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hi tweeps let& #39;s go down my favorite Steven Universe rabbit hole: astral projection and the "psychic ghost" thing. AKA Mindscape Deeplore 2020 Many images ahead. SPOILERS for all of SU-SUF.
This thread is the lore, the second is the ghost story. (I promise it makes sense)
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This thread is the lore, the second is the ghost story. (I promise it makes sense)
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This is so long to connect a lot of lore dots to get there, so plz bear with me, but it adds an interesting read to the SU experience. It breaks into roughly these sections:
-Astral projection (Steven & Rose)
-Lion & Story w/ghosts
-alternate read on "Rose Buds"
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-Astral projection (Steven & Rose)
-Lion & Story w/ghosts
-alternate read on "Rose Buds"
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& I think this is why the Steven/Rose story is left somewhat unresolved on the surface despite being brought up so heavily in Future, you& #39;ll see the train of thought in the thread.
But right now we& #39;re giving the characters privacy, so believe what you want!
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But right now we& #39;re giving the characters privacy, so believe what you want!
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AP/astral projection, mindscape or "psychic ghost" (Steven& #39;s words) all refer to a specific moveset of Steven& #39;s:
-perceiving the "astral plane"
-leaving his body
-taking over other people& #39;s bodies
-lucid dreaming and projection into others& #39; dream
aka that scene in Reunited
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-perceiving the "astral plane"
-leaving his body
-taking over other people& #39;s bodies
-lucid dreaming and projection into others& #39; dream
aka that scene in Reunited
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There& #39;s a background style often applied to the astral plane. It looks a lot like space. Sometimes more subtle.
Fusion mindscape may fall under this too, ex. butterflies
A couple of times you also see a color/transparency effect applied to folks who aren& #39;t APing.
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Fusion mindscape may fall under this too, ex. butterflies
A couple of times you also see a color/transparency effect applied to folks who aren& #39;t APing.
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Examples of Steven& #39;s psychic ghost AP powers: Finding Lapis in Chille Tid, using Watermelon Stevens & Lars& #39; bodies, visiting Kiki& #39;s dream, trying to reach Nephrite in Legs, projecting his dreams to the TV in In Dreams
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Steven& #39;s body sleeps when he APs, he& #39;s not in it, like New Lars. Homeworld Bound implies there& #39;s a relationship between the physical world and psychic ghost world with the columns, but Steven also has the ability to travel quickly bx Earth/Homeworld in Escapism
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Re: Reunited, there& #39;s interesting imagery of bodies/"ghosts" - ghost vanishes when physical form dissipates, gem still shows, diamonds have "aura"
Steven& #39;s body is hidden from view, but we& #39;re shown 2 small Stevens on top of Connie& #39;s head.
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Steven& #39;s body is hidden from view, but we& #39;re shown 2 small Stevens on top of Connie& #39;s head.
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Steven can also read people& #39;s thoughts when he passes through their "ghost", and they hear when he talks to them. (transcripts from SU wiki - https://steven-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Reunited/Transcript)
(9/25)">https://steven-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Reun...
(9/25)">https://steven-universe.fandom.com/wiki/Reun...
This is also how Steven communicated w/ the Cluster in "Gem Drill", which provides a little more information:
-shattered gems still have personality, and a sense of their own incompleteness
-bubbles exist in both physical and astral plane (hypothesis: how they teleport?)
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-shattered gems still have personality, and a sense of their own incompleteness
-bubbles exist in both physical and astral plane (hypothesis: how they teleport?)
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On gem death:
Fragments & Homeworld Bound established, shattered gems can be brought back when repaired and retain personality and memories.
In Steven Universe: The Movie, a Gem can be factory reset with an era 1 tool, but memories/personality rush back when triggered.
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Fragments & Homeworld Bound established, shattered gems can be brought back when repaired and retain personality and memories.
In Steven Universe: The Movie, a Gem can be factory reset with an era 1 tool, but memories/personality rush back when triggered.
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So, (digs up horse) let& #39;s question Rose giving up her physical form to make Steven again.
She didn& #39;t shatter, the Pink Diamond gem is part of Steven.
She didn& #39;t just use the same process as the rejuvenator, Steven has had the odd memory but nothing like the movie
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She didn& #39;t shatter, the Pink Diamond gem is part of Steven.
She didn& #39;t just use the same process as the rejuvenator, Steven has had the odd memory but nothing like the movie
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She told everyone she would have to go away for Steven to exist. The language used is usually "gave up her physical form".
Hypothesis: Rose gave up her physical form, alright - she bequeathed her gem to Steven, but her personality/ghost wasn& #39;t destroyed, is still around
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Hypothesis: Rose gave up her physical form, alright - she bequeathed her gem to Steven, but her personality/ghost wasn& #39;t destroyed, is still around
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This explains the ambiguous Rose stuff, without any question of whether her gemstone could re-emerge as her, or whether Steven is partially her since she& #39;s an agent - I& #39;m going to tell a story in the second thread that I think makes sense with the lore but you can decide.
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1: Rose could also AP, like Steven& #39;s other powers. among other Escapism implications (More later) CYM opens w/ a Pink Diamond memory waking curled on her side, not the position Steven is sleeping in IRL.
Locked in the tower, Rose learned to fantasize herself elsewhere?
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Locked in the tower, Rose learned to fantasize herself elsewhere?
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2: Before Rose had Steven, she was really down on herself. In Greg& #39;s stories, she discourages his attention, wistful about humans changing and is horrified to learn that she can "torture" people by being loved. (see also: Pearl) She never felt like she "got" it.
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3. Rose faked her death and assumed another identity once before, when it seemed like the answer to problems that she felt she caused
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4. We learn in Volleyball that Rose hurt Volleyball, and afterwards Rose changed and unlocked reverse Diamond abilities. Pearl & Volley described two completely different people. She changed behavior earlier than we thought and not just as part of the RQ fantasy.
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(Sidenote:
Destructive powers -> healing is in response to hurting Volley
Can& #39;t keep a secret -> keeps too many secrets, so I& #39;m assuming there& #39;s one other event we don& #39;t know of where Rose caused harm by telling the truth
perhaps when Volley was taken by WD? Moving on)
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Destructive powers -> healing is in response to hurting Volley
Can& #39;t keep a secret -> keeps too many secrets, so I& #39;m assuming there& #39;s one other event we don& #39;t know of where Rose caused harm by telling the truth
perhaps when Volley was taken by WD? Moving on)
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5. In Mr. Universe, we learn that Greg overcorrected for his parents& #39; controlling behavior by going to the other extreme with Steven, giving him complete freedom of impulse; we learn Greg and PD backstories are very similar, also mirrors how Rose raised Amethyst.
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Consider "disappearing into their relationship" and Steven. (Cap content: the podcast and an interview here: https://io9.gizmodo.com/rebecca-sugar-opens-up-about-how-healing-from-trauma-sh-1842334789,">https://io9.gizmodo.com/rebecca-s... but source on that specific cap is this incredible compilation of Rose/PD characterization I& #39;ll reference more https://loomborn.tumblr.com/post/190047678210/mapping-rosepds-personality-and-life)
(21/25)">https://loomborn.tumblr.com/post/1900...
(21/25)">https://loomborn.tumblr.com/post/1900...
6. In add to self hate/guilt complex, Rose was TERRIFIED of WD, and angry with her and the other Diamonds, I& #39;m sure. She never wanted to go back home. Just think about how White treated "Pink" when Steven came to Homeworld. Isolated, friends vulnerable, horrifying.
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All that is relevant to characterize /why/ Rose would possibly do this and not tell anyone, and not even tell Steven: a mix of both love and hope, fear and self-loathing, a desire for him to live his own life etc (though he ends up with a lot of baggage from hers)
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