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justathoughtName: Hayvel
DW username: N/A
E-Mail: chargingGlory@gmail.com
IM: Skype: Hayvel2
Plurk: Hayvel
Other Characters: Toriel
Character Name: Connie Maheswaran
Series: Steven Universe
Timeline: Post-Mindful Education
Canon Resource Link: http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/Connie_Maheswaran
Character History: So! About 12 and 3/4 years ago, a girl named Connie was born! Her parents were Priyanka- a doctor- and Doug- a private security guard.
They were nice parents, and cared about their daughter a lot! But they were also a bit, well... controlling. They wanted what was best for her, and assumed they knew what that was. Strict routines, harsh punishments- Connie's life was very planned out, and she was constantly pushed to expand her mind, stay in shape and be healthy. By the time she was 12, Connie is remarkably bright and very active for a girl her age- but that didn't come without costs.
She didn't have much free time growing up, with little time to make friends. Not only that, but her parents' jobs kept them moving frequently, so very often Connie found herself in an unfamiliar place, full of unfamiliar people, that she'd probably barely get to know before being dragged someplace else again... so it's easier to simply bury herself in books, and fantasy characters.
Connie had never made a single friend in her life- and really, she didn't think she ever would. Up until a boy that seemed to be about her age saved her with some magic powers. Magic powers that he didn't quite have full control over yet, but still. He was very sweet, and kind, and seemed to like Connie- and the two of them became friends quickly, even if Connie couldn't quite believe it.
She was just a normal girl, after all, and this boy clearly had some kind of magical destiny that he was still discovering- and that she managed to quite often find herself involved in. She helped him find a magic sword in his magic lion, and fought off a training machine with her tennis practice skills, helped Steven discover a magical healing ability when he healed her eyes, eliminating her need for glasses, and joined him when a gem stole the entire ocean, to go get it back. The only issue was... her parents.
With such controlling parents, Connie had gotten used to lying about little things over the years- so when the question came up of telling them about Steven... well, of course, she lied. She didn't tell them about the magical adventures he got up to, and how he was being raised by the Crystal Gems, a group of 3 magical women who help protect the planet, and how his father, while a very nice man, lived in a van. Which... became kind of an issue when her parents insisted on meeting Steven and his family. Which only got worse when the gems came, fused into a single giant woman.
Connie was ready to just run away from home entirely so that she could keep being friends with Steven- but the gems returning them home and then giving Steven a harsh punishment for trying to run away with her was enough to get them on her parents good side. So, she was able to keep visiting Steven, without having to lie about his family- although, well. She still didn't mention the magical adventures, or that her eyes had been healed, continuing to wear her glasses, just with the lenses popped out.
She was able to keep bonding with Steven, though! Even to the point that they got close enough, that they ended up fusing, just like the gems had. They were somebody entirely new, dubbed 'Stevonnie'. At Garnet's instruction, they went out to make themselves a good experience, and have fun, getting used to being fused, and going to a dance- even if Connie had a bit of an issue with anxiety in big crowds like that- an issue that extended to Stevonnie, especially when some creep started insisting on dancing with them and making them uncomfortable. They de-fused, but now that they were two people again, Connie felt a lot more comfortable, with someone there that she knows.
Their friendship continued, doing normal kid things like playing in the snow and sharing her favorite books- and less normal kid things, like using a magic room that makes whatever you want to try rewriting the end of one of those books, and having it go wrong and making Connie have to cut down doubles of herself with a sword until Steven admitted he liked the ending of the book after all.
Then, things took a rather drastic change. Steven left Connie a very worrying message on her phone- and when she tried to call him back, he kept ignoring her, until she went to find out what had happened- and Steven nearly ended their friendship to avoid having to tell her. He couldn't go through with it though, so she got full disclosure. About what had happened, how gems from Homeworld had attacked, how he'd been taken prisoner and how close everything had come to him and the gems being taken away. How dangerous things were, and how afraid he was that she might get hurt if she kept being his friend.
Connie wasn't going to let that stop her, though. She was his friend no matter what- though, to be fair, maybe learning a bit to protect herself might be a good idea. She wanted to be able to help protect him, after all- which is why they approached Pearl, one of the Gems, to ask if she could teach Connie how to use a sword, since she'd displayed some talent with it in the past. Pearl agreed- and since then, Connie's been receiving training in it.
Though, things didn't quite start out so smoothly. There was nothing wrong with the skills that Pearl taught her, and she was picking up on it quickly- the ideas she taught her however, were... more than a little self-destructive. She wanted Connie to fight for Steven the way Pearl fought for Rose Quartz, the former leader of the Crystal Gems and Steven's mother. She was nothing- Steven is everything. An attitude that, unfortunately, Connie took to all too easily, still seeing herself as an outsider, just a normal girl, completely outclassed by everyone around her. However, Pearl is a gem, and if her body is destroyed, she will simply reform from her gem- something she did many times during their rebellion against Homeworld. If Connie fought like that... well, Steven realized just how badly that would go, and he stepped in to stop it, assuring that they'd fight together- that Connie doesn't have to fight on her own, because he'll protect her, just like she's fighting to protect him.
Steven joins in on her training after that, the two of them working together to hone their skills- Connie just laments how rigid her schedule still is, and how she can't practice at home. Steven decides to help out though, by giving her a gift- his mother's sword, the one they pulled out of his magic lion, so that she could even train at home! So long as her mom didn't find it, of course.
Connie's mom immediately came home and found it, confiscating it and taking it to the hospital she works at.
Since it was a very important, one of a kind sword, they obviously couldn't just let her take it! So, they sneaked into the hospital to get it- and got caught. By Dr. Maheswaran, and by a pair of gem mutants- monsters, that had been mistaken for victims of some kind of accident.
Connie pleaded with her mother to let her use the sword, explaining how she knew what she was doing, how she'd been involved in magical adventures, how her eyes had been healed, how she'd been training to use it- which she did, defeating the monsters that had been attacking them in seconds.
Connie's mom realized all the things that Connie had been through- how she didn't even realize any of it had been happening, and how Connie really was strong enough to make her own decisions now. She allowed Connie to keep seeing Steven, and keep training, even if she was worried.
Eventually, Connie's skills with the sword had developed enough, that Pearl felt confident in bringing Connie along to capture a corrupted gem. Connie came prepared, dressed warmly, since it was in a cold area, and with all kinds of survival tools and skills that she'd been studying up on- not necessarily for missions, just in case human civilization collapses- though she felt a little less sure of herself when Steven told her just what corrupted gems are. Not just huge, mindless monsters- that's what they seem to be now, but they used to be normal gems, just like Pearl, Garnet, or Amethyst. They were people, twisted and corrupted by something that had happened to them.
They managed to track it down, but then when it came to fight, Connie froze. She thought she was prepared for a real battle, but she wasn't- it wasn't until Pearl kept calling her on the radio that she snapped out of it, and remembered what Pearl had told her- not to fight it on her own, but to call her as soon as she finds it. So a gem arrived and started fighting the monster.
It wasn't Pearl, though. It was Jasper, the gem that had taken Steven prisoner a while back- who had spent several months trapped in a fusion with another gem at the bottom of the ocean. Steven tells her a lot about stuff like that. Now she was loose, though, and apparently collecting corrupted gems, as she poofs it's body, and takes the gem with her, leaving.
Connie keeps focusing on her training, practicing against Steven while Pearl and Garnet go looking for Jasper, leaving Amethyst to watch. Amethyst insists however that they're just overthinking things, and emphasizes how important it is to be flexible, how you can't anticipate every move in a real fight. So, rather than training, she insists that they just have fun for the rest of the day.
That advice comes in handy though, when Jasper appears again, having trained the corrupted gems she captured to fight for her. Steven and Connie try to deal with it, while Amethyst takes on Jasper- and loses, having her body poofed. Before Jasper can shatter her gem, though, Steven and Connie rush in to save her- fusing into Stevonnie, and using their combined skill and strength to fight Jasper off, forcing her to retreat, and saving Amethyst.
After that, they start working on fusion training, practicing for the both of them fighting as Stevonnie. But Connie was... distracted. Very distracted.
At school, a boy had bumped into her in the hall- and instinctively, Connie's training kicked in, and she hurt him. She felt horrible about it, and the feeling had been eating away at her, occupying her mind as she just tried to ignore it. Not dealing with it. Not addressing how it made her feel. Not doing anything to fix it.
Her feelings made Stevonnie fall apart in the middle of fighting, figuratively and literally. Steven told her how those kinds of things happen sometimes- you hurt people without meaning to, and you just need to try not to think about it. But Garnet was there with her own advice.
Garnet was a fusion, after all, and nobody knew about it better than her. She explained how if one part of a fusion is unstable, then the fusion will be as well- they'll hallucinate, see things that aren't there, and fall apart, and explained how to help. How to calm them, and think about how it's just a thought- it's okay- they're there for each other.
Connie stopped just ignoring how bad it made her feel, and made up to the boy that she'd hurt. She felt much better, and was ready to go back to training- but she wasn't the only one that'd been going through problems recently.
The next time they fused for training, Steven was the one seeing things that weren't there. People who had attacked him, people who he had tried to help- people who had refused his help, and so had horrible things happen to them. And the more than complicated feelings he had about his mother.
Stevonnie was so distracted by it, they ended up walking right off the floating arena they were training on, and defused- plummeting towards Earth. Connie was able to calm Steven down though, so that they could fuse again- remembering Garnet's advice, and using Stevonnie's floating powers to land safely on the grass. Being there for each other, until they felt okay, and the gems came to get them, so Connie could go home.
Then, the next time Connie was on her way to training... she found herself suddenly somewhere entirely different.
Abilities/Special Powers: She can fuse with Steven- but any human with a close enough bond to him could do that, technically. No magical or supernatural powers of her own.
Third-Person Sample: "Okay, let's try this again... Give me a copy of the first book of Unfamiliar Familiar, please!" After stating her request, Connie makes an effort to visualize it in her mind, and reaches into the closet- and when she pulls her hand back out, she's holding the book in her hand, with the right cover and everything! "Yes! Okay, that one worked!" She laughs a bit, smiling as she sets it on her bed, next to the book that also says 'Unfamiliar Familiar' on it- only in a plain font, with no cover art, and no words on any of the pages.
"Now, how about... an encyclopedia?" Something more generic, non-specific, without a strong image in her mind... when Connie pulls her hand back out of the closet this time, she's holding a random encyclopedia. Okay! So she can just ask for 'a book' basically, and get any book- but if she's asking for a specific one, she might have to be more specific. Good to know!
The encyclopedia gets added to the book pile on her bed, beside the pile of other things she's gotten out of it. Some silverware, some clothes, a bar of gold- which she quickly realized would be worthless if they're that easy to get- and various other small objects that she's testing this magic thing out with.
What else she could get... Maybe a replica of Lisa's sword? Not that she plans to use it, when she has Rose's, but... it'd be nice to have! She could put it up on the wall! Or... maybe something to eat. Connie's been at this for nearly an hour now, and she could use a snack.
Something nice and healthy, probably, like her parents always pick out for her. But, then... her parents aren't here, are they? And she won't be seeing them again anytime soon, from what she heard- which she's trying to stay positive about! This is like a cool magical adventure, like she got her acceptance letter to wizard school a year late, and she'll see her parents later whenever she finally goes home.
But for now, they're not here, and there's nothing stopping Connie from just... "How about... a huuuuge bag of candy???" When she pulls her hand out of the closet next, it's weighed down by a big plastic bag, filled to the brim with sweets, chocolates, and other sugary stuff that is just downright terrible for her, and that she's only ever had in very, very tiny amounts.
She's probably going to get so sick eating this stuff, and she does not care.
First-Person Sample: Ummm... hey! My name's Connie.
I just officially moved in here a little while ago, and... ugh, I've just been figuring out how the closets work? Did you know that you can get infinite candy out of them? I mean, you've all been here way longer than me so you probably already knew that, but still! It's really cool.
Anyway, I just... mm, figured I should introduce myself! Aaand maybe ask if anyone knows a good cure for an upset stomach.
DW username: N/A
E-Mail: chargingGlory@gmail.com
IM: Skype: Hayvel2
Plurk: Hayvel
Other Characters: Toriel
Character Name: Connie Maheswaran
Series: Steven Universe
Timeline: Post-Mindful Education
Canon Resource Link: http://steven-universe.wikia.com/wiki/Connie_Maheswaran
Character History: So! About 12 and 3/4 years ago, a girl named Connie was born! Her parents were Priyanka- a doctor- and Doug- a private security guard.
They were nice parents, and cared about their daughter a lot! But they were also a bit, well... controlling. They wanted what was best for her, and assumed they knew what that was. Strict routines, harsh punishments- Connie's life was very planned out, and she was constantly pushed to expand her mind, stay in shape and be healthy. By the time she was 12, Connie is remarkably bright and very active for a girl her age- but that didn't come without costs.
She didn't have much free time growing up, with little time to make friends. Not only that, but her parents' jobs kept them moving frequently, so very often Connie found herself in an unfamiliar place, full of unfamiliar people, that she'd probably barely get to know before being dragged someplace else again... so it's easier to simply bury herself in books, and fantasy characters.
Connie had never made a single friend in her life- and really, she didn't think she ever would. Up until a boy that seemed to be about her age saved her with some magic powers. Magic powers that he didn't quite have full control over yet, but still. He was very sweet, and kind, and seemed to like Connie- and the two of them became friends quickly, even if Connie couldn't quite believe it.
She was just a normal girl, after all, and this boy clearly had some kind of magical destiny that he was still discovering- and that she managed to quite often find herself involved in. She helped him find a magic sword in his magic lion, and fought off a training machine with her tennis practice skills, helped Steven discover a magical healing ability when he healed her eyes, eliminating her need for glasses, and joined him when a gem stole the entire ocean, to go get it back. The only issue was... her parents.
With such controlling parents, Connie had gotten used to lying about little things over the years- so when the question came up of telling them about Steven... well, of course, she lied. She didn't tell them about the magical adventures he got up to, and how he was being raised by the Crystal Gems, a group of 3 magical women who help protect the planet, and how his father, while a very nice man, lived in a van. Which... became kind of an issue when her parents insisted on meeting Steven and his family. Which only got worse when the gems came, fused into a single giant woman.
Connie was ready to just run away from home entirely so that she could keep being friends with Steven- but the gems returning them home and then giving Steven a harsh punishment for trying to run away with her was enough to get them on her parents good side. So, she was able to keep visiting Steven, without having to lie about his family- although, well. She still didn't mention the magical adventures, or that her eyes had been healed, continuing to wear her glasses, just with the lenses popped out.
She was able to keep bonding with Steven, though! Even to the point that they got close enough, that they ended up fusing, just like the gems had. They were somebody entirely new, dubbed 'Stevonnie'. At Garnet's instruction, they went out to make themselves a good experience, and have fun, getting used to being fused, and going to a dance- even if Connie had a bit of an issue with anxiety in big crowds like that- an issue that extended to Stevonnie, especially when some creep started insisting on dancing with them and making them uncomfortable. They de-fused, but now that they were two people again, Connie felt a lot more comfortable, with someone there that she knows.
Their friendship continued, doing normal kid things like playing in the snow and sharing her favorite books- and less normal kid things, like using a magic room that makes whatever you want to try rewriting the end of one of those books, and having it go wrong and making Connie have to cut down doubles of herself with a sword until Steven admitted he liked the ending of the book after all.
Then, things took a rather drastic change. Steven left Connie a very worrying message on her phone- and when she tried to call him back, he kept ignoring her, until she went to find out what had happened- and Steven nearly ended their friendship to avoid having to tell her. He couldn't go through with it though, so she got full disclosure. About what had happened, how gems from Homeworld had attacked, how he'd been taken prisoner and how close everything had come to him and the gems being taken away. How dangerous things were, and how afraid he was that she might get hurt if she kept being his friend.
Connie wasn't going to let that stop her, though. She was his friend no matter what- though, to be fair, maybe learning a bit to protect herself might be a good idea. She wanted to be able to help protect him, after all- which is why they approached Pearl, one of the Gems, to ask if she could teach Connie how to use a sword, since she'd displayed some talent with it in the past. Pearl agreed- and since then, Connie's been receiving training in it.
Though, things didn't quite start out so smoothly. There was nothing wrong with the skills that Pearl taught her, and she was picking up on it quickly- the ideas she taught her however, were... more than a little self-destructive. She wanted Connie to fight for Steven the way Pearl fought for Rose Quartz, the former leader of the Crystal Gems and Steven's mother. She was nothing- Steven is everything. An attitude that, unfortunately, Connie took to all too easily, still seeing herself as an outsider, just a normal girl, completely outclassed by everyone around her. However, Pearl is a gem, and if her body is destroyed, she will simply reform from her gem- something she did many times during their rebellion against Homeworld. If Connie fought like that... well, Steven realized just how badly that would go, and he stepped in to stop it, assuring that they'd fight together- that Connie doesn't have to fight on her own, because he'll protect her, just like she's fighting to protect him.
Steven joins in on her training after that, the two of them working together to hone their skills- Connie just laments how rigid her schedule still is, and how she can't practice at home. Steven decides to help out though, by giving her a gift- his mother's sword, the one they pulled out of his magic lion, so that she could even train at home! So long as her mom didn't find it, of course.
Connie's mom immediately came home and found it, confiscating it and taking it to the hospital she works at.
Since it was a very important, one of a kind sword, they obviously couldn't just let her take it! So, they sneaked into the hospital to get it- and got caught. By Dr. Maheswaran, and by a pair of gem mutants- monsters, that had been mistaken for victims of some kind of accident.
Connie pleaded with her mother to let her use the sword, explaining how she knew what she was doing, how she'd been involved in magical adventures, how her eyes had been healed, how she'd been training to use it- which she did, defeating the monsters that had been attacking them in seconds.
Connie's mom realized all the things that Connie had been through- how she didn't even realize any of it had been happening, and how Connie really was strong enough to make her own decisions now. She allowed Connie to keep seeing Steven, and keep training, even if she was worried.
Eventually, Connie's skills with the sword had developed enough, that Pearl felt confident in bringing Connie along to capture a corrupted gem. Connie came prepared, dressed warmly, since it was in a cold area, and with all kinds of survival tools and skills that she'd been studying up on- not necessarily for missions, just in case human civilization collapses- though she felt a little less sure of herself when Steven told her just what corrupted gems are. Not just huge, mindless monsters- that's what they seem to be now, but they used to be normal gems, just like Pearl, Garnet, or Amethyst. They were people, twisted and corrupted by something that had happened to them.
They managed to track it down, but then when it came to fight, Connie froze. She thought she was prepared for a real battle, but she wasn't- it wasn't until Pearl kept calling her on the radio that she snapped out of it, and remembered what Pearl had told her- not to fight it on her own, but to call her as soon as she finds it. So a gem arrived and started fighting the monster.
It wasn't Pearl, though. It was Jasper, the gem that had taken Steven prisoner a while back- who had spent several months trapped in a fusion with another gem at the bottom of the ocean. Steven tells her a lot about stuff like that. Now she was loose, though, and apparently collecting corrupted gems, as she poofs it's body, and takes the gem with her, leaving.
Connie keeps focusing on her training, practicing against Steven while Pearl and Garnet go looking for Jasper, leaving Amethyst to watch. Amethyst insists however that they're just overthinking things, and emphasizes how important it is to be flexible, how you can't anticipate every move in a real fight. So, rather than training, she insists that they just have fun for the rest of the day.
That advice comes in handy though, when Jasper appears again, having trained the corrupted gems she captured to fight for her. Steven and Connie try to deal with it, while Amethyst takes on Jasper- and loses, having her body poofed. Before Jasper can shatter her gem, though, Steven and Connie rush in to save her- fusing into Stevonnie, and using their combined skill and strength to fight Jasper off, forcing her to retreat, and saving Amethyst.
After that, they start working on fusion training, practicing for the both of them fighting as Stevonnie. But Connie was... distracted. Very distracted.
At school, a boy had bumped into her in the hall- and instinctively, Connie's training kicked in, and she hurt him. She felt horrible about it, and the feeling had been eating away at her, occupying her mind as she just tried to ignore it. Not dealing with it. Not addressing how it made her feel. Not doing anything to fix it.
Her feelings made Stevonnie fall apart in the middle of fighting, figuratively and literally. Steven told her how those kinds of things happen sometimes- you hurt people without meaning to, and you just need to try not to think about it. But Garnet was there with her own advice.
Garnet was a fusion, after all, and nobody knew about it better than her. She explained how if one part of a fusion is unstable, then the fusion will be as well- they'll hallucinate, see things that aren't there, and fall apart, and explained how to help. How to calm them, and think about how it's just a thought- it's okay- they're there for each other.
Connie stopped just ignoring how bad it made her feel, and made up to the boy that she'd hurt. She felt much better, and was ready to go back to training- but she wasn't the only one that'd been going through problems recently.
The next time they fused for training, Steven was the one seeing things that weren't there. People who had attacked him, people who he had tried to help- people who had refused his help, and so had horrible things happen to them. And the more than complicated feelings he had about his mother.
Stevonnie was so distracted by it, they ended up walking right off the floating arena they were training on, and defused- plummeting towards Earth. Connie was able to calm Steven down though, so that they could fuse again- remembering Garnet's advice, and using Stevonnie's floating powers to land safely on the grass. Being there for each other, until they felt okay, and the gems came to get them, so Connie could go home.
Then, the next time Connie was on her way to training... she found herself suddenly somewhere entirely different.
Abilities/Special Powers: She can fuse with Steven- but any human with a close enough bond to him could do that, technically. No magical or supernatural powers of her own.
Third-Person Sample: "Okay, let's try this again... Give me a copy of the first book of Unfamiliar Familiar, please!" After stating her request, Connie makes an effort to visualize it in her mind, and reaches into the closet- and when she pulls her hand back out, she's holding the book in her hand, with the right cover and everything! "Yes! Okay, that one worked!" She laughs a bit, smiling as she sets it on her bed, next to the book that also says 'Unfamiliar Familiar' on it- only in a plain font, with no cover art, and no words on any of the pages.
"Now, how about... an encyclopedia?" Something more generic, non-specific, without a strong image in her mind... when Connie pulls her hand back out of the closet this time, she's holding a random encyclopedia. Okay! So she can just ask for 'a book' basically, and get any book- but if she's asking for a specific one, she might have to be more specific. Good to know!
The encyclopedia gets added to the book pile on her bed, beside the pile of other things she's gotten out of it. Some silverware, some clothes, a bar of gold- which she quickly realized would be worthless if they're that easy to get- and various other small objects that she's testing this magic thing out with.
What else she could get... Maybe a replica of Lisa's sword? Not that she plans to use it, when she has Rose's, but... it'd be nice to have! She could put it up on the wall! Or... maybe something to eat. Connie's been at this for nearly an hour now, and she could use a snack.
Something nice and healthy, probably, like her parents always pick out for her. But, then... her parents aren't here, are they? And she won't be seeing them again anytime soon, from what she heard- which she's trying to stay positive about! This is like a cool magical adventure, like she got her acceptance letter to wizard school a year late, and she'll see her parents later whenever she finally goes home.
But for now, they're not here, and there's nothing stopping Connie from just... "How about... a huuuuge bag of candy???" When she pulls her hand out of the closet next, it's weighed down by a big plastic bag, filled to the brim with sweets, chocolates, and other sugary stuff that is just downright terrible for her, and that she's only ever had in very, very tiny amounts.
She's probably going to get so sick eating this stuff, and she does not care.
First-Person Sample: Ummm... hey! My name's Connie.
I just officially moved in here a little while ago, and... ugh, I've just been figuring out how the closets work? Did you know that you can get infinite candy out of them? I mean, you've all been here way longer than me so you probably already knew that, but still! It's really cool.
Anyway, I just... mm, figured I should introduce myself! Aaand maybe ask if anyone knows a good cure for an upset stomach.
