#SUF - Together Forever

[haphazardlyannotated]

Okay, can we talk about this for a moment?

Rose's whole quote here is:

When a Gem is made, it's for a reason. They burst out of the ground already knowing what they're supposed to be, and then… that's what they are. Forever. But you, you're supposed to change. You're never the same even moment to moment; you're allowed and expected to invent who you are. What an incredible power, the ability to "grow up."

So Rose states here that Gems are incapable of fundamental growth and change. Which is... Kind of an insane thing to say considering the Crystal Gems.

Every day Rose comes home to an Amethyst who seems to prefer food and shape shifting over fighting, a pair of different gems who choose to live as an illegal fusion out of love, and a Pearl who is both a swords- and spearmanship master as well as a tech expert. Not to mention, she herself has not only flipped her inherent skill set in the opposite direction from destructive to healing, she has lead a literal rebellion against her purpose of colonizing planets and using them to make more gems.

So why would Rose say that?

Regarding Rose herself, the explanation is pretty easy. Not even the most fervent, uncharitable Rose Anti hates Rose as much as she hates herself. I have no trouble believing that Rose would be able to convince herself that everything she's done as Rose is a pretty facade and she is still the monster she has made Pink out to be deep down.

But what about the others?

I find it a bit hard to believe that Rose would deny that they have deviated from what Homeworld thinks they are. But then I realised: While Rose might realise that they aren't what Homeworld wants them to be, she could feasibly interpret their actions as still holding on to some basic principles Homeworld instilled in them.

Yes, Amethyst is more interested in fun and relaxation than fighting, but other Amethysts tend to like those things too. And Amethyst is still fighting, just alongside the Crystal Gems instead of as part of Homeworld's army. It wouldn't be too farfetched to assume that the basic programming is intact here.

Pearl is lightyears away from the "stand around and look nice" ideal Homeworld has for Pearls, but Rose is all too aware that Pearl is still has the single mindedly devoted to her. Sure, Pearl's fantasy about her and Rose removes the ownership relation, but, whispers Rose's self hatred at the back of her mind, would a Gem as great as Pearl really choose Rose if her choice was truly free?

Garnet might be harder to explain, but still, aren't Ruby and Sapphire always together this way, just as a Sapphire and her Ruby guard are supposed to be?

If you think about it like that, I could see how Rose might talk herself into some kind of Gem determinism and decide that the only way for herself to truly change would be to stop being both herself and a Gem and be reborn as part of a human child.

But she's wrong.

We know she's wrong because Steven Universe showed us.

Amethyst leaves combat behind as soon as it's unnecessary and becomes a teacher. Ruby and Sapphire regularly do their own thing by SUF, and Ruby proposed to Sapphire to make being Garnet their own decision. And then, of course, there's Pearl.

All of the Crystal Gems reinvented themselves in the exact way that Rose didn't believe Gems ever could.

And in doing so, they also proved that Rose was wrong to think of her own growth as a lie. She didn't become a perfect person- nobody in this show was or will ever be perfect. But she became a genuinely kind and nurturing person who was loved and admired by many for good reason.

When you think about it, the only part of Homeworld that she couldn't let go of was the image she had of herself.

[soysaucevictim]

As someone who loves to write surreal dream sequences - "In Dreams"... hit me in the gut. A lot.

So far my favorite episode in SUF. :Ic

The unbubbled RQs are just- sO disconcerting.

I don't blame any of the main cast for feeling so gd awkward about this entire thing.

All that grief work everyone was doing for the past couple decades? How about no.

[teethcritter]

im gonna use this as an opporitunity to rant about suf.

its so consistently out of character i dont understand why. theres some episodes i like, like bluebird, snow day, fragments and rose buds are all very in character and well written, but then we hvae why so blue, volleyball, little graduation and together forever which are so out of character and kind of forced i just. i cant even watch them its so bad.

i dont like how suf pushes this sudden idea that rose quartz was an awful person with no redeeming qualities. if you watch whats your problem steven literally says "i can see why she was good, and bad, and bad and good." the point is that shes morally grey. the main show handles it really well, and as much as i loev the movie, the same thing happens there. spinel seems like she was introduced just to shit on rose and i just dont get it.

[speedysketchdigitalarthairdo]

I have an idea for an SU AU since I saw SUF Together Forever episode, because I got (and still am) EXTREMELY PISSED that Ruby and Sapphire gave the bullshit advice to PROPOSE TO CONY SO THEY CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER, I know that their aliens so they don't understand human norms and stuff, but it's still madning that these two fools made Steven's mental state worse and made him do this insane action so he can feel that Connie wouldn't abandon him like he thought the other gems were doing. So after finishing the episode, I brainstormed an AU that all gem kind were extinct or corrupted, so Steven lives a normal life with Greg as a normal kid, I guess being picked on for his gem belly button or not having a mom, and later exploring with Connie (and maybe some other characters) of why he has a gem belly button, why he has powers, and why there's weird creatures that poof when killed.

I have 0 drawing skills in the SU style, and I have to watch SU to have more context to the world-building, but I think it would be a fanfic If I ever have the motivation and courage to do it, so I'll let this idea be taken over by more capable people if they want too, so be free to use my idea if you like, please do so! I would love to see it!

[gemster]

Is it a no?

It’s a not now, Steven.

[phddyke]

I don’t get why everyone is saying the proposal scene is cringey. To be honest it reminded me of when I was also 17 and my boyfriend at the time was going to college. I kept thinking, “let’s get married!” Because I thought it would be a way to hold on to him. I’ve talked to friends who’ve had similar experiences. That’s just how it feels like when you’re on the verge of being an adult and you think you’re older than you are and want to settle down.

He was so sweet and romantic during the scene, Connie even said it was a not now, not a no, and then he said “If we know we’re going to spend the rest of our lives together, why can’t we now?” There’s an understanding between them that they are going to spend their lives together—Steven is just terrified he’ll lose her when she goes to college, maybe even far away.

After Connie leaves and Steven lies in a ditch crying for hours, I didn’t feel...embarrassed. My heart ached for this poor kid so badly. Nothing about it seemed “cringe” to me, it was teenage love and heartbreak. I was sad for him (though of course I don’t blame Connie), not secondhand embarrassed.

[allet-art]

dippin this sketch in here to say that I’m really, really sick atm, have been for a straight week now and there’s probably another whole week of coughing to come. Nothing dangerous, just the reason I’ve been resting and not posting quite as much.

Plus, processing the new eps. His face expression and him getting more or less rejected (even though connie said “not now”, and she was absolutely right to do so) just hit some kind of subconsious cord with me. Dull, and blue, and distant.

[emze-bear]

“I’d rather be me with you.”

Steven Universe Future: Episode 13. Together Forever

I stan one(1) Connie Mahaswaren

[citrusella-flugpucker]

((Me: I’m gonna watch Together Forever

Also me when THE THING happens: oh gosh oh shoot oh man oh no oh please oh no oh shoot oh man oh gosh please no oh shoot oh please oh no oh man oh gosh oh shoot please stop oh no oh gosh oh no))

[headcanons-phb]

Express love in it's most perfect form, a legally binding contract.

Sapphire.

[cyndavilachase]

“Teaser,” done in SBP.

My good friend, @universallywriting, is actually responsible for the last bits of dialogue!

[fanfoolishness]

Guess who loves suffering and is watching the back half of Steven Universe Future again? THIS GUY

[yippeeeeeeeeeeeee]

GET IT ?? BECAUSE MARRIAGE IS TERRIBLE

[lydiahosek]

Can’t leave you two separated for five minutes, can I...

[ruumhitzies]

I forgot to post this

[ashidaii]

the fact that steven just laid in a hole for hours and cried... it gets me in the feels