WHITE DIAMOND AU STEVEN IS GOING TO FUCKING DROWN/ALMOST DROWN AND I'M NOT SURE IF I'M EXCITED OR TERRIFIED (theory post)

(cw drowning and stuff ofc)

Okay so in the past few days I read the entirety of Chekhov's White Diamond Steven AU, which is very good and everyone should read. And while reading it, I noticed something... interesting.

There are numerous instances where Steven will come close to drowning, and usually, someone will mention something along the lines of "Steven's a gem, he doesn't need to breathe." I looked through the comic to find instances, or references to Steven and drowning, or just how often Steven will go into deep water, and there are a lot. Some of my evidence could be reaching, but I have a somewhat coherent internal logic for why everything is here.

I apologize for the low image quality in places. The 30 image limit is kicking my ass.

In Seasons 1 and 2 there aren't that many instances. Steven goes underwater and comes out a soggy beast once in Season One, but that doesn't really count. In Season 2, while controlling Earl through dreams, he mentions "the water creeping higher and higher."

And in the Season 2 finale, right before it's revealed that Steven is White Diamond, Steven goes into the water to save Earl, and emerges from the water with Earl, which is followed by Rose's realization and revealing that he's White Diamond. i'm gonna bring this up again later remember this

In S3E27, Amethyst tells Steven to stop bleeding, moments before they go underwater and it's highlighted that Steven needs to breathe.

In S3E31, Steven mentions he wishes he could breathe underwater, is moments later dragged underwater by Lapis, and at the end there's a panel of bubbles floating upwards.

In S3E32, the Crystal Gems are discussing while Steven is zoning out, and Pearl(?) brings up how he shouldn't need to breathe underwater (implying they pulled him out of the water after nearly drowning). In S3E34, Lapis plunges Steven underwater, and parts the sea to let Steven find her (to reveal the full truth of who she is). S3E36, Lapis almost drowns Steven (after he reveals that he's white diamond, might i add. i'm going somewhere with this).

In S3E46, Ruby and Steven go underwater, and after Steven comes up for air, he says he felt like his lungs weren't gonna take it, and Ruby points out that gems don't have lungs.

In S4E1, Adventurine plunges Coral underwater, Steven's realization that it's just him and not him and Earl is paired with water and reflection imagery, and after they unfuse, there are a good few moments where they're underwater, and in shock.

In S4E8, Stevonnie brings up how Steven doesn't need to breathe, but Connie does.

S4E17 opens with Steven underwater and coming up for air.

S5E1, Steven and Connie have a conversation in Rose's healing fountain, and they talk an awful lot about how Steven's very much alive, and very unlike the rest of the gems. And hints started being dropped that it's gonna be revealed soon that Steven's human.

And oh yeah- in almost every single White Diamond Steven dream sequence, there is heavy use of water and reflection imagery.

Okay. So there's all my evidence. I think it's undeniable that this is, at the very least, a pattern. Steven's been associated with drowning and water and all that jazz for a WHILE. So where am I going with this?

Well, to lead into my answer, I'd like to draw your attention to another pattern: truth being revealed, or starting to be revealed, or revelations being had, around water. With Steven realizing Earl's nowhere to be found in Coral, with Connie starting to realize Steven's human in Rose's fountain, and most notably, with everyone realizing Steven is White Diamond, after they wade out of the ocean.

People have had the feeling for a little while that the reveal that Steven is human is coming up. Four seasons of believing Steven is a gem merely having deceived himself into believing he's human- that cannot continue forever. That bubble needs to pop one of these days. And with Connie having one of Steven's hairs, it's 100% coming up.

So here's my theory: part of the reveal that Steven is human is going to involve drowning somehow.

Because think about it: the gems currently believe Steven fully convinced himself he was human growing up, and as such, has conditioned himself to bleed, to want food, to get tired, and yes, to feel like being underwater for too long will cause him to drown. And so far, any instances to the contrary have been able to be brushed off with the belief Steven conditioned himself into seeing himself as human! Steven's hungry? He grew up believing he needed to eat. Tired? He grew up believing he needed sleep. Etc, etc, etc. Steven just needs to shake off that (if you will) programming, and once he does, he's home free.

But of course, that's wrong. He is human. He doesn't need food or sleep or air because he's conditioned himself into believing he needs them. He needs food and sleep and air because he is human. And the "he's conditioned himself into thinking he needs these" excuse works for a while. But there's a limit to that.

And I really think that limit would be "Steven almost/actually briefly dying." His heart stopping for a few moments. Programming can only go so far, and I don't think anyone could fully believe he's a gem after his heart stops.

And with how often Steven has gone underwater, I fully believe the reveal that he's human will come with Steven almost drowning- especially considering the water imagery in his White Diamond dreams, and ESPECIALLY considering the White Diamond reveal in Season 2 came directly after Steven waded into deep water. So it'd be a neat parallel- his Diamond status and human-ness are both revealed after going into deep water.

I also think Lapis COULD be involved with that somehow but I'm not completely sure how. Like she's gonna be FURIOUS if/when she's freed from the bubble- she got trapped AGAIN. So if and when she is released? She's gonna be pissed. And I don't think it'll go well for Steven.

@ask-whitepearl-and-steven DON'T TELL ME IF I'M RIGHT I JUST NEED TO GET THIS OUT THERE BEFORE MY BRAIN DISSOLVES IF I'M RIGHT THEN I'M GOING TO FUCKING EXPLODE AND IT'LL BE PANDEMONIUM

Graffiti spotted in Quebec City

just a reminder to COMPLETELY boycott Eurovision this year; Azerbaijan and Israel, despite committing genocide, are STILL allowed to compete & have NOT been banned. by refusing to ban both countries, Eurovision is profiting off of the genocide of Palestinians and Armenians.

do not listen to the artists. do not pirate or stream the artists' music, and this applies to ALL the artists who are competing and performing this year. do not listen to the songs on ANY platform, do not give them ANY attention.

write to your broadcasters and tell them you REFUSE to watch the channels until they recognise the Armenian and Palestinian genocides & that you find it disgusting how they are allowing Eurovision despite Azerbaijan and Israel's entries.

do NOT give eurovision OR the competing artists ANYTHING but silence.

boycott ALL of eurovision.

Don't forget about the Palestinians.

Don't forget about them now.

Don't forget about them tomorrow.

Don't forget about them in a week from now.

Don't forget about them in a month.

Don't forget them next year.

Don't forget them in 5 years.

When the history books start to update, don't let them put lies in there.

When documentaries come out, boycott the ones who call this a victory for Israel.

When books release talking about soldier's personal experiences with Palestine, remember the victims. Remember the truth.

Don't forget about what we've seen.

Don't forget about what we've heard.

Don't let them tell lies about Palestine.

Don't forget about the Palestinians when the world tries to make this go away.

Unpopular opinion but literally not one person in the world should have their human rights violated

If one person's rights can be waved away, so can yours

yes, even those people.

Fuck it, adding on: This is why it's frustrating to see criminal defense lawyers getting a bad rep.

The right to a fair trial is a human right. In practice, a fair trial necessitates a lawyer. This means that even if somebody committed the worst crimes you could possibly imagine, they still deserve a lawyer.

Somebody has to defend them as a matter of human rights. As one of my professors said, way back in my first semester at uni: "Everybody deserves to have somebody in their corner."

nb the source of criminal defense attorneys getting a bad rep is always, always copaganda. same with the incredibly bullshit narrative of “if you didn’t do anything wrong then why do you need a lawyer?” the purpose of both these terrible stupid pro-cop arguments are to deny you your legal rights. 

Someone else said it very well here on this website:

A government whose people lose their rights once they become criminals has a very vested interest in making their critics criminals.

Just Some Guy OC Tourney - Side B: Round 1

Rules:

Bea Hart | He/Him | @lowpolyskeletonz

Bea Hart may be half God, but you know what he also is? Just a guy. He's a husband and father, an absolute sweetheart and probably the only person in his friend group who's still atleast half human.

~

Levi | He/him | @cyikess

An unwilling chronic isekai protagonist. He can't catch a break! He keeps getting thrown to new and different fantasy/sci-fi/whatever worlds when all he wants is his normal life back. He's just a guy!

~

Full images and descriptions under the cut!

@just-some-guy-joust

Is it uncouth to make propaganda about my own guy? Maybe. But I'm totally taking this as an opportunity to rant about Bea so so hard.

Now, I know what your thinking, how is a DEMIGOD "just some guy"? Because in contrast to his entire story and family, he really is just some guy!

First of all, being half human makes him the most human out of his entire family and friends. Infact, he's probably the only one that is at least part human! He lives with aliens, goop monsters, the void, living space and so many robots and computer viruses. And yet he is literally just some demigod. He doesn't even know he's a demigod for the first 27 years of his life!

And you know what this man does after realising he's a demigod? He settles down and starts a family. Yup. He gets 4 husbands and a daughter. His hobby is literally art and computers. He's a nerd.

Even in alternate universes, he's usually just some guy stuck in the worst and craziest situations ever. He is Just Some Guy. But he is Also My Guy. Thank you. Thank you.

(extra bea art under the cut for the masses.)

Bea propaganda: I write a lot of AUs with skeleton with Bea in them and he is literally just the Some Guy Ever.

Stuck in the backrooms? He's the only sensible and sane person where. Why is there murder. Why are there ghosts. WHAT IS GOING ON HE WANTS TO GO HOME.

Half Life 2 au? He and the main antagonist's assistant turn into the most domestic qpp ever. He's just the tech guy he's never done anything wrong in his life.

The Strama au? Dude he's just playing ds games with a stoner and maybe kissing them it's literally so chill. (Ignore the apocalypse going on in the background!)

Bea is one of my favorite silly little guys out of all the guys my friends have come up with. He is bealoved<3

I feel like so many of the critiques levied against Steven Universe could be levied against something like Gravity Falls and apply equally, if not more, and the only reason Gravity Falls was never dragged through the mud like SU was is because it wasn't as gay

No but seriously.

Goes from episodic to serialized? Gravity Falls did that (ALONG WITH 90% OF CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED KIDS CARTOONS).

Some fairly racist stuff? Gravity Falls had honestly more of that (and a lot more problematic stuff tbh).

Filler episodes after huge plot drops? Gravity Falls had a fucking DND episode and "The Stanchurian Candidate" right after FUCKING NOT WHAT HE SEEMS and A Tale Of Two Stans. Roadside Attraction, a complete filler episode about Dipper trying to get a girlfriend, came right before DIPPER AND MABEL VS THE FUTURE, the episode that leads into WEIRDMAGEDDON.

And I am saying this as someone who fucking LOVES Gravity Falls! What I am saying here is that the critiques of SU were especially fucking stupid because a lot of them could just as easily be applies to Gravity Falls, a show that was never hated as much. The most hate it got was with Mabel, whose only crime was being flawed and being a girl.

Meanwhile- jesus christ you can barely discuss SU without discussing how despised it was, even though in many respects, I think SU was much better than GF. They're not trying to do the same thing, of course, but SU does do several things better than Gravity Falls. I think the filler leading into serialized helps build the characters more, so when we get hit with stuff like On The Run, and The Arrival, and all of that, it hits more because you know them better than if SU was fully serialized. I think filler after huge plot drops helps the plot breathe, lets reveals take the time they need. And SU has far better representation than Gravity Falls ever did, that's undeniable.

It's almost like Steven Universe's real sin wasn't the plot, or the characters who had realistic flaws, or the pacing having been rushed at the end because Rebecca had to cram two-three seasons into five episodes.

It's almost like the real sin of Steven Universe was fighting tooth and nail to be explicitly, unabashedly gay.

Imagine that.

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what’s possible for characters vs. what the audience sees. (This might feel really obvious or redundant to talk about, but I just need to get the words out of my system)

In Steven Universe, when a character can’t do something, it’s a bit of a big deal. They struggle with it, they fixate on it, entire episodes may be dedicated to this thing they’re unable to do. When a character can do something, but doesn’t, it’s never focused on or called out. But when it does finally happen, it underscores a huge moment for that character.

As early as episode 10, it’s confirmed  that Amethyst is able to bubble Gems. The action itself is not a big deal for her. Maybe she’s done it lots of times offscreen, where the audience hasn’t seen it. But since it’s our first time seeing her do this, it underscores her growth in this character arc, as she sends her tormentor and kindred spirit away.

On the other end of things, Garnet’s refusal to ask questions in the present ends up being a highlight for her backstory–she’s only shown asking questions in the far, far past, to highlight her very first moments of being in comparison to how firm and completely certain she is of herself now.

One can assume that Greg has always had some manner of social life outside of Steven and the Gems, but it has never once been mentioned who his friends are or what he does when he’s not working or hanging out with Steven. To wait until after he’s reconciled with Pearl to mention any sort of social action underscores how much he was letting the past get in the way of his friendships before this point. Considering this same episode is about Pearl doing the same for her social life highlights that further.

No one ever calls out these actions, or lackthereof, within the show. Things that aren’t happening lay in wait, to emphasize important moments in a character’s development.

All this is to say…

boy howdy they must be saving up Pearl shapeshifting for an absolute doozy.

Now THIS is a post that aged well

unclench your jaw

This post reminds even ME to unclench my jaw. Relax your eyebrows too while you're at it

alex hirsch going rogue… king shit

@dimonds456

saw someone on instagram say “you shouldn’t post your art until it’s good” and that comment filled me with rage so i want to say to every beginner artist or artist who feels their art is not improving no matter how long they’ve been at it. i love you and i love your art and everything you post bears part of you and that is so beautiful. block everyone who says otherwise they are not entitled to freely consume what they rag on.

Imagine thinking that an artist has created art only so that you can look at it, and not to stop their own soul physically clawing it's way out of their chest

hey guys have you watched PEAK yet? You fucking should/pos

normalize normal

and if you feel comfortable sharing what song(s), let us know in the tags!

Was tasked to make a poster design for a movie for a class so in honor of the BENDY movie announcement I did my take on it :D

I’m still cursed to only being able to draw Malice but I’m not complaining