So one of the coolest, most intriguing parts of Steven Universe to me is the concept of fusion. I am a huge frickin nerd and I will spend hours just sitting here trying to comprehend what it must be like to experience being a fusion.
For a long time though, there have been certain things that have had me stumped:
1) How could Pearl hide her intentions from Rose and Garnet during their respective fusions?
2) How could Jasper not realized Lapis was going to trap her while there were fused as Malachite?
3) Why was Alexandrite so quiet and (imo) uninteresting during fusion cuisine, despite being a fusion of so many gems?
Before, I was under the assumption that when gems were in sync during a fusion, their minds “melded” and became one. However, the above scenarios wouldn’t make sense if that were the case.
But then I realized, we’ve been blatantly told how fusion works. And during one of the most memorable episodes at that.
“I am their conversation.” What if we take this statement as literally as possible?
How about this: When gems are fused, each gem in the fusion is actually having a conversation with each other. In order to stay fused, the gems have to communicate, agree, compromise, debate and plan together. When this is done perfectly, their voices “sync up”, and the fusion’s amalgam personality arises.
At the same time, whenever gems within a fusion have a difficult time communicating, the fusion’s personality dissolves and each gem speaks separately through the fusion’s mouth.
The concept of fusion as conversation also perfectly explains how Pearl could hide information all the time during fusions, as well as how Lapis could fool Jasper while becoming Malachite. Because a fusion can only know what each gem discloses.
THIS ALSO MAKES ALEXANDRITE FRICKIN HILARIOUS. She wasn’t quiet and to herself because she lacked personality. She barely talked because Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst, and Pearl were so awkward and had no idea what to say or do. But she had a stoic face because they all agreed they had to play it cool.
Viewing fusions as conversations just changed so much for me about this show, there’s a lot of little things I’ve noticed that I don’t want to get into cause this is already really long. Overall, it’s deepened my appreciate of the fact that fusions are metaphors for relationships. Remember what Garnet said to Stevonnie:
“You are not two people. You are not one person. You are an experience.”
Because relationships aren’t about changing, or gaining, or becoming something new. Relationships aren’t about who you are as individuals or as a group. Relationships are what is created between people. They’re the result of conversation and contribution and compromise. They are an experience.
