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bugcrimesbracket · 1 year

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Live from the heart of Hallownest, this is Announcerbug reporting for Radio HNST!

It's been a while since we've done a Weekend Recap, and the rounds have been doozies. Let's see where we stand in the Bracket of Fools!

First, Quirrel conquered the False Knight. We hear Macebug is taking a relaxing vacation to a beachside resort near the Blue Lake. He will be facing The Hunter, who proved himself just a bit hungrier than Midwife.

Friendly cartographer Cornifer continues his journey, while far-ranging Mister Mushroom heads on to destinations unknown. Meanwhile, Willoh and Bretta's match concluded in a tie, and they'll be moving on as Team Fun Gals.

Greenpath's own deity, vast Unn, prevailed over the Snail Shaman, and the Seer continues to chase her dreams while Songstress Marissa returns to her stage. (Be sure to see her in her one-bug revue, Wyrm! The Musical.)

Darling miner Myla moves on, while the Last Stag returns to overseeing the Stagways. Ah-- we hear he may not be the last after all, and we're sure he will be an excellent guardian and mentor to the new generation.

In a clash of queens, Hive Queen Vespa defeats Hallownest's White Lady, who says she would have loved to continue participating in the tournament, but she's a bit tied up at the moment...

The silent little Knight triumphs over the unsettling mimic Nosk. Meanwhile, its bigger sibling, The Hollow Knight, easily shreds Grey Prince Zote, who was nothing but a writer's dream.

Troupe Master Grimm has declared that Blue Child Joni has no future in showbusiness, while industrious Menderbug shoos out the ghost of Poggy Thorax.

The Traitors' Child continues on, while the Godseeker must do her seeking elsewhere. Shield-spinning Markoth, meanwhile, tells the loyal Hive Knight to buzz off.

The battle of the Nailmaster brothers results in Mato progressing while Oro heads home. He'll be facing the third brother Sheo, who has sealed Lurien the Watcher's fate.

Speaking of seals, Monomon the Teacher defeats Herrah the Beast, making her the only Seal left in the tournament!

Tiktik would like to wish everyone a happy Pride Month, though team ShrumeCreep may not be feeling so proud right now.

Little Weaver's strategy of staying in the shadows until the right moment to strike has earned it the victory over the flashy Charged Lumafly.

Born of Void, the Sibling proves untouchable to even the feared triple-spitting Primal Aspid!

Even laser beams weren't enough to keep the Moss Knight from triumphing over the Crystal Guardian. Speaking of guardians, Mossy the Massive Moss Charger bucks the bumbling Hive Guardian!

Something finally goes right for orange-oozing Broken Vessel, who has beaten The Radiance herself!

The Mantis Lords, swift with their lances as they may be, were no match for Hornet, whose needle is swifter! She'll be facing her own father next, as The Pale King has trounced the Traitor Lord.

...Whew! That was a lot of action, and there's plenty more action to come. So keep those dials tuned to Radio HNST, bugs and beasts!

#a word from announcerbug

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sealed-family · 3 years

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Looking Into the Unknown

Hornet is sitting in Dirtmouth talking to Elderbug when a dark streak zooms past and straight into Sly's shop. She starts to stand up and get her needle, but Elderbug gently puts a hand on her shoulder.

"It's nothing to worry about, only the little one taking their lessons from Sly." He assures her, but that only makes Hornet more wary, and confused.

"Since when did Ghost get lessons from Sly?" She asks, and Elderbug chuckles.

"Ever since they started to find charms around the Kingdom! While Sly is very good at making things expensive, he's the only Charmsmaker who will sell their wares up here. He and Salubra have this nifty little thing with Ghost, too. Ghost learns Charm Making from Salubra, and Sly teaches them how to tell the purpose of any charm by looking at it. And some economic theory if he's able to fit it in." Elderbug looks at the fly's shop with a strange fondness. "As much as he loves to deny it, Sly is better at teaching and working with the little ones than most bugs up here. Between those unruly brothers and the little one, he's done a wonderful job."

Hornet nods, shifting her stance so that she doesn't look so on edge. Elderbug resumes their conversation from where they left it off like nothing happened, but Hornet can't help but feel like she's missing some information about her sibling.

"Hey Hollow?" Hornet asks her tallest (and oldest?) sibling one day after peace talks with her Kingdom.

Hollow makes a clicking noise to signal that they're listening.

"What do you know about Ghost?"

Hollow pauses, thinking.

I don't think I know as much as you. You have been able to talk to them the longest. They start, signing slowly. But I do know they're very close to the cartographer and his partner, and that Grimm is very protective of them. That's about all I know.

Hornet sighs, rubbing a clawed hand over her mask. "Thanks, Hollow. I'll see you tomorrow." She throws her needle and swings away, not seeing Hollow sign after her.

Are you not coming home tonight?

Hornet watches from the shadows as Mato and Ghost whirl about each other. Ghost's movements are more graceful now that they have the extra limb length, and they offer an almost ethereal comparison to Mato's more broad swipes.

Their nails clash for a few more minutes before calling a truce. Mato swoops Hornet's sibling up and onto his shoulders. Ghost taps the top of Mato's mask and makes a few clicking noises, and Mato laughs.

"You know it, child." His warm and rough voice fills the room with ease. "Be sure to tell my brothers hi for me when you see them, and the same for Sheo's lover."

Ghost chirps in response, knocking their mask against Mato's, and Mato laughs again.

"Mmm, me to child. I will see you next time, yes?"

Ghost nods eagerly and flips off of Mato's shoulders. They see Hornet and wave excitedly, running up to her and taking one of her many hands. They turn back and wave goodbye to Mato, who waves back and sits down. Hornet's eyes linger on his sitting form before the door closes, and ignores the numerous questions that try to rise inside her head.

There's a loud roar through Greenpath, and Hornet races through the greenery and dodges through dangerously spikey vines until they see Ghost in the hand of a very large and boney (those are what bones are, right?) creature.

Ghost is tapping their nail on the creature's hand, making a semi-familiar noise while they tap.

"Who is this?" A deep and rumbling voice sounds from the creature, and Ghost looks back for a moment to see Hornet. They start tapping again for a minute or so, and the creature nods. "Hmm. Hornet." It says her name slowly, like it was tasting the sound of it.

"Who are you?" Hornet asks, hand tightly curled around her needle.

"I am the Hunter, and this one bares my Mark." The Hunter growls while it puts Ghost down. It moves towards Hornet until it's shrub covered head looms over her. "And I always protect my fellow hunter."

Ghost taps their nail rapidly, and the Hunter turns to them, processing.

"If you say so, little Hunter." It says, bringing out one large claw and gently tapping Ghost's mask. Ghost makes a small preening noise before skipping over to once again grab her hand and drag her out of the room.

Hornet's mask is starting to get too big for her. While most bugs with masks go to mask makers in the City, she trusts the Mask Maker of her own kind more than those above. They don't know how to make the mask that Hornet requires as the Princess of Deepnest.

She doesn't expect to walk in to see a small collection of what is clearly Ghost's pre-molt masks, a large crack or hole in each of them.

"Ah, Princess, how lovely to see you." Mask Maker hums from behind their own mask, his many hands working on other projects. "In for a new mask, I assume? Crack or growth?"

Hornet smiles from underneath her mask at the familiarity of it all. "Yes, and growth. It's getting a little small, and you're the only one I trust to actually do a good job."

The Mask Maker laughs, putting away the projects it was working on. "We Deepnest know what's best when it comes to quality, hmm? Now, let me see that mask of yours."

Hornet walks up to the table and lets the Mask Maker map every part of it, a small part of her happy for how this didn't change after the Infection.

"I do have one question, Princess." Mask Maker says once they're done, and Hornet hums in response. "I have a new potential mask makeup that could make a mask of your caliber harder and more difficult to penetrate. It's not a certainty, but it is a high probability."

Hornet thinks a moment. "What is it, exactly? Where did you find it? You've been working since before my mother, it's not likely that you would have missed something like this."

"It didn't exist until some time into the second wave of infection. A small creature of darkness, although not a Deepnest darkness. I thought I would only see them once, as with most bugs during that time. I didn't expect for them to start to come in regularly with what looked to be their own broken masks." The Mask Maker stops his movements for the briefest of moments. "I have not seen them since the eternal day stopped. I do hope they're okay. It was nice to feel the kind of kinship that we shared."

Hornet doesn't respond, not at first. She's lost in thought about how Ghost, who seemed to not want to enter Deepnest at the best of times, had made such strong friendships. And she knows that Ghost had something to do with the renaming of the hot springs, even though they shouldn't know Monomon's research assistant. He left once she had been put to sleep, taking her mask with him.

"I think I'll be fine without that for my personal mask." She says slowly. "But if you would like to test any, I'd be willing to help."

The Mask Maker nods, and gets started on her mask.

Hornet and Ghost are waiting for the Last Stag to come through the Stagways, with her pacing to keep the nervous energy out of her body and Ghost sitting on the bench, petting a sleeping Grimmchild.

"Is the Troupe Master so protective of you because you have his child, or is it something else?" She asks, trying to fill the time.

To her surprise, Ghost shakes their head.

Grimmchild is strong, Grimm does not worry about them. They sign. I don't know for sure, anyways. My best guess is that he . . . cares for me, I think. We've crossed blades- well blade and body technically- a few times, but we've talked much more.

Hornet stops her pacing to look at Ghost, who's hands are gently laid upon Grimmchild's back. "Okay." She says, hearing the distinct sound of the Last Stag coming down the tunnel. That answer she somewhat expected. Ghost and Grimm have a very strange and complicated relationship after all.

Ghost jumps up, Grimmchild waking up in an instant and flying around Ghost's head. Ghost runs to the edge of the station platform, and jumps in joy when the Last Stag stops before them. They start to sign rapidly to the large creature, with Grimmchild bonking its head against him.

"Child, I think your sister wishes to leave. You can come to the nest and tell me all about it later." The Last Stag says in his deep, booming voice. Ghost waves goodbye and gestures for Hornet to get onto the Stag, and she's left wondering who was the last bug allowed into Stag Nest.

It had been long established since the healing of Kin that Ghost could see, well, ghosts. Or spirits as they insisted the specters should be called. It had been even longer established, since before Hollow's time, that the City of Tears sings.

Of the rumors explaining why, ranging from it being the King's Light to the souls of those killed in the many battles, or those killed by the King Himself, none of them were close to the truth.

"Wait, Ghost, I don't understand why you keep insisting we keep open the Pleasure House. You're going with Hollow to talk to the remaining Menderbugs, plus any construction worker to insist so. You don't like going with Hollow for politics things! What's going on?" Hornet asks Ghost.

Ghost gives Hornet a look. One, Lemm has a fascination with history, and the Pleasure House is the first of its kind. He and I spend a lot of time talking about it, or talking in it. They sign with mild hostility. Two, I get my singing lessons from Marissa, who lives there. Destroying the House will kill her.

Hornet recoils slightly with how harsh that last part was. "What do you mean it will kill her?"

She's the spirit who lives in the House. A songstress. The Voice of the City.

Oh. She's the one who makes the City of Tear's song.

"She gives you singing lessons?" The 'I thought you didn't have a voice' is left unsaid.

Ghost seems to pick up on it, though, if the slight shift into a defensive stance is anything to go by.

Yes. And I need to go to them. Now.

Ghost is gone before she can say anything more.

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