#weapons gem (bismuth)

[chrisrin]

some more gemstuck designs!

[muses-of-the-memory]

New Muses: Steven Universe

Everyone, I have brought new muses into my multimuse blog. Characters of the Steven Universe franchise. Including the Crystal Gems.

Garnet,

Amethyst,

Pearl,

and Steven!

[noxchievous]

Not too happy w how this came out but WHATEVER!!!!!! Cateye and Lemmy during the war.

[love-takes-work]

Reposting my old Sleeping Gems drawings, now including Bismuth

These are drawn on marker paper featuring various gray shades of Copic Marker

Descriptions follow:

Picture 1: Amethyst and Steven sleeping. They have both fallen asleep on a messy floor with activities scattered around them. Amethyst is on her back wearing a star-printed tank top, drawstring sweatpants, and socks, while Steven fell asleep in his jeans and tee shirt. He holds a fistful of her long hair in his sleep.

Picture 2: Garnet and Steven sleeping. Garnet wears sleep boxers, a short-sleeved shirt, and socks, and has her visor off. Steven, in two-piece pajamas, is sprawled across Garnet's arm but tucked into her body protectively.

Picture 3: Pearl and Steven sleeping. Pearl wears her typical tunic-and-shorts outfit and Steven is in two-piece pajamas. Steven sleeps sitting up cuddled in Pearl's lap, and a light beams from Pearl's Gem on her forehead like a nightlight.

Picture 4: Ruby and Steven sleeping. Ruby wears her usual sleeveless top and shorts, while Steven is in two-piece pajamas. They sleep on their backs, with Ruby's head at Steven's feet.

Picture 5: Sapphire and Steven sleeping. Sapphire wears her usual puffed-sleeve dress and leans on many pillows, with Steven wrapped in blankets with his head on her lap. Her hands protect his head.

Picture 6: Peridot and Steven sleeping. Steven wears a pajama shirt with a collar and Peridot is in alien-printed PJs. They sleep straight up and down next to each other with their heads on pillows, with a Cookie Cat alarm clock between them, under the same blanket but not touching.

Picture 7: Lapis Lazuli and Steven sleeping. They are in Lapis's hammock, with Lapis on her back and Steven curled on top of her like a baby with her arms protecting him. She wears her usual two-piece dress while Steven is in two-piece pajamas.

Picture 8: Bismuth and Steven sleeping. They lie on a messy floor surrounded by various weapon-planning projects. Bismuth is on her back and Steven is sleeping on top of her stomach. Bismuth wears a tank top and star-printed pants, while Steven wears his PJs.

Picture 9: Steven sleeps covered with a blanket on his downstairs couch, pictured with the portrait of his mother, Rose Quartz, in the background.

[muses-of-the-memory]

"Alright, you'll be sparring with us and the other Gems." Steven Universe said on their training with Luna to be ready for whatever foes they will be facing. "I had experience with facing Holo-Pearls in sword fighting." Pearl explained as Steven couldn't forget as a kid, he distracted her and caused Pearl to poof back into her gem to regeneration.

"Lapis and Peridot will be going up against you." Bismuth spoke as she made armor for Luna. "As you know, Lapis has water powers and Peridot has metal powers." Garnet explained since they fought Black Manta, Killer Frost and King Shark. "Best of luck to ya!" Amethyst shouted.

"We'll try not to be as lethal against you." Lapis said to Luna. "Exactly. Think fast!" Peridot shouted tossing a metal trash can lid as Lapis began to spin like a torpedo towards Luna.

Closed RP w/@muses-of-the-memory

A cloaked and hooded figure had finally arrived. She arrived to the area where her teacher told her to go. To investigate the strange activities going on around here. She had no problem accepting this job, since it meant she was going to finally get her chance to shine.

She begins stretching her arms, legs, and soon runs…in a bright green light as she runs so fast that she appeared as a blur to anyone who she passes by. She soon arrives to the top of the mountain and begins looking around to find anything…suspicious.

“And if I happen to find something suspicious, then I can take care of it. I know Barry told me to call him instead, but I’m sure I can handle it,” said the stranger as she spoke to herself.

@muses-of-the-memory

[furiarossa]

Mixing the vibes from two of our favorite cartoons!

Half-human boys that can float, create energy shields, use their own voice as a weapon, and have to step up as heroes to fix their parents' mistakes? Sounds familiar. Danny only lacks, well, a gem to be an half-gem. He's dead instead, but we wanted to do a little what if with SU :)

(Was he born human and a Jack-Bismuth and a Maddie-Peridot rearranged his molecules to create an incredible hybrid warrior for their diamonds? Maybe).

[Oh, and a lot more of our Danny Phantom fanarts: Here’s our tag]

★ FurAffinity|Deviantart|Commission prices|Tapas|Pillowfort★

[ask-whitepearl-and-steven]

Ok, but. What about the theory that Bismuth created the mirror? In the brief flashback, someone who looks like Bismuth is the one that poofs Lapis. And we know she created all kinds of things during the war, some of which might be morally questionable.

Aaaanyway. The question is, would that not make Seaglass sort of related to Bismuth if she was the creator of the mirror?

It's an interesting theory! Though I don't believe it quite fits.

Bismuth was a builder of architecture in her previous Homeworld life, and after she joined Rose, she made weapons. She was specifically shown having a preference for forging. I don't really think making mirrors was something she was interested in.

But of course, it COULD be possible for Bismuth to make the mirror as a one off..... except that Lapis was specifically picked up as a poofed gem and placed into it by Homeworld gems.

They were the ones who questioned her about Rose. They presumably made that mirror for very specific interrogation purposes. I doubt Bismuth would make a mirror, only to coincidentally drop it and have it fall into Homeworld hands.

Then again... what do I know? There's always room for a 'what if?' theory. :)

[picturejasper20]

Bismuth is an interesting character to talk about because, in spite of her having just few appearances in the show, she is almost treated with the same importance that characters like Peridot and Lapis Lazuli have, who show up from the first season and their arcs are spread out through the series.

I believe this comes from how key her introduction episode is, as it mark a ¨before and after¨ in the series, when Steven and the audience begins to learn more about the dark secrets that Rose Quartz kept and how her image of ¨perfect hero¨ for Steven and others starts to break down.

Bismuth is described as the ¨biggest Crystal Gem¨, in the sense she was very passionate about the cause and she was pretty well loved and respected in her team. She seemed to be one of the closest Rose's friends along with Garnet and Pearl back during the Gem War.

It is unknown how Bismuth met Rose Quartz and decided to join the Crystal Gems but based on her dialogue we can get an idea that she was moved by Rose Quartz's ideas and later became part of the movement.

¨And she asked me what I wanted to build, and I'd never heard that before. And Gems never hear they can be anything other than what they are, but Rose opened our eyes.¨

So Bismuth was sent to Earth and when she met Rose Quartz who was ¨just another Quartz soldier¨, she was asked what things she was interested in building. I assumed that Bismuth was taken out by this and over time started to question what she wanted to do and be.

Based on Unleash the Light, Bismuths as gems appear to have an overall sentiment that they aren't respected for their work and they are overlooked. They seem to be gems that are more likely to rebel or demand proper respect than other type of gems- at least based on the game events. I think Bismuth shared a similar feeling as well that made her become a Crystal Gem not so long after meeting Rose.

The other idea that got her was that she could be something different- she didn't have to only build what the Diamonds told her. She could try building her own things! So she choose to use her own skills to create and make weapons for other gems in the war.

Bismuth really looked up to Rose- she adored her- so much that she built a statue dedicated to her. She believed in everything that Rose said and she was willing to do anything for her.

This passion and idolization ended up backfiring on Rose Quartz in a way, as her constant words about how terrible Pink Diamond was had a clear effect on Bismuth, thus making her a fanatic Crystal Gem- someone who considered taking some more extreme measures than the ones Rose had been applying so far.

Rose have indirectly created her own enemies, if it could be put in that way.

One day Bismuth comes up with a weapon- which looks more like a torture device than something to be used on battle- and shows it to Rose. She believes that this could change the outcome of the war and maybe lead them to victory. She shows how it works, probably shattering some statue to prove her point.

Then, for one reason or another, Rose didn't seem to be fond of this idea that Bismuth had- perhaps because she didn't want to be shattered herself or she didn't want that for the other Diamonds, maybe she was scared of this being used in more innocent gems or she didn't want to be like the Diamonds. Whatever was the reason, Rose decided to hide the Breaking Point and poof Bismuth, hiding her inside Lion's mane at some point.

She never told to Pearl and Garnet what happened to Bismuth- not even centuries after the Gem War ended. Probably because she wanted to keep the idea of Pink Diamond's shattering being faked since she previously rejected the breaking point? Maybe it was out of fear of not knowing how Pearl and Garnet would react?

What it is sad is how Bismuth still kept talking good of Rose after being freed by Steven. She went on for a while like she hadn't been betrayed by one of her best friends until she has that fight with Steven near the end of the episode- for what was a misunderstanding and her being too confused at believing that Steven was Rose Quartz for a moment.

After coming back in ¨Made of Honor¨ having some chats with Steven about what happened and learning that Rose was Pink Diamond, Bismuth changed the way she refer herself to Rose. Based on the interactions she has with Steven, she appears to have changed her admiration for Rose Quartz to looking up to Steven now. She tells to Steven about how he has been able to bring the whole team together and how they are more following him rather than Rose Quartz.

In the time skip both in the movie and Steven Universe Future she is seen helping in Little Homeworld, building it or talking to other gems. There isn't much comment on how she feels about Rose in the scenes she shows up, but the overall feeling is that she is still a Crystal Gem because of her friends and Steven and not so much for Rose. It is unknown if she hates Rose- or if it is more of feeling mixed about her. I want to think it is more the latter, as she still kept talking good about her to Steven on ¨Bismuth¨.

Bismuth and Rose Quartz's relationship is a very sad one. Bismuth was betrayed by someone she really looked up to and was close friends with ( and very likely had romantic feelings for) for reasons that not even Rose herself understood. Fortunately Steven freed her and decided to give her the chance that Rose Quartz didn't after she got bubbled. She remains part of the Crystal gems, but more for herself and her friends than for the gem she once idolized.

[pocket-gems]

What's one gem that hasn't appeared in the show that you think could have a cool design based only on the irl gem?

On my personal opinion-

Mercury. Metal liquid

And it bothers me that SU artists imagine it as insert gem with common body type that has the hability to turn into liquid. C'mon, they're aliens, what are you doing!

Give it more weird shapes! Mercury is danger? Then give it claws! Is it liquid? Give it some permanent liquid-like property while making it an hability. Make it a menace!

Gemstone? Liquid. That's the hair, they can retract into their hair at any given moment. Mercury is toxic. That's already bad for gem society.

Eyes? Same color as her hair. She can expand them since it's well, liquid. She can use her "hair" to form weapons, tools, etc. Hell if given the chance she could regurgitate mercury too. Make a gem burn.

Yeah yeah mercury isn't technically a gem, it's a metal. If Bismuth exists she can join the party too.

[haphazardlyannotated]

Steven Universe Weapons Graded by Practicality in Actual Combat

Garnet:

There's a reason gauntlets aren't a standard weapon of warfare, and that reason is range. If you want to hit someone with your gauntlets, you have to let them get pretty close. Which might easily be closer than they even need to get to hit you, if their weapon gives them any range at all. Just remember how Jasper got Garnet with the Gem Destabiliser in The Return before Garnet had a chance to get a hit in.

That being said, Garnet's gauntlets have two points in their favour that I wanted to talk about: 1.) They protect her gems, which would otherwise be extremely vulnerable. When in combat, you'll all but certainly have to use your hands to attack, deflect or even just catch yourself when you fall. Garnet's gems would be at a constant risk of cracking without her gauntlets. And 2.) Garnet's gauntlets can be launched like rockets, which at least partially negates the range problem.

Overall assessment: 5/10, saved by the special features

Amethyst:

Like gauntlets, real life whips don't fare too well as implements of war. Unless you can get it around your enemy's neck, the best thing you can hope for is that you'll be able to hit them hard enough to make them drop their weapons. Also, it would be pretty difficult not to hit your allies with it by accident.

However, the way Amethyst's whip works negates all of these problems. Not only can Amethyst get her whip wrapped around her enemy and then squeeze them until they poof, she is also strong enough to either slam a wrapped up enemy into the floor or walls hard enough to take them out, we see her grab a boulder several times her size and use it as a flail in Steven vs Amethyst. Her weapon also has the additional perk of being useful to restrain an enemy, and just as a little cherry on top, can apparently also produce electric(?) shocks.

Overall a ridiculously good weapon, easy 10/10.

Pearl:

Spear: Spears are (well, were) the most commonly used real life weapon for a reason. They can be used both one- and two handed, both to stab at mid range and to throw at long range, and Pearl's seems to be suitable to all four. She also uses it to slash at her opponents like a glaive, and can shoot energy balls(?). However, Amethyst's whip is still more versatile, so I'm going to rate Pearl's spear 9/10.

Trident: I'm sorry, Bismuth, but the two extra stabs per attack aren't worth losing the slashing and making the throws more difficult in my eyes. 7/10, one point deduced for each.

Swords: Also popular for a reason. I don't think I need to explain why swords are good, so I'm just going to say that since Pearl's swords don't have any magical properties, I'm going to give them a simple 7/10 and move on.

Steven:

A real life shield is not really a weapon, but we've seen Steven's shield be thrown like a boomerang, and it seems to be pretty effective. That being said, this attack is at the very least much more difficult in mêlée, by which I mean if you're holding something off with it, you have to wait and pray that someone else will help you out, because you're not getting off any attacks now.

4/10 with the caveat that I'm unsure if this should have been rated here in the first place.

Connie:

We already did swords. 7/10.

Peridot:

Limb Enhancers: They're not solely weapons, but they have weapon functions, so I decided they count. Mainly, I think her blaster should be rated 8/10, as it seems to be much more destructive than Pearl's energy balls, but can only be used to either directly hurt your opponent, or collapse structures on them.

Metal Spike: Well, it worked, I guess? In all seriousness, if she got good at impaling people with it, that'd be a 7/10 for a regular spear equivalent.

Soda Cans: Look, Peri, if you were going to throw human metal objects, you should have picked the cars. 1/10 for comic relief.

Lapis:

I'm pretty sure "The Ocean" doesn't generally count as a weapon, but if it did, it'd be a 1000/10. There's a reason Lapis had to be kept away from the main plot.

Bismuth:

I don't know how to evaluate the shapeshift weapons, but the Breaking Point has hilariously low ratings. It's very short range, can not be used to block or parry, and needs to hit one exact tiny bullseye on a moving target. 2/10, and we don't even need to debate the ethics of war.

Jasper:

Helmet: Congratulations, we've found a weapon that requires you to get even closer to the target than gauntlets! In all seriousness, Jasper's helmet is a very impractical weapon. Not only does it have a small range, Jasper also has to lower her head and thus limit her field of vision when attacking. It does protect her gem, but not as well as Garnet's gauntlets protect hers, seeing how the visor thing is broken in Jailbreak, but Garnet's gauntlets never have been.

0/10, I honestly believe she'd be better off fighting with her bare hands

Destabilizer: This basically comes down to how many times you can use one of those. If it's unlimited, your opponents' only chance is to fire at you from a distance, and I'd rate it 11/10. If it's a one or two uses and then you need to recharge or get a new one, it's still an 8/10, but you'll want to have another weapon on hand.

Opal:

Opals bow is ridiculously good. It can hit a bazillion targets at a time and auto bubble them! And it satisfies my inherent bias for long distance weapons! What more could you want? Basically, Opal took a bow, which is already a great weapon, and then buffed it by a thousand.

12/10, the real reason we see so little of Opal is that she's too powerful.

Sugilite:

Flails were pretty rare weapons historically, probably because a weapon that will hit either you or your ally like a cartoon boomerang if you miss is too much of a liability. Also, momentum makes swinging it slower than everything we've seen before. Overall, I agree with the historical judgment. 3/10.

Sardonyx:

War hammers are much better documented as historical weapons than flails, and much more effective than I initially assumed. Apparently they were useful because they can knock you out through a metal helmet. If Sardonyx' hammer had a pointy end instead of two flat ones, it could also be used for grappling, but as it is, I'm afraid the lack of versatility will keep the score at 6/10.

Smoky Quartz:

I can't reasonably use real life yoyos as a comparison for Smoky's yoyo, so I'll treat it like a more controlled flail: A weapon that can hit around obstacles up to the longer end of mid distance and be recalled easily. Also, it can grapple and create tornadoes. Overall, it's to Sugilite's flail what Amethyst's whip is to, well, real life whips.

10/10 weapon, no notes

Rainbow 2.0

We never see Rainbow fight with their umbrella, but we do see him use some sort of telekinesis with it. If we assume that the umbrella can be used to stab an opponent (if it can't, I don't think it can be classified as a weapon), I'd give it a reluctant 4/10, since it's still not very good at taking anyone out, but the telekinesis could be pretty useful defensively.

Sunstone:

I have no earthly, or indeed alien idea as to how one would go about fighting with suction cups. I'll grade this one not applicable.

Obsidian:

All the advantages of a regular sword, but it can also easily cut through metal, and, if the lava is to be taken seriously, stone, so it can also be used to dismantle your enemies' fortifications. 10/10

Ruby:

Basically the same points as Garnet's gauntlets, except she's more limited due to having even shorter range and only one gauntlet. We don't have proof as to whether she can launch hers, but I decided to assume she can, on the basis that it has to originate somewhere.

3/10

Rose and Stevonnie:

I'm going to guess that the sword and shield combo is probably better than just a sword, and definitely better than just a shield, but I don't want to give it a 10/10, because it can't compare to the versatility of my other 10/10s, so I'll give it an 8/10 and call it good.

Eyeball:

A handheld knife strikes the lowest step on the weapons ladder. It heavily skews the odds in your favour if your opponent is unarmed, but doesn't have the range or damage output to do much against anything on this list(except Peridot's soda cans, and technically Jasper's helmet, but 1.) Jasper could beat Eyeball barehanded and 2.) Eyeball would never attack Jasper).

2/10

Topaz:

A fairly common weapon for a while, but it can't do anything other than smash things. I'll give it the same rating as Sardonyx' war hammer for the same reasons. 6/10.

Aquamarine:

Look, I know it's kind of a grey area whether this counts as a weapon, but that little staff was scary. It can freeze any number of opponents? Of seemingly any power level? With no apparent time limit? 20/10, how are you supposed to fight this?

Bluebird:

A cutlass is a sword. 7/10. 9/10 if I count the barrage of ice cutlasses. Very good weapons, it's just that Steven and Alexandrite are vastly more powerful, so the quality of her weapon didn't end up mattering.

[doseofnerdshit]

SU- The Logic of Roses Identity Reveal

Ok- so we all know the huge reveal (if you don’t- SPOILER WARNING)

Rose Quartz is revealed to have been Pink Diamond the whole time. But there are several issues with the logic there.

Ok- so Rose became known as a massive rebel, and was well known for her abilities. Steven got her shield, her healing powers, her sword, her floating powers, her powers to make bubbles (or was that just Steven somehow?)- and people think that Steven IS Rose Quartz because of those trademarks (as well as- having her gem.)

At that point it is known to everyone who either loves or hates Rose that she has those abilities. In The Trial, when Eyeball is an eye witness (heh,) she even says,

“And who has the ability to heal gems? The elusive Rise Quartz.”

So even Eyeball, a Ruby who hates Rose Quartz and tried to kill Steven knows all about her powers, shield, etc. She, neither anyone else knew or mentioned they suspected Rose to be Pink Diamond. Obviously they knew Rose to be the murderer of Pink Diamond.

So doesn’t that mean that-

1: Pink Diamond never used any of those powers while she was a Diamond?

2: All Rose Quartzes have to have those same abilities? Otherwise she would stand out completely against them.

If Pink Diamond used those powers such as healing and her shield, wouldn’t people see the similarities in Rose Quartz? And if she was ‘just a Rose Quartz,’ why did she have powers at all in the beginning? Quartzes are on the same level as Jaspers and Amethysts- tough bodyguards with weapons, (Ex: Amethysts whip) so it wouldn’t make sense for an average Rose Quartz to have more abilities than average. (Unless they thought she was some outlier or a fluke, who somehow learned or gained those powers “illegally” from being a rebel) But doesn’t that mean all Rose Quartzes would have had to have the same powers for her to pass as a normal gem and not be seen or suspected as a Diamond?

On that note-

Did Pink Diamond use her shield before she became Rose? Is that her “weapon?” (It’s obviously not her sword or scabbard as those were made by Bismuth) I have reason to believe it is, as it wasn’t found inside her gem like the sword, it appeared from Steven’s gem like most gem weapons.

if so, I have a few questions:

1: if so, do the other diamonds have weapons and what are they? (Why would they need weapons?) if not, what powers do the Diamonds have?

2: If she used her iconic shield as pink Diamond and then as Rose, wouldn’t people see the connection? (Unless she somehow changed it)

3: Do regular Rose Quartzes have weapons, and what are they?

[chrisrin]

What did bismuth Dirk make Hal FOR?

ALRIGHT! TIME FOR MY SECOND STORY DUMP! We need a bit of context before we get to Hal, so bear with me. (this is a long as fuck post)

SO! Dave and Dirk both come from Homeworld, as all gems do. I'm not super sure on the exacts, as the Alpha Kids are the first ones to leave together and they pick up the Beta Kids later but, we're kind of floating around the idea of Bro being Yellow Diamond or having some sort of equivalent power. Both Dirk and Dave are gems under Yellow, Dirk being a Bismuth and Dave being a Carnelian.

Plot stuff happens, Dirk escapes and at some point comes back to get Dave and now they have a whole squad and all that, yadda-yadda. However, during their escape from Homeworld, something Bad happens and causes Dave to get injured (don't know what it is yet but it's something)

Dave's gem gets cracked but everyone still makes it out okay. Due to whatever the circumstances are surrounding this, only Dave and Dirk know of the status of Dave's gem, Dave starts wearing actual clothing upon getting to Earth to hide his cracked gem, using the excuse that it's cool and he's trying to vibe with the style.

Dirk is a Bismuth, he's been trained his whole life to create weapons of war and things for destruction, and now, faced with one of the people he's come to care about most, it's the one time he can't fix a problem by putting a hammer to it. He can't help Dave, and Dirk blames himself for letting Dave get hurt in the first place, thinking he wasn't strong enough to protect him.

As time goes on, Dave gets worse, and especially after escaping Homeworld, Dave's cracked gem prevents him from spawning his weapon. This means Dave is filled with trauma on top of feeling deeply defenseless, coming from a place where having a weapon on you at all times was the only thing keeping you alive.

Dirk, watching Dave's deterioration, decides that enough is enough and he seeks out Pink Diamond. Upon finding Feferi, Dirk trades in something (A deal? A service?) in exchange for some of her healing material. He brings it to Dave and heals his gem.

So, you'd assume everything's fine and dandy now, right? Surely.

But no, it's Dirk, so it's not.

Dirk looks at this situation and says, "I'm never going to let this happen again" and concludes that the reason Dave got hurt was because he, Dirk, was not strong enough. So Dirk asks, "How do I get stronger?"

At some point during this time, the group is all out doing stuff together and Dirk watches Sollux save all their asses from something. Dirk realizes Sollux is statistically the stronger gem out of the whole group and puts two-and-two together (literally), concluding that what he needs to be powerful is...

Fusion. (do you see where this is heading?)

Will Dirk go and ask Sollux about this? Will he go and maybe ask Roxy, who he trusts? Will he talk to Dave and get his thoughts?

No, of course not. Because Dirk is a little stupid.

Dirk theorizes that if he can splinter his own gem and create an artificially copied fragment of himself, he'd be able to fuse with himself which would avoid having to rely on other people. So Dirk does the one thing he wasn't going to do to Dave. He takes the hammer to himself.

This, as you would imagine, goes fucking horribly wrong.

Dirk creates Hal, who is only a very small sliver of Bismuth. A corrupted gem that can't properly speak, seems to be intelligent, but also fucking hates Dirk.

Dirk, panicked, both because now his own gem is fucked up, but now because he has a little Dude running around his workshop, decides "oh fuck I need to fix this" and tries to fuse with Hal.

It doesn't work. Their fusion isn't stable. They can't fuse back together.

Dirk, having no idea what to do, decides to hide Hal away in his workshop and does his best to lie to everyone. Dave is suspicious, as Dirk starts to wear clothing that covers his gem, but Dave also isn't one for emotional vulnerability so he doesn't ask. Dirk continues to lie to most of everyone, even as his own state gets worse and worse.

Eventually, Sollux realizes what Dirk did. And he's fucking pissed. The lie gets uncovered and Sollux is ANGRY. Remember when Pearl lied to Garnet about the tower and the whole Sardonyx thing? It's like that, but both sides are angry at each other and refuse to apologize.

The rest of the group do their best to take care of Hal, they try to help Dirk fuse properly with him but it's not working, and Dirk keeps trying to force it but they aren't stable.

Eventually, something happens, and Dave gets poofed while they're out on an adventure (obviously Dave can recover, but it's a huge scare for Dirk). It's something Dirk could've easily protected Dave from, but now because he fragmented himself, he's even weaker than before. This is the final tipping stone for Dirk.

He goes to Sollux and apologizes, begging him to help him figure out fusion.

Sollux, resigned, sighs and agrees to help him. With time, Sollux slowly teaches Hal and Dirk how to work together and fuse, gradually helping them become more and more stable until finally they can fuse together and be like normal again.

Even after all of this, Hal and Dirk fused together aren't any more powerful than they were before. But Dirk grew in a different way, learning to trust others and see that not all his problems can be solved by just relying on himself.

Sollux, seeing Dirk & Hal's growth, who have now become a proper permafusion, offers to fuse with them if he wants to try it. Dirk smiles and shakes his head, and says that he'll be happy with where he is for right now, though he wouldn't mind taking it up in the future. Sollux is beaming back, satisfied that Dirk learned his lesson. (and then when shit goes down in the future we have this fucking awesome moment where Dirk and Sollux fuse together for the first time and theyre so fucking cool and i physicall explode)

ANYWAYS THAT'S MY STORY DUMP. LONG-ASS POST I KNOW BUT I HAVE A LOT OF FEELINGS ABOUT THEM! HOPE THIS ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION!!

[autistic-ben-tennyson]

My post on SW and conservatism getting a lot of traction has gotten me thinking about something I’ve seen from progressives in fandoms. Mainly people questioning how something progressive can have conservative, homophobic or racist fans. What I ask is the work of fiction really that progressive or is that just you projecting on it? A lot of people with right wing views will watch and even enjoy things that are supposedly inclusive while ignoring certain themes or elements or claim it doesn’t count as political as there’s no “agenda” or no forced representation, particularly when discussing older shows or anime with yaoi/yuri. It’s also important to analyze why a person with reactionary views would watch something we enjoy.

Ben 10 is an example I’ve seen this from. The show does tackle some political issues and is about a guy walking in the shoes of other life forms. But it’s POC rep especially of women of color like Kai, Julie and Elena was pretty lackluster, even compared to its contemporaries like Generator Rex or Dwayne McDuffie’s other works like Static Shock. It was a show that was popular with people who complained shows like SU or TOH were too feminist or woke because it is an older cartoon with a mainly white cast that may be pro diversity but also is pro police, ie the plumbers, and has a lot of sexist writing especially in UA and OV.

Speaking of SU, there are actually a lot of fans who are conservatives or libertarians. Yes, the show did push boundaries in queer rep, but it also has some problems with anti blackness like Sugilite and Bismuth as well as the Gem Harvest episode which a lot of right wing fans love and which aired right after the 2016 election. It could very well be read as “you have to be nice to your MAGA uncle who hates hippies, vegetarians and immigrants because he’s going through a hard time”. A lot of conservatives do love to twist messages about acceptance to demand people respect their views. The Uncle Grandpa crossover was well as Chile Tide had a man in a dress joke too which has also aged poorly with transmisogyny getting worse which was an example of how even queer fiction can slip up.

Franchises that may have some progressive messages but also have a big focus on warships and weapons like SW and ST are popular with fans of the military and guns. SW also is very religious and will attract people who complain about society not being Christian anymore with a lot of Jedi fans being very anti atheist while dressing up their stance as progressive and attacking people with religious trauma. Same with Evangelion and Madoka Magica as like with SU, conservative fans will overlook the queer stuff and focus entirely on the religious elements, even if they were just used to look cool like in NGE.

Before ending this, I want to make it clear I don’t excuse or support people in fandom who do hold bigoted or disgusting views and we should do everything we can to push them out. But it is important to recognize how a conservative could enjoy a work of fiction with supposedly leftist or queer themes. A lot of them like SW or SU do have issues with POC rep and anything with a strong focus on war or religion will attract right wing viewers who love god and guns. I also ask again, is the story really that radical or is that just your interpretation you’re projecting?

[partnersincrimesuau]

MODEL SHEET 1 - SPINEL FACET 4A5T CUT 8LS

Spinel's Character Sheet from 2022

The first of many character sheets I will be posting! Of course, the first one is our beloved main character, Spinel!

Below her name at the top you will see the words 'Chapters 1-30'. This will appear on all other model sheets for each character, differing in chapter numbers. This means that this design is the design that the character will have between those chapters. This may imply spoilers, but it may also simply imply time passing, or a change of clothes.

The rest of this model sheet includes, from top left to bottom right:

A head sprite design based on the sprites from the video game Steven Universe: Unleash the Light!

An interaction between the model character and a butterfly, which varies for each character.

The character from three different angles; the front, the side facing right, and the back. The side view is accompanied by the character's arm separately, so that the space that the arm usually hides from view is easier to see.

The character's weapon/weapon of choice, and it's size.

The character's gem from two different angles.

The character's official height. (Spinel doesn't have an official height per se, but based on evidence in the movie, she's generally a little shorter than Steven, who is canonically 5'6)

The character's age OR rough estimate of years since emergence, if they are a gem.

The character's main colour palette. Gem colours aren't included, sorry... there are too many facets for that!!!

I had a lot of fun drawing this, I hope it comes in handy for some people! ^^

Other model sheets:

Spinel - you're here! Steven Condor Agate Bismuth "83" [And more to come!]

[love-takes-work]

What do you think the personality and appearance of Smoky Quartz and Sunstone would look like, being fusions with Rose? I really wanted to see them in the series, just like we saw Rainbow Quartz with Rose and Steven.

I'm not really sure. Despite the fact that I enjoy analysis of characters, I don't usually feel that comfortable with speculation on characters I haven't met, and Rose!Smoky and Rose!Sunstone would definitely be very different people even if we apparently have precedent for expecting them to share some elements (including names). I very much would have wanted to see the original Rose Fusions of those characters, and would have very much wanted to spend time with more of the Steven Fusions (including with a longer build-up and reserved special time with each Fusion).

I don't develop a lot of convictions when it comes to speculating on stuff like this, so consider this pretty loosely held, but if you want to know what I think about this, I'll try!

Smoky 1.0

Appearance-wise: She'd keep the skin color and the freckles/flecks, keep the body type and same facial features, keep the arm arrangement and the weapon. I think her hair would be pink, straight, and longer--maybe in pigtails. She'd get some kind of cute ruffled jumper, I think--like overalls with a fluffy skirt--and have tights and bare feet. She'd kinda be the kid Rose never got to be, and enjoy the "childhood" she always wanted for Amethyst.

Personality-wise: She would have some inadequacy issues but they would be buried deeper and probably would not come out in self-deprecating jokes the way Smoky 2.0's did. She'd have a genuine version of Rose's calculated gregariousness. She'd give love freely in a sillier way than Rose did; she'd want to play around and be rambunctious, maybe a prank here and there. She'd enjoy binge TV with Greg and helping Pearl with tasks (if requested). She'd be good with eating and would probably laugh at burp-and-fart jokes. I think she'd enjoy building sandcastles and knocking them down.

Sunstone 1.0

Appearance-wise: She'd have the same weapon and color scheme and still have four arms, but I think her upper body would be less exaggerated and she'd have four arms all the same thickness, without the broad chest. I think her top section would be more like Garnet's except she'd be wearing something sleeveless. I think her flame hair would be big and curly OR maybe totally round like a perfect ball-shaped afro, with an overall effect of more hair/less head. She'd probably have some kind of flexible shoes with the toes showing. She might have one of those leotard-type outfits with a little ruffle depending on if the figure she's based on was maybe an exercise guru or fitness coach. Given that Sunstone 2.0 is influenced by Steven's conception of PSA-spewing mascot vibes, we would have to figure out what Rose's less childish contemporary-to-her equivalent of that is, and I think it would end up modeled after a motivational speaker or guru who was popular during whatever time period Rose and Garnet first formed her, so the clothing details would depend on that. The alternative to this is if Sunstone 1.0 first formed during the war and Sunstone could have been an extremely charismatic commander, but that would very much change the vibe. I could still see her charging into battle leading Crystal Gems with a flag, all hyped up on pep-talk juice, with Bismuth at her side.

Personality-wise: Rose and Steven are pretty different people but they were both given to "motivational" statements, and Garnet is good at boosting confident delivery of whatever primary elements her Fusions absorb, so Sunstone 1.0 would love hyping people up, dropping philosophical and exciting speeches whenever possible, and encouraging people to be their best selves. She'd be far more forward about it than Rose was. She'd use her fourth-wall-breaking/Future Vision type powers to give people reassurances that they would achieve their dreams if they followed their hearts (and maybe give them little prediction hints to give them hope). She'd be extremely outgoing but never say much about her own feelings, always focusing on others. She'd be loud and kinda give Pearl a headache, but Greg would enjoy the hype in small doses. She would not replicate the sometimes physical comedy Sunstone 2.0 does, but she'd be flexible and willing to do acrobatics, and I think she'd like to go surfing.

[amaryllidae]

this is bismuth in my gemswap au, a lapis lazuli formerly under iridescent diamond. in this universe she's a skilled blacksmith who uses ice and stone as her weapon material. she uses water as her weapon much akin to bismuth's regular axe/hammer/etc hands. normal blacksmithing has proven difficult for her, as lapis in general are very intolerant to heat. she finds this extremely frustrating as while her ice weapons are good, she wants to create something permanent and durable- she wants to create something that will shatter any gem.