Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-4224349-20150402230801/@comment-25563656-20150403232638

SilverPhoenix11 wrote:

As for the other shield, it's weird that sometimes it doesn't come from his gem, it comes from his arm. Is that possible?! And to sum up: Steven summons his bubble when he needs to protect himself or another specific person(s). His other shield is summoned when he feels emotional care for somebody else in danger, or responding to his feelings and need (e.g. To protect the crystal gems from the gem warship's lazer thingy). Is he the first character to summon more than one variation of a weapon? I mean not varied on size or ability, just different look and purpose Good question. Here's how I rationalize it:

Unlike Pearl and Amethyst's weapons, Steven's shield does not have to be pulled out of his gem; it's projected. Think of Steven's shield as more similar to Garnet's gauntlets. Garnet projects her gauntlets around her hands, and it looks like Steven's gotten the hang of projecting his shield in front of his arm.

Steven's bubble is probably a special adaptation of an ability common to all gem-kind. Not only can he bubble objects, Steven can bubble himself (and anyone right next to him) instinctively. It's more like healing spit - an extra perk of being Steven.