#aupost

Like if you struggled your whole life with being called the wrong name and pronouns you don't use, and living up to a legacy that you don't fit into, and, post CYM, convincing an entire society of beings who had lived thousands of years that your mom that you're given the same title as isn't the same person as you, and then you'd pick the name that your mom would've given you anyway?

I understand the concept of the name Nora as a gift from Rose and why it'd be significant to take that name on, especially since canonically Steven Quartz Cutiepie DeMayo Diamond Universe is a name, (although one could note that all of these are names given from someone else) but if post CYM timeline is at all in play I really doubt that the name that Steven decided to change it to forever (weird semi immortal shit) would be from Rose.

In reality I know people probably just call them Nora Universe as a catchall tag for people looking for #Girl Steven which is understandable but I just cannot picture her ever wanting to take that name willingly...

I think that's one thing that makes a transfem Steven so compelling narratively to me, because canonically only the name the Diamonds use matters to Steven, there's never really a moment where mistaken identity is associated with "but stevens a boy!!11!!" textually, which is much appreciated for many reasons. Femininity and gender non conformingnessism has always been something positive in Steven's life, through gem fusion (literally becoming another person, another flavor of gender) or with humans, like the fit from Sadie's Song and the lack of bigotry Steven faces for being "kind of gay bro" by having actual emotions and wearing pink and shit.

But at the same time, can you imagine the absolute nightmare that would be to make that decision to come out? If your entire life, you had to justify that you are yourself endlessly, and suddenly, something that you thought of as immutable- your own name and identity as Steven- is something that doesn't fit you anymore?

It's a narrative that isn't quite related to gender dysphoria, but more so as a conflict with identity as a whole; how do you convince yourself to do something that, in the minds of you and everyone else, brings you closer to being your mom who you think sucks and who you want to separate yourself from to the point of having numerous PTSD episodes by the thought of it?

Ultimately though Steven is trash at naming things (Lion, Watermelon Steven, Cactus Steven, Cat Steven, MC Bear Bear if that wasn't already its name, Tiger Millionaire a rich tiger and Purple Puma a purple big wildcat, the Slinker, Centipeedle...) so this is one of the rare cases for trans headcanons where I almost feel like her name being Stephanie or something derivative of Steven would make sense, because like...yeah I can see her doing that and thinking its the best name ever lol.

[ID: Digital artwork of Yellow Diamond, White Diamond, and Blue Diamond from the cartoon Steven Universe. They are all in grayscale, implying they are being puppeted by White Diamond, laughing haughtily at something below them. The only source of color in the image is chromatic aberration over the Diamonds' silhouettes, against the dark static background of White Diamond's ship. Black horizontal borders rest on the top and bottom of the drawing, resembling a frame of a film. End ID.]

SPOKEN FOR - FLAVOR FOLEY FT. KASANE TETO ⭐️ STEVEN UNIVERSE AMV

[ID: A screenshot of Pearl holding a baby Steven from the Steven Universe episode "Three Gems and a Baby." She is sobbing after she nearly tried to remove Steven's gem. End ID.]

The thing about the Steven perspective that gets me is like. Pearl didn't have to tell him that. Pearl did not have to tell Steven about the grieving period where she had such little disregard for him that she was willing to risk his life if it meant she would see Rose again against her wishes. She did not have to include this detail and she did because in Rose's Scabbard she blatantly let him risk mortal injury on screen so she just does this.

I guess in Pearl's defense, at the time, I can understand why Steven didn't flip out over this more because he just doesn't think about it and didn't know that he would like...probably die...and that Rose would for certain not have come back so he would have died for nothing if Pearl made the wrong choice....

Do you ever think about how even though it was such a relief in Change Your Mind that Steven wasn't Pink, a descendent of intergalactic tyrants, or Rose, a heavy liar who started a war that shattered so many gems, it would almost certainly have not been a total relief if Steven still had that idealized view of his mother?

If he found out that no one would ever see Rose again even if something happened to him. If Pearl could know the truth. If this were to happen before he could even control his powers and properly go on missions, because then, he'd think he was truly useless because Rose, everyone's hero, everyone's savior, everyone's idol, is gone and he can't even use her powers?