Chapter Three Excerpts: The Happiest Happiest Place on Earth
“Blue, blue.”
Paula slowly opened her eyes at the sound of the voice calling to her. A sickly-looking woman smiled softly at her from the other side of the iron bars between them.
“How are you feeling, Miss? You must be getting hungry.” The woman placed a handbasket on the floor and pulled out some tupperware. “Here, I brought you some lunch. Please, eat up.”
Paula watched the woman offer her the meal through the bars. Steam poured out from the hot soup inside the container; the sweet and sour fragrance of herbs smelled delicious, but the color was horrifying. It was a shocking shade of blue. It looked absolutely nothing like food. The woman also had bread rolls colored a vivid shade of blue. They reminded Paula exactly of the copper sulfate science experiments she had witnessed in school.
Now you understand why her theme song is so depressing.
“Thanks, but, I don’t need any.” Paula took a few hesitant steps back and smiled uneasily. “I’m sorry. I’m—on a diet.”
From there, Kumi fills in another MOTHER 2 gap—how Paula ended up in Happy Happy Village in the first place. (If she’d just been another few levels higher I can’t imagine it would have been a problem, especially if she’s already got the Franklin Badge.) Her explanation, after the jump.
Explanation: It’s Ness’s fault! Kind of—
“There’s a boy from Onett here that wants to see you.” She’d gotten the phone call while all the children were taking a nap. “Maybe you could come drop by Burglin Park for just a quick second?”
… All the schools had begun their summer vacation, so as she was accustomed to doing every year, Paula made sure to help out around the house. She would read children’s books aloud, play the organ, and teach songs to the children. She even showed the children how to swim at the pool. “Big Sister” Paula, beautiful, cool, and limitlessly talented, would once again become the idol of all the children at Polestar.
“A boy from Onett?!” A smile beamed across Paula’s face as she held the phone. “Why, Ness, aren’t you quick… But, why can’t he come here? Burglin Park is just right by my house. Please give him directions.”
“Well, you see… he’s hurt.” The man on the other side of the line whispered in a voice so hoarse it tickled at the ears. “He can’t even walk. So sorry to bother you, but if you could come over here that would be great. If you come to the park, we’ll call you over.”
“He’s hurt? Oh, no! … I understand. I’ll be right there.”
Paula is suspicious, but not suspicious enough—it turns out the boy from Onett is none other than…
The other two men consisted of one short man in big, black round non-prescription glasses with grossly overgrown hair on his head and his chin and one sickly-pale obese boy.
That’s not Ness! Paula immediately realized. That’s someone else entirely… His heart feels completely twisted—nothing like Ness’s sparkling soul…
“I’m absolutely shocked at how easy you were to trick,” the fatso said with a mocking smile plastered all over his face. “But Everdred didn’t lie to you, Paula. I’m a boy from Onett! And look, right here. This scratch on my knee. I fell over and hurt myself, see!”
If I may editorialize here for a moment, I’m glad Saori Kumi did not decide to turn Pokey into a misunderstood sex object, the official post-MOTHER 3 choice of creepy fanart everywhere. According to Chewy, Kumi never resists an opportunity to call him Fatso—four chapters in and she’s already running out of synonyms.
There’s a lot of great stuff coming up soon—we have the goopy, fanfiction-y meeting between Ness and Paula, the second half of Chewy’s e-mail with Saori Kumi, and Ness’s visit with Apple Kid’s mouse, who contrary to all indications in the game has been given a name.
Paula’s kidnapping revealed! It fits in perfectly with the story told in-game.
I’m very glad to hear that Porky is depicted as he should be, and not the creepy bathtub full of chocolate way that certain individuals steer him towards.
…I discovered EarthBound less than two weeks ago and the fandom less than a week ago, and found Porky’s terrifying fandom today. So ditto on the characterization gladness.
Yeah, according to TVTropes, Porky is a “Draco in Leather Pants” indeed. I try to stay away from fan art…the other thing to stay away from is Tony/Jeff slash art…
Wow! I just came across this project. I never even knew there was a novelization of Mother 2. This is so exciting! I’d most definitely want a copy of the finished work. Thank you for all the effort you are putting into this translation. I’m fully supporting this and hope to read it soon! Great work!
Yay, another Troper. …Urk, Porky in leather pants. *cringes*
Granted I am a big Porky fan and yeah I do find him attractive, but I like Miss Kumi’s take a lot more than THOSE PEOPLE in the fandom. I’m crazy but not that crazy. :p Augh I would have loved to see more interaction with him and Paula. Also lolololol fellow Tropers. <3
Lol, keeping him fat won’t exclude him from the misunderstood sex object category for some of us. xD
I’m the only one who doesn’t find Paula’s theme depressing? XD
However, this novelisation looks like it’s going to be awesome.
I must read more!!