#For some things there is no comparison such as spinel | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

its-whitetomorrow · 9 months ago

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Yeah, BW was definitely where it all begun. The writers and approaches might have changed along the way, but - either intentionally or by a twist of fate (since I doubt the newest writers would know a whole lot about BW anyway?) - it was that "revolutionary" point for Pokemon anime and its villains. Although I wouldn't say Explorers "do it the best" (at least not just yet). Some of these things can be hard to directly compare anyway, given how much of a "limited" writing the post BW era was, forced TR intrusions included. But still, I'm noticing a few faults and boredoms here, that aren't as exciting and where the pace feels slow. Like Zirc and Onia, yeah, they feel like props, almost needless as characters. Or like someone had an idea to create a replacement "Jessie and James" without Meow and see where it goes but it went nowhere.

One other thing I noticed after binge-watching it just now is how the villains seem to suffer from lack of technology when it relates to their main Pokemon objectives, no matter how well-written or science-savvy and devices rich they are. Explorers/Spinel can hack the news, utilize "BW level" of science and resources, develop special frequency sound waves, have holo conferences and Gibeon-sama is maybe from the future, providing them with some future technology, but they end up trying to capture Rayquaza... in a ball. It's a "novelty" that's a left over from how they've been handling TRio in SM/Journeys (by denying them more advanced methods of going after their targets, for example nets instead of energy fields) but also a bigger insistence on "gamifying" anime in all things where it concerns Pokemon, specifically - it can be seen with Legendary ones. (I guess this approach is also why "nastier" Legends like Eternatus end up woobified rather than effective final foes they should have been, but that's another thing). But truly, the last time we've seen the regional villains use science in conjunction with "capture/control an invincible legend" goal posts (rather than do something that clearly won't work) was XYZ finale with Zygarde and Team Flare. I guess you could also count Matori Matrix vessel in SM/Journeys (however brief and less effective it was) and Black Uniformed TRio's scheme with Dialga/Palkia (even though that one was an anomaly, as far as episodes come), all of which were far from being main antagonists and more like guest villains. Turn the wheel back, even prior to BW, then trying to weaken an invincible legend in a normal battle and then throw a ball (which gets prevented by a mere distraction from the good guys!) pales in comparison with what Giovanni used to do in Mewtwo arc and how Team Rocket usually operated back in OS. Sure, the show is about Pokemon battling, and I guess battling is what they're trying to insistently highlight. But on the other... it's just makes your villains silly or weak in a cheap plot convenient way that affects their image. The way they used to do it in the past was far more effective: use science to weaken it/effectively contain it but still have the villains battle it/battle the goods guys to get some parts of the job done.

One could also argue they've lost the pacing that made BW so good, in terms of its villain arc. We could have seen a bit more of Amethio training before he showed up here, plus other Explorers behind the scenes. You don't have to reveal the whole plan but create the anticipation and maybe develop them in small ways outside of their interactions with the good guys. It was always a good thing to see Jessie, James and Meowth in BW in those short scenes at regular intervals, even if just for anticipation factor. It started on a similar note with Explorers but the "drought" before the latest two-parter felt more like they used to do it back in AG/DP with their respective villainous teams, especially that the two-parter itself wasn't all that "epic" and "new." It moved some intrigue forward but essentially it all boiled down to "just another attempt at facing off against Rayquaza." Also, we've kinda lost contact with the grandma, no? Even though she was supposed to be investigating but I guess we'll get to it.

That being said, an actual finale of this particular series have a potential to be bombastic, with all sorts of unexpected things. Maybe.

I can't look back on Ash's ending with any sense of nostalgia because I'm still not over how genuinely, atrociously bad the way TR were treated was.

It was so empty and pointless that it ruined their entire legacy for me. Ash might have gotten an open ending, but he also got an actual character arc that reflected his progress toward something that could be considered a conclusion. TR got reverted to the very barest skeletons of themselves, had what development they did get reversed, and their "conclusion" was nothing but a reheated filler plot that had been done to death already.

Those last few weeks, I was just ready for the Ash era to end already.

#side note #i'm concerned about how LIko seems to slowly become another carbon copy of every single female protagonist in Pokemon ever #Dot on another hand THANK GOD FOR DOT

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leah-ocarina · 5 years ago

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Made a very short post about this but thought I’d go into more detail in another one. This has probably been done by now already like three times, but... Eh, I’m down for typing this out but simultaneously too lazy to look.

If you’ve ever seen me say anything about Steven Universe, you’d know my biggest pet peeve with this fandom is their intolerance for accepting the resolution to the very first redemption arc ever brought up in this show: Rose Quartz. If Rose’s arc was played in reverse, everyone would be loving and understanding. That’s what I keep saying! Turns out I was wrong. Rose’s arc is being played out just right, only this time we see it in real time instead of flashbacks through the man himself; Steven. Lemme prove it (I’m sure I’m missing plenty of things, but these are the broad strokes) :

Couldn’t decide if I wanted to start with Steven or Pink/Rose, so if you want to see what I mean starting chronologically with what we know about Pink (as best guesstimated as we really don’t have a true timeframe for some key events), read the bullet list forward. If you want to see it starting at Episode 1 of the original Steven Universe, read the bullet list backwards. K? K. Here we go:

☆ for Steven, ♦ for Rose/Pink

♦ Emotional outburst that ended in serious, scaring injury of Volleyball ☆ Emotional outburst that ended in shattering Jasper

♦ Thinks the kindergarten is amazing; horrified when the truth comes out ☆ Thinks the absolute best of gem kind; horrified when the truth about the kindergarten comes out

♦ Did everything in her power to liberate Earth from the Diamonds ☆ Did everything in his power to keep the Diamonds from hurting Earth

♦ Fascinated by the world around here, completely taken with each and every creature no matter how small ☆ “Just today you were crying about snakes!”

♦ Known for being a great source of comfort to other people who did her best to raise them up and help them feel worthy ☆ We see him do his best to help each and everyone of his friends through even the smallest of problems, trying to show them they’re worth being happy

♦ Seen as loving, caring, and always putting others and her family first ☆ We see him be loving, caring, and always put others and his family first

Out of sequence parallels:

♦ Raised under great pressure to be something she’s not which led to inferiority complex ☆ Perception that there was a lot of pressure to be someone he wasn’t which led to inferiority complex

♦ Not being taken seriously by maternal figures to the point of not knowing how to control powers, making them unstable ☆ Not being taken seriously by maternal figures who, though they tried to do everything they could in uncharted territory, occasionally lead to Steven having unstable powers

♦ Used to be very very childish, demanding to be treated on the same level as the other diamonds before she was ready to the point of getting in the way ☆ Used to be very very childish, demanding to be treated on the same level as the other Crystal Gems before he was ready to the point of getting in the way

♦ Tried to liberate as many gems as possible from the Diamonds ☆ Actually liberated all gems from the Diamonds

Other:

♦ Pink/Rose has always held the creation of and miracle of life in great value. She said so from some of the earliest encounters of her ☆ Steven punched trees and speared his own fish. ^^^ Disclaimer: It was obviously hella temporary for Steven. I just thought it was interesting.

♦ Learned how to control and shut the lid on her destructive powers pretty quickly once she realized it was a necessity and kept it the fuck closed ☆ The chaotic elements with his powers has ebbed and flowed throughout the whole series

vvv ***Includes theoretical ponderings If Pearl didn’t know about Pink’s ‘outbursts,’ Pink clearly got it under control before Volleyball was replaced, which stands to reason it could be because of what happened. Rose was undeniably one to run from her problems, but it’s possible it’s in part because of what happens when she gets angry during a fight (again that’s complete speculation! Take it with a grain of salt). When accounting for that; ♦ Started keeping secrets and avoiding confrontation in fear of hurting someone after a destructive outburst ☆ Started keeping secrets and avoiding confrontation in fear of hurting someone after a destructive outburst

♦ ☆ The more out of control thoughtless he was the more he looked like Pink Diamond right down to diamond pupils ^^^ Extra note that Pearl said that little Steven, who was much more Rose-like than Pink, sometimes looked a lot like Rose

♦ ☆ Steven now seems to be pulling the most classic Rose move of them all: Running away from his problems instead of facing them

This series has had some twists and turns, but the biggest plot twist of them all is in a time when nobody— not the OG gems, not B team, not Connie, not even GREG can help him with what he’s going through, the only one who can really, truly understand what’s happening to him... is his mother after all.

#Rose Quartz #Pink Diamond #Steven Universe #Steven Universe Future #Steven Universe Future Spoilers #For some things there is no comparison such as spinel #I mean steven is a better person than rose I ain't tryna deny that #doesn't change the very obvious parallel they've set up for us

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dimonds456 · 3 years ago

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*sees your tags about being salty about suf spinel*

YOU CAN'T JUST SAY THAT AND NOT SHARE YOUR SALT /LH

Okay, but I'm warning you, you asked for it.

LONG POST WARNING.

LIKE A REALLY, REALLY LONG POST WARNING.

Dimonds456 Presents: How They Did My Baby Dirty: An SUTM and SUF Analysis on Steven and Spinel (Told by a Progressively More and More Angry Narrator)

THE CONTEXT: There was a post talking about how you think a character will fix everything, but then they wind up making it works. My tags were "#*looks at suf spinel* #I am still salty about that like the bitch I am fghdjskgfa"

Grab some water, guys.

Let's start by talking about Steven for a moment. In the original show, when we were following him as a 12-14-year-old, we watched as he built up trauma and then learned how to hide it expertly well, to the point that most of the audience didn't even realize he was struggling.

You can actually pinpoint the seconds he makes those decisions, too. The best example is in "The Test," when he's storming up to the gems. He's pissed. His fists are clenched, he's got that anime eye shadow overlay on his face, he's frowning, all that. the Crystal Gems are clapping for him and lying to his face, and he KNOWS they are because he overheard them talking about how it was "impossible for him to fail" that test (- Garnet).

And yet... he also overheard them saying that they're just trying their best. They don't know what he needs. They never really have. No one is sure. So, Steven realizes that by picking a fight, he would just be making it worse for them because they would know they messed up, and nothing gets solved, and everyone gets more depressed and Amethyst and Pearl go back to fighting each other and- well, you get the picture. He doesn't have a full understanding of what's going on, so his kid brain went "so I can either be angry at them and cause problems, or I can tell them I did a good job to make them happy."

"I can lie to make them happy."

He storms down there angry, still mulling this decision over. He drops to the floor, frowning and pissed, and says "I can't believe you guys." He is so close to yelling at them, and yet, when he looks up at them...

"That was so... INSANE!"

You never would have been able to tell. It was right there. That moment. And then he never stops. For the ENTIRE REST of the series, he NEVER STOPS. He puts the Crystal Gems above himself every time. Think Rose's Scabbard, The Message, The Return/Jailbreak. The Cluster. Peridot. Dealing with Jasper. The zoo arc (ESPECIALLY the zoo arc). Aquamarine. Then pretty much the entirety of Season 5.

(NOTE: I went back and rewatched that scene for the screenshot. There is a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lip tremble in there too! D,: )

He lives for the people around him, and not for himself. Almost never for himself.

Put a pin in that.

Now, let's look at his maturity. People thought that was just him being mature, right? That he grew up. No. That was not it at all. He was learning from his own behaviors as well as the people around him, and building up this idea that he had to "fight to be everything that everyone wants [him] to be when [he's] grown" (- Steven, the extended intro).

Yes, he matured, but not because of that. He started making various decisions to benefit the group that oftentimes he wasn't fully comfortable with, but something he believed would be better for everyone.

Put a pin in that.

Then, later in Future, we see it all manifest. He is selfless to a fault, to the point that he can't think of himself in a positive light in the sense that he's good. We see it a couple of times, but especially in "Prickly Pair," when he vents to Cactus Steven about everything that happened. He feels useless, which is taking a toll on his mental health.

"Why do I need to be needed?" He needs to be needed because that's everything he was as a kid. His entire IDENTITY rests on his ability to help other people, no matter what happens to him. He literally sacrificed himself for them countless times (the big one of course being the Aquamarine incident), and now as a teenager, his whole sense of self is wrapped up in this need to get up and do something to make the world better.

And when he can't make the world better, his world falls apart.

Put a pin in that.

Now, let's talk about Spinel, the moment we've all been waiting for.

Spinel, as a gem, was made specifically to be a friend. That is her niche, and her purpose. Her reason for existing. At first, she and Pink Diamond got along very well, as shown in the flashbacks right before Drift Away plays (I headcanon she has illusion powers and was literally projecting her trauma, but that's a completely different post).

She and Pink vibed together for who knows how long, until one day, Pink started to not like being around Spinel anymore, finding her annoying and childish. We don't know what really caused the switch, just that it did happen (but of course, I have headcanons for that, too). Spinel never realized until it was FAR too late.

Steven actually describes his younger self as annoying at one point during the Diamond Days arc, when he decides to throw the ball, so I'm legally allowed to make this comparison.

Steven and Spinel were the SAME. They were both young and dumb, and something that at least a few people found annoying. People put up with their BS though, since they cared about them. But, while Steven realized this and matured because of it (or bottled up his emotions, to each their own), Spinel never did. She never matured. She was never given a chance.

In the movie, we saw her as a child, and watched as she played with Pink and never tried to be or do anything else, to the point that Pink Diamond thought to realize she might be struggling (and maybe Spinel didn't, either!).

She lives for the people around him, and not for herself. Almost never for herself.

And when she can't be friends with this one person, her world falls apart.

Sound familiar? It should. I literally pulled from things I said earlier lol.

Spinel and Steven are mirror reflections of each other. Reset!Spinel is 14-year-old Steven, completely devoting her entire self to one idea. Steven's was helping others no matter what, Spinel's was serving Pink no matter what. Spinel is like a combination of 14 and 12-year-old Steven in this sense, honestly. Goofy, without a care in the world, except one thing: the people around her. She would do anything for Pink, just as Steven would do anything for his family.

Now, Pink Diamond left Spinel. We all know this story. She left Spins there in the garden for 6,000 years because she grew more mature and started a rebellion, effectively forgetting about this one gem she kinda stopped caring about standing there.

Personally, I don't think Pink had any malicious or even intentional intent in that, but this ain't about her. This is about how Spinel continued to sacrifice herself for Pink, even when Pink didn't need her to anymore. She wanted to please Pink 24/7, all day every day, to the point she self-sacrificed and stood perfectly still for her for millenia.

Now, back to Steven. The gems don't need him anymore in Future, right? They've all grown up and matured and headed off towards their own futures, effectively stranding him alone in terms of self-identity and self-worth. But he stays there, ready to assist at the drop of a hat, or- in Future's case- the call of a phone.

Episode 6 anyone? The one everyone says shouldn't be in Future? That it should have been cut to allow more focus on Steven himself? The fusion episode? YEAH. THAT. He is running himself RAGGED to try and help others, to give himself a purpose. He is self-sacrificing. (He's a professional, don't worry. /j)

Steven metaphorically planted his feet down and decided that he was going to devote himself to the people around him.

Spinel's feet were literally tied down soon after she made that very same decision.

Okay, enough with the backstory. Time for the salt.

In Future, Steven is at his lowest low. He is running to the Diamonds for help, to see if there is SOMETHING they can do to help him. And we first see Spinel.

Spinel has been through the ringer on a lot of the same mental problems Steven himself is facing. She self-isolated, watched as everyone grew up and left her, and then began to lash out because of it. She understands what he's going through. We even see her concerned as Steven starts to tell her why he's there.

Spinel takes him from Diamond to Diamond, until he's running out of White's room in a blind panic. Spinel is able to catch up with him, and Steven realizes the same. SHE GETS IT. He turns around and says "Hey, you used to have vengeful thoughts!"

Spinel replies "Ohhhhh yeah, but I don't have 'em anymore."

"How did you make them stop?"

She then goes on to sing Change to him, effectively cutting that conversation short.

On paper, that sounds very in-character for her. She's goofy! And that is what worked for her! But the problem is that they had to dumb her down in order to make that character decision work. In the movie, she was shown to be observant and able to put two and two together, even if she often jumps to conclusions (see her being the one to figure out that the gems needed to remember their "pieces," as she remembers the Garden, her re-realizing what Pink did, and her meltdown later when she reactivates the injector).

Spinel is smart. It should have been in character for her to realize that Steven was panicking just as she had been, and needed to be talked to gently. But no. Instead, she starts belting out Change, which given Steven's situation, would not work for him.

At the very least, she would have started doing little tricks or started trying to get him to join a game, which would have taken his mind off of it (to her anyways, that wouldn't have worked either), which then could have prompted further discussion.

Then, once they finally start talking, Spinel could have been able to share some legitimate advise. She was hurt and lashed out. What worked for her was opening up to others and letting them in, learning to trust again (which Steven also has problems with- he can't trust that the Gems won't break down the second he turns his back. Trust does NOT equal love, there is no doubt he loves them to no end), and allowing other people in.

That is what Steven needed, too. He needed to let his guard down and just talk to someone. Sure, Spinel was not going to be a fix-all, but she could have at least offered some insight on what to do.

She UNDERSTANDS him. They are a reflection of each other.

But instead of offering help, Spinel made it worse. She was dumbed down to allow the rest of Future to happen, to make Steven feel even worse. Because- and here's the kicker- because the one person who MIGHT understand him doesn't, that means there's no hope for him.

At least, that's how he sees it. And so, the denial- and "Everything's Fine"- begins.

Here's the thing, though; they DIDN'T NEED to make that decision. If the Crew wanted to have Spinel not understand Steven, then draw the line of her being a Gem from Era 1, used to the Diamonds shattering people.

Steven has killed Jasper and revived her at this point, so maybe Spinel offers that at least he's trying to get better, just like the other Diamonds! See, they're doing so great now! And then that makes him feel worse since he IS trying to do better, but is only failing, while the Diamonds- who were MADE to be nasty dictators- are doing better than him.

The Diamonds shattered a lot of people, and they're doing better than Steven, who has only shattered one person, and not even on purpose. How horrible is that?

Then boom. THERE'S your angst, with a much smarter, more helpful Spinel.

Look, I knew going in that Spinel wasn't going to be able to help. The finale had to happen somehow, and we hadn't seen Wormy Boi yet. I have always been a storng believer of the corrupted Steven theory, so I knew it was bound to happen. But I was hoping that Spinel would at least try. But she really didn't. She just brushed him off, offering really loose advise that didn't even fit his situation and thinking that would be enough.

No. It's not.

I can see where the Crew was coming from. I still love that episode, and I love seeing Spins in it (until that exact moment). This is probably the only thing in SU that genuinely gets me mad. Or, well, maybe not mad, but definitely annoyed and- you guessed it- salty.

I have an unfinished fic where I kinda delve into Spinel's head for that episode called "A New Start". If you really want my thoughts on where Spinel's head was at, there's a bit in there that really explains it. In the fic, Steven decides to rejuvenate himself and brings Spinel along with him, and that's all the context you need for this.

I cannot explain that moment in the climax of the episode, though. Maybe she thought it would make him feel better, or that maybe he really did just need to open his eyes and see the error of his ways (which doesn't make sense, he KNOWS what he did). Maybe she thought that being silly would help somehow.

But you'd think she'd learn from her time with Pink as she grew more annoyed with her, but apparently not. Or maybe she would realize for a second that being loud and annoying was bad. Or maybe she doesn't learn.

Either way, it- and she- was dumb. And they did my baby dirty.

*drops mic and walks away*

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mimik-u · 4 years ago

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“I Am My Monster” Thoughts:

Oh, the shot of Sour Cream and Yellowtail sitting back to back on the dock listening to music together had me tender. ;-;

GOD, I KNEW STEVEN TRANSFORMS INTO A MONSTER, BUT STILL. IT’S HARROWING.

Estelle’s delivery of “That is Steven.” Oh, my go d

“As long as he believes he’s a monster, he’ll stay one.” 😭😭😭😭😭

Peridot yelling “Sorry, Steven!” after she and Bismuth swing by and hit him. 😭😭😭

“You know who would be great at that?” / “Who?!” / “STEVEN!” JEIRFIEIEJDJSNSJ.

THE DIAMOOOOONDS.

Amethyst: “You gotta be kidding me.” JEJDDJSHSJ

LMAO, “FOOT THONG THINGY.” THIS REALLY IS CINDERELLA HUH

White: “Why is something like this always happening when we show up for a visit?” IWIEFIFISJNSS, SHE’S SO HAUGHTY I LOVE HER

The Diamonds trying to immediately help has me ten d er.

AWHHJSIEHWHWH, YELLOW PUSHING BLUE OUT OF THE WAY FROM RECEIVING THE HAPPY CLOUD’S REBOUND.

I’m going to think about this tiny detail for the rest of the day.

Seeing how small the Diamonds are in comparison to monster Steven really puts it into context how big Steven must be right now.

Yellow and Blue rushing to catch White as she falls backwards. 😭😭

Lapis restraining Steven via water chains reminds me a lot of Malachite, who in her own way, was also a monster built on trauma and self-loathing,

Steven’s so powerful that he literally just wiped out everyone.

THE CLUSTER!!

“Deep inside this... monster, Steven must be in there, so angry.” / “I... I knew something was going on. Why didn’t I do something?” / “If we don’t get through to him, he’ll stay like this forever.” In Future’s arc, there were times where I desperately wished Greg and the Gems would have done more for Steven or abstained from doing anything at all (I’m specifically thinking of Ruby and Sapphire’s disastrous proposal advice, lmaoooooo), but truthfully, what they did and/or didn’t do is probably one of the most realistic depictions I’ve ever seen of a family navigating what it means to have a loved one who has mental illness. It’s tough to watch. It’s hard to reach out to a person who denies that they need help, who tries to hide all their pain away. And even when you do help, it never feels like enough. This isn’t to say that the Gems and Greg were perfect parents in this arc—that’s far from the truth—but I think they did as well as they could manage.

Which unfortunately... sometimes isn’t enough. Sometimes, the trauma and the pain and the hurt and the anger is greater.

“You didn’t protect him from us. He’s like this because of us.” I love Blue Diamond with all my heart.

Good on all the Diamonds and Spinel for owning up to their mistakes!! They’ve grown so much.

WHITE’S CRYING FACE HELPF DJDJDJDKSKSJOSOSXJIXID. I’M TRYING TO LISTEN TO WHAT SHE HAS TK SAY BUT DIWIOEDJJDJSSJ

BELPCNDJEOWOIDDJDJDNND

She is so dramatic oh my god

“This isn’t the time to make this all about you! That is not helping!” GO, CONNIE!!!!

AUGH, the sun shining in shafts of light across Connie’s face is so pretty.

And furthermore, she’s speaking the truth. In every harrowing situation Steven has ever experienced, he’s always prioritized the feelings of the Other over his own, which is a mark of his extreme empathy, but ultimately, empathy has a limit AND a recoil, which is that he’s internalized every bad thing that’s ever happened to him so that he can be present for others.

“He needs US this time! We all had Steven when we needed him, but the only person who’s never had Steven is Steven. He’s always been there for us, so how can we be there for him now?” I LOVE YOU, CONNIE MAHESWARAN.

“It’s time to show Steven some love.” AUGHSHDIDJDHEHDHSHS. 😭😭😭😭

THE DIAMONDS RUNNNING DIWOIDDNSNSJSK LOOK AT WHITE’S LEG S LOOK AT THEM. IT’S SO FUCKING FUNNY

Oh, my God. The way Garnet hugs him, fingers dug into his scaly skin.

“Steven, when I fell apart, you were there for me. I want to be there for you now. I’m here, Steven. I’m here.” HHHHHHHHH.

A very subtle call back to “Here Comes A Thought.”

“I’m here, Shtu-ball—whatever you need! I’ll make it happen!” 😭😭😭

“Steven, you never gave up on me for some reason I don’t understand! I’ll do the same for you!”

“I know you feel bad—believe me, I get it. Sometimes, it feels like you’re never gonna like yourself, but it’s possible, man!” 😭😭😭😭😭 HHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

“Steven, I know how awful it feels to keep a part of yourself secret. You shouldn’t have to hide anything from me!” 😭😭😭😭

No reactions, only 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭.

AUGH, THE CLUSTER HOLDING HIS HAND

THE WIDE SHOT OF THEM ALL HUGGING THE BOY THAT THEY LOVE. AUGHHHUEUEUDIDJSJS

“Steven, you must have been so afraid to show us this side of yourself, but we’re not going anywhere. We’re all going to take care of you the same way you take care of us.”

OH, THE BLACKOUT AT THE KISS. UGH, THAT’S SUCH A GOOD ARTISTIC CHOICE.

Steven crying his own healing tears in response to being loved and thus healing himself. Oh, my g o d.

Steven waking up to see everyone’s relieved, but teary faces has got me feeling some kind of way.

Steven crying and hugging Lion. oh my. Go d 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

There will never be another show that understands the power of a cathartic cry like this one. 😭😭😭

#mimiku #steven universe #s: future #I’m so te n d er

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shinneth · 4 years ago

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Spill the tea on Stevinel (just because I saw one for conniverse) And yes, I'm not on Anonymous. Because I'm a proud stevinel shipper and no one's going to stop me from loving it, also your blog is cool

And you know what? That’s the right attitude to have! People should be free to express what they ship without shielding themselves with anonymity. I don’t blame the people that do these days - antis are fucking dangerous people - but goddamn, people. It’s fiction.

So I commend you for shipping Stevinel openly and proudly! Hard to believe it’s actually considered a bold and brave move just to be open and honest about harmless preferences these days.

That said, I’m sorry it took so long to get to this. I felt you deserved an epic, given how unexpectedly successful my tirade on why Connverse is a shit ship with an undeserved golden reputation was...

But the truth is, even though I’m very much a Stevinel shipper, it’s definitely not my OTP.

And it’s very tricky for me to figure out how to spill the tea on Stevinel in a way that’s distinct from me doing the same with Stevidot.

Because, well, let’s face it: these two ships, beyond being very similar in nature, have also endured identical hardships from the fandom.

All the death threats Stevinel fans get from the raging antis for daring to ship something so “problematic/immoral/wrong/not Connverse”?

Stevidot fans have been treated that exact same way for years. And still are. For the exact same reasons.

Both Stevinel and Stevidot shippers are valid, but the fandom constantly turns a blind eye to Rebecca Sugar’s husband who also worked on the show outright saying gem x human ships are FAIR GAME.

And also turn a blind eye to the recent interview where Sugar herself stated that the gems are more like AI - a conclusion I and many others deduced ages ago just by how gems are portrayed in the show.

But by god, they’ll hang on Matt Burnett’s word that “grown gems” are a thing even though canon itself explicitly states that GEMS DON’T GROW.

Just like how despite Maya Petersen outright admitting that Aroace!Peridot is just her headcanon, people treat it like the fucking gospel now.

(no offense to anyone who’s committed to that particular headcanon - I just don’t really see it with Peridot in particular and it’s really fucking stupid to claim it’s 100% canon when the source herself explicitly said it wasn’t)

Well, it’s canon that Spinel kissed Steven and he didn’t turn into dust. And Steven was already well on his way down the path of self-destruction at this point in time; he would’ve gone monster whether this happened or not.

Also, how often does a character get the “heart eyes” expression for just a platonic love?

If there was ever a scene where Connie or Steven had heart eyes, no doubt most of the pricks would scream “YES!!!! UNDENIABLE PROOF THAT THEY’RE IN LOVE!!!”

But when it’s Spinel, suddenly it doesn’t count? Really?

How convenient.

There’s also the stupid idiots who saw the conceptual development of Spinel in that movie artbook and saw some vague color keys during a conceptual stage and claimed that Spinel was “family” to Steven - which of course must mean “related” and therefore must make Stevinel an incestuous relationship!

Which is bull. Also shit. It’s already common knowledge that gems don’t work that way. She was the designated playmate for Steven’s mother. Nothing more.

Of course, most gems who come in Steven’s orbit end up being sort of a family to him.

But everyone seems to have this impression that a gem being part of Steven’s family means they become additional surrogate mom figures.

And yeah no, that’s dumb and wrong. Garnet and Pearl are really the only ones I’d consider actual “mom figures”. Amethyst’s more of a big sister. Everyone else can vary depending on perspective, but I’ve never seen any of the other gems as anything close to a motherly figure for Steven. Any time I see shit about Lapis or Peridot being regarded as “gem moms” to Steven, I laugh my ass off. They are so not moms or any kind of authoritative figure for Steven. Bismuth at best is more of the fun-loving aunt.

There are more roles in a family than just a paternal/maternal substitute. In fact, I believe Steven has considered Connie to be part of his family well before they hooked up in canon.

(as a side-note, I love how people who are allegedly SO squicked out by age gap ships totally pardon Connverse - you guys realize Connie was 14 in Future, right? Possibly 15 depending on the time scale? There’s gonna be a point in the relative near future where Steven is 18 and Connie isn’t - why don’t I hear you assholes angst about that ��atrocity”, huh?)

I honestly do consider the CG B-Team as part of Steven’s family, but more in a loose sense. But by that same token, I consider Connie as part of the family in a similar manner.

Especially since Spinel was shoved off to live with the Diamonds after the movie - and the Diamonds themselves have a very fucked-up relationship among themselves to the point where I honestly hesitate to put a familial label on it at all - it’s extra stupid to try and paint Stevinel as something with incestuous overtones when it clearly doesn’t.

Spinel does happen to be a perfect representative of how full of shit antis are about age gaps, though.

While Peridot’s age has always been left vague, we know she can’t be 5K or older due to being an Era 2 gem. Due to her utter lack of knowledge of Era 1 events (or being completely sold on the Diamonds’ propaganda) and her general inexperience with her own equipment - as well as her ability to quickly adapt to Earth - I always headcanoned Peridot as being especially young. Like, younger-than-Steven young.

Mostly because Peri’s attitude reeks of Gen Z - also because it’d be nice for a change to have a gem who isn’t thousands of years old like literally every other noteworthy gem in the show. We need a representative of gemkind who hasn’t been around for ages.

Of course, Spinel’s backstory proves that even if they went the boring route and made Peridot thousands of years old just like everybody else, it wouldn’t really mean much of anything. She’d be no less of a valid romantic option for Steven regardless of age.

Spinel is several thousands of years old, and the movie explicitly shows us what exactly that amounts to for a gem.

As I mentioned earlier, Sugar sees the gems more like AI. Spinel remaining in one spot for several millennnia, not moving an inch, not speaking to anyone, not seeing anything other than a gradually-deteriorating garden... yeah, and somehow, despite all that, Spinel’s still very childlike per her design. She had literally no room to mature or accrue life experience: Pink Diamond basically hit the pause button on her entire life.

Even though she’s several thousands of years old, through no fault of her own, Spinel’s mindset remained unchanged. It wasn’t until Steven inadvertently came into her life that she became twisted - understandably so after finally realizing she’d been abandoned by Pink.

But she still didn’t completely lose her true self. Spinel realized on her own that Steven didn’t deserve to suffer just because his mom was a negligent asshole. She also came to understand on her own that unlike Pink, Steven truly cared for her no matter what shit she threw his way.

Steven could give Spinel the care and attention she always deserved; something Pink totally denied her while deceiving her into wasting away with her abandoned playground. He could be the one to give Spinel the love she always deserved but was either denied or manipulated into believing she got.

Honestly, this is more than enough to warrant building something more between these two.

The age gap is irrelevant. The two have chemistry. They aren’t related.

(and honestly, this is fiction - these details are largely irrelevant in fiction anyway. I’m only bringing it up because it doesn’t take much research to find that every label the antis put on Stevinel is complete inaccurate Diamond propaganda bullshit)

Stevinel is FINE. Let people ship it if they want to!

Um... is that good enough?

Honestly, I’m not gonna lie: Stevinel’s pretty goddamned popular; so much that I’m a bit jealous of it. I enjoy the ship a lot, but I’ve been keeping it at arms-length all this time. I’m looking forward to when I can write my own brand of Stevinel interaction when I get to introduce her in my series, but that’s still a while to go.

Also, there’s almost zero Peridot/Spinel material, let alone my Peridot/Steven/Spinel OT3. And Stevidot material is still hard to come by; I’m noticing Stevinel’s still quite a bit easier to find by comparison.

So in a way, I feel many other unpopular ships deserve some tea-spilling sooner than Stevinel because Stevinel at least still has a sizable fanbase. Same can’t really be said for a lot of similar ships here...

A lot of this can apply to other Steven x gem ships, honestly.

But I guess I haven’t been showing Stevinel much proper love due to my devotion to my superior SU-AU. I can only hope I can soon reach a point where I can have GA Spinel react to Steven, since their dynamic will be significantly different.

(and then one day I’ll finally make the Peridot/Steven/Spinel OT3 fic!!)

Until then, I can only hope I did Stevinel some justice here!

#answered asks #ryan-spinel #stevinel #stevidot #steven universe #spinel #su spinel #shipping #spill the tea #peridot #su peridot

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inu-jiru · 4 years ago

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The Tiger And The Zebra

Chapter Three - Jasper’s First Sauna

“So...what am I supposed to do?”

“Just a moment.”

I rested my hand on a pedestal that sat in the center of the Extraction Chamber. A holographic screen popped up in front of me, displaying a number of options. I set the steam temperature to the maximum setting. I personally preferred something gentler on my “skin” but I believed that Jasper had a few thousand years worth of stress that she needed to get rid of. There was the option to apply a scent to the steam as a sort of aromatherapy. That made me curious.

“Is there any particular scent you’re fond of?” I asked over my shoulder.

“Not really.”

“Well…” I sighed. “Is there anything you wouldn’t mind smelling for the next hour?”

“Is this really important?” Jasper asked, annoyed. I turned to her, a hand on my hip. She was sitting on the bench behind me, her arms crossed.

“I just want to make things comfortable for you, Ms. Ultimate Quartz,” I explained, the faintest hint of impatience edging its way into my voice. “Look. I can pick for you, if that makes you happy.”

“You know what would make me happy?” Jasper began with a smirk.

“Don’t make me move it up to three hours,” I warned, turning back to the screen so that she wouldn’t see the grin that was threatening to form on my face. Stars above...Jasper really loved to push her luck with me, didn’t she? I had to admit, this constant back and forth of irritation and amusement was something I’d never had with a Quartz soldier. Not even my most rambunctious Amethyst had the audacity to be so vocal with me. It was different, and yet...I was enjoying it.

I decided to go with the scent of Earth pine. It, and other organic plant matter, had been taken from Earth prior to the Rebellion. It was something Homeworld did for all colonies; taking things with fine fragrances and using them for Gem relaxation. It was, perhaps, the only thing of worth that organic life had ever provided for us. With that, I confirmed the setting I’d chosen and turned to join Jasper on the bench. The vents activated at the same time, and with a hiss, the hot, scented steam began filling the room.

“Ahh,” I sighed. I could already smell the pine. I glanced at Jasper. “Things should heat up momentarily. Perhaps you’d like to change into something more comfortable?”

“...Like what?” said Jasper, cocking a brow.

“Well, usually, Gems like to change their physical modifiers into something like a bathing suit. Exposes more “skin”, so to speak. Makes the Extraction that much better, in my opinion.”

“Seems like a bit much…” The Quartz paused, looking down at the chest part of her uniform. Already, beads of liquid were beginning to form. “It’s doing it over my uniform, anyway.”

“True…” I admitted. “I think it’s more for the aesthetics. If you look like you're relaxed, then you’ll feel like you're relaxed.”

“I’ll pass,” Jasper said. Damn it.

“That’s fine,” I responded, hiding my disappointment. “I, on the other hand…” My physical modifiers began to glow as they shifted. My robe and sandals were replaced with a bathing suit, a solid dark-grey in color. Content, I leaned back against the wall, crossed my legs and closed my eyes. Droplets trickled down my exposed arms and legs. It felt nice, as if someone were caressing me with their fingers.

“You never answered my question,” I heard Jasper say. “What do I do?”

“Relax,” I said plainly.

“How? You’re just...sitting there.”

“Exactly. You have to sit still, don’t think about anything stressful, and let the extraction happen.”

“...That’s it?” I opened an eye, seeing Jasper staring at me in disbelief. “Come on; there has to be more to it. It can’t just be an hour of sitting here.”

“Well,” I began. “We could always pass the time by talking.” She groaned again.

“About what?” Jasper grunted. I shrugged.

“Anything, really. What’s on your mind, Jasper?” I paused. “And if you say “training”, I swear to White Diamond—“ Jasper let out a breathy chuckle.

“Earth’s on my mind,” the Quartz said. “And not just because of the mission. I keep remembering the War.”

“Unavoidable, I suppose,” I replied. I paused, gazing up towards the ceiling as glimpses of the war flashed in my mind. Funny how such old memories could still be so fresh. Looking back at Jasper, I continued wistfully. “It’s funny, really. The War was horrible for Homeworld and yet, there were some moments I remember quite fondly. Of course, those tales probably pale in comparison to what I’ve heard about you, the “Kindergarten Quartz That Could”.”

Another smirk graced Jasper’s features, as expected. Then again, I’d probably be the same if I’d emerged as perfectly as she did.

“Tell me,” I started, my own coy grin beginning to form. “Did you really shatter eighty traitors the day you emerged, or is that number...exaggerated?”

It took everything in me not to laugh at the look of offense on Jasper’s face. I could already hear her dry, arrogant retort in my head. Such a sensitive ego; I loved it.

““Exaggerated”,” she repeated slowly. “Good one. Sounds like something a Spinel would say.”

“A Spin—“ I couldn’t hold it back. I began laughing harder than I probably should have, bringing up a hand in front of my mouth. Her eyes burned into me.

“What’s so funny?” Jasper growled. It took me a moment to compose myself. I think I’d even started tearing up. Clearing my throat, I turned to the Quartz again.

“YOU, Jasper,” I answered bluntly. “You amuse me. And I mean no disrespect when I say that. Nor did I mean any offense with my earlier statement. It was a joke, to put it simply.”

“Mmph…”

“Alright, alright.” I held up my hands in defeat. “I’m genuinely curious, though. What was it like for you, that first day?” Jasper leaned back, finally looking as if she were actually trying to relax. Her arms were still folded, but it was a start.

“Well, for starters,” said Jasper. “It was actually eighty-three Gems. I kept count.” Of course she did. “Would’ve gotten more if my Agate hadn’t gotten to me.”

“Your Agate?” I asked.

“Yeah, Yellow Agate. She was assigned to the Beta Kindergarten, but I wasn’t exactly in the mood to take orders. I was ready to start fighting.”

“And she put you in line, hmm?”

“That’s putting it lightly…” Jasper chuckled, but I didn’t hear any humor in it. “She’s nothing like you. You even look at her the wrong way and...yeah.”

“Hmph.” It was my turn to be unimpressed. A lot of Agates were like that. It was how Agates were supposed to be, apparently. I couldn’t agree with that. Patience was a better tool for Quartzes, not blind rage and aggression. If that made me “flawed” in some way, then so be it. We were all flawed, really. Only the Diamonds were truly perfect. Jasper’s voice caught my attention.

“Anyway, I got my chance to take out more crystal Gems,” she continued. My jaw tightened at that name, but unlike with the Lazuli, I chose to let it go. “Kinda lost track of how many after a few hundred years, but I’d like to think I made a dent in Rose’s army, heh.”

“Very impressive. And you never got to meet Rose Quartz in battle?”

“Believe me, if I had, you probably wouldn’t be on this mission.”

“I don’t know…” I began teasingly. “I’ve heard she’s quite strong.”

“Not stronger than me,” the warrior Gem insisted. “Trust me.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” I chuckled. By now, the steam had dampened Jasper’s hair, making it cling to her body. It was alright, though I definitely preferred the untamed, gravity-defying nature her hair had when it was dry. Nevertheless, I did want to run my fingers through it...maybe move that one noticeable strand out of her face. My fingertips drummed against my thigh as I held myself back.

There was a moment’s pause as we sat there, dripping wet and surrounded by the ever-thickening steam. In that time, my mind began wandering back to my days during the war, the battles I fought alongside my Quartzes, the interrogations of captured traitors…the losses we faced...I began to frown, looking down at my hands. So many shards I’d held in my hands. Rose Quartz’s policy was to only dissipate the form of an enemy Gem, however, I knew from experience that such a rule was only talk. My hands became fists, a sudden bolt of hatred shooting through me. Rose Quartz, of all Gems, was the last person who should have been advocating for peaceful methods.

“Zebra Agate.”

I blinked. Jasper was...calling me? This was the first time she’d used my name. Glancing at her, I saw her giving me a look of...concern…? Her brow was furrowed, so I thought she might’ve been angry. Yet her eyes were...surprisingly soft. They held no aggression in them. My cheeks burned with humiliation; quickly, I turned to look at a wall.

“My apologies,” was all I could think to say.

“...Lemme guess,” Jasper said. Even her voice sounded somewhat understanding. “Bad memories, huh?”

“...I’m afraid so,” I whispered. I felt my eyes sting with tears, and my embarrassment deepened. Despite my efforts, I felt a tear trickle down my cheek. I wiped at it quickly. Clearing my throat, I forced myself to speak in a clearer voice. “Let’s just say that I might have some difficulty holding back on Rose Quartz myself.”

“Maybe we don’t have to.”

“Jasper…” I dared to face the Quartz again. “I have my orders.”

“We could just say it was an accident,” Jasper suggested. She looked...hopeful. “Y’know...she was being difficult...it was either her or us, that kind of thing.”

“I doubt Her Clarity would fall for that,” I sighed.

“But wouldn’t it be worth it? Letting out all that anger and just…” Jasper slammed her palm with her fist. “No point in holding yourself back. It’d feel much better to give Rose what she deserves.”

The offer was so tempting, especially with how Jasper described it. Yet, my loyalty to my Diamond and my fear of what my failure could’ve brought me held a tight grip on my Gem. At the same time, I didn’t want to outright decline.

“I’ll think about it,” was my final answer.

“Fair enough,” sighed Jasper. I gave her a smile.

“Thank you,” I said gently. “You’re surprisingly thoughtful. I didn’t think you had that in you.”

“I wouldn’t call it that...” Jasper grimaced. I chuckled again, a gentle warmth buzzing through me. Poor dear. Did she think I was calling her soft or something?

“Well, whatever you call it…” I paused, allowing myself to reach up and brushing aside the irritating strand of hair. Jasper’s eyes widened, her cheeks darkening in color. “I appreciate it.”

“Yeah…” The Quartz cleared her throat, tearing her gaze from mine. Oh...I was going to miss her when this mission was over.

#steven universe fanfic #su jasper x oc #canon divergent au #steven universe gemsona #might edit this later since I’m on my phone and mobile tumblr won’t let you title shit ughhh #the thirst never ends

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inbarfink · 5 years ago

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Lars and Sadie honestly fill a very intersting thematic place in Steven Universe.

Their relationship is kind of in a weird, fucked-up place from day one. Steven, being Steven, clearly wanna help them 'be together' or improve their relationship and yet - pretty much every time he makes that move it ends up... well, at best it doesn't work and they set back to their toxic patterns, sometimes it just makes things worse. And sometimes it’s more Steven’s fault (The New Lars), and sometimes one of them take advantage of Steven’s ‘help’ in a fucked-up way (Island Adventure).

It’s funny, kinda. Steven mended the relationship problems of so many Immortal Magical Space Aliens, but every attempt to help the two 19-20somethings working at his local dount shop ends up returning to their same old patterns. And I think it make sense! Thematically, the whole point of Townie Episodes is that the residents of Beach City and their problems are just as important as the Magical Space Conflict. Just as Steven’s Gem side and Human side are equally important. In a way it kinda make sense that one of Steven’s greatest challanges is something as mundane as Lars and Sadie’s relationship.

And from a character standpoint: It's Steven's humanity and healthy, Homeworld-free upbringing that makes him stand out amongst the Gems. Gems, tend to be set in their ways - and pretty much all of them save for Amethyst carry some sort of Homeworld-related Trauma or a toxic mindset that makes them even harder for them to grow and change. They might want healthy relationships and happiness, but they come from a world where those things are nearly unheard of. Or at least not promoted. Steven’s kindess is a superpower because it’s so out-of-the-box for other Gems. Blue Diamond changed her mind after Steven dared to tell her their ‘family dynamic’ is toxic because nobody ever told her something like this before. Yellow Diamond changes her mind he told her 'hey maybe perfection....... isn't good" because nobody has ever told her that before either. If other Gems thought that too, they didn’t dare to say it in the Diamonds’ faces.

But Lars and Sadie are humans themselves. For them, Steven isn't 'what a revelation\he's a revolution\a Gem that loves and grows'. He's just a goddam child with a funky bellybutton. They (or at least Lars) come from pretty nice and loving families (Sadie’s still got some Issues to work with Barb). Steven’s still incredibly kind and sweet in human terms, but he’s less wonderous and unique in interpersonal skills. Why should this 14 year old who only knows them in their retail job be better at solving their relationship that they are? (Also notably, Lars, Sadie and Steven are all roughly teen-aged, which IS supposed to be the period of human development where we’re most adapted to changes)

And in the end, the thing that helps them get to a point where they're happy? Not necessarily Steven’s help. He always thought they needed to spend more time together and then they’d ‘click’. What Lars and Sadie needed was to spend some time apart, while they become happier, healthier people who could have a happier healthier relationship when they meet again. (It DIDN’T have to involve an alien kidnapping, but Stuff Happens sometimes.)

(Which is an interesting comparison to Spinel and Steven at the end of the movie. Spinel wanted to be Steven's friend and he seems to respond positively to the idea, but Spinel felt she had to spend some time away to learn how to do friendships right first)

#steven universe #lars barriga #Sadie miller #lars\sadie #steven quartz universe

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watching-pictures-move · 2 years ago

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Movie Review | Vigilante (Lustig, 1982)

This review contains spoilers.

Given the premise, this obviously invites comparisons to the Death Wish series, and plays in some respects like a supercharged amalgamation of the first two. You get the hero's family being attacked by a multicultural gang with cute matching outfits, his wife being brutalized and his son being killed. This is a gruesome and horrific scene, but perhaps easier to watch than in those other movies because it seems less eager to revel in sexual assault. You get the hero, who was previously against vigilantism, eventually warming up to it after the law lets him down. We already know he's in for a bad trip when the DA, who's supposed to be prosecuting the case, basically admits defeat against the violent crime problem by citing a bunch of bullshit statistics. (To paraphrase a very wise man, you can come up with statistics to prove anything. Forty percent of all people know that.)

But it isn't just that the courts fail to sufficiently punish the gang member accused of the crimes against his family. Thanks to the smug liberal judge assigned to the case and the DA revealing her talent for being the world's worst negotiator, not only does the gang member get carted back to the streets after his murder charge is dropped and his assault charge gets a suspended sentence, but the hero gets thirty days for objecting to this gross miscarriage of justice. The depiction is so over the top that if you squint enough, you can read the movie as a satire of the vigilante thriller genre. Early on, the hero questions what would separate him from the bad guys if he started taking the law into his own hands and at one point he would go too far, and the movie practically answers that at the end by having him blow up the judge who bungled his case. It's almost as if the movie wants to demonstrate in the most extreme terms what it would look like if you took the vigilante ethos to its logical end point. To say the ending left me uneasy is to put it lightly, but it's undeniably forceful.

This is a better movie than Death Wish and its sequels (full disclosure: I haven't seen the fifth) because William Lustig is a much better director than Michael Winner, and for whatever questionable ideas the movie pushes or interrogates about its subject matter, it treats the proceedings with a dramatic sensitivity mostly absent from the other series after the original. It helps that Lustig is working with a tremendous cast, with an effortlessly sympathetic and wounded Robert Forster in the lead, and supporting players like Fred Williamson and Woody Strode lending charismatic voices to the movie's ideas. But most fun is Joe Spinell as a sleazy lawyer, who is known for playing deranged, sweaty maniacs but is also entertaining when playing slimy fast talkers, and who steals the movie in his couple of scenes as he maneuvers to get his defendant off lightly while threatening him with "Legal Aid" when the gang tries to stiff him on his fee.

And the gulf is wide on a technical level too. Winner is the furthest thing from a polished craftsman, although the crudeness of Death Wish 3 does give it a nicely unhinged quality, the action contained within playing as a series of pure violent reflexes, one goon killed after another in the cinematic equivalent of a nervous twitch. But while Lustig sets his movie in a crumbling pre-cleanup New York, he gives it a palpable sense of mood as she shoots it in chilly blue widescreen cinematography and scores it with grimy synths to boot. And the grim, two-fisted violence is lent an added charge by the surprisingly elegant cutting, closeups of a cracked family photo frame after the attack on Forster's family, and closeups to Forster's scowling face as he metes out his revenge.

I'd been itching for a rewatch since I missed the chance to see it in theatres a few months ago (a combination of dreadful winter weather and having fallen ill at an inopportune time), and was very pleased to revisit it and find that it rocks even harder than I remembered.

#film #movie review #vigilante #william lustig

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spinelesbians · 5 years ago

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I’m always a slut for some angst! Spinel x Reader with anxiety/depression/self harm issues? Totally okay if you don’t want to, I understand that it makes people uncomfortable

This turned into a drabble. Hope you don't mind.

TW: Mentions of self harming, depression, anxiety, and other self hating related issues. Resolves with comfort.

Word Count: +1,300

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

You had always been an outcast. Ever since you were brought into society at a young age, things felt stacked against you. Other kids would shove you around or make fun of the way you acted. It only progressed the older all of you became, and soon began taking its toll on your health. Mentally, you felt broken beyond comparison. The constant rumors and backstabbing people left you hating every fiber of your being. Why did you have to act like this? Why did you have to always be so awkward? Can't you just function like a normal human being? Those negative thoughts plagued your self image, leaving scars on how you viewed yourself everyday. Anything you said, anything you did - it all wound up in failure.

You were a failure.

The rest of your school years felt like a blur. It wasn't until you graduated from community college and moved that you started to have some.. positive changes in your life. While moving in itself was enough of a stressor to send you spiralling down, you were thankful that it was over with in less than a few months. Moving from a big city to a small town along the boardwalk was a drastic change in your life, too, but something you welcomed. After all, no one here really knew who you were nor where you came from. They knew nothing about your past, your ailments, nor why you wore so many sweaters despite the summer days bearing down. The dramatic shift in places was something you needed, providing a fresh new start with brand new folks.

It wasn't long before the townsfolk began to see you as one of their own. You even got accustomed to the "Gems" you've seen wandering about as well - it was a long story that you would hear eventually. You didn't really see them as anyone different - except for the fact they were brightly colored and had some social customs that weren't common with humans. It didn't really change the fact you got along quite well with many of them, even growing to befriend quite a number of gems.

One of them being the lovely pink gem by the name of Spinel.

The two of you met at the arcade, you just wanting a break from work and deciding to hit up the machines. It wasn't long before the mound of tickets piled up, and you were catching the eyes of a few other players. One in particular was Spinel, who seemed keen on beating you at Galaga more than anything. After a few head to head rounds you still wound up beating her score, leaving the two of you laughing and joking with one another about a rematch. After that the two of you kept piling tickets after tickets, before cashing them in for the largest prizes you both could get. While you settled on a weird globe that had "lasers" on the inside, Spinel settled for the largest teddy bear they had at the counter. And that's how you wound up with the gem's name and number punched into your phone, with the nickname being set to "Player Two."

From then on arcade meetups were pretty much daily, once you got out of work you didn't waste any time to meet Spinel for another long night of games. When the quarters ran dry though, you both went to play video games at your place - teaching the gem how to use a controller and also about the various stories from the game collection you had. She was quick to learn the basics, and soon the two of you dueled it out over various fighter games. It was a quickly budding friendship, neither of you worrying how fast you were growing close. Everything seemed natural in a way, even as you both argued over who was the best character to main in Skullgirls.

Eventually those feelings turned into romantic attraction towards one another, and Spinel was the first to break down with a confession. She was so certain you would run off and never come back - but what she didn't prepare for was the confession in return. From then on the two of you were inseparable, always attached at the hip during everything. There were no lies and no doubts during your relationship, minus the occasional arguments over chores. Everything just felt right.

And that's what scared you the most.

Spinel never learned about your depression, your constant torment, and your scars. You had done an impeccable job about hiding those things, and she had no idea what sort of failure you really were. In a way you felt guilty for having to hide this, but you also knew it was for the best if she never found out. She had enough emotional trauma already, ever since you learned of her past with Pink Diamond. Surely something as stupid as your depression wasn't worth bringing up anytime soon. If anything it'd just weigh even more on the gem's already bruised soul, one that was just beginning to heal. That wasn't fair to her, and so you vowed never to let her find out.

But sometimes, life can only be so perfect.

You finally slipped up after a year or so into your relationship. Something just didn't register in your brain as you forgot to pull your usual hoodie on for the day out, and it didn't click until you saw Spinel's horrified face with her eyes directly at your arms. That terror filled, broken expression was enough to slap realization right into your face. Immediately you tried to hide the scars behind your back, waves of guilt and shame flooding your senses. If it weren't for the tears welling up and your throat tightening at each passing second, you would be mumbling some sort of excuse right about now. However, no excuse could explain the sight Spinel had laid eyes on. And it hurt.

Spinel was first to break the silence, her voice wavering as she asked to approach you. While every fiber of your being screamed to say no, the jerk of your head went against those thoughts. Taking that as a yes, the gem was by your side in moments, her own eyes glittering with worry and concern. " May I.. see.. yer arms again, (Y/N)? " Her words are incredibly slow, as if she's scared that her voice will shatter you then and there. But again, you don't protest - slowly pulling your arms from behind your back and into Spinel's waiting palms. Her gloved hands are surprisingly gentle, even on the newer scars that have yet to heal. She takes her gaze down to them, the silence starting to stifle the two of you. Staring was the one thing you hated about others seeing your scars.

It didn't last, though, as Spinel lifted your arms to her lips. With a surprisingly gentle touch, she ghosted her kisses across the numerous scars - reaching anywhere and everywhere. At first you were about to jerk away, but the overwhelming feeling of being loved in this moment kept you still. No one had ever taken the time to just accept them. Cherish them. But Spinel was making sure to kiss every last mark, wordlessly loving each and every scar along your body. Even when she ran out of scars to kiss, she trailed them to your face - nuzzling closely as her words finally made it back to her lips. " I know you probably hid this from me.. f'awhile, yeah? " Your nod made her hum in confirmation, " ...S'okay now. I still love ya, (Y/N). And we can talk about this when yer ready, but for now.. let me love you. Let me show you how much I love you. "

It wasn't long after that did those scars begin to heal.

#asks #text #text post #my writing #writing #drabble #tw: self harm #tw: depression #tw: anxiety

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faelapis · 5 years ago

Note

You know this talk has me want to ask something that's kinda on my mind when you brought up Steven thinking that they have gotten better. do you think Steven has a bigger resentment towards Rose/pink when it comes to her actions then the diamonds currently? Now I'm not saying that Steven thinks his mom is irredeemable. That's not what I'm saying. I'm bringing up because the way I seen people kinda mentioned sometimes when the Pink/Spinel controversy was still going on.

no. i think it just feels that way because the fandom has been rather hotheaded about pink lately. steven snarkily remarking that he can imagine his mom doing something like what she did to spinel doesn’t mean he flat hates her.

like. you gotta balance it against “familiar” and his speech to blue in “change your mind”, which is him at his most understanding towards his mom.

he’s contextualized how similar his experiences were to hers, and how she was clearly abused by the other diamonds. he tells blue and yellow what they did to pink was wrong. and of course, he’s fully aware his mom saved the earth & tried to become her best self later in life.

steven’s feelings towards his mom are complicated. he knows he can never ‘really’ know her. and, until “change your mind”, he often filtered those feelings through how people measure him against her. him evaluating her has always partially been about evaluating himself for comparison.

i think what he said in “what’s your problem” still holds true.

steven: i’m relieved she didn’t shatter anyone, but… she lied to everyone. i mean… i’m not surprised. i knew she was a liar. but this is just… so much.

amethyst: aren’t you mad?

steven: kind of? i can see how she was good and bad… and bad and good.

and that’s kinda how he still feels. he can contextualize her experiences better as of the diamond days eps and clearly feels sympathy there... but he’s not going to be surprised when he finds out her upbringing, temperament and socialization all impacted her to do some bad things, too.

#steven universe #rose diamond #steven #gif /#su theory #Anonymous

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moonlightstars16 · 5 years ago

Text

Chapter 5 ~ Library Introductions

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

"Are you understanding everything so far Connie?" Pearl asked while pausing her lecture and teachings about the royal Diamond life. She knew Connie had to become familiar or else they could do unspeakable things to her. It was most imperative since she will be joining her and Steven on all meetings regarding the 'Cluster' project. Still with all the knowledge given, Pearl was surprised she could keep up and, it would seem, to retain everything. Supposing it wasn't to far off from humanity's royal lifestyle, rules and proper etiquette. With the Diamonds, one can never be too cautious or prepared.

"Yes Pearl, never speak unless addressed and salute and bow when entering the room." Her notes were detailed and organized just like her old cram school notes were. It was easier to think of them as such than her current circumstances. Still the thought of what transpired only a couple of hours ago left her clutching the transparent tablet tightly, as if she would fall if not holding onto something.

'Warmth touched her skin as she began to awaken. Blinking twice as if disbelieving of her own eyes. Forcing herself to realize this wasn't a dream, she slowly sat up. Hand rubbing the side of her head from a slight discomfort, though it could've been for everything happening to her at once. Moaning she looked up and gasped, not expecting him to be sitting next to her so casually. Instead of anger, she couldn't tell what sort of expression he was trying to convey. Perhaps it as nothing.

"How are you feeling?" Was that a genuine concern he held in his voice?

"I-I'm fine-" Gritting her teeth and shutting her eyes tight at the sudden pain in her head throbbing. Her hands gripping a blanket, just now realizing it partially covered over her. On instinct she laid her head back onto the pillows. Moaning slightly from the discomfort she felt. Unexpectedly a cooling and soft sensation touched her forehead. Barley opening her eyes to see Steven holding a cloth dipped in cold water. It instantly eased her pain and gave her the idea that the water was perhaps from the fountain. Still she was curious as to why he was doing this in the first place.

"Shh... just relax." Then he smiled, an actual smile! Connie could't believe how genuine it actually was. Or how it appeared to be that is. Hesitant to truly trust anything coming from him. Soon the pain she felt diminished and he lifted the wet cloth from her head, placing it to the side before returning his attention all on her. She truly was beautiful and with a fire beneath her innocence, that made her even more radiant. Reaching out he gently caressed her hair down to her cheek. Inhaling sharply at his touch, and taking note of how gentle he was. "How does it feel?" His voice, deep, calm and caring it would seem, even she couldn't deny that. Soon it occurred to her that she hadn't said anything and the silence was going on for too long.

"Oh, um, it's okay... I don't feel anymore pain."

"Good"

"Um...my eyesight.... did you- I mean-..." she sighed trying to figure out how to word it.

"Yes I did." Her eyesight was pretty much crystal clear. So much so she could see a lot more detail than before. Including him. Which was a bit more nerve wracking in this moment with how close he was. His exactly half mask with only his eye from that side of his face shining through. At first glance it was frightening to see, however in this moment she saw more than a fearsome look. She saw what appeared to be soft, tender and gentleness. It was almost comforting though a bit odd with his rough exterior.

"Thank you..."

"Hmm" His hand lingered on her cheek momentarily before moving to the back of her neck. The other slipped around her lower back as he lifted her up. Quickly her pillows were adjusted so she could sit up better. Instinctively, her hands reached up against his shoulders (much firmer than she thought) to keep her balanced. There eyes met for a brief moment and for the first time she could see his more clearly. Though similar to any human eye, his were pitch black, the only color was a pink pupil in the shape of a diamond. He smirked and chuckled slightly causing her to snap out of her haze. "Are you enjoying the view?" Those words felt vial and full of arrogance. Immediately Connie pushed him away, which wasn't that far but enough so she couldn't feel how close he was.

"I'm fine" her tone full of that fiery spirit he loved to see coming from her. Standing up he walked towards the door.

"If that's the case, Pearl will see you in ten minutes to discuss some important matters." Before leaving, he glanced back and gave her a wicked smile. "That fire within you will surely help you fit in. Though will it be enough?" Connie's eyes widened and a blush crept her cheeks, while echos of his laughter ringed in her eyes as she left.

"Connie.....Connie?!" Pearls voice snapped her out of her thoughts. "This is very important and your focus is imperative before our first meeting with them soon!"

"I'm sorry, you're right I need to focus." Sighing Pearl shut off her tablet and ran her hand through her hair.

"I think that's enough for today. Why don't you take a break and we'll pick it up tomorrow?" She was obviously very tired and need to rest. 'Especially after all she's been through.'

"Are you sure? What will Steven say-"

"Oh just tell him I told you to take a break. If he has any problems with that, well he can surely try to pick a fight with me." Connie giggled at her amusing tone, believing every word. "Now go and get some rest." She added with a smile.

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

The castle architecture was similar to earths medieval, Victorian, Gothic style...with some gem interior mixed in as well. Still it was beautifully haunting. Every corridor lit with candelabras, melting wax candles, red carpet, and many shadows. Though frightening at first glance, her curiosity kept her going. Her fingers grazed the dark wooden railings and her gaze looked up to see another beautiful chandelier. Not realizing where she was going, a green gem with a triangle shaped hairstyle bumped into her. Causing the gem to fall backwards and her transparent tablet to fall out of her hands.

"Hey! Watch where you're going, you Clod!" Connie held out her hand for the gem currently on the floor.

"I'm so sorry! Here let me help you!" She smiled while the gem eyed her in curiously, taken aback from this unexpected gesture. Hesitantly she accepted and stood up with her help.

"I would take it that you are the human everyone is talking about?" the gem eyed her through twin diamond specs observing everything about her. Though Connie didn't quite know how to feel about the fact she was the topic of everyone's conversations.

"I suppose so, I'm Connie. What's your name?"

"You care to know my name? Why?" she looked kinda shocked that someone even took the slightest interest in her and not her abilities.

"Oh well I guess it's because I want to get to know you better. To be your friend." A flicker of hope seemed to flash across the gem's eyes, before she shook her head and stood straight. Doing the Diamond salute Connie learned from earlier.

"My name is Peridot Facet-2F5L Cut-5XG!" That was a lot of info still it made her smile. She noticed that the long name might've been unnecessary. "You can call me just Peridot if you want."

"Well Peridot it's nice to meet you, and I'm sorry I bumped you to the floor." Connie laughed slightly, embarrassed and showing an apologetic smile.

"It's not important now, no worries. But I have to ask, what were you doing?"

"Well I was just walking around, getting used to my surroundings I suppose...and perhaps a bit lost along the way." she admitted sighing. This place seemed at least three times that of a large human castle. And that's saying something because those seemed to small in comparison!

"Oh! I can help you with that! Come with me!" Peridot said excitedly while grabbing Connie's hand and rushing through the East wing. It took all her strength to keep up and not trip. They ran until a huge double door, dressed in gold trimmings, stood before them. Connie barely had time to admire the design before Peridot pushed the door open, dragging her inside. "Lapis! Bismuth! Come here quickly!"

"Who?" The question barley escaped her lips as she took in the most beautiful, grand and incredible library she ever laid her eyes upon. Her eyes twinkling at the sight of how large it was and filled with many stories. And quite human like as well. Hardly anything gem related connected to this room

"We're coming Peridot, hold on!" From above Connie saw a beautiful blue silhouette with wings made up of what appeared to be water. If she hadn't already known she was a gem, she would've surely mistaken her for a water nymph or fairy. The gem in question landed right before them. A tad taller than Connie and even more so than Peridot, not that it was a bad thing. the gem eyed her over briefly.

"Is she-?"

"Yes, Lapis!" Peridot interrupted "I met her in the hallways!" Not sure what about that was exciting. Still she gave Lapis a friendly smile as well.

"Hi, my name is Connie."

"Connie? Well that is a beautiful name!" A powerful booming like voice echoed through the enormous and open room. She turned her head to see a larger gem, with in her gem going inwards instead of out and streaks of rainbow in her hair with a more silver complexion. "I'm Bismuth! Welcome to our home!" The kindness in there voices almost made her cry. Pearl was nice but was Steven's second in command, Greg showed more kindness and yet was still his father.

Though he did not approve of what he did, his heart was broken from loosing his love. Almost seeming like he was blind to it all. Not really of course but the hesitation was prominent. Spinel....wasn't a gem to cross paths against. But these gems seemed different than the others in a sense, her gut told her she could trust them. Maybe she could get through this after all.

"Thank you, it's truly nice to meet you all here. I'm beyond grateful to have met such kind gems."

"Well I'm sure you can use a friendly face after what you have been through." Bismuth said with a bit more gentleness in her tone and a genuine smile.

"I suppose everyone here as heard." Her face downcast and blushing of embarrassment.

"Well it's not every day a human is willing to come here." Bismuth added with a nervous chuckle, her hand scratching the back of her head.

"But why did you give yourself up?" Lapis asked with a look mixed of confusion and concern.

"Yeah, that is a puzzling thing to grasp. Even with all my calculations I still don't understand." Peridot replied adding onto the conversation. Connie rubbed her right arm and sighed remembering the moment she last saw her father. Tears threatening to brim her eyes as she blinked them back whilst taking in a deep breath.

"In the moment all I thought about was saving my father. I couldn't stand to loose him. It wasn't till he gave me the opportunity to change my mind, that I truly felt the weight of what I have said burdened on my shoulders. I suppose I said yes because, even if I stood by and did nothing, it would be like I had murdered them myself. I- I don't want anyone else to get hurt."

"Well Connie, you truly are courageous to do what you did. I'm sure the humans back on earth are grateful for your bravery."

"Bismuth is right! You're a hero!" Peridot exclaimed proudly which made Connie giggle briefly, until she heard her next comment. "Yes I'm sure when you return, they will have made a huge statue in your honor!"

"That is if I return home..." Connie spoke softly walking towards a chair to sit upon.

"What do you mean 'if you return'? don't you want to go back home?" Lapis asked once again full of concern as she sat down next to her.

"I- I made another deal with...him..." Upon hearing that they gasped, eyes widening at the sudden new piece of information. Peridot and Bismuth gathered closer as Connie explained the deal and how it came to be. When she was finished recounting the events, she took another deep breath as Lapis gave her a handkerchief to wipe away a few tears that had fallen.

Feeling beyond tired of crying and embarrassed of doing it in front of anyone. Gently Dabbing away the tears she felt on her cheeks and her eyes, she ran her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry to have bothered you with all this." A nervous laugh escaped her briefly.

"Hon, don't ever feel like you're a bother to us. It's been an overwhelming turn of events for you. I can't speak for everyone in this room, but I know you can tell me anything." Bismuth spoke in the most comforting and caring voice she could muster.

"And me too!" Peridot chimed in with a large grin.

"Well gem or not I think you're pretty amazing. Same goes for me." Lapis contributed while her lips curled upward.

"Besides I think it would be nice to see Steven force fed a piece of humble pie." Bismuth added as they all laughed.

"Thank you, you all are so sweet. But I'm not sure if I can stand up to him... not with humanity on the line." Bismuth's hands overlapped hers, Connie, in turn, lifted up her gaze.

"Listen, like I said it took great courage for you to sacrifice yourself for humanity. But I believe this was meant to be, maybe you're the hero not only humans need, but what we all need as gems. Perhaps even saving Steven's life from eternal darkness." She put a hand up before Connie could interject. "I know it's a lot to ask of you, no ones going to force you to do it. But please know whatever you decide, we will stand by your side. Help you in any way we can." Bismuth was right, it was a lot to take in for her. However knowing she had friends was all she needed right now.

"Geez Bismuth, why don't you say she'll overthrow the Diamond monarchy while you're at it." Lapis remarked with a sigh and her fingers slightly pinching her furrowed brows.

"Oh right theirs another goal for you!" Bismuth said sarcastically while snapping her fingers which made Connie laugh and Lapis rolling her eyes.

"Wait, you're not serious right?" Peridot innocently asked seeing how the sarcastic bit went over her head. That made them all laugh harder as Connie tried to explain the joke. Feeling much better already since she arrived here. All three gems soon gave her the grand tour of the library, filled with human books that they had collected over the years.

However unbeknownst to them was a certain pink gem; watching them amongst the shadows, watching her. She couldn't stand what was happening at all. With the other gems befriending her and vice versa, she realized she would have to get involved in order to get what she desired. This human was turning out to be a much difficult adversary than she expected.

"You still watching this pathetic human? Why?" Jasper spoke wrapping an arm around Spinel's waist, kissing her neck multiple times.

"I won't let her be a thorn in my side. If I am to be in a position of power soon, I must do whatever it takes to maintain it." Her voice low and threatening before lifting up Jasper's head and kissing his lips passionately. Taking her away back to her quarters.

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

Outside in the castle garden, Steven had taken a break from composing reports and ideas for the upcoming project, walking amongst the courtyard. His mind become clear as he felt the cool breeze around him. Sometimes a quiet stroll through the garden(and perhaps with lion at times) was sometimes needed; to clear his head from the thoughts he fought so hard to suppress. A sound of what seemed to be laughter echoed in the wind, catching his attention.

following the sound he looked up into the Library window. Noting the merriment that Peridot, Lapis and Bismuth were making. It was slightly puzzling since they hadn't been this happy in a long time. But when he saw her, it all made much more sense. Watching Connie as she laughed, smiled and placed many books upon the shelves, along with the others, seeming as if she enjoyed the company and the activity. 'So...she likes to read...' He thought memorizing all that he was witnessing in that moment.

Unintentionally he had a small smile appear at the corner of his lips (though no one would be able to see since his mask hid half of his face). Unable to look away from someone so angelic as she was. Perhaps it would be nice to have someone by his side. He then shook his head from the thought reaching up to touch his mask, just barley.

'No...don't fool yourself. A beast is what you are and always will be.'

#shatteredbloodsufau #au #fanfiction #evil steven #steven universe #steven universe future #steven and connie #connie mahaswaren #connverse #garnet #amethyst #pearl #greg universe #spinel #the diamonds #pink diamond #pink steven

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starscheme · 5 years ago

Text

Change My World

Chapter Fifteen: Exposed?

As Steven left the Inn to buy some train tickets and Spinel gathered her thoughts in the tub, Elaine was cleaning the tables in the Tavern, noticing quickly that Steven had left the book she gave him behind. With a defeated sigh, she took it in her hands and headed for the other side of the Inn where her brother was looking over the accounts from last night. Unlike Elaine, her brother had sun kissed skin from working outside, but their hair and eyes were quite similar, it was easy to tell they were siblings.

“Isn’t that the book you begged Dad to give you,” asked her brother as he glanced away from his work. “And didn’t you give it to that patron you have a crush on?”

“N-Not yet,” lied Elaine with a blush across her cheeks. “I was actually thinking of giving it to him right now.”

Her brother chuckled under his breath. “I don’t know why you’re being so persistent about this. Didn’t that guy check in with his lover? You’re clearly barking up the wrong tree.”

“Shut up, Allen,” snapped Elaine. “He never said they were lovers. …besides, there is something really strange about that girl and she’s got such a temper. Why would Steven want to be with someone like that? Compared to someone as vulgar as her, I think I would be a much better match for him. Besides, since he helped you and Father with the broken fence post, our parents already like him.”

“You do know that you sound a little crazy, right? I mean, you really think he’s just going to dump that girl and stay here with you forever? He’s just passing through. I mean, he said himself that he was only planning on staying here until that girl got better. Now that she’s better, they’re leaving.”

“Leaving?! What do you mean,” Elaine asked in a panic as she gripped the book to her chest.

“I overheard a customer giving him directions to the train station. He’s probably on his way to get tickets out of town.”

“D-did they leave together?”

“How should I know? I’m not the one stalking him.” Allen teased.

“Give me the key to room three,” demanded Elaine with an outstretched hand.

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“I—well if they left together, I can replace the sheets and towels.”

“…and leave a little love letter or something?” Allen sighed. “Don’t you think that’s a little pathetic?”

“J-just give me the key.” Elaine demanded once again.

With a sigh, Allen handed his little sister the spare key. “Just don’t do anything stupid,” he pleaded, really only half joking.

Elaine didn’t bother replying to her brother. She simply rushed off to gather some sheets and towels. All she could do now was go for broke. She didn’t know much about Spinel, but Elaine was certain that she wouldn’t lose in comparison. All she had to do was get Steven alone. If she could tempt him just a little, everything would surely go her way. It wasn’t her best plan, but she was running out of time. With this in mind, Elaine let herself into Steven’s room. A part of her was disappointed to find that Steven and Spinel had really left together. Why was he so attached to that girl? Still, Elaine changed the sheets and wrote a note for Steven, she then placed the book on the bed and headed for the washroom to put some clean towels near the tub.

When she opened the door to the washroom, the last thing Elaine ever expected to see was a pink, pigtailed Mermaid, who seemed just as surprised to see her at the door. Spinel had heard someone enter the room, but she assumed it was Steven.

With a horrified gasp, Elaine dropped the towels in hand, uncertain what to do from here. She had heard of Mermaids before, but who would have guessed she would ever be confronted with one. “Y-You—I knew there was something weird about you! You’re a monster!!” Elaine exclaimed in a mix of fear and anger. She quickly turned around to dash from the room and alert the authorities, but she slipped on one of the towels at her feet and hit her head against the wall, knocking herself out cold.

Spinel was speechless. At first, she was terrified over being exposed, but now she was just shocked that Elaine had passed out without any interference. Still, she didn't have time to be amused over Elaine's mistake. Lifting herself from the bath, Spinel's legs reformed, and she rushed over to Elaine's slumped body. Without a second thought, Spinel stood and slammed her fist against the mirror, shattering the glass. She winced in pain as small pieces cut into her skin, but she didn't have time to care. She couldn't summon her scythe as a human so she needed something to defend herself with when Elaine woke up. Grabbing a large shard of glass, Spinel turned Elaine over to see her face. She didn't appear to be bleeding, so she wasn't in any danger. "...you just keep finding new ways to make me mad..." muttered Spinel as she pushed Elaine's limp body from the washroom floor, out into the main room.

While Spinel was dealing with a crisis back at the Inn, Steven had only just finished purchasing the tickets for their trip to the Capital. It was a long ride and the train was always expensive since it was powered by sorcery, but it was the fastest way to get there.

With his task done, he wanted to hurry back and see Spinel. It made him terribly anxious to leave her alone. Even if she could move around better now, something just didn't feel right. As Steven rushed back towards the Inn, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his right hand, as if something had cut him. Steven stopped and examined his hand, but saw nothing wrong. As he looked over his skin curiously, he was all at once overcome with a single thought. Spinel was in trouble. He couldn't explain it; Steven just knew that he had to get back right away.

He didn't know how long it took him to get there, but clearly it wasn't fast enough. Steven had returned to their room, panting for breath as he stood in the doorway, staring wide eyed at the scene in front of him. There was a trail of blood drops that led to the bed where Spinel was attempting to drop Elaine onto the bare mattress after she had taken the fresh sheets to cover her naked body in a hurry.

Spinel froze in place as Elaine slipped from her arms and flopped onto the bed. "This-this looks worse than it is." Spinel stated quickly.

Steven shut the bedroom door, completely speechless. What exactly had happened while he was away? "Wh-who...what—" he stammered as panic began to set in.

With Elaine on the bed, Spinel rushed over to Steven, her legs aching as she moved. "She came in while you were gone and saw me in the tub," began Spinel in an urgent whisper. "She knocked herself out when she tripped on a towel."

"You’re bleeding!" Steven exclaimed in concern when he looked down to see blood trickling from Spinel’s right hand.

"I needed something sharp," explained Spinel as if it were normal.

"O-okay, we need to think..." Steven breathed, taking her hand and trying to ignore the fact that she was only covered by a thin sheet. He needed to decide what to do when Elaine woke up. He hurried to their bags and pulled out some bandages for Spinel’s hand. "Let me wrap up those cuts."

"What should we do," asked Spinel as calmly as possible, sitting herself down at the table as Steven kneeled in front of her and gently took her hand to bandage the slowly bleeding wounds.

Truthfully, Steven had no idea. He wasn’t sure how Elaine was going to react when she woke up. Would she keep their secret for nothing? “When she saw you…how did she--?”

“—she called me a monster,” answered Spinel before he could finish.

Steven glanced up at Spinel, sure that she had been hurt by Elaine’s words. He placed a gentle kiss over her bandaged palm before getting to his feet. How could anyone look at her and see anything that resembled a monster? “You should go and get dressed. We may have to leave in a hurry. I’m going to check on Elaine.”

Spinel nodded and made her way to the washroom once more. Taking special care of her the hand that Steven had wrapped up. Elaine called her a monster and that always stung, but without a single word, Steven had erased that. She wasn’t sure how they were going to get out of this, but she was prepared to do her worst if this went too far south.

While Spinel got changed, Steven sat by the bed and tried to think things through, though he didn’t get a lot of time before Elaine began to stir.

“Ug…wha…?” Elaine mumbled, terribly disorientated as she sat up in the unfamiliar bed.

Steven watched her cautiously. He didn’t want to say anything until he figured out just how much Elaine actually saw. The brunette rubbed her temple and adjusted her blurry vision as she looked around, only to panic once she saw Steven’s face.

“Ah! Steven…?” At first she was confused, but when her memory suddenly came back to her, Elaine panicked and scrambled from the bed to grab Steven’s hand in an attempt to pull him from the room. “Steven! That girl is a monster! We have to get out of here!”

Spinel left the bathroom in a hurry when she heard Elaine shout, but when she came out, Elaine froze, completely confused. Spinel looked just as she did this morning. Once Steven noticed the baffled expression on Elaine’s face, he came up with an idea. “Elaine, you probably shouldn’t get up so soon. You had a pretty bad fall and hit your head,” Steven insisted quickly.

“…wha…no. I saw her! She’s not human,” shouted Elaine again.

“But…she is human,” he pointed out, gesturing to Spinel with a smile. “See?”

“N-NO! Steven, she is a Mermaid! She was in the tub and she had a tail! Steven, you have to believe me! She’s tricking you! She’s using some—some—sort of magic on you!”

“Well, I knew you didn’t like me, but to insinuate that I need magic to keep Steven by my side is ridiculous.” Spinel chided.

Elaine felt like she was going crazy. She had clearly seen Spinel as a Mermaid. Steven must have been bewitched by her somehow and that’s why he didn’t believe her. She had to get out of here and warn her family. Without bothering to try and convince Steven again, Elaine shouted for her brother and father as she ran from the room.

Spinel expected Steven to grab her, but when he didn’t, she followed his lead and allowed her to leave. “…what…exactly are we doing?” Spinel asked anxiously as she walked over to Steven, unsure what to do.

“Just deny everything,” Steven insisted urgently. “No matter what she says, she can’t prove anything. If we can just convince her family that she imagined the whole thing until tomorrow morning, we’ll be out of here and it won’t matter. She hit her head, who’s to say that she didn’t dream it all up?”

Spinel was honestly surprised that Steven was willing to lie. He was always so honest. It seemed like a simple enough plan, but could they pull it off? Lars said that the humans would be fooled by these Gems and Peridot said that she’d lived among humans for years. Perhaps they wouldn’t have any way to prove she was a mermaid.

It didn’t take too long for Elaine to return with her Father and Brother, both rather panicked and confused over Elaine’s allegations. Even more bewildered when they caught sight of Spinel, who looked nothing like a Mermaid.

Allen sighed almost at once, “Elaine…what the hell is this about?”

“She’s a Mermaid! I swear! I saw her in the bathroom! She had a tail; she looked like this…disgusting fish! She’s used some kind of magic on Steven and—“

Spinel decided that if she was going to lie to make this work, she may as well go for broke. “She keeps calling me those awful things…” Spinel whimpered as she hugged Steven’s arm.

“I’m sorry, Steven, but what’s going on here?” Allen asked irately as Elaine was trying to convince her father in the hallway to restrain Spinel.

“Elaine hit her head when she fell in the bathroom and when she woke up she started to insult Spinel.” Steven answered, not entirely lying. He was getting pretty upset with Elaine for continuing to say those awful things about Spinel. “I think she had a weird dream.”

Allen groaned, “You fell in the bathroom? Let me see your head.” Her brother demanded, only serving to outrage Elaine.

“You’re taking HER side?! I’m telling you! She’s a monster!! We have to catch her and—and I didn’t fall, she attacked me!” Elaine lied now, angry that her pleas were falling on deaf ears.

“What is wrong with you?!” Spinel snapped. “You slipped on a towel and smacked your head against the wall!!”

“You tried to kill me because I saw your true form and you can’t enchant me like the men! Father, you have to trust me! Please! She’s got Steven under some spell and she already tried to hurt me!”

Elaine’s father seemed conflicted. He didn’t want to completely disregard his daughter’s desperate attempts to convince him that something was wrong. “Elaine…I want to believe you, but as you can see…the girl has legs. She’s a human. …and I can see the bump on your head.” He turned to Steven and Spinel as Allen began to force Elaine from the room, the girl still shouting in protest down the hall. “I’m so sorry about all this. Please don’t think too terribly of her, she must have hit her head pretty hard. I’ve never seen her so panicked before. She was actually just asking me about this old book we have on Mermaids. That must be why she thought she saw one. I’ll refund your money for the room and um…I’ll make sure my daughter apologizes once she gets a little rest.”

Elaine could hear her father apologizing as Allen led her down the stairs. How could no one believe her? She knew exactly what she saw. Fine, if they all wanted to believe that she was crazy, she would have to prove it herself, but she had to do it before that monster took Steven away in the morning.

#steven universe #SU #steven universe au #mermaid au #stevinel #stevinel fanfic #change my world #chapter 15 #mermaid spinel #fanfic

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