Hollow Knight x Reader One Shots

Not Who You Think -- Nosk

     As a spider living in Deepnest, you had a very simple job; to make webs for many things. That's it. Just make webs. Your friends and family all loved to do this, but you did not. After Herrah the Beast was sent to an eternal sleep to protect Hallownest and her daughter; Hornet; left to defend the fallen kingdom of Hallownest, you wanted to find your calling as well.

     So after a few weeks of convincing your parents to let you leave on your own, you finally set out. You knew your way around Deepnest pretty well, for the most part. You had only been told that if you saw someone who looked like anyone you knew and they didn't confirm their identity, run in the opposite direction.

     This was because a bug by the name of Nosk haunted the desolate caverns of Deepnest, preying on innocent bugs. The stories told of a large bug, with spikes on its back and a contorted, twisted body; that you could hear the shrill screams of its former victims if you got close enough to its lair. You didn't believe them.

     As you made your way near the center of the region, you heard a whisper behind you. You turned, glancing around to see if anyone followed you. You saw no one, so you kept on your way.

     "Hey! Over here!" You heard a childish voice call out. You looked around, seeing that the call came from a crack in the wall. You tore down the wall with your weapon, seeing that it led to secret passage. You followed the passage for a good five minutes before...

     TWACK!

     You spun around to see that a wall of flesh had closed you in, now sealed tight to the floor and ceiling. You continued, speeding up to a speedwalk, then a run.

     TWACK!

     TWACK!

     TWACK!

     TWACK!

     There were now multiple fleshy walls trapping you in the corridor. You sighed and looked around the large room...What you saw was horrifying. The dead bodies of bugs lined the walls and ceiling, even a few on the floor, all hanging by their heads alone. In the midst of it all was...

     A child?

     "Hey, little one...what are you doing here?" You slowly walked towards to small figure, kneeling down to their height when you got close enough. They simply tilted their head at you and grabbed your arm. You heard a crack, and in the blink of an eye, their head was upside down. You backed away, fear overcoming your mind.

     A series of cracks later, a tall, spiked bug stood before you, with the head of the assumed child.

     "Nosk..." You couldn't find the sense to try and leave, so you simply drew your weapon. Nosk tilted their head at you, shrinking themself to your height.

     "What- What's wrong, never had someone f-fight back before?!" You said, attempting to scare them off. They simply roared. Shit. You backed away to the wall, Nosk following you. They didn't seem to want to attack, for some odd reason. They twitched a bit, it seemed they were curious.

     You subconsciously lowered your weapon, allowing Nosk to look at you. They shrunk back down to child size, shaking their small hands for a moment.

     "Different! Like me!" They did a little happy bounce. You felt a smile tug at your lips under your mask and bent to their size. Poor thing just wanted a friend.

     They caught sight of you readying your weapon, backing up. They were ready to fight, if need be. You noticed you still had your weapon in hand and put it away.

     "Hey, hey, Nosk, I'm not gonna hurt 'cha.." You softly coaxed, gently grabbing their hand. They seemed to trust you, so they nodded.

     "Can I ask why you killed these bugs?"

     "Self defense...I did start the fight a few times, but I was hungry!"

     "Why self defense?" You questioned.

     "They attacked me first."

     "Oh..." Duh. Of course Nosk was attacked first, it's called self DEFENSE for a reason. "You hungry now?" You asked. Nosk nodded.

     "A little." They watched you remove a small bag of snacks from your satchel. You handed a snack to them.

     "I know it isn't much, but no bug should go hungry." You smiled. They took a bite of the food and looked up at you.

    "This...shall suffice." They hugged you. "Thanks.."

     You smiled, giving them a hug back.  "Anytime, pipsqueak. I gotta go, ok? I'm gonna visit though." You said as you stood. Nosk nodded and shifted back to their taller, more natural form and scuttled back into their shadows. You left, finding it funny how you managed to tame the very bug most of Deepnest feared.

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A/N: So sorry this chapter is late, I actually finished it a few days ago, but the internet went out just before I finished, so I couldn't publish it. 😢