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super-mario-girl · 5 years

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Ocean Moon, a Steven Universe fanfic - Chapter 15: Epilogue

Ao3 Link

When they at last landed back on Earth the following day, they were greeted with a crowd surrounding them along the beach where the ship had landed. It appeared as though the news of their disappearance reached the town. It wasn't exactly the welcome party they were expecting, but it was a pleasant surprise.

As the five were escorted through the crowd, they heard a few feminine voices calling out.

”MARA!”

”Guys!” Mara yelled. A group of three Pearls ran through the crowd towards them, extremely relieved to see her. Pulling her into a group hug, she became overwhelmed with happiness. This was what Mara had been missing all this time. It was so great to have them back, and a part of her felt guilty for taking them for granted.

”Oh my stars, we were so worried! We didn’t know where you were!” a tan one with short hair and a beige sweater exclaimed, her pearl atop her forehead. Mara could tell that she looked like she had been through some stress. Maybe it was best not to tell them about Bustamite right away. She knew Cashmere would have a heart attack.

Mara hugged her tightly, tears of joy running down her face. ”Cashmere...”

”We thought you might have gone missing or kidnapped or worse!” a blue haired pearl with a checkered dress and a head-side gem told her, waving her hands back and forth to convey her emotions.

“Don’t worry, Gingham. I’m fine.” Mara assured her, hugging her as well. ”I’m alright. You don't have to worry anymore.”

”Cashmere was freaking out like crazy! It was nuts!” Gingham added, breaking away from the hug. "We told her you'd probably be fine, but we still had that feeling something could have gone wrong."

“Even Velvet was crying.” Cashmere pointed out.

“Really?” Mara was a bit surprised. Velvet wasn't really one to show much emotion, she mostly kept to herself.

“Yeah...” said the third Pearl in a low, quiet voice. This Pearl was a dark red one with smooth, long hair that went down her back. Like Mara, her pearl was located on her navel, but it was made to look like it was a part of her outfit.

“We’re so glad you’re back!” Cashmere shouted, her voice filled with relief.

“You smell like saltwater!” Gingham retorted.

“Yeah, there was a lot of that where I was.” Mara laughed awkwardly. “Oh... by the way, I kind of brought someone back from space...”

“You what?!” the three of them exclaimed.

She brought Shelley from behind her. Still a bit nervous and obviously not being used to the planet, the new Pearl avoided eye contact. ”Guys, this is Shelley. We found her on the Ocean Moon.” she explained. ”Canwepleaseletherstaybecauseshehasnowhereelsetogo pretty please?”

”Woah, slow down.” Gingham interrupted. ”You want her to live with us?”

”Listen, I know it’s all so sudden, but she was trapped on that moon for so long, she has no idea what the world is like now.”

”I don’t know...” Cashmere replied, unsure. ”We hardly know her.”

”Don’t worry, I can help her out and stuff.”

”Mara, we just got you back, and that whole incident has gotten all of us pretty shaken up.” Cashmere told her. ”And now you come back with an extra person. This is a lot to take in, you know.”

”Come on, pleeeeeeeaaaasssssse?” she begged. ”I can teach her about Earth culture, and it’s not like she has to eat or anything!”

”I don’t know...”

”I’ll allow it.” Velvet interrupted.

”Yeah, come on, C! It’ll be fun!” Gingham told her.

“Well, I suppose a fifth Pearl wouldn’t hurt.”

“Yes!” Mara jumped. “Oh boy, we’re going to have so much fun!”

“Fun?” Shelley questioned, rather confused. “I don’t understand...”

“We’ll explain it later.” the hybrid assured her.

“Now that’s settled, we have something to tell you.” Cashmere revealed.

”What is it?”

”Remember all those discussions we had about moving to Beach City?” Velvet asked.

Mara nodded. ”What about it?”

”It’s official. We’re moving.”

Mara’s face lit up. ”Really?” she asked, excitedly. ”But what about the shop?”

”We’re merging with another shop. You’ve heard of Cutie’s House of Beauty, right?” Cash told her. "The one run by Yellow Pearl?"

“Yellow Pearl?!" Mara's jaw dropped. "Cutie's? Of course I know that shop!"

“Well, in order to do so, we’re going to have to move to Beach City, I hope that’s okay with you.”

”Yes! It's more than okay!” Mara exclaimed, jumping up and down. ”Now I don’t have to worry about missing my new friends! Speaking of which, hey guys!”

Diana looked over at Mara and walked to her. “Mara, Stevonnie’s here!”

”Wait, really?” Not only was Mara going to meet Yellow Pearl, but Stevonnie too? It was as if she could just faint!

“This is your chance to say hi!” she encouraged her.

“Where are they?” Mara asked, her heart pounding with anticipation.

“Over there!” Diana pointed towards a figure with long, dark brown hair talking to someone else. It was indeed Stevonnie, the oldest hybrid in existence.

Mara turned towards the other Pearls. “I’ll be right back, okay?” She ran off back into the crowd in excitement. Was she really about to meet them? Was this even real? She pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming.

”Alrighty!” Gingham nodded, getting a good look at the new Pearl. ”So, Shelley, huh?”

”My name is Pearl.” she deadpanned. ”I still don't understand why I'm being referred to as 'Shelley'."

"We've got a lot of work to do..." Velvet sighed.

---

Making her way around, she navigated through a crowd of people all talking at once. It was a bit overwhelming, but as she got closer to the legendary hybrid it became easier for her to manage. It felt so unreal, being right in front of Stevonnie Universe. She also couldn't help but feel nervous, too. Mara gathered all the strength she had in herself to approach them. This was her chance to thank them for inspiring her. For a moment, she paused though, out of fear that she would sound annoying. But she pushed her fears away as she went for it anyway.

“Excuse me,” Mara tapped on Stevonnie’s shoulder. They turned around and looked down to see her. Here it was. The big moment. “You must be Stevonnie!”

“Of course I am.” they replied.

Immediately the girl became starstruck. “Hi, my name’s Mara! I’m so excited to meet you! I’ve heard so many great things about you!”

Stevonnie looked at this hybrid girl they had never met before. They were used to seeing new people all the time, so it didn't bother them as much as one would think. ”That’s wonderful. I don’t think we’ve met.”

”Well, I’m moving to Beach City so you might see me more.” she explained. “But wow, I can’t believe I’m talking to you right now!”

”I can’t wait. Welcome to Beach City, Mara.” They smiled. Noticing her gem, they began to realize something. Could it be? This girl reminded her of someone they hadn’t seen in around thirty years. Someone important...

"You know, you mean a lot to me. I'm pretty sure a lot of hybrids would say the same thing." Mara rambled on. She wasn't prepared for this, but she made do. "I just wanted to thank you. For everything."

Stevonnie paused. Had she really followed her Diamond’s footsteps after all? This fact was a lot to take in. After they took a better look, they knew it was indeed her daughter.Taking a deep breath, they shook her hand. They felt themselves getting a little emotional. No, now wasn’t the time. “Welcome, back.”

---

Eyeball walked towards Doc, a smile on her face. Despite her happiness, she remained calm and professional, saluting her fellow Ruby with her hand on her forehead. She was worried about what she had to say about what could technically been seen as a failure, but Doc seemed to be in a good mood despite the setback.

”Welcome, back soldier. I'm so glad to see you alive and well.” Doc greeted, patting her on the back.

”We got more important news.” the veteran revealed.

”Do tell.” Doc requested.

"Okay, well..." she paused in order to get the right words out of her mouth. The fact that she managed to defeat a Bustamite, a rare and powerful type of Gem, was already unbelievable. But it was something she had to tell her. ”My group and I were attacked by a rogue Bustamite.”

”A Bustamite?!” Doc murmured, losing her professional stance. ”My stars! And you survived?”

“It wasn’t easy, let me tell you.” Eyeball tried to word it in a way that didn't sound like she was bragging.

“How’d you do it? Those Bustamites can’t be messed with.” Doc leaned forward, visibly interested in what the other Ruby had to say.

”I was able to use my skills to destabilize her. She is guilty of both assault and illegal ownership of a Pearl.” Eyeball explained. ”The bubble has been sent for evaluation.”

”You did good. I’m proud of you.” the chest Ruby congratulated. “Your first leading mission was indeed a success.”

“But the ship crashed, preventing us from getting to our intended destination.”

“While that is true, you also were able to stop a criminal and keep your group safe. That doesn’t sound like a failure to me.” she assured her. “You did just fine.”

”Thank you, Doc.” Eyeball said, pulling her into a hug and smiling. "It's good to be back."

---

”HEEEYYYYY!” a large crowd of Quartzes dogpiled onto Betty, an act of affection that would scare most people. “Betty’s back!” The group toppled her onto the ground while all talking at once excitedly. Several chants of “you’re back” could be heard from them. Betty had to push a few of them off of her before standing back up and breathing heavily. Even for someone who was half Agate, this whole endeavor wore her out more than she anticipated. Perhaps she needed a nice bath when she got home.

“Guys, guys, gimme some space, will ya?” she requested, still recovering from what had happened before. She was used to this from them, but it had been a while.

“We missed you!” Sharky, one of the Amethysts, cheered. “We didn’t wanna lose ya.”

"Elle almost went looking for you herself and I had to stop her." Skinny

“You gotta tell us about space, girl!” Jay, another one with curly hair, demanded, jumping up and down.

“What did you see?” Carnelian tugged on her braid in order to get her attention, something the short Gem had developed a quite endearing habit of since the hybrid started wearing them as a kid.

Betty smiled. It was nice to see how much they cared for her despite their problems with her mother in the past. They treated her like she was one of them, giving her a kinship with them, especially after the death of her father. The Famethyst really were a family, and the tightest-knit one she knew of.

"Oh man, we ended up on this ocean planet and stayed inside an abandoned base." she revealed, brushing the dust off her clothes. "We fought this angry pink Gem with telekinetic powers and someone almost got killed!"

"Sick!" a pinkish looking Amethyst shouted.

"Give us more of the details!" Sharky added after giving her a playful punch on the shoulder.

Betty gave them a smug look and softly punched her back. “I’ll tell you about it later, after I introduce you to my new boyfriend.”

“BOYFRIEND?!” they all screamed, dramatically pretending to fall back in shock.

Betty couldn't help but laugh at their reaction. She had a lot to tell them about the Ocean Moon and Harry. Would they even like him? They probably would, but there was always that worry she had that they might intimidate him.

---

Harry looked around the crowd for someone, an anxious look on his face. Where was he? It wouldn't be unlike him not to show up, but it was the least he could do for something as important as this. Or at least send someone to get his son for him.

Luckily, he spotted a familiar figure. “Dad!” he called out upon seeing an older man in a fancy gray suit. He had brown skin much like his son, and his dark hair showed signs of visible graying. By the look on his face, he seemed concerned.

”I was worried about you, son.” he told him. ”I had a feeling I shouldn't have let you go on this trip.”

”But Dad, I-”

”You could have been hurt!” he interrupted. "I don't want to lose you."

”But I’m fine!” he exclaimed. ”Besides, I’m 29. You have no control over me and I would have gone anyway even if you were against it." he crossed his arms. "You really should start treating me like an adult.”

"I care about you a lot. But I also care about your well being." he put his hand on his son's shoulders and looked him in the eye. "I have to make sure you don't hurt yourself or you image."

"Come on, is my image really that important?"

”This discussion is over.” his father stated. ”Say goodbye to your friends, because we’re going home right away.”

”Can’t you at least let me introduce you to my new girlfriend?”

“You got a girlfriend?” He pulled his hand away.

"Yes. I know I'm suppose to get your approval first, but I want to make my own decisions on this." his son explained to him. Sick of being treated like a child, he felt the need to start calling his own shots. And his love life would be among the first.

Mr. Ross took a deep breath and sighed. “You can introduce me to her later, I have an important meeting to attend to.”

“Ugh, fine.” Harry groaned. There really was no reasoning with him. As long as he lived with him, there were so many rules he had to deal with. He walked toward Betty, dreading the goodbye.

---

“Diana, there you are!” a high pitched voice called out. Diana turned to see an Aquamarine wearing a doctor’s outfit, her hair tied up neatly. Flying towards her with a clipboard in hand, she had a friendly demeanor and some important information to tell. “Just making sure everyone is accounted for. I need you and all the others to meet me at my office sometime this week to make sure none of you caught any new diseases.” she glanced over at Diana’s bruises. ”But it looks like you need to be looked at immediately.”

”Sorry, there was a bit of roughing up.” she admitted, wincing while remembering the sensation of being thrown. Something told her she'd be feeling that for a while. Good thing hybrids were stronger than a normal human.

”I can tell.” the Aquamarine looked at her with concern. ”Can you still fly?”

“Pretty sure I can. We can fly there in a minute.” she replied, then looked around for someone in particular. ”Dr. Marine, where’s my dad?”

“I visited him today to drop off his medication.” she told her, checking something off of the clipboard. “He couldn’t make it due to his condition. You know how it is.”

“Right.” Diana looked down, a bit disappointed. “He is getting old after all.” Jamie had seen better years. Now an old man, there were many things he could no longer do, having retired from both his job of being a mailman and his passion for acting. Luckily, Diana had taken after him. But she knew that his time was limited and he was fading away.

“Diana!” another voice shouted. She saw Peridot running towards her, leaping into a hug. “See, I knew you’d be okay!”

“Ooh! Careful!” Diana exclaimed, her body still a bit sore from the fight.

”Sorry, sorry.” Peridot moved back a little. ”I was so worried when I was told you didn’t make it, so I went and scanned the route area to look for any stray planetoids you might have ended up on!” she explained. “And my calculations were correct! Welcome home, Di.”

Diana smiled. Classic Peridot. ”Is everything okay at home?”

“Of course, Jamie, Emile, and Judy are going to be so relieved!” the green Gem exclaimed. “Putzie kept asking when you were coming back.”

“They did?”

“You should have seen it! But we’re all glad you’re back, you know?” Peridot assured her. Diana felt the same, she had really missed everyone and was just eager to see them.

”Peridot’s right.” Dr. Marine added. ”But first, we need to get you to the hospital.”

---

“Do ya really gotta get going so soon?” Betty asked. “The fam’s eager to meet you.”

“Unfortunately.” Harry explained, rubbing the back of his neck. “He’s on a tight schedule.”

“You’d think he’d be more happy to see you, at the very least.” Betty put her hands on her hips, slightly annoyed. Not at Harry, but his father.

“You don’t know my dad.” he told her. “He does care about me, he’s just awful at showing it.”

“I guess so.” she replied. “Do you have my number?”

“Not yet.” he realized. ”What is it?”

“Let me put it in for you.”

He handed her his phone and she began entering her number. “We really should hang out.” Harry told her. ”I could show you the city.”

“I’ve already been to a city, just not yours. Besides, you gotta come to my place, first.” Betty told him, giving his phone back. “We’ll show you how to have some real fun!”

“Oh yeah?” he teased. Just then, Betty snuck a kiss on his cheek.

“Yeah.” she giggled as he blushed. ”Gotcha, city boy.” For the first time ever, she said it as an endearing term. They pulled into one more hug before parting.

---

Somewhere in Beach City, a Pearl leaned against a white fence in front of her light indigo house. She wore a dark purple dress that stopped below her knees and black kitten heels. Her medium length hair, a slightly different shade of violet, flipped at the end, and her appearance was amplified by her black choker and loose bracelet. Her medium purple pearl was out of sight, just behind her upper back.

There was an air of pride around her, as if she was secretly showing herself off should anyone had been around. Looking at the sunset, she smiled. Her lavender skin almost shining against the sunlight.

However, her thoughts were cut short when she saw another Pearl walking towards her.

This one seemed to appear to be the opposite of her. She had short, curly black hair that seemed to be a tad bit messy. Her baggy clothes and lack of shoes contrasted against her neat outfit, and her faded black skin seemed to be covered in ash. Atop her forehead was a proudly placed black pearl.

Despite being polar opposites, they were happy to see each other.

“Hey, Charcoal.” the purple Pearl greeted, revealing her smooth voice. “Catch anything on fire today?”

“No, Candy. I haven’t.” she said, almost disappointed. Her voice was a bit husky. “Been tryna convince Goldie to let me be exempt from the firework ban.”

“She has a point, you know.” Candy reminded her. "Remember the noise complaints?"

“Hey, a Pearl’s gotta get her fix.” the black Pearl defended, leaning against the same fence.

"Thank the stars there's no rule against sex."

Charcoal rolled her eyes. “Anyway, we’re getting new neighbors. A bunch of new Pearls.”

”Nice.” Candy replied, filing her nails. ”I’ve been really bored here with the house next to me empty. Hope they’re cute.”

”I heard one of them’s a hybrid. And another’s new to Earth. Imagine that.” she said as she took out what appeared to be a box of cigarettes, clearly old fashioned for this day and age. It's not like she cared, though.

”We’ve all been new to Earth at some point.” Candy stopped filing her nails and pulled out a compact mirror, admiring her reflection.

”True.” Charcoal mused.

”I just hope the other Pearls aren’t too hard on them. I mean, a hybrid and a newbie?”

”You know Ocean’s probably gonna pull some shit.” she told her, lighting a cigarette and putting it in her mouth. She blew a cloud of smoke. “She always does.”

“I think I’d better warn them about her.” Candy closed the compact mirror and put it away.

“She definitely will if she sees them hanging with you.” Charcoal pointed out.

“Oh bother!” she responded. “She’s the one who oughta keep her nose out of people’s business.” She knew firsthand how one nosey Pearl can ruin one’s reputation, and the last thing she wanted was for someone else to deal with the same problem. “I should still make sure they settle in alright.”

“That sounds nice.” Charcoal responded. “Let me know when they get here, I want to give them a welcoming gift.”

“Let me guess,” the purple Pearl paused. “Lighters?”

“You know me too well, Can.” she chuckled. It was quiet for a moment. A bunch of seagulls flew by, paying no attention to the two.

Candy interrupted the silence. “But they don’t, and that’s what’s great about meeting new people, don’t you think?”

“Couldn’t agree more.” Charcoal yawned, taking another drag of her cigarette.

The two looked on for a moment and wondered about what would happen next. Things had become a bit too quiet lately, it was almost a bit nerve wracking. Maybe some new neighbors was exactly what Candy, and the rest of Pearl Row, needed.

#finally finished!#steven universe #su #su fanfic #fanfic #ocean moon #ocean moon fanfic #era 3 au #ao3 #steven universe fanfic

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dragoplateau · 7 years

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issues with steven universe

since I’ve received quite a few messages asking what I think about Steven Universe now or whether or not I think it’s still worth watching, I decided to air out the things that have disappointed me or struck me as (varying degrees of) problematic about the series.

re-bubbling Bismuth was a disastrous decision on every level, undermining the series’s narrative, thematic, and sociopolitical integrity. as it is, several others have detailed just how the crew’s choices to 1) villainize Bismuth for inventing the Breaking Point to use against Homeworld, 2) have her react to Rose’s and Steven’s refusals to use it with killing violence, and 3) imprison her for it were disgustingly antiblack and part-and-parcel of that myopic neoliberal “don’t fight hate with hate” ideology...so I will acknowledge that without going over it again. what I will say is that:

Rose was the revolutionary leader of an armed insurrection; clearly she wasn’t opposed to violent methods or the possibility of killing other gems. her decision to bubble Bismuth (and keep her bubbled) becomes especially and hypocritically cruel in light of her later decision to kill Pink Diamond in order to liberate Earth. even though Steven recently “called out” (or at least signaled that he’s aware of) Rose’s cruel hypocrisy toward Bismuth in “Storm in the Room,” his failure to to free Bismuth again after learning about Rose’s actions speaks volumes. likewise, the fact that Pearl and Garnet knew that Rose shattered Pink Diamond, yet did not think to challenge Steven’s decision to re-bubble Bismuth for her methods was also a huge oversight.

and no. before you say that Steven, Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl decided to re-bubble Bismuth because she tried to kill Steven in The Forge, let me remind you that “attempting to kill Steven” is not an automatic marker that the character in question is irredeemable: Lapis nearly drowned Steven and Connie; Peridot tried to crush Steven in “Marble Madness” and later tried to kill all four of the Crystal Gems in “Friend Ship.” Peridot was bubbled for all of a few hours before Steven freed her, and the gems accepted that easily enough.

in any case, violent methods were never the breaking point between Bismuth and Rose. here is the most irreconcilable difference between Bismuth and Rose as I understand it: Bismuth always intended to take the rebellion back to Homeworld and liberate gemkind from the diamonds’ oppressive rule; Rose, on the other hand, was content to remain on Earth after the rebellion, leaving the diamonds in control of Homeworld and the empire.

Bismuth embodied so many possibilities for the show: fundamental shakeup of the Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl...and Steven!!! (and sometimes Peridot, Lapis, and Connie!) format of the show by becoming a main cast member and crystal gem; ethical tension to liberate all gems; new character development pair-partner with Garnet and Pearl; interpersonal tension with Lapis, who Bismuth was responsible for poofing during the rebellion; an alternative, more critical perspective on Rose Quartz...

...but her potential has been squandered, to put it lightly. and those decisions haven’t sat right with me ever since.

it’s also not that Bismuth marks the first time that the show unintentionally perpetuated antiblackness or racism. the series’s treatment of Sugilite, Garnet’s relegation to the strong black woman trope when dealing with people like Andy, or the very, very unfortunate decision to have Pearl work out her issues with self-worth by teaching Connie, a brown girl, that she isn’t worth anything compared to Steven all come to mind. of course, it was the series’s willingness to offset these moments by depicting Garnet as being emotional and needing support and relationships of her own and having Pearl called out in the very same episode that made those moments more palatable than the usual, run-of-the-mill antiblackness/racism on most other forms of media.

Bismuth, however, has yet to be addressed. so, in combination with all those other moments, it’s left a very sour taste in my mouth.

failing to create a credible mid-stage adversary for the Crystal Gems to face.

post-“Jail Break,” Peridot filled this role (badly...but, as I understood it, that was part of the appeal--Peridot’s incompetence and relative benignity as an antagonist were the foundation for her redemption arc. keep in mind that the narrative threat during Week of Sardonyx was always the conflict that Pearl caused by deceiving and using Garnet in “Cry for Help,” never Peridot. during the reconciliation scene in “Friend Ship,” the tension stemmed from whether Pearl could finally understand and acknowledge how she had disrespected and hurt Garnet...not the trap Peridot was using to try and destroy them.)

the specters of Yellow Diamond and the cluster rose during Peridot’s redemption arc, but they have both remained specters for the most part. aside from speaking authoritatively to Peridot, Yellow Diamond has remained in the background.

then Malachite ostensibly returned to fill this role...but was quickly dispatched the very same episode by Alexandrite. the cluster was never an antagonist as much as a horrible, anguished victim of Homeworld’s brutality that needed to be helped.

after “Super Watermelon Island,” Jasper and the rubies filled this role...but badly. and while, again, part of that was the appeal/novelty of meeting so many rubies, the same can’t be said for Jasper (more on that in the next section).

the problem, I think, has to do with the crewniverse’s attachment to the Beach City setting and “status quo” of being able to rely on the slice-of-life formula whenever they like. because if they really brought Yellow Diamond to the fore as the main antagonist, then Homeworld comes with her--and if that happens, then there’s no way that the Crystal Gems won’t be overwhelmed, even with Lapis and Peridot supporting them.

remember, one hand-ship and one quartz soldier soundly defeated and overwhelmed the Crystal Gems in “The Return.” in the event of a full-scale invasion, the series couldn’t reasonably continue in the vein it has since its premiere.

if the conflict with Homeworld is going to be treated with the gravitas it deserves (by the crewniverse’s own making: they’ve built up Homeworld and the diamonds as this overwhelming, superior force time and time again), then Steven Universe will probably have to shift and mimic the structure of a series like Avatar: The Last Airbender, wherein the vastly outnumbered Crystal Gems are forced to stay on the move, traveling from place-to-place, picking their battles, gathering and helping allies where they can, and dealing with an Earth occupied by Homeworld.

which, honestly? would be a really welcome change at this point.

making post-“Super Watermelon Island” Jasper so unthreatening.

I don’t know about you all, but I was horrified the first time I watched “The Return.”

Jasper pretty much overwhelmed Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Steven on her own. her and Peridot’s ship effortlessly resisted Rose’s laser light cannons.

but the real fear I felt when Jasper effortlessly forced Garnet apart and headbutted Steven in “The Return” seems silly in retrospect now that Stevonnie and Smoky Quartz--very young or newborn gem fusions that cannot hold a candle to Garnet’s wisdom and experience--have defeated Jasper so easily.

whereas Jasper caught Garnet by surprise with the gem destabilizer during “The Return,” Garnet was prepared to fight Jasper in “Jail Break”...and still took something of a beating. Garnet’s victory in “Jail Break” was more a product of her experience and cleverness than brute strength, a category in which Jasper is superior to most living gems--and some gem fusions!--we’ve met.

to give an indication: Jasper, as a quartz, is the closest indicator we have to Rose’s strength. as in, Jasper and Rose were probably roughly as powerful as one another and would have been evenly matched had they ever fought.

Stevonnie, with Steven’s increasingly confident control over his gem powers and Connie’s swordfighting skills and Rose’s sword, kind of approaches the vicinity of Rose’s prowess--in fact, the entire sequence with Amethyst, the memory of Rose, and Stevonnie in “Crack the Whip” demonstrates as much. Amethyst remembers Rose’s words to her immediately before Jasper poofs her, and reforms quickly to save them. but when she does, Amethyst looks on in awe and shock at Stevonnie, wielding Rose’s sword and standing alongside Lion with their back turned to Amethyst, facing down a winded Jasper as their hair billows rather dramatically in the breeze and a piano theme plays...all of which, I think, invokes Rose.

all of which is to say: I think Stevonnie could, someday, either match or even defeat Jasper. but that’s the thing--someday. the crewniverse didn’t really “earn” Stevonnie’s victory over Jasper, especially since the battle was so one-sided in Stevonnie’s favor.

because, yes, while Stevonnie is now approaching Rose’s skills, they do not match her, Garnet’s, or Pearl’s level of experience. it’s crucial to keep in mind that Rose, Garnet, Pearl, and Jasper are all war veterans; while Steven and Connie had been training hard with Pearl prior to “Crack the Whip,” they don’t have the wisdom or experience that Garnet relied on to outsmart Jasper in “Jail Break.”

all of this to say is that this and other decisions reduced Jasper to an unthreatening, almost pathetic antagonist: Lapis effortlessly water-punches back into the ocean; Stevonnie effortlessly forces her to retreat; Smoky Quartz forms for the first time and defeats Jasper and Jasper’s fusion with the corrupted gem easily. I recognize that Jasper was arguably fighting both these opponents and herself (due to her self-hatred), but...still. come on. watching her get handed defeat after defeat has just been plain disrespectful to Jasper herself, Garnet, and “The Return/Jail Break.”

all I’m saying is that Jasper deserves better, as an antagonist.

glossing over Lapis’s trauma recovery, mostly by shunting it onto offscreen Camp Pining Hearts-watching and meep morp-making with Peridot.

Lapis and Peridot’s friendship can be heartwarming, but its quick development seems jarring when it’s Steven with whom Lapis had her most significant, trusting, and supportive relationship. it’s great that Lapis and Peridot are close and that Peridot has been so supportive of Lapis, but I don’t think it’s unreasonable that 1) the series earn the creation of this friendship over a long(er), significant period of time, and 2) it not be used to replace the work we need to see done with their other relationships.

it’s great to see Lapis happy, and it’s great to hear that she’s finally starting to love Earth...but--and I think this is a persistent issue of the series--it’s unsatisfying to devote just one (1) or maximum three (3), maybe four (4) episodes focusing on a character’s issues, then having them declare that they’ve resolved that issue after ten or twelve episodes that don’t focus on them. this is the kind of writing that Lapis’s trauma recovery has been subjected to, and that Amethyst’s identity crisis has been subjected to, albeit to a different extent (more on this later).

it’s not like the crewniverse can’t pull off this kind of writing. in fact, they’re at their best with that kind of writing when it has to do with Pearl: Pearl’s relationship with Rose, Pearl’s relationship with Amethyst, Pearl’s relationship with Greg, Pearl’s relationship with Garnet, Pearl’s self-worth, and so on. several episodes have been dedicated to working out Pearl’s issues and relationships, and many of them still haven’t been wholly resolved! but that’s why it’s so rewarding to see her express interest in Mystery Girl, or hand Amethyst a tea bag after serving Greg some tea, or grow in confidence.

not every episode needs to end with a happy resolution, especially when it’s forced. in fact, some long-standing issues--like Lapis’s trauma, Pearl’s grief, or Amethyst’s backstory--feel disrespected if they’re resolved in the space of a single episode. but even if an episode does end with a hard-fought happy moment of growth for the characters, that doesn’t absolve the writers of writing those characters with consistency and attention to detail with respect to where they’ve been.

Pearl has long benefited from this kind of writing, and I think it’s high time that Lapis, Amethyst, and Garnet start receiving similar consideration.

(honestly, this is why a lot of us complain about episodes focusing on side characters like Ronaldo, Lars, or the other Beach City characters. it’s not that those episodes aren’t nice or worthy of being made, but that they are seen as taking up space that should be devoted to the main or main supporting characters. it shouldn’t have to be either-or, however....)

ignoring Garnet as her own character.

that Garnet might be reduced to “Ruby and Sapphire making out” has been a persistent concern of many of her fans since “Jail Break” revealed that she is a gem fusion.

while Garnet is Ruby and Sapphire, she is also her own being. therefore, it’s not unreasonable to expect that Garnet should receive more character development and character-focused writing that focus on her and her relationships, apart from Ruby and Sapphire.

unfortunately, those Garnet-focused episodes have been in short supply of late. the last Garnet-focused episode I can remember is either “Friend Ship” or “Log Date 7 15 2,” the former of which she shared with Pearl as part of Week of Sardonyx and the latter of which she shared with Peridot.

since “Hit the Diamond,” all Garnet-focused episodes have featured Ruby and Sapphire in some way--and featured them in such a way that Ruby and Sapphire have been focused on more significantly than Garnet herself.

now, I’m not saying that Ruby and Sapphire shouldn’t appear in the series at all--I love them and their relationship, so I’m always happy to see them make appearances apart from Garnet. however, what upsets me is that Ruby and Sapphire have largely replaced Garnet as a character in her own right. and that’s not okay.

ignoring Amethyst.

Amethyst’s backstory thematizes heavy, complex, and nuanced elements that resemble the experiences of children who are the products of wartime imperialism and sexual assault. as an Earthborn Kindergarten gem raised by the Crystal Gems, Amethyst grew up believing that Homeworld was wrong for colonizing the planet and creating gems like her at the expense of the Earth’s vitality--which has led her to believe that she herself may be wrong. “On the Run” touched on these facets of Amethyst’s character beautifully.

however, since “On the Run,” “Maximum Capacity,” and “Reformed,” relatively little attention has been paid to Amethyst...which was why it was such a relief to watch “Crack the Whip,” “Steven vs. Amethyst,” “Beta,” and “Earthlings”--an honest-to-goodness Amethyst arc as the main narrative focus of the series!

I generally have positive feelings about this arc of Amethyst’s. I guess I only want to express my caution about having “resolved” her issues with the formation of Smoky Quartz. I think that, if/when Jasper is healed and returns, Amethyst has been set up to continue her arc with Jasper...but I don’t think we should have to wait until Steven finds a way to cure gem corruption to see time and care get devoted to Amethyst again. because she deserves it.

Andy DeMayo, "Gem Harvest,” and the uncritical toleration and rehabilitation of the “racist, homophobic, xenophobic uncle” at the expense of poc/queer/immigrant-coded family members and characters like the gems, who continuously take his derogatory speech without batting an eyelash--particularly in the political situation we’re in now in the U.S..

enough said.

look. I still love Steven Universe, and I still keep up with it. that said, I’ve been keeping up with it much less enthusiastically ever since I watched “Bismuth,” and I think it would be a disservice not to point out or critique the things the series has mishandled or is not doing enough of.

#su woes #steven universe #some other issues that haven't made the cut:#steven's inconsistent writing wrt his destiny and selective lack of empathy (like with the humans in the zoo)#and the handling of greg and pearl's conflict...specifically in resolving it so that pearl takes all the blame and greg and rose take none.#rape mention

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