[vilmublue]

The Tale of Steven book indicates that Spinel (and the garden) was given to Pink by Yellow Diamond and Blue Diamond, as unlike White they at least attempted to make compromises and make Pink happy (as flawed as those attempts were). It seems like the isolated garden was made to be the one and only place where Pink was allowed to play and let out the feelings not considered appropriate for a Diamond…and the Diamonds expected her to behave whenever she was on Homeworld.

It seems Spinel was created to be her playmate after she lost Pink Pearl. Personally, I feel like Spinel was maybe programmed with imitations of some of Pink’s behaviour (or at least how the Diamonds viewed her), as the no-fun-allowed Homeworld didn’t understand this strange silly behaviour. Like the headstand and juggling. I can imagine the Diamonds thinking that it’s perfectly logical Pink would like to spend time with someone who’s like her…but in reality that would feel unsettling. Along with being a reminder of her own flaws and how the Diamonds view her, it would remind her of the loss of Pink Pearl.

I also think that Spinel was made to be near constantly happy. The Diamonds probably assumed, again, that of course Pink would like to have a friend like that. But as a result Spinel didn’t really know how to take things seriously and unintentionally made her a bit ignorant of other people’s feelings, like when Steven was about to cry in the movie when he was missing Garnet and Spinel just goofed around laughing when he needed reassuring words instead (kind of like how Joy from Inside Out didn’t know how to comfort sad Bing Bong because she only knew how to be silly).

That’s why, I imagine hearing Steven’s message to the universe felt even harsher. Like at the end of Drift Away when the words turned negative ’Isn’t that lovely? Isn’t that cool? And isn’t that cruel? And aren’t I a fool’, I think it was the first time Spinel truly felt and fully took in negative emotions and let go of any happy thoughts she had managed to keep. And that along with all the trauma was just too much of a shock. Rebecca Sugar has confirmed that Spinel poofed (and changed her form) due to extreme emotions, a thing that can happen to Gems…though it seems rare.