Quirrel x Reader Hollow Knight - I'll Love You Even After I Forget

Chapter 7 - The Evaluation

(Y/N) woke up to the sound of medical equipment all around them. They slowly opened their eyes and clutched their forehead. Ugh, my head. Examining their surroundings, they saw that they were in an infirmary of sorts, laying in a hospital bed. Aside from their searing headache, their broken arm was confined in a cast and was resting in an arm sling. "Ah, good, you're awake," a voice called out. (Y/N) turned to their right and saw a winged bug examining what looked like a set of records. "(Y/N) is it? Must've been a pretty nasty duel to make you faint like that." The bug set down the records and turned to (Y/N). "I am Dr. Glidelle. I'd shake your hand but I suggest you keep still until you're well-rested." "How long was I unconscious," (Y/N) asked. Dr. Glidelle looked up at a nearby clock and said, "Around an hour. If you're worried about your trial results, Master Lurien is still seeing applicants. Nearly all of you ended up here so he's decided to wait until he's met with everyone before ending the day." (Y/N) grimaced from their headache, and Dr. Glidelle must've noticed this. "Hm? What's paining you," she asked. (Y/N) sighed, "Just a headache, it's not much of a bother, really." Dr. Glidelle walked to the other side of the room, where there were shelves full of medications and other supplies. Then, she spread her wings and flew up to the top shelf. "Now where is it..." she mumbled, before grabbing a small white bottle off the shelf. "Here it is," she said as she flew back down. She unscrewed the cap and took out two capsules. She walked back to (Y/N) and handed the medicine to them. "Here, take this. Your headache should be gone in a couple minutes or so." (Y/N) took the medicine and swallowed it without a problem, but they were still focused on getting back to the interview area. "Thank you for taking care of me," they said, "but I must get going." As they struggled to get up, Dr. Glidelle stopped them and laid a hand on their shoulder to lay them back down. "Not so fast. You're in no condition to be wandering about in the spire. Your arm may be the only thing that's broken, but you had a pretty nasty fall when you fainted. You need to be monitored before we can ensure that you have no further injuries," she explained. (Y/N) felt even more helpless than they did before. "No, you don't understand," they said, while weakly trying to get back up, "I need to see Lurien!" Dr. Glidelle simply laid them back onto the bed and said, "Yes, you and every other applicant here. Look, I know you're eager to get your results, but don't worry! You'll be able to meet with Master Lurien in due time." (Y/N) knew there had to be something they could do, they just needed to figure out what.

Like Dr. Glidelle said, the medicine took effect within a few minutes and quickly rid (Y/N) of their pains. Now that they were able to think clearly, (Y/N) immediately started coming up with ways to see Lurien. They started further examining their surroundings to decide their options. They noticed that the infirmary door was never fully closed, as Dr. Glidelle made constant trips in and out. They also noticed that every once in a while, Dr. Glidelle would retreat to a small room in the back, which (Y/N) assumed to be her office. Looking up at the clock on the wall, they thought to themself, "I wonder if I can do anything with that..."

A couple hours had passed. (Y/N) had spent their time monitoring the clock, learning when and how long Dr. Glidelle would stay in her office. "Just a few more minutes." After a short period, Dr. Glidelle came into the infirmary, once again leaving the door unlocked. As soon as she closed the door to her office, (Y/N) got up and bolted straight for the door, careful not to make too much noise. They softly placed the door back into its original position and made their way for the interview area as fast as they could.

Out of breath, (Y/N) burst the doors of the interview room open. Rather than seeing the busy bug, (Y/N) saw Lurien at the desk, sitting patiently while facing the entrance. The two bugs met each other's gaze before Lurien gestured at (Y/N) to take a seat in front of the desk. (Y/N) slowly made their way to the desk. Despite being so eager to reach this room, their heart was pounding with anxiousness. "Welcome back applicant, congratulations on completing the true final trial," Lurien said. (Y/N) only looked at him, confused on what he meant. "Pardon? What do you mean 'true final trial'," they asked. After (Y/N) spoke, the creak of an old door caused them to turn their head to the back of the room. Oddly enough, Dr. Glidelle emerged from what seemed to be a secret passageway. (Y/N) stared in confusion before Lurien spoke, "You see, I decided to hold one last test to garner some extra information on you applicants. It seems, however, that only you and a few others managed to pass." (Y/N) was still confused, but hearing that they passed the trial brought their spirit up more than anything. After sending a quick nod of approval in (Y/N)'s way, Dr. Glidelle made her way back into the secret passageway. Lurien cleared his throat and said, "Now, let's start with your evaluation."

(Y/N) sat upright and made sure to look as professional as possible. Picking up a sheet of paper, Lurien spoke, "You are (Y/N), correct? It says here on your application that you 'have experience in open-field combat'. Can you describe what enemies you find yourself facing in these situations?" With that sentence, (Y/N) felt most of their confidence slowly fade away. They sheepishly replied, "Well, erm, I mostly find myself fighting thieves and con-artists who try to take advantage of innocent civilians. I haven't much experience dealing with real warriors." Lurien grabbed a nearby quill and started marking notes on a separate sheet of paper. "I see. Nothing to be ashamed of," he reassured. "Moving on," he continued, "have you ever received any form of professional training?" (Y/N) replied, "Not really, sir. In my early years of nail-fighting, I was trained by my father, who was an esteemed warrior during his time. Other than that, I am mostly self-taught." Lurien made another note on the sheet.

Lurien continued asking questions for what felt like the longest hour of (Y/N)'s life. The entire time, they were worried about giving an answer that he may not have liked, or making a face that might give off the wrong impression. Finally, after the last question, Lurien said, "Alright, now are you ready to receive your feedback?" (Y/N) nodded, a little too eagerly, they thought.

"I must say, for someone who is mostly self-taught, your skills in battle are quite exceptional. That being said, you lack worldly experience. Fending off petty criminals and dueling skilled, dangerous threats are entirely different battles. Our City needs bugs who truly know what they're doing. For this reason, I will not be offering you a position in the City Army." (Y/N) felt their heart sink to their stomach. All they had worked for had been in vain. As they were about to thank him for his time, Lurien continued. "But still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't see something in you. I can't quite explain it, but I truly do believe that you can grow into something more...," he paused for a second, looking to be deep in thought. (Y/N) emotions were everywhere at this point. They didn't know whether to be happy, disappointed, or confused. They looked at Lurien, who they had thought to be a strict and cold bug. But now, he was in front of them giving them the most encouraging words they've heard in a long time. Lurien continued, "Despite being brash and quite bold at times, you can also be very calm and collected. You are an intelligent bug. I've seen the way you calculate each step you take next and formulate plans within seconds. You analyze your opponent and use any weaknesses they have against them. This is not something every bug has the skill and guts to pull off. Even though your plans don't always work, it's to be expected when in the heat of battle. In failure, you remain determined to reach your goals. With the proper training, you'd make a fine soldier. But for now, I regretfully must deny you the position. Instead, I'd like to hire you for a different job, to help you earn you experience and become a true City Guard. You'll be hearing from me tomorrow morning. You may return home."

(Y/N) stood from their seat and shook Lurien's hand. They felt light weight, almost as if they could fly. They may not have gotten what they came for, but they received another great opportunity that they were determined to not let go. As they made their way out of the spire, (Y/N) realized how exhausted they were. Despite their fatigue, they wore a huge smile on their entire trip back to their apartment.