#i don't know what this hollow knight ghost style for

[asp1diske-art]

Your technical skill with lineart and shading is amazing in itself, but it's your ability to convey emotion and atmosphere in your work that is trademark to me :) its incredible how you can show through gesture and body language just what these masked, expressionless characters are feeling, and how the environment itself conveys that. Your lurien comics, especially the one that ends in something along the lines of "I return to the kingdom you abandoned" are I think the spark that made Lurien go from Some Guy to Deeply Interesting for me, and your use of color pop and shaky line contributed so much to the feeling in those comics. You are one of the artists whose skill at evoking emotions I aspire to <3

Oh wow, I've been reading and re-reading this for the last 20 minutes this is amazing.

So, emotions!

If there is one thing I'm proud to have accomplished during my time in Hollow Knight, it's the skill of expressing tone. Because here's the thing, facial expressions are just one of the many components of tone. (I even wrote about this in another ask some time ago.) Colors, gestures, camera angle, lighting, paneling, lines and narration - all of these come together to convey the mood of the scene.

Check out these wips from the Watcher and the Watched comic, for example.

You can see that color played a huge role in setting the atmosphere in the comic. It shows that this comic is taking place in the Watcher's Spire, but it also gives a dark, subdued feeling that wouldn't come from idk, a yellow background. The backlight emphasizes the ominous tone of the last page. As does Lurien's pose - coupled with the butler looking up and Lurien looking down, it makes it look like Lurien is looming over his butler (and the reader). All this builds up to deliver Lurien's lines with maximum impact.

So yeah, a lot goes into conveying tone in comics, and I'm very happy to hear that it was recieved well!!

The Lurien, Dreamer comic. It's almost 2 years old now but it's still one of the favorite comics I drew about him. Together with the City of Tears comic, it's the epitome of my interpretation of Lurien. My characterization of Lurien's relationship with the Pale King was quite different from the usual fanon at the time (I don't know how it is now, I haven't gone into the tags in years haha) and I wasn't really sure how people would take it. So I'm glad to hear that it got you interested in Lurien!

It's the one that took the longest too lol. Usually I draw comics in a single setting, but that one took 3 days. Besides Two Ghosts (which was an 18 chapter+@ comic that was over 50p and took about 2 months), no other comic has broken this record. I put in a lot of care into it, and it still holds a special place in my heart.

Honestly half the reason I use messy, sketchy lines is that I suck at drawing clean lines lmao. But I like to think that I've made the best of it and utilized it as an art style. In that comic especially, because the whole thing takes place in the dream realm and I wanted to give a rough, unreal feel to it.

I'd show breakdowns of this one too but the file is so big it keeps crashing lol. (Pro tip - draw your comic pages in separate files. Don't be like me and draw 300dpi 10p comics with 30 layers in each page in a single canvas. It will crash and you will be sad.) But drawing the White Palace was a interesting challenge because I usually draw in highly saturated colors whereas the Palace is, well, white. So I had to work out a way to color this without making everything looking grey, while also making it recognizable as the palace. iirc I used a lot of overlay & burn & dodge layers along with a few difference & subtract layers to give the white a slight yellow tint to stand out from the dark blue. (I'm pretty sure they're the culprits crashing the file.)

Sorry this got long, I really took this as an invitation to ramble about my art hkfsldjkflj

Thank you for all the compliments! It's an honor to hear that my art could be someone's aspiration, and I'm very happy that all my Lurien art got someone else into Lurien. I hope you have a nice day :D

[ruthlesslistener]

do you have any headcanons for anything you've been holding onto, but haven't had a good chance to post about? I love your fics and I wanna peer into your mind palace

Shhdhchs EXCELLENT bc ive had a lot of thoughts but this quarter + anxiety in general has been killin me

-Okay so I'm still hyperfixated on Destiny 2 bc of a DnDestiny game I'm in, but since Hollow Knight is a special interest and I read a couple of frankly stunning crossover fics (one with the Inheritance Cycle, one with Transformers, both are outstanding and I will recc them wholeheartedly if you ask- the TF one especially blew my tits clean off which is saying something bc I have zero TF knowledge, also its 500k words but I'm rambling), my brain has been essentially locked into the concept of a crossover AU where a couple of my D2 OCs get slingshot into the HK world via a fucked-up warpgate through wish-dragon magic, and it's now got me kind of obsessed with the idea of the world of Hollow Knight taking place on an alien planet that had some convergent evolution re: general insect body plans, but went off the fuckin' rails with everything else. So here's some worldbuilding thoughts on that:

-Their planet would be far from Earth and the origin place of the Ahamkara and precursor race to the Worm Gods, who are distant relatives to each other that took to the stars to opportunistically feed off of rifts in reality. They are in turn sister taxa to the Wyrms and Higher Beings from Hollow Knight, who also feed off of the wants, desires, and gulf between what-is-desired-and-what-is-true, but unlike the worms and wish-dragons, the Higher Beings are essentially 'settled' species. They're the farming civilization to the hunter-gatherers of their Destiny-based kindred, and yes, both branches of the family tree fucking despise each other and look down scornfully on the other's lifestyle. The Higher Beings view the Worms and Ahamkara as little more than scavengers, while the Worms and Ahamkara see the Higher Beings as glorified slavedrivers with sticks up their asses- though it should be noted that since the Ahamkara's whole deal so far has been malignant trickery as a hunting style, this doesn't neccessarily carry the same negative connotations that it would in our society. I also don't know enough about the proto-Worms to say how their race would react, but the Worm Gods as they are now certainly are something that Wyrms would look down on

-(Yes that means I have thought extensively about the Pale King's ghost bristling aggressively at a baby ahamkara barely a few hours old. In my defense, it's funny, and also I almost never remember to write him as the cold, prickly, arrogant ass that he is bc his kids make him Big Sad)

-The planet would likely be smaller than Earth with lighter gravity, though how much smaller I can't say because I'm not a fuckin' physicist. I just want an excuse for making fuckoff-huge animals a thing even beyond the inherent space magic thing going on

-Oh, and most life is underground because the atmosphere is thinner than Earth and so the upper surface gets bombarded with deadly amounts of radiation, which causes the mind-wiping effects of the Wastes (where the angle towards their sun is the greatest and thus the strongest). Ngl I did briefly think about potential magnetic field fluxes also being the cause of that effect but like, I cannot overstate how little I know of things outside biology

-HK being set on an alien planet lets me do wack shit with the species there too bc I'm no longer bound by comparing them to Earthbound species. For example, I can make Quirrel an isopod with cricket legs. Who's going to stop me, God? He doesn't exist here

-That also means I can stop being bothered by Herrah's dubious leg placement bc it would kill me forever otherwise

-Also, them being on an alien planet gives me even more of an excuse to never put traditional vertebrate species in there, which is great. I've said it before, but putting Earth vertebrates in the HK setting totally ruins all the fun for me because I love the concept of all the species diversity being made up of invertebrates, and that the 'advanced' bugs we see have filled the niche that vertebrates would have otherwise taken over. Like the carboniferous period but on steroids

General HK thoughts too:

-been toying with the idea of wyrms having a set of evertable inner jaws like polychaete worms, which would be used for keeping dirt out of the mouth and biting off chunks to eat, while the outer jaws (the ones we see) are used for killing, digging, and sparring with other wyrms. The idea is that the outer ring of mandibles bites big circular chunks out of the substrate, which then breaks off into tiny pieces they filter out in between gaps in their mandibles and pack down into tunnel walls as they move forward

-I've also been toying with the idea of them secreting some kind of mucus as they dig that's almost a calcifying substance, but now that I think about it, I can probs just put those glands in their frontal mouth so if they need to reinforce a tunnel (like, say, one burrowed in sand instead of rock), they can mix their saliva in with the substrate to chemically solidify the tunnel walls

-Which btw is a major thing for ecosystems bc the tunnels are used for lots of different things by lots of different species. Wyrms are terraformers baybee!! Kinda the same way wildfires are, but still

-I've also been thinking about maybe making it so that the row of plates I like to draw on their backs act as a secondary pair of belly scutes, which means that wyrms can slither just as easily upside down as they can on their undersides, which helps underground. It's not as efficient as the super-smooth scales on a blind snake, but that's the tradeoff they get for needing to be so heavily armoured

-I'm also leaning towards making marine/freshwater variants that are just straight-up bobbit worms on even more steroids, but since I already have fuckoff huge marine alien bobbit worms in a scifi setting of mine, I'd need to figure out a way to make them unique

-I learned that there's internalized folds of exoskeleton for muscle attatchment in my invertebrate biology course and got really excited about that being a potential basis for the formation of skeletal elements in the world of Hollow Knight- like, maybe bug bones started off as those lil folds (i forgot their technical name which is embaressing bc i literally just took the final this night) becoming stronger and deeper-set into the body to better support the weight of larger and larger bugs, and then it spiraled into a skeleton analogue from there. Being derived from the exoskeleton probably means that it would be less strong than our bones, but it would likely also be lighter

Misc:

-God I really need to write Hornet in Silksong so bad. Fuck. I need need need to write this mildly autistic unsocialized princess running amok in a civilization that isn't ready for her. Also my interpretation of Lace is basically an oc at this point but I don't want to do anything with her just yet bc that shits a lot of work, I just need to write everything down for her so far (and tbh Lurien probs also counts at this point but thats more filling a niche that TC left unfufilled)

-I've also got gijinka thoughts in that I'm leaning towards making Lurien a trans guy who didn't have any gender-affirming surgeries bc a.) I love love love making a variety of trans characters and b.) Hallownest isn't a society where the concept of being transgender is an issue, so there's no need to do it to pass, only to prioritize your own comfort. And since Lurien never expected to be seen in anything but his formalware, he never saw the point of bothering

-(The aformentioned point also applies to normal bug Lurien but this is more of a personal thing here)

-Need to focus more on how the latent magic of the god of a realm changes your eye colour, with the more intense the shade = the more involved you are with their magic. Using Lurien as an example again: his eyes were brown naturally, but after he became Watcher, they slowly shifted to shades of paler and paler blue. I also like the idea of Quirrel's eyes getting more blue the more memories of Hallownest he unlocks, until they're the same shade as the Blue Lake in his final scene

-This can also happen in reverse; for example, my Lace gijinka starts off with gold eyes to signify the church of Pharloom's hold over her, but then slowly revert back to brown as Hornet gives her more and more hope that the institution can be toppled, until they're eventually their natural deep brown with just the faintest flecks of silver in them (signifying Hornet's importance in her life)

-It just occurred to me the other day when I was at work that Striga and Morgana from Castlevania S3 are almost exactly how I imagined my Vespa and Herrah gijinkas to be and now I can't stop thinking about it. The main difference is that my Herrah is a fat spider-orc with tats and Vespa is a fae queen with bee features shimmering through her human veil, but still. Its uncanny

[trasho-pando2011]

I GOT PIZZA TOWER ‼️‼️💥💥💥

now I just gotta figure out what other game to get with the remaining money from the eShop card I got

I really wanna get tspud but I know most (if not all) of the spoilers so I feel like it would be a waste (although, it would be cool to play it...)

I've wanted to play Cuphead since I was like 6 buuut...

yeah, that's a no on Cuphead. I'm what we in da bizz like to call a little fuckin bitch and I get really mad when I lose in a game

So that leaves...

Road 96 - just wanna play it cuz of the motorcycle guys (I forgot their names) that I saw in the demo. also I hate Alex cuz who the hell actually talks like that??

Octodad - like Cuphead, I wanted to play it for YEARS

BatIM and DST - there's a sale :D (also they're cool)

Wobbledogs - silly doggies + my friend played it

Frog Detective - tbh I don't really know why this in my wish list. Jerma played it

OneShot - idk anything abt it but the lil cat dude is cute

Hades - idk anything abt it but it looks cool

Sam & Max - the gays™

Donut County - my brain is just like "hehe eat stuff and hole get big"

Pikuniku - ????

Hollow Knight - my mom played it and when I played it on the ps4 I thought it was pretty cool

The Many Pieces of Mr Coo - I think I put it in cuz I liked the art style cuz idk shit abt it

Slime Rancher - silly slime guys

JSaB - my gf likes this game :D

Ty the Tasmanian Tiger 2 HD - I used to play the original on my ps2

In Stars and Time - OMG IT LOOKS SO COOOOL RAAAAGAHHSJSNDHDNX

Ghost Trick - played the demo and thought it was cool

Rain World - @antipathy-arsonist YOU

*ena voice* THAT'S A LOT

There's some other stuff I wanna play (like Danganronpa, Sally Face and Omori) but I put my actual age on my Nintendo account and I don't have another one linked to my alt yet so I can't (apparently Thank Goodness You're Here is one of those games???)

[lonepower]

@curlyparmesan replied to your post “hi! guess who's alive! this is just the page from...”:

You made that?? It's so good!! I know nothing about Hollow Knight but it looks so pretty.

​BWEH THANK U 😭-

but also oh man okay now i have to yell because this game. it's like. ok. so the game is about this little bug

(absolute creature. unauthorized fucking thing.) known variably as "the knight", the "little ghost", "pale thing", "small friend"- the point is they don't really have a name, or an identity, or any memories, or any personality, or anything. (spoiler alert: they have all of these.)

the game starts with you entering "Hallownest," a deteriorating subterranean kingdom of bugs that has been slowly rotting for an unknown amount of time as a mysterious infection consumes it from within. the king is missing; the queen has barricaded herself into her home out of an unspecified grief; all but a handful of citizens are dead; and nobody wants to sleep, because if you do the infection will come to take over your dreams and drive you mad. and dying doesn't free you from this because it just fills you with goo and puppets your corpse around! fun.

so your job as this little creature is to find out what's causing the dreaming sickness and put a stop to it.

there is a way you are supposed to put a stop to it. this is the easiest, worst, and most horrifying ending.

describing the story any further would delve into spoilers that are absolutely more fun to discover (and going lore-hunting is at least half the fun of the game - make sure to explore everywhere), but like. these little 16 pixels will RIP your HEART from your BODY. they will cause AGONIES. you'll be on the floor crying about bugs and you WILL like it.

as far as gameplay goes, it's a 2D sidescroller/metroidvania style, which put me off it for a long time because i haaaaaaaaaate metroidvanias. i actually started it, got past the first boss (which is a testament to how good it is in and of itself, because usually i get to the first enemy and am just like "nah"), went "oh right I hate metroidvanias," and gave up. and then about three days later i was like, "...but I want to know what happens next." as it turns out, it's actually highly moddable, so I stuck god mode on and played through the entire thing three times in about a month. I've actually weaned myself off of it for a couple of encounters, which is even more impressive! Troupe Master Grimm also headlines my very very very short list of "bosses I not only tolerate, but actively enjoy" (alongside essej from control + tom and hel from ghostrunner. that's the entire list.) combat is... still hard, but can be rewarding - it's mostly timing-based and there's a parry mechanic whose window is so fucking microscopic but actually managing it is really satisfying.

(also, like-

-i can't even go into details because it's BIIIG spoilers but like. the way two of the characters parry. like their stances and stuff. i'm screaming and wailing and tearing out my hair over the Implications of that-)

and the MUSIC too. the THEMES and MOTIFS. the way certain characters' leitmotifs creep into different areas or into other characters' themes... POETIC CINEMA. i could, have, and will continue to listen to the main theme, dirtmouth bgm, and city of tears bgm on repeat for hours. (also bonus favorite boss theme. the fact that this man is not a Tumblr Sexyman(tm) continues to boggle me-)

another thing I really like is that you're not the only adventurer in the world. there's not really a companion mechanic (though there are some upgrades that will give you little minions, and you can kill a clown and he'll give you his son as a reward), but there's a couple of other characters you can encounter periodically across the game who are on their own quests, which depending on your actions you can help bring to fruition or not. it just feels like the kind of thing you don't see very often? but this kingdom is known in-universe to draw adventurers, and there... actually are other adventurers. idk. it's neat.

anyway. play hollow knight. it will hurt you but you won't regret it.

[ashcoveredtraveler]

Post Embrace The Void Rambling on What The Pure Vessel would do after escaping.

So I was reading "Broken Open Revealing Hollowness and Vibrance" and it made my mind turn for a bit. In that fic, Hollow learns how to be a caretaker for Midwife and I love that idea. But I was thinking of what sort of things Hollow would try and do to continue with their life.

"Retire"- I feel like this is the thing I see the most in fics. They are a veteran and simply wants to relax and live their life with their siblings. While I do like this ending for them, I feel like they would try and live life as a 'normal bug' before retiring. Also, this goes along with this section as well, but they could have exusions to Sheo's hut to find a hobby or purpose.

Rule over what is left of Hallownest- This is something I specifically saw in "The Hollow King". I think this is one of the things they might be really good at. They were raised in a diplomatic environment and probably observed how The King ruled Hallownest. While he absolutely sucked at containing the infection, I do think that he knew how to rule. Hollow would use what they know to rally the survivors and slowly build them up. It may not be as grand as Hallownest, but since they failed to contain the infection they feel like they must watch the citizens they were supposed to protect.

Caretaker- As mentioned in the first paragraph, Hollow could have been a caretaker for bugs. I feel like they would be a very patient bug as they stood around guarding all day long, maybe watching Hornet when she was younger. This would also let them 'relive' their childhood as they never had one. They would probably get joy and somewhat heal by hanging around grubs all day.

Trainer- Considering that they were one of the best warriors in all of Hallownest, they would know a bunch of fighting styles. They could probably tutor whoever is left in Hallownest, or if Hallownest is rebuilding itself they could train a new generation of guards.

Grave tender- This is the worst possible timeline and the worst thing for Hollow to do. I can't find the fic but it was a Post Embrace the Void fic where everyone heals, blah blah blah. Anyways in that fic, The Radiance gains a mortal form and repents by making a gravestone of every single one of her victims. Now what if Hollow does that instead. They are ridden with so much guilt and feel like they have to repent. Since they jailed The Radiance for so long, they know the names of all of her victims. They probably wouldn't even wait until they were healed, once they were able to move they would head to The Resting grounds. They would simply be a ghost, unable to move on and repent for something they didn't need to repent for in the first place.

Assistant or Student- This depends on whether Ghost didn't kill all of the Dreamers before ascending, as you don't need to kill the Dreamers to kill The Radience. Now I was thinking that they could be an assistant for Monomon or Quirrel at the Archive. They could also be a student at the Archive, studying something new or something I haven't even mentioned. The possibilities would be endless with this option.

This is all of the things that could happen with The Hollow Knight. It would have been nice to see them heal, but the best ending we are going to get from Hollow Knight itself is a bittersweet ending. Luckily for us, we have Tumber and A03.

[puppyluver256]

[Image Description: NiGHTS from NiGHTS into Dreams looking angrily at an unseen individual. NiGHTS is a humanoid entity resembling a jester with light skin, large blue eyes, and two purple horns that resemble a jester's hat. They are wearing a white shirt with yellow and purple sleeve cuffs, a pink and red vest with yellow accents, an orange neck ruff, and purple pants. On their chest is a large red jewel. To their right are Kris and Frisk, from Deltarune and Undertale respectively. They are a teenager and child, both with light brown skin and brown hair. Both are wearing striped tops, Kris' being a green and yellow hoodie, Frisk's being a blue and purple shirt. In NiGHTS' hand is The Knight from Hollow Knight. They are a small bug with a white horned head, wearing a grey cloak and holding a nail. Behind NiGHTS, Tim Tam from Smile For Me is peeking up from the bottom of the frame. They are a child with purple skin, dark blue hair in a ponytail with a yellow ponytail holder, and large dark blue eyes. Text in a speech bubble, spoken by NiGHTS, reads "Look, if someone says they're not a boy or a girl, you don't get to pick an option for them. Most nonbinary people and characters aren't like me." End ID.]

-----

Y'know that one little annoying tendency of certain individuals to see a character that canonically uses they or it as their pronouns, they go "oh, so this means I get to decide what their gender is!", and then they slap either he or she on there like it's their right to decide for them/their creators? Yeeaaaah no, there's One major iconic character I know of who that actually applies to and would be more widely known: NiGHTS. Their gender is canonically up to interpretation, they'll take he/she/they/it/whatever else no problem. But everyone else in this image? They/them only or they/it canonically. And apparently NiGHTS here isn't too happy with people using them as an excuse to misgender anyone who's not strictly a boy or a girl (:

I mostly just included the first few characters that came to mind who usually get this treatment and who I know for certain are canonically neither boys/men or girls/women. Frisk and Kris (and also Chara) get this a lot, one particular instance of this leading to a friend of mine having to abandon a Deltarune fic because of people who are too stubborn to acknowledge them as separate entities from the player, as well as being ridiculously sensitive to obviously facetious "threats". But that's more said friend's story to tell, tbh. Ghost, as well as the other vessels including Broken Vessel and the titular Hollow Knight, are specifically mentioned to not have gender and regularly referred to as "they" or "it"--hell, when their sister Hornet is specifically labeled "the gendered child", it's obviously something that Means Something. As for Tim Tam, I know that Smile For Me is a smaller fandom compared to the other three indie darlings here--smaller than NiGHTS as well, but I'd imagine that's a given--but I've seen them get she'd a few times and I just shrivel up inside.

I had some other ideas for inclusion, but Flower Kid doesn't have a concrete design and was specifically meant to be the player self-insert, similar with the player character of the most recent Animal Crossing and Splatoon entries where gender selection has been replaced with "style". I also considered Shiver, but 1) I don't know for certain whether or not they were intended to be nonbinary according to the original Japanese and my search for sources only give me Nate's insistence they're a woman (which I don't entirely trust given his track record with localizing canonical queer characters in previous Nintendo games), and 2) I didn't want a flood of rabid squid kids taking Nate's word as law.

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NiGHTS and other NiGHTS into Dreams concepts © SEGA/SonicTeam Frisk, Kris, and other Undertale and Deltarune concepts © Toby Fox The Knight (aka Ghost) and other Hollow Knight concepts © Team Cherry Tim Tam and other Smile For Me concepts © LimboLane Artwork © PuppyLuver Studios

[violetandstarlightgirl]

My Favorite Songs I Discovered in 2022

Hoo boy, haven't done this in three years. Thought I'd start doing this again especially since I found some really good songs this year!

As with the previous entries, nothing's in any particular order, and not everything was released exclusively this year. There's also a bonus list at the bottom of some of my favorites from 2020 and 2021 as well, since I still wanted to mention them.

Here's the old lists I've done so far: 2017 , 2018 , 2019

Honey I'm Home- Ghost (Honey I'm Home, 2019)

This is definitely the black sheep on this list this year.

I found it through a beautifully made Hollow Knight animatic by Icelandin, and something about the spooky insectoid imagery and intense instrumentals stuck with me. Not to mention the lyrics and the story they tell! (the artwork in the original music video is gorgeously disturbing)

Once I can find the peace of mind and the free time, I'd love to make an animatic with this song!

Windy Summer- Anri (Timely!!, 1983)

Since I found out about Dress Down, I have been fascinated by what I now know is the "80's City Pop" subgenre from Japan. I found a whole playlist of songs near the start of the year, and I fell in love with Anri's Timely!! album. This song in particular is featured because it's my favorite from the album, with Remember Summer Days being a close second.

I absolutely love the summer vibes from this song, and I like listening to it while driving. I even set it as my wake-up alarm for when I'm having a nap or my routine-app alarm isn't on for whatever reason. It's just a lovely upbeat song great for when you need to get stuff done!

Not Your Father's Son- JT Music, featuring Andrea Storm Kaden (Not Your Father's Son, 2022)

I received Hades as a birthday present last year and I have loved every second of it. The artwork is stunning and I'm captivated by the story, but one of my favorite creations related to the game is this fan-song made by the same talents behind the Elden Ring fanpiece, Solo.

I love the Greek inspired instrumentals that play throughout and the message in the chorus; you might be divine but you'll find you're not your father's son. Zagreus is his own person and needs the opportunity to forge his own path, and the chance to learn the truth about who his mother was.

On the Nature of Daylight- Max Richter (The Blue Notebooks, 2018)

A really somber instrumental piece here, I love the gradual addition of each instrument as the song progresses (kind of like In The Shape of Longing, one of the songs from my very first songs of the year list!). I don't know a lot of the context for the piece, but it makes me think of a tragic event that inspired a person to change for the better.

Desert Rose- Peter Hollens and Alaa Wardi (Covers Vol III, 2017)

As a young kid I've always been fascinated by the original version of this song by Sting, but at the start of this year I also found out that one of my favorite cover artists, Peter Hollens, had covered the song within the last few years.

Peter's acapella style adds something new to an already stellar masterpiece and keeps to the Middle Eastern roots that inspired the original with the inclusion of Alaa Wardi (a gifted singer in his own right!). It's a neat reminder of the beauty that can come from collaboration between cultures to make new things.

Judas- Gemyni (Judas 80s ver., 2020)

I've discovered a fun genre of cover styles this year, where people take pop songs from the 2000s and later and turn it into dark synth 80s (go check out Izzy Perri's cover of Toxic you won't regret it), but I wanted to highlight Gemyni's absolutely haunting cover of Lady Gaga's Judas on this list.

I enjoy that the tempo is slowed into something sensual (it's been used in a couple of thirst trap edits for a good reason) but everything still nods to the original. Even Gemyni's vocals are reminiscent of Gaga but it is still uniquely her own.

Dark Seeks Light- Yui Ninomiya (Dark Seeks Light, 2021)

My husband is a big fan of the isekai subgenre of anime (reincarnating with some or all knowledge from a previous life and achieving great things in the new life) and a favorite of both of ours is The World's Finest Assassin (Gets Reincarnated in Another World as An Aristocrat). One of the biggest selling points for both of us is the opening theme and the title sequence it plays in (check it out here!!)

It's a gripping and fast-paced song that keeps your attention and gets you pumped for the action. The lyrics even hint at the themes of the story; seeking light in darkness by snuffing out corruption from its festering source.

Brutus- The Buttress (Brutus, 2016)

As with a few of the songs on this playlist, I discovered this one while I was searching for stuff for a character playlist. I hadn't listened to anything by The Buttress before, but I'm definitely a fan of this piece.

I can easily feel the vitriol and rage pouring from the character as the song plays, and I love the touch where eventually their voice raises from a whisper to a shout. The character is psyching themselves up to commit fratricide, motivated by many things none the least of which is envy ("please know that my actions are not motivated only by envy", "I don't want what you have, I wanna be you").

It's a powerful piece and I love the detail of the nonsensical words spoken by the chorus in the background.

Devil's Backbone- The Civil Wars (The Civil Wars, 2013)

This was a song suggested to my by a friend for another character playlist. As a lover of folk music, I love the strings and the vocals in this one! The lyrics are also emotional and powerful; a woman praying for the soul of a man with a dark past whom she loves dearly. It's short, but absolutely sweet.

The biggest pull for me is the connection I made to this song with my Monster of the Week character, Tabby Green. Tabby is in a romantic relationship with Julian Darling, a troubled man with a checkered past. Without going into too much detail, I feel like the lyrics adequately describes her feelings about the situation.

Under the Heavens- Tony Anderson (Under the Heavens, 2022)

One of my best friends has sent me a few of Tony Anderson's pieces over the years, and this one is definitely one of my favorites he's ever done to date!

It's kind of a weird way to describe it, but it feels like you're listening to a sunrise. The sound that those first morning rays feel on your skin as the day begins.

Bonus!!! Stuff I Discovered in 2020 and 2021

In Dulce Jubilo- Mike Oldfield

A beautiful Christmas instrumental that I'd love to use in an animatic someday, introduced to me though a YouTube video by Caddicarus where he talked about his first videos on the site.

Wishbone- nervous_testpilot

A funky tune that gives me ENA vibes, overall just a fun song to chill to and have in the background when I'm doing things.

The Foyer- Drab Majesty

Something I found when looking for things to put in a character playlist for a Goth vampire who was turned in the 80s. Listening to it makes me feel this intense nostalgia even though it's less than a decade old.

Song for a Siren- The Jane Austen Argument

A beautiful modern sea shanty I used as major inspiration for my triton rogue (whos campaign concluded in July!)

Sleeping in the Cold Below- Keith Power, Alan Doyle, Damhnait Doyle

Space-shanty that I fell in love with when I got to that part of Warframe.

Drown in Pale Light- Andreas Vollenweider

An absolutely serene piece of harp music that puts my soul at piece. Worth mentioning because it was my #1 song played on Spotify this year (in the bonus segment because I discovered it in 2021)

[rukafais]

any chance you'd gush about ender lilies? i'm stuck in that weird spot where i kinda wanna get a game, but i'm not a 100% yet, and i know you like it, and from what i've seen, we share rather similar tastes, so!

obviously don't feel forced, but at least personally, i'd never turn down a chance to gush about something i like haha

OH MAN NO IT'S NOT FORCING AT ALL, I LOVE THAT GAME

first of all, if you generally enjoy that sort of Spooky Spelunking Metroidvania subgenre you will probably enjoy Ender Lilies quite a bit! It's also gorgeously full of detail, has a really stunning art style, so it's lovely to look at too, and it has a wonderful soundtrack.

The story is nothing like SUPER INNOVATIVE but it also doesn't need to be! It is however refreshingly compassionate about like....not prettifying all your dead ghost friends who Lily essentially purifies and takes along with her for the ride because sometimes a family is like 26 ghosts and one live kid. They are just as shitty-looking as they are when you fight them and while I know it's likely due to it being a smart idea to reuse assets, I just really love the fact that Lily's ragtag group of weirdo undead is never polished up and you never really get to see what they looked like 'before', they're just...with you now. It really strengthens the thematic of moving on and some kind of life persisting even when everything is in ruins.

For me it personally hits the sweet spot of having enough information on characters/background lore/story for me to work out what's happening, a fair amount packed into implications, but also a lot to play with. You get enough about each ghost (and obviously the most for major ghosts that form the bulk of Lily's skill set) to like, figure out what they were like pre-apocalypse generally but also plenty of wiggle room to just like...bulk them up too through implications and all.

It's also just like. Fun. I can slog through clunky mechanics for Story and Characters but I really do enjoy Ender Lilies mechanically. It's a bit stiffer than Hollow Knight and others of its ilk (i might compare it more to Salt and Sanctuary with less horrifying leap-of-faith environmental restrictions...sorry salt and sanctuary i tried) but like, it does make sense because you are controlling one whole-ass not-combat-trained child. I love messing around with spirit combos and figuring out who my favourites are. It's real good!

ANYWAY YES THANKS ANON FOR LETTING ME RAMBLE. I HOPE U ENJOY IF YOU DO DECIDE TO GET IT

[snowybitch1237]

If the bug fables bugs and the hollow knight bugs fought with only their armies who do you think would win? I that is if a decent amount of city guards from hallownest survived I'm sure some would wakeup from the infection

I think, by sheer size, probably the Bug Fables bugs, between all the kingdoms.

The only BF kingdom who's army we ever fight, even if only a couple at a time, is the wasp kingdom. So I really don't know what dealing with all the others would be like.

Hallownest's advantage would probably be that a good portion of their guards are actually arial, and not completely confined to the ground like most of the BF bugs (with the exception of the wasps.) And also those massive guards from the rich side of the city.

Just realized I could potentially include kingsmoulds in this but eeeeeeeeeh.

Pk can keep those.

But if we were just keeping to like actual trained armies. The BF bugs would probably win.

Now if we also let both sides have some kinds ragtag armies of literally whoever can fight....

I'm gonna exclude Ghost and Holly from this, but I'll leave Hornet in cause there is no way she wouldn't join.

The Ant Kingdom has a lot of explorer teams, and we don't really know all of them. Most of the ones we do know are all decently strong (exemption of the one in the ant kingdom library. Cause they literally just became a team to be able to access that)

The theres also the Roaches, who I don't think are an actual kingdom. But seeing them ride those scorpions into battle would be cool as hell.

There's also all the bandits, but idk if the ant and bee kingdoms would be too happy about working alongside them. But sure, they can join.

So at that, the BF army has increased pretty significantly, with a lot more variation in fighting style (and now with magic! But only like, 3 people)

I think Hallownest is the one who would benefit the most from including a more ragtag army. I wasn't including Ogrim (or Ze'mer, which she can live and join for this purpose) considering you mentioned guards specifically.

So now we have the last two living of the great five, probably the nail masters and Sly, Iselda, any surviving fools, including Beast Tamer and any of her surviving beasts, probably Deepnest, and the Garden mantis tribe, cause gd it they can help.

Which all together probably make up more than the surviving guards.

Ze'mer and the nailmasters are all significantly taller than most bugs, and as such, wield some stupid big weapons.

Sly also wields a stupid big weapon and it would be hilarious to see this bug that's even shorter than Vi fly at someone's face before managing to stop midair and spin around like a saw blade.

Plus he could come for your ankles and there's nothing you could do about it cause he's probably faster than you.

The weavers and spiders would most likely do best attacking at night, or at the very least taking a pause from actual fighting to instead set up various traps around the BF army.

With all that, they'd probably come out a lot closer to even, and Hallownest might actually win due to them most likely being willing to actually play dirty (not the guards, but literally everyone else) and do whatever to win

Stupid side thought: imagine a weaver riding a garpede into battle.

[ganymedesclock]

You've written a few things that touched on various fighting styles in Hollow Knight. Any idea why The Pure Vessel has a move that looks like Grimm's cloak spikes- with its nail instead? THK has them as Flame Pillars, like a few others that we recognize as infected versions of PV's void moves from Godhome. Did PK try to teach THK to combat Radiance assuming she'd fight like Grimm?

Personally, I don't think that suggests a connection between Hollow and Grimm. I wouldn't deter anybody choosing to read it that way themselves, but I feel like given everything Grimm represents (a kind of 'festival of the end', an assertion of the futility of the end of Hallownest in this particular case) PK would work extremely hard to keep any trace of Grimm away from Hollow, considering he was trying to raise the latter to be a perfect martyr who believed unshakably in everything they were doing.

Similarly, if the point were to combat a Grimm-like entity, using the same techniques as them would be irrelevant as opposed to using a counter. I think doylistically I'd say the spike attack is just a matter of that in a 2D platformer game, certain attacks are a metagame. Hollow's shining lance spells and their 'corrupted' form's splashy fire pillars are intimidating for the same reason Grimm's cape spikes are, and since both are late-game bosses, they have some of the same tricks (they also have lunges and attack combos that cover a lot of ground). These things are metagame advantages- they're moves that are highly effective and put a lot of pressure on the player character to maneuver around and through. Radiance has different mechanisms, but same idea- her sweeping shafts of light, radial sword-spray attacks, and, yeah, also spikes from the ground. The game indicates this person is a scary boss by their ability to dominate space. For Hollow in particular, it makes sense they'd be able to turn an entire area into a weapon supposedly in their favor- they were meant to be a warden. Grimm, meanwhile, uses the 'stage' against you because he's a performer being fought in his own domain.

I think if we were supposed to read a commonality there, more of the aesthetics and mechanism would be similar. As it is, I think my read of PK as a spear-wielder who specializes in containing, trapping, and pinning opponents / forcing them to yield to 'the walls of his world' in combat would mean that the shining lances attack Hollow uses would probably be more something PK instructed them in per his own inclinations rather than something learned from or in an intended counter to Grimm.

Mostly, I think PK would not need to guess what Radiance fights like; he clearly fought her before, if not personally than needing to manage the logistics of soldiers and subordinates who did. There's a reason when very few people in the setting seem to know or understand what causes "the plague", PK's operation from day one was "How can we put this terrible moth in the most secure possible jar, lock it repeatedly, and then bury it in an exclusion zone". He knew exactly what the problem was and his response to the spreading plague was in essence a more panicked version of "oh, she's back on her bullshit"

So this might be the metatextual commonality you're looking for in the story implications rather than the game mechanics- Hollow may have been designed as a counter to Radiance. A largely stationary opponent who dominates out from a center would be well-combatted by an entity who can challenge her for domination of the area by turning the walls against her, but is otherwise extremely lightfooted and agile for how hard they hit.

Hell, that's very much the strategy we as the player character use against Radiance. Ghost uses spells that sweep the ground horizontally, smash from above or scream up from below; late in the fight, they actually force Radiance to take the high ground by pulling the void into the space to their advantage. Aggressive, agile, and able to use magic to dominate the area.

Grimm, implicitly the Nightmare King was a kind of equal and opposite that Radiance rejected long ago, and this may have been the start of her descent from a god that the moths lived in harmony with to one they abandoned for PK and who they only regret abandoning in a kind of abstract; nobody talks about the old light as if they really had that personal connection to her, while no matter how distant, cold, and flawed PK was to his populace we see people projecting their own desires and beliefs into the gap all over their idea of him. The Seer's grim moment of ascension of "Radiance, I remember you" feels like honoring a fallen king arthur type.

Radiance's Opposite would've covered the gaps in her fighting style easily; facing two powerful beings and one of them is extremely agile, flickering, here-and-not, and a given amount of aligned with darkness, the Setting Sun to her Breaking Dawn- would give you an experience pretty appropriate for facing two gods at their height. But since the whole divide in the dream domain, it creates an exploitable opening in her defenses. She lost a balancing force that left her with a specific weakness that can be filled with entities aligned to things that she cast away.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Rook Hunt Halloween Personal Story: Part 2

"Strong shadows serve to strengthen the light"

(Part 1) Part 2 (Part 3)

[The Other Dimension – Sparkling Chamber]

Rook: Oya, you're…

Idia: Well, I guess since I'm cosplaying a ghost, it's not terrible that I've been mistaken as one…

Rook: Roi de Ta Chambre!!

Idia: Y-you scared me… Even though tonight I've embodied the Pumpkin Knight…

Idia: And I decided that I would not shy away from the party peeps, jocks, and others that I'm incompatible with…

Idia: I was not prepared for your sudden appearance, Rook-shi.

Rook: My apologies. It seems that I have surprised you, Idia-kun.

Rook: I have seen the Ignihyde dorm costume many times back at school…

Rook: But seeing you here amongst the other ghosts wearing such classical fashion, I mistook you for the real thing.

Rook: There are many ghosts attending this Halloween party who are from 200～500 years past.

Rook: Thanks to our outfits, the more we mingle with the ghosts…

Rook: The more it feels as though we are characters in a musical.

Rook: And who should suddenly appear to me as I thought that but a knight in black armor. You, Idia-kun.

Idia: Eh? …Ah! …Fu…Fuhee!

Idia: What～ This? Did the armor that I'm wearing look like the real thing?

Idia: It's actually a hand-made costume, you know.

Idia: The base is a lightweight urethane material, but I devised an ingenious addition to the base paint.

Idia: By spraying many thin layers of lacquer paint over it, the texture of the material looks more and more like steel!

Rook: Oh, it was hand-made! Now you've also surprised me; I did not think you were an armor enthusiast.

Idia: Rather than being an armor enthusiast, it's more like I like the entertainers and creators…

Idia: It's more like I respect both those areas and I want to honor or show appreciation for them…

Rook: I see. How fascinating.

Idia: "Pumpkin Hollow" latched onto the hearts of every B-grade horror movie fan and never let go.

Idia: This is a cosplay that faithfully recreates that iconic character, Pumpkin Knight.

Rook: "Pumpkin Hollow"? I believe myself to be knowledgeable in all historical work that features knights in armor, but that is the first I've heard of this one.

Idia: Eh! Are you saying you've never heard of it!?

Idia: The Pumpkin Knight was a pumpkin that comes alive

Idia: In fact, it was originally supposed to be used as a Halloween decoration, but it became a failed Jack O'Lantern

Rook: Merci, Roi de Ta Chambre. Thank you for the exposition. I have learned much.

Rook: This armor seems to be based on the Gothic-style armor. Is the time period of the movie set about 500 years ago?

Idia: Time period? I-I don't think they mentioned that at all. Besides, it's a fantasy movie.

Rook: Your gorget and rerebrace are engraved with a skull motif. Your belt buckle and the hem of your under armor…

Rook: As well as your solleret all have the mark of the Pumpkin Knight. It really is quite elaborate.

Rook: That's not all…

Rook: Even your pauldron… All your parts are designed to look like pumpkins!

Rook: And on top of all of that, you've added damage marks to the entire armor!

Rook: The scars left from countless swords speak volumes of the harsh battlefields he must have encountered.

Rook: A distinctive costume design that encompasses both reality and originality. Beauté! 100 points!!

Idia: Uh… Sorry for disturbing you while you're all excited in your own little world.

Idia: A-all I did was look at the references for "Pumpkin Hollow" and reproduce it exactly…

Rook: Then let me say "beauté" to you for showing your love of the cast and movie itself, not with words, but with your actions!

Idia: S-sure…

Idia: You're very knowledgeable with historical outfits, Rook-shi. I'm completely out of my depths, so if you'll excuse m―

???: Armor, I see… The two of you seem to be discussing something interesting.

Idia: ?

Rook: Oya, you are―

Idia: MALLEUS-SHI!?

Rook: ROI DU DRAGON!

(Part 1) Part 2 (Part 3)

[mothfishing]

seer (:

seer my girl the seer

this is months late LOL

favorite thing about them

i like the sounds she makes. it's very elderly woman of her

i just think her whole deal is so interesting. her loyalties remain to the radiance, that much is clear, but what did she hope for? she's so passive; once the dreamnail is awoken, she throws her hands up and says her part in this is done. what did she want to happen?

she's such a major part of the game - without the dream nail, not a single ending is possible, but we know very little about her. i just think she's interesting!

least favorite thing about them

mostly i wish there were more moth characters. and more (speaking!) characters in general from factions that co-existed with hallownest. thinking all the time about what a missed opportunity it is that there isn't a single speaking mantis character

actually in general the traitor mantises are kind of funny in how clearly they're like. "this is when team cherry ran out of money". like with how traitor lord's original boss fight was as underwhelming as it was, as well as the fact they just all have the same dream nail dialogue as traitor lord. but this is an ask. about the seer

favorite line

well...i've been practicing speedrunning TE lately, so that requires skipping A LOT of seer dialogue LOL

but yes, i've been kind of going over her lines recently and something that strikes me is just how much she talks about the radiance. she's constantly talking about the forgotten calling out, begging to be remembered. in particular what she says to ghost when they get the dreamnail is very interesting to me:

What a terrible fate they've visited upon you.

To cast you away into this space between body and soul.

Will you accept their judgement and fade slowly away?

Or will you take the weapon before you, and cut your way out of this sad, forgotten dream?

i've not been able to read these lines and not think she's directly paralleling what the dreamers did to ghost, with what the pale king did to the radiance. will you accept their judgement and fade slowly away? or will you cut your way out of this sad, forgotten dream?

brOTP

she has no friends unfortunately

i generally interpret "brotp" to mean a peer of some sort, but if we're counting any close platonic relationships, i think thistlewind is her parent and i keep thinking about her having all these complicated feelings about their ghost lingering...

i have a lot lot lot of random headcanons, like i actually think the seer is around the traitors' daughter's age? even though the traitors' daughter died in her 20s, and the seer lived much longer. and one of those is that the seer left and wandered the wastes for part of her life, and when she returned she expected, maybe hoped, that thistlewind's ghost would rebuke her for not having tended to their grave. but they didn't, because they aren't really here, and their ghost has barely noticed that she was gone. yet they linger because otherwise she would be alone...except paradoxically they serve to simply make her feel even more alone

and in general seer spends all her time around ghosts and it's kind of messed with her head a lot

OTP

her and godseeker. Not gonna explain this one

random headcanon

i honestly think she's bending the truth about the whole wielder thing, mostly because. well, it isn't mentioned anywhere else, and while that's par for the course for the moth tribe it ends up feeling really out of place? doesn't help that i generally don't care for Chosen One stuff, and ghost being a figure in a moth tribe prophecy just doesn't make any sense to me

also i know doylistically that hollow knight doesn't have any character tell you that much because it would interfere with the vaguer story-telling style they're going for, but when it comes to characters who know a fair amount but tell you little of it, the watsonian impression i often end up with is that they're keeping something from you, for whatever reason. in the seer's case, did she worry you otherwise wouldn't want anything to do with the dream nail...? that would fit with why she doesn't see fit to tell you anything until you gather more essence than you actually have to - clearly you're determined to do this all on your own, so that knowledge can't do any harm now

i also say this because it's a dream nail, and nails are referred to as a traditional weapon of hallownest, as well as something the moth tribe rarely used. so i wonder if the seer made it, somehow...or she found something and carved it into the correct shape. she can upgrade the thing, after all; not like you get the dreamgate or awoken dream nail til you go see her, even if you have enough essence

she can't get the essence herself; she's too old, and while she points out the whispering roots, she knows it isn't enough. she knows what you have to do to get the amount you need: find a room in greenpath and kill birds for 60 hours

okay but yeah, while i think she's being kind of dishonest about the wielder thing, i don't think she's malicious; she mostly just wants to see it awoken. to finally be something capable of doing...whatever it might do. that was all she wanted

honestly the impression i get of the seer is a fairly beat-down person. like she's friendly and funny but she really doesn't hope for anything at all. she doesn't even try to make anything happen, she just makes sure the means to reach the radiance existed in the world and left you to do with it what you would

this goes back to the "the seer not saying much" thing. like of course she doesn't tell you to go use this nail on the hollow knight because that would spoil the game! but also it gives me the impression that she just. isn't even trying to influence events at all, and the way she lays down and dies at 2400 essence certainly adds to that impression

unpopular opinion

she's not popular in the first place, so im not sure if there are really any popular opinions about her!

hmmmm. so one thing i see a lot when people describe her is that she defected from the radiance, or that her loyalties were once with the radiance and are now with hallownest. i actually don't think that's consistent with her dialogue; as i said in the dialogue question above, she makes references to the radiance A LOT and is the only character to say her name, which i know a lot of hk characters never have their names spoken at all but it feels relevant for a character whose whole thing is that memory of her was forcefully suppressed

the seer also makes digs at both the pale king and the dreamers for their role in that; the most positive thing she can say about them is that she's too numb to care anymore. all of that in mind, i don't think it's quite accurate to say that her loyalties lie with anyone but the radiance

...which then makes you wonder, because she gives you exactly what you need to kill her. and i always saw that as like...

well, the radiance is a death god, at least in my perception of her. her sacred place is a graveyard, and the one area so special to the moths that they sealed it off (and which is, incidentally, the only part of the resting grounds which doesn't have any hallownest seals) is a glade full of ghosts, etc etc. it's pretty clear that caring for the dead is incredibly important to her, and as a result, i've always her actions as those of a wronged ghost unable to move on

that's also been my personal interpretation of the infection; it results in fixation and obsession on something that mattered to you in life, kind of like how people tend to portray ghosts...? a lingering will...because there's a massive dream corpse in the minds of the populace so of course the whole thing is gonna start to rot

so the seer would then be her final devotee preparing a funeral she wasn't permitted to have

song i associate with them

n/a

favorite picture of them

n/a, so take this WIP i probably won't finish bc i can't find the color palette i was using for it

[cotillion-the-rope]

Shade Lord Ghost Drabbles: Bretta's Diary: The Shade Lord

"I really just want brettas reaction to both the Hollow Knight, and the Shade Lord(albeit maybe in a more corporeal form), bc either she'd be terrified or ecstatic."

This ended up being only Bretta's reaction to the Shad Lord, mostly because I feel like everyone' first impression of Hollow was immediately overshadowed by Ghost arriving seconds later. Also because I had the fun idea of writing her writing one of her fanfic-esque diary entries. Initially I was gonna write her diary entry and then pull out, either at the end or halfway through her writing it, into her POV properly but then, I don't know, I think having the chapter be just her writing might be fun so I went with that. Even if copying her writing style was harder than I thought it'd be and the fact that that means it's very short. That's okay though.

~

Darkness oozed up out of the well like a foul fog. The maiden trembled as she watched it solidify and take the shape of a looming being. Four armed and tall, instead of legs it had a mass of foggy void tentacles. Its eyes, six of them and the only part of it that wasn’t pure void, slid over every one of the unfortunate townsfolk who’d gathered near the well to watch it pour out. It paused as its unreadable gaze found the maiden, lingering on her. Fear washed through her shell anew as its eyes bore into her very being, pinning her in place until it finally looked away.

Then it spoke, explaining its origins, addressing everyone but its gaze kept returning to the maiden. Her savior. The one she’d grown convinced of was a beast. They were no beast though but a god in waiting. They’d reached that potential, breaking out of their meager shell to become the Shade Lord. The void could no longer silence them for the were the void now. And they’d returned.

The maiden shivered again this time not entirely with terror but with exhilaration as well. Her savior had come back for her, taller and infinitely stronger than before. And those tentacles! Her body quivered at the thought of what they might feel like wrapping around her, stroking her, caressing her.

And then the guilt hit her, knocking her out of the tender beginnings of her fantasy. She’d dismissed them as a beast. Did they know? Surely they did, she’d made no secret of it. How angry were they with her for abandoning them? What must she do to earn their forgiveness? Having lost faith in them so quickly once before, did she even deserve a second chance? She didn’t know. But she did want a second chance. She was going to do her best to earn one.

[softerbrambles]

You know what's up.

Ghost/Knight (Player)

Mischievous Ler

Sneak attacks, Cheer up tickles, Interrogation tickles, they do all the tickles

Size is both a strength and a weakness

They don't tease since they're mute so typically it's just a silent tickle session (which is torture for a select few bugs)

Usually not a lee since they just Dash, Mantis claw, Crystal dash, any other technique away from them.

So usually they choose to be tickled

Loves tummy tickles

Laugh comes out as a bunch of chirps

Like this https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://m.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3D5Q0_3rkSY30&ved=2ahUKEwiTsvjsvIf1AhVwjIkEHZnDB_8QwqsBegQIHxAF&usg=AOvVaw1-wZ8eHxwTEMDcJWwlHjzR (start at 1:49)

Not one person is safe from them

They've already killed gods obviously they wouldn't be afraid to tickle them

Worst spots: Tummy, Knees, Sides

Quirrel

Ler leaning switch

Goes gentle most of the time

Only when the lee wants more rough things, or is being a brat does he go harder

Usually it doesn't matter however since Quirrel is a master at teases

The teases do nearly all the work despite his gentler style

Really just wants his lee to enjoy themselves and have fun

As a lee?

God he's so fucking soft

Teases are fun for him only a few specific ones fluster him

But if it's silent tickle session (Like with Ghost) he can't handle it

Somehow flusters himself

Starts off as gentle giggles, then increases into wheezy cackles

Worst spots: Tummy, Underarms, Neck.

Gotta love that big tummy

Tiso

Switch, Switchity, Switch Switch

Tiso absolutely loves wrecking people but quickly will get overpowered by his lee and consequently get wrecked

But in the brief moments he manages to be the ler he's AWFUL

His teases are ruthless and cocky, he's not afraid to go hard and often starts on one of your worst spots and to top it all off, he's an ANT

An ANT, with not only very tickly mandibles, but also capable of carrying something 3 times its size you ain't getting up once he pins you

But that isn't much of a problem when the cocky bastard will release his hold on you to put his hands on his hips as he declares victory

Usually once he sees your getting worn out

But that means you can trick him

And despite the fact he could easily throw you off him, he seemingly forgets this fact the moment you pins him

And let me be clear when I say that this buffoon Absolutely. Positively. CANNOT Take what he dishes out.

He dies to teasing and can't for the life of him say the t-word when in a lee mood

And he's a sensitive little bitch

Almost any spot can quickly send him into a cackling fit

And all his strength vanishes when you tickle him

Also yeah he definitely flails and kicks like a mad man

Worst spots: Sides, Underarms, Thighs, And antenna.

Also his chin and neck is a melt spot he will quite literally purr if you lightly tickle there

Hornet

Not really into it

She's not big on affection in general so this is not her area of expertise

But when she does get involved

By the gods Run

She's a ruthless ler

Not good at teasing intentionally but will do it unintentionally quite a bit

(Using Tiso as an example cause Lee man)

"Hold still, stop squirming"

"God what are you a grub, you sure squirm like one."

Also makes out loud notes of tickle spots and for the people who hate the t-word (TISO) it sucks

She's not lee very often

Not too ticklish and again doesn't want affection

(Or so she says)

She'll entertain Ghost, Hollow, a few of the other vessels who lived, every now and then

But aside from that she says "no."

And people have tried and failed numerous times

Doesn't really have bad spots so much as favorite spots so

Sides, neck, stomach

Hollow

Confused lee

At this point in time there still very injured but that didn't stop Ghost

Of course they were careful but it was very sad when they had to EXPLAIN what tickling was to them

(Screw Pale King)

Either way they still don't know to much about it so they are yet to be a proper ler or get involved in a tickle fight

For now it's mostly them asking Ghost or whoever else is watching them for tickles and getting warmed up

Later timeline them is a sickly sweet ler tho

Since their so big they definitely will cradle their lee

Loves soft tickles both giving and receiving

Worst spots: Ribs, Knees, neck

(I just like the idea of them having really sensitive joints after being chained up for so long)

Cloth

Very fun ler

They love starting tickle fights or tickle games

They just want it to be fun for both parties and they most definitely succeed on that front

Teases are very fun for them Usually its in the form of compliments and encouragement but flustering remarks aren't off the table either

Cloth isn't that much of a lee similar to Hornet but they aren't nearly as opposed to it

They are more outwardly enjoying and hard to fluster

Has a very loud boisterous laugh like in game

Worst spots: Palms, Tummy Thighs

(Only the first addition of this I'll do a follow up with more characters later :))

[ruthlesslistener]

In one of your earlier posts you mentioned how broken vessel would be taken in by dryya and the white lady and how they would get along swimmingly. Would you mind elaborating more about it?

I would be delighted to! Though I must admit that this is going off of purely my interpretation of BV instead of canon (or, well, based on what I took out of their bow/reaching out to Ghost), so it's particular to my BV only

So, basically? The way that I write the Broken Vessel is that they are very similar to PK, with the caveat being that they take after their mom in magic and anatomy. They are stubborn, very sure that their way of doing things is right, calculative/clever, and very, very focused on ensuring that they come across as proper and dignified. Unlike most wyrms, they are very family focused (this is more in line with their voiding and WL's influence), but they have that wyrm protective instinct over their younger siblings, so they try to be the leader/caretaker whenever possible. They want to be a knight so that they can make sure that those they care about are safe, and they want to be in charge so they can fix their problems their own way without help from anyone else, thank you very much. They're also very, very good at fighting when their sull ain't crushed in and pick up new moves quickly bc they have that PK method of dismantling everything in their head, but unlike PK, they don't have much of an interest in using that innate knowledge to toy around with the theoretical, instead preferring to apply it to real-world issues that need to be fixed. Even if they don't mean to, they can sometimes come across as aloof, arrogant, and proud, and dealing with them when they're in a sulky, stubborn mood means that you're basically going nowhere fast.

Which WL would find endearing as all hell, bc they remind her so much of PK while also having her eyes, her face, and her more plantlike anatomy, while PK would probs find them a nightmare to deal with specifically because of the similarities (he's too guilty to want to punt them, but he remembers what he was like when he was a serious, idealistic young wyrm determined to be the Best King Ever). She knows exactly how to deal with her wyrm when he's being a stubborn little jerk, so she would know how to calm down her wayward scion, and she would delight in how they would try to playact at being a serious knight despite barely being under their first adolescent molt. Plus, BV is one of those wyrmlings who only would have hung out around their parents for advice rather than coddling if they were fullblooded, so she really doesn't have to do much mothering other than giving them advice and guidance to seek out their goals, which works better for her than the more intensive care that the runts in the litter demanded. I imagine that part of the reason PK got so attached to Hollow is bc they reminded him of WL, but with some of his features, so it works the other way around with WL, where BV reminds her of PK but with her attributes.

As for Dryya, she's canonically known as the stern, wise, caring type, so I feel like she would be a good mentor-match for BV. She's the leader of the Great Knights in my hcs, so she's got that seniority and respect that a half-wyrm would look for in a teacher, and she's also had enough experience dealing with shitty younger teenagers to be able to catch onto their mood swings and deal with them correctly, treating them kindly yet sternly. On top of that, she's a fierce warrior who looked like she would have been swift and deadly in battle, so I can very easily see BV being interested in her fighting style, and flourishing under her strict, serious tutelage. The combo of her being fierce, terrifying, experienced, and someone who would treat them seriously while also taking no shits would make her a very good teacher for them, in addition to her ending up soft for them in general bc they're WL's favorite child.

So, the tdlr is that in aus where Hallownest doesn't fall or BV gets saved, and had some time to reconcile/get their parents to repent to them? They end up with two moms. I love dad!Oro for BV, bc they're both ornery little shits when mad, but honestly, the thought of WL trying to figure out how to parent a very stubborn 13 year old while Dryya shows them how to be a proper knight is too cute of a dynamic for me to pass up

[mrslittletall]

If you accept vague asks for the whump thing, because I don't want to limit you to a character you might find boring, either 6 or 17 for Hollow Knight?

Title: Reflection Fandom: Hollow Knight Characters: Quirrel, Little Ghost Word Count: 1.431 AO3-Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30279333

Summary: Quirrel reflects on his life during his last moments.

(Author's note: 

6: Fever 17: Drowning/Hypothermia

Anon! How can you give me Drowning for Hollow Knight and expect me to NOT make it about Quirrel?! Or were you betting on it?

I chose one of the two this time, because the two prompts didn't feel like they could be mashed together very well. Warnings: Suicide and Major Character Death. And drowning, obviously.)

Quirrel had sat and looked at the lake for some time when the little white wanderer appeared. He had encountered them various time in Hallownest, even aided them in their quest which led to him recovering part of his lost memories, and never had they said a single word to him and their face had stayed a stiff mask.

Still, Quirrel couldn't help but feel comfortable in their presence. He assumed for them to maybe stop shortly and listen to him, before moving on, but they did something different.

They approached him, stopped, looked up at him and then sat down next to him, their gaze facing the same direction as his, towards the Blue Lake.

Quirrel didn't look at them and instead, started to speak.

“Again we meet my short friend. Here at last, I feel at peace.”

He made a short pause, thinking about his next words before continuing. After all that had happened, his words didn't seem to come too easily to him anymore. Even his voice felt strained... aged even. All the years that got lost might have caught up to him.

“Twice I've seen this world and though my service may have stripped the first experience from me, I'm thankful I could witness its beauty again.”

It must have been beautiful the first time, and even though large parts of the kingdom laid in ruins during his second time, it was still beautiful. Though, there was one thing that was even more interesting than Hallownest.

“Hallownest is a vast and wondrous thing, but in as many wonders as it holds, I've seen none quite so intriguing as you.”

As usual, the little white wanderer didn't say a word. A little chuckle escaped Quirrel and he spoke further.

“Ha. My flattery returns only silent stoicism. I like that. I like that very much.”

The both of them stayed there, staring at the lake a while longer. Eventually, the little wanderer stood up and continued walking, not looking back at him or saying a single word. It had always been like that with them. It was just they way they acted. Them sitting with him showed him more than enough that they cared. If they hadn't cared, they would have just ignored him. They would have run past him every single time he encountered them, but they always, always had stopped and listened to him.

Quirrel waited until they were out of sight and he couldn't hear their footsteps anymore. Once their footsteps ceased, he rose and picked up his nail.

“I can barely remember having trained in the art of the nail, but I never forgot how to fight.”, he murmured to himself, rolling the nail around in his hands. It had aided him during his journey through Hallownest as well as helped to reach the teacher, Monomon, who he had always called Madam.

For some reason, she seemed to have been always displeased with it, but Quirrel couldn't recall anymore why. His memory was still hazy. The results of the fog of the wastelands, that wiped his memory clean. He could consider himself lucky that he remembered his connection to Monomon.

“I won't need to fight anymore...”, Quirrel murmured further and stuck his nail into the ground, the way the hilt faced, it looked a little like a cross. Then, he looked back at the direction the little wanderer had run off too.

“My friend, please don't cry for me.”, he said, a sad smile ghosting his face. “For I have lived twice the amount of time any bug should have ever lived and I am ready to move on.”

Quirrel stayed on the edge of the lake for a few seconds longer before turning around and walking into the water. It was shallow at first, but soon it would engulf him fully. He was fully aware that his species didn't possess the art of swimming.

Quirrel continued walking until his feet lost the ground under him and he could feel how his body started to sink. While he was content about his own death, with his mind at peace, his body still possessed some instinct. He could feel his arms and legs trash as the water filled his lungs and his strong desire to take a gulp of air, which never happened, because he knew that only water would await him.

His trashing was only from a short duration however, as he felt himself get dizzy and slowly sinking down to the ground, waiting for his awareness to end.

It was then when he saw something flash in front of his inner eye.

Himself, as a little grub, lost, alone, hungry, cold, his parents were nowhere to be seen, only a blanket in his little arms, crying in his desperation, for his parents, for anyone, to find him...

And the form of Monomon in front of him, floating through the fog, a tentacle touching her mask in shock when she saw him, picking him up, talking to him, bringing him to the archives, where she gave him food and warmth and comfort.

That has been how they had first met. How cruel of his memory to make him remember right when he was in the process of ending his own life. Still, Quirrel couldn't help but feel a deep fondness at this memory.

He still hadn't reached the ground and the more he sank down, the more memories surfaced.

Monomon teaching him how to write and read.

Monomon comforting him after he had a nightmare.

Him asking if he could work as her assistant, at the mere age of six. Monomon had agreed and gave him simple tasks, to make him feel special.

Him checking on Monomon after she had pulled an all-nighter. The both of them sharing breakfast together.

Monomon finding the cheesy romance novels he had bought from his salary and teasing him to no end about them. Still, sometimes he found the newest book of his favourite author gently laid upon his pillow.

A time in which he had been obsessed with the tale of the Grimm troupe and styled his mask and even the scarf he wore around his head in their image. Monomon loved to tell this story to complete strangers. How often had he stood there and begged her to stop. Not that it ever worked...

Him waking up with a blanket draped over him when he had fallen asleep over his work.

Monomon always having a pot of coffee ready for both of them when both of them had worked the whole night.

Her giving him the additional seal of protection, her mask, and sending him away once she would lay down to sleep for eternity. Quirrel had accepted, of course, without hesitation, he would do everything for the one who had saved him from starvation when he had been a grub.

“I will fulfil your order as long as I breathe, Ma'am.”, he had said, and Monomon had looked at him and said: “I know you will.”, but at the same time, she had looked so sad.

Finally having reached the ground, Quirrel barely had any awareness left in him anymore, but one last thing went to his mind.

She has always treated me like her son.

For her, he had been more than her assistant, for her, Quirrel had been her precious and beloved son. It didn't matter for her that they didn't share any blood connection, he had become her son once she had picked him up in the canyon.

I never once have called her mom...

How ironic it felt, this thought, right when he was about to snuff out the last flames of his life, after Monomon had already died, after he didn't have a chance to talk to her anymore.

This thought was his one and only regret as his awareness faded and his body stopped moving, laying still on the ground of the Blue Lake.

He entered the archives, passing all the acid tablets and ignoring the Uoma's that Monomon would let hang around there. He had gone this way so many times and he didn't even have to think where to go. He entered Monomon's workshop and there she was, interrupting what she was doing, turning around, a tentacle going to her mask and her body shaking as she chuckled.

“Welcome home, Quirrel.”, she said.

Quirrel came closer until he stood in front of Monomon. “I am back Ma...”, he interrupted himself and then corrected his sentence: “I'm back, mom.” (Author's note: Absolutely love the headcanon that Monomon adopted Quirrel. Also I am a big fan of characters meeting in the afterlife after death and just... vibing with what they always wanted, maybe moving on together. It's pretty obvious, but I am absolutely convinced that Quirrel died at the Blue Lake. I am super fine with everyone lives AUs, but in canon I think Quirrel drowned himself in the lake, because he had grown old and weary and was ready to end his own life, because he felt there wasn't any reason for him to be around anymore. That is why he is so content with his own death here. Obviously, I would have loved for Quirrel to stay alive and find so much more wonders in the world, but he felt like he hadn't any regrets. The one I added, well, that was my headcanon. I know this is a heavy topic and please don't feel bad if you have trouble handling it or couldn't handle it and please, when you yourself think that you might be better off dead, get some help. I promise, there is so much in this world that it's worth to live for. As always, comments are greatly appreciated.)