#its something have to do with nosk | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

ratcandy · 6 months

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why i think zote is a nosk and yes I'm (mostly) serious

and No, I'm not just going to gesture vaguely in the direction of CoGR. Like yes writing that accursed thing had IRREVERSIBLE effects on my brain, and it is 100% the reason I started thinking this way to begin with, BUT.

I think, to some extent. If pressed. I could argue a little. So what if you all entertained me for a minute. You all entertained me very readily when it came to bug sexyness. So what if you entertained me on this one. Take my hand. Follow me. This is self-indulgence at its finest.

and if I don't post it now I'm going to be editing it endlessly and forever.

This is a RIDICULOUSLY long post, and I get VERY derailed as it continues. It's also only like. Half serious. In that the first half is serious, but then I start losing my mind. If you're willing to entertain me and read all this, well. More power to you!

Okay, to start with, I'm gonna explain how this thought process even initially occurred to me (prior to the writing of CoGR). And it mostly has to do with the fact that Zote looks so much like a vessel, but certainly cannot be for various reasons (not void, mouth, wrong color... I could be here all day but I will not do that. Go eat this other post I made about it if u really want that argument).

It also never occurred to me that he'd be the same species as Elderbug, despite this clearly being a popular theory on here hdgkjSDG. (I could go on a whole separate argument about that, but to not make this post 1million extra words long, just know it boils down to Elderbug Has Too Many Legs and Honestly If You Remove the Mouth they've got Nothing Else Going For Them.)

But, really, what are we left with, then?

Sure, he could just be some other random bug. Maybe there are some bugs that just look like that - outside of the vessels - that we have not seen. But, since we are decidedly NOT shown any bugs that look like vessels but are not vessels OUTSIDE of Zote himself, it leaves me with question.

Why does this guy look so much like a vessel when he cannot be. I mean, yeah, in meta terms, he looks like that because he's Ghost's foil. He is MEANT to be a "worse" version of the player character. Off-color (termed "grey" but that man is PINK!!!!), asymmetrical, hunched over, and sucks ass at fighting.

But. We are not talking meta. We are talking story. We are talking World.

Could he still be a child of the Pale King/White Lady? Maybe. But I really, really do not think so. I also touch on this in my "why I don't think this loser is a vessel" post that I linked earlier, so I won't go too crazy here, but. I mean. Two pale beings made a pink baby? With a mouth that neither of them have? And mans inherited None of that godliness (that we can see)?

I jus don't see it.

So. Again. WHAT are we left with??

He looks a LOT like a vessel. Enough that a lot of people THINK he is at first. But he cannot be a vessel. He is also not likely a child of PK/WL (entertain me, entertain me). And he does not resemble any other bug we've seen in Hallownest.

So, I mean. Imagine, if you will, something that can mimic appearances, right. AND not only that. But something that has definitely seen vessels before and would know how to mimic one.

(I'm just saying, that's quite a lot of em strung up in the den here).

And imagine he sucks. Really, really bad. So of COURSE he would make an imperfect disguise, right?

Okay. That's the BASIS of my theory. Now you're gonna have to bear with me. I'm going to start ...Analyzing. If you could call it that. And arguing. Very heavily.

Zote as a Nosk: Why He Do That?

This section of my ramble is going to mostly be speculation, or explanations for parts of this theory that I could potentially be questioned on. For instance:

Why would a nosk want to disguise itself as a vessel?

In my own personal theory, Zote wanted to blend in with society and tout himself as a brave, unbeatable knight of great renown! Such titles are not often given to beastly creatures such as Nosks. So, he fled his ghastly, dark home, put his past behind him, and took on a new name. After all, names have power, don't they?

As for why a vessel specifically... The vessels are (supposed to be) stolid, emotionless beings that do not think or feel fear, and have no method of crying out in suffering. Sure, a Nosk would have no way of knowing that whole mantra, but if they'd faced multiple of these enemies, staring down blank stares that don't portray whatever horror they feel in their circumstance...

They'd have no reason to believe vessels are typically brave, fearless creatures.

Especially since our vessel, Ghost, is often referred as "The Knight." It tells us that vessels (or at the very least, Ghost) are knightly-sorts in some capacity. Which would make sense, given their purpose.

And, of course, if stories of the Hollow Knight made it down to Deepnest, and if THK being a vessel was wider known (which I doubt, but still), then that'd obviously be the perfect disguise to fit a knightly part.

Even more so that Nosk has clearly seen a bunch of these things, even if they're rarely spotted elsewhere outside of the Abyss.

Would a nosk even think to do this at all?

I mean, we've little reason to believe Nosks were not intelligent creatures prior to infection. They're smart enough to use the appearances of other bugs to lure them deeper into its den.

And more than mimicking the bug itself, the thoughts of Nosk's prior victims definitely suggest it would mimic loved ones of its prey. Or someone that prey would WANT to see. That at least implies some amount of intelligence, unless it's straight-up mind reading.

But again, even if it doesn't, Nosk just acts like an infected creature in-game. So we don't know what they could've been like prior to Orange Fanta.

What makes you think Nosks were a species? Couldn't there just have been one of them?

Sure, there could've just been the one. But I think that's boring. Nothing in particular really points me toward them being a species. For all I know, Nosk is just some weird, solitary cryptid. But that's not fun. So I'm just ignoring it.

How else is this dude getting around, if not somehow at least a LITTLE stronger than he seems on the surface?

Right? I mean, yes, there are two instances where Zote gets stuck, one of which he can die in. But outside of those two, he takes a WEIRD path throughout Hallownest, and after that single Vengefly King encounter...

Well, he's totally fine. He can't die again. Dude is resilient, somehow.

But with what we've seen of Zote (a nail that does no damage, extremely clumsy movement, Being Small and Bite-Sized), there is no possible way he should have survived down there. Hallownest is damn brutal. And I don't think infected creatures would pity Zote and choose to spare him.

The only think he does have going for him is tankyness, since he can take a lot of hits and be relatively fine. But even then, if something were to start attacking him, little idiot certainly wouldn't run away if he thought it could kill him. He's stupid. He wants to prove himself. In the Coliseum, he doesn't even hesitate to throw himself at Ghost.

So how in the world did he survive down there if he WASN'T somehow secretly something else?

Hey, speaking of that clumsyness...

It makes a lot of sense that a guy who's used to being much taller, with far spindlier legs, would have a hard time adjusting to a smaller stature, right? He's gotta figure out a whole new sense of balance. And I doubt a nosk is meant to stay in disguise that long, anyway.

The Two Entire Pieces of Evidence In-Game That Could Denounce This Theory:

Two pieces of dialogue from Zote himself could totally explode this into millions of pieces and have you all laugh very meanly at me for being so adamant about something that is very obviously not at all substantiated by canon. But hey. Hey. Before you start pointing and jeering. Listen to me.

Dialogue One:

"I came to this kingdom to fulfill a promise..." (Technically he says this twice at different times, one being spoken and one being thought, but I'm counting it as One for our purposes)

People love to point at this dialogue and tell me this means Zote couldn't have possibly originated from Hallownest because it says he CAME here. Specifically.

Ok 1: Saying he came here to fulfill a promise does not mean he could not have been from here. Perhaps he IS from here, took off, and came back. Sure, he doesn't expressly say "i came BACK to this kingdom" but STILL. Possibility is not eliminated.

and 2: I'm... I mean... listen. This guy is not too great at being truthful. He could easily just be running on a fake story about his life to cover up what he he Actually is. 'Cause, I mean... If he's already hypothetically disguising himself, Why then would he tell the truth about where he came from.

And please, making up a grand story about how he came from some distant land beyond the wastes, where he had to struggle through the horrors of the powerful winds and dastardly beasts, sounds Very in-character.

(And honestly, tangent: Do we think he would survive the wastes? I mean, yes, granted, he survives a lot in the game. But he can easily be killed by the Vengefly King if you just leave him there. And surely there are worst creatures in the Wastes. On top of that, Ghost can't even walk into the wastes without being blasted back by wind. Do we think Zote could get out there? The guy who gets hit by a nail and goes flying across the colosseum? And On Top of THAT, if we choose to believe the Pale King, which I do not but yknow Still, bugs supposedly lose their sapience while outside of his/a kingdom. If that's true, then... erm?)

Sure, he could totally be a totally irrelevant bug from a totally separate irrelevant kingdom in the middle of nowhere. But to look so much like a vessel... that'd just be coincidence then? That's not NEARLY as fun. And I LIKE fun. So THERE.

Dialogue Two:

(thought while in Deepnest) "So, the kingdom was hiding this dark nest full of deadly predators. Well, now the deadliest predator of all is here... ...Zote the Mighty!"

Ok, so, yeah. That one is pretty damning. That pretty obviously suggests he's never been there before, which wouldn't make a lot of sense given he's a nosk. Unless there are nosks in other kingdoms, I guess, but. Refer to the tangent I just made hSDKGJH.

And really. I'll be honest. I only have one potential argument for this, and it's bullshitty. But it's bullshitty enough that I still allow myself to have my fun thoughts.

So. You see. Zote likes to say things. If you haven't noticed. Making himself out to be a big strong valiant knight is his whole shtick. That is what this man is. And saying stuff that is blatantly untrue to make himself seem Cooler is kinda what he's all about. So... and bear with me, yes, I know how flimsy this sounds.

This could be him mentally rehearsing what he WOULD say. In the circumstance where he was very epically relaying this story to someone else.

and. AND. Of course. Since he's disguised. He obviously wouldn't give away that he's FROM here. That would be silly. That ruins the whole point of the disguise. Might as well just be a nosk wandering around then.

So, clearly, obviously, evidently, this thought process reflects what he WOULD say to someone who does not know he's a nosk, and who he does not want to know he's a nosk. While he's stoically regaling the tale of his adventures in the Horrible Death Pit that is Deepnest.

Yknow. Just thinking ahead for how he could make this situation sound as brave and epic as possible. WITHOUT mentioning his connections to this place. Because, I mean, really... Why would he want to attach himself, a courageous, heroic knight, to a dark pit full of deadly beasts?

He is no Beast. He is a Knight. Etc.

...yeah, I know, not my best or most sound argument in the world. But I'm having fun. If everything has already fallen apart for you because of this one (1) dialogue, that is so valid. Go live ur life.

I'm gonna keep going though.

Things That Make Me Point at the Screen and Go "AHA! SEE! I'M SO RIGHT!"

Number ONE:

Hey. Remember when you saw Nosk's mask on the floor up there in that screenshot? So, if you didn't know this, after you defeat Nosk, it drops its mask on the floor. And you can smack it around as much as you like. Pretty fun, right?

Well. If you let Zote die, in order to get the neglect achievement, you have to smack the mask he left behind. Because he ALSO drops his mask. Hey that's weird. The only two masks in game that you can freely smack around are Nosk's and Zote's.

Huh. Strange.

Number TWO:

Zote has a STUPID amount of health. Like, it's obnoxious how many hits this man takes. And not only that, he doesn't even DIE when you defeat him in the Coliseum, so he probably has even MORE health than that (ignoring the Eternal Ordeal for a second, since... I highly doubt that's meant to be canon LMAO). The listed health Zote has on the wiki (200) is nowhere near Nosk's amount of health (680), sure. But I'm assuming that health total is based on how many hits it takes to get him down in Coli (which I'm also assuming is the same amount of hits it takes to get him down in the Eternal Ordeal). In which, again, he does not die after that. He just gets stuck and cannot get back up.

But ALSO, that Nosk is infected, and we've been told infection gives strength - hence why the Traitor Lord is like that. So it's possible the nosk we fight in Deepnest just has a strength boost due to orange juice consumption.

...Or, Zote just sucks for a nosk. His stupid amount of health might actually be just really low for that species. For all we know.

Number THREE:

Speaking of the Coliseum, have you seen the JUMPS on this man?

Zote sure can Leap pretty far. He's clumsy as all hell, sure, but those jumps sure are something. Even in the GPZ version, he jumps all the way up off screen before crashing down. Which, yes, I know GPZ is not actually Zote, but this tells me Bretta is at least somewhat aware of Zote's jumping expertise enough to include it in her sexyman version of him.

Do you know who Else jumps all the way up off screen before crashing down? That's right baby. Nosk ...Ok first nosk does a little infection drop attack but HEY you know what I mean. Both Zote and Nosk got big jumps.

Number FOUR:

Precept Twenty-Six: 'Don't Trust Your Reflection'. When peering at certain shining surfaces, you may see a copy of your own face. The face will mimic your movements and seems similar to your own, but I don't think it can be trusted.

Ok that's the obvious precept. I don't think I need to explain why this one makes me go AHA!! SEE!! SEE! HE SAID THE THING!

So I'm going to move on to precepts that I can STRETCH to fit my AGENDA. This is where I start getting derailed and incomprehensible, as a warning.

Number FIVE:

Precept Six: 'Choose Your Own Fate'. Our elders teach that our fate is chosen for us before we are even born. I disagree.

Just like he CHOSE a NEW IDENTITY when he DISGUISED HIMSELF AS A VESSEL? HUH? HUH?

Precept Eighteen: 'Seek Truth in the Darkness'. This precept also explains itself.

So you're telling me the truth is in the darkness? The darkness? Dark like Deepnest? Like a place so dark you can't traverse it without a lantern? You're telling me the TRUTH is in THE DARKNESS? Why wouldn't you want to explain that further, nosky boy? Don't want to explain HOW the TRUTH is in the DARKNESS, HUH?

Precept Twenty-Eight: 'Don't Peer Into the Darkness'. If you peer into the darkness and can't see anything for too long, your mind will start to linger over old memories. Memories are to be avoided, as per Precept Four.

Oh now you DON'T want us to look in the darkness? Why? Huh? There's MEMORIES in that darkness? You've got MEMORIES in there? And the truth is in there too? And you DON'T want us to look at it? Is it because you're a NOSK

Precept Forty-Five: 'One Thing Is Not Another'. This one should be obvious, but I've had others try to argue that one thing, which is clearly what it is and not something else, is actually some other thing, which it isn't. Stay on your guard!

Oh yeah? Yeah? One thing is not another? And you've had to have this argument multiple times? Did you have to argue that YOU are not a NOSK, little man? Little man who isn't being totally Real with me. Little. BASTARD

Precept Fifty: 'Don't Linger on Mysteries'. Some things in this world appear to us as puzzles. Or enigmas. If the meaning behind something is not immediately evident though, don't waste any time thinking about it. Just move on.

YOU WON'T PULL THE WOOL OVER MY EYES, FUCKER!!!

Number SIX:

Hey. HEY. Why do we first meet Zote inside the kingdom (Greenpath) and then he immediately goes up to Dirtmouth before going back down? Why don't we just meet him in Dirtmouth like we do Tiso? Why does he go straight up to Dirtmouth after our first encounter with him, only to go back down again?

Why does he already start in the kingdom and make his way out first. What's up with that.

Why doesn't Elderbug mention that he saw a guy pass him by to go down the well, likely before Ghost even showed up? With how Elderbug talks, it seems like no one has been through Dirtmouth in a LONG time. And if Zote got in through the well, he clearly didn't get very far if he only ended up in Greenpath. So he couldn't have been in there very long.

Surely Elderbug would've seen him walk by and go down... if Zote walked by him at all.

Elderbug will mention Literally Every Other Bug that comes through Dirtmouth EXCEPT for Zote. and tiso. but ignore Tiso, because we first meet Tiso before his descent into the kingdom. He talks about Cornifer and Iselda, he talks about Sly, he talks about Bretta, he talks about Jiji. If you banish the troupe, he talks about Nymm being around.

Why doesn't he mention Zote? what's different about that Zote guy. Did he never pass by Elderbug to go into the well at all? Was his first time in Dirtmouth the first time we saw him there? After he ascended out of the kingdom?

Sure, we meet Quirrel in the kingdom, too. And Hornet. But they never go back UP to Dirtmouth, and certainly don't do so after your first encounter with them.

Bretta and Sly are originally FROM Dirtmouth. And they don't go back down after you save them. So them coming back up after being infected makes perfect sense.

The only other exception is Cloth, if you manage to save her. But she only comes up after she's unable to complete her mission, and there's nothing left for her down there.

So why............................does Zote come out of the well first? Why is that the first thing we see him do after Greenpath?

Unless he's.... FROM down there. And he made his way... UP.

...before going right back down, because this town SUCKS and I want to battle in the coliseum. To fulfill the promise of glory to myself. Or whatever.

Number SEVEN:

Speaking of the town Sucking to him: "This dreary place... it reminds me of home. How ghastly..."

Dreary? GHASTLY? Like. LIKE DEEPN-----

Number EIGHT:

(said in Deepnest) "Hmm? Are you lost in these dark tunnels? I don't care. No, I won't lead you out. I know the way, due to my powerful memory, but I only travel alone. Begone."

Due to "powerful memory"? You've got powerful memory of these dark tunnels that, surely, you shouldn't be able to see shit in? Because, surely, you're not from here or anything, right?

Oh but that's WEIRD, right? Because after you get him out of that web, he DOES manage to escape Deepnest. Hmm. How WEIRD, right? For someone so very weak? For someone who CERTAINTLY shouldn't be able to see down there?

It's almost like he. DOES know these tunnels.......

OK, I'm done.

This is pretty much all I have for genuinely arguing for Zote being a nosk.

Is it not much? Yep. Not much at all. But more evidence than there is for him being a vessel, at any rate.

Is it also heavily due to my brain connecting dots that do not exist and seeming more and more insane as I go? Literally stretching at seams that aren't real as I go off into a rabbithole I dug with my own shovel? Yes.

But i'm. HAVING. FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

ok yes that's all. Go read the fanfiction I wrote about all this. I said my piece. goodby

#clamtalk #VERY long ramble #this is INCOHERENT starting at a certain point. but I don't care. I'm insane. I'm crazy. etc.#zote #hollow knight #cogr #nosk zote #long post #<- extremely.#absolutely no one in their right mind will read through all of this but I do NOT care. I'm THROWING IT OUT THERE!!!

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wrenwreakinghavoc · 5 months

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I would love to hear your thoughts on Nosk if you ever got the time to erite about it. Your artwork of it was a delight; I loved Ghost being lit up in orange. 10/10 lighting!

First of all - THANK YOU SM FOR THE COMPLIMENTS!! I haven't tried shading like this in. Months, like I said

Second of all

WELCOME TO MY PRESENTATION

(Also thanks for the excuse to draw my Vessel sona)

Don't get me wrong I don't hate Nosk, they're one of my favorite characters in Hollow Knight and media in general. I absolutely adore the concept behind them and the SUSPENSE through those tunnels leading to the big reveal still remains one of my favorite scenes to come back to in HK. The design and concept behind them is very neat and the overall feeling of that first time you enter the arena and see that cutscene is just. Wonderful.

That said, my issues are all about the actual fight. Specifically the attacks.

Nosk has arguably one of the most interesting buildups to a fight in HK, and is in one of the most creepy areas of the game, considering the arena and atmosphere of the fight too, I was expecting this to be a hard boss. I was expecting really difficult and potentially creepy attacks. The OST is one of the most anxiety inducing tracks in the game. Yet the entire fight just amounts to them.. running around? Occasionally jumping onto the ceiling? It feels like a rip off.

Nosk literally only has three attacks and they're all easy to dodge/cheese, if they were just small parts of the fight, it'd be fine, but instead 50% of the fight is just Nosk running across the arena, which is easy to dodge with or without the use of hiding under the platform(still one of the funniest ways to cheese a fight honestly).

Nosk has a bunch of hanging CORPSES in their den, so I thought that maybe they'd have a close up attack where if you got too close it'd trigger them swiping close range, kind of like this:

Extremely low budget explanation but STILL

The attack with screaming and the infection getting everywhere? NICE! Nosk on the ceiling shooting orange juice at you? GREAT! But the fact those are basically the only two good attacks in this fight with THREE really just. It weighs it down for me man.

By this point in the game(I mean I had to Google where Nosk was since I only saw art of them on my first playthrough since they're hidden), plenty of bosses had phases, too. I feel like the fight could've easily been more anxiety inducing if they had a few phases.

For example:

Phase one - same as current fight + close range attack

Phase two - running attack happens less, potential variations of other attacks, speed up things a bit

Phase three - more orange juice, maybe webs(since that's how the other creatures in the background appear to be captured), could potentially do some jumping version of the running attack(like jumping around the arena aggressively making them harder to do damage to without being hit)?

I'm obviously not a game designer, but I do like rambling about things and potential ideas that could happen to make things better.

The Nosk fight on its own isn't even terrible, it's just the fact that it doesn't live up to the buildup of the way to the fight and the cutscene in the beginning, let alone the absolute panic the OST makes me feel.

Oh and don't even get me STARTED on Winged Nosk. HOW DO YOU MAKE SOMETHING LESS TERRIFYING BY ADDING WINGS IM IN GENUINE SHOCK

I know I probably repeated myself a lot and this is very scattered, but I hope that you somehow enjoyed seeing me ramble aggressively about a fight in a silly bug game that I think has issues anyway.

In conclusion Nosk has an amazing concept, design, OST, atmosphere, and some alright attacks, but really could've benefitted from some more attacks/phases.

I wrote more about this fight than I did for my English essay on Thursday so I don't know what that says about me but do with that what you will

#hollow knight #hk #nosk hk #hk nosk #man i love text walls have fun reading this #ask

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cloudyswritings · 5 months

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Hollow knight bugs and real world species: P2

Hornet: So we know that Hornet is the daughter of the pale king and Herrah, making her some sort of biological monstrosity. But what bug is she based on? My best bet would be a horned orb weaver, specifically either a long-horned orb-weaver or Gasteracantha versicolor based on coloration and her horns.

Zote: So the in game/logical answer is that zote is whatever type of generic beetle that team cherry concocted from stag, Hercules, and rhinoceros beetles. However I think that’s really boring, I personally subscribe to one of the single best crackfics in the fandom Camouflage of Great Renown and think zote is a nosk that left Hallownest and lost his memories before retuning and adopting his persona. It’d even explain how he’s actually really hard to damage(see coliseum) and how he keeps getting places before ghost does.

Midwife: So I’ve seen a lot of people headcanon that she’s a centipede of some sort, and it kinda makes sense? Like centipedes are actually really good at caring for their young and protect them until they’re able to hunt on their own, so I think it’s a plausible and likely theory. That’s said I’d like to present some alternative ideas. Midwife to me, looks a lot more like she has an earwigs body shape, based mostly on the width of her. That said her behavior matches up far better with a trapdoor spider and she lacks antennas. Overall I’d say a trapdoor spider is more likely as an alternative reading of her species.

Lord fool: So here’s the thing with lord fool, there’s a lot of evidence he’s a higher being of some sort. Most of it comes down to the way the fools, while infected, seem less damaged by the radiance and seem to keep a large portion of their mind intact. Plus his position-dead on his throne- seems earily similar to a certain pale wyrm. Interestingly however it seems like his mask is actually just a mask, because we can see the top of his head and it looks to just be soft carapace. He’s also got six limbs so we know he isn’t an arachnid, or crustacean. My best guess would be either a deathwatch beetle(the texture on them looks like a good match) or a more likely a green junebeetle. Him being a junebeetle also matches nicely with how the fools are regarded as invasive, or not belonging in Haloownest. My last theory is that the bug the colosseum is built in may be the Lord fools old shell, aka wyrm.

Bretta: She looks a lot like a hair soft-shelled beetle to me, but her colors are all wrong. Based on that I’d say she’s actually a female scarab of some sort(sorry y’all my beetle knowledge isn’t up to par just yet!!)

The Hunter: So I’m really and truly unconvinced that the hunter is a bug, or crustacean, or arachnid of any kind. Bro visibly has a spine of some sort and the only beings with hands remotely similar to his that we see are THK, The shade lord, and the collector. That said we do still know he has an exoskeleton. I’ll admit I’m kinda stumped, I’d love to hear what y’all think. Verdict: inconclusive.

Baldurs: So I’m pretty convinced that these fellas are a pill millipede of some sort, they have the right number of legs and do curl up for defense. Additionally they spit infection, which I imagine when non infected would be some sort of toxin— something millipedes are well known for.

Mosskin: So this covers the mosskin as a whole, I’ll probably make a post for them specifically eventually. They’re obviously creatures that are in a symbiotic relationship with plants(because Unn). The only ones I feel super comfortable giving a specific species atm are the moss chargers who I feel are a species of velvet worm, mostly due to Unn being a big old slug and them living in a more tropical region. These velvet worms essentially copied the homework of the leaf sheep sea slug—which steals its ability to photosynthesize from the algae it eats.

That’s it for now!!

#hollow knight #Unn #hk hornet #speculative biology #brain fried #ummm #enjoy ig #zote the mighty #a knight of great renown

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knightofgreatrenown · 5 months

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how do you feel about other shapeshifters? not just nosks, but any creature than can change its form

I'm yet to meet these "other" shapeshifters, so either they too have perfected their disguises and could seamlessly infiltrate our lives, or they do not exist.

Regardless, I would find them quite disdainful, as their very existence seeks to disprove Precept Forty-Five, "One Thing is Not Another," as well as Precept Twenty, "Speak Only the Truth." By feigning their appearances as such, they are lying about their true nature! Attempting to conceal themself as something they are not!

Such behavior is contemptuous and cowardly in its own right. For if you feel the need to hide your form, you must be doing so out of doubt for your own appearance! Perhaps even your own strength!

#prattling on

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ahntherootvessel · 4 months

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I’m glad you asked @hello-universe-lovers

I wanted to wait until I finish Ahn’s comic Flowerborn, but seeing the pace and how life is going, it ain’t gonna be anytime soon. So imma spill. Buckle up cuz this is a long one.

Ahn is a child who followed a voice into the world unknown. They crawled and climbed, until they saw someone, or something, that looked like themself. They thought it was a friend. And so they followed again, into a different darkness than what they’re used to. And so, Nosk found a new prey. I won’t go into details, but Ahn wasn’t traumatized by the pain that Nosk toyed upon them. But rather the many, many vessels that laid lifeless in the lair before them. Just like back in the abyss. But it wasn’t the fall or the void that killed them, but a hunter who played with its victims. It was long and grueling, but eventually another vessel came, and it was Lost Kin.

Lost Kin managed to get Ahn out of there, but not without sustaining injuries. They returned back to Lost Kin’s camp, where another vessel sat impatiently waiting: Greenpath Vessel. Greenpath Vessel immediately took Ahn under their wings and nursed Lost Kin back to health, as healthy as a partially-infected vessel could be. The trio stayed together, with the “older” vessels coaxing Ahn to open up. One night, Ahn woke up, and saw something strange. Lost Kin was asleep, but Greenpath vessel was wide awake and they were using their focus on the sleeping vessel. They were focusing the Lost Kin’s infection into them. When they realized Ahn was watching, they winked and asked them to keep it a secret. Ahn agreed, why wouldn’t they? They didn’t know what the infection was. The two vessels decided it was better to keep Ahn in the dark about the seriousness of the matter.

It was just a little secret between two naive children.

You could imagine the guilt, trauma, and shame when Ahn realized what Greenpath was really doing right after they succumbed to the infection and died under Lost Kin’s blade.

Ahn then decided they will do everything to protect Lost Kin, as this was what Greenpath died to do.

Ahn and Lost Kin grew as thick as thieves during their quest: to free their siblings from the abyss. But Ahn, a vessel who didn’t have full comprehension of their abilities, couldn’t stop the infection from growing within Lost Kin. They were so close to the door, they were just a floor away when Lost Kin fully succumbed. Ahn didn’t know what to do. When Lost Kin still had their mind, they begged Ahn to kill them and not let them be a pawn of the angered goddess. Their roots raised in instinctual self-defense, and Lost Kin perished. Ahn did everything to bring them back, but their flowers, as powerful as they are, can’t bring the dead back from death. And so, freshly stained with orange, they stumbled to the door of the abyss.

They could only stare from their knees when the white of the King’s Brand sealed their siblings away. Greenpath Vessel and Lost Kin’s deaths were for nothing.

Ahn wandered Hallownest, fully alone since Nosk. Then, they met Ghost. Ahn saw the will in Ghost’s eyes, and the utter grief was killing them, so they accompanied the vessel through their adventures.

It was all fine and dandy until they stumbled into the Ancient Basin. Ahn was frozen stiff, but had to follow their new sibling. Then, the fight with Broken Vessel commenced. And Broken Vessel was no more.

Then the quest to find the Kingsoul started. With dreamnail in hand, the two ventured off into Hallownest. Ghost killed every warrior, and every boss, that is, but one.

Lost Kin.

Ahn didn’t kill Lost Kin once. They killed their beloved sibling three times, all to grant them the peace that they begged for.

Ahn is a child who had to do things not even grown bugs would do. And they had to live with it.

#hollow knight #hk lost kin #hk greenpath vessel #hk ghost #hollow knight oc #take away: the gods are bitches for involving kids into their drama #i wrote this all while i was delaying a phone call to school #wow that took 30 minutes of typing #take away pt 2: fuck dreams #i have more but i really need to atleast ring up the school.#any questions are welcome #no beta we die like lost kin

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ekourege · 10 months

Text

getting distracted so im hoping maybe talking about my next one shot will put me in the right headspace to continue.... hollow knight is kind of a game about healing, but not really.

It’s a game about putting grief to rest, for accepting that all things must end and the old must make way for the new. this is a game where The Knight can save others, but not really, and not themselves. They seek to aid their sibling--their sibling who left them behind to walk in the light of their father--and they lead an existence that while kind, is unfair. They cannot bring back what is gone, and attempting so creates the steps that lead to the doom of others. The sin committed against the Radiance by the Pale King (or what she would consider to be one), and the Radiance’s fury and destruction of innocents in its wake. Their arrogance abets the fall of Hallownest, and leads to the Hollow Knight plan that dooms thousands upon their very birth.

The Knight puts an end to this cycle as they put an end to themself, and their quest to be kind, to aid instead of acting in their own interest, costs them. This is helping, and this is something they do alone up until the very point that Hornet does the same and holds the Hollow Knight so The Knight can either mercy kill them and assume their role or follow the Radiance to the dream realm and snuff out her rage for good.

Assisted, yes, but the player, as The Knight does not have quests where they travel with others--charms aside. They save assorted bugs, yes, and free grubs, but the bulk of the gameplay is a solitary thing.

It just gets me thinking about the lost kin. Differing from the greenpath vessel, or the ones strung up in the Nosk’s nest, The Knight’s lost kin is animate, and once freed of infection, aware. Asking for help. For healing. Something that The Knight, the player, cannot give them before they die after reaching out one last time. You cannot take their hand, you can only stare, and by fighting their dream self in godhome, put them at rest. This is, again, helping, and not healing. It aids in the healing process, the bloodletting of Hallownest so its inhabitants and survivors and sordid history may finally begin to scab over. But it is not fixing. Because Hallownest is something that cannot be fixed.

So I want to explore The Knight taking that hand, reaching out. To fight against fate instead of ghosting in favor of it. I also just want The Knight to have a relatable sibling. That is a major appeal as well. Alright ive talked myself back into interest im gonna go back to my fic. AAAAND POST

#avi.txt #hk #word blogging #hollow knight spoilers #hollow knight #no thesis statement just take my word vomit its all you scamps are getting

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mothcpu · 2 years

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Do you think the other machines use the terminals? It's mentioned that they play "Take care" to lure them into a symbiotic relationship, but what would other machines use the terminals for?

Greater and Supreme machines totally, maybe the Streetcleaners, probably not the Drones. I like to think Swordsmachine (RIP) bought its shotgun from a terminal at some point, and V2 (also RIP, poor guy) its arsenal from both fights.

SM and V2 both salvaged for body parts, and V1 only steals from V2, meaning the terminals are still only human-oriented after however many hundreds of years (no machine parts), but I'd also assume the terminals have more generic repair-type items, such as bolting/welding tools, which would aid them in self-modification and repair. Streetcleaners could potentially be able to refuel there too (like, actual flamethrower fuel, not blood) if they were able to pay

under the cut: in-game canon vs game mechanics and theorizing if the terminal/machine relationship might be mutual

the terminals are interesting. to me they ride the line between point 1. "standard video game mechanic" and point 2. "in-canon thing". they have an in-universe function (or were intended to, according to P-1) namely transport of supplies for human-led hell expeditions and a database of information (likely from said expeditions).

there are outliers from point 2 information-wise: entries like V2's second entry, Gabe/angels, MP/FP, have info from post-humanity-extinction Hell. which is funky from a canon standpoint (who would be writing these entries?), but point 1 applies perfectly fine. same with "why are the terminals so tactically placed before boss arenas" lol

anyway what ALSO exists in both the realm of 1 and 2 and points(P), the ingame currency. yeah yes you need to pay for guns its how video games work. you get it. point 1 covered. point 2 is interesting, the symbiotic relationship between terminal and machine feels mutual, (it lures, it actively wants interaction, so it must theoretically get something in return), so what does it benefit from points in a canon sense?

I'm assuming some things will be explained in the P-2 terminal (P-1 terminal: "For further information, see TERMINAL DATA 02: [LINK REMOVED]") buuut one theory I have is that P is a sort of reward system for more advanced machines, like a mechanical equivalent of dopamine, with rewards based on their programmed purposes, ex: V1 gets points for efficiency, which covers time, style, and kills.

the terminal also wanting a taste of that would be a given, since it can't move around, knock on wood (joke, but a Nosk-esque (mimic) terminal fight would be terrifying and also very cool).

or an alternate theory for why it would need it: P is fuel, and the cost is just the amount of fuel it would take to transfer the item to the current location

third theory, to quote hakita:

anyway, those are my two cents. this game makes me a little insane, thanks for the opportunity to talk about it lol also, entirely off topic, but why did I not know Minos was the previous Judge of Hell, learned that while I was looking over info for this post.

#ask #ULTRAKILL #id apologize for this being long but hey you ask an autistic guy about a special interest you get paragraphs its a given #also unrelated but my notifications have been decimated by the tag copy glitch. reminder to check if youre copying op tags

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bluegekk0 · 10 months

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Hello, I heard about the ask that you received from the anon and I am very sorry that you have to deal about that and I know that you are very insecure about your au being “not making any sense” but I don’t want you to think that way because you are just an artist who just loves pale king and makes cool ideas

Your au is not cringe or bad, your au is unique and creative, and you should be proud of it its just that sometimes that others can be jerks and assholes to people

You are not really alone because I share the same anxiety and worry as same as you every time I think about posting stuff about my own au as well.

I got an idea about what if winged nosk and nosk didn’t die but the survived from ghost and hornet

I headcanon that winged nosk was killed by hornet/herrah and ascended from godhome and I would like to make an au about what if winged nosk didn’t die but survived and was seeking revenge together with nosk (ghost nosk) which is why I made the devious duo au

Last couple months ago, I received a very heart amount of criticism from an anon in my inbox, about how much that they think that having winged nosk and nosk together would be a crackship and a abomination of a kind and it would end badly as well and a couple of more stuff that I don’t like to put in detail…..

I wasn’t even trying to ship them both together, and I just thought that I think that winged nosk and nosk would be good teammates and all but the person whoever sent the ask is probably dirty minded and I made me so uncomfortable that I literally deleted all my old devious au stuff and including the comic cover I made. I really lost all my courage and I was very hesitant to post nosk art but I still post more nosk art because I still loved the character despite I received the most uncomfortable and painful ask I received in my inbox

Same as you, I created the devious duo au because it is just my comfort au and I love to make stuff about the nosks because I think that they are cool and I believed that they needed more attention because they don’t get enough love and they don’t get that much popularity from others which is why I kept drawing them

Everytime I see posts about your feral pale king au and your rambles, you gave me a bit of courage and confidence to post the introduction of my au which I am very insecure about because it doesn’t fit in hk lore

I deleted my old art and introduction and all my nosk duo art files because I was so insecure about it and I was thinking if I should abandon it forever like I did to my old pale king au and my other au ideas (I used to be a fan of pale king but I threw away all my pale king fanart because I was scared of hate)

There are even times I tried to delete my tumblr account because I fear of getting bullied of the stuff I make

But its just an AU! And everyone is just having Fun!

I AM SO SORRY FOR THIS LONG ASK AKJHAKJSH

oh don't worry about it at all! i love reading through long asks like this!

that sounds horrible, i am so sorry you had to deal with those anons, no one deserves that kind of treatment, especially over something so harmless. people are way too judgmental and entitled when it comes to stuff like this, and it pisses me off every time i see it. i'm really sorry you had to go through that

your au idea sounds very interesting! i think i mentioned it to you at some point, it might have been on discord, i don't remember. but i always find it so charming and so inspiring when i see people attached to really minor (and often unpopular) characters, like nosk/winged nosk in your case

seriously, what that anon said to you is so cruel and for what? a harmless au idea? it's horrible. again, i'm really sorry that happened to you. and i'm sorry to hear how much it affected your confidence

if i can offer some advice, as someone who also has confidence issues, just do what you love. some people will have a problem with it, it's inevitable, but as long as you're not hurting anyone and are just enjoying yourself, to hell with them. they don't deserve your time, and you shouldn't waste time thinking about what they're gonna say. i know it's difficult sometimes, there are times when stuff like that really gets to you, i know that, i've been there. but think about all the other people who enjoy your work and want to see it, people who leave nice comments and reblog your art to show it to more people. and most importantly of all, think of yourself and how happy working on your au makes you. that is what really matters. we're all here to enjoy ourselves, after all

and if it doesn't "fit the lore"? if it "goes against the canon"? screw that. i have great respect for people who are careful and stay true to the canon, that's dedication on its own. but the idea that it's the only way to enjoy something is bullshit. make goofy aus. go crazy with them. if it makes you happy, then there's nothing wrong with that. the way i see it personally, canon is a good starting point for creativity, not a set of rules. more of a suggestion. you don't have to strictly follow it, that would be boring, if you ask me

i really hope you can find more confidence. if my art can help you with that, then that makes me happier than you can imagine. and please, if you ever need any words of encouragement, or just want to chat and share your ideas, you're always free to message me. we need to support each other, and we need to hype each other up. that's what being an artist is about, creating stuff and inspiring others

you got this friend, i believe in you. draw what makes you happy, share it with people who care. because people do care, there's always someone who does. stay strong ❤️

#ask stuff

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cordycepsbian · 4 months

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hihihigihi uhh

can you name some of your ocs?-

haven't seen much of any i dont thingk. or maybe i just am blind

that's fair we don't have our toyhouse linked anywhere and that only has a fraction of our ocs listed on it

bugs fable ocs;

chrys - never talked about them before whoops. from our bug fables future headcanons. they're a cuckoo wasp and they're on an explorer team with tod and terrie mop - everyone knows mop. the star of the show

synth - evil roach lady. came from the giant's lair and tried to start snakemouth lab 2: electric boogaloo. she's like if soul master was a girl kind of bernie - most divorced poor little meow meow bee man ever. got kicked out of the hive because cosmic horrors happened to him. vi's dad but that's not really relevant they don't know each other ilon & lilly - butterfly and beetle on an explorer team. kind of side characters in future bug fables iris - cute and trustworthy mantis lady who runs a diner and definitely doesn't cook people checkers - zombee who is two different bees sewn together. former nurse in one life. unwillingly pulled into synth's schemes mint - zombeetle who escaped the lab to try and find his former explorer partner. not going well for him latte - baby zombiant. just a little guy sammy - zombie fly with a different kind of fungus than the cordyceps ones. got sent to bee kingdom zombie jail until the doctor who made it like that let it escape penny - the doctor who did that to sammy. it was an accident she swears marshmallow - peacock spider who started mimicking bugs and living in society just for a laugh

and our hollows knights

caprice - nosk who disguises herself as a traveling musician. reads minds to find familiar tunes and plays them for her victims. our personal favorite to draw ollie - ant that got splashed with the death pheromone and kicked out of his colony for it. traveled with caprice before getting infected and dying for real

celadon - mantis who left the tribe to pursue a more peaceful lifestyle. is just vibing in greenpath now flower pot - vessel that celadon adopted. likes being painted on capt. geo-eye - earwig pirate captain. quite literally has a piece of geo where his eye should be. currently plundering the abandoned kingdom of hallownest treasure chest - vessel that geo-eye adopted. a little ruffian that attacks ankles

and our rains worlds

uncrossed finish line - senior of their local group. thought sliver of straw was onto something. worked so hard to replicate her that they overheated and collapsed deep impression of a fang - junior of the same group. looked up to finish line and was devastated when they died. tried to purpose an organism strong enough to kill him after that happened flightless birds - second youngest of the group. bit of a silly goose. spends more time talking in group chats and having fun than doing work. in her lane. unbothered. flourishing monday morning sunrise - second oldest of the group. eepy. spends 100 cycles to do anything empire of ants - firm Middle Child. ascribes to the same thinking of a benefactor monk. never talks to anyone ever three glowing scales - no local group because they're in the middle of the ocean. makes a lot of purposed creatures to send messages across the sea ever-flowing rapids - purposed slugcat made by 3gs. true aquatic scug that can breathe underwater and move at speed. rivulet's ancestor the crusader - purposed slugcat made by dioaf. the thing that was intended to kill him. gets stronger the higher its karma is the trickster - purposed slugcat made by nsh. exists to send memes. can change colors to mimic predators the sleepwalker - normal slugcat that got hit on the head and can't sleep now. always gets shelter failures and special night creatures attack them the symbiosis - used to be our scugsona but now they're just vibing. full of fungus. kills bugs instantly but gets hurt by sunlight two splinters of wood under tropical leaves - benefactor that lived on mms. ran a shelter for purposed organisms that outlived their usefulness. number one enjoyer of weird little critters muddy water running through steel canals - benefactor that lived on looks to the moon. mechanic that dabbles in bioengineering. invented miros birds so you can all get mad at aer for that shrill ringing noise, a broken spear - benefactor that used to live on dioaf. got banished to the surface for assassinating a council member. living the creature life now

#this got so long sorry this took us a while to answer

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