handle his trauma better.  Until then, he's basically a time bomb, ready to go off as soon as something bothers him just a little too much.  It might be one thing if he had asked his friends to come with him, but NOPE!

He pulled a Cookie Cat and decided to strike out entirely on his own. =/

I can't emphasize this enough: Steven NEEDS someone to be there!!  And I can't imagine Steven just meeting random people being enough... or all that interesting, really. ^_^;  He needs a road trip buddy.  And I don't think a convoy would work... not on its own, anyway.  I think he needs someone IN the car, to talk to whenever, about whatever.  Someone he could trust to talk about things - including Gem stuff and whatnot - without them freaking out or whatever.

And given everything that's been going on, I think I know who that buddy needs to be.

There's only ONE person...

(Yanno... since all the others have tried and failed and also been left behind. ^_^; )

Okay, first off, I've been paying attention to the moon for quite awhile now.  The SU series is one of the rare cases where - among other things - the moon appears in the day.

And on top of that, when the moon shows up appears to be far from random to me: I believe that a Gem is trapped in the observation orb in the Diamond base.

Like how Lapis could see through the mirror, I believe that this Gem can see things through the orb, and I think that the moon showing up is just one of several signs that this Gem is watching.

That said, the moon tends to show up a lot - and is often brighter - for certain types of events, including, but not limited to:

Steven and Amethyst's wrestling matches

Beach-a-Palooza (seems to be big on entertainment)

Steven and Connie being together

Rose and Greg being together

Garnet's wedding (appears to be a 'shipper)

Pink Pearl (I don't like the name "Volleyball" XD;;; ) coming to Earth

The Rose Buds coming to Earth

The whole fiasco after Steven found Pearl's phone (i.e. the whole "Rose was Pink Diamond" thing)

On top of that, when this Gem is paying extra close attention, it can affect the color of the moon, or even the sky without the moon...

Namely, it turns pink.

Now, I'll also note that I figured that White must've had mind-affecting powers long before her name was dropped: namely, after the Wanted arc (before Dewey Wins came out).  I came to that idea because corrupted Gems - namely Centi - had their memories affected by the Diamond Song, and neither Blue nor Yellow showed any signs of using or probably even having such powers, with their powers already shown as being over emotion and physical forms, respectively.

I also noticed that it was shown that some things actually CAN reach through Rose's shield.

So if a search robonoid's beam can get through Rose's shield, then you can certainly bet that White Diamond's powers could, and if White Diamond's powers could get through the shield, then there's no guarantee that the Gems were fully protected by it, if at all.

And if White Diamond's mind-control powers can affect Gems' memories, then there's no guarantee that that anything the CGs remember is completely untainted, or even really based in reality...

...or that Rose Quartz was really Pink Diamond.

Even Steven's powers and such don't seem like a full guarantee.  Did you notice the color of his Diamond-pupils?

White.  Not black, like Yellow's, Blue's or Pink's - WHITE.

Like... well, White's.

I believe this is a sign that White not only tried to tamper with the memories in Steven's Gem, but also the powers and such, trying to give powers that shouldn't even be there, and/or amplify what little bit of Pink might actually have been in Rose.

Which... honestly, could explain a lot about why Steven's so unstable. ^_^;

But... yeah.  Basically, I believe that White tried to make Rose/Steven into a replacement for the real Pink... who I believe to be the Gem trapped in the Earth's observation orb.

Release of a Prisoner

While people were trying to figure out "who shattered Pink Diamond?" I came to believe that Pink wasn't shattered at all, but was imprisoned on the moon... by White.  (WARNING: REALLY OLD AND OUTDATED POST!)  The narrative appeared to be that she and Rose were secretly working together to try and save at least one planet, with Rose rebelling openly, and Pink secretly feeding Rose info, pretending to be a tyrant.

It seemed to me like Pink was probably the only one who couldn't be controlled by White, having grown more powerful than her, as indicated by their murals.

In general, I figured that it would be a bad idea for Pink to have rebelled openly, or to have tried to convince the other Diamonds to stop taking planets (still do).  I also figured that she also plain didn't want to fight directly against her family... and now, I'm also thinking it's possible that she might've been too afraid to do it. ^_^;

Since not long after A Single Pale Rose came out, I've also believed that Pink trying to fight a rebellion AS ROSE and not get noticed would be logistically impossible, what with all the going back-and-forth she'd probably have to do for Homeworld not to worry about her... and all the chances of getting caught by either side. XD;

But I've also long believed that she actually was caught: somehow, White managed to figure it out... and naturally was't happy.  Pink was probably actually standing on the upper ledge behind her palanquin when she got dissipated, trying to reveal what she'd actually been doing before White managed to stop her.

(Hence the palanquin leaning forward, knocked over by the shockwave of Pink being poofed.)

White, however, still cared enough that she couldn't break Pink, and stuck her in a convenient prison, instead.  Meanwhile, she hatched a plan to try and replace Pink, so that the Diamonds to stay together with a controllable, "Pink" free to keep expanding their Empire.

Since then, the real Pink has been stuck, able to watch what's going on, but unable to participate in it.

(Pic originally posted here.)

Heck, I wonder if her powers are the only reason the corrupted Gems were corrupted, instead of destroyed. =o

I've basically wanted her to be released ever since I figured she'd be stuck in there.  To me, she was a hero who tried to do whatever she could to try and preserve a planet and give Gems some freedom - or in case she failed, to at least preserve a bit of the planet's people (thus, the zoo).  I've seen ways she impacted the lives of the CGs... including Amethyst's before she had even emerged.  I've wanted it to become known what kind of an impact she'd had, and for her to be able to have a positive impact again.

Well, I think that time is finally coming.

I've mentioned before that Pink would be a REALLY good person to help Steven with his powers and his PTSD (and other issues).  I still think that this is true, and that now would be the BEST time for that to happen.

That said, I also think it would be good for some help to be had in the other direction.

Pink's Problems

Aside from the obvious complications of revealing that Pink didn't become Rose after all - which, actually, could be delayed while on the road, which might actually be a good thing (more later ^_^; ) - I think that Pink is going to have some struggles of her own.  I'd noticed before that, while the moon tends to show up a lot to support Steven and such, it actually tends to DISAPPEAR if a conflict begins to escalate.

At the time, I just labelled it as "anxiety or something," but now I'm pretty sure what that "something" probably is:

PTSD.

I mean, think about it: she'd been involved in a GINORMOUS conflict for 1,000 years, controlling both sides and having to keep it secret.  Maybe Pink even shattered a few Gems on purpose, because if she DIDN'T it would risk blowing her cover, which could blow her entire operation and leave the creatures of Earth with zero chance for a future... but of course, it would've pained her GREATLY.

In general, I always figured that the war would've been INCREDIBLY stressful for her... but that she always had Pink Pearl to help her through it.

(Pic from this old fic.)

And then she got stuck in the orb. =(

In the orb, Pink is well and truly alone; no one even realizes that she could be up there.  She can watch events, but if they get stressful for her, there isn't an way for her to get any comfort or help.  And she has to experience it after the war had be left with a painful sort of resolution.

If Lapis was affected badly... ho boy. O_O;;;

A Time for Healing

But yeah, if Steven and Pink both have the same kind of issues, then maybe it would help them both understand how to help the other.  It could also help them feel a bit of solidarity; give them something to bond over.

I think it could also solve this:

Well... Pink isn't exactly Steven, but all things considered, she might be close enough - and maybe also different enough -  for him to have what he needs. XDD  At the very least, I suspect that they're both helpers, and that having someone with the same issue could give them a way to help themselves by healing the same thing in somebody else.

And hey, now the "other Steven" (i.e. Pink) could also have Steven, too. ;3

I think this could also help Steven with his "finding out who his is" stuff.  In a way, Pink could be like a part of Steven that he never even knew he had.  Maybe, by learning who she really is, he could learn about himself as he sees it reflected back at him - or at least, I think he could find aspects of her that he’d be proud to aspire to emulate, and she could FINALLY stop being someone for him to be plain embarrassed to be related/compared to. XD;

As for the two meeting...  I figure White's gotta be involved - maybe finally try to confess - but other than that, it's pretty up in the air. XD;  White does seem like she might be realizing that she messed up BIG TIME, given some of her recent behavior.

I've honestly expected Pink to lash out if White is involved - if so, I suspect that she wouldn't be able to finish it. XD;

As for accepting Pink... well, if there's anything left of Rose in him, I've imagined that Steven might break out crying in relief of seeing her alive, even if he doesn't recognize it, or understand why.  ...Or, even if not, he might be a bit relieved - if confused - about not having inherited Pink's Gemstone.  At the end of it, though, I think that he'll see her as someone new - someone he doesn't know - and who needs help, who may or may not share some of the same troubles as him.

...And if, by any chance, Pink knows how to calm him from a panic attack, that'll certainly be a nice bonus. XD;

But yeah, even if striking out on his own is technically a HORRIBLE idea on its own, I think that it'll turn out to have been the best choice.  Like I mentioned, the two could travel, get to know each-other, and sort a lot of things out - just the two of them, keeping it simple before they add other things to their plate... things like the mess that'll happen as soon as the Gems find out. XD;

After watching the Earth for so long, I do think that Pink will likely want to experience it, so the timing of the road trip is good for her - it might even be one of the (many) meta-reasons why Steven is leaving (though I'm not ruling out that he's not entirely sane right now XD; ).  I wouldn't be surprised if Steven even offers to let her ride with him - maybe even allow her to drive, sometimes. =3

And really after so much stress, I think that the two walking bombs softies really do need some time to party, relax, and generally have fun.

...As long as they don’t both panic at the same time, they should be okay. =D;;;

(Hoping for a running joke where they get mistaken for a couple. X3)

For the longest time (~3 years?), I have been seeing ways that finding Pink could happen within the next few eps (relative to whenever I was writing).  Now, I believe we have signs that finding Pink NEEDS to happen... and soon!

(I mean, I always kind of figured that finding Pink needed to happen "and soon," but now it seems even more urgent, and for a LOT more pressing reasons. ^_^;

And besides... everything really does seem to be pointing to it now - at least, as far as I can tell. XD;)

Ultimately, I'm thinking that the trip will be memorable for Steven less because of the places he experiences, and more because of the one that he's likely to experience the trip with... and what he experiences because of her. =)

[ellathoompson]

THIS FORSHADOWING IS KILLING MEE