An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
I’m 170k+ words into a post-game hurt/comfort type fic of Hollow’s siblings (and a reluctant Oro, and a few others) trying to fix them up.
No big deal- they’re only horribly injured and traumatized, and there’s only an occasional living spectre of the past coming back to haunt Hornet. Nothing to worry about. It’s fine.
Do check the tags, it gets nasty in here. Also, I am writing Ghost as a Short & Somewhat Feral Adult, not a child.
(I meant to only write a couple chapters. How did I get to this point. Why am I still going.)
I saw someone do something like this to advertise their fic- they linked the fic, and then put in a little collage of various comment snippets. I can’t find the post to show off- someone please do let me know if you’ve seen that, I want to credit them.
Either way, my Hollow Knight post-Black-Egg-Temple fic (linked here) has 209 comment threads on it. I’ve gone through and found some bits. These bits were mostly chosen for entertainment/intrigue value out of context- a lot of my favorite comments didn’t get in.
Got some good reviews there, I think. Anyone wanna see the collection I have of Discord screenshots from folks yelling at me about this fic?
(Seriously though, thank all of y’all who comment, yell in the tags, whatever- I love it. Really helps keep the writing muse going, too.)
Image descriptions below the cut.
[Image ID: a collection of bits of text placed on a light green background, in several groups. Text is as follows.
Excuse me who gave you the right to hit me with this line at seven in the morning”, with an arrow pointing to the left.
also it feels like there are many things to be concerned about lmao
God, Hollow is such a poor baby. A lanky wet cat left in the rain.
Hollow, that feeling is love, dear, no need to feel so confused about it.
Hornet, my sad dumb little spider baby, go to bed.
in summary holy shit this is fucked
sounds like stressTM
can these characters stop being so relatable good Lird
*smacks my face* Hornet. Hornet. the fuck
HOLY FUCKING SHIT [all caps]
It was so soft!!!! And then it became *so goddamn angsty-*
*squints harder*
Wet rag is my new favorite character.
*thunks my head on a wall*
Gosh darn it Oro course you had to have integrity
But also OW MY HEART?! SHATTERED?1 POOR BABY HOLLOW IM GONNA CRY
Gosh dang. The last chapter was a little lighter, but apparently you were just holding back for this one.
(Chp. 3) I stg this whole chapter made my emotions whip back and forth between “awww :)” and “awwh :(” and “oh. Oh no baby do not think like that”.
Augh. just, augh. / ...except that bit at the end. ...except that last sentence, ‘cause, yeah. / *hides face in hands* this has been exhausting for everyone, apparently.
Hollow knight or: when you are so touch starved that your standards for touch that you want are somewhere in the abyss that has spawned you.
Whatever the FUCK happened in the last section is Oh Lord Oh God What The Heeeeeellll Ohhhh My Goood No Waaayyyy... Will be waiting for the next chapter STARING at ao3...
i was so relieved to read this that i accidentally put my phone in airplane mode trying to respond
“it is startled out of its pleasant memory-” pLEASANT???? PLEASANT!?!
Hollow no. HOLLOW NO- / why does this for some reason almost feel like fluff.
My urge to keysmash at you is strong
Just. God. Everything about this is so fucked in so many ways.
Something about this line just makes me want to. Maybe stab the king in the chest. Repeatedly. And then throw them off a bridge. Idk
Actually many things about this chapter make me want to stab the king in the chest repeatedly and then throw them off a bridge. Because *holy shit*
Hollow, honey, you have so much trauma.
OMG ghost, what have you done [stressed emoji]
Okay then. Well. Um. That’s a lot to happen.
God it’s such a mess
Ah yes, the eldritch nonsense trying to approximate a living creature, my beloved
PK you ass. PK you absolute ASS get over here I wanna hit you with something heavy-
oh / im immediately punched in the face okay thank you for that
Right off the bat I am mildly excited about this chapter solely because you played with text formatting and that makes my serotonin levels rise. I don’t know why but thank you for that.
CONFUSION SOUP I’M FHDHDJFKFKGH
I wanna join the cuddle pile :<<< let me in
[holding Hollow gently in both hands] / I will get you all the fresh-dirt-scented soap
Fucking superb you funky little vessels.
Oh boy! Spiraling!
Oh this chapter hurts ‘specially bad. Because it wasn’t enough to be possessed and neglected and quite literally tortured and driven insane, now we gotta have more medical issues and amnesia-
I fuckign cried at this one, oh my god. Pain is always a tearjerker, but it’s nothing compared to someone who’s been in pain so long finally getting that first big moment of *realizing they’re wanted* and *heard* and *healing*
And I gotta say, (this is gonna sound bad) I really do love Hollow’s victim blaming. Or how it’s written. I love how you write characters in pain <333
“Oh, just a quick chapter to read before bed,” I thought to myself. “I will enjoy it and feel a normal and manageable level of emotions about it.” / ...Thanks for making me all teary in the wee hours, now I’ll never get to sleep! (...I mean this as praise.)
Oh. Oh Hollow. So wrapped up in the need to be useful. So incapable still of seeing that their own gut-wrenching familial love might be returned in kind, whether they have some designated purpose for their existence or not.
Yeah. Relieved. / Oh, Hollow...
You have already left kudos here :) [three times] / Have I ever been told the definition of insanity?
honestly the body horror was the /least/ disturbing thing in this chapter. not to say! that it was not disturbing - even then, less the horror and more the. context. i want to punch TPK. into a lake. that is on fire.
First comment of my first reread, and MAN. This opening hits just as hard the second time.
Keep in mind Hollow Knight was made by Australian people
Hollow 100% deserves a nice date at the palace if they so wish.
anyway, I feel very emo about Hollow, all the time.
HOLLOW IS LETTING THEMSELVES HAVE WILL, LET’S GOOOOOO
Ghost is doing Fine:tm:, Hornet is doing Fine:tm:, Hollow is *actually* doing pretty well
Good news! Hollow is an emotional wreck!
Hornet is doing sooo normal right now (lying).
TLDR; amazing story, glorious update, poor Grimm, I Am Desperate For Shield Lore, someone please tell Ghost it isn’t their fault, the entire gaggle of siblings needs a group hug, I Am Going To Put The Pale King’s Corpse Through A Shredder, and Hornet needs another good cry.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
This chapter’s actually pretty light on warnings, aside from Hornet’s terrible, terrible self-care and Hollow generally panicking about that terrible self-care.
In this chapter, we have: new siblings, the aftermath of an understandable but truly awful decision, one character having their very first POV moment in this fic, and general hermit crab behavior. No, I will not elaborate.
