for i am worthless without you

anyways i had silly thoughts about them and of course my silly thoughts had to become silly pictures ! the envy of being good at something but someone else who you love is just effortlessly better but you hate yourself for your own ugly thoughts dia. anyways i present to you two matching pfps. textless version below keep reading

I know this is asking too much from a series like black clover but I've been rereading the missing children arc and man I really wish we'd gotten some more insight into Neige's psyche. Like... sure he's soft and sweet, but let's not forget he got angry and struck Marie in rage because she OPPOSED HIM. He thought friends were just supposed to blindly agree his every word and immediately resorted to violence when frustrated. Which... I mean okay, it makes sense given that his only friends seemed to be his snowmen and that he was apparently raised by his brother who was verbally, emotionally AND physically abusive. But still! I wish we'd gotten to see his evolution beyond just "oh I was wrong to do all that, I'm going to be good from now on."

And let's not forget that he killed his brother??? He clearly cared about him despite everything??? Why are we brushing over all this???

Logically I know not every side character can get developed but still. Frustrating.

Sorry for the rant, I just needed to get this out and since I always enjoy your insights and you recently talked about the snow baby I thought you'd be the best person to go to. Have a nice evening!

Flamelet I can feel your frustration, and I know (to an extent) how it feels when your blorbo doesn't get the character development, or doesn't get it in a satisfying manner.

Also, don't worry about the rant! I'm all for hearing thoughts and feelings for the show, and the characters, as long as it's, y'know, constructively formulated. Which this is.

And for what it's worth, I think that Neige's emotional growth is stunted to some extent. Like, a lot of the behaviours he displayed, made me think of the word "tantrum", so he has never probably been taught how to handle his own emotions. (Like with striking Marie when she didn't just go along with things. Reminds me of toddlers pushing each other on a sandbox.) It's something that can be observed in people well into their 40s too, but usually it's displayed in other ways. But it's still the temper-tantrum phenomenon.

I would imagine that living with Baro would have caused a severe enough of a trauma for Neige to stay in that mind-set and emotional/psychological state. Defence mechanisms of a kind to not explore those emotions and or handle them in any way, and acting out of impulse. But also it could be a behaviour pattern that Neige learned from Baro. So, if Neige didn't go along Baro's plan, then Baro hit him, or something along those lines. And yes, though Baro did a lot of horrid things to Neige, Neige cared for Baro. Probably out of a "conviction" of a kind to an extent (like "I need to care for him because he's my brother"), but also probably because Baro was the only person Neige had in his life. And without his brother, Neige would have been all alone. And being alone is scary.

A lot of these events were a lot for Neige too, I would imagine, which could have placed him in a kind of a shock, where Baro's death wouldn't have visibly shown in that moment either. Maybe a form of denial? (I'm not a psychologist, so I'm just guessing a lot here) Which is why Neige wasn't shown grieving.

But also the "okay, I will be good from now on" is an intention, which I think would go well with someone who isn't yet equipped to handle emotions, especially complex emotions, at least well. So, without really reflecting on what happened and why; how things ended up where they did, Neige just blatantly decides "I will be good". The emotional growth, and learning the tools to handle his emotions and live without the ""guidance"" of Baro, come later.

Though, granted, as you mentioned, that a lot of this is just due to not being able to focus on every side character. So, this theorization "goes too deep", because things just needed to be wrapped up quickly, and Neige was given a very, very rushed redemption arc.

I really don't know, I'm just making a lot of (more or less) educated speculations ^^'

Thank you for the ask!

So I feel like I've learned something about how to get reviews nice from readers. Two things.

Ask a question in the author end notes of the chapter. And not something vague like 'what can I do better' or even 'haha, did I do this scene right?' Ask about the story. Point out a plot point and ask "Hmm, blorbo's inferiority complex or blorbo's abandonment issues?"

Ask 'Oh-no! how is this wet kitten of a man going to get the ring back?'

Ask 'Okay, but is it really X's fault? Y's probably at fault too.'

Readers will pass through stories quickly, they are in reading mode. But when the author's note breaks the fourth wall and asks them 'sure hope the conversation that got interrupted wasn't important, your thoughts?' It pulls them out of reading mode nicely, by asking them to think about what just happened and put words to the feelings.

Your readers probably have really insightful, interesting, and funny things to add and talk about, giving them a concrete detail to focus on stops the 'where I even start to talk about this amazing story' issue that prevents people from leaving a comment. They know where to start, and since they are already typing, they know where to go.

2. Respond to your reviews like a tumblr ask.

Your chapter is now an ask game. They write "It was soooo funny when X did that, I'm dying." You write "If only he wasn't so emotionally stunted, maybe he wouldn't have done X, lol. One day he'll learn the ways of the samurai". You contribute specific details for the commenter to remember and engage with they see your response in their Ao3 inbox. (Assume they've read other stories between their comment and your response to their review, help remind them of your story so they can follow up)

I learned this one from Dulcito before seeing how well it worked for myself. It can be kind of tempting to say "thank you for the review!" and leave it at that, but answering that way puts an end on the conversation. Instead answer with a meme, a comment on writing a part they commented about, ask which part was their favorite, converse.

Even if they don't continue the conversation on that comment thread, it will remind them of the story when they see your response. They will know that you're willing to talk with them about a story they love enough to read fanfiction for. And if you leave enough interesting comments in your responses, people will start commenting more and seeing what you're saying on other comment threads.

I'm too young for the good old forum days, but I'm pretty sure this is what it's like. It's about a community. Frequent or scheduled updates help too, so it doesn't fall off the radar of your previous commenters. but my goodness I love my reviewers so much.

These tips don't guarantee reviews. Nothing does. But I've had a much better time posting when I've done these two things. I thought I'd share.

And if any of my reviewers for Dear Hero or The New Keith Route are watching this, you the real MVPs.

for the ask meme: Maximum Ride!

you know me so well

blorbo (favorite character, character I think about the most)

Honestly, Max. There's something really special about her that sticks throughout the series. For a YA novel she is very complex. She's been through intense trauma that has led to her coping through parentification at 14 years old. She takes on so many responsibilities, and a lot of it are things she has put on herself due to being let down by the people she trusts. But she's also a kid! She's a kid and I wish the series explored how much this crushes a person.

scrunkly (my “baby”, character that gives me cuteness aggression, character that is So Shaped)

I do love Gazzy. I hate his name but I love my boy. He's such a good brother to his sister and it deserved to be explored more.

scrimblo bimblo (underrated/underappreciated fave)

NUDGE! My girl Nudge. She's the only black character in the group and the series never explores that. They never explore the special type of care she needs (like hair) or how she's treated by others. She rambles like me and all she wants is to be a kid! I feel like Max is wrong in disrespecting her girly interests or writing her off as a blabbermouth. She's intelligent, quick-witted, and loves intensely!

glup shitto (obscure fave, character that can appear in the background for 0.2 seconds and I won’t shut up about it for a week) The schizophrenic boy they found in the sewers in Book 1 that never was seen again. His depiction wasn't horrendous. In fact, he's depicted to be very smart and his justification for his actions can be relatable to people of his condition. But literally he's there for like a few pages which makes him jarring as a character.

poor little meow meow (“problematic”/unpopular/controversial/otherwise pathetic fave) Ari. I'm mad because James Patterson neglects the fact that he's only 7 and writes his character motivation to be weirdly incestuous in the second book and then it's dropped in the third book. He's a traumatized child in the body of a monster. His shallow plans and intense hatred makes sense for an emotionally stunted person. He shined in the third book when he was faced with his mortality. The fact that he never learned how to write his own name is tragic.

horse plinko (character I would torment for fun, for whatever reason) Angel. I love her but holy shit is she overpowered and is given way too much attention compared to the other members like Nudge, Iggy, and Gazzy.

eeby deeby (character I would send to superhell) Total. He's the worst character, period.