#nugget rambles

Very angsty ideas >:}

I may just have to act on them in a long form fic..

Honestly? I think the DNI thing is just because the fandom seems loud and noisy on the outside, and a lot of m*neblr is tired of hearing about a series they're not interested in. Which is perfectly okay. And while there's certainly bad people in the fandom who make it look bad, it's obviously not the fandom's fault! Bad people exist everywhere.

I think the criticisms that have been thrown around about the Dream SMP fandom so far have been fairly standard issues. P*dophiles can be found in any fandom with a lot of children in it. Harassers who scream at people for disagreeing with them seem more numerous than they actually are. And truthers, stalkers and general creeps just like latching on to things, that's nobody's fault. So far, the fandom and content creators have done a good job of making sure we all know that they don't like these people. Good for us.

And as for whether or not the Dream SMP is "problematic," the ugly truth is that no piece of media is going to be 100% morally pure. No content creator is going to be perfect, either. It's up to you whether or not the morals presented in the things you consume are too dissonant to keep consuming them, or apologies content creators have made for mistakes are good enough.

But thinking critically is one thing. Running in circles with your anxiety, holding onto every single negative criticism someone has made about your interests, is another. I don't really have a solution to that, it's something I struggle with myself, feeling paranoid constantly that my favorite thing will be pulled apart at the seams by people who don't understand it because someone made a mistake.

But I take deep breaths and remember my own past interests. I remember that even if someday I look back at this blog and my contributions to this fandom and cringe, that's not how I feel about it right now. Right now I'm here to have fun, and my experiences will continue to be fun if I stay away from the people who make this fandom uncomfortable, scary fans and fandom haters alike.

I don't think you feel bad for liking it. You feel bad because you don't want to hurt others unintentionally. The fact that you feel this way shows that you're caring person. And that's okay to be.

[Each image here is drawn by the person who owns the AU!]

Drift Together | @drift-together-au | AO3 Link

I'm a bit biased since I help out with the art and beta read for it, but this fic is sooo well-written, and it's updated very often. This AU is about a version of Steven split as a baby, forcing his two halves to live very different lives. The gem half is raised like the Steven we're all familiar with, while the human half is raised as an orphan that gets sent from house to house until he ends up in Beach City with Vidalia. It's a romantic, high school centered slow burn with about 40 chapters already finished. Plenty to read!

Evelynn, Evelynn | @lone-gem-half + @local-edgelord | AO3 Link

This is a very quick read on AO3, a lot of subtext and vibes but excellent nonetheless. I'm a sucker for anything that explores Steven's gem, doubly so if he's an extremely autistic little rat lmao

Steven Universe Movie: Alternate Cut | @sumac-comic

This is one of the older AUs that's still kicking. Updates are slow, but the artwork is so high quality it's worth the wait. It's exactly what it says on the tin; and alternative take on what happens in the Movie.

Slipping AU | @suslippingau

A brand-spanking new AU that piqued my interest. Sometimes you just gotta see where something is headed and that's how I feel about this AU.

Blue Diamond AU (Stevy) | @wastelandkg72

Lotta Blue Diamond AUs out there but I really like this one. It's different. Like really different. If you put a gun to my head I would have never guessed Stevy's dad was fucking JAMIE THE MAILMAN. Very cool. It's got great artwork too, I love all the designs! I think this deserves way more love and attention than it gets.

Twiniverse | @twiniverse | Tapas Link

Another long standing AU about a version of Steven who has a twin sister, Nora, that has Pearl's gem. Steven still has Rose's. As you can guess, without Pearl present and a new kid added, the main CG dynamic is a bit different. There's a nice, chunky comic on Tapas you can read for it.

Ponyx | @pink-onyx-au | Tapas Link

I cannot sing enough praises of C4's Ponyx, truly one of the best AUs around besides WDAU. The art is amazing, the characters are well-written, and the story is so compelling. If you haven't read it for some reason, I highly recommend it, even if AUs are not typically your jam. This one is canon-complaint and slots in between "I Am My Monster" and "The Future".

Divide AU | @unixxverse

Steven and his gem get separated at a young age, but the gem half is essentially "reset" into something entirely new. I adore the designs for this AU, especially Rosyn <3

Bleeding-Heart | @zef01

This one is kind of forming in real time— it's like of an exploration of relationships and character dynamics more than anything. I like to peep in on occasion and see how it's shaping up.

Shatterer Steven | @crudaka

Another brand new AU, featuring a Steven that ruthlessly shatters the Diamonds. He reminds me of a significantly more unhinged but way less suicidal Heartbreak lol, like one who hadn't escalated to full on genocide.

Honey and Liberty | @wendystarseed