(no subject)

[mummysquid]

deletion

In wake of the Charleston Church shooting please content warn your discussion of the event on anon.

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

As an aromantic asexual, I love fusion.

Fusion, in its healthy, consensual forms, is an ultimate act of trust and love. This is well established in canon at this point, through examples of healthy fusions, contrast with unhealthy fusions, and outright statement. But what’s really noteworthy about fusion is that it appears not to differentiate between relationships which are romantic/sexual, romantic without a sexual component, or platonic. There aren’t “lesser” forms of fusion for “lesser” forms of love, nor is fusion something that can only happen between a pair of perfect soulmates (in fact, Steven Universe rejects the limiting concept of a perfect soulmate outright). The determining factor in how well a fusion functions and how long it remains stable is how well those involved can mesh together; the strength of the relationship is not depicted as being dependent on type.

At the same time, and honestly for the same reasons, I really do appreciate the existence of “We Need To Talk”. Fusion is an expression of love that Greg simply wasn’t capable of (by conventional means, at least). He made every possible effort and still couldn’t do it. But this didn’t make his relationship with Rose inferior or incomplete, because, to paraphrase Greg, talking was more important. Through open communication, they were able to have a strong and whole relationship built on love and trust. The form in which that relationship was expressed was secondary.

Steven Universe has a lot to say about love in all its forms and I am so so glad this is a children’s show because kids need this. They really do. Queer kids need this. Kids with nontraditional families need this. Kids who aren’t white need this. Kids whose brains are wired a little different need this. Kids who don’t have good models of love at home or at school need this. They need this while they are kids, so they can carry these stories with them as they grow, so they don’t stunt themselves on purpose trying to fit a mold that doesn’t work for them and never will. The stories we encounter as children seep into our bones and sink roots in our minds, deeper than the ones we encounter as adults. They are sewn into the fabric of us, grow with us, inform our growing. While as an adult I love this series, take its messages to heart, and find comfort and validation in it, there are some ways in which it came too late for me. The thing about representation and models of healthy love in adult-targeted media is that it will ALWAYS be too late for the adults it reaches in the same way, because no matter how well it’s pulled off, there is a fundamental difference between encountering these things as a child and encountering them as an adult.
So… thank you, Steven. Thank you, Rebecca Sugar, and the Steven Crewniverse. Thank you for caring so much about what it means to love, to be loved, and to be a kid or an adult learning how to love.

[(Anonymous)]

kill

[(Anonymous)]

this fandom sucks