#off-color ruby squad

Discussing a potential project!

Back in my Steven Universe phase haha! So before we get started with this semi-serious project, there are some things you need to know about the AU first before we proceed further!

Okay so a just before the holidays came up, I started watching Steven Universe again. And as I was watching it, I realized that AU’s of the show also exist too, but most of them only focus on Steven. So I thought to myself:

“Why don’t I just make an AU on a different character instead? A character that’s easy for me to draw and not over exaggerated” so I settled on my favorite character’s: The Rubies!

And if I’m being honest, ‘Eyeball’ seemed like a pretty cool antagonist to me.

Now, how did I come up with the idea to make an Off-Color Ruby? Simple, The Rubies are known to take their responsibilities very seriously in the regular show, despite being fooled once if not twice by the crystal gems, they were still determined to find Jasper. Now…what if we took that concept away? What if we took everything that made a Ruby a ‘solider’ and turned them into an apathetic and carefree outcast who just didn’t give a damn about authority or their responsibilities?

So I started to lazily experiment with these three drawings so I can get a somewhat heads up on what and what not to do when making the official design for the character. Just to be clear I was trying to be sneaky and see if the human aesthetic look would work on a Ruby, to make a long story short: it did not, at least not yet.

So out of the three drawings I chose the one in the middle as inspiration/reference.

But as far as the final design went I was starting to give up, I looked at references, and even inspiration from the original Rubies, but it just wasn't coming out the way I wanted. Then I realized if I put too much thought into something, of course I'm not going to come up with anything on the top of my head. So I did what I should have done in the first place, not overthink it and draw what I FEEL an Off-Color Ruby would look like.

And after 30 minutes to an hour of drawing, I finally did it and came up with this:

Aren't they something...? Now to the fun part, what is this AU about? A simple but obvious concept, an off-color going through a permanent rebellious phase and are of 'need of guidance'

To be more specific, this Ruby didn't emerge in the way Homeworld wanted them to, the complete opposite of what the expectations of a Ruby are supposed to be. Off-Colors were already considered a 'freaks', but their existence proved that theory to be somewhat effective. They were often bored, sassy and rude, treated high ranked gems like their status didn't matter, and overall wasn't fit to be a Ruby soldier in general. Despite giving numerous warnings that they could potentially be shattered, they didn't listen. One day they were assigned to work with two other Rubies to help keep them in line. Now it's the Ruby Trio against the world!!!

(Here's a reference for anybody who wants to make fan art. I even made one for the other two Ruby OC's).