Hessonite is a type of garnet, but isn't Garnet. The capitalization is important. They don't talk about the beryls as Beryl.
What's more, I have doubts how much actual gemology plays into SU Gem-creation. I mean, Ruby is, very literally, a type of Sapphire. Yet Rubies and Sapphires have next to nothing to do with eachother.
Really? That's... very odd. I found the entry on the wiki, though I can't find the mention in the podcast itself.
It'd cause confusion, because everyone who didn't know Garnet personally, would assume she was a normal garnet, not their weird taboo fusion who has nothing to do with actual Garnets. Not to mention the confusion that'd cause with the ACTUAL Garnets in the group. "Hey Garnet!" "Yeah?" "No, not you, I meant Ruby and Sapphire."
I honestly don't see the problem with this? In a world where there are literally multiples of the same person running around everywhere (same Gemtype)...
I doubt it's very confusing.
And like what you said Garnets aren't even called Garnets, they're called Pyrope, Demantoid, Hessonite, etc... It's the same deal with Corundum, they're two different Gems in the caste system even though they're technically the same.
And my point is that anyone using her name wouldn't even be a Homeworld Gem but a Crystal Gem.
Remember that the caste system was created by White for most likely very arbitrary reasons.
Also it's confirmed in show that Gems do have to do with Geology since Peridot Gems are made from Peridotite like real life peridots. Hell, Peridot even says that physical traits like hair type are determined by mineral deposits found around a Gem's individual hole.
I honestly don't see the problem with this? In a world where there a literally multiple of the same person everywhere (same Gemtype)...
I doubt it's very confusing.
And like what you said Garnets aren't even called Garnets, they're called Pyrope, Demantoid, Hessonite, etc... It's the same deal with Corundum, they're two different Gems in the caste system even though they're technically the same.
Also it's confirmed in show that Gems do have to do with Geology since Peridot Gems are made from Peridotite like real life peridots. Hell, Peridot even says that physical traits like histare determined by mineral deposits found around a Gem's individual hole.
Because everyone is pretty interchangeable otherwise. A Sapphire can see the future, and that is true regardless of which Sapphire it is (assuming, you know, they aren't deffective). Garnet, though, would not have any of the abilities or skills or anything of a Actual Garnet. "Hey, Garnet, can you use your magnetokinesis to move this beam into place?" "I, uh, can't do that." "What? Why not? You're a Garnet." "Yeah, but I, uh, see the future." "What? Like a Sapphire?" "... Yes."
Except, in the story, it's Garnet. Capitalized, Proper Noun.
For Peridotite, there are two options. 1) You got your arrow of cause and effect backwards, this is an alternate reality where Gems kinda predate almost the entirety of human civilization, and odds are humans actually picked up most of their language from Gems ("We need a name for this material that is good for making Peridots." "How about Peridotite?" "Eh, good enough"), 2) That is only applicable to Peridots.
As for the other gems, well duh, what you are made of effect the end result. Era 2 Peridots are an example of that, there wasn't enough "nutrients" so they came out bite-sized. If there was the perfect blend of "nutrients", you get the Perfect Quartz that is Jasper. Doesn't mean that Sapphires and Rubies are both made of Corundum, and the only difference in their formation is what impurities are in them.
Yeah, and why would there not be Actual Garnets in the Crystal Gems?
I'm pretty sure it wasn't arbitrary, actually. The caste system makes a lot of sense, in a utilitarian fashion. She didn't make it to oppress gems just because, it was to drive everyone to be the best them they could be, to strive for flawless perfection. A Soldier is a Soldier, and they were to strive to be the best darned solider they could be, anything besides soldiering would take away from their ability to be a soldier. And Soldiers, of course, would have less ability to command than a specially made Commander. Engineers would be given permission to Engineer, Builders would Build, a place for everything and everything in it's place, working like a well-oiled machine with no waste. Diamonds were the head leaders above all, absolutely flawless and radiant, serving as perfect models for all gem kind.
Because everyone is pretty interchangeable otherwise. A Sapphire can see the future, and that is true regardless of which Sapphire it is (assuming, you know, they aren't deffective). Garnet, though, would not have any of the abilities or skills or anything of a Actual Garnet. "Hey, Garnet, can you use your magnetokinesis to move this beam into place?" "I, uh, can't do that." "What? Why not? You're a Garnet." "Yeah, but I, uh, see the future." "What? Like a Sapphire?" "... Yes."
Except, in the story, it's Garnet. Capitalized, Proper Noun.
For Peridotite, there are two options. 1) You got your arrow of cause and effect backwards, this is an alternate reality where Gems kinda predate almost the entirety of human civilization, and odds are humans actually picked up most of their language from Gems ("We need a name for this material that is good for making Peridots." "How about Peridotite?" "Eh, good enough"), 2) That is only applicable to Peridots.
As for the other gems, well duh, what you are made of effect the end result. Era 2 Peridots are an example of that, there wasn't enough "nutrients" so they came out bite-sized. If there was the perfect blend of "nutrients", you get the Perfect Quartz that is Jasper. Doesn't mean that Sapphires and Rubies are both made of Corundum, and the only difference in their formation is what impurities are in them.
Yeah, and why would there not be Actual Garnets in the Crystal Gems?
I'm pretty sure it wasn't arbitrary, actually. The caste system makes a lot of sense, in a utilitarian fashion. She didn't make it to oppress gems just because, it was to drive everyone to be the best them they could be, to strive for flawless perfection. A Soldier is a Soldier, and they were to strive to be the best darned solider they could be, anything besides soldiering would take away from their ability to be a soldier. And Soldiers, of course, would have less ability to command than a specially made Commander. Engineers would be given permission to Engineer, Builders would Build, a place for everything and everything in it's place, working like a well-oiled machine with no waste. Diamonds were the head leaders above all, absolutely flawless and radiant, serving as perfect models for all gem kind.
Your argument that a lack of resources about Era 2 Gems has nothing to do with the topic on hand for one. For two, what exactly are you trying to say about cause and effect? A translation error? Gems are injected into the ground and leech the life and minerals out of the ground. Peridot literally says she's made out Peridotite, a real life mineral. If she didn't need that mineral to be made, why does she mention it?
Peridotite is literally found in the mantle, that's where the drill was when Peridot mentioned that's what Peridots are made of. Are you trying to say that whatever made up sci fi stuff Gems are really made up of is also found in the mantle coincidentally??
And why would Peridot still be made out Peridotite like real peridots, but Beryls and Corundum are made of something different? Why would Peridot look at a mineral found on Earth, and lie about what she's made of if that's not what she's made out of?
Are you trying to say that during the resource shortage Yellow Diamond is now using Peridotite instead of what she was using in Era 1?? Then would Era-1 and Era-2 Peridots even be the same kind of Gem if they're made out of different stuff? Please explain because it sounds like you're just spouting out random stuff without doing your research. About Geology or Steven Universe.
I mean what other nutrients could Peridot have meant? We already know the recipe for Gem production. Diamond sweat, 'chaotic energies', and the minerals/impurities found in the ground. Yellow Diamond is literally just strapped for colonies/Kindergartens because after Pink's 'death' Blue doesn't help out anymore, so she needs to compensate by purposely making Era-2 Gems the way they are to either make more space or produce Peridots faster.
I think you've forgotten what the Gems are. They're technology, and they're literally made to fit the caste they're made for. There's no such thing as a naturally occurring Gem. That's why despite both being made out of Corundum, Rubies and Sapphires are so different. The minerals are entirely cosmetic. That's what's I'm saying when I say the caste system is arbitrary. Gems are made the way they are because White 'said so'. She programmed them to be that way, to be soldiers or oracles or whatever she decided the caste needed to be. You're the one confusing cause and effect.
Gems are literally programmed to be good at their assigned caste, they're not 'naturally' good at it. White didn't make a bunch of Gems randomly and observed what the Gems are good at and assigned them caste roles to make sure they're given jobs where they can be efficient. She assigns castes, and then programs them to be good at their assigned caste so that her Empire could be 'flawless, efficient and perfect'. Not the other way around.
Furthermore, the only Canon non fusion Garnet we see is Hessonite and none of her moves shown involve magnetism, and matter of fact neither does Bismuth despite real life Bismuths being bimagnetic or whatever. Plus Peridot has metal powers despite real life Peridot having nothing to do with Magnetism or metal. Although we do see that Hessonite and Garnet do have somethings in common, their superhuman speed for one, and their complete heterochromia.
Also. Can you stop implying that Garnet is lesser than non fusion Garnets because she's a fusion? And that she's not a real Garnet? Because you honestly sound like Blue Diamond being a condescending jerk wad right now.
Heck, we see that she's stronger than non fusion Garners because she's a fusion. Not only does she have the physical abilities of a non fusion Garnet (i.e speed), but she also has Future vision, a major one up against non fusion Garnets.
Additionally, she's conductive like real life Garnets, and heat resistant.
Edit: And please note that White Diamond is in fact a dictator, and does in fact oppress Gems for that sole purpose. So that Gems wouldn't "cross-contaminate" with Gems of other Castes, and to prevent fusion of such relations. She literally made cross gemtype fusion taboo because it could elevate lower class Gems. That's it. There's no deep meaning. She felt like doing it so she did so, she didn't need to do anything.
Also, please note that Gems are made from impurities/minerals if you listen to White's wording when she's talking about the other Diamonds. She calls Blue and Yellow impure (because they have trace amounts of Boron and Nitrogen), and she calls Pink imperfect (because Pink Diamonds don't have mineral impurities in real life, they're made from pressure).
Edit: And why are you so hung up about Garnet's stealing the use of 'real' Garnets' name? You're in fact giving me something to turn around on you. I said nothing about there not being other 'actual' Garnets in the Crystal Gems, just that there wouldn't be any Homeworld Garnets in the Crystal Gems. Furthermore, this is the equivalent of multiple use of a family name, it's not like anyone named Smith is going to be mad that there's an unrelated person with the last name Smith living in the same area. For one no one's even going to be calling non fusion Garnets by their last name, but names like Pyrope, Demantoid, or Hessonite. Furthermore, I still don't see the problem with being in the same friend ground as someone with the same name. Anyway whoever's talking could just say Garnet while talking to fusion Garnet, and call the non fusions Pyrope or Hessonite or whatever their first name is.
Every single type of Corundum is a Sapphire, unless it's a Ruby. A Ruby is very literally a Red Sapphire. The only reason it's not a Sapphire, is cause it's Red.
Got to love that intersection between the old ways of naming things based on macro traits, and the new ways based on micro structures and compositions.
Your argument that a lack of resources about Era 2 Gems has nothing to do with the topic on hand for one. For two, what exactly are you trying to say about cause and effect? A translation error? Gems are injected into the ground and leech the life and minerals out of the ground. Peridot literally says she's made out Peridotite, a real life mineral. If she didn't need that mineral to be made, why does she mention it?
Peridotite is literally found in the mantle, that's where the drill was when Peridot mentioned that's what Peridots are made of. Are you trying to say that whatever made up sci fi stuff Gems are really made up of is also found in the mantle coincidentally??
And why would Peridot still be made out Peridotite like real peridots, but Beryls and Corundum are made of something different? Why would Peridot look at a mineral found on Earth, and lie about what she's made of if that's not what she's made out of?
Are you trying to say that during the resource shortage Yellow Diamond is now using Peridotite instead of what she was using in Era 1?? Then would Era-1 and Era-2 Peridots even be the same kind of Gem if they're made out of different stuff? Please explain because it sounds like you're just spouting out random stuff without doing your research. About Geology or Steven Universe.
I mean what other nutrients could Peridot have meant? We already know the recipe for Gem production. Diamond sweat, 'chaotic energies', and the minerals/impurities found in the ground. Yellow Diamond is literally just strapped for colonies/Kindergartens because after Pink's 'death' Blue doesn't help out anymore, so she needs to compensate by purposely making Era-2 Gems the way they are to either make more space or produce Peridots faster.
I think you've forgotten what the Gems are. They're technology, and they're literally made to fit the caste they're made for. There's no such thing as a naturally occurring Gem. That's why despite both being made out of Corundum, Rubies and Sapphires are so different. The minerals are entirely cosmetic. That's what's I'm saying when I say the caste system is arbitrary. Gems are made the way they are because White 'said so'. She programmed them to be that way, to be soldiers or oracles or whatever she decided the caste needed to be. You're the one confusing cause and effect.
Gems are literally programmed to be good at their assigned caste, they're not 'naturally' good at it. White didn't make a bunch of Gems randomly and observed what the Gems are good at and assigned them caste roles to make sure they're given jobs where they can be efficient. She assigns castes, and then programs them to be good at their assigned caste so that her Empire could be 'flawless, efficient and perfect'. Not the other way around.
Furthermore, the only Canon non fusion Garnet we see is Hessonite and none of her moves shown involve magnetism, and matter of fact neither does Bismuth despite real life Bismuths being bimagnetic or whatever. Plus Peridot has metal powers despite real life Peridot having nothing to do with Magnetism or metal. Although we do see that Hessonite and Garnet do have somethings in common, their superhuman speed for one, and their complete heterochromia.
Also. Can you stop implying that Garnet is lesser than non fusion Garnets because she's a fusion? And that she's not a real Garnet? Because you honestly sound like Blue Diamond being a condescending jerk wad right now.
Heck, we see that she's stronger than non fusion Garners because she's a fusion. Not only does she have the physical abilities of a non fusion Garnet (i.e speed), but she also has Future vision, a major one up against non fusion Garnets.
Additionally, she's conductive like real life Garnets, and heat resistant.
Edit: And please note that White Diamond is in fact a dictator, and does in fact oppress Gems for that sole purpose. So that Gems wouldn't "cross-contaminate" with Gems of other Castes, and to prevent fusion of such relations. She literally made cross gemtype fusion taboo because it could elevate lower class Gems. That's it. There's no deep meaning. She felt like doing it so she did so, she didn't need to do anything.
Also, please note that Gems are made from impurities/minerals if you listen to White's wording when she's talking about the other Diamonds. She calls Blue and Yellow impure (because they have trace amounts of Boron and Nitrogen), and she calls Pink imperfect (because Pink Diamonds don't have mineral impurities in real life, they're made from pressure).
Edit: And why are you so hung up about Garnet's stealing the use of 'real' Garnets' name? You're in fact giving me something to turn around on you. I said nothing about there not being other 'actual' Garnets in the Crystal Gems, just that there wouldn't be any Homeworld Garnets in the Crystal Gems. Furthermore, this is the equivalent of multiple use of a family name, it's not like anyone named Smith is going to be mad that there's an unrelated person with the last name Smith living in the same area. For one no one's even going to be calling non fusion Garnets by their last name, but names like Pyrope, Demantoid, or Hessonite. Furthermore, I still don't see the problem with being in the same friend ground as someone with the same name. Anyway whoever's talking could just say Garnet while talking to fusion Garnet, and call the non fusions Pyrope or Hessonite or whatever their first name is.
Yeah it does, because obviously what materials you are made with effects your end result. Just not neccessarily in the same way IRL Gemology does. Leaving your only point being Peridot, which I covered seperately. Not translation error, but in this other world that has MANY big differences from our own, their peridotite might not be the same as our peridotite. Wouldn't be the first time something similar was radically different, see the entire world of SU. So that material is what they use to make Peridots THERE, but THAT Peridotite might not be the same as OUR Peridotite.
Potentially. Peridotite isn't the only material found in the Mantle. There's also Majorite, Ringwoodite, and Wadsleyite down there. Maybe they use a mixture of ALL those materials to make a Peridot, and thus they are all labled Peridotite.
Same reason SU Dollars still vaguely resemble USD, but are still markedly different. AKA, coincidence. Peridot is the only example we have that there is any connection between RL Gemology, and SU Gem's physical composition, despite having a VERY GLARING counter example in the form of Ruby and Sapphire. So there are possible ways to explain away that example, while not just ignoring Ruby and Sapphire.
What i was saying was "Well duh, what you are made with effects how you come out". Era 2 peridots being the example. They are made with less material, a budget version, and you see what you get.
Not relevant to the convo, but Blue does still do extractions. White probably doesn't though, cutting the amount of extractions in half (and possibly more, if the mixture of different extractions create a "greater than sum of parts" thing)
That doesn't make it arbitrary though. Quartz are the current best mass-produced soldiers they can make, if they could make a better soldier some other way they probably would. Such is the (probable) fate of the Rubies. Rubies used to be teh de-facto soldier, but then Quartz came along making them obsolete, so they were instead regulated to be bodyguards.
Hessonite is a not a Garnet. She's a garnet, but not a Garnet. And I just guessed at what ability a Garnet might have. Because whatever it is, Ruby+Sapphire!Garnet almost certainly does not have it. If she does, it'd be via complete luck.
Garnet is not lesser, but she is not a Real Garnet. If Suggelite decided to call themselves Aquamarine instead, they wouldn't suddenly be a small pixy with an OP magic wand. Garnet has a lot of features that make her special and probably better than any non-fusion Garnets, but that does not make her a Real Garnet.
She's a dictator, but saying her decrees are "Just because" is without any foundation. Crosstype fusion was outlawed because it encouraged sentimental attachment, which is an impurity in WD's eyes.
She called them impure, but did not say it's because of the composition of their gemstone. Rather implies the opposite.
Now the impurities you've encouraged in them are gone. Now they are brilliant! Now they are perfect! Now they are me!
Pink Diamond encouraged their impurities, and I rather doubt she was seasoning their gemstones with extra Boron/Nitrogen. And White REMOVED those Impurities, without changing the physical composition of the gem (since they turn right back afterwards).
I'm not hung up on it, I'm just saying it's a weird decision that would cause confusion. Because it is and would. Any other Garnets (capital G) would be repeatedly confused with Ruby+Sapphire!Garnet.
Edit: Also I wonder if maybe Steven could give Starry a few tips about how CG Amethyst fought? I mean even though Amethyst couldn't do much against Ultimate Quartz like the first Jasper seen in show. She could 'shapeshift' to be bigger and tougher super temporarily. Or like fight like a glass canon? Something like how Steven and Connie tag teamed. Someone could shield her while she shape shift her arms into swords or hands into a dagger/hook. It might give her a confidence boost and make her friends with the other Rose Quartz.
Actually, I wonder how much team training the Quartz do. As combat gems, they are expected to fuse in cases of needing a more powerful form. With that in mind wouldn't it make sense for same gem types to train fighting as a team to improve their coordination for fusion?
Plus Starry seems to be the gem Steven is closest to in the squad, so will likely be the first gem he will fuse with. Well, he is also friends with Pyramid, but Steven knows that cross type fusion would get him in trouble at this point in time.
Unless Steven wants to out himself as a timetraveler, I doubt he can simply come out and tell Diamond to go get her Spinel. He'd have to bring her up in a round about way. How common of a gem type is a Spinel? If it is fairly common for high class gems to have Spinels like they have Pearls, then maybe Steven could ask where Pink's Spinel is? After all, if another high class gem has a Spinel, why wouldn't Pink?
Yeah it does, because obviously what materials you are made with effects your end result. Just not neccessarily in the same way IRL Gemology does. Leaving your only point being Peridot, which I covered seperately. Not translation error, but in this other world that has MANY big differences from our own, their peridotite might not be the same as our peridotite. Wouldn't be the first time something similar was radically different, see the entire world of SU. So that material is what they use to make Peridots THERE, but THAT Peridotite might not be the same as OUR Peridotite.
Potentially. Peridotite isn't the only material found in the Mantle. There's also Majorite, Ringwoodite, and Wadsleyite down there. Maybe they use a mixture of ALL those materials to make a Peridot, and thus they are all labled Peridotite.
Same reason SU Dollars still vaguely resemble USD, but are still markedly different. AKA, coincidence. Peridot is the only example we have that there is any connection between RL Gemology, and SU Gem's physical composition, despite having a VERY GLARING counter example in the form of Ruby and Sapphire. So there are possible ways to explain away that example, while not just ignoring Ruby and Sapphire.
What i was saying was "Well duh, what you are made with effects how you come out". Era 2 peridots being the example. They are made with less material, a budget version, and you see what you get.
Not relevant to the convo, but Blue does still do extractions. White probably doesn't though, cutting the amount of extractions in half (and possibly more, if the mixture of different extractions create a "greater than sum of parts" thing)
That doesn't make it arbitrary though. Quartz are the current best mass-produced soldiers they can make, if they could make a better soldier some other way they probably would. Such is the (probable) fate of the Rubies. Rubies used to be teh de-facto soldier, but then Quartz came along making them obsolete, so they were instead regulated to be bodyguards.
Hessonite is a not a Garnet. She's a garnet, but not a Garnet. And I just guessed at what ability a Garnet might have. Because whatever it is, Ruby+Sapphire!Garnet almost certainly does not have it. If she does, it'd be via complete luck.
Garnet is not lesser, but she is not a Real Garnet. If Suggelite decided to call themselves Aquamarine instead, they wouldn't suddenly be a small pixy with an OP magic wand. Garnet has a lot of features that make her special and probably better than any non-fusion Garnets, but that does not make her a Real Garnet.
She's a dictator, but saying her decrees are "Just because" is without any foundation. Crosstype fusion was outlawed because it encouraged sentimental attachment, which is an impurity in WD's eyes.
She called them impure, but did not say it's because of the composition of their gemstone. Rather implies the opposite.
Now the impurities you've encouraged in them are gone. Now they are brilliant! Now they are perfect! Now they are me!
Pink Diamond encouraged their impurities, and I rather doubt she was seasoning their gemstones with extra Boron/Nitrogen. And White REMOVED those Impurities, without changing the physical composition of the gem (since they turn right back afterwards).
I'm not hung up on it, I'm just saying it's a weird decision that would cause confusion. Because it is and would. Any other Garnets (capital G) would be repeatedly confused with Ruby+Sapphire!Garnet.
There would not be any confusion because there are no Garnets with a capital G. Garnet is not a Gem, it's a mineral/gem family. That's why Blue laughs when Garnet tells her her name, because there's no such thing. Only Pyropes, Demantoid and Hessonite. Just like how Emerald and Aquamarine aren't called Beryl.
There would literally be no confusion. What's so hard about using somebody's name? Not only do humans do it all the time, so do Gems. And I doubt the Crystal Gems would be all that upset about someone not fitting their caste, that was the whole point of being a Crystal Gem in the first place.
Just like how you said White's not physically changing their Gems to be flawless, Pink isn't literally making them more flawed. White is talking about how Yellow's impurities makes her weak and that's it. Nitrogen give Yellow her color, makes her 'impure'. Makes her weak for 'Blue.' Why Blue 'thinks' she needs 'Pink'. Like how White is going nuts talking how they're now flawless because they're now her/White/white light.
And what the heck are you even saying about the Peridotite? There's other magical Peridotite different from our Peridotite? That makes no sense, their Earth is supposed to be just like our Earth except with Gems in their history.
Are you going to say that the Iron that goes into making Amethysts that Peridot mentions in one of the Kindergarten episodes is different than the Iron in real life?
Quartz was chosen to be produced on Earth because Earth is full of silicates. Or are you saying that it's not the same kind of silicates? What's the point of calling it such and basing Gems on real life Gemstones if you're not going to base it on the same thing. Why not just make up words?
The only difference that goes into making SU Gems is Magic Diamond sweat that helps convert the chaotic life energies or whatever into incubating Gems. The minerals/material found in the ground that Gems are made of aren't any different from the real life versions because Gems, the alien species, do not occur naturally.
They're designed by a 'higher power'.
They're tech. They're made, not born. They're programmed to look like do they and 'be good' at what they're at. And yet. Despite all of that there's still something from within. That sentimentality. That ingenuity. That creativity. That individuality. That which White repressed within herself, never changing. Never wanting to change. Something that White couldn't account for when she was designing them.
The Gems in the Gem Empire are all miserable because she's trying to make them something they're not. Trying to put square pegs in round holes. Because no matter what she wanted, no matter how the Gems she made were designed, they can't truly fit into the roles she made for them.
They can never be perfect, because there is no perfect. Only her rules.
And anyway as shown by the Permafusion Topaz, all kinds of Fusions are sentimental not just cross fusions. Furthermore, Garnet is one of the first of her kind, how would White know that they're more sentimental if she's never met one before??? Bigoted opinions are, you guessed it, based on senseless drivel and from ignorant fools.
And why exactly are Quartz even in the soldier caste anyway? They have a hardness of 7. Maybe because they were made to be soldiers? Because White decided it would be so?
Programmed to be 'big and strong' despite the fact that their Gems are liable to only breaking sometimes? Because they're disposable?
Why are Rubies so weak individually? Why are Rubies and Sapphires the same size as Era-2 Peridots while a majority of other Gems are adult sized? Perhaps because White's caste system is a system made from lies and created on the backs of oppressed Gems, because you guessed it, it's a Dictatorship based on bull.
Why are you trying so hard to defend White's Gem supremacy anyway?
Unless Steven wants to out himself as a timetraveler, I doubt he can simply come out and tell Diamond to go get her Spinel. He'd have to bring her up in a round about way. How common of a gem type is a Spinel? If it is fairly common for high class gems to have Spinels like they have Pearls, then maybe Steven could ask where Pink's Spinel is? After all, if another high class gem has a Spinel, why wouldn't Pink?
He could always overhear or even have Pink talk to him about how boring overseeing a Colony is. And wonder if there are any Gems made for the sole purpose of alleviating boredom. Like hint hint nudge nudge. Furthermore, in a meta outside the story sense, Spinels are best friends, and as the best friend of Pink she would have a lot of power. More power than say a Pearl, and more durable than them too. She could be the perfect Gem to send on mission to gather information about the organics.
Maybe Steven can even become one of Pink's advisors. Get Yellow to take Pink seriously? Advice her against talking to Blue because that's how the Zoo was made?
Tell her it's a bad idea to blame the humans because that might make the other Diamonds not take her seriously. That she needs to think harder, of other reason to not go on with her Colony, other than that their cities are too hard to dismantle. And that they're not pets or trophies of conquered planets.
There would not be any confusion because there are no Garnets with a capital G. Garnet is not a Gem, it's a mineral/gem family. That's why Blue laughs when Garnet tells her her name, because there's no such thing. Only Pyropes, Demantoid and Hessonite. Just like how Emerald and Aquamarine aren't called Beryl.
There would literally be no confusion. What's so hard about using somebody's name? Not only do humans do it all the time, so do Gems. And I doubt the Crystal Gems would be all that upset about someone not fitting their caste, that was the whole point of being a Crystal Gem in the first place.
Just like how you said White's not physically changing their Gems to be flawless, Pink isn't literally making them more flawed. White is talking about how Yellow's impurities makes her weak and that's it. Nitrogen give Yellow her color, makes her 'impure'. Makes her weak for 'Blue.' Why Blue 'thinks' she needs 'Pink'. Like how White is going nuts talking how they're now flawless because they're now her/White/white light.
And what the heck are you even saying about the Peridotite? There's other magical Peridotite different from our Peridotite? That makes no sense, their Earth is supposed to be just like our Earth except with Gems in their history.
Are you going to say that the Iron that goes into making Amethysts that Peridot mentions in one of the Kindergarten episodes is different than the Iron in real life?
Quartz was chosen to be produced on Earth because Earth is full of silicates. Or are you saying that it's not the same kind of silicates? What's the point of calling it such and basing Gems on real life Gemstones if you're not going to base it on the same thing. Why not just make up words?
The only difference that goes into making SU Gems is Magic Diamond sweat that helps convert the chaotic life energies or whatever into incubating Gems. The minerals/material found in the ground that Gems are made of aren't any different from the real life versions because Gems, the alien species, do not occur naturally.
They're designed by a 'higher power'.
They're tech. They're made, not born. They're programmed to look like do they and 'be good' at what they're at. And yet. Despite all of that there's still something from within. That sentimentality. That ingenuity. That creativity. That individuality. That which White repressed within herself, never changing. Never wanting to change. Something that White couldn't account for when she was designing them.
The Gems in the Gem Empire are all miserable because she's trying to make them something they're not. Trying to put square pegs in round holes. Because no matter what she wanted, no matter how the Gems she made were designed, they can't truly fit into the roles she made for them.
They can never be perfect, because there is no perfect. Only her rules.
And anyway as shown by the Permafusion Topaz, all kinds of Fusions are sentimental not just cross fusions. Furthermore, Garnet is one of the first of her kind, how would White know that they're more sentimental if she's never met one before??? Bigoted opinions are, you guessed it, based on senseless drivel and from ignorant fools.
And why exactly are Quartz even in the soldier caste anyway? They have a hardness of 7. Maybe because they were made to be soldiers? Because White decided it would be so?
Programmed to be 'big and strong' despite the fact that their Gems are liable to only breaking sometimes? Because they're disposable?
Why are Rubies so weak individually? Why are Rubies and Sapphires the same size as Era-2 Peridots while a majority of other Gems are adult sized? Perhaps because White's caste system is a system made from lies and created on the backs of oppressed Gems, because you guessed it, it's a Dictatorship based on bull.
Why are you trying so hard to defend White's Gem supremacy anyway?
Except, in this story, there ARE Garnets with a capital G. That was what I was surprised about. That there are Garnets, not just garnets.
Never said anything about anyone being upset, just confused. Especially since Garnet is not offcolor or defective or anything, she just isn't a Real Garnet. She'd have to explain her choice of name to basically everyone she meets.
So we're in agreement, the impurities White Diamond is talking about is behavioral, she is not talking about the literal physical makeup. Because she "fixed" their impurities without touching said makeup. And as such, we don't know if Yellow/Blue actually have Nitrogen/Boron in them, or not.
Not magical, just the term could refer to different things, given Gems would have absolutely had a major effect on the development of language.
Possibly. Maybe not. There is also the option that Peridots ARE made from IRL Peridotite, and that is just a coincidence, an exception not the rule. I mentioned that earlier.
Theming, mainly. Steven Universe isn't meant to be a hard-science show, so they go with what seems cool rather than what is literally true. Gems are cool, so are the idea of Living Space Rocks, so why not merge the two? Name these Living Space Rocks after Gems. Amythest is a lot easier to remember and cool sounding than Blip-Blorp. Said name doesn't inherently have anything to do with their literal composition. Especially when they got the excuse that these Living Space Rocks came first. "Hey, this shiny rock looks like the rock that purple space lady has. That purple space lady is called Amythest, so lets call this rock amythest!". That kind of thing.
That statement is unfounded, and is what we are debating. They are made out of the materials, but WHAT materials, exactly, does not neccessarily have any inherent connection to IRL Gemology. Especially when you got things like Pearls floating around, which are not even a gem.
They are designed by a "Higher Power", doesn't make it arbitrary.
She can and by large has. Gems can easily spend millenia doing nothing but their assigned duty. Look at Spinel, she didn't move an inch from where she was told to stand, till AFTER she was informed that Pink was gone.
Who's miserable? Pink is, but the only other gems that seemed to really have a problem with the way things were were off-colors and outcasts. People who were explicitly NOT part of society.
There is perfect, atleast as far as White is concerned. She is it. She might be wrong, but that wasn't the topic. The topic was her reasons and motivations behind the rules. She believes there is perfection, and she is driving to bring gem-kind towards it.
Cross-Gem fusions are at greater risk, as shown with Ruby. There is something fundamentally different about cross-gem fusions.
Ruby
It's never like that! Whenever I've fused, it's always just been me, but bigger, I... I've never had a third eye before.
Same-gem fusions can carry the risk of sentimental attachment, but that is MUCH MUCH lower than cross-gem fusion. Same-gem fusion, it's hard to even notice there is anyone else there, since that other person is basically identical to you. And Garnet wasn't the first cross-gem fusion, if she was there wouldn't have even been a rule against it, no one would know it's a thing that COULD be done to make a rule against it. She was the first one the people there had seen, but she was far from the first.
Asking why the Quartz are Soldiers, is like asking why your Computer is a Computer. That is literally what they were designed for, and you wouldn't expect your computer to provide you with transportation like you would a car. Quartzs aren't the MOST POWERFUL soldier they could make, but they are almost certainly the most efficient. Aquamarines and Lapis Lazuli are inherently stronger and more capable in a fight than a Quartz, but like how a super-computer is better than your desktop they are just infeasibly priced for most applications.
Rubies are individually weak because they are outdated designs. It's like asking why a Benz Patent-Motorwagen doesn't stack up to a Tesla Model 3.
Rubies are probably bite-sized because that was the most efficient design at the time, with the technology they had. Sapphires, on the other hand, are probably that size because their physical form is largely unneccessary, most of their design is tied up in their future vision. Plus, being the same size as their bodyguards is probably rather helpful.
Why are you trying so hard to tear it down? It's just bad writing to assume a person is doing something bad JUST because they're evil, especially when it's so easy to come up with a far better explanation for their actions, and is actually untrue within the story itself. White Diamond is the not chief gem designer, she might have been the original but we know each diamond designs their own gems. Pink for example was the one who designed the Rose Quartz. And do you really think that Yellow, a diamond who is repeatedly lauded by pretty much everyone as being very logic and efficiency focused, to design very inefficient gems just because?
Except, in this story, there ARE Garnets with a capital G. That was what I was surprised about. That there are Garnets, not just garnets.
Never said anything about anyone being upset, just confused. Especially since Garnet is not offcolor or defective or anything, she just isn't a Real Garnet. She'd have to explain her choice of name to basically everyone she meets.
So we're in agreement, the impurities White Diamond is talking about is behavioral, she is not talking about the literal physical makeup. Because she "fixed" their impurities without touching said makeup. And as such, we don't know if Yellow/Blue actually have Nitrogen/Boron in them, or not.
Not magical, just the term could refer to different things, given Gems would have absolutely had a major effect on the development of language.
Possibly. Maybe not. There is also the option that Peridots ARE made from IRL Peridotite, and that is just a coincidence, an exception not the rule. I mentioned that earlier.
Theming, mainly. Steven Universe isn't meant to be a hard-science show, so they go with what seems cool rather than what is literally true. Gems are cool, so are the idea of Living Space Rocks, so why not merge the two? Name these Living Space Rocks after Gems. Amythest is a lot easier to remember and cool sounding than Blip-Blorp. Said name doesn't inherently have anything to do with their literal composition. Especially when they got the excuse that these Living Space Rocks came first. "Hey, this shiny rock looks like the rock that purple space lady has. That purple space lady is called Amythest, so lets call this rock amythest!". That kind of thing.
That statement is unfounded, and is what we are debating. They are made out of the materials, but WHAT materials, exactly, does not neccessarily have any inherent connection to IRL Gemology. Especially when you got things like Pearls floating around, which are not even a gem.
They are designed by a "Higher Power", doesn't make it arbitrary.
She can and by large has. Gems can easily spend millenia doing nothing but their assigned duty. Look at Spinel, she didn't move an inch from where she was told to stand, till AFTER she was informed that Pink was gone.
Who's miserable? Pink is, but the only other gems that seemed to really have a problem with the way things were were off-colors and outcasts. People who were explicitly NOT part of society.
There is perfect, atleast as far as White is concerned. She is it. She might be wrong, but that wasn't the topic. The topic was her reasons and motivations behind the rules. She believes there is perfection, and she is driving to bring gem-kind towards it.
Cross-Gem fusions are at greater risk, as shown with Ruby. There is something fundamentally different about cross-gem fusions.
Ruby
It's never like that! Whenever I've fused, it's always just been me, but bigger, I... I've never had a third eye before.
Same-gem fusions can carry the risk of sentimental attachment, but that is MUCH MUCH lower than cross-gem fusion. Same-gem fusion, it's hard to even notice there is anyone else there, since that other person is basically identical to you. And Garnet wasn't the first cross-gem fusion, if she was there wouldn't have even been a rule against it, no one would know it's a thing that COULD be done to make a rule against it. She was the first one the people there had seen, but she was far from the first.
Asking why the Quartz are Soldiers, is like asking why your Computer is a Computer. That is literally what they were designed for, and you wouldn't expect your computer to provide you with transportation like you would a car. Quartzs aren't the MOST POWERFUL soldier they could make, but they are almost certainly the most efficient. Aquamarines and Lapis Lazuli are inherently stronger and more capable in a fight than a Quartz, but like how a super-computer is better than your desktop they are just infeasibly priced for most applications.
Rubies are individually weak because they are outdated designs. It's like asking why a Benz Patent-Motorwagen doesn't stack up to a Tesla Model 3.
Rubies are probably bite-sized because that was the most efficient design at the time, with the technology they had. Sapphires, on the other hand, are probably that size because their physical form is largely unneccessary, most of their design is tied up in their future vision. Plus, being the same size as their bodyguards is probably rather helpful.
Why are you trying so hard to tear it down? It's just bad writing to assume a person is doing something bad JUST because they're evil, especially when it's so easy to come up with a far better explanation for their actions, and is actually untrue within the story itself. White Diamond is the not chief gem designer, she might have been the original but we know each diamond designs their own gems. Pink for example was the one who designed the Rose Quartz. And do you really think that Yellow, a diamond who is repeatedly lauded by pretty much everyone as being very logic and efficiency focused, to design very inefficient gems just because?
I didn't say she designed inefficient Gems just because, I was trying to say that White's strict caste was making everyone in the Empire miserable such as when Blue finally realized the why she and everyone else is so miserable all the time. Just because someone has a predestined path in life assigned to them by an authority figure, and they might be good at it, doesn't mean they're happy to do it.
And just because you don't see anyone else unhappy with the status quo other than literal fugitives doesn't mean the don't exist. Blue is referencing someone when she's mention her sad Gems and it's definitely not off colors, she wants them dead.
That none of her reasons for doing anything made sense. The fact that she was projecting when she accused 'Pink' of wanting to surround herself with inferior Gems. That by helping them, she's only making it worse. Furthermore, White is clearly implying that Yellow and Blue are impure and because of this has emotional hang ups, and that it's related to their light and color, and their impurities which in real life is another way to reference the minerals that color a gem.
Yellow Diamonds have traces amounts of Nitrogen that gives them their yellow color, making them absorb Blue light, and reflect Yellow light.
Blue Diamonds have trace amounts of Boron that gives them their blue color, making them 'need' Pink light to absorb, so they can reflect blue light.
What I've been trying to say is that why would there be a special unknown mineral or whatever that Rebecca Sugar or any Crewniverse members never actually mention it? Moreover, your language crossover between Gems and Humans is bunk, because Gems have never spoken in depth to humans about what goes into making Gems until present day, so how could humans know about that connection to make the corresponding words for them?
And in this fanfic Garnets and Beryls are being used as a short hand for certain Castes types, they're not a Gem's individual name, because we have yet to see any named Garnets or Beryls. When you're speaking to your Garnet or Beryl superior directly, you're not going to say greetings My Garnet or My Beryl or whatever, you're going to say Greetings My Morganite, or Greetings My Demantoid. That's like calling Sapphire, My Corundum instead of My Sapphire or My Clarity.
No one is going to be confused because Garnet is a Crystal Gem, who most likely only told her name to her friends not enemies who want to kill her. And why exactly would the other Crystal Gems have a problem with Garnet not fitting into a Garnet caste? Literally all of the Crystal Gems are rebelling because they don't want to continue their role in the caste system. No one is going to be thinking that Garnet is a weird fusion Garnet who doesn't match with what they've heard of the Garnet Caste, because they don't fucking care about that.
They're not going to be 'confused', or get angry and upset that she picked the name Garnet because at a glance the decision makes a lot of sense. Ruby and Sapphire have seen Garnets on Homeworld before that look just like their Garnet.
So what's the big deal? What's there to be confused about? The inherent gayness of Garnet's nature as a Permafusion, or the Trans allegory used by Rebecca sugar? Because haven't I seen you around sharing your opinions that Stevonnie is not a Fusion, but a taller Connie with Gem powers. Repeatedly misgendering them as she and conveniently glossing over their canon status as Intersex.
Furthermore, why are you expounding the fact that Rubies are an outdated model when that's fanon that's gained traction in AO3. That's not a fact, nowhere in the show or anywhere out of it are Rubies said to be an outdated model.
Additionally, I was wondering why Rubies and Sapphires are so small compared to other Gems and why they poof so easily when they should be almost as strong as Diamonds. And that they even need to fuse to fight other Gems despite their size because Peridot is super hard to poof like how real life Peridots are hard to scratch.
Also that another Gem based on a precious gemstone looks like she's wearing boots that second as limb enhancers. I.e Emerald.
And I think you've forgotten, despite their OP powers, Lapis and Aquamarines are not Soldiers, they're Elites. Lapis are terraformers, important to the Empire, but they mostly hang out in Blue's Court when they have free time (or even sight see like CG Lapis when she was poofed), and Aquamarines are Blue Elites given personal retrieval missions assigned directly by the Diamonds. Neither of them are in the military. That's what Quartz are for, that's what Topaz are for.
Edit: White should not be an authority on fusion because she's never fused. You know the reason why America rebelled against imperialist who didn't represent them because they don't understand their way of life (and taxes)? Why advocates for minorities should really be the minority themselves?
I didn't say she designed inefficient Gems just because, I was trying to say that White's strict caste was making everyone in the Empire miserable such as when Blue finally realized the why she and everyone else is so miserable all the time. Just because someone has a predestined path in life assigned to them by an authority figure, and they might be good at it, doesn't mean they're happy to do it.
And just because you don't see anyone else unhappy with the status quo other than literal fugitives doesn't mean the don't exist. Blue is referencing someone when she's mention her sad Gems and it's definitely not off colors, she wants them dead.
That none of her reasons for doing anything made sense. The fact that she was projecting when she accused 'Pink' of wanting to surround herself with inferior Gems. That by helping them, she's only making it worse. Furthermore, White is clearly implying that Yellow and Blue are impure and because of this has emotional hang ups, and that it's related to their light and color, and their impurities which in real life is another way to reference the minerals that color a gem.
Yellow Diamonds have traces amounts of Nitrogen that gives them their yellow color, making them absorb Blue light, and reflect Yellow light.
Blue Diamonds have trace amounts of Boron that gives them their blue color, making them 'need' Pink light to absorb, so they can reflect blue light.
What I've been trying to say is that why would there be a special unknown mineral or whatever that Rebecca Sugar or any Crewniverse members never actually mention it? Moreover, your language crossover between Gems and Humans is bunk, because Gems have never spoken in depth to humans about what goes into making Gems until present day, so how could humans know about that connection to make the corresponding words for them?
And in this fanfic Garnets and Beryls are being used as a short hand for certain Castes types, they're not a Gem's individual name, because we have yet to see any named Garnets or Beryls. When you're speaking to your Garnet or Beryl superior directly, you're not going to say greetings My Garnet or My Beryl or whatever, you're going to say Greetings My Morganite, or Greetings My Demantoid. That's like calling Sapphire, My Corundum instead of My Sapphire or My Clarity.
No one is going to be confused because Garnet is a Crystal Gem, who most likely only told her name to her friends not enemies who want to kill her. And why exactly would the other Crystal Gems have a problem with Garnet not fitting into a Garnet caste? Literally all of the Crystal Gems are rebelling because they don't want to continue their role in the caste system. No one is going to be thinking that Garnet is a weird fusion Garnet who doesn't match with what they've heard of the Garnet Caste, because they don't fucking care about that.
They're not going to be 'confused', or get angry and upset that she picked the name Garnet because at a glance the decision makes a lot of sense. Ruby and Sapphire have seen Garnets on Homeworld before that look just like their Garnet.
So what's the big deal? What's there to be confused about? The inherent gayness of Garnet's nature as a Permafusion, or the Trans allegory used by Rebecca sugar? Because haven't I seen you around sharing your opinions that Stevonnie is not a Fusion, but a taller Connie with Gem powers. Repeatedly misgendering them as she and conveniently glossing over their canon status as Intersex.
Furthermore, why are you expounding the fact that Rubies are an outdated model when that's fanon that's gained traction in AO3. That's not a fact, nowhere in the show or anywhere out of it are Rubies said to be an outdated model.
Additionally, I was wondering why Rubies and Sapphires are so small compared to other Gems and why they poof so easily when they should be almost as strong as Diamonds. And that they even need to fuse to fight other Gems despite their size because Peridot is super hard to poof like how real life Peridots are hard to scratch.
Also that another Gem based on a precious gemstone looks like she's wearing boots that second as limb enhancers. I.e Emerald.
And I think you've forgotten, despite their OP powers, Lapis and Aquamarines are not Soldiers, they're Elites. Lapis are terraformers, important to the Empire, but they mostly hang out in Blue's Court when they have free time (or even sight see like CG Lapis when she was poofed), and Aquamarines are Blue Elites given personal retrieval missions assigned directly by the Diamonds. Neither of them are in the military. That's what Quartz are for, that's what Topaz are for.
Edit: White should not be an authority on fusion because she's never fused. You know the reason why America rebelled against imperialist who didn't represent them because they don't understand their way of life (and taxes)? Why advocates for minorities should really be the minority themselves?
Ok, I'm going to have to break this down into specific numbered points, because I'm not certain you are even really reading what I'm saying, you keep making some points despite my repeat explicit refutes (like the "Gems having a problem with Garnet" one, I never said problem, I always said confusion, and have made that clarifying statement atleast 2 times)
1) We are given no signs that anyone was suffering, except Pink, and with her death, Blue and Yellow having to deal with their grief. Here is the line you references, and it's context
Blue Diamond
Didn't we hurt Pink? She was suffering in silence for ages -- just like our Gems -- just like me! And I know you're suffering in silence, too.
Yellow is caught off guard and her angry facade wavers. She looks down, almost ashamed, then clasps her fist. Yellow Diamond uses her lightning power on Blue, causing her to begin to destabilize and scream. As Blue Diamond cries in anguish, trying to remain together (as well as lasting a sustained blast of lightning from Yellow longer than any gem previously), Yellow is clearly torn, betrayed, and disappointed with a unique expression on her face.
Steven
Stop!
Steven pulls out a shield and chucks it towards Yellow Diamond's hand, disrupting her concentration. Yellow is surprised and glares at Steven.
Steven
You don't have to do this.
Yellow Diamond
[voice cracking] Yes, I do! This is what White Diamond expects of all of us. From a thin flake of mica to the deepest, hardest stone, we all must make sacrifices for the sake of our perfect empire.
Steven
Does this look perfect to you?
There is a pause as the ruined exterior of Yellow's throne room is seen, as well as Blue sizzling from the attack Yellow just did.
Steven
My dad says if every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs.
Yellow Diamond
And that means... what?
Steven
It means if you try and make this empire perfect -- if you just wipe away everything you see as flawed -- you lose all the things that make you happy -- like hot dogs.
Blue Diamond
Or our Pink.
Every bit of suffering she is refering to has to do with Pink. She might be vaguely aware of other gems suffering, but she doesn't sound like she really cares about them (beyond as surrogate examples of Pink). There MIGHT be other people suffering, but... that is just an assumption. It's an EVEN GREATER ASSUMPTION to assume that average level of suffering is any more than IRL Societies, because while it's simple to assume there is suffering that people are just covering up and working around, that can be said about any society.
2) Just because White is Wrong, that does not make her actions illogical nor arbitrary. She believes those things and they follow perfectly with her internal logic, nothing she does is just because. She is WRONG, and you seem quick to believe I'm arguing otherwise, but what I am arguing is that her actions are internally-logical and align with her POV, they are not arbitrary.
3) The Emotional Hangups are the Impurities she's refering to. She wouldn't switch meaning of "impurity" mid-monologe. She did not remove anything from their physical composition, nor did Pink add anything, it was the emotions she was refering to from start to finish as impurity. The color is theme-ing alone and does not inherently have anything to do with physical composition, and while IRL Diamonds get their color from boron/nitrogen, IRL Diamonds also can not project a giant physical form and as such the SU Diamonds are obviously different in composition.
4) I have never said there's a special magical mineral. I have been saying, repeatedly, that IRL Gemology has nothing to do with SU Gemology. SU Ruby MIGHT be made of corundum. But it might also be made of garnet, or peridotite, or a nice blend of all 3. The Crewniverse wouldn't have mentioned this, because they have NO REASON to. Do you think they have gone through the trouble of creating diagrams depicting the actual internal composition and structures of any of the gems? No, because this is a kids show where that level of science-hardness is not needed.
5) That would be garnet and beryl, not Garnet and Beryl. Proper Nouns.
6) I said it'd cause CONFUSION, NOT that someone would have a problem with it. Every single person who joins the Crystal Gems, would have teh wrong idea of who she is when they learn her name. Every single one of them will go into the meeting assuming she is something she's not, because she chose to use the name of something that she is not. That is confusion. It is odd she deliberately chose a name that would cause that confusion.
7) Yeah, a Gem-Human fusion is functionally different from a Gem-Gem fusion. It is basically just a bigger Connie (note the word basically, and how it means NOT exactly), rather than the effectively completely new individual that is every other fusion. However, where you ARE wrong in what you've gathered, was my use of pronouns. Everytime I've used the word "she" in that conversation was in reference to Connie, not Stevonnie.
8) I... thought it was canon that Rubies were out-dated, but now that I actually look for a source on that, I can't find it. That is my bad, taking the fanon as canon. I believe it makes sense, I can't think of a good reason of their existence otherwise unless they are VERY cheap soldiers made on a tight budget, but still it's simply fanon.
9) The physical gem MIGHT be as tough as a diamond (if you go and associate IRL gemology and SU gemology, which I keep saying you shouldn't), but the toughness of one's gem is not inherently related to the toughness of one's hologram-body. The particulars of why they'd be that size, and are easily poofed, would almost certainly be tied into the reason they exist in the first place, and one doesn't use a Quartz instead. Outdated, super cheap, or whatever. As for Peridots, they are EXPLICITLY designed to be functional in very tough environments. That is part of said design, not just an emergent property of their gem, to create more stable and durable hard-light bodies. Sapphires, if I were to guess, is because almost the entirety of their gem is dedicated to the ability to see the future, with almost none to spare for a larger hologram.
10) I'm PRETTY sure Emerald's shoes are not Limb Enhancers. I don't think they'd make a budget beryl, and if those things ARE Limb Enhancers she's only got, like, 2 inchs of leg. Peridot's Limb Enhancers only came at the very end of her limb, a very noticable change in color from Actual Limb to Limb Enhancer on her leg. Emerald's seem to be one solid piece.
11) I have not forgotten, and the fact they aren't is my point. The Gem Empire is having to balance Effectiveness with Cost. If they could replace every single Quartz with a Lapis Lazuli, I'm fairly certain they would, because any Lapis Lazuli would make a far better soldier due to her raw power. But because of her cost, putting her on the front lines in danger is not worth it despite her effectiveness as a weapon.
12) She shouldn't be, but she is. There's a lot wrong with the Gem Empire, and a lot of ways to make it better. But that doesn't mean it's arbitrary or illogical.
Ok, I'm going to have to break this down into specific numbered points, because I'm not certain you are even really reading what I'm saying, you keep making some points despite my repeat explicit refutes (like the "Gems having a problem with Garnet" one, I never said problem, I always said confusion, and have made that clarifying statement atleast 2 times)
1) We are given no signs that anyone was suffering, except Pink, and with her death, Blue and Yellow having to deal with their grief. Here is the line you references, and it's context
Blue Diamond
Didn't we hurt Pink? She was suffering in silence for ages -- just like our Gems -- just like me! And I know you're suffering in silence, too.
Yellow is caught off guard and her angry facade wavers. She looks down, almost ashamed, then clasps her fist. Yellow Diamond uses her lightning power on Blue, causing her to begin to destabilize and scream. As Blue Diamond cries in anguish, trying to remain together (as well as lasting a sustained blast of lightning from Yellow longer than any gem previously), Yellow is clearly torn, betrayed, and disappointed with a unique expression on her face.
Steven
Stop!
Steven pulls out a shield and chucks it towards Yellow Diamond's hand, disrupting her concentration. Yellow is surprised and glares at Steven.
Steven
You don't have to do this.
Yellow Diamond
[voice cracking] Yes, I do! This is what White Diamond expects of all of us. From a thin flake of mica to the deepest, hardest stone, we all must make sacrifices for the sake of our perfect empire.
Steven
Does this look perfect to you?
There is a pause as the ruined exterior of Yellow's throne room is seen, as well as Blue sizzling from the attack Yellow just did.
Steven
My dad says if every pork chop were perfect, we wouldn't have hot dogs.
Yellow Diamond
And that means... what?
Steven
It means if you try and make this empire perfect -- if you just wipe away everything you see as flawed -- you lose all the things that make you happy -- like hot dogs.
Blue Diamond
Or our Pink.
Every bit of suffering she is refering to has to do with Pink. She might be vaguely aware of other gems suffering, but she doesn't sound like she really cares about them (beyond as surrogate examples of Pink). There MIGHT be other people suffering, but... that is just an assumption. It's an EVEN GREATER ASSUMPTION to assume that average level of suffering is any more than IRL Societies, because while it's simple to assume there is suffering that people are just covering up and working around, that can be said about any society.
2) Just because White is Wrong, that does not make her actions illogical nor arbitrary. She believes those things and they follow perfectly with her internal logic, nothing she does is just because. She is WRONG, and you seem quick to believe I'm arguing otherwise, but what I am arguing is that her actions are internally-logical and align with her POV, they are not arbitrary.
3) The Emotional Hangups are the Impurities she's refering to. She wouldn't switch meaning of "impurity" mid-monologe. She did not remove anything from their physical composition, nor did Pink add anything, it was the emotions she was refering to from start to finish as impurity. The color is theme-ing alone and does not inherently have anything to do with physical composition, and while IRL Diamonds get their color from boron/nitrogen, IRL Diamonds also can not project a giant physical form and as such the SU Diamonds are obviously different in composition.
4) I have never said there's a special magical mineral. I have been saying, repeatedly, that IRL Gemology has nothing to do with SU Gemology. SU Ruby MIGHT be made of corundum. But it might also be made of garnet, or peridotite, or a nice blend of all 3. The Crewniverse wouldn't have mentioned this, because they have NO REASON to. Do you think they have gone through the trouble of creating diagrams depicting the actual internal composition and structures of any of the gems? No, because this is a kids show where that level of science-hardness is not needed.
5) That would be garnet and beryl, not Garnet and Beryl. Proper Nouns.
6) I said it'd cause CONFUSION, NOT that someone would have a problem with it. Every single person who joins the Crystal Gems, would have teh wrong idea of who she is when they learn her name. Every single one of them will go into the meeting assuming she is something she's not, because she chose to use the name of something that she is not. That is confusion. It is odd she deliberately chose a name that would cause that confusion.
7) Yeah, a Gem-Human fusion is functionally different from a Gem-Gem fusion. It is basically just a bigger Connie (note the word basically, and how it means NOT exactly), rather than the effectively completely new individual that is every other fusion. However, where you ARE wrong in what you've gathered, was my use of pronouns. Everytime I've used the word "she" in that conversation was in reference to Connie, not Stevonnie.
8) I... thought it was canon that Rubies were out-dated, but now that I actually look for a source on that, I can't find it. That is my bad, taking the fanon as canon. I believe it makes sense, I can't think of a good reason of their existence otherwise unless they are VERY cheap soldiers made on a tight budget, but still it's simply fanon.
9) The physical gem MIGHT be as tough as a diamond (if you go and associate IRL gemology and SU gemology, which I keep saying you shouldn't), but the toughness of one's gem is not inherently related to the toughness of one's hologram-body. The particulars of why they'd be that size, and are easily poofed, would almost certainly be tied into the reason they exist in the first place, and one doesn't use a Quartz instead. Outdated, super cheap, or whatever. As for Peridots, they are EXPLICITLY designed to be functional in very tough environments. That is part of said design, not just an emergent property of their gem, to create more stable and durable hard-light bodies. Sapphires, if I were to guess, is because almost the entirety of their gem is dedicated to the ability to see the future, with almost none to spare for a larger hologram.
10) I'm PRETTY sure Emerald's shoes are not Limb Enhancers. I don't think they'd make a budget beryl, and if those things ARE Limb Enhancers she's only got, like, 2 inchs of leg. Peridot's Limb Enhancers only came at the very end of her limb, a very noticable change in color from Actual Limb to Limb Enhancer on her leg. Emerald's seem to be one solid piece.
11) I have not forgotten, and the fact they aren't is my point. The Gem Empire is having to balance Effectiveness with Cost. If they could replace every single Quartz with a Lapis Lazuli, I'm fairly certain they would, because any Lapis Lazuli would make a far better soldier due to her raw power. But because of her cost, putting her on the front lines in danger is not worth it despite her effectiveness as a weapon.
12) She shouldn't be, but she is. There's a lot wrong with the Gem Empire, and a lot of ways to make it better. But that doesn't mean it's arbitrary or illogical.
Ok we just got to agree to disagree on the part where we're talking about the Gem Empire and how Gems are made, or we'll be talking forever.
The thing that's really bugging me, however, is the way you talk about about Garnet. I honestly don't see what you or any Gem would be confused about other than the fact that she's a cross gem fusion. Ok fine, you didn't say that no one would hate her or whatever, but it's kind of implied? I mean check your wording, and the way characters in show treat Garnet because of her nature as a Cross Gem Fusion. And how it can relate to issues in real life.
Gay marriage. Interracial relationships. Trans Rights. Take your pick, and think really really hard about the language you're using when you're talking about Garnet. Because you sound an awfully lot like Blue when she's looking down on Garnet's choice of a name, and think about real life parallels please.
I mean once fused she no longer looks like a Ruby or Sapphire, and she literally needed a new name to go by. But when you're looking at her you see a lot of similarities between Garnet and non fusion Garnets. She has a Garnet's body type, she has a Garnet's Heterochromia, she has etc etc etc. but honestly, that's not really that important.
What's up is that you don't seem to like the fact that she wants to label herself as a Garnet or that she renamed herself.
Do you get what I'm trying to say here?
She literally can't be called Ruby and Sapphire's Fusion all the time, it's too long and that's not a name. She's not really a Ruby or a Sapphire either, so she needs a new name now.
So what exactly should she be called if she's not X, so she shouldnt be called X? 'Because it might cause confusion.'
Except, in this story, there ARE Garnets with a capital G. That was what I was surprised about. That there are Garnets, not just garnets.
Never said anything about anyone being upset, just confused. Especially since Garnet is not offcolor or defective or anything, she just isn't a Real Garnet. She'd have to explain her choice of name to basically everyone she meets.
So we're in agreement, the impurities White Diamond is talking about is behavioral, she is not talking about the literal physical makeup. Because she "fixed" their impurities without touching said makeup. And as such, we don't know if Yellow/Blue actually have Nitrogen/Boron in them, or not.
Not magical, just the term could refer to different things, given Gems would have absolutely had a major effect on the development of language.
Possibly. Maybe not. There is also the option that Peridots ARE made from IRL Peridotite, and that is just a coincidence, an exception not the rule. I mentioned that earlier.
Theming, mainly. Steven Universe isn't meant to be a hard-science show, so they go with what seems cool rather than what is literally true. Gems are cool, so are the idea of Living Space Rocks, so why not merge the two? Name these Living Space Rocks after Gems. Amythest is a lot easier to remember and cool sounding than Blip-Blorp. Said name doesn't inherently have anything to do with their literal composition. Especially when they got the excuse that these Living Space Rocks came first. "Hey, this shiny rock looks like the rock that purple space lady has. That purple space lady is called Amythest, so lets call this rock amythest!". That kind of thing.
That statement is unfounded, and is what we are debating. They are made out of the materials, but WHAT materials, exactly, does not neccessarily have any inherent connection to IRL Gemology. Especially when you got things like Pearls floating around, which are not even a gem.
They are designed by a "Higher Power", doesn't make it arbitrary.
She can and by large has. Gems can easily spend millenia doing nothing but their assigned duty. Look at Spinel, she didn't move an inch from where she was told to stand, till AFTER she was informed that Pink was gone.
Who's miserable? Pink is, but the only other gems that seemed to really have a problem with the way things were were off-colors and outcasts. People who were explicitly NOT part of society.
There is perfect, atleast as far as White is concerned. She is it. She might be wrong, but that wasn't the topic. The topic was her reasons and motivations behind the rules. She believes there is perfection, and she is driving to bring gem-kind towards it.
Cross-Gem fusions are at greater risk, as shown with Ruby. There is something fundamentally different about cross-gem fusions.
Ruby
It's never like that! Whenever I've fused, it's always just been me, but bigger, I... I've never had a third eye before.
Same-gem fusions can carry the risk of sentimental attachment, but that is MUCH MUCH lower than cross-gem fusion. Same-gem fusion, it's hard to even notice there is anyone else there, since that other person is basically identical to you. And Garnet wasn't the first cross-gem fusion, if she was there wouldn't have even been a rule against it, no one would know it's a thing that COULD be done to make a rule against it. She was the first one the people there had seen, but she was far from the first.
Asking why the Quartz are Soldiers, is like asking why your Computer is a Computer. That is literally what they were designed for, and you wouldn't expect your computer to provide you with transportation like you would a car. Quartzs aren't the MOST POWERFUL soldier they could make, but they are almost certainly the most efficient. Aquamarines and Lapis Lazuli are inherently stronger and more capable in a fight than a Quartz, but like how a super-computer is better than your desktop they are just infeasibly priced for most applications.
Rubies are individually weak because they are outdated designs. It's like asking why a Benz Patent-Motorwagen doesn't stack up to a Tesla Model 3.
Rubies are probably bite-sized because that was the most efficient design at the time, with the technology they had. Sapphires, on the other hand, are probably that size because their physical form is largely unneccessary, most of their design is tied up in their future vision. Plus, being the same size as their bodyguards is probably rather helpful.
Why are you trying so hard to tear it down? It's just bad writing to assume a person is doing something bad JUST because they're evil, especially when it's so easy to come up with a far better explanation for their actions, and is actually untrue within the story itself. White Diamond is the not chief gem designer, she might have been the original but we know each diamond designs their own gems. Pink for example was the one who designed the Rose Quartz. And do you really think that Yellow, a diamond who is repeatedly lauded by pretty much everyone as being very logic and efficiency focused, to design very inefficient gems just because?
So, I haven't read the whole spoilered conversation yet, but I think I should make something clear. When Condor Agate referred to a Garnet in the chapter, she was referring to a whole group of various gem types, and also referred to the Beryls as a whole group.
We've seen two kinds of Beryls: Emeralds and Aquamarines. Both of them have ended up being some of the highest-ranked Gems we've seen, besides Diamonds and Sapphires, and maybe the Jades, if they're actually nobles and not just dancers. So, Beryls, as a type, are very high ranking.
Since Hessonite is a type of garnet, and seemed to have a position of power (commanding a small group of Nephrites) but not as high as Emerald, who seems to have a whole fleet, I've applied a similar logic, where there are many kinds of garnets, but all of them fit a kind of third-or-fourth in command type position within their jobs. Some of them are middle-manager types, while others are military commanders, but not admirals.
Hessonite from the game also seemed to be an exceptional individual who earned Yellow's attention and at least one superweapon that only worked for powerful gems. I think commodore would fit really well for that one, but we don't have much information on others. It would fit with having command of a flotilla, by way of the smaller ship and the mothership, but not a full fleet, and is still below the rank of admiral. It is also called what translates to "senior captain" in other languages, so it would work really well for at least the game one, even if the others in the navy are only captains.
Ok we just got to agree to disagree on the part where we're talking about the Gem Empire and how Gems are made, or we'll be talking forever.
The thing that's really bugging me, however, is the way you talk about about Garnet. I honestly don't see what you or any Gem would be confused about other than the fact that she's a cross gem fusion. Ok fine, you didn't say that no one would hate her or whatever, but it's kind of implied? I mean check your wording, and the way characters in show treat Garnet because of her nature as a Cross Gem Fusion. And how it can relate to issues in real life.
Gay marriage. Interracial relationships. Trans Rights. Take your pick, and think really really hard about the language you're using when you're talking about Garnet. Because you sound an awfully lot like Blue when she's looking down on Garnet's choice of a name, and think about real life parallels please.
I mean once fused she no longer looks like a Ruby or Sapphire, and she literally needed a new name to go by. But when you're looking at her you see a lot of similarities between Garnet and non fusion Garnets. She has a Garnet's body type, she has a Garnet's Heterochromia, she has etc etc etc. but honestly, that's not really that important.
What's up is that you don't seem to like the fact that she wants to label herself as a Garnet or that she renamed herself.
Do you get what I'm trying to say here?
She literally can't be called Ruby and Sapphire's Fusion all the time, it's too long and that's not a name. She's not really a Ruby or a Sapphire either, so she needs a new name now.
So what exactly should she be called if she's not X, so she shouldnt be called X? 'Because it might cause confusion.'
I do not see how my language relates to that at all. It's always been 1) their choice of naming, and 2) how it'd just confuse everyone. I never brought up any aggression or judgement or anything, just people assuming things incorrectly, based on what she herself is identifying as. Like, this conversation would go down for every single Crystal Gem who joins. "And This is Garnet." "Oh, cool, we have a garnet, who can do [thing that garnets do]" "Um, no, she can't do that." "Oh. So can she [other thing that garnets do]?" "No. She has future vision though!" "... Like a Sapphire?" "Yeah!" "Weird."
Of course she needs a name, but taking a name that is already taken just seems weird. Like if Sugalite instead decided their name was Aquamarine. That'd be alright, she can be named whatever she wants, but that doesn't make it not weird and likely to cause confusion. Or if they decided to call Stevonie Greg. It probably wouldn't have been hard to find some gem-name that just doesn't exist yet, especially if they're willing to add prefixs to a name (like Smokey Quartz, differentiating it from other quartzs). Maybe Padparadscha, that's a corundum, and is similar to their color, and is something I don't think exists yet in the gem empire.
I do not see how my language relates to that at all. It's always been 1) their choice of naming, and 2) how it'd just confuse everyone. I never brought up any aggression or judgement or anything, just people assuming things incorrectly, based on what she herself is identifying as. Like, this conversation would go down for every single Crystal Gem who joins. "And This is Garnet." "Oh, cool, we have a garnet, who can do [thing that garnets do]" "Um, no, she can't do that." "Oh. So can she [other thing that garnets do]?" "No. She has future vision though!" "... Like a Sapphire?" "Yeah!" "Weird."
Of course she needs a name, but taking a name that is already taken just seems weird. Like if Sugalite instead decided their name was Aquamarine. That'd be alright, she can be named whatever she wants, but that doesn't make it not weird and likely to cause confusion. Or if they decided to call Stevonie Greg. It probably wouldn't have been hard to find some gem-name that just doesn't exist yet, especially if they're willing to add prefixs to a name (like Smokey Quartz, differentiating it from other quartzs). Maybe Padparadscha, that's a corundum, and is similar to their color, and is something I don't think exists yet in the gem empire.
I don't know if it's true or not about what's said on the Wiki, but apparently Fusions chose their names from already existing Gems on Homeworld.
So Opals and Sugilites and Smoky Quartz already exist even though we have yet to see any in show. They're not made up names that the Fusions pull out of their butt.
So when Smoky mentions that it's something Amethyst would know and that it's implied Amethyst had never fused with Rose before... We can guess that Smoky Quartz do exist and Amethyst learned about them from Pearl's history lessons. The same with Opal, Obsidian, Alexandrite, and Sugilite although Pearl or Garnet could have helped in choosing the name.
Another example being the Crystal Gem multi Fusion Obsidian, named similarly to Snowflake Obsidian. A non fusion.
There's also Crazy Lace Agate, who has two Gems and is presumably a cross Gem Fusion even though we don't see any other Agates in show other than Holly Blue Agate.
And Padparadscha is already taken. She looks like an orange Sapphire with spiky hair. And even if the caste didn't exist, Garnet isn't exactly orange and pink colored, other than her pink cotton candy form. If she wasn't also orange she'd just be a pink Sapphire.
I don't know if it's true or not about what's said on the Wiki, but apparently Fusions chose their names from already existing Gems on Homeworld.
So Opals and Sugilites and Smoky Quartz already exist even though we have yet to see any in show. They're not made up names that the Fusions pull out of their butt.
So when Smoky mentions that it's something Amethyst would know and that it's implied Amethyst had never fused with Rose before... We can guess that Smoky Quartz do exist and Amethyst learned about them from Pearl's history lessons. The same with Opal, Obsidian, Alexandrite, and Sugilite although Pearl or Garnet could have helped in choosing the name.
Really? That's even more odd. Do none of them have any creativity? ... Actually, that MIGHT actually be the "problem". Except for Rose/Pink, none of them really had any job that involved creativity or originality (as far as we know). Coming up with original names might have been especially hard for them, particularly at the beginning there when they were all just starting to revolt and exploring fusion, and Rose probably wasn't to keen on pushing a name on someone, just letting them pick.
And Padparadscha is already taken. She looks like an orange Sapphire with spiky hair. And even if the caste didn't exist, Garnet isn't exactly orange and pink colored, other than her pink cotton candy form. If she wasn't also orange she'd just be a pink Sapphire.
Really? That's even more odd. Do none of them have any creativity? ... Actually, that MIGHT actually be the "problem". Except for Rose/Pink, none of them really had any job that involved creativity or originality (as far as we know). Coming up with original names might have been especially hard for them, particularly at the beginning there when they were all just starting to revolt and exploring fusion, and Rose probably wasn't to keen on pushing a name on someone, just letting them pick.
Oh, forgot about her. I meant the gemstone looked like Garnet's gems. Particularly the medium
Creativity? I mean they're not making a new caste or Gem type or anything. They don't really need to make a brand new name, just to use every time someone wants to fuse. That's like someone deciding to name their kids Harlalz and Laniewen when there's perfectly good names like Harley and Lauren.
I posted this on ao3, but I felt like I'd also post it here? So, here's a little rant
****
So I have a lot of thoughts and feelings, and I'm going to say all of them since I'm mostly-totally-ish very impressed. First, a very well written Steven? Especially when you're having him age another year or two. Instead he's the same well-meaning goofball-who-grew-wise we know and love. The only area where I was kinda curious was his thoughts about the future. Because if he thinks about it, he'll be unlikely to meet Connie again in a place and way that Stevonnie or anything like it is possible... even if he wasn't a gem, and thus potentially unable to fuse with a human without being half-human. And even if they didn't wind up dating before he got poofed in the past, they'd still be very close friends who can fuse surprisingly easy, and it's pretty clear that Steven believes in friendships. He's unlikely to see his Dad as his Dad ever again, a Dad who probably (we don't know Steven's age, but more than 16, less than 20) has, as he promised in a song when talking about money, bought Steven "all the finest [college] courses online" if he's old enough for that and wants it. And Lars, and... there's just so many people he'll never see again.
But even that I think is Steven sorta... ignoring it? Because if he has a breakdown about it, who can he tell? Nobody would understand, literally, at least not anytime soon. So it feels like he's distracting himself, throwing himself into a mission and a task the way he, the galaxy's therapy dog who has learned from his martyr complex but thankfully not his "I want to save and help people" complex (also known as being a good person), sometimes does. But I wonder, if he slows down, if he has a moment to dwell on it...
Yeah, best not to think about it, at least for now. Put that emotional baggage away the same he did with a *lot* of his problems before. He's more mature now, but, well.
So, as to what's going to happen next, I think it's going to be better than Agate fears and worse than Steven hopes. She could be worried about Steven ratting on her somehow, but I think it's more likely that Pink Diamond hasn't had a chance to talk to the rest of her family, and so she's confident that she doesn't have to change much? That she'll just ask for things to be better in some nebulous way involving earth and they will be, since she's still a spoiled brat... a well-meaning one, but I could still, for instance, imagine her hearing about the Off-Colors and going, "It's bad that they might have been shattered just because they're defective." Which is, like, better than, "The weak shall be purged" but not what Steven's about at all.
So, it's going to be complicated (no duh) and I think it might be a learning experience for both of them, and he'll probably realize that without a basis of trust, a time-travel story wouldn't be believed.
The other reason, beyond the practical, for "Time travel" not to come up to Pink is narrative. One of the most impressive and fun things about this whole setup is the way he's accidentally and on purpose becoming the Rebel Quartz. He obviously thinks there needs to be resistance, even if he doesn't think there should be a war, but even now he sometimes only half-gets how inspiring he can be? But it feels like the narrative is setting him up to take up that sort of role, starting with making a lot of new friends in a relatively short time, and impressing most people.
So, someone did mention powers, and I thought I'd conclude by weighing in on that. Here's another obvious statement: every power is symbolic and thematic. They didn't create a list of Rose's powers and then dole them out to Steven, they thought about what Steven's powers should be and then, by definition, those would be Rose/Pink's as well. Healing is obvious, the bubble defensive, he's light-hearted so he can flutter/fly, etc. Same with the other gems. Peridot's new and unexpected power is representative of how, well, new and unexpected her existence and nature is, just as Garnet's future vision is different than Sapphire's.
So, others (including Steven) getting powers as they begin to step outside of the bounds would make sense, as long as, like Peridot's, they're both thematic and require a lot of work to do. Peridot, by the time of the Movie, could temporarily hold back an entire section of scaffolding... after years of having the power and working with it.
So, what sort of power would a "Steven" have? I thought of one that could show up, limited but with potential to grow... but without the potential to be, "And then Steven fights and beats a Diamond one-on-one." Attraction of humans, gems, and animals to him.
As in, literally. Reaching out and they fly in his direction, or are dragged towards him if grounded/etc. He pulls people towards him, to help them, to get to know them, to see who they really are. And it can be used to get friends out of dangerous situations, or draw enemies closer so that he can engage with them, physically or otherwise. But obviously just like Peridot did he'd get exhausted if he tries to pull in something too heavy (like a big fusion) or do it too often.
Obviously, this is just an idea, not a demand of "Do this in the story." But I thought I'd share.
In conclusion, I liked a lot about this and I hope it continues. It's very heartfelt and has the flavor of the original, at least so far.
So, it's going to be complicated (no duh) and I think it might be a learning experience for both of them, and he'll probably realize that without a basis of trust, a time-travel story wouldn't be believed.
Just to note, it's more believable in this setting than others, due to the Diamond Authority having, canonically, created time-travel devices. Maybe just the one, but still. It's a thing they made, and it's sitting on earth (or... is in the process of being made).
So, others (including Steven) getting powers as they begin to step outside of the bounds would make sense, as long as, like Peridot's, they're both thematic and require a lot of work to do. Peridot, by the time of the Movie, could temporarily hold back an entire section of scaffolding... after years of having the power and working with it.
I don't think Gems can GET powers. All gems of the same type have the same powers. The only kinda, sorta, maybe exception to this we have seen, is peridot. And even in her case, it's possible that all era-2 peridots have magnetikinesis, and they just... never found out (or, heck, all Peridots, it's a very useful power for Engineers, and the Diamond Authority might have just thought they removed that bit when making Budget Peridots). They got told they don't have powers, and they believed it and never tried to use the powers they didn't have.
Just to note, it's more believable in this setting than others, due to the Diamond Authority having, canonically, created time-travel devices. Maybe just the one, but still. It's a thing they made, and it's sitting on earth (or... is in the process of being made).
I don't think Gems can GET powers. All gems of the same type have the same powers. The only kinda, sorta, maybe exception to this we have seen, is peridot. And even in her case, it's possible that all era-2 peridots have magnetikinesis, and they just... never found out (or, heck, all Peridots, it's a very useful power for Engineers, and the Diamond Authority might have just thought they removed that bit when making Budget Peridots). They got told they don't have powers, and they believed it and never tried to use the powers they didn't have.
Gotcha, I kinda forgot that... though I'm pretty sure that in the show they kind of want you to forget that, in a way? It took the show a long time to show another of the same gem, until well after a lot of things (such as powers) were established to be 'theirs' at least thematically? And the struggles are usually thematic and personal, and so it was easy for me to forget that Peridot's new power wasn't inherently (maybe?) something to do with her, since it's actually (on purpose) an amazingly apt metaphor and extension of her own, personal issues which relate to other Peridots (in the "I'm a budget gem" fears), but which aren't defined by being a Peridot, but by being Peridot.
So basically, I think you have a point? The way I watched the show probably influenced me to miss that point.
I posted this on ao3, but I felt like I'd also post it here? So, here's a little rant
****
So I have a lot of thoughts and feelings, and I'm going to say all of them since I'm mostly-totally-ish very impressed. First, a very well written Steven? Especially when you're having him age another year or two. Instead he's the same well-meaning goofball-who-grew-wise we know and love. The only area where I was kinda curious was his thoughts about the future. Because if he thinks about it, he'll be unlikely to meet Connie again in a place and way that Stevonnie or anything like it is possible... even if he wasn't a gem, and thus potentially unable to fuse with a human without being half-human. And even if they didn't wind up dating before he got poofed in the past, they'd still be very close friends who can fuse surprisingly easy, and it's pretty clear that Steven believes in friendships. He's unlikely to see his Dad as his Dad ever again, a Dad who probably (we don't know Steven's age, but more than 16, less than 20) has, as he promised in a song when talking about money, bought Steven "all the finest [college] courses online" if he's old enough for that and wants it. And Lars, and... there's just so many people he'll never see again.
But even that I think is Steven sorta... ignoring it? Because if he has a breakdown about it, who can he tell? Nobody would understand, literally, at least not anytime soon. So it feels like he's distracting himself, throwing himself into a mission and a task the way he, the galaxy's therapy dog who has learned from his martyr complex but thankfully not his "I want to save and help people" complex (also known as being a good person), sometimes does. But I wonder, if he slows down, if he has a moment to dwell on it...
Yeah, best not to think about it, at least for now. Put that emotional baggage away the same he did with a *lot* of his problems before. He's more mature now, but, well.
So, as to what's going to happen next, I think it's going to be better than Agate fears and worse than Steven hopes. She could be worried about Steven ratting on her somehow, but I think it's more likely that Pink Diamond hasn't had a chance to talk to the rest of her family, and so she's confident that she doesn't have to change much? That she'll just ask for things to be better in some nebulous way involving earth and they will be, since she's still a spoiled brat... a well-meaning one, but I could still, for instance, imagine her hearing about the Off-Colors and going, "It's bad that they might have been shattered just because they're defective." Which is, like, better than, "The weak shall be purged" but not what Steven's about at all.
So, it's going to be complicated (no duh) and I think it might be a learning experience for both of them, and he'll probably realize that without a basis of trust, a time-travel story wouldn't be believed.
The other reason, beyond the practical, for "Time travel" not to come up to Pink is narrative. One of the most impressive and fun things about this whole setup is the way he's accidentally and on purpose becoming the Rebel Quartz. He obviously thinks there needs to be resistance, even if he doesn't think there should be a war, but even now he sometimes only half-gets how inspiring he can be? But it feels like the narrative is setting him up to take up that sort of role, starting with making a lot of new friends in a relatively short time, and impressing most people.
So, someone did mention powers, and I thought I'd conclude by weighing in on that. Here's another obvious statement: every power is symbolic and thematic. They didn't create a list of Rose's powers and then dole them out to Steven, they thought about what Steven's powers should be and then, by definition, those would be Rose/Pink's as well. Healing is obvious, the bubble defensive, he's light-hearted so he can flutter/fly, etc. Same with the other gems. Peridot's new and unexpected power is representative of how, well, new and unexpected her existence and nature is, just as Garnet's future vision is different than Sapphire's.
So, others (including Steven) getting powers as they begin to step outside of the bounds would make sense, as long as, like Peridot's, they're both thematic and require a lot of work to do. Peridot, by the time of the Movie, could temporarily hold back an entire section of scaffolding... after years of having the power and working with it.
So, what sort of power would a "Steven" have? I thought of one that could show up, limited but with potential to grow... but without the potential to be, "And then Steven fights and beats a Diamond one-on-one." Attraction of humans, gems, and animals to him.
As in, literally. Reaching out and they fly in his direction, or are dragged towards him if grounded/etc. He pulls people towards him, to help them, to get to know them, to see who they really are. And it can be used to get friends out of dangerous situations, or draw enemies closer so that he can engage with them, physically or otherwise. But obviously just like Peridot did he'd get exhausted if he tries to pull in something too heavy (like a big fusion) or do it too often.
Obviously, this is just an idea, not a demand of "Do this in the story." But I thought I'd share.
In conclusion, I liked a lot about this and I hope it continues. It's very heartfelt and has the flavor of the original, at least so far.
Thank you so much. Comments like these are the best, and make me feel like I'm actually doing the story justice.
You're spot on about Steven avoiding thinking about how he won't see his human friends and family for thousands of years if at all. I've considered putting it in there somewhere before this, but it never felt like the right moment. And anyway, he's been pretty busy for most of the time he's been conscious in the past. The only real downtime he had was after he helped the people and Gems at the sky spire, and even then, he had to think about other stuff.
It will come up, though.
I've also been hesitating about the powers thing. Besides shields and healing, I'm honestly not sure what else to give him. I was kind of hoping I'd be given an easy way out when we finally met the freed Rose Quartzes in SUF, but we don't see them using any special powers in Rosebud.
Just to note, it's more believable in this setting than others, due to the Diamond Authority having, canonically, created time-travel devices. Maybe just the one, but still. It's a thing they made, and it's sitting on earth (or... is in the process of being made).
I don't think Gems can GET powers. All gems of the same type have the same powers. The only kinda, sorta, maybe exception to this we have seen, is peridot. And even in her case, it's possible that all era-2 peridots have magnetikinesis, and they just... never found out (or, heck, all Peridots, it's a very useful power for Engineers, and the Diamond Authority might have just thought they removed that bit when making Budget Peridots). They got told they don't have powers, and they believed it and never tried to use the powers they didn't have.
A lot of this is the reason why there's been such a big gap between the last post and the one I'm working on now. I've gone over a bunch of different drafts, trying to find the right balance for all of the characters to actually be in-character, and still get what I want to happen narratively to actually happen.
Steven would be honest in most situations, even about stuff that seems strange or outlandish, unless he thought lying in particular would be a dumb thing to do. Pink Diamond would believe a time travel story, because we see that 6,000 years ago, the temple for the Hourglass was under construction.
Thank you so much. Comments like these are the best, and make me feel like I'm actually doing the story justice.
You're spot on about Steven avoiding thinking about how he won't see his human friends and family for thousands of years if at all. I've considered putting it in there somewhere before this, but it never felt like the right moment. And anyway, he's been pretty busy for most of the time he's been conscious in the past. The only real downtime he had was after he helped the people and Gems at the sky spire, and even then, he had to think about other stuff.
It will come up, though.
I've also been hesitating about the powers thing. Besides shields and healing, I'm honestly not sure what else to give him. I was kind of hoping I'd be given an easy way out when we finally met the freed Rose Quartzes in SUF, but we don't see them using any special powers in Rosebud.
A lot of this is the reason why there's been such a big gap between the last post and the one I'm working on now. I've gone over a bunch of different drafts, trying to find the right balance for all of the characters to actually be in-character, and still get what I want to happen narratively to actually happen.
Steven would be honest in most situations, even about stuff that seems strange or outlandish, unless he thought lying in particular would be a dumb thing to do. Pink Diamond would believe a time travel story, because we see that 6,000 years ago, the temple for the Hourglass was under construction.
Are you sure that being incredibly awkward doesn't count as a power?
Also, I kinda get what you mean with the Hourglass Temple, but it does seem like it's a claim on a different scale? The whole Hourglass thing despite its power was a very limited factor... so I guess it feels like it'd be the difference between knowing that someone made a flying pig, and having an easy time swallowing the idea that there is actually an entire sentient species of flying pigs out there. The former would make it easier to believe the latter, but not necessarily... easy?
So, and obviously this is me spitballing, it feels like she'd believe that something time-travelly is going on, but whether that'd mean trusting things are exactly as Steven says... I dunno? Which I guess is the answer, that I kinda expect Pink to be very unsure about a lot of things?
Either way, I'm looking forward to the update whenever you have time. These things do take time to get right, though, so take as long as necessarily!
He stepped off of the Warp Pad, expecting to need to hop, but instead... things just felt normal. He hopped in place a few times, but sure enough, gravity hadn't changed.
"Oh, right. My body is just a light projection now." Steven said, although without any air, there was no sound, a cloud of ice crystals spraying out instead. Shrugging, he looked out into the distance, seeing a familiar tower. Another thing that looked exactly as it did six thousand years in the future.
He looked up into the sky, taking in the sight of the earth floating in a black sea of stars, and silently sighing. It was so beautiful. It was also... different. Extremely different. As in, there wasn't a gigantic sea in the middle of Asia that there was supposed to be. It was all land. And South America was smaller, and Africa was a bigger, and Australia was a lot bigger, and what was that little peninsula sticking out of the East Coast of America? Or the island that was supposed to be in the middle of the Atlantic.
How... how much did the Gems change the planet in the next fifteen hundred years?
For the first time since arriving, he wondered about how much the future would change.
He knew, from experience, that time travel didn't actually change things. It just made new timelines. He had already kind of accepted that his changes might cause things- even people, he knew in his own world to be different. He saved Huang's village, where, maybe in his original timeline, they had to move. Maybe someone from that village had a kid with someone in the area they moved to, and that kid had descendants that stretched across six thousand years- hundreds, maybe thousands, or even millions, of people that didn't exist in his timeline. How much would that change things?
But...
How much more would changing anything the Gems as a culture did? If he prevented the partial terraforming of the Earth... would anything or anyone at all stay the same? The people of Beach City, his Dad, Connie?
He stared up at the Earth for a little while, until ice began to form over his eyes. He wiped them clear, and sat down.
...
He missed them. He missed them a lot.
Ice covered his vision completely, sealing his eyes shut. He wiped it away, but more formed. Giving up, he laid down in the white sandy surface. It was cold. Incredibly cold. But it didn't hurt. This... this was something he could have never experienced in his old life. Something he would never be able to share with Connie or Dad or- any human he knew.
He hadn't had the chance to say goodbye.
He had- he was only seventeen! Little Homeworld had only been complete for a few weeks. Connie hadn't gone to college yet. They hadn't finished healing all the corrupted Gems yet! He hoped desperately that his Gem was still there in the world he left behind. He certainly didn't bring it here. They would need it. He needed it. He wanted to be back there!
He was so weak!
It all- it all made him mad, and sad, and...
And he had been ignoring it. Because if he had stopped to think of home, of his friends, his family, he would fall apart. Like he was now.
He laid there for some time, thoughts of what he had lost, what he might be preventing from existing, rolling around like thunderclouds in his mind.
He didn't want the world to be one where they would never exist. But at the same time, he knew that they still existed. His memories were real, so they were real. Steven knew he would never be able to sit out the war and just let things play out the way they did before, he just didn't have it in him. He would still try to change things.
He smashed the ice with a hand, and then put a bubble over his head. He breathed out, filling it with whatever air was still inside his body. It smelled like the wood he had been chewing on. Tears didn't freeze, and he sat up, letting them pool near his neck.
He looked down at cold surface of the moon. He began to scratch names down, pressing his super-strong finger through the dust and into the rock. As many as he could remember.
He hoped he would be able to see them again. Maybe... when he accomplished whatever he was sent here to do, he would just wake up in his own world again? Be able to see Connie and his Dad, and all his human friends again. He hoped so, but... he didn't have any control over it. All he had control of was what he could do now, here.
This was an important moment.
He would have all the time in the world to mourn them, or try to get back to them, after he did his best to stop the war. But Steven couldn't keep Pink Diamond waiting forever.
He looked out over the names, and sighed. "I love you." he said, before popping his bubble, the water freezing again. He brushed it away, and began walking towards the tower again.
He approached the door, which opened automatically for him. He stepped inside, letting the door shut behind him, atmosphere flooding back into the chamber, "Hello?" he called out, "Rose Quartz Facet-5 Cut-7DT, reporting as requested!" he wiped away the very last signs of his frozen tears.
The steps of the spiral staircase emerged from the wall, and he could see Pearl walking down, "Hello again!" he greeted. It was good to see her. And to know, that even if the humans he had loved weren't going to be with him again for a long time, the Gems he loved would still be there for him in this time, even if they didn't know him yet.
"Yes, hello 7DT. Her Radiance, Pink Diamond, awaits you." she said, without showing any sign of recognition, bowing to him. She turned around, and began to head back up.
He smiled weakly, and followed her up the steps, "So, how did the survey mission go?" he asked casually, "See anything interesting?"
"Yes." she said.
"And the Rose Quartz who was with you, is she here too?" he teased.
"Um... she's... out on the moon. Picking up... rocks." Pearl said, her lying skills not very developed yet, "Look, it's very rare that Pink Diamond agrees to a personal audience. And she's very interested in your information. And..."
Steven stopped walking, looking at her, "And?"
Pearl looks conflicted, "...I probably shouldn't tell you." she says, "It's just... that Pink Diamond has been feeling... isolated. She would appreciate the interaction for its own benefit. She also has a very keen interest in organic life. But she may wish to speak about things besides the survey mission. Please engage her fully in conversation. Please do not try to offend her, and of course, it goes without saying that you are to say nothing to any other Gems if she would, for some reason, break protocol."
"You don't have to worry, Pearl." he says, smiling.
"Right!" she begins climbing the stairs faster, her body language still showing her nervousness.
They go past the room with the floating sphere, and up to the top.
Pearl pressed the button on the door to make it open, and then bowed deep, "My radiance, Rose Quartz Facet-5 Cut-7DT."
"Hello." Steven said, smiling up at Pink Diamond.
It... wasn't as intimidating as the first time, somehow. The image of his mom as Rose stood above him his entire young life. But Pink Diamond? As soon as he knew who she was, she had also been knocked off her pedestal.
Pearl started elbowing him, "Salute!" she whispered.
"Oh! Right. My Diamond." he did a quick diamond salute.
"Greetings." Pink Diamond said, smiling wide, "I was told you had information for me? Relating to the humans?"
He nodded, taking a breath to center himself. He had run this through a few different times in his head, and while he did believe honesty was the best policy... he also figured he should probably work up to it, and actually see what Pink Diamond was thinking about humans, and organic life, and the Earth in general. It might be that the decision was made over the course of months, or years, or even decades. So... best not to rush into things?
"I do! So, as you know, I emerged three days early, so my Agate had me stationed outside the Sky Spire. To keep the humans away from the construction work. And, sure enough, one came up to me, his name was Huang, and he was really nice."
"His name?" she asked, eyes going wide. She lowered herself to the ground and sat down cross-legged on the floor nearby him. Steven grinned, and sat down too, leaving Pearl the only one standing, "You talked with one?"
He nodded, "I asked why the humans were going up to the sky spire to begin with, and it turns out, the construction was destroying a nearby river, and Huang and his village wanted to make them stop."
Pink Diamond turned her head slightly, "Why would they care about the river?"
"Oh! Sorry, um. They used the river a lot? They drank from it, and their animals drank from it, and they used it to keep clean, and water their crops, stuff like that?"
"Fascinating." she breathed, before coming closer, "Tell me more! What else do they do with the river?"
"Well, uh, those are the main things. I guess they could swim, too? But I didn't see anyone swimming. And there was fish, and I saw them with nets, so they probably used it to catch them?"
"What do they do with the fish afterwards?"
Steven looked at her oddly, "Eat them."
"They eat fish?"
"They're- humans, are omnivores. They eat plants- but not all plants! Just some, and animals, and fish, and mushrooms, and all kinds of things, really. As long as it isn't toxic to them, they'll probably eat it." he rolled his eyes, "Even the toxic stuff too, sometimes, if it's only a little at a time."
"Why?"
"Because... well, there's a lot of reasons. Sometimes, its because it adds spice! Makes things that you eat taste more interesting. Other times, its to help sleep better, or to fight an infection, or uh, because they don't want to think about something that makes them sad, or mad, and some toxins make it hard to think at all."
"You know so much about them!" Pink Diamond gushed, "I- oh! Oh, Pearl, ple- I mean, show him the village we found!" she stood up, picking him up, and she leaped down the opening into the room with the sphere, the one he remembered Lapis using to watch the Earth.
"Of course, my Diamond." Pearl said, following the two of them.
"Could I show you Huang's village, after?" Steven asked, "I uh, didn't get to finish telling you what happened either."
"Oh, right of course." she set him down, "So, what did happen?"
"Well, I told him to wait at the bottom, and then I went up to talk to the Bismuths at the top of the spire. I made friends with one of them, too, a Bismuth I nicknamed Pyramid. Anyway, I told them that because the rocks were disrupting the river, the humans were angry. So, me and Pyramid talked to the other Gems, and we went down, and cleared away all the rubble that got dumped into the water."
"I see." Pink Diamond said, somewhat less interested in the story now that it was more about the Gems than the humans.
"Uh, but- you'll like this part. Huang saw that we were actually helping, and so he went back to his village, and called most of them over to the river. And then-"
"Yes?" she asked, excited.
"We all cleaned the river together!" Steven said triumphantly, "Humans and Gems, working side-by-side to make things happen faster than either could have on their own. The humans started singing, and the Gems all joined in, and afterwards, the humans promised to stop attacking the Sky Spire, and the Gems stopped dropping rock into the water. Instead, they would throw it towards an uninhabited mountain."
"That- that's wonderful!" Pink Diamond enthused, "That must have been so fun!"
"It kind of was." Steven agreed.
"My Diamond?" Both looked to Pearl, "Should I activate the viewer?"
"Oh! Right. You can explain things!" she pushed Steven forwards, even as she began watching the walls impatiently. The room suddenly vanished, replaced with a somewhat pastoral scene. A village in the middle of a forest.
Steven stood up, looking around, before looking to Pink, "Well, I'll do my best, what have you been curious about?"
"These!" Pink Diamond said, grabbing him and dragging him over to a couple chatting soundlessly. Then, the Diamond pointed at the bundle in the woman's arms, "This. What is this? A bunch of them keep them around, and feed them, but I haven't been able to figure out what they actually do."
Steven grinned, "That's a baby." he said, "A baby human."
Pink stared down at it, and then at its mother, "It'll grow into another human?"
Steven nods, "Yeah, it will."
"Oh." she kept watching the couple for a few more seconds, before grabbing Steven and dragging him to another part of the village, "Okay, now, what is this?"
"She's working leather. Probably to make clothes."
"Where do they get the leather from?"
"Probably buffalo? Another type of earth animal."
"Do they eat them, too? Are they a type of fish?"
"Well-"
Steven watched his Mom with amusement as she peppered him with question after question. It honestly reminded him a little of his time with newly un-corrupted Gems in Little Homeworld, and Peridot, in those first few weeks where she agreed to start helping them. Everything was new to her, everything about Earth, about organic life, that seemed obvious to him, was a mystery to her. But rather than writing it off, or coming up with her own explanation and moving on, she was genuinely curious.
He answered every question she asked, watching the village outside the Prime Kindergarten, and then eventually switching to Huang's village, where Steven was able to put names to faces, and answer in even greater detail.
Hours passed, like that.
***
Pink pulled him along, Pearl quickly following, as she went to examine yet another aspect of the village. "You know, uh, my Diamond," Steven began, interrupting her before she could ask another question about why, exactly, humans needed to wear shoes, "There was something I wanted to ask you about, while I had your attention."
"Oh?" she turned to face him.
He worked his hands for a moment, and steeled himself, "...I want to try and protect the Earth as it is." he said, "The humans, the animals, the plants- they're unique. They're special. They're important. You agree with me, right?"
Her eyes went wide, and she stared down at him with an expression of sheer shock.
"My Diamond?" Pearl asked, rushing to her side, "My Diamond, what's wrong?"
"...You think so too?" she reached down, taking his hand in her own.
He nodded, determined, "I... the truth is..."
"The truth?" Pearl asked.
"I'm from the future. Six-thousand years from now."
"Oh." Pink Diamond said, "Did I send you?"
"I'm not actually sure who sent me." he said, "But... in the next fifteen hundred years, you decide to use your Rose Quartz disguise to try and save this planet." he said, "You do it by trying to scare off all the occupying Gems. You and the fearsome renegade Pearl." he said softly, smiling at her, "But it doesn't work. The other Diamonds begin sending more reinforcements, and soldiers to try and hunt you down. At the same time, 'Rose Quartz' begins to build her own armies. It becomes a civil war." he said, looking down.
"A lot of Gems end up hurt. Shattered. You decided to do something desperate. You faked your own shattering, with Pearl's help, choosing to live as Rose rather than Pink. But rather than demoralize the Diamonds, it just pushed them to greater extremes..." he sighed, "In the end, at the end of the civil war, you and Pearl, and... your closest friends in the rebellion, were the only Gems left capable of thought on the whole Earth. The Diamonds assumed they won, so they left the Earth alone for another four or so thousand years. But then, they came back again, with plans to make a geo-weapon capable of destroying the Earth. We- me and the Crystal Gems, managed to defuse it, and kind of... peacefully settle things with the Diamonds. But it was a hard journey to get there, and a lot could have gone wrong, and did go wrong." he finished, almost out of breath, before looking up.
Best to leave the biggest bombshells- that she was effectively dead, and that she had produced a half-human son, for now.
He looked into Pearl and Pink Diamond's faces, as they stared bewildered at him.
"...That's the most ridiculous story I've ever heard." Pearl said, eventually.
"It is kind of ridiculous, isn't it?" he admitted, smiling, "But it's true."
Pink's expression hardened, "I- I would never fight the other Diamonds." she said, "You're lying. You must be!"
"Why would I lie?" Steven asked.
She threw up her hands, "I don't know!" she turned away from him, looking at the image of the village around them, "A civil war? A rebellion? That- that I would give up on being a Diamond, forever, to just live as a Rose Quartz with Pearl..." she stared down at Pearl, who was looking up at Pink with equally wide eyes, "The two of us, together, on the Earth, forever?"
"Pink..." Pearl said quietly, "...you aren't..?" she walked up to Pink, and set one small delicate hand onto Pink's leg.
"Pearl."
Steven smiled at the two of them, and began to back away quietly, leaving them their moment.
"You really would?" Pearl asked, utterly mystified, "Why?"
"I... I'm barely a Diamond as it is." she said, close to tears, "And what we're doing to this planet- it's wrong. We're hurting it, just to make more Gems. More things that don't grow, don't change. But being a Diamond means serving the Empire. Serving the expansion." she looks at Pearl, "And I've never been good at being a Diamond. Maybe I'll do a better job of being a Quartz."
"And you would want me there with you?"
"If you wanted to be."
Pearl recoils, glancing aside, "What I want doesn't matter."
Pink reaches out, clasping Pearl's chin, guiding her closer again, "If it was just the two of us, and I wasn't a Diamond, it would."
"That's not true." Steven interrupted, startling both Gems, "It matters now, too."
"You don't know what you're talking about." Pearl said, narrowing her eyes at him.
"I do, Pearl. I knew- I knew another you, in the future. The you six thousand years from now." he smiled sadly, "You're one of the most thoughtful, caring, powerful, passionate, and graceful Gems I've ever met. You've saved my life, and the lives of so many others, and you taught me so much. You're your own Gem, and what you want absolutely matters. Even with other Gems around. Even if your best friend is a Diamond."
"That- that doesn't make any sense." Pearl protested.
"None of this does." he says, grinning, "And Pink?"
The diamond looks to him, almost afraid, "Yes?"
"You're a Diamond. Not any less than the others." he says, feeling his grin falter a little bit, "But that doesn't mean what you think it does. Or at least it doesn't have to. Diamonds can make mistakes. They can be clumsy, and desperate, and hateful, and forgetful, and irrational." she flinches with each word, eyes drifting to the floor, "...Not just you. The others too." she looks up, surprised, "Yellow and Blue and White, are all those things and more. Just as much as you were. But do you want to know something else? Diamonds can also be kind, and compassionate, and remorseful, and they can change, and they have the power to fix things- to heal. You are a Diamond, Pink, but that doesn't mean you can't do any of those things you want to do."
He let out a sigh of relief, having gotten a little of the weight on his shoulders off.
"...I feel so confused." Pink said sitting down on the ground, Pearl leaning against her. She looked up at him, "What were you, to me, in the future?"
"...Family." he said, "Like Pearl, and a few others you haven't met yet."
Pink closed her eyes, "...Then, if all of this is true, what next?" she asked, "What comes next? What plan do you have?"
"We try to convince the Diamonds to leave Earth alone." he said, "And to stop the expansion. We try to get them to look into new ways of doing things. A sustainable way to create Gems without obliterating planets. And when they try to push you away or dismiss you, we keep on pushing. We keep on trying. We keep on explaining, until they understand."
"And if they just ignore me? If they decide that I can't handle the colony and they try to take things over?"
"...We rebel." he said, smiling sadly, "And if they keep trying to force our hand, we fight back. And hopefully win a lot faster, and easier, and with less violence, than before."
Sorry for such a long hiatus! I really was having a lot of trouble getting this thing written, and it was only after seeing the end of Steven Universe Future that I was suddenly hit by inspiration again. But now I feel like the ball has gotten started rolling, so I'll likely be updating this more often, now.
