#damian miraz

[askthedespairkids]

Hokkaido

*The helicopter touches down outside the radio tower base, Rantarou signals them in for safe landing*

*Miu is the first to jump out the helicopter, rushing into the radio tower in the direction of her private workshop, not even giving Rantarou a second look*

She never even said a word the whole ride - now that's cause for concern.

Ah, leader. Welcome back. I hope the trip was productive.

Thank you, Amami-san, it was. I'm sure everything was just as-

*Kokichi pushes past Rantarou and gets right into Ryuu's face* Well, well! Looks like our great leader has finally decided to make his great return! And while you were away, not a single person missed you. Not that any of us are shocked-

Good to see you as well, Ouma-san. I'm sure I'll receive a full report of what I've missed, but I need to go and do a couple of checks to see how the base is doing. *He bows politely to Ouma and heads into the radio tower*

Awww. I even put on my best annoying voice...

You should know by now that you won't get to him that easily.

________

*Damian helps her out of the helicopter* Woooow~~ I can't believe how much the Hokkaido base has improved over the years.

Yeah...I don't even recognise it from all those years ago when it was still an absolute wreck.

I mean, that's a good thing right?

It is. Just...strange to put in perspective.

*She links arms with Damian* Sounds like the perfect reason to go an explore while we can then!

...yeah. That sounds nice.

[a-student-out-of-time]

So do you guys still keep in touch with Damian and Kanon?

Yep! We're all still good friends.

They actually sent me some updates about their dates today, funny enough.

Oh yeah? What'd they say?

Well, Damian's been spending all day with that cute girl he's friends with. Still wonder if he's ever gonna confess to her.

They did send us a picture though.

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*Aiko very clearly sits on her knees in Damian's lap, trying to look taller as she holds the phone*

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They are pretty cute together.

Kanon-chan sent us a picture too, though she's a little...what's the word?

Salty?

She's trying to get over her cousin, but she's got some...opinions.

What, high standards?

Yeah, apparently her cousin's been interested in this girl at a hair salon, and now he's talking about starting a band.

She sent us this.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

*Her picture shows the interior of a salon, with Leon flirting with someone in the background and Kanon's face up close*

"How can Leon like someone with an okay face and no taste in sports? Just saying, he can do 1000% better."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

At least she's trying to move on and be supportive. In her own way.

[askthenewhopespeak]

Damian scowls, looking away. "What about the others? Togami? Miss Nevermind? There has to be something."

Sonia almost certainly doesn’t. As for Togami... you’d have to check with him, but I don’t think he dabbled too much in that sort of thing.

[incorrectatnhpquotes]

Jataro: You believe me?

Damian: Jataro, you're the last good person at this school. I'd believe cartoon birds braided your hair this morning. If you want, I'll shoot the person that blamed you.

Jataro: Really?

Damian: Unless there is a Fairy godmother already on it.

[danganrequests]

Some sprites of Damian Miraz (OC) for @bluehairedlance! (I can’t tag you ahh.)

[moviemunchies]

I’m sort of doing this thing where I’m reading books and keeping a log of it, and if there’s a movie adaptation I try to watch it before moving on to the next book in the series. So I’ve been meaning to get to Prince Caspian for a while now after reading the book.

This one’s weird because a large chunk of the Chronicles of Narnia fandom doesn’t like this movie very much. And I pretty much loved it since I saw it in theaters? It’s not as faithful to the book as the previous film, but that doesn’t make it bad. I’m still struck by the design of the film, which stands out from most fantasy films of the time (and many today), and it’s got a lot of action! That’s enough to make me dig a fantasy movie.

_Prince Caspian_ is the second installment of Walden Media’s Chronicles of Narnia film series and the sequel to The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. It’s also the last film in the series that was made by Disney, as they quit because they were disappointed by this one’s reception. Walden Media managed to get another studio to fund and distribute the third movie.

After a year in England, the Pevensies come back to Narnia to find that over a thousand years have passed. The country’s been conquered by the Telmarines who have driven the Narnia creatures into hiding, thinking they’d been wiped out. The Telmarine prince, Caspian X, is sympathetic to Narnians but didn’t know they still existed--that is, until he has to run from the palace and lead them in rebellion against his uncle who wants him dead to take the throne. The Pevensies are there to help of course, but Peter butts heads with Caspian (and his siblings) on how to best fight this war. And Aslan’s nowhere to be seen, except by Lucy, who can’t convince the others to follow that lead.

This movie does actually have a lot of content from the book, just rearranged or recontextualized. The Plot is completely reworked and I don’t mind that because a huge chunk of Caspian’s story in the book is being told to the Pevensies by Trumpkin--that would be a very frustrating way to tell his story in the movie. Some things, like the animals holding faith for Aslan when others don’t, is implied by the way scenes are done rather than outright told to the audience.

There are some things that are in both the book and movie, but the movie doesn’t quite explain what that’s about. The sparring match between Edmund and Trumpkin doesn’t really make much sense in the movie.

There’s also the attack on the castle. This sequence is invented entirely for the movie, and while it’s frustrating in a similar way that Finn and Rose’s subplot in The Last Jedi is, the book does mention the Narnians losing some battles and so actually showing that to the audience is fine. Also I like seeing the way they apply griffins and mice in the raid. That’s cool thinking and I wish to see more fantasy films think about how fantasy creatures might be used on military operations.

Also I really like the design of this movie? The Narnian side mostly keeps the same designs for their weapons and armor, but it’s a lot more worn down, and that makes sense because they’ve been hiding in the woods for a few hundred years. They don’t have new weapons. The Telmarines, on the other hand, look fantastic. For their culture, WETA Workshop was inspired by Spanish and Italian culture, so instead of longswords they use side swords and falchions, and their armor brings to mind a combination of Spanish conquistadors, Italian condottieri, and Japanese samurai. They look more Renaissance than medieval and I love it.

The cast is also matched up to that, with Spanish and Italian actors playing the roles of Telmarines. Ben Barnes is an exception, as he’s English, but he’s putting on his best Inigo Montoya impression as Caspian.

You know what? Let’s talk about this cast. Ben Barnes, back when he wasn’t just playing villains. I remember classmates in high school saying that he’s too old, but if he is that’s because the actor playing Peter is also too old. Caspian is supposed to be the same age as Peter, so I didn’t mind it here. I think he overdoes the whole “YOU KILLED MY FATHER” thing but I don’t think that’s Ben Barnes’s fault as much as he’s working with the Plot point that’s been sandwiched into the story.

William Moseley does very well in playing Peter as he’s written for this movie, the problem is that Peter in this movie is written to be an absolute prat. His whole arc in this movie is about learning that he doesn’t have to be in charge and to let Aslan take the wheel. This would make sense if his life experience was only what we saw in the last movie’s adventure, but we know that he apparently grew up in Narnia and became a successful and wise warrior king. So him being so full of himself here doesn’t make sense. I got over it, as I see what they were going for, deconstructing how a kid might feel after his time in Narnia, but it is very annoying and it makes Peter very unlikable.

Unlike Edmund, played by Skandar Keyes, who is absolutely THE SHIZ in this movie. Having learned his lesson from the last movie, Edmund is a cheeky wonder child who takes no crap from anyone. He doesn’t have that much of an arc in this movie, but he is great to watch, so I forgive it. He’s the guy who keeps his head screwed on straight when Peter and Caspian need someone to keep them grounded.

Anna Popplewell’s Susan is good? They still go with her being the “reasonable” one, albeit a little less uptight than in the first movie. They have this thing in the movie in which she and Caspian are definitely into each other and I don’t think that’s too out there--in the books Susan had at least half a dozen suitors when she was queen--it does mean that a lot of her character arc is dedicated to that, and we know that it goes nowhere. This one clearly implies that she’s having trouble holding faith in things she doesn’t see in front of her, and that’s a fascinating direction that doesn’t go quite as far in this movie as it could.

And Lucy. Georgie Henley as Lucy is still delightful. They removed and rearranged a lot of the material from the book in her character arc which is a shame, because I really like a lot of that stuff. As the one who still has the faith and wants to see the magic in Narnia when even the Narnians are giving up hope, she has to come across as sympathetic and believable. That doesn’t always work, especially when she does things like walk up to a bear that’s about to attack her, not realizing that it’s not talking (there ARE non-talking animals in Narnia, dear!). But for the most part she works in this movie.

You know Peter Dinklage is in this movie as Trumpkin? I find it odd that he made it big on a fantasy show that was billed as deconstructing usual fantasy tropes while heavily featuring sex and violence when he also starred in the film adaptation of a famously Christian book series and one of the giants of the fantasy genre. He does okay. I mean I like that Trumpkin is this grumpy guy who is cynical and tired of everyone and just wants to go home, but I don’t know if Peter Dinklage is acting or just… cynical and tired of everyone and wants to go home. It’s entertaining sometimes, but not brilliant.

And Warwick Davis is in this movie? He was in the BBC series as well, but instead of as Reepicheep this time he’s playing Nikabrik, the dwarf that is even more cynical than Trumpkin and hates all humans. It feels weird for me seeing him as a villain, though I know he’s done it before. I always had trouble with Nikabrik as a character because I always felt like him going full-on evil was… well, everyone seemed strangely unperturbed by that in the book, even if we had an idea of how we got there. In the movie I felt as if Warwick Davis does well in that you get him, and you get where he’s coming from, but not enough to agree. And other characters react to his turn in a way that’s appropriate.

Ken Stott voices Trufflehunter and he does not have enough to do in this movie. Trufflehunter is not that Plot-relevant in the book, but I always had the impression that he was an important character and one of the most prominent Narnians in the story. He’s okay here, but I really thought that he should be doing more in the story. Maybe the filmmakers didn’t think it would fit the darker tone they were going for, if there was a badger running around in many of the scenes? I don’t know, I wanted more.

We do, however, get quite a bit of Eddie Izzard as Reepicheep, which is fantastic because Reepicheep is fantastic. This mouse is amazing. There were some people very surprised that a mouse is going around killing people, but it’s a fantasy film, he’s a knight, and also it wasn’t as if the first movie didn’t have violence? I’m frustrated that the movies don’t go with the “talking animals are bigger than normal animals” EXCEPT with Reepicheep, because it’s pretty darn weird that all the other animals are ordinary-sized and the talking mice are the size of cats. But Reepicheep is very entertaining, very cool, and he’s great.

Sergio Castellitto plays a surprisingly sharp Miraz? Yeah, Plot-wise he’s generically evil, but I think that Castellitto makes him A) entertaining to watch, and B) convey that he knows that he’s the least popular guy in the room with the other Telmarine lords. The book version of Miraz has no idea that they’re plotting against him. Miraz in this movie does, and although he’s definitely not bright enough to realize exactly what they’re doing, by the end of the movie he knows that they’re happy to watch him die.

Pierfrancesco Pavino’s Glozelle, for instance, is barely a person in the book? He shows up to stab Miraz in the back. Here, not only is he not the person who does that, but the movie makes him very uncomfortable with the direction Miraz’s path to power is taking, despite remaining loyal until almost the very end. He’s a complex, conflicted character and I like him. 

And also noticeable is Damian Alcazar as Sopespian, a guy who doesn’t like Miraz, but is no more likable because of it. Because he’s obviously not doing it for any sense of the greater good, he’s doing it because he wants that power for himself. I don’t think anyone mistakes his motives or thinks of him as a secret good guy at any point in the movie, which I think speaks to the actor’s performance.

Liam Neeson is Aslan. He does great, though he really doesn’t have that many lines. Which is part of the point, that he’s not there for most of the movie, so it works, I think.

Also Tilda Swinton’s in this movie. There is some justification for it, but I think it was because she loved being in the first movie, and they loved having her in it, so they just brought her back.

I like fantasy movies with lots of action and sword fights and cool design choices. So no, Prince Caspian isn’t that faithful of an adaptation of the source material (though it’s more faithful than people give it credit for), and I do get frustrated with character arcs--mostly Peter’s. But I still really love this movie, and I have tons of fun every time I watch it.

[askthedespairkids]

Tokyo 3 and Hokkaido 2 seem like they’d be the most pleasant rides. No drama. Lots of space. Good times.

*Mumbles* Even so...

...

*Takumi presses himself into the corner as much as he possibly can*

...

(Nobody's saying a thing! This silence is so awkward!)

[askthedespairkids]

Salt Airs

*The commotion at the helicopter pads makes it hard to navigate as people are saying their best wishes and possible farewells to one another before boarding the helicopters to fly away to their destinations for the fight ahead*

O-okay, but are you all sure you've remembered everything? Once the helicopter takes off you won't-

Dude. We're all set. We've triple checked like a bajillion times.

I know...I know. But I can't help myself from worrying about everyone...

We know. Thank you for worrying, we won't let you down, okay? *Makoto helps her onto the helicopter*

Just do me a favour? Look after Taka until I get back, will ya?

O-of course! You can count on me! Just...come back safely.

Yeah...no shit.

____________

It ain't fair...! Even after all the work I put in this week they still won't let me go out there and fight?!

Akane, please. Your injuries are too much too-

Save it. I'm sick of this shit. *She storms off*

I'll go talk to her...good luck everybody. *He follows Akane*

This certainly could have been a...cheerier farewell, no?

I feel awful for Akane though. Really I do.

What're you callin' it a farewell for? You're all coming back, whether you want to or not. Got it?

...yes. As you say, Fuyuhiko.

_____________

And you know what to do if anything happens to me, right?

That's right. I've got all your notes written down, Hagakure-san. I can't thank you enough for all you've done to help Kyousuke. Take care of yourself out there, please.

You too, Yukizomi-chi.

Hagakure-san! That's our helicopter here now!

____________

Be careful out there, okay? *She kisses Maki's cheek*

Naturally. I hope you wouldn't expect anything less from me.

*She looks across the crowd and sees Sly stuck in awkward three-way conversation between him, Yuuki, and Maemi* ...So he didn't get the chance to talk to Otonashi-san?

Look, I did what I could. Whatever happens will have to wait until the fight is over. Nothing much else I can do until then...

And no matter what happens, I've still got you, right?

Of course! I'm always with you! So...make sure you come back!

___________

And of course if Umesawa-san comes back with even a hair out of place, I'll make you're never able to grow a single follicle of hair on your body ever again-

S-seriously I get it, I mean it.

Quit picking on him, Big Sis Kiriko! You're gonna make us miss the helicopter! *She grabs Damian by the arm and drags him off to the Hokkaido helicopter*

___________________

*The helicopters all take to the skies, spreading out to battle. The skies are clearer than they've been in a long time but it doesn't make this feel grand or epic - it's as if the world doesn't exist outside of this exact moment.*

*She looks out her window and sees a helicopter heading towards HQ's island* (Ah...must mean the front lines have sent their people over. I would have expected more than one helicopter though...)

(Junko...I wonder what you must be thinking about right now...?)

[askthedespairkids]

What're the rest of the preparations like at the hokkaido base?

*Aiko and Damian explore some of the nearby buildings, some still more decrepit than the others*

*Aiko runs down the hallway, ahead of Damian* Come on! I'm sure we'll find the best vantage point for you!

Alright, alright! Wait up for me will you? *They round a corner and see Denbe crouched down at one of the broken windows, his military sniper aimed out of it*

Oh...Katayama-kun. Sorry, are you busy here?

Denbe: It's okay. Just testing spots around here. Are you doing the same around here, Miraz-chan?

Um...well, I was gonna, but if you already have this place covered then I guess I don't really need to take a vantage point as well. After all, the Ultimate Sniper should be able to handle it.

Denbe: *He raises an eyebrow* Ultimate Sniper or not, I can still only shoot one bullet at a time. From what I hear, you're pretty qualified to help me out.

Um...I'm gonna go ahead and have a look around. *She exits the conversation*

Denbe: ...Did I say something I shouldn't have?

It's not so much something like that. Just that...well, I'm not exactly on your level when it comes to being a marksmen. Archery's my strong suit but my targets are usually stationary. I was gonna take a vantage point if I thought it was necessary, but I think I'd probably draw more attention to you if I was here.

Denbe: I don't think so. I think another marksmen would go along way. You should join me up here. We could cover each other in case of attackers that make their way in here.

You...want me as your backup?

Denbe: Should I not want you as my backup?

Katayama-kun, I don't know-

Denbe: Just think about it. I'll be here either way. I believe in you and I believe in your abilities...now, you should probably go and find Umesawa-san before she hurts herself.

Ah- right- Aiko! Where'd you go?! *He runs off*

[askthedespairkids]

Time to bully a child, Damian x Aiko mistletoe please~

Not sure if you grasped the idea of bullying, this is all perfectly fine.

Definitely no complaints here either! Heheh~ *He and Aiko kiss*

[a-student-out-of-time]

//Through it all, I’ve also updated the ship chart ^^

Confirmed:

The Cuddle Puddle- Hajime Hinata x Chiaki Nanami x Mikan Tsumiki x Hibiki Otonokoji x Sonia Nevermind x Gundham Tanaka x Hiyoko Saionji

Ruruka Ando x Sonosuke Izayoi

Nagito Komaeda x Kanata Inori

Hope Brigade- Makoto Naegi x Iroha Nijiue x Sayaka Maizono

Mahiru Koizumi x Honami Sato

Umeko Hayase x Setsuka Chiebukuro

Yuki Maeda x Kizuna Tomori

Tomoe Kimura x Eito Kobayashi

Yoruko Kabuya x Sora

Hotel Akane- Akane Taira x Ayame Hatano x Nikei Yomiuri

Akemi Nijiue x Rumi Shinabe

Developing:

Kazuichi Souda x Chihiro Fujisaki x Ayumi Arima

Mikako Kurokawa x Rei Mekaru

Aiko Umesawa x Damian Miraz

Tsurugi Kinjo x Kouhei Sasaki

Kyoji Nakamura x Miaya Gekkougahara

Estu Deguchi x Mayumi Tamon

Hope Brigade x Tamami

[a-student-out-of-time]

*Tuesday, February 5th, Hope’s Peak Academy, morning*

And you’re certain that’s all that happened?

Yep, it’s all I know for sure.

I swear, none of us have ever made any deals to become Ultimates. I’m from a normal family, we didn’t bribe anyone or-

Umesawa-san, it’s okay, really.

I believe you. You’ve got a solid family history, school career, and I don’t see any reason why you’d do that.

Yeah...I’m not like Nijiue Emina, I promise.

Very few people are. But, I do have one question.

You’ve been speaking with a boy frequently, and even invited him here on a few occasions. He’s not an Ultimate, but he was one of the people who was involved in the Sunny Days Incident.

Oh...y-you mean Miraz Damian?

He’s...just a good friend is all.

A friend?

Oh...I see how it is.

S-Sensei, please!

I’m just worried about him is all. I wanted him to feel like he had people he could trust, but there wasn’t anything bad going on, I swear.

It’s alright, Umesawa-san, really. You’re in the clear here.

But, if there’s anything your friend can tell us, will you let us know?

Sure thing.

___________________________________________________

I wasn’t expecting this many cops...

I know...it’s making nervous.

It’s alright. Just speak openly and honestly about everything that you’ve experienced here. They want to help us.

And as members of this Student Council, we’ve done nothing wrong!

___________________________________________________

I...don’t really know where I should start...

___________________________________________________

The school asked me to cover for her, that’s it.

____________________________________________________

Why yes, my therapy sessions have been going quite well.

_____________________________________________________

Clear the hallways, willya?! We ain’t gone time for you all to be skulking around! People have to get to class!

*A trio of cops heeds his word and move down the hall, past a familiar face*

Hideyoshi really went all out with this...

Cop: I’m sorry, sir, but this is the Main Course.

Oh?

I don’t give a damn if this is Mecca. My grandson comes with me, end of story.

Ask the people in charge. I’m expected here.

Yeah, and if not, ask my mom.

Cop: Ah...Hinata Hajime. Right, please carry on.

Atta boy! Thanks for your service!

Now, about time we start meeting with some of your friends and classmates, right?

[askthedespairkids]

Ooo who’s riding with who?

Tokyo Helicopters:

Mondo Oowada, Mukuro Ikusaba, Makoto Naegi, Kyouko Kirigiri, Kirumi Toujou, Karma Graves

Ryouko Otonashi, Sly, Maki Harukawa, Kyoji Nakamura, Miaya Gekkougahara, Koichi Kizakura

Leon Kuwata, Mikan Tsumiki, Yuuki Kurosaki, Mahiru Koizumi, Kotomi Ikuta, Maemi Watanabe, Komaru Naegi

Peko Pekoyama, Rina Kirishima, Sonia Nevermind, Gundam Tanaka, Great Gozu, Chiaki Nanami

Hokkaido Helicopters:

Ryuu Nagata, Hiroko Hagakure, Denbe Katayama, Kobo Okanaya, Miu Iruma

Damian Miraz, Aiko Umesawa, Takumi Hijrihara, Yui Samidare

[a-student-out-of-time]

Mistletoe time for Aiko and Damian. Come on you know you two want to pleeeasssseee?

Uhh...

I-I mean....a-are you okay with that?

I-If you are...

Oh. A-Alright.

*Mwah!*

Th-Thank you, Aiko-san.

You too!

[askthedespairkids]

".... Should we go check on her?" Damian asks hesitantly, glancing back in the direction Toko sprinted off to.

No way, there are other things that matter right now. Whatever her problem is can wait...or better yet-

Amami-chan, go and check on her, okay? Take that as a direct order!

...

Heh. Whatever you say, Boss. *He leaves*

Alright, back to finding those good vantage points!

[a-student-out-of-time]

What of the managers?

Just got out of surgery, thankfully. My leg’s in a cast and...it doesn’t feel great, but it’s better.

???: DAMIAN!

Huh?

...

Aiko...

...

*She runs over and hugs him*

I-I’m so glad you’re okay...

I’m sorry I left. I shouldn’t’ve- Aiko, I’m so sorry.

It’s okay. It’s okay.

Just don’t ever do anything like that again. __________________________________________________

Leon...

Save it. I don’t wanna here it.

You haven’t done anything wrong, Kanon...it was my fault.

Huh?

Kanon...I’m sorry. I can’t change how I feel about you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t give a shit about you! You’re...You’re my family. I never wanted to drive you away.

Leeeoo-o-o-on!

*Leon hugs her as she sobs into his chest*

_________________________________________________

*Yuki and Kizuna sit together holding hands*

My mom and I live kinda far away....but I’m sure she’ll be here soon.

It’s okay, Yu.

...What’s she gonna say?

*Kizuna kisses him on the cheek* She’ll be happy to have you back.

I hope you’re right.

Kizuna!

Mom! You made it!

Are you okay? You’re not hurt, are you?

Nope! I’m all good, I promise!

I just...mom, I’m so sorry for leaving...

I’ll never do it again, I promise.

As long as you’re safe, that’s all I care about.

S-So you’re Tomori-san?

I-It’s nice to meet you. My name’s Maeda Yuki. I-I’m Kizuna’s boyfriend...

Boyfriend...?

Yeah! Yu’s the sweetest, kindest boy I’ve ever met.

He helped save me, Mom. And I helped save him.

H-Hey, c’mon now...

So you ran away from home to that damn island, and you come back with a boyfriend.

Heh. Atta girl.

T-Tomori-san!

I’m just kidding, son.

Seriously though, did you really get her off that island?

I did everything I could to protect her and my other friends.

In that case, thank you.