#AND NOW I'M GOING TO BED

[demonslayedher]

Hantengu: As Bad As You Can Get Without Being Muzan

I've touched on this in old meta entries and I'm just going to wind up linking them here, but a friend got me going on this again today, so I'll state it again: Hantengu is one of the most insidious characters in this whole series, if you're going by sweeping themes of self-mastery which Gotouge may or may not have consciously intended.

For starters, I'm going to compare Hantengu to his polar opposite, Rengoku Kyojuro, mostly by referring you this post where I already explained how Kyojuro displays samurai-style idealized virtues of self-mastery, stoicism, and inner peace about death or aging. A common theme in oni lore is how letting one's passions run amok is what brings out the demon any person has potential to become, whether these passions are greed or worry or even joy. Kyojuro is very clearly a passionate person, but he's self-aware enough to know that his passions must be kept in check in order to benefit from them, and that means putting effort into maintaining them. He's seen how that can lead to burn out as in the case of his father, so he maintains his own balance by recognizing and accepting the harsh truths of any situation with as much grace as he can muster, recognizing and taking steps to overcome his own shortcomings, and recognizing and making a choice to "set his heart ablaze" instead of getting lost in frenzy.

Hantengu, on the other hand, lets his passions run so amok that they take their own physical forms, and even then no single one of them is ever consistently powerful enough to be sustained for long before he's spawned something new based on whatever new frenzy he's in. It's his reckless abandon of self-control that made him so demonically powerful.

There are other characters who lack self-control, though--Inosuke and Zenitsu are who they are because they are the perfect agents to introduce chaos to any scene. They gradually take steps to learn self-mastery, however--Zenitsu is hyperaware of his own failings, to the point of rumination, and Inosuke is hypoaware. However, at their core, their desire to do better by other people leads them down paths of self-improvement, a path which keeps them aligned with humanity as opposed to the allure of powerful demons.

Demons in this series display similarly admirable traits, though--Kokushibo and Akaza have striven as hard as any Corp member to improve themselves, for instance. Gyutaro and Daki might have had blatant disregard for others due to a lingering jealousy and hatred for how much better everyone else always had things than they did, but they have always taken active roles in standing up for themselves and trying to improve their circumstances.

If we dive into more loathsome, demented demons, we still see that they know themselves enough to own their faults, whether they see them as faults are not. Douma is quick to recognize his own lack of passion, Enma is unashamed as about what gives him pleasure and uses his underhanded, self-protecting tactics in order to play the long game in his strategy, Gyokko is an artist, and Muzan is perfectly clear and at peace with who he is and what he wants. Muzan's desires are so plain to him that it even opened up a believable opportunity for Tanjiro to feel sympathy for him in their final encounter, though Tanjiro made the choice not to.

Tanjiro never even entertained the notion of pitying Hantengu, though.

I'll come back to Tanjiro, but to borrow from this post about themes in KnY as they relate to oni lore: In many philosophies, even an excess of positive emotions can be detrimental, and people who follow those philosophies are instead encouraged to not given into any emotion too strongly. Likewise, the lack of a virtue can be bad, but an excess of it becomes a vice.

While the Ki-Do-Ai-Raku fearsome foursome represent the danger of unchecked, excessive emotions, Zouhakuten represents an excess of virtue, which turns it into a vice. From an outside perspective, of course Tanjiro was doing the right thing attacking a tiny oni, because this oni will go on killing people if he doesn't, but Zouhakuten focuses so intensely on the injustice of attacking the small and weak that he is ignorantly convinced of his own self-righteousness.

The other demons don't do this, particularly--they justify what they do, like Daki saying how this is just the way the world works that beautiful and powerful oni can do whatever they want because that is how the world works, but she doesn't claim her actions are righteous. Muzan also makes rational points--which Zouhakuten echos--about how the demon slayers drive a lot of the violence due to their own inability to make peace with their lot in life, and going out of their way to attack demons. However, as much as Muzan believes he is superior, he doesn't belief he is a god who can cast moral judgement on others, nor is he interested.

Zouhakuten, taking the form of a deity that fiercely protects the precepts of Buddhism and threatens those who defy it, makes the daring claim that he is just.

The Demon Slayers Corp members, at least those like Tanjiro, are guilty of the same thing. The difference, however, comes back to self-awareness. For example, Tanjiro is confronted with the question of whether Zouhakuten/Hantengu has ever eaten anyone in Tanjiro's life, and as he has not, Tanjiro must at least question if justice is on his side anyway in attacking Zouhakuten. It was an easy answer, but being mortal and easily killed for sticking his neck out by picking fights with demons, it's something Tanjiro continually has to question and reaffirm.

Yes, the answer is always easy for Tanjiro, and yes, there are Corp members who are only in it for the glory or the money (and these characters are not treated as heroes). However, Tanjiro must also continually self-reflect on his own weaknesses and failings. Taisho Secrets tell us he's even reviewing his training and battles in his sleep to analyze and learn from them, and we see his continual efforts to improve no matter how beaten down he's gotten. In the heat of battle he has to keep himself confident and focused. He's got to keep from beating himself up unfairly, and he's got to keep from getting over-confident, it's a balance to maintain and it takes practice to read oneself with clarity.

He's constantly having to practice self-mastery, which means Total Concentration of whatever strength he needs to pull from, including passions like righteous anger that make it feel like his heart and/or forehead are ablaze. It takes him practice to be able to keep rebounding, but he's got humility to be able to learn from others, take criticism, and analyze himself with clarity.

These are the virtues which Kimetsu no Yaiba extols, and which most separates the paths of righteous from the paths of those who who gave into their passions.

As a few other examples: --Nezuko retains her virtues by recognizing her own weakness and focusing on self-mastery --Rui lost himself in a feeling of entitlement, conviction in his own sense of justice, and disappointment in his parents. Or so he thought! That was all the result of running away from a truth about himself he didn't want to face; the fact that he was the one responsible for breaking his family bonds. --The Pillars, with all their human faults, remain righteous because they could easily succumb to their own sorrows, angers, and self-loathing. The fact that they do not--however much these things have messed them up--and they keep striving to better themselves, for the sake of a conviction in something difficult to achieve otherwise.

Zouhakuten, instead of rising above his own shortcomings, is a deeper concentration of, a wallowing in those unbridled passions. Being so convinced of his own righteousness, he does not have any clear self-understanding, and therefore, has no inclination toward self-mastery.

He is, after all, Hantengu.

Hantengu made himself into what he is because he convinced himself of his own lies about his own helplessness, and this utter lack of self-awareness and his unchecked passions are what make him a demon. By doing nothing to improve himself, he grew out of control. And, ultimately, Hantengu is selfish. Everything must revolve around him and how he is the most wretched creature, the most powerless thing to ever have the harshness of the world thrust upon it. Among a cast of relatable demons, made victims of their own poor luck or circumstance or a desire to amend some wrong done to them, Hantengu is the worst because he got himself there for nothing but his own self-centered lie.

While all the demons have relatable traits which have flown out of control, he's the most realistically like someone we all know or have met. He's the most benign and hardest to catch, one whom many philosophical, religious, or therapeutic texts try to warn against for how his insidious fleeing from truth grows into something monstrous.

The scariest part is that the wallowing Hantengu might be closer than we think.

[polygonal-trees]

even more tired reminder that just because a character is an antagonist that doesn't mean they're automatically an evil, heartless, two dimensional villain

[karrisol]

[andthebubbles]

well sainz was on fire

the commentary (brundle and particularly crofty) was stupid as usual

ferrari providing entertainment, and then ferrari+lando

[call-me-overcomer]

Hate when period symptoms manifest as "am I coming down with a stomach bug?"

[moldylittlebinch]

i can't believe a picture of a dog got me to draw him again

[classicintp]

When I was growing up, I just wanted to be useful. If people ever had to rely on me, I wanted them to think "thank fuck he's here." I didn't particularly want people to need to rely on me, I didn't particularly want people to feel like they didn't have a choice, I just wanted to be useful. And I was.

And I will probably continue to be, happily so too, but if I stop being useful now I would also be fine with that. I've been useful, I've shown my worth and more; I'll always be glad to help but my self-worth is no longer tied to my usefulness, it never should have been in the first place as a matter of principle but I do not regret it otherwise.

Today I just want to be a comfort. I want the thought of me to be pleasant, the sudden surprise of my presence to be a relief. I am sometimes loud, and sometimes speak aggressively and with intensity, but I want people to find strength in themselves when they hear it. I can sometimes be critical and opposing, but I want people to feel cared about when it's directed their way, to feel how proud I am of them. When people see me and they see that I see them back, I want their insecurities to fall away and realize that they have always been worth loving, and I hope they accept that love from themselves first.

[neverchecking]

Okay so this is coming way later than I anticipated, but it's here! For those who don't know, which is probably most of you lmao, I have become very good friends with @jcs-radiostation. And we came up with the idea of Aaliyah and Zey's (I really hope I'm using that preferred pronoun right?) OC meeting up! This, this collab was born. This is a direct continuation to This!

<><><><>

The woman was...strange. That was a word she could use. Unique was another, probably a bit more polite, but strange was the one Aaliyah was going to go with. The way she talked reminded her of the snobby nobles from way back when, when they had stuck up their noses at her and laughed at her uncomfortable draw backs. (She used to be disgustingly shy, she recalls. Eyes on her made her skin itch and the thought of having any attention on her had it straight up crawling.) The way she had quickly and effortlessly disbanded the bokoblin was quite the opposite.

The weapons she had were just as weird (That was another word she could use for the woman.). They were loud and shiny, and smoked after being used. They were efficient enough.

At least their hair was similar. On second thought, a grimace twisted her features, the other's seemed much more maintained then her own.

Aaliyah stayed perched on her branch, watching with a great deal of amusement as the other groveled and whined about her shoes-- after she stuck them in the bokoblin guts. Strange was definitely a word she would use for this entire situation.

No matter. Link was waiting for her back at the stable and she had promised him that she would neutralize whatever threat was scaring the stable-hands before retuning to him. He had injured himself in another brainless stunt involving the Zonai tech and needed whatever reprieve she could offer. Even if she gave him a bit of a frosty shoulder while doing so.

Standing on the branch, Aaliyah watched the other woman's ears twitch as she returned her weapon to it's resting point. "I don't have all day to play games," That twinge was back, echoing about in the forest. Aaliyah felt her curiosity peak, fingers brushing just against the hilt of a spare dagger that she didn't care for much. "But if that's what you truly want, then, I'm all yours, love."

...What a strange offer.

The tip of the dagger poked into the pad of the index finger on her opposite hand as she twirled it before flipping it around for a proper throwing grip on it. With a flick of her wrist, it flew.

It wouldn't have actually hit her, Aaliyah had no interest in pursuing a fight, but where others would have scrambled away, the woman did no such thing. A confident hand swiped the blade from it's path, letting it fall in her palm as she turned to where Aaliyah had hidden herself before holding the knife back out.

With a quick flip, Aaliyah easily landed, standing with a neutral expression as she watched the shock fade away into a, dare she say charming, smirk.

"My, my, aren't you something. I don't suppose this little toy belongs to you, my dear." Crimson eyes scanned her form, up and down, as if searching for a weak point.

Aaliyah hummed, placing a singular hand on her hip. Her own eyes scanned her figure, eyes clinging to every leather enforced curve and lace laden limb. A part of her, one that hadn't been shattered or poisoned or broken beyond any and all repair, reared it's ugly head like a serpent, hissing into her ear about the thoughts she refused to acknowledge half the time.

"...If it is?" She spoke, watching the smirk curve just a tad bit more. The woman dared to step closer, holding the weapon out once more. "Then you should take better care of it, my dear."

Aaliyah hummed, reaching slowly to take it back. It was stuffed back into it's holster before the Sheikah was returning to their little stand-off. "Who are you?"

"Myrin Winters." The other woman gave a flourished bow before craning her head up to shoot her a wink. "But you can call me Mae."

Aaliyah hummed once more, one of her ears flickering.

"Most people return the favor."

She hummed for a third time, juggling her options before shaking her head with an airy chuckle. With her own, half-assed, not nearly as perfect bow, she let her eyes sear into the other woman, who had risen to watch her carefully.

"I am the current Sage of Spirits, Aaliyah."

[abluehappyface]

I have played Just Dance 4 for Three hours

[pudding-parade]

Has anyone ever seen a mod that makes it so that the "playing in the ocean with a toddler" interaction increases the toddler's hygiene? I could've sworn I saw such a thing at one time, before I started playing vaguely historical scenarios, but maybe I was hallucinating because I sure can't find such a thing, now. I'd just like to have something like that for my tribals/rustic off-gridders. I can have them wash toddlers in little CC tubs, but those aren't linked to the functional well mod, so they don't use water, which breaks my immersion a bit.

If all else fails, maybe it's something I can do myself, if I can figure out how to find the interaction in s3pe...

[weidli]

ok that was both sadder and gayer than i expected starting out

[post-grammatic-stress]

If you've ever told a person who's had to be bedbound for a period of time that you wish you could "just stay in bed", DO IT.

Stay in bed. For days. But don't get up if someone needs you to, or you get bored, or you get antsy. Don't do anything other than rest. Just lie in your bed, whether you need to get stuff done around the house or socialize or anything else "productive". You'll have to cancel on people, you'll disappoint them, they won't understand.

And if you're thinking, "well, i CAN'T just be in bed. There's stuff that has to be done - I have plans", maybe ask yourself why you assumed a disabled person doesn't have plans or things to do or desires.

[shopwitchvamp]

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

It's just guys night talk! Don't worry about it!

(Read Tiger Tiger and shake this man awake so he can finish that thought!)

[storiesofaot]

Inspired by this post:

🥺🫶🏼

[vasattope]

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