Steven Universe Quick Asks 03
These questions were sent in by @whoneedsausername2016 some time ago. If you have a list of questions you’d like me to answer, just send them over chat or to my inbox. I’d love to talk about them with you. :)
1. When Jasper inevitably comes face to face with Lapis again, will her reaction be hostile, scared, indifferent or guilty?
Answer: I think that one important thing to consider is how the character who evoked the strongest feelings from Jasper prior to her being corrupted and bubbled was not Lapis. The last time Jasper had come face to face with Lapis, she was a bundle of nervous energy looking for a quick-fix solution in fusing. Alone at Sea gave us a Jasper who had not thought of anything after becoming unfused except fusing again. Searching for Lapis was a search not for Lapis herself, but for the power and security she had come to represent.
After Lapis sent her flying, I’d say Jasper went through a little bit of a wake-up call and gathered her thoughts enough that who we saw by Earthlings was more similar the Jasper we were introduced to. At this point, she no longer wanted to show her insecurity, and I would wager that she wasn’t too proud of herself for letting Steven see how much she needed Lapis.
Going back to my first statement, the ones who unearthed how Jasper really felt about Earth and likely why she felt so powerless were Steven, who was Rose in his mind, Amethyst, who was just like her in so many ways, and Peridot, whom she always thought was the one who needed her protection and not the other way around.
So much of the dialogue at the end of that episode subverted a lot of Jasper’s beliefs and made her question what she had been loudly declaring for the longest time. Over the years, Jasper has built a hard shell around herself to prevent her from showing weakness ever again. In one very tense scene, the characters were able to break through a lot of that. And at that moment, I’m rather certain Lapis was far from Jasper’s mind.
Because of this, I would posture that Jasper would be outwardly indifferent the next time she sees Lapis. She was fully aware of how she came across post-Malachite and would likely stay away from her for a while. Also, she’d probably feel a little humiliated on the inside, because she let someone else take control of her life like that. I feel that her uncorruption will be largely due to Steven’s efforts, and so hostility might not be the environment in which she sees Lapis (Though it might be rather hostile on Lapis’ end at first, as when Navy arrived at the barn).
But I think that over time, Jasper will genuinely want the tension between them to dissipate. She and Lapis don’t seem like the type to overtly say they’re sorry. That’s fine, though, because they’re both very action-oriented. And in their actions, much louder than words, we’ll get to see how amends are made.
2. Will Jasper ever live up to her name of 'stone of nurturing and protection'?
Answer: The thing is, I feel that Jasper is potentially very nurturing. She was a soldier in wartime and though the leadership skills we’ve seen exhibited on the corrupted quartzes leave much to be desired, we’re still led to believe that she never tried to distance herself from other Jaspers. In her stressful moments, she does call back to what Jaspers are supposed to be and do. She talks about Quartzes and their potential. That means she doesn’t have an inherent distaste for anyone who isn’t her. Again, Jasper isn’t coming from a place where she thinks she’s the best. She thinks she’s expected to be the best and that pressure is what’s making her push herself so hard. She’s actually a really good example of someone who might not be destined for leadership but keeps pushing for it. Great leaders aren’t always the biggest, strongest, or smartest on the team. Steven does a great job at leading, and he’s not perfect.
But in the same way, it needn’t be the one who doesn’t fight, the timid one, who is the most nurturing. I think this would be analogous to the team that one would assemble in role-playing games. The fighter is usually at the front of the party because it can take the most damage, and usually it’s portrayed as the muscular character. At the back of the party is the healer, and usually it’s a feminine character who doesn’t really fight. Sometimes, to nurture and protect means to fight. Jasper has a very strong code. She stands for something. She fights for something. It’s not a stretch to believe that she would fight for those who need her protection if they fell into those principles.
For instance, Jasper comes from a military faction on Homeworld. She expects her fellow Quartzes to be like her, and that’s why she’s so against who Amethyst is. Nonetheless, there are plenty of civilians on Homeworld, like Peridot. Jasper has never put Peridot’s safety at risk during the time they were on their mission as a team. Granted, we hadn’t seen an opportunity for this to be displayed more clearly yet, if my thoughts on her being a possible role model for Amethyst are any indicator, it’s something that we’ll get to see in the future. But there is something Jasper implicitly claims to protect even now: Pink Diamond’s memory and honour. So really,
3. What would Jasper's singing voice sound like?
Answer: I would point to the kind of strong, rock singing Kimberly Brooks (Jasper’s VA) already did in the past as one of the Hex Girls from Scooby Doo. They were a goth-style rock band and they had really catchy tunes. I feel that Brooks won’t be tossing out the deep tone and impact of Jasper’s voice when she sings, so I’m thinking it would be something similar.
4. Would Jasper even care about exploring the Earth while she's stuck on it, or will she attempt to steal the Roaming Eye the CGs have if she ever discovers they have one?
Answer: This is a really interesting question. I think that at this point, Jasper knows that her failure in the mission takes a huge blow to her pride as an able soldier. Also, even though we know her failure won’t be taken against her in the official sense when she faces the Diamonds (as we’ve seen with Peridot in Message Received) it’s still uncomfortable for her to be in that position. She might not want to go back to Homeworld immediately, even though she still remains on their side.
Additionally, as I mentioned in the Jasper Case Study posts, Jasper may be in denial about Rose, Earth, and her own beliefs on the outside, but she’s given us reason to believe she’s already begun questioning herself on the inside. That dissonance is one of the factors that pushed her into corruption. As such, it would indeed benefit her to clear her mind first. I think exploring Earth, which many gems have said is uniquely beautiful, would help her in that process.
After a while of walking the Earth, she might make her way back to Homeworld, but I don’t think she’d hold as much animosity towards Earth and the Crystal Gems as she did when she got on. It’s entirely possible she won’t want to make contact with them at all, given the tense nature of their relationship. But I’d totally go for a set of episodes all about Jasper’s adventures on Earth and discovering herself in the process too.
