#oc: five

—

A med droid stood at a table outside Era’s door, prepping a syringe of bluish liquid. It looked over at her with glowing as she approached.

“Mrs. Slovoko,” it intoned. “I was just prepping a sedative for the patient. Her vitals indicate high levels of distress.”

Roslynd waved it off as she paused in front of the door, “Not necessary at the moment. Give me a little bit of time with her.”

She knew better than anyone how poorly Ciphers reacted towards being drugged in any capacity. But more than that, she was almost certain that all Era needed was a motherly touch.

Inside the room was a mess. The pillows from the bed, except the one held over Era’s face as she curled into herself on the bed, lay against the opposite wall. The blankets were twisted and half off the bed.

Roslyn’s picked up the unopened water bottle rolling across the floor, resting it on the askew side table.

“Era…?” She said, the same way you’d speak to a startled wild animal.

From behind the pillow she could hear Era’s rapid breaths and at Roslynd’s voice a ragged, guttural cry tore from the young agent.

“It’s my fault!” She cried into the pillow, hardly seeming to notice as Roslynd picked her way across the haphazard chaos of the room and sat down next to her on the bed.

She hesitated to touch Era, not sure where bruises and hurts lay hidden beneath her clothes. She knew the predominant damage had been the cybernetics above her eyes, pried out with a vibroknife.

Miraculously, they’d been able to close off the circuits and remove them entirely without damaging her sight permanently. But the stress of everything, present, future, and the weight of Keeper’s expectations on her, seemed to have finally boiled over.

Roslynd could offer platitudes, could remind her that the betrayal of the team of agents they’d partnered with had been wholly unexplained, but instead she said,

“Five’s recovering right now.”

Era gave a hiccuping, keening noise, her entire body shuddering underneath Roslynd’s hand between her shoulders. She rubbed her hand in slow, soothing circles.

“No one told you, did they? She asked and Era shook her head with another muffled cry.

Her heart broke a little extra. While she’d been near inconsolable at her husband’s bedside, Era had been inconsolable with only the worst possible outcomes of what could’ve happened to her pseudo-father.

Era finally lowered the pillow from her face. Her eyes were red and swollen, the blue of them standing out like lamplights as she fixed an agonized look on Roslynd.

“How bad?” She asked, and Roslynd knew she couldn’t keep her expression from faltering. Tears spilled over Era’s lashes again.

Career endingly bad. The kind of bad that could be managed but not healed.

“Nothing that can’t be handled.” She promised, because when it came down to the bottom line, the outcome could’ve been worse.

“Why’d he insist on being there with me?” Era whispered in a cracked voice like broken glass. “Why’d he stop trusting me— he wasn’t supposed to give up on me like that.”

“No, no, Era—“ Roslynd moved so she could pull Era into a hug, smoothing a hand over her tangled hair as she tugged the girl against her chest.

She’d have to help her brush it out. She’d braid it for her, if she wanted.

Era melted into the touch, arms wrapping tightly around Roslynd like a vice as she broke down completely. She wondered with a pang the last time Era had been held like this.

“I was his prodigy, the one he could trust.” Era’s words were near indistinguishable as she buried her face in the fleece of Roslynd’s sweatshirt, “If he wasn’t there with me this wouldn’t have happened.”

Roslynd hugged Era as tightly as she dared, hoping to convey with words she couldn’t say because they weren’t hers to share.

Five had regretted putting her forward as his top graduating cadet ever since Keeper had put her on the Star Cabal missions because of it. Over and over and over again he’d argued against putting a newly minted Cipher onto it, practically begged Keeper to use him instead.

But the Dark Council overrode what the Keeper and his Cipher thought best.

Those weren’t her regrets to share. They were Five’s.

“He didn’t go because he didn’t trust you.” She promised, smoothing Era’s hair back from her cheeks, tacky with drying tears. “He went because he wanted to help you and protect you.”

Era seemed to small right now, every bit the young, young adult thrust into too big of a role.

“I’m so tired.” She whispered, and Roslynd knew she didn’t just mean physically.

Whatever the Star Cabal missions led her on was behind clearances even Roslynd, Five, and Rhys couldn’t get through.

Hollow is sort of aimless and doesn't know what to do with themself now that they've served their purpose so they just. Wander. Until they meet PK and basically decide hey I'm his knight, knights are supposed to protect their kings right? I'll just follow him. Meanwhile, PK's having an awful time and doesn't want anything to do with Hollow but the stubborn bug will. Not. Leave. Him. Alone.

PK also wants them to not be subservient to him and be an actual person and shit but he doesn't know how to go about making that change. First option was avoiding them so they had no choice but to make their own decisions but they just wouldn't. Piss. Off. Second option was just ordering them to be a person. He's not the best at this

Hollow just interprets any suggestion of his as an order and it's one hell of a battle to change that. PK and Hornet essentially try to teach Hollow how to be a person, with mixed results.

Hollow also has a lot of mixed feelings. Hurt and anger mixed with wanting affection and comfort from their parents mixed with feeling they don't deserve that affection and putting them up on a pedestal and treating them as gods and royals instead of parents, any kind of attention or care feels blasphemous to them. They're stubborn and think very badly of themself, still clinging to this idea that they're a tool and are meant to serve. Hell concoction!

They get out of it but. It takes lots of work.

First time they disagree with PK and have an argument, he genuienly celebrates after he cools off. FINALLY they're not just going with anything and everything he says! If only this argument wasn't about Hollow's worth, but...you know. Two step forward one step back.

Hollow also has a mouth now, one The Radiance made. The bottom of their mask shattered to make room for it. They also now have a voice, raspy, rough and painful, and mostly unused because they hate it.

So the first time they use it around PK it's a shock for him

Hollow: Can you stop fucking pacing? The tap tap tapping is going to give me a migraine

PK: Oh, very sorry I just- YOU TALK?

Hollow, nodding:

Pk: since when!?

Hollow: ….. since She was using me to scream

Pk, slapped in the face:

But! On the plus side, now they can eat and taste things. PK's new favourite hobby is getting them new meals to try...for better or for worse,

PK, finding a VERY bitter fruit: "....Hey Hollow, wanna try something?"

Hollow makes a face and that's probably the first time they heard their father genuienly laugh

Proceeds to eat fruit out of his hand like a horse.

And then just. Keeps the fruit there after one chew.

“….. you can spit it out if out if you need too.”

“………. -slowly let’s it slide out of mouth and onto the ground-“

Looks at their father with an absolute look of betrayal

“……..”

“…….. some people like bitter fruits.”

"You could have warned me. You knew."

But their favourite food is berries :] Any berries, as long as they're not bitter. Will wat them right off the branches, often with leaves and stuff because they don't feel like picking them off.

He ans Hornet also teach Hollow how to hunt. And they proceed to hunt regularly for their entire family (the poor tiktik population...)

They just drop a dead bug on their mother's lap all proud and she makes a face

WL: Thank you, but-

PK, through their mind link: DON'T YOU DARE

WL, also through their link: But I don't need to eat with my mouth!

PK: THEY DON'T NEED TO KNOW THAT, LOOK AT THAT FACE!

Hollow, waiting for the rest of her sentence: …….?

Wl: …. I’ll get to it in a moment dear, not super hungry at the moment

Hollow, still pleased with this:

PK helps her burry it so she can absorb it through her roots

PK eventually tells them and they start burying their kills and helps PK keep the soil nutrients rich for their mum

At least once a day Wl looks down and feels hollow digging a hole for their kill for her

Eventually she pats their head and tells them that decomposition, even with her roots, isn’t as fast as eating. So she really doesn’t need a substantial kill each day

Starts giving their dad kills every day instead

Pk, internally wondering about the ecological impact his kid might be having:

Hollow is an invasive species

Gets them to be occupied with something

But their family quickly tries to figure out a different possible hobby before they decimate the local wildlife population

Hornet and Pk at least keep moving around so they have to spend time finding them

Hornet: one day you’re gonna get caught in one of my traps I swear

Hollow: Nu uh

OH PK trying to get them to treat him like family and not authority and I think Hollow going to sleep in the nest he made for them right next to his would be a pretty big step

Because previously being close to him felt wrong, blasphemous, knights aren't supposed to sleep in the same den as their Kings, they're supposed to have their own quarters

Especially since they’ve never really. Seen him sleep before

After first they’re tempted to sit up, still play guard, but Pk tells them to lay down and rest. Put that fucker in a headlock because they absolutely will follow their old programming otherwise

Pk opens eye and sees they’re laying down but clearly just watching him and not actually sleeping.

Just baps their face.

“Sleep”

And keeps his hand their as he closes his eyes

His hand fits squarely between their big eyes

A scene I thought up that I kinda wanna draw (but probably won't)

Hollow's going Through It and PK doesn't know what to do so he just wraps himself around them and hopes physical contact will help calm them down

This is the first full on affection he showed to them aside from that one time he kept his hand on their head as they slept

And Hollow just. Starts crying

They don't know why, their chest just feels tight and...hurts. They didn't realise how much they just wanted a hug from him all these years

"...D...dad..." They croak out in their broken, rough voice between their sobs

It felt like a hit aimed right at his heart, clawing his chest open. They never called him that before. He curls tighter around them and shifts to place a gentle lick on their forehead

"Shhh," He nuzzled them, "It's okay. It's okay, Hollow. I'm right here."

Hollow chewing PK's tail like one of these necklace stim toys and PK doesn't mind because his chitin is extremely hard

He's just doing his own thing while his kid is chewing and growling

PK absentmindedly moving his tail while he works on something and Hollow's playing with it

He only notices when he moves it further than usual and Hollow zooms across the den to catch it

Looks over and Hollow's staring at his tail like O_O

Has to move his tail a couple times to confirm that yes, hollow is zooming

“You’re just like your sister when she was little” (Bold words from somebody who would also get zoomies if his wife put a root in front of his face)

Hollow is also only a nickname, they don't have a proper name and go by their title The Hollow Knight. Others aren't happy about it either but Hollow doesn't care about picking a name. File this in your brain for later, it'll be important in just a second.

Anyway. Hollow has kids.

yknow how some trees when damaged or moved they lay down a ton of seeds to make up for potentially dying? They realize Hornet is missing from the whole silksong shenanigans after growing and being basically okay and better.

Stress and drop some seeds before going to look for her.

And then coming back and seeing some weird ass sprouts in their house/den/whatever

Trips on a growing sprout as they come back home to have their first night of sleep in like three months.

just faceplants and goes yeah its naptime right here

Wakes up to like. 5 whole children

most of them look v v much like a bby Hollow so for a good thirty seconds they think theyre still asleep and just kinda groggy

Gonna panic and scoop the babies up and head for the first family member they can find

"Dad I need help"

"What is it Ho- WHAT IN THE WORLD???"

Hornet, who also just woke up because she just had her first night of full sleep in months: huh

Hornet, not ready to unpack this: Theyre not hungry not injuried and responsive?

Hollow, nodding:

Hornet, rolling over: okay cool its a tomorrow problem then

Oh so helpful sister

Hollow: I don't wanna be a parent :( I can barely take care of myself

PK, looking at the five babies in their arms: I think it's a bit late for that

Hollow: How did this even happen

PK: i dunno youre the one who procreated. Whos the other parent??

Hollow: i dunno I just came back, tripped on a weird plant growing in my den and woke up to them.

Pk: ........ Here hold them I'm gonna go talk to your mother real quick

They have mother fucking Mary situation on their hands. FIVE Jesus bugs

One hell of a conversation did PK have to have with his wife when they arrived huh

“Our kid had kids it seemed.”

“Oh? I wasn’t aware they were seeing someone.”

“They seemed to have laid roots down and kids spawned kids that way my root.”

“Hm”

Hollow after getting a Root birds and the bees talk: Is there any way to stop that from happening again? I think five is enough for me

WL: Not that I know of

Hollow:[let's out the most miserable Ough known to man]

Luckily the new babies seem well behaved enough. And just kinda. Want to be on or around Hollow.

Dont seem to demand much

Theyre gonna be shocked when five little peeps are just babbling in void speech tho

Hollow decides that maybe being a parent isn't so bad once they figure out they can get the babies to torment their grandpa

the psychic damage pk receives bc they look so so similar to a bby hollow. Affectionately calls them the clones because of that

Another nickname is the terrors because they WILL try to maul him

Hornet, next time she sees the babies and is playing is one of them: Have you named them yet? Hallownestians name their babies right?

Hollow: Spawn one through five.

Hornet: fu-....God help me. Just one through five??

Hollow, nodding and pointing to each kid and knowing which is who:

They dont know how to name. they were never named. they were only ever given titles. described. they dont know how to name. But they know how to observe. One was the first one they saw when they woke up, and so on.

But theyll be observant. the curious one. the chatty one. the active one. theyll all be known.

PK is gonna dig through the Hallownest ruins in desperation to find a damn names book

Maybe recruits Hornet to help

Hornet: Here

Hollow: What's that?

PK: A book of names. You are not naming my first grandchildren One through Five

Hollow: they are getting titles! As they grow!

Pk and Hornet: huh????

Hollow: The first one, they are the curious one. They explore the most, and always want to see what im doing. They like to be picked up to be tall. This second one, the chatty one. Constantly chirping and poking through the void. They will wake their siblings if theyre awake first.

Hornet: That's hardly any better! Titles aren't names either

Hollow: Well, you call me Hollow, don't you?

PK, having a horrible realisation:

Hornet: ............. ohhhhh shiiiittt......

Pk:

Hollow: It's fine. They will earn many nice titles growing up.

Hornet: okay. I get like, Deepnest does the naming after getting to know them but thats a name. Not a collection of random adjectives.

Hollow: Its not random I know them.

PK: ..........I need to find some sort of still living therapist, I swear........

Hollow: Huh???

But the numbers/titles stick. Hollow is one stubborn bitch

One is the curious one, the explorer. Two is chatty, likes to be social. Three is clingy and shy and just wants to be with someone at all times, but if you're not their siblings, parent, grandpa, grandpa or auntie they will NOT like you. Four is a menace, just a little mischievous bug. And Five is the brave one, tries to be the leader and protector of their siblings, has a stick for a "nail" because they wanna be a knight like their parent and brave protector like their auntie.

The mini Hollows are cute. The group of them like to sit in the dirt and watch.

Gets to plan a whole attack on grandpa or auntie

With an excuse of teaching them to hunt and defend themselves early

pk will never see it coming

many of the babies like to dig.

Dig holes. Dig tunnels. Dig and bury themselves in dirt.

Gonna break his damn leg on one of the holes one day when he's visiting Hollow and the grandterrors

menace number four, stepping right on top of every healed wound on Hollow as they climb across them simply trying to lay down and rest:

Hollow:

Hollow: ah

I think it'd be cute if PK teaches them how to groom the babies. He still remembers something from raising Hornet so he helps somewhat. so many wriggly babies to try and keep clean challenge (impossible. they yearn for the dirt)

Nr 1 squeaks and squals in protest and wiggles as grandpa cleans them

They don't wanna be CLEAN they wanna go explore and play in the dirt >:[

Hornet told Hollow once that its important for children to explore and look at different things and see different places.

So they would saddle them all up on their back and go on field trips.

Number four would try to eat a crystal in the mine

It makes pk happy because its actually really encouraging hollow to go out more often and plan to do different things

Whenever they stumble onto each other when they're like that he jokes that the stag of little terrors has arrived

"okay. Attack"

"Wait-"

Pk can fly so it saves him if he reacts fast enough

Grandpa won't play with them?

Cruel and unusual punishment

they cheep and try to chase after him in the air

They do not pay attention and run right into a sewer in the city and make Hollow panic

The children are alright but both pk and hollow panic for a good moment

and they need a proper bath now

The One Time the terrors would like a bath time

But neither their parent nor grandpa want to groom them so into the fountain or lake they go

Poor things get pulled out a shivering wet sad mess

PK: Maybe now you won't try to maul grandpa

Hollow: Nah, just look where you're going when trying to kill

They all immediately climb onto Hollow and shove their little faces into them. No more wet time its time to get out of the rain.

The 5 menaces start attacking PK on their own accord when they grow up enough. Hollow taught them well (PK doesn't agree)

They also eat out of hands like horses, just like their parent. The Foals 💜

PK is feeding the babies berries out of his hand and suddenly mama's looming over him also, waiting for a treat

PK: ...Seriously, you need to think up some names, I'm not calling them numbers

Hollow: They'll get titles with time, it's alright

PK: Titles are not names

Hollow: They're just as good

PK: Hollow-

Hollow: Pale

PK: 🧍

Hollow: ..... thats what I thought

PK: What if we'll find you a name also? Wouldn't you like one?

Hollow: Eh, I'm used to Hollow by now

PK: 🧍

number one would be fascinated by eyes and try. to touch. Bother grandpa. "Please dont"

The five are so used to mama not being warm and then they discover the joy of warm toasty cuddles with auntie and grandparents

Hollow gets abandoned SO fast

Must absorb all warmth

Hollow: The betrayal. My own children. Stabbed me in the back.

PK with babies piled on top of him (and Hornet): Don't be dramatic

Hollow slowly just scruffs a baby one at a time to pull back into their own nest

They're gonna SCREAM for WARMTH. CRUEL PARENT. TAKING THEM AWAY FROM BEING COSY AND TOASTY

plops them in blankets and tells them theyre fine. Hornet and PK can't help but be amused

Mx. "I don't want to be a parent" now being super doting and jealous whenever their babies aren't with them

these are their babies. Their babies who they know well and take good care of thank you very much

They're SO gonna get teased for that. A typical protective wyrm parent. It's cute

Hornet makes the babies little sweaters or cloaks

They're all a little different

From insight from Hollow on their personalities and what they like

theyre all silent/can only speak in void. So gauging some personality needed some help.

Hollow is so pleased they all like their new cloaks.

And they deny endlessly that they need a new on. But Hornet gets them a new one anyways

The kiddos make dirtmouth so lively once theyre old enough to play outside more

Okay back to the canon characters and the angst,

PK often babysits the 5 to give Hollow a break, and during one night when they're staying with him he has a nightmare about Hollow killing him. Wakes up startled and panting.

He feels like he would deserve that fate but the nightmare still felt so horrifying and real, and he just stays there shaking and wonders if the anger and hatred he saw in his dream is really how Hollow feels and they've just been tolerating him at best in actuality

His grandkids were sleeping with him, so he just looks down at the baby currently in his arms and just buries his face in them

He loves these five so so damn much, he wonders if they love him too- he wonders how Hollow can even tolerate him around their young

He just nuzzles into the baby in his arms, trying to forget about his brewing thoughts and fall back asleep

Hollow definitely had some wildly complicated feelings about him, their relationship was very volatile at times, and they for sure felt anger at him for what he's done to them

But it's been years now that they've spent bonding together, years to heal and grow a more proper father-child relationship, and with time they've learned to stop seeing him as a king creator but their father, and they learned to love him like one too

They're just not an overly affectionate person, but they're generally a complete recluse so the fact that they spend so much time with him is a testament to their love for him, he just haven't seen it yet. He didn't really get many opportunities to see how Hollow is with most people so he doesn't realise just how differently they treat him, Hornet, White Lady and their children.

And yeah, they won't lie, their relationship is rocky at times and he did massively fuck up in the past, but they still love him and see him as their father.

Had they found out about his nightmares they'd just lie with him and gently nudge their muzzle against his hand, maybe even worming their snout under it so he can hold his hand on their mask like that one time, hoping that this gesture would be enough to make him realise

And it would be

Also he is Very bothered by them still going by The Hollow Knight alone while they couldn't care either way

He'd bring it up again and they just look at him

"You really want me to have a name?"

"That...would be better, I think."

"Okay. Name me, then."

"...what?"

"You're my father. I don't have a name because you never gave me one, so if you want me to have one you should give it to me."

"But...me? Why me?"

"You're my father."

"I know that, but... I don't think I deserve to- Wouldn't you like to name yourself?"

They shake their head, "I do not care either way. I am just fine continuing to go by The Hollow Knight, I would also accept any name you pick for me, I truly don't feel strongly about this."

"But- I- why wouldn't you want to choose? I picked that title for you, I chose the trajectory of your life, I think you should get to choose for once."

"I am choosing. I'm choosing for my father to give me a name. It's Hallownest's tradition for parents to choose names for their hatchlings after they develop their personalities, so if I was to have a name I want it to be a proper one. One my parent would give me."

"...but...why me? Why would you want a name I give you after everything..."

"Doesn't that also apply to my title? The Hollow Knight, or even this nickname Hollow, is something you've given me," They tilt their head, "Is this why you feel so strongly about me choosing a name?"

"..."

Really torn up between continuing to call them Hollow here as shortening of The Hollow Knight or if they should get a name

Because I thought of calling them Echo that that's such a pretty name,, could be named after their quiet disposition

I think they'd be a recluse who doesn't say much and prefers to let their actions speak for themselves, only really talks when spoken to

But for now it's Hollow

I think after Hollow has the five seedlings they might move from living in the ruins of Hallownest and frequently travelling around to the outskirts of Dirtmouth, where they can keep their privacy and relative quietness but where its also considerably safer for the children

Hornet and Pale King would visit frequently, sometimes babysit for them while they go off to have a break (mostly their father, who doesn't mind and even enjoys taking care of these children (he sees this as an opportunity to fix his past mistakes, could never be a father to his child so at least he can help raise his grandchildren), as opposed to Hornet who's probably a very cool aunt but isn't the best with kids in the long run)

I think PK would also settle in Dirtmouth after a while. Spends 50/50 time living there and with his wife

Azalea, the moth, is an old librarian that eventually moved to Dirtmouth after the infection ended. She likes the quiet and keeps to herself, likes to have long conversations over tea, gets along best with Elderbug and PK for that reason...and weirdly enough, somewhat okay with Zote, but only because she likes to listen to people ramble on for hours, he's like a white noise machine to her but she has 0 clue what bro's yapping about.

She meets PK after Hollow moves to Dirtmouth with their seedlings. PK naturally visited them often and even stayed over to help take care of the kids, eventually moving there. They happened to stumble on each other while he was with his grandkids and started chatting. Their love is slow burning they first became friends and slowly came to take care for each other more than that, but it takes PK a long while to realise she's into him and he feels the same. She also eventually learns of his past and doesn't care much, doesn't treat him differently because he was a king, which is a huge relief to him. She enjoys his company and loves flying with him, she rarely gets to do that with anyone anymore. WL is very encouraging to PK about pursuing this relationship, but for a long while he didn't because he had convinced himself that she only sees him as a friend (it won't stop Azalea from making jokes that she's the second woman in the relationship/a mistress). Eventually she gets to meet WL too and they get along, swap funny stories about PK over tea. Eventually Azalea and WL become an item too, but similarly to her with PK it takes a while for them to get together.

Also I've been very tempted to keep Radiance alive for this AU because her reaction and feelings towards 1 out of 2 of her last surviving moths being with HIM would be very entertaining. Azalea doesn't remember their old goddess and would think she's just an ordinary moth and tries to make friends with her because there's so few of their people nowadays, it's good to have somebody you relate to! She occassionaly mentions her lovely centipede boyfriend and Radi truly couldn't give two shits, until she finds out who he is. PK also becomes very protective of Azalea after finding out Radi's alive, suddenly becomes very comfortable with PDA when she's around KDHDBDV Azalea doesn't mind and finds it amusing, but also why is he so clingy all of the sudden?