lost in translation

i lost 20 bucks today so here we are

notes

I will provide my PayPal after cdommission is finished. Recipient will pay then I will give them the sai file/png files.

I will not draw… http://pastebin.com/Ar7b7e5Z

I don’t use bases nor do I intend to

The spring uniform however, was not very comfortable for someone of his height…the shirt was fine…but the pants were not long enough..he was going to need to find some similar that were…longer..

“T-Thats…g-good…so wherever you…both go it’s not very hard for you to….communicate at all? I’m glad…you both had a great time…I don’t know…Castillo-san very well but I’m glad that…he enjoyed it as well…”

Theo had completely called him an informal name earlier, how rude. Slipping back into old habits that were not Japanese customs. He needed to train himself on that again didn’t he? He doesn’t get out much recently after all aside from taking Natacha here and there.

“I…hope…I would h-hate to lose them after all….I feel weird. But…u-uh should we get to the restaurant? I made our reservations for 30 minutes from now…I thought it would be nice to…g-go somewhere instead of the school? It’s been…a long time after all…”

“Yes! Most languages we have in common, but there a-are some that only I know or only he knows, but together we can u-usually piece something together. It’s the perks of d-dating a linguist, I guess. But Blas really enjoyed himself. H-he can just be... grumpy.”

She shrugs, like it’s not the word she’s looking for but it’s the only one she’s got. Way to call your boyfriend “grumpy,” Eri. At the mention of food, she perks up. Right, that’s why she’s so hungry. It’s time for food.

The best time.

“T-That’s okay.. things happen…I didn’t wait very l-long…! It’s also a nice day so…it’s…nice to get outside. It’s been at least two months since ive had…t-the luxury of being able to spend some time outside without it being…cold..”

Yeah he was sadly always cold if it was cold out. Italy was much warmer for sure…he took that for granted for sure…

Closing his eyes for a moment, he listened to Eri as she spoke…the wind was nice…he was admiring nature a little too much today it seemed. Come on Theo…focus on your friend, she is  the reason you actually made it outside today after all.

“Ah? Really…I’m s-so glad you both enjoyed it…you both needed some time for just the two of you a-after all…I know were still students and all but…I guess it’s just nice to actually do something fun o-over spring vacations…after exams and all…Natacha and I didn’t really do anything…but I’m glad the trip was nice…did you see a lot of things…?”

Theo beamed a smile, a genuinely happy smile. Normally frowny fluff head didn’t smile so easily but he did with trusted friends, and it was nice to actually see him happy.

“Such a long time... I-it really did take a long time for spring to hit us, didn’t i-it? We’ll spend l-lots of time outside to make up for it.”

She gives him a thumbs up and a smile.

“W-we did! I-it’s not problem communicating for us since we both have a lot of, um, knowledge with foreign languages, so we had a-a great time going to places that were m-more local, with l-less tourists. It was... v-very quiet, and relaxing. Th-thank you so much for planning that all for us, again... I-I bet you and Natacha-san still had a great time, though!”

A knowing smile comes to her lips for a moment before she stifles it in response to his genuine smile. Seeing something like that, she can’t help but beam back at him.

Still idly making those adjusting motions by her eyes, she continues,

Theo shouldn’t be nervous, but he’s not Theodore Grey if hes not just a little nervous. Theo looked down at his phone checking for if there was any new messages from Eri…nothing just yet.

Theo looked around for the redhaired girl, but she had yet to show up…so he checked his phone again…before looking back up at the sound of his name and softly smiling as he listened to what Eri was saying…before shaking his head a little bit.

“It’s…Okay Eri-chan…I wasn’t here…t-too long…I was just worried I may have…came to the wrong place at first…Ive done that before….or that I was…late?”

He was pretty sure he would have been the one late after losing his glasses for half an hour and being forced to wear contacts. Something he never did.

As expected, he’s not upset in the slightest that she’s late. She smiles at him.

“No, haha, n-not at all... It was all me. I even set an alarm, but m-my phone died last n-night so when I charged it, it d-didn’t save, so I w-was waiting for an alarm that was never going to come, a-and... Ugh...”

She deflates. Excuses. Either way, she’s here now, and so is Theo. The months passed quickly, but looking back, they were rather dull without her tall friend around.

“Y-yes, w-we had an am-amazing time..! It’s hard to get Blas to relax most of the time, but even he had fun. I-I know I’ve said this a thousand times, b-but, thank you so much for planning all of that for us... We h-had both been so busy that a vacation w-was just what we needed. ... E-even if I had to convince him to go, hehe.”

Eri pauses, and then makes a motion like she’s adjusting invisible glasses.

She watches the execution without pity.

He wanted others to hate him? Done. Eri despised him. There were no words to describe how disgusted just thinking of Kai made her feel. He achieved his goal.

The others speak, and go in circles, addressing each other and she wants to look at them, to reply, but she’s frozen. Ayano is saying something to them, about them avoiding her, since she doesn’t know, and Eri doesn’t know. Yumiko doesn’t say anything. Huang Yi is as silent as always – her eyes freeze on him for a second, before–

She hears Blas.

“B-Blas… I-I… I…”

Carefully, Eri kneels down next to him, laying her hand over his. She hates seeing him upset like this, but she can’t exactly tell him not to cry when she can feel the tears welling up in her throat as well. Swallowing roughly, she lets out a shaky breath, and smiles.

“I won’t forget, e-either. Even if we’re stuck here, w-we can still b-be better people. W-we’ll just need… a-a while to r-remember some things. Since w-we’re all still going to be t-together, s-so, it’ll o-only be a matter of time.”

She keeps pausing to blink away the tears in her eyes. There are so many things she wants to say now that she knows this is her last chance. Machiko is dead, she isn’t  she is. You guys don’t get to leave, we’ll a find a way, we'll forget. Things calmed down only to get worse than they were before.

But she doesn’t regret it.

“… I love you. I-I won’t forget that, e-either. And i-if I do, th-then, I’ll fall in love with you all over again. I-I’ll have e-every conversation o-one more time, t-ten more times, i-if I h-have to.”

“No. I refuse. You’ve always l-lived up to your deals that we all stupidly made with you, s-so, so – s-so make another one with me! I broke u-up your relationships, so, wh-what do I have to do to make you let the others l-leave? U-Usui-san, a-and Nayeli-chan, a-and Yumiko-chan, Blas, Huang Yi – c-can’t you just keep us murderers here? A-aren’t we good enough? We’re more fun, aren’t we? W-we’re more interesting, r-right? N-no one l-looked at any of us a-and thought we would b-be murderers, s-so – i-isn’t that better to have around?”

Because with all the things that had happened, it was scary to think that she would forget. It would be nice, wouldn’t it, to not know that her sister was dead? To forget the sensation of burning to death in that house, to forget the argument with Yumiko and that look Huang Yi gave her when she broke her promise, but it would also mean forgetting everything else.

Sitting with Nayeli in the cold; forcing down spicy food Huang Yi made for her; sitting in the bath with Yumiko; being able to tell Blas that she loves him; that stressful journey with hundreds of keys with Ayano…

She doesn’t want to forget that.

“Th-the others have suffered enough…! You can’t k-keep them here like this! What do I…”

… She’s not listening. Eri knows better than to imagine she is. Setting her jaw, her eyes flickered back to her classmates. Even those that she despised, she didn’t want to forget. Even Kai’s blatant lying to their faces.

[TW: choking, hanging] 

Kai, unknowing even himself what he’d be going through, opened his eyes cautiously. He found himself in a… very familiar classroom. White walls, depressingly grey floors with worn, plain desks. The only thing out of place was the pile of equally plain chairs, shoved up in a corner along with all desks but one; his. 

The one Kai would forever recognize as his own– from the scratches’ formation, the wear and the stains from various vases. Yes, vases similar to the one sitting on top of it right now. A lone white one, with a single Bellwort tossed in without any water - already wilting too, from the looks of things. 

The droopy flower of choice only worked to depress him further. …How many of these vases had he gotten in his life? At least six - seven with this included.

It took him a while to realize that a machine had been slowly tightening the scarf around his neck. So of all ways to die… he only left out an amused huff, hair disheveled as his body began to shake ever-so-slightly. It was really gonna happen. All of his bad decisions and deeds hit him full force, and he finally understood. He finally understood why he felt so guilty. Why he’d done it all. Why he cared, even if he kept thinking he didn’t. Why he felt so shitty monologuing, even if he told him he was correct. 

…He was just a dirty liar. 

 "…Hey… everyone……? I… have to apologize", he mumbled quietly. Yet he was clearly audible in the silence, and he only sighed as a soft, sad smile covered his features, tears beginning to pour down his cheeks. 

 "……I lied about a lot of things. I said a lot of nasty stuff right now. Most things even I recognize to be full of shit. I don’t beg for forgiveness– that’s a privilege I lost long ago. But… I just… I wish I knew. I wish someone would have just answered me…“ 

 ”…Why couldn’t I be good…? Why… was I never enough…?“ 

Even when he himself had not killed one soul with his own hands, he felt so horrible. He felt so, so guilty. Even when he tried to convince himself that he was just a victim too… He had caused all of this. His desires had led to Never using him like this. He felt so many things, and despite being afraid, he just wanted it to be over. He wanted to escape it. He wanted to die and never be looked at again. Ah…

”…Well, nevermind that. Nobody cares.“

He wanted to stop feeling so guilty.

Ｗｈａｔ ａ ｃｏｗａｒｄ．

”………Goodbye.“ 

He lowered his face in resignation– and so, the machine yanked him up from his scarf, making him gurgle at the pressure to his throat. He instinctively pulled at the scarf, trying to free himself– but little by little, his movements got lazier and slower, and soon he slumped. With nothing but the eerie creaking of the machine that held him up, the last sign of life left his body. There was no blood, no spectacular show put up for it… And quite amusingly, his death was among the most merciful events fate had thrown at him. 

Kai Midori, SHSL Internet Musician and the Mastermind

And there’s the story.

“I’m glad you’re at least aware how horrendous you are. Y-you can try to turn the blame around on us all you want, but you’re just one person suffering in the grand scheme of th-things. Y-you don’t think n-no one else here has hurt like you? D-do you honestly think you’re unique and special? Th-the number of people who have suffered their entire lives is massive, but y-you don’t see them making a game of revenge. Don’t even try to compare the i-innocent people here to you. You’re on your own level of – th-there isn’t a-a word to d-describe h-h-how fucking vile yo-you are…!”

Her voice devolved, breaking down into tears at the end. With more force than really need, Eri mashes the button to vote for Kai over and over, as if voting for it multiple times will make him die faster. It felt strange, to be so angry, but staring at the face of the person who made the people she loves suffer; who is the reason her sister may or may not be dead, that Higanbana is having her breakdown in the corner, that Allen murdered Blas, that Blas suffered like he did, that Yumiko was in her current state, that Huang Yi was hurt over and over and still hurt even after he died–

He can blame Never for that all he wants.

But the idea was his, and she’s not inclined to believe his excuses. Being the person behind this, his whole spiel could be one massive lie.

Not willing to give him more time in the spotlight - her burning desire to yell at Aden had completely pivoted towards Kai, and she had half a mind to let go of Blas’ hand and punch the mastermind as hard as her robotic limbs allowed - she latched her teeth down on the inside of her cheek before glancing to Never.

No, first, she looked at the people she got to meet because she came here. Was it worth it? All the things they had gone through – was it worth it, to at least meet Huang Yi and Blas? To temporarily know the friendship of someone like Yumiko? To somehow never lose the trust of Nayeli, to have these people like Ayano still willing to look her in the eye after all she’s done?

… Was it worth it? Even if Machiko is dead –

(It was. It was worth it. All the suffering and crying and burning she did, the despair wrought through her entire being and the jaded cynicism left, was all worth it when she remembered how whole heartedly she loved Huang Yi and Blas.)

Oh, bless Ayano’s heart and soul. Eri is ten types of relieved to hear the sniper – hitman, she’s not entirely sure which one she is now – be the one to accuse Kai, because the translator had enough fun being the one to tell Yumiko and Blas.

The more Kai speaks, the more tired she feels. He’s talking on and on, the normal crap that all villains spout, about them being in the right, and all of them being in the wrong. The motives were useless - which doesn’t bother Eri when she didn’t even kill for one - and baker girl died for no reason. Words, words.

Words.

She’s so tempted to snap at him - until something he said actually settles. Oh. The motives were empty, probably. Most of them, Eri hadn’t cared too much about one way or another, especially not a ruined future, but, their loved ones.

… They weren’t dead?

“Th-that’s good… I-I’m s-so glad…”

She opens her mouth, turns to Blas, as if to say something else and then clamps her mouth shut. Instead, she just smiles widely up at him, before turning back to the others. Kai being the mastermind? She knew that already. But their loved ones actually being alive?

All of her contempt and anger at Kai and Aden drained, like someone pulled a plug. Her shoulders droop, and she sighs lightly.

And now Yumiko is talking.

“… I don’t understand you, Yumiko-chan. H-how can you love someone so vile? I-I never claim to be better than Midori-san. If I could have things my way, Bao-san, Chesha-san, Aden-san, Midori-san and myself would be left here to rot. We’re a-all on the same level; we’re all bad people. I’ve never made excuses for my actions, because I-I know they were wrong. … Y-your mother is still alive, Yumiko-chan. Of course it matters. Because we didn’t up and decide to kill; we were driven to it. Had he not come up with this pitiful excuse of revenge, no one would be dead.”

Eri sighs, again, biting her lip. She’s not interested in Kai’s excuses. She’s not interested in Never’s reasoning. She doesn’t care about any of this. They’re here, they all know who’s behind this, so there’s no reason to drag it on longer than needed.

… As if Never would ever let them leave without having more fun. Besides, Allen is asking, and as much as she knows hearing his awful reasoning will only make her upset, she feels inclined to at least know what the people she loved died for.

Aden speaks to her, and Eri’s eyes narrow harshly.

“I didn’t speak to you nor make any mention of that. Even if I did, the last thing I’m interested in are excuses.”

With all of that said and done, she blinks as Blas takes her hand. Cracking a smile at his direction, she gently squeezed his hand back in what was hopefully encouraging, and falls silent as she listens to her classmates talk.

… Honestly, they were talking about this and that, but didn’t they all already know who the mastermind is? This is just killing time until they were told to vote.

“… I-I was thinking the same thing. The mastermind is still alive. They were only taken away by entering a relationship with someone else. On top of that, Never-san told me when I killed Zeta-san th-that they are a bit detached. A sociopath. They don’t care for anyone and anything.”

Pausing, she lets out a slow breath, before taking in another. Unconsciously tightening her loose grip on Blas’ hand, she added,

Here she is, once again. Finally, after ages, she’s standing in the same spot she once stood. It felt like years ago that she looked at these other faces that she knew so well; Akane, Nayeli, Yumiko… All three of them were still there. They were still alive.

For what it mattered, anyway. Standing in that robotic shell, Eri wasn’t too sure it mattered all that much at all. In the grand scheme of things, she was just as alive as them. Her memories intact, and her emotions…

Working well, she knew, as her eyes fluttered from Blas, to Yumiko, to the slimy liar who had the nerve to kill Huang Yi and deceive everyone about why, why, why–

Contempt floods her veins like fire, and she forced her eyes away. No. Alright. Calm down. You can throw all the punches you want, later. There are more important things to do right now.

She already knows this all.

“Hello, Yumiko-chan. I’m glad your alive. I can’t bring myself to be shocked at your state, considering who I left you in the care of.”

Giving a flicker of a smile to Akane, Eri quietly listens to the words of the others, furrowing her eyebrows together. So, Never was going to do this and that with them…

“… Like Miss Julia just said, the mastermind and Never-san have different reasons for what they did. Ultimately, I don’t care why Never-san is here. The mastermind is the reason more than half of us are dead, and that any of the motives came true. Please, let’s focus on agreeing in this front before we talk too much about just Never-san. The majority of the alive and some of the dead already know as much as there is to know, but, for simplicities sake, let’s run over it again.”

She only gave her information to one person after she died, after all, and the one she did tell when she was alive hardly counted.

How long has it been since the last time you tasted fresh air? Felt the sun warm your skin, the wind in your clothes? How long has it been since that first fateful semester at the new Hope’s Peak enrichment program? You were promised a week of relaxation before engaging in your studies, but instead, something far deeper unfolded. Something none of your could have imagined.

Of course, it was covered up by wary people who didn’t want a bad name for Hope’s Peak Academy, but that was soon lost to the chaos consuming Japan. The masked person by the name of Kumi made their escape from the simulation the students were placed in for safekeeping still, and they are at large, while the forces of hope attempt to fight back. However, thirty-two more students find themselves in deeper trouble then they’d ever thought they would get into in their entire lives, even after acceptance. Indeed, they found a way in…

 But will they think to find their way back out again?

Beyond Despair’s Bound 2 is the sequel to the original Beyond Despair’s Bounds, and it takes the format of Dangan Ronpa and adapts it to a closed, submission-based Tumblr format, with a cast of original characters and a completely different setting, along with inspiration from fairy tales. It also contains several NPCs that take various roles throughout the game, along with fantasy-esque mechanics and a focus on interaction and exploration.

Applications are open soon, so keep an eye out!

So, will you solve the mystery of this kingdom fair?

Or will you crumple up… and give in to despair?

ah yes, my non-canon yuris

who starts putting up decorations in october?

yumIKO HAHAHA.

who buys the advent calendars?

not eri, because she hates chocolate. it’s up to yumiko.

who places mistletoes all around the house?

let’s be real. huang yi does it. and if not him, then eri will do it.

who wraps the presents for other people?

they do it together! it’s very cute and fun.

who puts the final star/angel on the top of the christmas tree?

eri will take on the task.

who’s the one that hates eggnog?

eri does. sorry, yumiko.

who’s the one that bakes christmas cookies for guests?

YUMIKOOOOO. eri will burn the house down.

who sends out the christmas cards?

probably yumiko tbh? eri doesn’t really do christmas cards.

who knows all the words to twelve days of christmas?

it’s gotta be Yumi.

who’s the better snowman builder?

i like to imagine they both suck hardcore at it.

who starts snowball fights?

>___> <___< whispers eri

who’s the one that wakes the other on christmas morning by playing christmas songs really loudly?