irony of fate

I wasn't sure where else to post this, and Tumblr seemed like the one that would get the most use out of it.

So, I streamed my blind run through TODDC with Kio for the past several months. I ended up getting really into TOD from how much cleaner the presentation of the story and characters were over the PSX version, and was really frustrated that nobody had translated the drama CD, which had been hiding like 95% of Leon's characterization until the remake came along.

I kept a notepad of stuff to talk about during those streams. Sometimes it was off-topic things, sometimes it was little tangents about parts of the game that I thought of over the week until we'd play again. Sometimes it was summaries of supplemental material that was never localized. But most of the time, that material was translated by a fan.

Nobody has fully translated Proust. I wanted it to be translated. So I listened to it as hard as I could and summarized as best I could. The following are the unedited notes as I wrote them to be read during stream, rather than a direct translation or anything formal. I'm not good enough at Japanese to fully translate it. I'm so not good at Japanese that there's probably a lot of errors throughout this summary, too. I hope someone eventually comes along and gives us a full translation.

Also note that I'm not great at recognizing the voices of anyone that isn't the main cast of protagonists, so I probably mix up the antagonists or the generals' identities a lot.

She doesn't even respond to that snappy remark, given how he already lets out some exasperated hiss noise, as if to control himself. Edna finds it a little funny, actually: how he is willing to put up with her antics just to know more about some seraph rumor he'd most likely heard from the grapevine. It must mean a lot to him. After all, only very few people come here these days.

When they finally reach the shrine, though, P-eon is the one who approaches it first, overtaking her speed to march ahead. Edna is still calm, stopping behind him as he examines the shrine before he turns to frown at her. ❛  Of course, I have,  ❜ she replies, rolling her eyes. Looking around, Edna closes her umbrella and walks towards a boulder her height near the shrine, making sure he is watching. ❛  In fact,  ❜ she continues, lifting up a finger and letting it hover just about a centimeter away, ❛  you're talking to the seraph right now, P-eon.  ❜

With that said, Edna channels her powers through her body, sending it to her hand, through her finger as she casually pokes the boulder. Upon contact, it immediately starts crumbling into pieces. As extra insurance, she lightly stomps the ground and creates a new boulder in the place of the destroyed one, dusting off her hands.

He can definitely see Edna, though...?

"...If this is your idea of a joke, I'm not laughing." It can't be Edna. She's been visible to him from the very beginning, and he's never been able to see the seraphim before. There's clearly some gimmick at play here, even if he doesn't know what it is yet. Leon looks away, scanning their surroundings for any signs of abnormalities and listening carefully for signs of a third presence, but there's nothing save for the whistling of the cold mountain winds.

For someone unfamiliar it was probably already a lot to take in, so he spared the detail about there technically being another guild city unrelated to Dahngrest. In general Zaphias currently seemed to have less to do with Nordopolica anyway, and Yuri did at least have an idea of Leon's duties here mostly involving Dahngrest. Ioder would be emperor soon, but boy did he know how to talk. It probably had to do with how excited he was to have what he considered friends, but he really had basically no filter about imperial information with Yuri.

"I kind of come from both sides, I guess you could say... and even though the guilds are more my style and fit my lifestyle better, it's not like I'm unfamiliar with a good handful of knights both from my time there and from living in Zaphias. I don't like taking sides unless I absolutely have to, but that really depends if one side is really in the wrong." Sometimes they were, but... often it was as simple and sometimes stupid as a difference in opinion. All he needed to do was break up fighting.

Thankfully it worked, since people were starting to recall him as the last person who spoke directly to Don before the man's death. Being close to Raven also had a hand in people looking at Yuri as more of an authority figure than he actually was. The rest of it was likely just his demeaner. If he felt the need to appear imposing, it wasn't like he was incapable.

Still, he can't help wrinkling his nose at Yuri's next suggestion for a tavern. Leon had passed by plenty of those along the street, and they were no different from their counterparts in Darilsheid – that is to say, loud and boisterous, filled with rowdy drunkards who would inevitably fail to walk in a straight line and get in other people's way. It's far from the kind of meeting place that Leon would consider pleasant, but...

"It could be fun!" Chal pipes up. "You've just been working since you arrived, young master! Why not relax for a night?"

"That hardly sounds like a relaxing place, Chal," Leon mutters. He speaks quietly out of the corner of his mouth, mindful of Yuri's presence but too accustomed to speaking with Chal to hold back from responding. His left hand drifts down, brushing lightly against the swordian's hilt. "But...fine."

Chal must be curious about seeing new places and Yuri sounds like he had useful information to share, so he might as well go. Leon inclines his head into a stiff nod.

Edna watches him from her peripheral vision, then fights back a disappointed sigh. Great, he doesn't even have much on hand to offer. Guess she won't be getting that apple today until later whenever he leaves—if he will even leave, that is. It's no real problem for her anyway—whether she eats or not—but he's human, and every human needs food eventually. Then again, he seems to have an attitude problem and is rather stubborn... Joy. At least he's good at entertainment.

❛  Okay, P-eon,  ❜ she casually replies, all too accustomed to people nagging her. Meebo does that waaay too much already, so she is very prepared for whatever P-eon can dish at her. She leisurely continues walking, pleased to hear the irritated stomps of gravel behind her. Not even Meebo stomped whenever she annoyed him. Ha. ❛  You're not my father, so I'm not obligated to listen to you, though.  ❜

Edna leads them up the trail, keeping an eye out for the shrine. Maybe once they get there, she can finally put him out of his misery and make him see just how deep the hole he dug for himself really is? How fast would he switch tunes then? Hm...

...It's just for a little while longer. He just has to check out the place to any hints of Chal's presence, and then he can leave this infuriating girl behind. Even her self-introduction is hardly any information at all, so Leon settles for a glare and a huff as he finally catches sight of a small shrine further up the hill. He quickens his pace, overtaking Edna so he can take a look for himself.

It's...a pretty sad looking place, honestly. If this shrine had worshipers or visitors, then it must not have been recent or frequent, which kind of makes sense based on how desolate this whole mountain looks. Leon frowns as he turns back towards Edna.

Oops... Her pleas went too deep into details, name dropping the city. And just as she thought, first thing this guy wanted to do is appeal to it. Humans who didn't know better always wanted to try being the one who manages the impossible and get eaten!

"No! You're being stupid!" Elle shouted back. "Once someone's a dragon, even family's just dinner or a bug to squish! That's why Shalltier ran away-- he knew he'd hurt or eat you! So be a good friend, respect his wishes and go back home--!"

'Let's not make a scene please! (｡╯︵╰｡)' Ludger stepped in between them with his plea. While they couldn't hear Elle, Leon's excitement already turned a fair share of heads their way. Any more commotion, and they might kick him and Chal's friend both out. 'How about us three go find Chaltier after work? You trust my judgment right?'

"No way! You know how mad Glasses Guy'll be if I take you?! I'm not making him angry for some weirdo in denial!" Elle puffed her chest, turning the other cheek. Though when she glanced at Ludger's pleading smile, she sighed, "...Fine. I'll lead, and you follow Ludger, mister. But we're all gonna run once you see we're right!"

Normally Ludger'd correct Elle's snippy comment, yet he just tried to fight an embarrassed silent chuckle. She was right; he couldn't let a civilian fight a dragon and call himself a Kresnik. Especially against one that torched his brother, the toughest person he knew... For now, he'd hope either reason or the man's blind faith paid off.

–Not like that. Chal isn't like that. But it's true that Chal had just up and vanished without warning one day, without telling him anything, so maybe he doesn't know Chal as well as he'd thought. As quickly as the thought arrives, Leon dismisses it again. None of that matters, not when he's finally so close. There's no use for speculation when he'll be able to get the answer from Chal's own mouth, soon enough.

Still, it's a problem if the seraph doesn't want to give him more information – but then, help arrives from an unlikely place, as the mute cook steps in between them. Leon blinks, not having expected him to offer his help so easily, and without asking for anything in return. Maybe he's waiting until the job is done to make his own request? But even that would be more than fair for a favour fulfilled, and he can't let this lead escape no matter what. Leon nods quickly.

"Yes– yes, that's perfect fine. Thank you." He can't help wondering what the catch is, but that isn't important right now. Leon's eyes drift from the man's friendly smile to the empty space beside him, and repeats, "Thank you."

Even if the young seraph still sounds reluctant, it doesn't matter so long as she's agreed. Now, with that sorted out, Leon is left with an increasing awareness of the noise they'd made and the number of heads peering their way with an mixture of curiosity and irritation. He flushes slightly and ducks his head, clearing his throat as he looks back at the cook.

"That's him!" She smiled. It seemed fate had brought her and Leon together for a reason. Or maybe it was just coincidence that the two of them knew Richard. She was curious about how they'd met. Was it before or after she, Asbel, and the others had met him. Only one way to find out.

"Thank you," Sophie told him. She was excited to get to see Richard again. When Leon asked if she was able to leave on such short notice. For a moment, Sophie glanced back toward Lhant manor. Cheria and Asbel probably wouldn't mind. After all, they knew Sophie was perfectly capable of protecting herself if she were to get in danger. Plus, Leon would be with him. Although her friends didn't know Leon, Sophie didn't get the impression that they would think he was a bad person. If she trusted him, then her friends probably would have too.

"I can," she answered. "Barona isn't too far, even with the ferry trip. So it should be all right."

"I'm ready to go when you are," she told him. In fact, she'd already started to take a couple of steps in the direction they needed to go. She had to admit, though, she was curious.

And so he falls in step with her as they proceed down the road. "I've been to Barona once before," he answers. "It was during a local celebration, I believe. Some kind of holiday. There was an event that was...short on people," his nose scrunches up a bit. That embarrassing costumed performance is far from Leon's fondest memory, and he definitely doesn't want to do it again, but... "I lent them my assistance and Richard was facilitating the event, so I became acquainted with him."

He doesn't really know that much about Richard, in the end, but the other man had always been pleasant enough company, and it seemed like natural to seek him out if Leon was to learn more about this foreign country. This girl, though...

Still, it was really none of Leon's business if he broke the law here. It was an almost... interesting dedication to his role as a knight. These lands were not his home, nor were the people his own. Theoretically, he could just watch everything fall apart and not even get involved if he deemed it necessary. Considering his position, he doubted that anyone in Seinegald would truly blame him if he chose to walk away when things were in the middle of falling apart. But then, wasn't almost everything almost always falling apart around here?

"Honestly, I couldn't really tell you if it's resolved or not. That's up to them. It's also up to the guild one of them is part of to deal with their own guy." That said, it could... get worse if the guy's guild felt an even bigger fight was necessary. Some problems did escalate if one person in a guild was involved, usually because it was "one of their own" involved in the first place. As much as it was a matter of pride for some guilds, it became a much more sticky problem if it was related to the knights and not another guild.

Granted, the fact that Leon showed up at all was a good enough sign, he supposed. Yuri's initial impression of him was far more aloof, perhaps even detached from having any duty here. Not that he would blame him, considering how stupidly crazy things has been since Yuri himself left the capital to begin with. He wasn't sure what kind of impression Leon could or would leave on their own knights, but he hoped it was a good one - preferably the completely opposite direction Alexei had been leading them.

...Still, he's just a foreign knight on a temporary exchange program. Far be it for him to tell these people how to run their country.

Plus, it seems that some of them had still had their head screwed on straight. Despite his rather infamous reputation, Yuri Lowell had shown himself to be reasonable, pragmatic, and clearly have a good grasp on all the local politics. Maybe he'll prove to be a good source of information as well.

"You seem to 'know some guys' on both sides of this squabble. An unusual case, when most of them can hardly stand to be in the same room as one another." What Yuri is saying now appeared to be a more moderate position than most of the ones Leon tended to hear, and Yuri had just referred to this as his home, still, so... Leon tilts his head a little, genuinely curious. "Hm. Does it not feel like contradictory loyalties? Which side do you take, when the two comes into conflict?"

As he talks, Leon circles their immediate surroundings again, if only in hopes of identifying the knights involved in this conflict and grilling them for info later. But there's not much more to take note of aside from some overturned carts and minor property damage, and the people directly involved are long gone. After a moment's deliberation, he turns back to Yuri.

When it became clear they were abandoned, attention shifted back to him. Ludger only had time to ready his pen for the first question when more questions came. But when his excitement died down he explain his interest: he wanted to find his Seraph friend, Chaltier. The name didn't ring any bells, but Ludger spent his time in kitchens, not crowds. Elle though... She wandered off often, so maybe....?

Ludger held up his index finger, then bowed and left to the kitchen. He came out not long after, completely empty-handed... or did he? His hand was grasping onto something and swinging around on its own. And the faint whispers about Table 3 eating food off the floor followed him to Leon's table without his mouth moving.... Was it--

"Oh, this guy again," No doubt about it anymore, the little Seraph returned, thrilled to be here. "He didn't make you come get me, did he? I don't talk to jerks!"

'Don't be like that! (´∩｀。) He apologized after you left! And he didn't "make me"! I'm helping him find his friend Chaltier. Know him?'

"Shall-tier... I think so, but..." Elle recognized the name, but Innominat help her where from. Repeating it in her head while doing a Julius impression got her closer, yet why him in particul-- Oh.

"I got bad news, mister... Shalltier turned into a dragon," Elle didn't normally cry in front of strangers, but him lacking the resonance to see her did help her feel better about it. "Glasses Guy and I found him right before he turned. We tried to help, but he needed Milla or Icksley to cure him. He didn't hurt me, b-but Glasses Guy... I-I had to drag him to Ladylake before he died!"

Ludger's eyes blew up; this was why Elle and Julius went missing for a week?! His brother told him bad weather hit and stalled the trip! Figures, he lied so he wouldn't worry.

He takes a deep breath, and tries to smooth out his expression as he sees the cook returning with one hand held out in a slightly unnatural position, as if floating in the midair. And there's that young voice again, audible even past the rest of the crowd's chatter. Leon rises to his feet, prepared to apologize again if it meant getting on the seraph's good side, only for her to volunteer the information freely.

However, it's not the information he'd hoped to hear.

"A...dragon?" He'd heard warnings about those – terrible, unstoppable monsters, as tall as a mountain and mindless ravagers of everything in their path. But it's impossible to reconcile those stories with the cheerful Chaltier he'd known, and for a moment, Leon's mind simply goes blank. "T-That's..." Numbly, he shakes his head. "That's impossible. What do you mean, Chal's turned into a..."

He can't even say it. Frantically, Leon runs over the other information the seraph's voice had provided and while he doesn't recognize any of the numerous names, he does recognize a location.

"Chal's in Hyland, then. Close to Ladylake?" And with that he's already in motion, half-turning around as if to take off at that very moment. Even as he hears the seraph's frantic plea, it mostly goes in one ear and out the other as most of his attention had already shifted to figuring out the most likely places to look. "Lady seraph, please tell me exactly where you saw him. Chal would never hurt me!"

Footage comes from the Tales of Destiny PSX Preview Edition

FULL VIDEO LINK (length: 11:33)

"I know him!" She definitely knew Richard, and now she felt all the more confident that she could help Leon find him. If he'd let her, of course. He seemed nice enough, and if he was looking for Richard then that was all the better. Only one way to find out for sure if he wanted her help, though.

She resists a small smirk. The bait was successful, it seems. Cranky he may be, but at least he seems genuinely interested now... Maybe. ❛  Um, duh. Why else would there be a rumor to begin with?  ❜ Unless there was a human trying to stir trouble? Edna hasn't seen anyone else lingering here, so she'd like to hope it's just a fale assumption of hers. After all, she lives here to be away from humans.

Edna decides to humor an idea: she calmly looks at him and replies, ❛  If you venture further up the mountain a little more, you'll see a shrine. It's where people go to leave offerings for the seraph. Maybe you can get a glimpse if you bring something with you.  ❜ Hm, what is she in the mood for...? ❛  Something like a fresh, luscious apple, for instance. If you are to meet a seraph, then it'd do you some good to offer something of high quality.  ❜

Though, at his indignant tone, she cannot resist a smirk this time. ❛  Calm down, P-eon. The 'P' stands for 'pink,' which is obviously a color you don.  ❜ She pretends to ponder. ❛  Or would you rather prefer 'Lenark?' The 'Le-' from your name, and 'nark' from 'snarky,' though I personally prefer 'P-eon.' It suits you, but we could go back to 'Cloaky' if you want. I like variety.  ❜

"Maybe I can get something from that town nearby, and come back later..." It's a quiet mumble, more to himself than to the blonde girl still hanging around, though Leon snaps to attention again at her next words.

"I've told you that my name is Leon! Leon! Stop making things up on your own!" Usually, a glare and scowl would have been enough to stop people from bothering him, but this girl isn't fazed at all. It's clear that she knows quite a lot about the seraph rumours nearby, which is all information that Leon desperately needs, so he tries to rein in his temper. But the frustration is impossible to hide, and Leon is visibly bristling as he stomps after her on the dusty trail.

Source: Tales of Destiny 2 Anthology Comic Translation: richea Scans: mortimer-sama