#i keep forgetting to take Good Daylight pics of her. shes been done for a a but just kept forgetting to take pics when it was light lol

[wall-e-gorl]

I need yall to know that the session where wager killed fawn was *so much* that I picked back up my fawn crochet project so I could finish it and hug her for real. My desk is messy and she doesn't stand on her own (I need to get a stand) but LOOK AT HER

[unbrckenwallsxinspo]

Trigger // SELF PARA

When: April 1st, after midnight

Where: Devon and Alyssa’s House

Summary: Kinsley Maxwell decides to play an April Fools prank on Devon, but it goes horribly wrong.

Trigger Warnings: Guns, mentions of death, murder, suicide, and drugs

Mentions: Devon, Ryan, Tavin, Alex, Kinsley 

@thewiildthings​

🖂 Incoming message! From: ronimaxwell@gmail.com To:devprescott88@gmail.com I found some old pics of Jade that I thought you might like to have.

A few years had passed since Jade's murder. Devon was now only a couple weeks away from his 25th birth, he was raising their daughter as a single parent, and still lived in the two story cabin home that his in-laws had helped them purchase.  He wished he could say that life was good, but deep down, there was still pain that just wouldn't disappear no matter how hard he tried to ignore it. No matter what he did, he still lived with the memory of watching Jade take her last breath.

It was after midnight in Nashville. He should've been asleep, but instead he was on his laptop, looking at the email that his mother-in-law had sent. Four pics of Jade that he'd never seen before. The first one being when she was only about four months pregnant with Alyssa and went to a late night diner with friends. The second being her with friends at a hotel about a month before she and Devon got married. The third was her wit friends atsome electronics store in a town they didn't recognize. The fourth was one that Devon had taken of her while on a lunch date after their wedding. So many good memories. No more to be made.

A year after she died, Devon tried to take his own life. Months of therapy followed until he finally stopped going. In his mind, he no longer needed the help. For a few years, that mindset worked. Until recently. Lately he'd begun to sink back into a depression, suicidal thoughts and all. Alyssa was the only reason he hadn't ended his life. She was his reason for living. Still, he was haunted by nightmares of Jade's death. He blamed himself for it happening. After all, he shouldn't have tried to escape, then the robber wouldn't have felt the need to fire his weapon. So it had to be Devon's fault, right?

"Daddy?"

He clicked out of his email and closed his laptop as soon as he saw the seven-year-old in the doorway, clinging to her teddy bear and rubbing her tired blue eyes. "Hey, love, can't sleep?"

Alyssa shook her head and climbed onto the bed, nuzzling her face against Devon's shoulder. She knew how to make him feel safer without even trying. Wrapping his arms around his little girl, he laid back against the pillows, a heavy sigh leaving his lips as he looked at the clock on his nightstand. It was 12:30 AM. He'd surely be awake until it was alright daylight out. That was often how his nights turned out.  Good thing he had tomorrow off from work.

"Daddy?"

"What's up, kiddo?" He ran his fingers through her hair, forcing himself to smile as he lovingly kissed her head. 

"Do you think I'll ever see my mommy again?"

The question was anything but simple. He believed they would see Jade in the afterlife, but he knew what Alyssa really meant, and he couldn't give her the answer she wanted. That broke his heart.

"Someday, baby." He gulped, rubbing her back. He was kind of relieved when she didn't push the issue farther. Normally she had a lot of questions about pretty much anything and everything, but he preferred that she not ask too many questions about her mom. He never had the right answers.

Their brief conversation was interrupted by something outside. Something that Devon didn't recognize. He supposed that it could have been the wind or a trashcan falling over or a bird or something, but it sounded like none of those things. So Devon's fight or flight response was quick to kick in. 

"Stay here. Try to get some sleep." He murmured as he got up from the bed. A few months after Jade died, he purchased a pistol without telling anyone. He kept it in a safe in his closet and only he knew the combination. Maybe right now he didn't need the gun, maybe there was a logical explanation, but that knocking...it didn't sound good, so of course his first reaction was self defense.

"Dad--"

"Stay here!" He whispered before he walked into the door, shutting the door behind him. He was about to head downstairs when he heard the familiar ring of his phone, which was coming from Alyssa's room. Huh. He must have left it there when he was putting her to bed earlier. 

He hurried into her room and grabbed the phone, answering with urgency. 

"Hello?!"

"Hello, friend. Remember me?"

"Who is this?!" Devon snapped as he pointed the gun in front of him, inching slowly out of the room and towards the stairs. 

"You mean you don't remember me? From the Flash Mart?"

Chills went down Devon's spine. The Flash Mart was where Jade was killed. But her killer was in prison! He couldn't possibly be calling. This had to be a joke. A sick, evil joke. 

"Come on, Devon. I met you and that lovely wife of yours for a few minutes. Lovely couple, you two were."

"Whoever you are, you better leave me alone or I'm calling the police!" He yelled before promptly hanging up. He choked back sobs as his shaking hand clutched the gun tighter, walking slowly down the stairs. To his horror, his front door was wide open, wind blowing leaves across the floor. And in the doorway was a tall, hooded figure wearing a hockey mask and holding what appeared to be a machete. A bloody machete.

BANG!

Devon didn't notice that the man had practically jumped back through the doorway in fear, as a bullet struck the floor and another at the wall. His mind was spinning, but he was focused enough to fight back against the perceived enemy. This was not happening. This was NOT happening.

"BRENDON, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE JASON VOORHEES OR SOMETHING, NOT MY SISTER'S KILLER, YOU MORONIC ASSHOLE! Tavin, seriously, get over here now. Devon's got a gun! Shit shit shit...No, I'm hiding behind the car!"

Devon paused at the sound of Kinsley's voice. He knew this was some kind of prank that she'd come up with, but his mind was racing and his muscles were so tense that somehow he still felt like there was danger. So the gun never left his hands and his finger never left the trigger as he searched the surrounding area for Kinsley's "friend."

"Devon, it was a prank!"

Devon no longer heard a word Kinsley was screaming at him. He was focused entirely on finding the asshole she'd used for said prank. The scary thing was that he wasn't even thinking of the potential consequences of his actions. He didn't think about the possibility that he might hurt or even kill someone. He was definitely not himself in that moment.

"W-where are you..." He murmured, panicked tears in his eyes. The flashbacks were playing over and over in his head, and he felt nothing except a desperate desire to protect himself and his daughter. In that moment, he wasn't at his home. He was back at that convenience store and he was fighting for his life.

He was so deeply trapped in his own mind that he didn't hear the slam of the car door a few feet away. He heard someone call his name and he cried out softly as he whipped around, pointing the gun in the direction of the voices. Then, all of a sudden, he felt a pair of arms grab him from behind, the gun falling from his hand.

"Ryan, did you just forget that he has PTSD?! You don't sneak up behind someone who--" Was that Alex or Tavin speaking? Devon had no idea. He was too busy crying and trying to get out of Ryan's grasp, panicked breaths escaping him. 

"Well, did you want him to shoot someone? Because I don't know about you, but I like liv-Thank you, Devon, for your knee making contact with Ryan Jr." Ryan groaned as he let Devon go, gripping his crotch as if that would relieve the pain Devon just inflicted upon him.

Devon was spiraling. Heavy breathing, sweat dripping down his face, barely holding back sobs as he combed his fingers through his hair. He was going insane, he was sure of it. Maybe he was even dying. At this point, he didn't mind that possibility too much. He just wanted the pain to stop. He didn't want to live in fear anymore and if dying would relieve that fear, then so be it.

"Okay, I got pot, coke, or molly. Take your pick." Dammit, Alex. No one gives a shit about your stupid drugs.

Suddenly, Devon's mood changed from fear and panick to pure anger. "Alex, I don't want your drugs. I want to take that pistol and put an end to me misery, that's what. I'm sure you can relate, right? Besides, we all know that you'd rather keep that shit for yourself."

Alex had a stricken expression on his face now and if Devon were in his right mind, he'd feel guilty. But he didn't. He didn't care if Alex got his feelings hurt. He had just as many problems as Devon did, if not more, and it was time someone called him out on it.

"Dude, that wasn't cool and you know it. Let's just...go inside, okay?" He felt Tavin's hands on his biceps and he relaxed only slightly, shaking with panic and anger as he was ushered into the house. He was close to breaking down again, but whatever. Tavin had seen him break before. In fact, he was the one person that Devon felt comfortable being vulnerable in front of. 

"I'm gonna use the restroom." He gulped, shaking off his friend's hands and hurrying into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door behind him. He took the time to look at his reflection. Messy hair that he hadn't washed in days or really maintained at all, heavy bags under his eyes, pale skin that was currently sparkling with sweat, obvious weight loss...clearly life had been kicking him in the ass and he hadn't done a damn thing to make it any better. He didn't see the point.

Momentarily, he saw Jade standing behind him, then he saw a dark, hooded figure drag her away. He sobbed as he threw a punch at the mirror, watching the glass shatter. What followed was a few knocks on the door and Tavin calling his name. Devon figured if he stayed quiet long enough, maybe he'd be left alone. But of course not. Within a few minutes, the door somehow opened. Ryan had picked the lock. Lovely.

"Dude, what the--" Tavin grabbed his hand and said something to Ryan about getting the first aid kit from the kitchen. Then he felt Tavin's arms around him and he finally broke completely, tears soaking his friend's shirt.

[drink-n-watch]

  Alright, I think we can make it official, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is really an exceptional horror-action anime. Whatever else it may be. Man, this episode made my skin crawl, all puns intended. We are going to get into all the creepy, dreadful and just plain sad details of episode 16 in just a bit. So you know, spoilers and all that. But First, Hi Crow! It’s been a rough week all around I think. How have you been?

  Oh! I’m bold this week. Good to know… Yes, it’s been a rough week. Nothing compared to what others have gone through, certainly. But, strangely enough who writes for hours each day, I still can’t talk about it. It’s good to have something like this to focus on. So, buoyed by Inosuke’s excellent use of powers in the last episode, let’s dive in!

  are you sure? there’s spiders…

I have been in a bit of a daze so the few seconds recapping episode 15 were actually pretty welcomed, and it was all I needed to get me right back on track. Inosuke and Tanjiro are in a creepy spider filled forest, tracking down a demon that uses spider webs to manipulate people like puppets. All the while, Zenitsu having been left behind is trying to track them down, mostly to get Nezuko back and then get out of there.

Right off the bat, we get to see the injured Demon Slayer Murata show us how he earned his place in the corp by stepping up and offering to cover Tanjiro and Inosuke’s retreat, buying them some time to get away from the possessed slayers. Because they’ve essentially given the main cast super powers, it’s easy to forget that all corp members are exceptional. No one survives the final trial by luck. I was cheering Murata on (even remembered his name and all!)

I almost cheered for Murata-san! Fear can overcome any of us. What’s important is how we react. Murata took courage from Tanjiro and (though he likely wouldn’t admit it!) from Inosuke, and he was ready to get back into the fight. He was better armed, now, too — with knowledge! He knew why his comrades were attacking him, and he knew how to counter them.

he looks a little like Levi

Pretty soon, our two heroes make it to a second wave of entangled slayers and this is where things go from creepy to gut-wrenching. The sheer amount of psychological and emotional trauma on that girl’s face, having been forced to murder her comrades by her own sword, her own body mangled in the process. The few slayers still alive made to move through excruciating pain on completely broken bodies. I have seen a lot of bleak anime but this was hard to watch even for me. 

The contrast with Inosuke’s carelessness (thankfully toned way down) and the occasional almost funny action moments, made it all the more horrific to watch. As if puppets weren’t disturbing enough already.

it was a lot rougher in the moment

What hit me hardest was that she hadn’t given up. She was still in the fight, even though the webs controller her every motion. The only thing she knew to do was beg Tanjiro and Inosuke to flee and bring back more powerful Demon Slayers. Her desperation hurt, and her continued bravery made it even worse.

I had speculated last week that they may be some happy demon family that just wants to live in peace. Well, we got our first clue that I was wrong about the happy part. A point that’s going to get gracelessly hammered in later on. Still, this first scene of the younger demon boy we saw last week (apparently named Rui), coldly scolding his mother for taking too much time to eliminate the intruders and threatening to tell his father as the woman completely panics, added yet another layer of unsettling. What did you think of that scene Crow? 

 I went from wanting Inosuke and Tanjiro to put her down to wanting to protect her! Did you see the look of panting terror on her face after Rui walked away? You mentioned last week how the design of her face used colors and designs that were at once beautiful and terrifying. Now, combined with her fear, the whole experience was surreal. At this point, she’s acting purely out of terror.

That was an awesome moment!

you don’t hear monsters say that too often

I guess the show figured we needed a little breather at this point because we cut o a crying Zenitsu in the forest calling out specifically for Nezuko. Even though he’s doing his usual whiny coward schtick, it’s subdued. I liked it this week, as I did last week for that matter of fact. He’s grateful his sparrow comes back for him and so far, despite it all, he’s not running away. 

When we meet up with Tanjiro and Inosuke, they’ve figured but how to incapacitate the victims without killing them. Get the threads tangled up in threes. Simple but smart! I liked that solution. Unfortunately, this does nothing but push the already distressed demon to panic furter and she twists all the slayers necks in desperation. 

My notes at this point simply say, when Tanjiro gets mad, even Inosuke gets quiet.

I also don’t know what to say

The anger of a gentle man… And yeah, Inosuke was quiet. Not sure if he just sensed that was a good idea, or if he couldn’t speak.

At first, I was all like “Look how excited Insouke is! He loved the idea of tossing everyone into the trees so the webs would get tangled!” Then, as you said, the demon twisted all their necks and killed them.

There’s something about seeing something horrific when you’re in the middle of something frothy that makes the horror even more penetrating.

concise

Without time to mourn, the demon unleashes her strongest “doll”, which appears to be a large headless demon body. I’m not exactly sure what made this thing stronger than the slayers other than it being bigger (and implied that the skin was thicker). Since the same demon has been physically controlling all of them, we can assume they all have the same sword skills. They mention something about the threads getting thicker and stronger the closest you get to her (good explanation), but they’re more or less at the same place as the last batch of slayers they fought. 

Maybe physics has the answer? The demon’s joints were more powerful than the humans’. Too much pressure and striking strength had shattered the bones in the humans. With the demon, it had a tougher frame. It made more sense before I wrote it down…

turns out I managed to avoid taking a pic of the guy

Anyways details. It’s a good excuse for some of that trademark gorgeous animation, and I’ll take it. This said, for me, the grimness of fighting was is a very dead headless corpse only enhanced how sad the situation was for all the victims.

The story slowly built the horror and unleashed it in that fight. Very well done!

Possibly to mirror this serious turn we go back to Zenitsu, for just a moment, and there is a second while hearing a disturbance in the forest, where Zenitsu seems not quite himself, muttering that he’s about to get mad. This is the fully conscious Zenitsu so maybe that part of him isn’t buried as deep as we think.

Sidenote, even though he wasn’t there, Zenitsu has probably heard everything, including the other slayers laments and explanations of the situation, yet he still went in. That’s impressive. Oh, yeah! His super power is hearing! Dang, Irina, you’re right — even knowing what was in that forest, he still went in. 

bird on head is a great look

After defeating the big bad headless thingy, it’s finally time for Tanjiro to confront the demon directly and as has become something of a Demon Slayer tradition, in the end, she was more pathetic and miserable than truly monstrous and Tanjiro was ever merciful. 

This time, I thought giving us the demon’s background was the wrong way to go. Her interactions with Rui and her dread of the mere mention of the father were more than enough to tell us exactly what was going on and seeing it actually play out on screen, I believe lessened the emotional impact. It was one step too far. Do you agree?

as below

When Tanjiro saw her switch from attack to acceptance, he changed his strike to Fifth Form, Blessed Rain After the Drought. He still decapitated her, but it was painless. She just felt a warm release. 

And did you notice in the mid shot, you could see her head slowly tracing Tanjiro’s trajectory while her long hair, which his sword had severed, floated to the ground? That was a beautiful moment. It said as much about her as it did about Tanjiro (who I am not convinced is the combat form of Tooru Honda). 

And of course I agree with your insight here. The scene should have ended there. Her fear before told us everything we needed to know about her past. I thought that was a rare misstep after such a meticulously crafted episode. 

I liked the bob cut

So once again, we didn’t really get to see Nezuko at all. The series has used her sparingly so far, giving her plenty of excuses not to be there (i.e. sleeping off injuries or avoiding daylight), but this time they were fighting other demons in a dark forest at night time (we see the moon in several scenes) yet she stayed in a wildly swinging box. I’m wondering why this is. Any ideas?

Best I can figure, they want to show her sparingly. Cute is powerful, but its strength wanes with use. That sounds almost scientific, doesn’t it? Given how seldom we get to see her, each occasion is worth a celebration! 

That said, I’d like to see more of her; I’d like her to lose the bamboo bit. But maybe the point is to keep me wanting that so I keep watching episodes in suspense! 

that’s what we want to now

I liked this episode. I like the entire series when it sticks to its strengths (which in my opinion are flashy action to show off that animation, tense adventure and schlocky horror). As it seems we are in for more deep dark forest, having learned that one of the 12 kizuki is here, I’m thinking we still have a few pretty intense episodes coming our way and that’s great!

I want to see what happens when Zenitsu gets mad. That might be something to see!

Reviews of the Other Episodes

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 01: Cruelty

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 02: Trainer Sakonji Urokodaki

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 03: Sabito and Makomo

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 04: Final Selection

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 05: My Own Steel

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 06: A Friend fo All Humans

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 07: Muzan Kibutsuji

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 08: The Smell of Enchanting Blood

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 09: Temari Demon and Arrow Demon

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 10: Together Forever

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 11: Tsuzumi Mansion

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 12: The Boar Bears Its Fangs, Zenitsu Sleeps

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 13: Something More Important Than Life

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 14: The House with the Wisteria Family Crest

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba Episode 15: Mount Natagumo

you know how it goes, all the screeancaps for you!

  Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Episode 16: Clearing away the Cobwebs Alright, I think we can make it official, Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is really an exceptional horror-action anime.