I personally always thought it weird that Pearl is so into people who remind her of Rose - personally, I always assumed that they would bring up bad memories and feelings that would take priority. Well, I've now thought up a scenario that I think might explain it... regardless of if the assumption I mentioned is actually weird to most people (or not... I wouldn't know). XD;
Details below the line... as well as a lot of artistic laziness. XDD
Okay, first off, in case you're not familiar with my blog: I'll note that this is based on my probably-crazy-sounding theory that White has the power to alter Gems' memories and Rose and Pink weren't really the same person - Pink might have made Rose part-Diamond, and maybe White's tampered with Steven's Gem to bring out what little Diamond there is in him... but they're not really the same.) If you're not up for at least entertaining the idea, you might as well close this page now.
...
Still here? Okay, let's go!
Possible Story
I've mentioned before that I believe that Pink actually did care deeply for her (singular!) Pearl.
I believe that this might mean that any accidents would've actually strengthened their relationship... It could also be how Pink found out about any healing powers she has.
On the other hand, I believe that White was a LOT more uncaring. Maybe she'd even take her anger out on Pearl - you know, "our" Pearl - sometimes.
And since Pearls seem to be programmed to be, ah... enamored with their owners, it could've been an especially hard wake-up call for her. ^_^;
Anyway, we've seen that Pearls do seem to hang out while their owners are busy - at least some of the time.
Maybe Pink's Pearl (...I don't like the nickname "Volleyball" XD; I'll get to that, someday) bragged at some point.
...Could be why one Pearl has a positive association with the Reef, but the other one very much does not. XD;
At any rate, I think that Pearl saw that the two of them had a positive - and actually very close - relationship.
This more-than-likely would've evoked feelings of jealousy. I believe that she intensely desired that relationship for herself...
...and possibly wished that the other Pearl could know the suffering of working under White, instead. ^_^; (Pearl does have a history of jealousy. Remember Coach Steven? Strong in the Real Way? Yeah...)
I've mentioned that I think that Pearl's "imaginings" reflect what actually happened... better than her (presumably) false memories, at any rate. I believe that odds are that, when the time came for Pink to leave for Earth, she may have snuck aboard the legs-ship... possibly not long after White had been hard on her, giving Pearl even more incentive to leave.
...And during transit, realized how foolish it was to think that she could just be with Pink like that. ^_^; There's no way that she'd just abandon her Pearl, and who knows if she'd end up bringing Pearl back to White?
After landing, Pearl probably snuck out. Not wanting to go back, she may have also figured that she shouldn't stick around, lest she get caught.
Not knowing what to do, she would've felt lost. However, I think that Pink managed to find her - like, maybe she spotted her through the observation orb.
One of my theories is that Steven's dream powers were originally meant as a way for Pink to contact Rose in secret. I don't remember if I've mentioned, but I've long believed that Pink led Rose to Pearl.
Rose would've done something that most wouldn't: actually listened to the Pearl.
Maybe Pearl left out some details (namely the part about wanting to be with Pink), but she would've at least given the part about running away and not being able to return (lest she probably be broken).
And then Rose said the magic words...
"What do you wanna do?" Something that I suspect she may have heard Pink say to her Pearl, but that - in this context - would've ALSO meant an awful lot more than simply letting a good friend choose what to do:
The idea that a Pearl could choose her own fate. Be her OWN boss.
Belong to no one.
And so, Rose would've become associated with what Pearl had originally admired about Pink: a kind, loving person who cared about someone as lowly as a Pearl, and gave her the freedom to make her own decisions.
Someone who could help her to heal...
...in more ways than one. X3
Pearl's memories may have been altered, but I believe that the desire for that kind of relationship still rests within her: a relationship with someone who'd nurture even a Pearl, and who even led her to have the courage to create her own purpose, rather than worry about the one that the Gem Empire assigned to her.
...*cough* Yet another detail that I think White may have tried to make her forget. ^_^;
Granted, I think that the 'enamored with owners' thing being directed toward Rose could also be a factor, but I suspect that it mostly comes from something deeper. ='3
(...Heck, I'm starting to wonder if Pearl's infatuation even existed before the Diamond attack happened. o.O Appreciation? Respect? Sure. Infatuation...? Not so sure... XD; )
Anyway, tl;dr - Pearl saw how Pink treated Pink Pearl and wanted that kindness. Rose had a similar kindness - and enabling demeanor - and reminded her of Pink. She's been forced to forget the (original) reasons, but the desire is still there, and it still gets brought up (subconsciously) whenever she sees someone who reminds her of Rose... despite the fact that Rose might otherwise be associated with a loss.
If Steven DOES end up leaving Beach City, maybe it won’t be that big a deal?
He’s got a lion that can create portals anywhere, basically teleporters everywhere near Beach City.
People can visit him and he can visit them in a matter of seconds.
Yes. I understand. The fact is Pink Diamond 'she is gone'. Lars is going to be aging much longer than humans. Everyone the people he knew in his life will be gone especially the lion and other Gemkind. If Steven died then Rose Quartz reform back then Pink Diamond is come back. Not to say Pink Diamond is will be come back. Y'all can imagine if it does actually happened then will be funny for Lars to meeting Pink Diamond in the future. Lmao.
Okay, so not only does it seem like we're going to see more of Steven's adventures, but that he's about to spend the next set of them with a plot-worthy new friend!
More below the line.
So, not only did the SU:F climax not feel very climactic to me, but the part about Steven striking out on his own just kinda felt weird to me. I mean, I guess in hindsight I can see how it was being led up to, but at the time it still felt a lot like it came out of nowhere. ^_^; That said, that feeling seemed to be be based on some other, underlying feeling that 'no logical/sane person would do that'...
...and I think I've found out why.
One of the major plot points of SU:F was how Steven was struggling with PTSD, with the symptoms brought on partially by the fact that he was losing a lot of his supportive relationships, and that he either didn't reach out to, or couldn't be helped by the friends that stayed around. Maybe he's gotten past a major crisis, but I can pretty much guarantee that his problems haven't simply vanished like that.
What Steven would really need is to get help from his friends, family, and/or a therapist or something, at least until he can handle his trauma better. Until then, he's basically a time bomb, ready to go off as soon as something bothers him just a little too much. It might be one thing if he had asked his friends to come with him, but NOPE!
He pulled a Cookie Cat and decided to strike out entirely on his own. =/
I can't emphasize this enough: Steven NEEDS someone to be there!! And I can't imagine Steven just meeting random people being enough... or all that interesting, really. ^_^; He needs a road trip buddy. And I don't think a convoy would work... not on its own, anyway. I think he needs someone IN the car, to talk to whenever, about whatever. Someone he could trust to talk about things - including Gem stuff and whatnot - without them freaking out or whatever.
And given everything that's been going on, I think I know who that buddy needs to be.
There's only ONE person...
(Yanno... since all the others have tried and failed and also been left behind. ^_^; )
Okay, first off, I've been paying attention to the moon for quite awhile now. The SU series is one of the rare cases where - among other things - the moon appears in the day.
And on top of that, when the moon shows up appears to be far from random to me: I believe that a Gem is trapped in the observation orb in the Diamond base.
Like how Lapis could see through the mirror, I believe that this Gem can see things through the orb, and I think that the moon showing up is just one of several signs that this Gem is watching.
That said, the moon tends to show up a lot - and is often brighter - for certain types of events, including, but not limited to:
Steven and Amethyst's wrestling matches
Beach-a-Palooza (seems to be big on entertainment)
Steven and Connie being together
Rose and Greg being together
Garnet's wedding (appears to be a 'shipper)
Pink Pearl (I don't like the name "Volleyball" XD;;; ) coming to Earth
The Rose Buds coming to Earth
The whole fiasco after Steven found Pearl's phone (i.e. the whole "Rose was Pink Diamond" thing)
On top of that, when this Gem is paying extra close attention, it can affect the color of the moon, or even the sky without the moon...
Namely, it turns pink.
Now, I'll also note that I figured that White must've had mind-affecting powers long before her name was dropped: namely, after the Wanted arc (before Dewey Wins came out). I came to that idea because corrupted Gems - namely Centi - had their memories affected by the Diamond Song, and neither Blue nor Yellow showed any signs of using or probably even having such powers, with their powers already shown as being over emotion and physical forms, respectively.
I also noticed that it was shown that some things actually CAN reach through Rose's shield.
So if a search robonoid's beam can get through Rose's shield, then you can certainly bet that White Diamond's powers could, and if White Diamond's powers could get through the shield, then there's no guarantee that the Gems were fully protected by it, if at all.
And if White Diamond's mind-control powers can affect Gems' memories, then there's no guarantee that that anything the CGs remember is completely untainted, or even really based in reality...
...or that Rose Quartz was really Pink Diamond.
Even Steven's powers and such don't seem like a full guarantee. Did you notice the color of his Diamond-pupils?
White. Not black, like Yellow's, Blue's or Pink's - WHITE.
Like... well, White's.
I believe this is a sign that White not only tried to tamper with the memories in Steven's Gem, but also the powers and such, trying to give powers that shouldn't even be there, and/or amplify what little bit of Pink might actually have been in Rose.
Which... honestly, could explain a lot about why Steven's so unstable. ^_^;
But... yeah. Basically, I believe that White tried to make Rose/Steven into a replacement for the real Pink... who I believe to be the Gem trapped in the Earth's observation orb.
Release of a Prisoner
While people were trying to figure out "who shattered Pink Diamond?" I came to believe that Pink wasn't shattered at all, but was imprisoned on the moon... by White. (WARNING: REALLY OLD AND OUTDATED POST!) The narrative appeared to be that she and Rose were secretly working together to try and save at least one planet, with Rose rebelling openly, and Pink secretly feeding Rose info, pretending to be a tyrant.
It seemed to me like Pink was probably the only one who couldn't be controlled by White, having grown more powerful than her, as indicated by their murals.
In general, I figured that it would be a bad idea for Pink to have rebelled openly, or to have tried to convince the other Diamonds to stop taking planets (still do). I also figured that she also plain didn't want to fight directly against her family... and now, I'm also thinking it's possible that she might've been too afraid to do it. ^_^;
Since not long after A Single Pale Rose came out, I've also believed that Pink trying to fight a rebellion AS ROSE and not get noticed would be logistically impossible, what with all the going back-and-forth she'd probably have to do for Homeworld not to worry about her... and all the chances of getting caught by either side. XD;
But I've also long believed that she actually was caught: somehow, White managed to figure it out... and naturally was't happy. Pink was probably actually standing on the upper ledge behind her palanquin when she got dissipated, trying to reveal what she'd actually been doing before White managed to stop her.
(Hence the palanquin leaning forward, knocked over by the shockwave of Pink being poofed.)
White, however, still cared enough that she couldn't break Pink, and stuck her in a convenient prison, instead. Meanwhile, she hatched a plan to try and replace Pink, so that the Diamonds to stay together with a controllable, "Pink" free to keep expanding their Empire.
Since then, the real Pink has been stuck, able to watch what's going on, but unable to participate in it.
(Pic originally posted here.)
Heck, I wonder if her powers are the only reason the corrupted Gems were corrupted, instead of destroyed. =o
I've basically wanted her to be released ever since I figured she'd be stuck in there. To me, she was a hero who tried to do whatever she could to try and preserve a planet and give Gems some freedom - or in case she failed, to at least preserve a bit of the planet's people (thus, the zoo). I've seen ways she impacted the lives of the CGs... including Amethyst's before she had even emerged. I've wanted it to become known what kind of an impact she'd had, and for her to be able to have a positive impact again.
Well, I think that time is finally coming.
I've mentioned before that Pink would be a REALLY good person to help Steven with his powers and his PTSD (and other issues). I still think that this is true, and that now would be the BEST time for that to happen.
That said, I also think it would be good for some help to be had in the other direction.
Pink's Problems
Aside from the obvious complications of revealing that Pink didn't become Rose after all - which, actually, could be delayed while on the road, which might actually be a good thing (more later ^_^; ) - I think that Pink is going to have some struggles of her own. I'd noticed before that, while the moon tends to show up a lot to support Steven and such, it actually tends to DISAPPEAR if a conflict begins to escalate.
At the time, I just labelled it as "anxiety or something," but now I'm pretty sure what that "something" probably is:
PTSD.
I mean, think about it: she'd been involved in a GINORMOUS conflict for 1,000 years, controlling both sides and having to keep it secret. Maybe Pink even shattered a few Gems on purpose, because if she DIDN'T it would risk blowing her cover, which could blow her entire operation and leave the creatures of Earth with zero chance for a future... but of course, it would've pained her GREATLY.
In general, I always figured that the war would've been INCREDIBLY stressful for her... but that she always had Pink Pearl to help her through it.
(Pic from this old fic.)
And then she got stuck in the orb. =(
In the orb, Pink is well and truly alone; no one even realizes that she could be up there. She can watch events, but if they get stressful for her, there isn't an way for her to get any comfort or help. And she has to experience it after the war had be left with a painful sort of resolution.
If Lapis was affected badly... ho boy. O_O;;;
A Time for Healing
But yeah, if Steven and Pink both have the same kind of issues, then maybe it would help them both understand how to help the other. It could also help them feel a bit of solidarity; give them something to bond over.
I think it could also solve this:
Well... Pink isn't exactly Steven, but all things considered, she might be close enough - and maybe also different enough - for him to have what he needs. XDD At the very least, I suspect that they're both helpers, and that having someone with the same issue could give them a way to help themselves by healing the same thing in somebody else.
And hey, now the "other Steven" (i.e. Pink) could also have Steven, too. ;3
I think this could also help Steven with his "finding out who his is" stuff. In a way, Pink could be like a part of Steven that he never even knew he had. Maybe, by learning who she really is, he could learn about himself as he sees it reflected back at him - or at least, I think he could find aspects of her that he’d be proud to aspire to emulate, and she could FINALLY stop being someone for him to be plain embarrassed to be related/compared to. XD;
As for the two meeting... I figure White's gotta be involved - maybe finally try to confess - but other than that, it's pretty up in the air. XD; White does seem like she might be realizing that she messed up BIG TIME, given some of her recent behavior.
I've honestly expected Pink to lash out if White is involved - if so, I suspect that she wouldn't be able to finish it. XD;
As for accepting Pink... well, if there's anything left of Rose in him, I've imagined that Steven might break out crying in relief of seeing her alive, even if he doesn't recognize it, or understand why. ...Or, even if not, he might be a bit relieved - if confused - about not having inherited Pink's Gemstone. At the end of it, though, I think that he'll see her as someone new - someone he doesn't know - and who needs help, who may or may not share some of the same troubles as him.
...And if, by any chance, Pink knows how to calm him from a panic attack, that'll certainly be a nice bonus. XD;
But yeah, even if striking out on his own is technically a HORRIBLE idea on its own, I think that it'll turn out to have been the best choice. Like I mentioned, the two could travel, get to know each-other, and sort a lot of things out - just the two of them, keeping it simple before they add other things to their plate... things like the mess that'll happen as soon as the Gems find out. XD;
After watching the Earth for so long, I do think that Pink will likely want to experience it, so the timing of the road trip is good for her - it might even be one of the (many) meta-reasons why Steven is leaving (though I'm not ruling out that he's not entirely sane right now XD; ). I wouldn't be surprised if Steven even offers to let her ride with him - maybe even allow her to drive, sometimes. =3
And really after so much stress, I think that the two walking bombs softies really do need some time to party, relax, and generally have fun.
...As long as they don’t both panic at the same time, they should be okay. =D;;;
(Hoping for a running joke where they get mistaken for a couple. X3)
For the longest time (~3 years?), I have been seeing ways that finding Pink could happen within the next few eps (relative to whenever I was writing). Now, I believe we have signs that finding Pink NEEDS to happen... and soon!
(I mean, I always kind of figured that finding Pink needed to happen "and soon," but now it seems even more urgent, and for a LOT more pressing reasons. ^_^;
And besides... everything really does seem to be pointing to it now - at least, as far as I can tell. XD;)
Ultimately, I'm thinking that the trip will be memorable for Steven less because of the places he experiences, and more because of the one that he's likely to experience the trip with... and what he experiences because of her. =)
So I kind of missed the SU:F updates for a bit. ^_^; That said, I'm caught up now, and have some misc. comments that I figured I'd share... before the next eps or two comes out. XD;
...That said, I was actually working on this when I'd heard that Homeworld Bound was out already. -.-; It's on XFinity Stream, at least - and I suspect other streaming services - so I consider it "officially released." I've since adjusted to implement the new info. However, I'm making the comments in an ep-by-ep structure, so if you want to avoid spoilers, you can easily stop once you get here. =3
I'd also like to note that this one's more rambly than usual, so prepare yourself for rambles. XD
EDIT: Some adjustments, mostly additions.
EDIT2: Couple more little deets.
EDIT3: Few more MAJOR deets. XD;
Just a quick note: my current, primary theory is that, even with everything that seems to be glaringly obvious, White also has the power to alter Gems' memories and such, and Rose was not truly Pink Diamond (or at least, in a sense, not THE Pink Diamond). Lately, I basically think that she may be a sort of a hybrid, or at least that Pink put a lot of herself into Rose... lately I've even suspected that it might be even more literal than I've previously noted... as in, Pink may have prepped some healing tears and broken off a shard of herself... or something. ._.;;;
But yeah, I figured I'd note this in advance because, well... I realize it sounds crazy. It's going to be mentioned, so I ask for a bit of open-mindedness - or at least a willingness to entertain the idea, even if you think it's wrong (and I don't blame you if you do). Frankly, I wouldn't be surprized if a lot of people would have already closed this post before getting to this sentence. (That said, if you're still here, thank you!)
With that out of the way, let's get going!
In Dreams
Okay, so Crewniverse was definitely being self-aware, and using meta-humor. XD
I've commented here before that previous eps had a building feeling of listlessness and whatnot. My sister also has commented (not in a place I can link XD; ) that the opening theme gets more and more jarring with each episode. The both of us think that odds are pretty good that they'll switch to using something the reprise version of the theme. XD; ("Here we are in the future, and it's wrooooong!")
...That said, while things have been getting intense (not to mention REAL!), I do appreciate that we seem to be moving out of "boredom" eps. XD;
The dreams-being-broadcast thing is more-than-likely a bit of setup for later story points. I'm thinking "Emergency broadcast."
On an entirely different note, I like the confirmation that Peridot has green eyes. =3
Been sort of a headcanon of mine for awhile now. ^_^
Also, is it just me, or is Peridot getting taller? 83
Anyway, it's nice to have a bit of lighthearted funtimes in the midst of all the seriousness that has been going on. =3
Bismuth Casual
So... those toilet paper jokes certainly ended up being at an ironic time, right? XD;
Anyway, one of the things that stuck out to me is how increasingly obvious Pearl's obliviousness is.
One of my long-standing theories is that Rose saw Pearl more like a daughter, if anything... and didn't realize - or even have a clue that Pearl had a thing for her.
And I mean, really, if Pearl can't tell whether any human - or Gem - is into her, then how could she know for sure whether or not Rose did (or didn't)? Odds are she's just going by her memories... which I strongly believe to be unreliable, what with how many contradictions they have. ^_^;
Together Forever
(...Does anyone else keep hearing the old Pokémon song by the same name in their head? ^_^; )
...Okay, I'm gonna confess: it actually didn't occur to me that either Steven or Ruby was supposed to be "cute" until it was mentioned in Hit the Diamond and Sadie Killer. (I didn't count Andy saying it in Gem Harvest because I figured he had a family bias. ^_^; I mean, he did make a complete and abrupt 180 about the parts of his plane being recycled, once it was Steven who started using them.)
...Cuteness is in the eye of the beholder, I guess. XD;
I guess I can see how Crewniverse was going for "cute" with Steven... Still, about the only time I've considered "Steven" to be cute - visually or otherwise - was after that last bout of Ultimate Steven tag.
...Yeah, I think that the Gems did the puppy-dog eyes better than Steven did. ^_^; I mean, I would call Steven "sweet," "silly," and a number of other things. Just... "cute" isn't typically one of them for me. ^_^;
That said, there are moments when I think that Ruby is being cute. =3 One of them is when she RAEGING.
Another one is when she's being happy... especially when she's super-excited.
So yeah. =3 For me, it was pretty nice to see Ruby spazzing like that. It's also kind of nice to see Steven eating sweets again... even if it's for unfortunate reasons.
...yeah.
It's also nice to see R+S's new forms. =3
The headband is back! 83
(...Why hasn't there been a mention of Sapphire being cute? She seems like the most obvious choice. XD; )
On another topic... So it’s not just Pearls that can store stuff in their gems? o.O
Anyway, part of my theory is that [Pink is really trapped in the moon base's observation orb], which she can use to see some of what's going on. When Pink is watching, the moon might show up, and/or the sky might turn pink (usually around dawn/dusk) - the more intense either of these things are, the more intensely she's watching.
Looking back at when either of these happen, I've noticed that:
She seems to be a 'shipper
She particularly 'ships Steven + Connie
This ep certainly continues with that pattern. 83 Heck, I think that the extra lights on the horizon might even be from Pink - maybe even intentional on her part.
Even after the turn-down, the moon still showed, BRIGHTLY - at least until Garnet got there.
I also noticed the moon at the end of Little Graduation - in general, I'm getting an impression that Pink has been wanting to help Steven... but obviously, she wouldn't be able to.
However, that said, with the way things are looking, I think that she's going to get her chance, shortly... more on that farther down. =3
Side note: The glowstick-bracelet “ring” is a nice touch. =3
Other side note: JAM BUDS REFERENCE! 83
Also: Strawberry. =3
Also-also: it seems like Garnet actually does tend to give some pretty good love advice.
"Your soulmate is your compliment, not your missing piece. [...] Whatever hole there is in your life, Steven, I want you to understand that Connie - Stevonnie - won't be able to fill it." - Garnet, Together Forever
...Also-also, my suspicions about Garnet sorta being three people keep growing. XD;
...Incidentally, I’ve mentioned before that I think that Connie is probably ace and/or aro (though I didn’t know the latter term at the time).
Growing Pains
On the funny (at least to me) side, I noticed that Dr. Maheswaren checked for Steven’s heartbeat on his right side (which, ironically, would be the wrong side XD).
There actually is a genetic condition that can flip the positioning of the internal organs, though I’m pretty sure that it’s simply an oversight in this case. For one, Dr. Maheswaren shouldn’t think to check there unless she’d checked the usual positioning, first. For another... it’s actually not the only slip up in that shot; Steven’s gem has a hexagonal crown instead of the usual pentagonal one. (This happens a lot, especially on Quartzes.) The biggest thing, however, is that Steven actually does grab the left side of his chest later on.
But yeah, just some stuff that I thought maybe some other people might consider interesting. =3
Anyway...
So it's FINALLY established that Steven has PTSD... and appears to be having panic attacks. Frankly, for a long time, I was under the impression that nothing like this would ever come up. XD;;; Call me crazy, but in a weird way, this is kind of a relief for me. It makes things feel more genuine to me.
...Hmm... I wonder if part of why we haven't seen panic in other characters is because they're hiding their own PTSD? Maybe the reason why so many are just carrying on is as a sort of coping mechanism. Maybe the also don't want anyone to worry.
...Or maybe this is an effect of this being a cartoon. >.>; I mean, as much as I can see that Crewniverse is trying to touch on a lot of hard topics (and I appreciate that), we can only expect it to be so realistic. Plus, a good story needs a bit of balance to it - as nice as it is to see the worrying stuff, it needs a good balance, or else it tends to be overwhelming.
In particular, I've been reminded that SU:F does have a number of much-younger viewers - I think we need to bear in mind that they probably aren't likely to handle this stuff as well as the older audiences. ^_^;
But yeah, I'm definitely glad that at least there's something, and the reaction seems fairly realistic (at least as far as having a half-Gem character goes). Even the fact that there was a delay is fairly realistic... maybe a bit more of a delay than usual, but... I guess Steven is half-Gem?
Also: cartoon. XD;
And of course, it's really fascinating to see the medical aspect of Gems (or a lack thereof).
And of course, the sneaking in of an Amethyst-behavior joke. X3
Also: you can see Steven's chart in two of the transitions. 83
(Assuming Dr. Maheswaren got his height right... I’m actually admittedly jealous that he’s actually taller than me - especially since it looks to me like he should be shorter. XD; )
Also-also: I noticed that a lot of things that had nothing to do with Steven's life being in danger got referenced. ^_^; Granted, I'm sure they're still important to him, but I thought I'd still bring it up.
I also couldn't help but notice there being a direct reference to Adverse Childhood Experiences, which is an actual term. I suppose Steven's are unusual... but whatever the form, ACEs can still be pretty impactful. =/
...I do wonder if Crewniverse knows anything about Childhood Emotional Neglect. It's supposedly an even bigger impact than abuse and whether one recovers from it. That said, AFAIK it's lesser-known - even the term was coined less than a decade ago (2012, if I've got my dates right). It's mentioned on the list of ACEs... I think? But it's not very well defined there, so... it's hard to know.
At any rate, it definitely seems like a thing that could be a factor... more on that farther down.
Mr. Universe
It was nice to see Steven and Greg getting some bonding time in... even if it was short-lived. ^_^;
Can't help but wonder whether or not Steven's eating a veggie burger. XD;
Steven drooling in his sleep... it's been a headcanon/theory of mine that maybe Pink does that. X3
Okay, so maybe this is a cute picture of Steven... now that he's more grown-up. X3
Anyway, It's nice to learn some more about Greg's side of the family. Especially since - aside from the strictness - they really do seem like they're probably nice people.
I mean, for one, they still kept reminders of Greg - his stuff, pictures of the whole fam, and even his letters... even if they never opened them.
(...Is it just me, or does Greg's mom look an awful lot like Connie's?)
And based on their stuff, I think it's pretty likely that they at least have a gentle side... even if maybe they didn't know how to properly use it with Greg. XD; (Or maybe they're simply an appearance-conscious family. ^_^; ...Which is apparently considered a gaslighting type of parenting-style. =/)
In any case, I hope we meet them, later. =3 Maybe they've mellowed out... or maybe they will as soon as they meet Steven. X3
My sis pointed out that Dear Old Dad plays - as in, the song from the last ep Steven and Greg fought in. Only this time, it didn't end out well. ^_^; Quoth her, "That's some next-generation foreshadowing!"
But yeah, I can see why Greg might be so frustrated at his parents that he would want to change his surname. ^_^; ...And I can also see why Steven would be upset at Greg going as far as he did. =/ Pendulum effect: being so upset by one extreme that you go just as far into the other extreme, and it sounds like Steven paid for it. -.-;
This is part of what I mean by Childhood Emotional Neglect potentially being a factor... though in general, Greg's hands-off parenting style could very well fit in as a form of emotional neglect - parents who are just kind of buddies and try to give comfort on everything kind of avoid a lot of the issues, instead of teaching their kids how to deal with them, including on an emotional level. ^_^;
But yeah, the fact that Greg apparently didn't consider whether Steven might still want some of the usual aspects of childhood seems like it could also count. ^_^; At the very least, it's common for Well-Meaning-But-Emotionally-Neglected-Themselves parents to give their kids what they wish they had in childhood, without actually considering whether it's what the children themselves want.
It's also common for emotional neglect to be passed on through families in ways such as this, so... seems like it could be a thing.
Oh, and you know how Steven also had to be "the adult" for the Gems a lot? That also counts as CEN. XD; Heck, that link even mentions the need to care for others that Steven continues to struggle with.
The parts about Steven trying to hide his struggles would also fit in with CEN, though his knowledge of emotions - and vocabulary thereof - does seem to be pretty big. I can't help but wonder if CEN is something that's being inserted in more as a retcon, but wasn't planned at the beginning. I mean... CEN was just being figured out around the time that the original SU series came out, so it seems pretty unlikely that it was the original plan. I could see Crewniverse trying to work it in now, though.
...It's also possible that it's not really what they're going for and that it's sort of included by accident. XD; I mean, there's often more than one way to arrive at the same conclusion, even coming from the same set of information, at times.
But yeah, CEN is important to me, and it's nice to see that it might be a part of the show. =3
Fragments
Okay, so that first convo was chock-full of examples on what NOT to say to someone who’s panicking. ^_^;
And those are just a few of them. ^_^;
I think that this is probably foreshadowing, and/or a setup for something coming shortly. More on this farther down.
Anyway, I'm sure I'm not the only one who was thinking back to Why So Blue? XD;
(Or, belatedly, Strong in the Real Way.)
I do think Jasper has kind of a point about learning to control anger by using it. All-in-all, though, I think she's only about half-right. ^_^; The parts about using it solely in violence... yeah
I see Steven’s eating fish, again. =3
It’s also neat to see him chopping wood with his hands. X3
...Not to mention Jasper’s new helmet. 83
It looks to me like Pink might have noticed some training, or at least may have been looking around the area.
...I suspect that she doesn't know about all the details, though. ^_^;
Homeworld Bound
Okay, first off, I think that Garnet may have said the family thing for Future Vision reasons - probably related to what the Diamonds said, even if she doesn't know that.
And now that that's out of the way, I was really glad to see Spinel again. =3
It does seem a bit weird that she's around as tall as Steven when she was shorter than him in the movie.
And I'm pretty sure that Steven's gotten even taller since the movie. XD; Though maybe Yellow made Spinel taller...?
EDIT: I remembered that she probably wouldn’t be the first. Could be a pattern.
Anyway, I also like the confirmation that Yellow's and Blue's powers seem to be about affecting the forms of Gems, and their emotions, in general - I've made a little spreadsheet (vaguely) touching on stuff like that, before.
Also, Blue getting a full song of her own. Plus, the implications that Blue's powers are probably water-related. =3
(Who wants to try one of Blue's happy clouds? *raises hand* =D)
Not to mention Spinel doing the hammock hair thing. X3
*ahem* However... this is the second time one of the eps has felt like it's been full of Gems that are more-or-less hypnotised (the first one being Familiar). A little too happy and/or nonchalant, and a little too conclusion-jump-ish. =/ (Especially Yellow for that last one. XD; ) Steven's even pointed stuff like this this out.
Which... White acted also that way. If she really does have mind control powers, I think that this might be a sign that she's still using them, even on Blue and Yellow. ^_^;
Another thing that I think is odd is that the Diamonds were all taking initiative in doing good stuff. In the movie, it seemed pretty clearly like they were only doing good things in order to try and please Steven and get him to stay with them.
White in particular was still disgusted at the idea of thinking of others as “equal.” XD;
They were even willing to move to Earth, leaving all those hurt Gems behind, instead of trying to do anything for them. =/
And yet, despite all that, Spinel in particular felt a little too weird to me (somehow XD; ). A little too unconcerned about Steven's feelings, a little too relaxed and... blissful? ^_^; She actually handwaved the "embarrassing" issue of having tried to kill Steven.
This is the second time we've seen something like this. =/
In a way, maybe Spinel's a little too close to her original personality, in general - as in, maybe less "healed" and more "reverted." =/
I mean, it's only been... a few months? If I understand correctly? Difficult thoughts and such do not just evaporate like that - ESPECIALLY if they're more-or-less intrusive ones. =/
And a lot of the time, it seems like her voice and intonation is closer to what she had with her original personality. ...It does seem kind ambiguous, though I suspect that that’s on purpose. XD;
Here's what I think to be the kicker, though: you know the song she started singing when Steven asked how she stopped having vengeful thoughts?
It's the same song that Spinel said had said would NOT make everything better. XD;
"Just can it, won't ya?! You can't just make everything better by singing some STUPID SONG!" - Spinel, SU Movie
(Incidentally, I noticed that the moon actually did show up - rather obviously - during said song. Whoops. ^_^; It looks like Pink has probably seen Spinel’s “evil” form, after all.)
Also... Quite honestly, the way Spinel mentions not getting vengeful thoughts anymore makes her seem... "drugged" to me. ^_^;
Possibly-similarly... this line seems odd to me.
For Spinel to tell Steven that White's powers work in reverse, she'd have to know:
How White's powers worked in the first place
That Steven knows how White's powers worked in the first place
I mean, I guess it's not impossible that White's powers are/were common knowledge, but... I dunno. XD; It would have to mean letting Gems know that White could control them outright... and that White had used her powers on Steven's friends. ^_^; I guess it's also possible that this was told to Spinel as a way of trying to bond over/help with the "tried to kill Steven" thing but... yeah, again, I dunno. ^_^; If that were the case, it's possible that Spinel would mention it, rather than bursting out into song.
At any rate, I'm not ruling out mind-affecting as a possible reason for her knowledge.
So... yeah. I suspected that White acted the way she did when seeing Spinel because Spinel knew (or otherwise had) something that White wanted to be kept hidden. I kind of suspected that poor Spinel would get hit by White's powers pretty much right away, and to me, it looks like she did, and was placated a la mind-control. =(
Speaking of White... I'm guessing that the "pink-colored White" in the intro was actually Steven controlling her, or something. ^_^;
If so, then that's interesting twist on what's considered a "danger"...
...though that said, it looks like White managed to shed the pinkish tinge she had in the movie.
Now it seems to depend on the lighting, and is a fair bit fainter.
(Upper pic: purple. Lower pic: brown.)
So... that said, I wouldn't rule out that maybe she found a way to keep the pink from getting worse - heck, maybe that's even one of the reasons why she's letting Gems control her, briefly. Maybe it somehow keeps the pink from growing more saturated, or something.
So... yeah, while I think there's a good chance that the foreshadowed "Pink White" is already touched on, I'm not entirely ruling out that it might still be coming. I mean, the theory that I was going with was that [Rose's gemstone had a virus in it], that Pink made specifically for White. Possible circumstances to trigger the virus include:
Removing Rose's gemstone from whoever Rose’s child would be
Touching Rose's gemstone, in general
Trying to remove Rose from her gemstone - especially if from her child
Mind- and memory-manipulation on Rose's gemstone, in general
It's also possible that more than one trigger was programmed in.
Possible reasons for a virus include:
Trying to force White to learn empathy
Exposing White
In case the worst more-or-less happened
Prankage
Though yeah, if Rose's/Steven's gemstone really does have a virus in it, or something, I think odds are that White letting Steven control her is going to accelerate it. XD;
Also thought I'd note: while Spinel!White accurately reflects the colors of Spinel, Steven!White seems to better resemble Pink Steven than Pink Diamond, or Rose.
...Don't wanna dig up comparison pics, but I still thought I'd bring it up. XD;
Anyway, I can't help but wonder if there's some sort of deeper meaning to the scene with giant!Steven controlling little!White - like if there's something from Pink slipping in there, and her frustrations with whatever White did to her in the past.
I mean... Steven mentioned "everything" she did to him, and there were only flashbacks of stuff from Change Your Mind. Which... yeah, sure, a lot happened in a short period of time, but... I still wonder. ^_^;
Aaaand it's becoming pretty evident that whatever traces of Pink are in Steven are coming out pretty strongly.
...On another note, the softer "Pink" hairstyle that Steven is getting might be a hint that the more-solid, five-lump "Steven" style that Pink is sometimes shown with is not her actual style. ;3
(My personal belief is that her appearance in Jungle Moon accurately reflects what she looks like - everything else is probably tainted by memory-alteration a la White.)
...anyway...
My guess(es) on what's next
Okay, I was previously assuming that Steven would first fight the worm-thing (which I thought might have been a mutated Jasper, after getting all that essence-of-Diamond in one dose XD; ). I was also speculating about White having turned a much-more-intense shade of pink, accusing Steven of it, and a fight breaking out between the two (with a note that it might be a good thing that Steven's learned to better control his Diamond powers =D; ).
Now it’s looking like the “Pink White” may have already been covered... or maybe it’s still being foreshadowed. Hard to say at this point.
That said, I think there's still a good chance that White will still try to follow Steven for one reason or another, despite his plea not to. I mean, it looks like she may have genuinely been impacted by what happened with Steven controlling her... or at least terrified. XD;
She still asked him to wait, despite that.
Steven did leave his shoe behind, a la Cinderella. This could be a hint about someone following him and returning it to him. Maybe there'll be something about it fitting after he's calmed down? =3
Though... yeah. Maybe letting Steven puppet her will result in her turning pink and coming after him for it. Or maybe White will still try to follow out of more a compassionate reason - or just to “fix him, like she’s apparently done with so many other Gems XD - and Steven will try to keep her away.
In any case, I’m thinking that odds are that Steven will end up getting in a fight with What, and that it will end up being on Earth, at least at some point during the struggle. If so, I tend to imagine something like this happening:
If Pink observes a fight between the two, it might be enough for the moon + sky thing to trigger in broad daylight. If so, then the fact that there's someone on the moon who can turn the sky pink will be impossible to miss. XD Even if it's not a fight that does it, I think odds are good that something like that will be how Pink being up there would be revealed, as well as working as a quick explanation that the moon + sky color are actually important.
If something like that does happen, then I think that White will finally fess up about messing with Gems' memories + thoughts and imprisoning Pink in the orb. I mean... she'd basically be backed into a corner. It also seems like she's getting to a point where she'd consider telling Steven anyway - just maybe she'd freak out and back out first, and/or the sky would beat her to it. XD;
I've also considered that maybe Steven's powers would get strong enough that he could be contacted by Pink in his dreams, anyway - they're not mutually-exclusive, so maybe both will happen?
But yeah. There's plenty of evidence of a moon prisoner, and plenty of that evidence highly suggests that it's Pink. I know I always say this, but I think it's time - maybe even well-past-time XD; - for Pink to be released.
A few possible roles of Pink (plus rambles)
Think about it: just about everyone that Steven knows - or is close to, at least - has been failing him in one way or another. No one seems to know what's the best way to help him, or even fully understand just what exactly he might be going through - even White said that no one would be able to relate to him... but I don't think that's fully true.
Sure, maybe nobody could easily, and/or fully relate to the half-human thing, but I think there's a chance that, say, Lapis, Peridot and Bismuth could at least help with the "vengeful thoughts" thing.
But Pink, Pink could probably help with the powers, and maybe a few other things. I mean, they're probably her powers - or at least a variation of them. Heck, she may be even more powerful than Steven is. XD If anyone could help Steven get things under control, Pink can.
Heck, maybe Pink even knows how to help calm down somebody who’s having a panic attack - or at least knows how to help Steven with his panic. Given that nobody else seems to know about this, it seems pretty likely that it might be what Crewniverse is going for. =3 And hey... if nothing else, maybe it’s something she picked up just from watching the Earth for so long. (I mean... if she’s really been stuck for 5,000 years, odds are that she’s picked up on a few things. Not like she’d have an awful lot else to do, anyway. XD; )
I admit... it’d be a little extra cool to me since I’ve had the idea that it might be something that Pink would do. 83 Sort of a headcanon/fanfic idea that I never really got to or anything. XD;
But yeah, at this point, I think odds are good that Steven will more-or-less beg Pink to stay with him for awhile. XD
I mean... maybe they could ask Pink Pearl (I really don't like the name "Volleyball," sorry XD; ) about Steven’s powers, but I think she might still have too much trauma of her own over Pink's powers to really be able to help. ^_^;
...Though that said, I've suspected that White placated her, too. If her traumas can still show through... I think odds are good that others' traumas will end up resurfacing - and thus being addressed - too. =3
...But yeah, it seems like White's MO involved making everyone just forget about things, and/or suddenly become happy. ^_^; ...Another form of emotional neglect, I suppose.
I also it's possible that part of the reason why Steven is having trouble is because White did something to him. =/ I mean, if White really did remove whatever was left of Rose, then she may have removed an important part of Steven... and if she added something to him, it might be a big part of why he's so... unstable. -.-;
...Heck, maybe the reason why Steven's been getting white Diamond-pupils is because White did something to him. o.O Maybe that why Steven!White has them, too, despite Spinel!White having black pupils.
At any rate, maybe the real Pink could shed some light on that, too. ...And/or maybe White will fess up. XD; I think the latter is much, much more likely in this case, though.
I do think that, once Pink is released, it's likely to result in a lot of chaos, on account of Gems learning that things aren't how they thought they were - just one of many reasons why I think that White has still left her in there. ^_^; However, that said, maybe Pink could end up being a catalyst in bringing those problems to the surface, so that they can be addressed. XD;
But yeah. Overall, I think one of her roles would be in healing... just like with Rose, Steven, and their powers. I think she'd also be good for helping uncover the truth of what really happened, along with other things.
Could be ironic; it's Steven Universe: Future, but there might end up being a lot of looking at the past. Granted, maybe that's the point: look to the past to better understand the future. =3
What if Steven Universe Future ends when there's no more, "Steven Universe?"
Maybe Steven changes his name like Greg did.
(”Lion 4: Alternate Ending,” S4, Ep21)
And Pink Diamond too:
(”A Single Pale Rose,” S5, Ep18”)
Both of his parents rebelled against their families and left to build their own lives and shape their own futures but they changed their names in the process. With Steven having some hard feelings towards both Rose and Greg, maybe he’ll change his name in order to distance himself from them and give himself the freedom to be who he wants.
Also, a name is supposed to represent who a person is on the inside, right now, Steven is still figuring that out and maybe when he does, he’ll go by a different name to represent that he’s whoever he says he is and no one else can make that decision.
Steven has gone by different names before (even though both were for mission-like situations):
(”Gem Heist,” S4, Ep13)
(”Doug Out,” S4, Ep22)
We've seen him tell us who he's NOT:
(”Bubbled,” S3, Ep25)
(”Reunited,” S5 Ep23)
(”Change your mind,” S5 Ep29)
(SUF “Snow Day,” Ep7)
But does he really know who he IS?
He says he's, “Steven Universe,” but with him trying to make this point over and over, has his own name become just words that replace, "I'm not…[Pink/Rose/a foe/a kid]?"
(”Earthlings,” S3 Ep23)
(”Legs from here to Homeworld,” S5 Ep24)
(SUF “Volleyball,” Ep4)
With needing to use his name so often to correct others that he’s not his mom, this can lead to a negative association with his name and traumatic experiences.
