#lake of unn bench

[queruloustea]

i like this bench :)

[quirrelfan]

Foreshadowing

haha get it he probably died so his final resting place is the resting grou-

The foreshadowing throughout Quirrel's dialogue is so perfectly done that I just have to talk about it. (Below the cut. This is a long one.)

As seen in the above image and below quote, an instance of such foreshadowing.

"The city looks to be built into an enormous cavern, and the rain pours down from cracks in the stone above.

There must be a lot of water up there somewhere. I suppose, if the cave roof stayed strong this long, it should hold for us.

Before I leave this Kingdom, I'd like to see where all that water comes from. What a sight it must be!"

As we know, the rain comes from Blue Lake. And I must agree, what a sight it is!

Circled location is Quirrel

It is also proved by a quote I obtained [here], where Ari Gibson himself states:

"The only area that I can think of that exists purely for narrative reasons is the Blue Lake, which is above the raining city. And it's only there because there's all this rain falling on the city, and I just couldn't bear the idea that we didn't explain where this rain was coming from. So we put this big lake above it."

Quirrel's final location he is seen at is Blue Lake, without Monomon's mask atop his head, sat down on the ground and gazing out over the gorgeous lake.

The final location before his implied death, his second and final departure of hallownest, fulfilling his wish to see the source of the rain before he leaves.

"To persevere in this ruin, that old nail alone just won't be enough. Though that's no problem! One only has to look around.

Plenty have come before us and most have met their grisly end, many more equipped than you and I.

I'm sure they wouldn't mind were a fellow explorer to relieve them of their tools. It's a kindness really. The dead shouldn't be burdened with such things."

Quirrel's death (although uncertain if he truly died as stated by one of the devs themselves, saying "we don't know," but that is a topic for another time), or rather, his nail in the ground, is foreshadowed by the above dialogue.

Quirrel believes that a weapon is a burden to oneself when dead, encouraging the Knight to pick up a stronger weapon they may find.

Upon the re-entry of Blue Lake after the Knight has spoken to Quirrel, they will discover that he seems to have left the area, the remaining evidence of his existence there being his nail, which looks intentionally stuck into the ground, tempting one to grab it and use it to its fullest potential. After all, Quirrel would not want to be burdened by his own weapon much like past explorers have been. Whether he drowned himself, withered away of old age, or had been killed by enemies, it must have been intentional due to his nail's placement.

Free from the burdens of his weapon. Of surviving. Of life. He had lived life to the fullest and had seen all that the world has offered him, his mind freed from the awful events in between.

"All tragedy erased. I see only wonders..."

That is not the end, by the way. Although it is the perfect quote to end on, I still have the random tidbits of info he remembers to cover.

"What is this feeling?... So familiar. Drawn forward yet repelled.

And those shapes upon the door...To gaze directly at them turns my mind to fog."

"That lake... a revered presence once slept deep within...

Did it? What would make me think such things?"

"There is a city nearby, the old capital of Hallownest. I've heard a Nailsmith resides there. Seek the old bug out and you may find progress that much easier."

"...Who was it that told me of the Nailsmith? I can't even remember, yet I can almost picture the smith himself..."

For someone who is exploring Hallownest along a similar path to your own journey, he seems to know some pieces of knowledge in regards to the kingdom, whether he tells the Knight of the nailsmith, or the thought of Unn being locked within his mind.

The Knight later discovers that Quirrel has been in Hallownest before, although his memory of the place is mostly blank.

"Did she call you too then? I realise it's no coincidence we arrive together.

Though much of my memory is blank, this place I recall."

Quirrel had taken part in the Teacher's sacrifice to become a seal upon the Black Egg Temple, although he cannot recall the event, thus showing he has lived in Hallownest once, but remembers nothing but small fragments of information, the tragedy of the infection blocked from his memory upon departure.

"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."

ok NOW I will end with the line.

"To live an age, yet remember so little... Perhaps I should be thankful?

All tragedy erased. I see only wonders..."

Ah, foreshadowing. A beautiful thing.

[fly-sky-high-bug-games]

Have a little fun fact about the last piece~

Because I've been terrible with focus and misremembering things lately (heavens help me *sweats*), I completely misremembered what where the instructions for the commission but in my head, for at least 30ish min I used to sketch this background, I was 100% certain I was supposed to draw the bench on Lake of Unn

I was not. Not even close.

Complete mystery how this bench came to my mind but I was so focused on a voice acted letsplay of ace attorney chronicles I failed to double check the info before I started casually sketching

It's fine though because I really like that background setting! I'll most likely use it for something else~

[17novel]

- The bench in City of Tears where you sit with Quirrel

- The lake of Unn in Greenpath

- Literally any of the hot springs, but especially the one you fall into in Deepnest

I love Queen’s Gardens with the crazy platforming, it feels like an advanced Greenpath, but I can’t pick a specific spot.

I am once again asking for your favorite places in Hollow Knight. Bonus points if it’s like really specific. I like the first bench at greenpath with the waterfalls in the background

[ratcandy]

Hi hi hi hi

Do you have any Zote headcannons that are extremely specific?? I am hyperfixating rn and I need to hear new things relating to this sad little man.

HIII HI HELLO GRINS WIDELY. ZOTE :)

Extremely specific huh. Hmm. I'm not great at being very specific but uh!! Let's seee here. (Keep in mind I'm givin you these under the pretense that he is a nosk because that is the only Zote that exists in my mind /hj !!!)

- Occasionally forgets that it's totally normal for bugs to have clawed hands/paws and will think HOW NOSKLY and aggressively shave them down. Am I projecting ??? yes, but also I like to imagine Zote using a nail file because he would

- Loves to aggressively lie and exaggerate about how he got that scar on his hand. because there ain't no way in hell he'd be truthful about that!,,, as well as. Literally any scar he's gotten, for any reason

- Actually SUCKS at social interaction. Like we knew this already but the only times we see Zote talk is when he's... talking AT someone. Not WITH someone. And I thoroughly believe he cannot conversation. Just in general. He can talk about HIMSELF easy, but the moment he has to contribute to a conversation like a normal person he's just like Um... Uh... Um. His go-to of course is being degrading or somehow twisting the conversation to be about him, but if he's,,, unable to do that, it's just a lot of frustrated staring at whoever's talking to him because he can't get a word in and he's SO mad about it

- ONE EXCEPTION being anything relating to the cultures of other insects. Because secretly he would really love to hear about other cultures. because it would remind him of being told stories by the den elder of the weaver's way of life :) (he would make some sort of argument about how "If I gather more intel, I will have access to more of their weaknesses! It is but a flawless plan!" but in reality he's just like I Am Looking Respectfully... That Is So Cool I Wish Nosks I MEAN KNIGHTS Did That...)

- he would still respond to this meanly because he's a mean old man but it'd be in such a way where he's like. "Pah, how nonsensical. What a waste of one's valuable time!... What other frivolities would they partake in, hm? Were they all as pointless as that?" where he's TOTALLY asking the person in question to continue but through his RUDE, PRETENTIOUS ASS way of talking

- anyway. umm. If this man ever leaves his house again he will go one of a few places. 1) the Lake of Unn. to, um. looks away. he would not be happy about traveling through Greenpath again though HDKJGSH 2) the City of Tears. as much as he hates to admit it he does find a lot of comfort there. It was a second home to him back when everyone was still alive, so he would just... he would just go and sit on the bench by the window. And. Talk. To himself. There. Because it's serene, and it's peaceful. There's no bustle of life anymore. Which is sad and it hurts, but at the same time it's almost a comfortable pain. ...the nosk den would not be a comfortable pain like CoT is.

- This man HISSes! and it sounds awful it sounds Like This (WARNING: Tarantula)

- takes great comfort in laying on the floor when nobody's around

- Is NOT at all used to sleeping on a bed. he keeps instinctively making it into a nest and then sitting there like Wait No, this Doesn't Look Right... (that is whenever he,, sleeps. which is not often, at least by his own volition, but still!)

- I know we don't see this in canon at all but I elect to ignore that for projection purposes: He tends to walk around when he talks! He uses a lot of hand gestures and movements! Whether that be for theatrical purposes, due to nosks speaking through vibrations, or just because he's GOTTA convey himself that way he just HAS to,,,, does not matter. His hands are constantly moving while he's talking if he's not pacing

- otherwise what the fuck is he supposed to do with hands ?? He's not used to these things he's used to big ol claws!! what in the world

- Have you ever done that thing where you're walking alongside a wall and you trail your fingers along it while you walk? Like just have your hand outstretched and grazing the wall as you're going. I do this constantly and SO DOES ZOTE, because I said so. To tie it into insect Lore you could say he's used to feeling for vibrations to see if someone's nearby, and since he's not nearly as tall and spindly as he used to be (nosk spines are Like That for a reason, kinda like cat whiskers) he has to use his hands to get a feel for what's nearby. who is moving through the walls. what can i hear skittering over there and how fast is it going. i have to know

AND THAT's all for now thank you for letting me talk about Zote <3 i love to talk about Zote

[nexus-nebulae]

I just noticed in Hollow Knight at the bench house by the Lake of Unn the sounds of the water droplets actually line up with the animations of water hitting the floor that's cool

[hk-plus-you]

Oh! Okay then, thank you! I just wanted have a match-up because...why not I suppose? Anyways- I'm a cisgender girl and ace/aro! I'm a shy person (as I'm usually on anon for these types of things because of that but it seems there is no anon function here, so uh- welp-), and I'm very quiet till I get out of my shell, which requires a lot of trust for me due to past issues and all. I'm introverted, and prefer to read or draw then try and interact with others unless they start the convo. (pt. 1)

the middle ask got eaten so this is from a dm I don't remember the full text, but here's what I think it was about: I think it was talking about how I dislike loud noises and sudden motions due to past events and my hypersensitive senses due my autism. I believe it also talked about how I forget things easily (as you can see right now lol)

and I can get overwhelmed by negativity easily. (yes, I know it's kinda strange, but it does happen.) I take sarcasm from others seriously, despite the fact I am also sarcastic. I often have no idea what is going on, and I just hop in and out of social interactions a lot, so I'm a bit chaotic. For any hobbies, like drawing, writing, listening to music, collecting and playing video games! I really love cats and any of my interests and will talk forever about them! I'm sorry for this being long

I match you with… Quirrel!

Hallownest is a dangerous and curious place. When you found the Black Egg Temple you see Quirrel staring at the thing. You were about to leave when he turned, immediately curious about what and who you were. He asks who you were and where you were from. He’s polite about it, and doesn’t press if you start feeling uncomfortable. He asks why you’re here, explaining that he has a bit of an ‘obsession with uncharted places’. When he turns back to the egg to talk about it his tone is excited, and spoken in almost breathless excitement. You awkwardly thank him for telling you what he knew of the egg before leaving. He seems nice at least but you wanted to continue exploring.

Most of how you explored Hallownest was just by being large enough to outpace anything that tried to attack you, and smacking what you couldn’t hard enough with a large stick to kill it. The strategy wasn’t elegant by any means, but it worked well enough.

Somehow, you found your way to Lake of Unn. You weren’t planning on approaching the moss knight, instead turning to the building.

To find Quirrel polishing his nail inside.

You stood at the door frame for a moment,  unsure what to do. Noticing your pause, Quirrel invited you in, patting the place beside him on the bench. He talked about the way here and how he enjoyed the lush Greenpath. You agreed on how the place was beautiful, but you weren’t exactly fond of the strong vinegar smell you couldn’t escape. The large mosquitos and chargers weren’t exactly endearing you to the place much more.

It’s then he noticed you didn’t have a proper weapon of some sort, just a particularly thick stick on the verge of breaking.

Immediately he was worried for you. You were out here on your own with that?! What happened if it broke? What if you encountered something with a shell that a simple stick couldn’t break?

He immediately offered to take you to the nailsmith, there were plenty of nails just scattered around that you could use that would be a hundred times more reliable. As nice as it was that he offered you also never even touched a sword -er- nail in your life. You wouldn’t be able to properly wield one if you tried. 

He’s growing more concerned by the second. You’ve gotten this far on your own but… Things are only going to get more dangerous.

You assure him you’ll be okay before leaving again. You wanted to find a place that smelled at least a little better than greenpath.

Thankfully the City of Tears fits that bill. You’re tired and just looking for a bench to sleep on. They’re typically pretty safe and the sound of rain was rather calming. 

For the third time in a few days Quirrel cheerily greets you, happy to see you again. You sit beside him, noting how you couldn’t seem to stop running into him. You two chat about the way here, the city itself, and eventually about personal interests. Before you realize it you’re rambling to him about the stories in your favorite games. 

When you meet him again it a similar story, Though Quirrel’s failing memory becomes more transparent, and you do what you can to reassure him. If he’s getting his memories back maybe as he explores he’ll keep remembering? For now you’d stay near the city of tears, most other places too dangerous or too overwhelming for your senses (much to your dismay). At least the guard gave a clear signal of when they were going to attack and could easily be tricked into dashing into various dangers. You just had to pack an extra pair of clothes and wear a waterproof jacket and shoes so you weren’t walking around sopping wet and cold.

You’re sitting at the blue lake drawing, a headphone in one ear to listen to music, when Quirrel startles you out of your focus. He greets you, and something seems off. You ask if he’s okay and he talks about a person named Monomon, his old teacher, and the duty that had stripped him of his memories from before. His teacher who he helped by giving the key, his mask, to end her life...

You hadn’t even noticed the missing mask till he mentioned it. Though that isn’t important, and you ask if there is anything you could do to help him feel better. It feels a bit awkward, but he gives the closest he gives to what he can to a smile. 

Quirrel thanks you for talking with him. He’s just feeling his old age catch up and misses his old teacher. With his former duty done he isn’t sure what to do.

You offer the idea of resting in Dirtmouth for a time. The town was peaceful and the bugs kind, having some time to rest and think may do him good.

He leaves his nail as you two make your way back to the sleepy town. Quirrel takes his own house, glad to finally have a place to rest his weary joint, a permanent place this time.

Your friendship with Quirrel is simple, but strong. You now visit him often, bringing and sharing things from your own home. He tells stories about his travels, about what he can remember from Hallownest before the infection, and what he hopes for in the future.

[thevalleyoftriumph]

more roleswap stuff! this time; CHARMS!

unn and abyss creature swap [technically, its a long explanation on how it works] so that means the charms do too!

shape of life lets you fly when healing, because you turn into a swarm of butterflies similarly to how grimm staggers. the unn charms gives you a layer of acid to act as masks, and when you take damage, those masks deal a little bit of damage to opponents when going away. they can be gotten back by sitting in any pool of acid, or by sitting at the bench near the lake of unn. only that one tho. very specifically that one.

[corruptapostasy]

The Only Option

Chapter One

Summary:

“...A sleep-induced sickness? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

No cost too great.

“It...It..It’s in my head..It..It won’t go away...”

No mind to think.

"You may have seen me put a blade through Her heart, but I was foolish to think She was really gone."

No will to break.

“The Void bends to no one. It merely makes room. It asks a price, but never asks in words. You must pay in kind."

No voice to cry suffering.

“...No matter what happens, just know that I will never stop loving you.”

“Oh, my Root... I’ve known that since the beginning of time.”

The Only Option: Chapter One

“M-My King, The Watcher’s Report has come in for you to look at.”

The King blinks out of his musings as the voice rings out through the silence, and he looks over to see the trembling visage of the advisor, holding up a stack of stone tablets, all of them bearing the insignia of his disciple’s mask, before carefully extending a claw to tap the surface of his work desk. “Thank you, Wek. Set them down here.”

“Y-Yes, My King.” The little bug scrambles to do exactly that, placing each tablet down like they’re made of spun glass, giving one last, long, reverent bow before quickly shuffling her way out of the room, visibly flustered to be in the presence of her great God.

He couldn’t help but sigh a little after watching her leave, giving a little shake of his head; sometimes he wished his nobility wouldn’t act so fearfully reverent towards him whenever he walked by. It was almost tiresome to be around those that worshipped the ground he walked on, especially when they acted so very nervous around him and his visage. He lets his gaze stray to the tablets and let out another, heavier sigh, before walking over to his desk and sitting down in his chair, taking a moment to let his tail hang over the arm rest and for all his legs to tuck against his carapace, before he picks up the nearest stone. The tablet was encased in a grey slate, displaying Lurien’s mask, acting as a fail-safe, preventing anyone lacking his divine touch from opening them and reading the contents inside. He idly presses his thumb against the outline of the mask, watching as the slate cracks and crumbles, before dissipating into white fragments of light that dissipate from view. The writing of the tablet glows white against the smooth black surface, and the King begins to read.

“Lively Crossroads: Temperature was around 72 degrees, with a mild breeze coming in from up above. A minor confrontation broke out involving two drunken pill bugs outside of a tavern, one of them being arrested while another was sent to the local hospital for minor wounds and cracks to the shell. A family of newcomers were properly settled down into their homes, and repairs had to be made to several street signs after being dented inwards by a group of rowdy adolescents.”

The King couldn’t help but hum to himself as he read over the transcript, giving it a once over at least two or three more times before finally setting it down, deciding that nothing in the Crossroads needed his attention as of this moment. Nothing needed to be fixed, no crimes needed to be judged, all the subjects seemed relatively happy, going about their daily lives. Perfect.  He picks up the second tablet, repeating the unsealing process and beginning to read once again.

“Greenpath Gardens: Temperature around a steady 86°, with a light fog surrounding the Lake Of Unn. Gardeners are hard at work taking care of the various fauna, including the lilies and the tulips. There was a small breach in one of pipes in the north-west side of the Gardens, in which the acid had eaten away at the surface of said pipe, which had rusted due to what seems to be negligence in cleaning duties. No one was greatly injured, however one of the Menderbugs was sent to the City hospital for minor acid burns.”

The King couldn’t help but curl his lip in a soft sneer, not out of anger or disgust, but simply irritation. The damnable acidic liquid was a rather unavoidable aspect of the Kingdom, and one he couldn’t help but need to work his way around. He had his suspicions that the acid originated in the depths of the Fungal Wastes, where the spores of the mushrooms and the chemicals of the soil somehow mix into the water pouring in from underground streams, creating some kind of foul reaction that causes the water to turn acidic, which in turn begins to leak into other areas of the kingdom. He would’ve sent Menderbugs to attempt to plug up the water, perhaps work on making pipes that would funnel the water into other sections of the kingdom, but he had a suspicion that the mushrooms subsisted entirely off of this bubbling broth, and the Mantises wouldn’t exactly take kindly to their home lands being slowly killed off due to starvation. Best to not ruin the treaty, especially one that they worked so hard to forge.

He finally lets out a sigh upon re-reading the last section, before making a mental note to have one of his advisors send a message to the managers of the Gardens; he wanted to make sure that they covered the cost of the injured bug’s medical bill, as well as the broken pipe, if it wasn’t already fixed. The fact that the Report didn’t say was almost unusual. He picks up yet another tablet, but pauses in opening it, looking up from his work to tap a claw against his desk in idle thought before simply nodding to himself in silent agreement. He picks up a hand-held bell off of the surface of his desk, ringing it briskly, at least three times, and there was a small bit of silence before the soft fluttering of wings is heard, and two bright white eyes peek out from beneath a spherical shell. The King merely glances back to his work and undoes the next seal, speaking loud enough so that his creation would hear him. “Go down to the kitchens and bring me my meal.”

The creature doesn’t say a word, and merely disappears out of sight. The King starts to read once more.

“City Of Tears: Temperature around 67° degrees, no winds, and a steady rain throughout the day, week, month, etc. Soldiers had to apprehend a thief that tried to mug one of the citizens in one of the many back alleys of the city, and he is now being held in the capital’s prison. One of the houses over in the Elevated District is in dire need of repairs due to water damage, and several doctors had been seen wandering the City making house calls due to an undetermined sickness, seeming to affect the old and the young.”

That last part immediately grabs the King’s attention, and his claws stiffen. Illnesses were unfortunately common from within the capital’s depths; constant, endless rainfalls tend to soak through even the toughest of metal plating or expensive cloth, so doctors and medical professionals were always busy tackling the common cold and such. Nothing too out of the usual in that regard, but sick subjects wasn’t exactly something he wanted, nor was it something he needed, especially if children were getting ill, as well as the fact that the illness in question had yet to be properly identified. The water damage to that one building was concerning as well, especially since most of them were crafted from stone and glass. Perhaps he would have to have his architects try to figure out a way to more appropriately funnel the rain, to make it so that it wouldn’t lead to such inconvenient problems.

There was also Lurien himself. He had read the Reports for as long as he had bestowed him the title of Watcher, and they were usually much more detailed than this. Much more thorough. It was strange, though it didn’t exactly concern him; he knew Lurien better than anyone, and he knew that the oddity of a bug happened to be somewhat of a workaholic, the type that tended to not rest all that much, and when there is no rest, work tends to get sloppy. Perhaps he ought to pay him a visit, just to see how he’s doing. After all, it’s high time he steps out of the Palace grounds, at least for a little while. Being cooped up for too long was something he could never really tolerate, as vexing as it was, but he couldn’t blame himself for his little quirk; it was nothing more than a primal instinct from his long dead days.

He sees a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye and looks over to see the little creature floating back in again, its beady white eyes narrowing behind its shell, tendrils of black slipping out of the seams, holding up a plate of roasted meat and cooked vegetables, as well as a goblet of sparkling wine. He reaches out to take the platter from the creature, nodding to it before moving to set his dinner on the desk, next to the rest of his unopened Reports. He speaks, barely with any thought in mind, his voice quiet and unassuming. “Thank you.”  

The little Wingsmould floats there, no indication that it heard anything at all, before moving to float away, the tendrils of black slipping back into its core, like they were never there to begin with.

••••

A week passes in the kingdom’s depths, slow and steady, before the King finally realizes that something is wrong. He began to see it in the Reports as the days went by, small, almost inconsequential details, ones that slipped by his grasp and grew to become troublesome problems.

“A Doctor from the City came to the Crossroads to visit a sick child, one who had been displaying several odd symptoms, including sleep deprivation.”

“A bug fell asleep on one of the benches in the Western side of the Garden and began to display what seemed to be sleeping fits. When he was woken up, he seemed delirious, as if not knowing where he was.”

“There was a mining accident over in the Crystal Caverns, one that resulted in the hospitalization of at least 2 miners. A third had sleep-walked and activated a dormant machine, one that the previously mentioned workers had been relaxing on taking their lunch break, and as a result, were nearly crushed under the weight of the pistons. The third bug has been taken into custody at the City prison. The injured bugs are in critical condition.”

That last Report was enough to have him finally decide to get himself involved; it was troublesome enough that this odd phenomenon was somehow occurring amongst the local populace, but the sheer fact it was impacting the focus and the minds of his workers had the potential to be dangerous, especially considering they were responsible for the cogs of the kingdom running smoothly. He could not afford to have this unforeseen affliction getting in the way of his work, the work of the people, and he needed to put a stop to it. Of course, in order to learn how to do such a thing, he first had to learn of this sickness, what it was, and how it worked, how it affected the body of those that were infected, and he needed to learn of it quickly, in order to avoid the potential of this sickness spreading to the populace.

It was his duty as King to analyze and eliminate any possible threats to his kingdom, to his people, and it was a duty that he would see through.

“Send a message to Lurien and Lady Monomon at once. Tell them I wish to discuss a matter of great importance.”

•••

He lets out a sigh, soft and subtle, as he walks along the Pathways to the Archives, an ocean of fog flowing around his feet, his gait regal and refined, just as it always has been, his tail idly twitching beneath his robes. The atmosphere was thick, heavy, and though the path was made of stone, there was evidence of nature growing all across it, patches of dew and moss that felt cold, soft beneath his feet. Bubbles grew out from the flora-laden walls, the ceilings, no doubt due to strange abnormalities of the atmospheric conditions that occurred this deep underground, and he couldn’t help but crane his head up ever so slightly to gaze at a particular one, thicker than the other ones he’s seen, less transparent, more plump, almost...spongy looking in texture, as if there some form of flesh contained within. Perhaps the bubbles were some kind of odd fungus that wrapped its prey up in its own mass to absorb the creature’s organic structure into its own? He wouldn’t put it past Monomon to cultivate such strange creatures, not with her and her scientific wiles.

As if even thinking of its gracious and ambitious mistress was enough to rouse it, the entrance to the Archives was revealed to him, a golden archway of light overrun with the moss and lichen of the canyon, looking as if it hadn’t been touched with a gardener’s shear or trowel in ages, and knowing Monomon, that very well could be the case. He casts one more glance behind him, to check if the equipment was secure, and that his guards from the City were still present, before turning to make his way into the glamorous bronze building, the bubbling and frothing of deadly acid so vigorous that he could feel the vibrations beneath his feet. Even as he walked amongst the narrow tunnel of the Archives’s entrance, he could hear distant conversation, the tone loud, one sounding much more irritated than the other, and he couldn’t help but let out a sigh and shake his head. Right from the start of his reign those two always seemed to be at each other’s throats, and it seemed that would never change. In a way, it was amusing, heavily so, (were circumstances different, he gladly would’ve sat back to watch) but it still didn’t change the fact that now was not the time for a petty squabble. He could begin to make out the words now, slowly walking closer, seeing the dark figures of his two closest disciples illuminated from the glow of the acidic pipes.

“And you’re absolutely certain that your experiments won’t end up causing any unnecessary deaths?”

“Oh don’t be silly! Whatever gave you such an outlandish idea? Like my precious creations could even hurt a lumafly.”

“Are you not aware that I see your so-called progress on these...things, and how they have a tendency to literally explode?”

“Oh, pfft! How cares about a little rattling of the pipes or two?”

“I do! And you should too! I know you have an odd tendency to bathe in this horrid acid, but I’ll have you know that most bugs die when coming into contact with it! And those are just the lucky ones!”

“...Ok, I will admit that there are a few...quirks, to the Ooma’s designs..”

“Quirks is putting it lightly, Monomon. Very lightly.”

“It’s nothing I can’t figure out. It’s probably an instability in their inner cores, some type of chemical reaction or rapid increase in pressure that causes it to react so violently.”

“I certainly hope you’re right. I wouldn’t want to send in a Report to the King about how the entire Canyon is flooding with acid because your Archives got blown up.”

The King finally reaches the end of the tunnel, walking into the main room, one of his hands slipping free from his cloak to lift to his mouth, letting out a soft clearing of the throat, the guards behind him immediately freezing to a stop and moving to position themselves on either side of the doorway. “Ehem. If you don’t mind, I’d like to bring this conversation to a different topic.”

Both Monomon and Lurien blink upon seeing their ruler, the former half-submerged in a vat of acid, the rim of the tank level with that of the floor, her upper tendrils resting against it, while the latter was standing at least a few feet away, his robes sparkling with that of gemstones and glamour, clearly having adopted the look from the nobles of the City. Monomon was the first one of the two to speak, her mask shifting into that of a grin, one of her tendrils lifting up to give the King a soft pat to the forehead, the sensation warm, almost slimy, with the slightest hint of an electric tingle. “Oh, terribly sorry, King. I just got a wee bit distracted is all while we were waiting for you to arrive. My little creations have been coming along nicely, and I suspect that by the end of the year, this Canyon could be a living electrical network!”

“You mean living time bombs.” Lurien shakes his head, his mask remaining as passive as always.

King merely lifts a hand to take Monomon’s tendril in his claws, giving it a soft squeeze before letting go. “That is pleasant to hear, Monomon, though it is best that we end that topic as of right now. Currently, as far as I know, the unexplained sickness has begun to build within the populace of the kingdom, and I need to see to it that I cure it.” His gaze shifts to that of Lurien. “Tell me, are there any new cases in any of the sections of the kingdom?”

His gaze peers into that of the King for a moment before he tilts his head up, and the small hole that’s been cut into the polished white surface of the mask begins to glow, the faint whispers of divinity beginning to fill the air. It was a sight that was both familiar and yet also not, and he felt the slightest of tugs within his being as Lurien’s blessing began to bloom to life once more. He merely watches, the dim memories of bestowing the blessing upon his second disciple, of flooding his body with his own divinity, his piercing bright light, flickering at the back of the King’s mind like a dying ember. Those times were somehow simpler, in all of it’s endless chaos, though they were days the King did not wish to revisit.

Finally, Lurien’s head lowers, and his expression somehow gains a more rigid look despite the mask never once shifting or changing. “...Two more cases as we speak, in the Crossroads. Two kids, one 10 years old, the other one 6.”

The King’s hands clench, his knuckles growing tight, before he turns to face the guards, giving them a stern nod. They silently drag forth a golden box in front of the two advisors, plated on all sides, marked with a large key hole, and place the key in the King’s now outstretched hand, before exiting the building in its entirety, never once looking back. Monomon went still, her mask tilting never so slightly, her tendrils curling in on themselves slowly, her voice slightly more quiet than usual. “..So, we’re starting off with that method, are we?”

The King merely moves to place the key in the lock. “No. This is merely a check-up; the doctors in the City are only experienced with minor illnesses or a cracked shell. They won’t know how to deal with this new sickness, not unless the information on how to do so is sought out and spread. And the only way to do that, is to examine an infected individual.”

He turns the key, swiftly, and the plating falls away with a loud clatter to reveal a beetle, no cloth to be seen on his body, his limbs bound in white chains, securing his arms behind his back, rendering him incapable of struggling. The bug didn’t make a single noise, and merely looked downwards, his expression looking vacant, with just the sheer vestiges of guilt dwelling within his eyes. Monomon slowly raises herself up on her tendrils, the tank she was submerged in rippling and sloshing, waves of acid spilling down the sides of the metal to drop to the floor, though she paid no mind to it. Instead, she merely lowered her mask closer to the face of the bug, and she went silent for a few moments. “..This bug is infected, is he?”

The King watches, his own expression growing steely, almost cold. “Indeed. He worked in the Upper Sector of the Mines, when he had fallen asleep. Apparently, in his sleep, he activated a machine that ended up nearly killing two of his coworkers.”

“...A sleep-induced sickness? I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

“Neither have I. And that’s what troubles me.“

Lurien slowly walks forward as well, bending down to stare the bug in the face, his expression unreadable beneath his mask. “...So, you called the both of us here to examine this fellow?”

“Essentially, yes.”

“Do we have any limits on what exactly we can do?”

The King lets out a sigh, lifting a hand to rub at his forehead, swearing he could feel a headache about to come on. “You cannot kill him, nor can you perform any acts towards his body that requires cutting him open.”

“But taking a look at all of the inner organs would be a viable way to examine how this virus operates.”

“For once, Lurien and I agree.” Monomon leans back to glance between the two of them, and when the King gives her a sharp glance, her mask twists into that of a sheepish look. “..From a scientific standpoint, it would make more sense. The flesh is going to show wear and tear from fending off the sickness, especially if it’s theoretically induced by sleeping.”

The King’s headache grows, and he can’t help but let out a groan, shaking his head in exasperation. “....You understand that cutting open my subjects is the exact opposite of protecting them, yes?”

“Of course, but we also understand that just looking him over from the outside won’t do much good.” Lurien shifts, and his hand lifts free from his robes to put a hand on King’s shoulder. “This might be the only way we can go about things.”

“You haven’t even tried yet.” The King’s hand comes up to rest upon his Watcher’s, but his gaze is unwavering.

“We don’t need to try, King. That’s the thing.”

Before the King can reply, the bug lifts his head to gaze at his mighty ruler, and shakes his head. “...I...I don’t want to hurt someone again.”

All three of them turn their heads to glance at the forlorn man, and Monomon is the first to speak. “..You think it can happen again? Your... sleep walking?”

The bug nods, softly. “I know it will. It…It’s been happening for a while. My... My sleep, I mean. It... It’s been weird..”

“How so?” The King steps forward, eyes narrowing in thought, in suspicion.

The bug visibly flinches away, a faint twitch of involuntary reflex, and his eyes show of both fear and awe all at once, and his voice, already hoarse and soft, starts to crack. “I...W-Well, the thing is...I never dreamt. Never had a dream once in my life. Just...I j-just fall asleep and wake up. But, at least a week ago, m-maybe two, I started dreaming. D-Dreaming of this...I-I don’t even know what it is...All I know is that it’s bright and hot and...and strong and...” He starts to shake, and his eyes start to fog over. “It...It..It’s in my head..It..It won’t go away...”

The King couldn’t help but stare for a moment at this, and a moment was already too long. He feels his knuckles clench under his robes, his tail quiver, and he straightens his spine, taking one deep breath, two, before finally speaking once more. “...Are you sure you want this? This can likely mean your death. Surely dreams aren’t worth that of death.”

The bug’s eyes snap back into focus after at least a moment or two of breathing, and he shakes his head, rapidly. “No, no, I want this. Do it. Kill me, tear me open, do anything you want. If it means ridding me of these dreams, of that horrible..That horrible...” He shudders, a full-body quaking that leaves the chains rattling like an unsteady pebble that’s about to fall from the lip of a cliff, his voice rising in volume, in desperation. “Do it, for the good of the King, for the good of Hallownest, do it! If this is an illness, I...I need you to find it! Find it and kill it! Before it gets the chance to hurt anyone else!”

The King finds himself unable to say a word, turning his head to glance at both of his disciples, to judge their reactions. Monomon was looking the slightest bit disturbed under her mask, her tendrils tensing and clenching in a nervous, almost skittish manner, while Lurien simply watched the whole exchange, his face forever covered within the depths of his mask, his head shifting to stare into his  King’s eyes. He slowly nods, as does Monomon, and no words are spoken. None needed to be. The King tried to keep his gait as impeccable as it always was, even as he heard Monomon call for her assistant, even as Lurien began to question the Teacher where she kept her tools. He never looked back.

When he was sure that no eyes were watching him, no eyes were perceiving him, he stumbled, sagging against the wall, as if he had just been struck by a fatal blow, lifting his hands to his face to see that they were shaking, shaking and trembling like a gods-damned child. He had just watched a bug, teetering on the scalpel’s edge of his own sanity, cry and beg for death, to be cut open and have his guts ripped out of his bleeding husk. Something within that sickness had contorted his mind, his thoughts, his very being until death seemed like a blessing, until he found himself staring into the figurative abyss and jumped head first into it.

And all he, the King, could do was sit there and watch. Sit there and let it happen. That bug, insane as he was, in essence, gave his life for him. For him and the glory of his kingdom. And all he did was walk away.

His hands clench.

...No. No, he could not let this cloud him. Cloud his mind. It was just...It was just one simple procedure. One bug. One sacrifice, for the sake of untold lives saved. That infected body had chosen his fate, chosen to die, chosen to sacrifice. He could do nothing to change that, and as his duty as King, he needed to focus his mind to the future. He could not show weakness. This was all it was. A momentary bout of weakness. A momentary cost.

His claws clenched so hard he could feel the soft shell of his palms creak, before he finally took a deep breath, and his emotions fell, cast down by unseen blades. Then he began to walk once more.

Not even a day later, he had received a Report from his Watcher, one that he had left alone for hours before finally opening.

“The Miner was examined with a simple glance over at first, and nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. He looked and seemed completely healthy, aside from a slight fatigued look to the carapace beneath his eyes, and his jittery, skittish nature. Monomon’s assistant first took blood in an effort to see if there was any visible contamination, any oddities, and when, finally, the operation was made. His organs were worn, slightly so, as if put under significant stress, but aside from that, there was nothing. The sickness, as far as we know, is completely invisible to our eyes. My only question to you, My King, is this.

What do we do?”

[weafurry]

Have I managed to put hollow knight references in every single one of my ceramic projects so far? Yes. For the box we're supposed to be making am I literally just making the bench by The Lake of Unn? Yes.

I'm normal about this game I promise

[displacedknight]

☺ – A friendly hug

It’s not often that the two meet up on their journeys when both travel the Kingdom. So to meet Quirrel out by Lake Unn for a change is a pleasant surprise and certainly, one that wasn’t unwelcome.With the other bug sitting inside the building by the lake, the small Knight approaches them and climbs onto the makeshift bench next to them. With such a height difference, this would be quite difficult if they had found the other still standing.At least now they’re close to eye level with Ghost standing on the seat. They get really close and reach out to hug the bigger bug, small cloak opening with their gesture of good intent.It’s been a while and they are happy to see him.

[phoenixmaiden-gaming]

Hollow Knight part 33

I continued on my exploration to get things I had missed on my map. But first I went up against the Enraged Guardian and finally won. Then I went looking for charms I had missed by using a guide. I keep finding things to do, but I want to make sure I have everything I could use against the next big boss.

I started out by fighting against the Enraged Guardian. I ended up dying a few times before looking up strategies. I ended up combining two of them. I collected soul and from outside the fighting arena, shot it out to wound the Guardian without triggering a battle. Then I would stay up in the top right corner where I couldn’t be wounded and drop down and hit it when it was below me and attacking.

It took some doing but I eventually won and got a bunch of Geo.

I could then get the mask shard that was behind the gate. I now have a complete set and have a new mask to add to my health.

I remembered I had 500 Essence so I went to the Resting Grounds and talked tot he Seer and showed her what I had.

She gave me a new charm called Dream Wielder. Cool.

I then looked up the list of charms there was and there were 3 I had missed that I could get. One of which was in Howling Cliffs. There was a chest I had opened before but what I didn’t know was that I could go inside it and drop to a new area.

I ended up dropping right into a battle with2 armored armadillos, they weren’t hard but I did get hit. 

Once I won I could go to the right and pick up the Baldur Shell charm.

Next I headed to Greenpath and to the Lake of Unn. Last time I was here I couldn’t go into the acid water. But I could go in and go under a part of the cliff.

I had to go down a  winding area where there was thankfully no enemies. I had to go through the rooms and then go back into the lake part and there was the Shape of Unn charm waiting there.

In another part of the Greenpath I had to go through a small maze of thorns and at the end was the Thorns of Agony charm. Score!

The next charm I had to beat this thing again down in the Royal Waterways. I had died last time and had given up. But this time it was really easy and I won with no problem.

Once I won, I could pick up the Flukenest charm. Yay! Will I use it? Probably not. But I have it.

I then headed to the Junk Pit since I was nearby and there was someone I hadn’t seen yet. But while I was there I found a cocoon with a lock so that was interesting. I don’t think that was there before.

I then went into a secret passageway and found this NPC, the Fluke Hermit. Apparently the offspring of the Flukemarm I had just killed. I think it is supposed to say something if I wear the charm but eh, I didn’t want to go find a bench and come all the way back.

But once I did find a bench, that was where I ended it. I am going to Queen’s Garden next time because I remember the black barrier I had ran into last time. But that is for next time. Until then. Night!

[quirrelfan]

Quirrel Location Literature Masterpost

————————————————————

This post contains all parts of my Quirrel location series.

Essentially, I do a bit of writing about the location and one's interaction with Quirrel, from the Black Egg Temple to his nail in the sand at Blue Lake.

Think of them as very short stories :)

● Black Egg Temple

● Lake of Unn

● Queen's Station

● Mantis Village

● City of Tears Bench

● Deepnest Hot Spring

● Crystal Peak Balcony

● Teacher's Archive

● Uumuu Battle

● Monomon

● Blue Lake

● Final Resting Place

[some-tgirl-nerd]

Quirrel sitting at the bench at the lake of Unn?

Had some inspiration finally, did the knight fighting thk. Also if you can think of any thing that would work, give me some ideas please

[alexandriteobscuraarchive]

*touches Quirrel's belly* "So soft~ufufufu~"

(pfffffffffft)

He’d been on the urge of true, restful sleep when the sounds of someone–-or something–-entering the tiny shack near the Lake of Unn turned it into an artful sham. It was a traveling knight most likely, just resting for a moment—as he was trying to do—before pressing on and they did indeed rest at the bench he was occupying a portion of for a time and then something else happens: there’s a small, whispering giggle followed by the feeling of a hand pressing on his midsection.

‘A thief.’ Was his first thought (not that he had anything of value on him to steal) and then the pressing hand moved, the stranger's appendage now sliding downwards along the length of him—or it would have had Quirrel not of grabbed it and held it at bay in an insistent grip.

“It’s rather rude to touch someone without their permission.” Quirrel’s voice sounded casual enough but his free hand moved silently towards the hilt of his nail all the same. One could never be too careful. “Can I assist you with something ‘friend’?” The emphasis on this last word was unmissable as was the hand now resting meaningfully on his weapon.

[quirrelfan]

what is the reason you love quirrel so much? i do know that sudden and unexplainable attachments to characters happen (for me it’s revali from breath of the wild. idk why but i love him so much (yes i realize he’s kind of a terrible person)). but i’m just wondering if there’s any specific reason you love him so much?

Yipee, my first ask!!!

It's hard to keep this brief so...:)

When I started Hollow Knight, Hornet was my favourite. I never went to Black Egg Temple so i never saw Quirrel until Lake of Unn.

When I first met him, I didn't think much, but thought he was neat (like all of the characters I've interacted with up to this point).

I missed him in Queens Station because I went to the bench first, then went to interact only to find that he was gone. However, I did not recognize him, so I pretty sad to miss the interaction.

City of Tears rolls around. And oh boy I was so excited to sit with a friendly bug! I sat with him for a while, enjoying the atmosphere, then realised that he is the same guy from Lake of Unn, and that Lake of Unn guy is the same guy as the Queens Station guy. I immediately liked him so much more when I realised this. I loved that he was also exploring! The bench also gave him bonus points, and it became my favourite bench.

Now I became *VERY* excited to explore, to find him in the next area, hunting him down so I can talk with him more. But I never saw him in Deepnest, nor did I see him in Crystal Peak. The next time I saw him was outside of Teacher's Archive. I was SO happy!

And what sealed his place as my favourite character in Hollow Knight (and soon to be overall favourite character alongside Hawks) was the Uumuu fight. I did not see him when he shows up in the fight, but I heard his voice and immediately got hyped. And saw that he was helping me. HELPING ME!!! I did not care how much i died, I never raged at Uumuu at all. I was having a blast. The moment I heard him in the fight, he became my favourite in HK.

Afterwards, I then decided to explore Resting Grounds. My memory of it was foggy, and I wanted to see what was up with that.

I accidentally walked into blue lake.. and there is my friend! Quirrel!

After talking, i sat with him. For a while, but just too short. I left and said aloud (because I was on call with my friend), that i'd come back to him later. I exited the area and decided I wanted to sit with him a little longer.

And his nail. I realised what it meant.

My friend was gone.

His entire storyline (i watched the rest of the interactions on yt), his love for exploring, his appearance (friend shaped) his aid in the battle against Uumuu, his bench, the foreshadowing, the detail of the subtle change in his voice after he removed Monomon's mask.

Everything. Everything about this bug made me love him so much. Yet it is also like one of those "no particular reason" situations. It's everything and nothing in particular at the same time.

Seeing him makes me happy. He makes me smile. His voice in the Hallownest Vocalized mod always makes me smile so fucking much. The Quirrel comic, and when it got voiced over by the Hallownest Vocalized actors. That makes me so incredibly happy as well. (This reminded me to buy the collectors edition of HK so I can get the physical comic and whatever other cool stuff it has).

I have a save file where I'm just at the Quirrel bench. It makes me happy.

I am happy to show my love for Quirrel, whether it's my ita bag, or my rambles about him, or that Quirrel Location written series I made.

I am so happy my friend got Hollow Knight. He didn't try convincing me to play it, I just ended up buying it on the switch. I knew of it beforehand, but my friend is why I got the game. I have him to thank for my love for my now favourite game and for Quirrel.

I know I talked a lot, but it's difficult to explain without going through every little bit, because everything about him makes me love him.

I like that this was my first ask I've recieved. As Quirrel would say:

"I like that. I like that very much."