The Diary of one Fate

ㅤAnd so, this journey of eight years has finally come to an end... I still can’t quite believe it, to be honest.

ㅤIt all started with a simple thought: “I want to translate this!”

ㅤEven though another team had already been working on a translation, I wasn’t satisfied with its quality — I wanted to do it better, bigger, stronger! Back in the summer of 2018, while I was still a student, I nervously sent a message on DeviantArt, asking for permission to translate my very first comic. And my squeal of “I GOT PERMISSION!!!” was probably loud enough for the neighbors to hear x)

ㅤSo much has happened since then. For the first year, I was catching up with the ongoing updates, ended up with wrist problems (no regrets!), spent summer nights translating and drinking ridiculous amounts of tea, all while working on my thesis. Together with Cat, we started our “Translation agency” and took on several other projects. But Stand-in always remained our signature work.

ㅤThen university ended. I continued translating alongside my job, sometimes even asking coworkers how best to phrase something, adapt a pun, or handle sound effects. Some of the comics we picked up got paused or abandoned — but not Stand-in. Every time a new page notification appeared, I’d drop everything and start reading. Sometimes I cried, sometimes I laughed, sometimes I was just overwhelmed with awe.

ㅤThree years ago, Cat stepped away, and I carried everything on my own. He didn’t disappear — he still helps whenever he can — but the flame of translation has been carried on my wings alone ever since.

ㅤAnd now... I’m looking at the final page. I don’t even know how to describe all these emotions. It’s joy, happiness, and a soft, gentle sadness. Sadness that such a huge part of my life has come to an end. That there will be no more “New page” notifications. No more long nights spent translating.

ㅤBut I’m happy. Truly happy. For all the characters, for their happy ending, for the fact that this story was told.

ㅤOver all this time, you can really see how the art style and quality improved. How the dialogue became richer. How the characters grew from their very first appearances. How Chara stopped hating humans. How the biggest mystery of all Stand-in was finally revealed: “How do you keep an eel fresh and alive?!” How Frisk’s story before Undertale was explored. And how much was said about love and humanity in all their different forms.

ㅤTo me, this comic is the purest proof of determination. To walk the entire path from beginning to end. From the very first lines to the final “The End.” Yes, maybe we’ll still get some small side stories… but that feeling tied to the words “The End”... guys, I still get chills from it, and that says a lot.

ㅤI want to thank @the-triangle-cat, so much for never stopping. For telling this story despite all the hardships of life. For showing that something like this is even possible. This level of dedication and perseverance is incredibly rare.

ㅤAnd I also want to thank all the readers. Especially the readers of our translation (into Russian). My dear ones, your quiet support — through likes and comments — over these eight years proved that none of this was in vain. And when, under the final page, I saw comments like “You were a huge part of my childhood”, it made me realize the value of this work a hundred times over.

ㅤI should probably wrap this up. I’ve already written so much... it’s just hard to hold all these emotions in (^_^;)

ㅤDon’t forget to stay determined. Take care of yourselves and your health. I’m sure we’ll meet again on the pages of stories and translations.

ㅤAnd as always:

ㅤSincerely,