#whatitmeanstobehuman

*SPOILERS FOR RECENT STEVEN UNIVERSE AND CONCEPTS ABOUT CHARACTERS. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.* Okay, I recently had a conversation about the nature of what Rose wanted for Steven: That being human meant a lot more than the sum of all the positive parts that Steven brings to the table: that taking in and recognizing the bad-and even the value of doing the wrong thing when you’re protecting and saving others and yourself is just as human.  Because this is the kind of hero I think Steven will become. Not a true pacifist: He wants to use that shield and his powers to protect the Earth, the people he loves, the freedom that the Crystal Gems strive for, and Beach City-not to mention the whole of the Earth. Not only because it’s literally a ticking time bomb that is the Cluster, but because he cares about humanity in much the same way that his mother did-perhaps even better than his mother, who could not empathize with the species in the same way. And of course he wishes to do so without violence. 

But that will not be possible. Homeworld is a rigid, set-in-its-ways society built on class structure and merit. Even with all the differences we’ve seen and experienced even from the Rubies, they believe in what their structure stands for despite its many flaws, and Steven cannot talk his way out of all of these. Which means he’s going to have to fight. Which means he may very well have to turn into someone who always looks for the diplomatic solution first, but who also should have no regrets if he has to stand against someone else to save everything he holds dear. For all that Steven Universe does to bea happy, good-natured show that brings out the best in what it means to be human, the worst-for the greater good, for a better world- is a part of the human experience.  The good and the bad, that’s what it means to be human. That’s what Rose wanted for Steven.  Which leads into what happened for both Connie and himself-and kudos to Garnet, seriously-and what it means to hold onto heartache and fear when something goes wrong. Connie made up for those mistakes, and that makes me happy.  Steven’s hang-ups are a much more complicated mess of issues that cannot be resolved so easily-addressing them in a good first step, but what happened in those specific scenes? Bismuth, Jasper, Eyeball...each of those were battles that Steven not only couldn’t convince the person of better intentions-no matter what he tried to do-as hard as he tried, which he did...but they were also necessary teaching tools: Battle is necessary. It was not your fault they wouldn’t listen-it was their fault that they felt all their options were limited. Because you want to stand with the Crystal Gems and Connie as a defender of this planet, this is a part of that responsibility. 

Ino Lavellan & Flowers Adaar

Commissioned by the super cool @what-it-means-to-be-human!

Ino’s is probably one of the commissioned cards that I’ve loved doing the most, it just fell into place right at the beginning when I was sketching. Archers make the best cards! Flowers, the giant marshmallow Inquisitor was super fun to work on as well :D