#and knowing how hard and strict his diet is during the season its nice to see him indulge in sweets

[ratatatastic]

we've had bratwurst, icecream, cereal and unholy food abominations i cant even begin to describe in that cup this summer but you know what we havent had yet? pasteries. a king who thinks ahead and knows how to stun. what a diva. truly innovative content here (i mean this sincerely as i possibly can)

Forsy Cup Day | 8.2.24 (x)

[natsthinkitythinkthinkthonk]

Happy 32nd Birthday Nobuhiko Okamoto!

Personal Note:

I’ve been preparing for a while because I wanted to make this with a lot more thought. Sorry for the length of this post. I spent quite a bit of time on it, but I didn’t realize it would get so long! He is one of my top favourite voice actors (both English and Japanese) ever. To me, he’s a relatable, awesome, and passionate inspiration. He puts his all into every role he does, and he never gives up no matter who tells him to. 

I could probably go on about how much I like many of the roles he’s done, but that would be a whole other essay in itself. I even considered watching Corpse Party (the scaredy cat I am) because I heard he was in it. Yeah, I’m one of those people who gets drawn to anime when I figure out certain studios and voice actors are attached to it. I have watched a few episodes of some really bad anime because I heard he was in it. No regrets! Okay, maybe I have a few... I still haven’t watched them all though! I plan on watching a ton more, and that includes a few bad apples here and there.

Despite all the hurdles and adversity he faces, he overcomes it! He has had so many amazing roles, he sings, he’s good at shogi, and he’s just a good person. I respect him a lot. Honestly, I can’t word stuff too well, but I sincerely hope he continues working, maybe gets married and has kids (since he said he wanted to), and experiences all the happiness he deserves.

Table of Contents:

Top Roles (+ clips)

Trailblazer arrangement

Facts + Q&As

Music Recommendations

Additional Sources + other cool posts

Top Roles:

I watched to include even the ones that I didn’t watch entirely, so I put together a whole list. It’s generally not too strict in order, but I went from his good to his best. If I wanted to put a few words, I just included them in square brackets. In those, there will also be recommended clips if I feel the need to add any in.

* = ones that I haven’t watched completely (or up to its current point)

Rui Tatsumi* - Starmyu

Ivan Karelin* - Tiger and Bunny

Shin-ah - Akatsuki no Yona

[This character didn’t talk much, so he actually got to play a MOB character as well. I found this character kind of charming though.]

Mitsuo - Danshi Koukousei no Nichijou

[He’s the one who dropped the hot dog. Rest in Pieces. This anime made me laugh, and even though this character barely appeared, he made me laugh every time he did. Recommended clip: “Glasses”]

Gladion* - Pokemon Sun & Moon

[He’s actually the perfect choice to play this edgy boi.]

Yumeji Fujiwara* - Yumekui Merry

[RIP the can]

Makoto Kashino* - Yume-iro Pâtissière

[I just started this one]

Mizuki* - Kamisama Hajimemashite

[I watched six episodes of this one.]

Rei Ogami - Code:Breaker

[This wasn’t a very good anime, it’s a mediocre manga, but I still enjoyed it.]

Nikaidou Harunobu* - 3-Gatsu no Lion

[I watched around 6-8 episodes of this one. This character is a pure round boi, and I like the way Nobu portrayed this character. Recommended Clip.]

Io Otonashi* - Acchi Kocchi

[I watched around 5 episodes of this one. His bishounen game is very strong.]

Takeru Fujiwara* - Prince of Stride

[These anime characters run like how I run from my life responsibilities and problems. His bishounen game is also very strong. The strong and silent type is always popular. Sadly, I’m the quiet and extremely frail and weak type.]

Shouta Kisa* - Sekaiichi Hatsukoi

[According to Tumblr, he has never done an R-rated (18+) BLCD, but he has been in some shounen-ai anime.]

Issac Foster - Satsuriku no Tenshi

[My reaction to this anime. Don’t worry, I’m following this to the end.]

Ryousuke Kominato - Diamond no Ace

Ryou Kurokiba* - Shokugeki no Souma

Age - Sakasama no Patema

[Yeah, that’s his actual name. If you name your child something that stupid, I would personally like to have a word with you. This movie was really nice though.]

Accelerator* - Toaru Majutsu no Index

[I had to include his laugh to this]

Jurai Andou - Inobato (Inou-Battle wa Nichijou-kei no Naka de)

[And jail is just a building you live in! I can’t remember the context of this line.]

Kiyoharu Hyoudou - Welcome to the Ballroom

Yoichi Saotome* - Owari no Seraph

Eiji Niizuma* - Bakuman

[Recommended Clip]

Obi - Akagami no Shirayuki-hime

[When he looks into the mirror and realizes he’s missing his eyebrows.]

Takumi Usui* - Kaichou wa Maid-sama

Yuu Nishinoya* - Haikyuu

[Recommended Clip: ROLLING THUNDER!]

Rin Okumura - Ao no Exorcist

[He’s such a likeable protagonist. Recommended clip: Rin x Shiemi because they’re adorable]

Mikoto Mikoshiba - Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun

[This character made me laugh so much. He and Seo are my favourites. I haven’t seen another amazing anime with both Miyuki Sawashiro and Nobu. They’re my two favourites. I hope to see them acting together eventually (even if Mikorin and Seo never really communicated). Thanks to Nobu, we have a voice to this madly embarassed bishounen. Recommended Clips: Mikorin Clips, Mixer Clip]

Katsuki “Kacchan” Bakugou - Boku no Hero Academia

[Bakugou might not always be my cup of tea as a character, but his voice made me like him somewhat anyway whether he’s an asshole or not. There are a few scenes in season three that hit me with mad feels,, but even during season one and two, Nobu aced this role. This role is what shot him up to one of my favourite voice actors. Recommended Clips: Rage moments, Kacchan vs Deku audio segment (scroll down a little for this Tumblr post), Salty Bakugou S1]

Karma Akabane - Assassination Classroom

[While Bakugou is one type of crazy, Karma is another. Honestly, he’s such a sly, cunning, and mischievous character, but that’s what we all like about him, right?]

Trailblazer Arrangement:

This is my first time transcribing a song and arranging it! I improvised and made up some stuff (mostly guitar solos that just didn’t fit as well logically on piano). I usually don’t like (actually, I kinda hate) transcribing because it’s basically like trying to copy down a book that someone reads aloud (and you can’t look at the text). But it was worth doing this! He’s definitely not my favourite singer, but I’d still listen to him.

I didn't want to go with an original score for this one because I felt like I wanted to improve a lot more as a composer and artist (as if I'm qualified enough to be called those terms). When I make one for him, I want to go all out.

Facts:

I found some other interesting facts online. There are quite a few different sources. I’ll try to list them below all the facts (but I might link them to the actual facts as well. There are a lot, so there’s that.

All [Nat Notes] will be put between square brackets “[these]”.

These are all from THIS POST:

After graduating from secondary school, he entered some voice acting training courses associated with his agency (Pro-Fit) to pursue his dream as a seiyuu.

To be able to pay for his training, he worked at a 7-Eleven and a post office.

His family is very strict and conservative.

He was into video games when he was younger, but his parents were against letting him play video games and ended up limiting him to a one-hour per day time limit [THIS POOR BOI]

[Regarding his gaming] his parents told him, “If you want to play games, you can play shogi.” This ended up being the reason he started playing shogi.

He is a practicing Catholic [ironic since one of his most iconic roles is playing the son of Satan]

He’s a 3rd dan ranked shogi player, and he once aimed to be a professional shogi player.

He has a huge love for sweets. I follow his blog, and a lot of his posts involve sweets.

“His favourite [candy bar] would be Black Thunder chocolate bars (same as Kamiya Hiroshi and Ono Daisuke), and at one point, he always ends up buying Black Thunder by the box, stocking up on it, and eating up to 10 bars in one day, that his agency decided to restrict him into eating just one bar a day.” [let the poor guy eat his chocolate]

He is easily bullied by other seiyuu [check out the original post which has gifs of his mishaps]

“[While recording] …he ran away from the mic, forgetting that he was wearing headphones connected to the mic and ended up messing up the recording room, and the staff had to rearrange everything.”

He’s a big fan of Pokemon [He now plays Gladion in Pokemon Sun & Moon]

These are from “More Nobu Facts”

“As a student, he used to fall asleep on the train and miss his destinations sometimes. He thinks that it’s really comfortable to take a nap there.” [Yeah, you say that until you somehow end up in the middle of nowhere and wonder where you are and why you even exist.]

“He suffers from hay fever in the spring. Said that the symptoms kill him.” [You and me both except mine are year-round and gradually getting worse.]

“He played with Lego bricks when he was a kid.” [If he’s the type of person who left out the bricks and made people experience pain because of it, I will personally leave Lego bricks outside his door. Those things hurt when they’re unexpected.]

“He loves the indoor life.” [don’t we all…]

“He read the Harry Potter series.” [I did too! Not that I remember any of it.]

“His cute, foreign Furby only speaks English. Noburin stated, “English is very hard.”” [HOW DO PEOPLE SLEEP KNOWING THEY OWN ONE OF THOSE? I WOULD BURN IT IF I GOT ONE.]

“In elementary school, the girl he liked gave him chocolate on Valentine’s Day. He said he felt like crying from the shock.” [I haven’t experienced that. Was he happy because it was that girl who gave him chocolate or because he got free chocolate?]

“He was hospitalized before when he was a child due to a bad cold (or maybe the flu).” [Well, that diet sure doesn’t help, and I doubt screaming all the time is good for you. Weirdly, I can’t say anything more than that because I do both too except I scream internally while he does it as his profession.]

He tends to get sick within the first two weeks of October, right before his birthday. [I wish you luck!]

He likes to watch lightning and thinks that it’s cool. [I’M SO SCARED OF THUNDER]

During the summer as a kid, he liked to catch cicadas and dragonflies, and play with water guns. [SAME DUDE]

He was in the badminton club during secondary school.

These are all from his Q&A! [Part 1], [Part 2], [Part 3], [Part 4]:

I’m not going to include quotation marks for this one for the most part. I changed some awkward phrasing. I left out some questions from the original posts as well. Check the sources out!

Nickname: Pikorin

Favourite animal: Dog [Same. I love my dog, Penny. She’s my little sister. I have no shame.]

What are you fond of?: Squirrels [why?]

Description of your personality: Moody [Same.]

Favourite Colour: Black

Health and Beauty Routine: I drink two cups of milk in the morning and do squats two times a day. 

First thing you do in the morning?: Rinse your mouth

First thing you wash in the bath: Face

Amount of sleep you get: 4 hours on the weekdays, 10 hours on the weekend  [I wouldn’t live with that kind of schedule.]

Rain or sunshine: Rain!

What did you play as a child?: I slid down the slide and got many scratches. [I ran up slides a lot in elementary school]

Something you’re proud of: “I have a shiny legendary Pokemon.” [I ALMOST NEVER GET SHINIES. LET ALONE LEGENDARY ONES. THAT’S AN ACCOMPLISHMENT RIGHT THERE. The chances of getting one kinda vary, but it’s less than 0.1% I think.]

Favourite school subject: Math [Can’t relate. I’m dumb.]

Least favourite school subject: Civics

Best school memory?: I won a badminton tournament. [Can’t relate. I’m a blob.]

Previous part-time jobs: [...]post office, fast food, convenience store and then accounting, I’ve done different jobs.

If you could be reborn, would you be a man or woman? A woman!

Who was your first love?: We were in elementary school, in the same class. [Related post]

Any gesture of women unnerving to you?: My heart skips a beat when ousted or “shooed” by hand.  [He gets shooed like a bug XD]

Where would you go for a date?: Tokyo Disney Sea.  [You know you’re at the height of luxury when you can afford to take someone there. I want someone to take me to Disneyland or Disney World, or a Disney Cruise.]

Morning person or night person?: Morning person.  [Can’t relate.]

If you could drive to any time period, what would it be?: Jurassic Period! [If it just so happens you do, *pats* it was nice knowing you (even though he doesn’t know me). He’ll get eaten by a dinosaur.]

If you were stranded on a deserted island, what would you want there with you?: My Nintendo DS or PSP.   [Good luck without a charger or electricity. What games would he bring though?]

Favourite music genre: Anime songs [Me too fam.]

Do you play any instruments? No, playing the F chord on the guitar is my limit. [I like playing and creating music. I’m just not any good at it. XD He should try learning though!]

Favourite sports: swimming and badminton [I’m not good at swimming. I’m not good at badminton. I’m not good at sports.]

Sweets you usually eat: Macarons and chocolate-related sweets [AYE, that’s pretty much my taste too, so we pretty much have similar taste.]

Something you’re self-conscious about: The thickness of my eyebrows. [If his eyebrows were ugly, I would’ve commented on that already. XD (I usually say something along the lines of, “Is that a caterpillar on your face? It’s so thick and bushy! It looks like you took hair from your head and put it on your eyebrow! Maybe you can’t grow facial hair because all of it goes to those eyebrows.”)]

What will you do when and if only you became an invisible man one day?: Secretly observe Sugita Tomokazu-san. [Well, alright then. Fangirls have some competition? More importantly, Nakamura has competition!]

What’s the scariest thing to you?: In a sense, the most intimidating people. [All people are intimidating for me O^O’]

What is the title of the first game you’ve ever played in your life?: “Super Mario World”. [For me, it was Pokemon Pearl]

What would you be if you went into the fantasy world?: A witch. [Nobu, defying gender barriers. He’ll be a fabulous witch. I would similarly want to be a mage.]

What if I want to use a weapon to fight monsters?: Bow, crossbow. [I would want to use magic or a sword!]

Favourite season?: Spring. [I like winter because plants are dead (I have extremely bad allergies), snow, Christmas, my birthday, and New Year’s!]

At what spot do you like to linger around?: Starbucks. [Again, the height of luxury is when you’re able to afford Starbucks regularly.]

How’s your tolerance to alcohol?: I can’t drink much. [I don’t drink]

What good books do you usually read?: Original works that are adapted into anime. [I don’t read a lot. I’m an illiterate fool.]

What do you buy at convenience stores?: Fresh premium caramel roll cake. [I wish they had those in Canada…]

Favourite place in the country?: Okinawa. [I gotta go there someday!]

What countries do you want to go abroad?: Italy. [He recently said he wants to go to Italy for gelato and to be honest, I relate. Europe has good chocolate and cheese from what I hear.]

What are the challenges to your trip destinations like?: Pickpockets like to snatch! [He better watch out for those vans that say “Free Candy!” They might be meant for kids, but he might just stumble in.]

Are you nervous in public?: Recently it’s been okay; still nervous during events. [I’m always nervous in public. I would like to attend an event by the end of my life though.]

What would you tell your past-self (10 years ago)?: “Don’t give up and eat your dinner properly!” [I tell that to myself now XD If I were to send a message to myself, it would be something along the lines of, “What you feel, what you think, and what you believe is important. Listen to yourself. At the end of the day, you will figure out what to do. Don’t be afraid of being alone, and don’t be afraid to wander. Loosen up.”]

What would you message to your future-self (10 years from now)?: “The you in his twenties is having lots of fun. Are you having fun?” [Message for me ten years from now: PLEASE TELL ME YOU AREN’T AS DEEP INTO VOICE ACTORS AND ANIMATION. I BEG YOU, GET A LIFE.]

If the world was going to perish in 24 hours, what would you do? Gather all my friends and family, and have a BBQ party. [I would just write something in case it resurfaces. I would want to write my thoughts, opinions, and experiences along with the people around me.]  

Where do you want to work?: A place where I could grow. [Same!]

What are your thoughts when you look back at 2010? I issued a sex appeal to play [Usui], and worked hard to reach the targets! [From the amount of screaming fangirls, I think you did just fine.]

What is your current aim?: To be more playful and get more out of acting.

Finally, a message to the world: I’ll work hard from now on to make a voice that everyone will not have a hard time to listen to. Thank you for your support! [Thank you Nobu! You inspire a lot of people (including me) everyday!]

Additional Facts! [SOURCES WILL BE LISTED BELOW!]

He likes watching horror movies (especially with his friends Ryouhei Kimura, Kouki Uchiyama, and Yoshimasa Hosoya. Kouki is a scaredy-cat.) When watching a horror movie, he experienced scary unknown noises and used salt to ward away ghosts.

His birthdate is October 24, 1986

He is 168cm tall

He is affiliated with the agency Pro-Fit

He won: - Best New Actor Award at the Third Seiyu Awards for his roles as  Shin Kanzato in Persona: Trinity Soul, Ryuji Kuhoin in Kurenai, and Accelerator in Toaru Majutsu no Index (along with Yuuki Kaji!) - Best Supporting Actor Award at the Fifth Seiyu Awards for his roles as  Takumi Usui in Kaichou wa Maid-Sama, Eiji Niizuma in Bakuman, and Accelerator in Toaru Majutsu no Index II

He loves sweets... a lot: - He’s a qualified patisserie - Where his love of sweets came from [I can also say that is a good portion of his blog]

He tried to be rebellious as a kid but got “clobbered” by his mom.

He would purposefully wear long-sleeves while in the hot recording room for “My Hero Academia” so that he would be agitated enough to play Kacchan!

He adds chocolate to his curry sometimes

He gave Ayane Sakura the nickname “Ayaneru”

He often celebrates fictional characters’ birthdays on his blog for series that he’s involved with!

He was once told to give up on being a voice actor!

Thank you for not giving up Nobu!

Music:

月刊少女野崎君-俺の手でSPARKING!! 御子柴實琴(CV:岡本信彦) - Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun: Mikorin Character Song

Kamisama Hajimemashita: Mizuki Character Song

Welcome to the Ballroom: Kiyoharu Hyoudou Character Song

『 サクラメント』By Okamoto Nobuhiko Ending for Vatican Miracle Examiner

Promise - Kaichou wa Maid-sama: Takumi Usui Character Song

Restoration to 0 - Code:Breaker: Rei Ogami Character Song

Tiger and Bunny: Character Song

スタミュ Starmyu S2 Shadow & Lights 「沈黙のディアローグ」Ver. Tatsumi Rui

Blue Flame - Prince of Stride: Takeru Fujiwara Character Song

99.9% Noisy - To Aru Majutsu no Index: Accelerator character song

Oikaze ni Tsugu - Diamond no Ace: Kominato Ryosuke

Trailblazer - Ao no Exorcist

Kimi wa Hitori Janai

List of Links (Sources and other cool stuff!):

Some of the links were included in the actual facts themselves! If a source and other stuff is missing, they’re included above!

Voice Compilations:

25 Anime Characters That Share The Same Voice Actor as Boku no Hero Academia's Bakugou Katsuki

Voice Compilation [ 1 ], [ 2 ] 

Wikipedia:

Nobuhiko Okamoto

3rd Seiyuu Awards

5th Seiyuu Awards

Haikyuu Stuff:

Haikyuu Awards Basically, they got the fans to nominate for awards like “Who’s the best dressed?” Then the cast got to comment (and maybe get praised by the two female cast members)

“Imagination Game” - Seiyuu Event Long story short: to win a pair of Karasuno boxers, the voice actors must answer all the same character when asked something like, “Out of the Karasuno team, who’s the most likely to [blank]”

Cast Pictures

Drama CD: Why Noya isn’t popular with women (This one is because I fricking relate because I’m too short for this tall world)

“Who’s Best Girl?” - Cast Comments + Nobuhiko’s comments [video with cc]

Nobuhiko Okamoto & Yuuki Kaji being bros [ 1 ], [ 2 ], [ 3 ], [ 4 ], [That time they challenged a Guinness World record], [Nobuhiko’s message for Yuuki Kaji’s 30th birthday]

Nobuhiko’s athletic ability

Kouki Uchiyama, Daiki Yamashita, Nobuhiko Okamoto: [Comic] BNHA Cast Comments

Daiki lending Nobuhiko his jacket (this can potentially fuel Bakudeku fanfics. I can feel it.)

Nishinoya and Bakugou at Jump Festa

[brentoy4u04-blog]

Elite bodybuilding in the Civil Guard

● Jennifer Fernández, champion of the Spanish National Cup Bikini Fitness Senior +169

● He makes this sport compatible with his work in the post of Roquetas de Mar

Jennifer Fernández has a great passion for the Civil Guard and a determined love for sports. He entered the meritorious body in 2006, thirteen years ago in September, and even before that moment he already knew the importance of keeping fit. Basketball, field hockey ... are just some of the sports disciplines that he has practiced throughout his life. However, her transfer to Almería was decisive for her to enter the world of bodybuilding and become an elite athlete, rising on June 16 as champion of the Spanish National Cup Bikini Fitness Senior +169. At the 2019 FEFF National Cup of Spain held in the Madrid town of Alcalá de Henares, "several categories compete, including Bikini Fitness," the Guardia Civil told Diario de Almería. "Friday begins with the weigh-ins and Sunday is the competition itself. On Sunday I proclaimed myself the champion of my category, the one with more than 169 centimeters. I wasn't expecting it at all. It had been four years since I had applied for that championship and the first time I did or qualified. I had bad memories and when I was champion, I did not believe it, I am very happy, "she says. To get to this point, it took eleven hard months of preparation. All this without counting on the training that the agent already does on a regular basis. "My goal was the preselection for the European but the line I presented was not what the Spain coach was looking for. I did not have the opportunity to represent our country and I said to stand up but then I started to warm up and I said to go to the Cup and close the season, "he points out. "TO THIS BARRACKS, WHOEVER COMES, KNOWS THAT THEY ARE COMING TO WORK, THERE IS A LOT OF WORK IN ROQUETAS” Jennifer assures that she always comes with a “winning mentality” but that in this case she only thought about “enjoying” the moment. “I came from the preselection and just wanted to have fun after going through a lot of hunger and hardship. I think one of the keys to winning is that they saw me enjoying it. The Cup was going to be a bit before and after because I want to stop and rest, not to stop the diet and training but to compete. Enjoying is what made me win, ”insists the agent. It is not for less because getting ready for a competition of this level is not easy and requires physical and nutritional sacrifices."Hunger is essential," says Jennifer, who during these months has had to go through a phase "vulgarly called the volume" in which carbohydrate intake is increased to gain muscle mass. “That is the beautiful stage, you eat, you train hard and you feel good. When the competition approaches you eat less. You raise the fats a little but eat less. A month and a half before competing, you have just finished having a free meal, only which includes a diet that is very strict. Four weeks without carbohydrates, with lots of vegetables and salad. And when you reach the final stretch is when you usually do a 'set-up', you play with water and food to get the hue you see in championships, with the skin attached to the muscle, "he clarifies. All this while carrying out his work ensuring the safety of all rockers. Something that requires a lot of delivery. "In the Civil Guard we work shifts, you have mornings, afternoons and nights. In Roquetas, we also have two doublets. You get up in the morning every day to prepare the locks and every three hours you have to eat, wherever you are. Obviously, if there is an incident, you don't eat, so I always try to carry a bag with me ”, Jennifer tells this newspaper. "SINCE BODYBUILDING IS NOT AN OLYMPIC SPORT, IT IS NOT GIVEN THE IMPORTANCE IT SHOULD BE." For her, the worst are the nights. “When you work morning and night, it is 16 hours and the body notices it. At this level of competition, stress is very noticeable and difficult. To be able to go to the Cup I had to ask for a few days of private affairs because I had two nights in a row ", confesses the guard, who despite everything maintains that it is easy to combine his work and sport because both" require a lot of discipline, you have to fulfill both in one and in the other ”. As already noted, his transfer to the Almería province was decisive for Bikini Fitness to come into his life. “In Almería, there is a lot of devotion to the cult of the body. There is a lot of love for bodybuilding (exercises for weight loss), we have great athletes. At first, I signed up in a gym with no intention of competing, but a coach encouraged me. He told me to try it and after trying it I have been five years ”, he says with a laugh. He admits in this sense that he did not expect “at all” to dedicate himself to this sport. “I entered the body when I was 19 years old, I had never left home. Like any young man I went out partying and I have always done a lot of sport but never at such an extreme level. At first, I thought about bodybuilding like many women, that I didn't want to put on weights or become like a man. Until you enter, you do not realize that it is not true, that you do not masculinize, but on the contrary, ”he reveals. The vital tour of the Armed Guard Institute is as exciting as its sporting facet. He has been “many” turns since his beginnings as an eventual in the Granada town of Hu��scar, spending some “wonderful years” at the Barajas airport in the EVA group, passing through Vera, from Vera back to Madrid, again to Vera, by the USECIC of Almería, again by Vera and then to Granada in the Judicial Police doing a "super nice job". But as “he missed Almería, he asked for the transfer and finally landed in Roquetas de Mar. He defends that to this barracks “the one who comes, knows that he comes to work, there is a lot of work. It is an important position in the province ”. He also jokes with laughter, telling how his classmates have "given him cane." "It is normal, people are not used to seeing a person who takes out a lid every three hours with hake or chicken. At three in the morning, it is not normal. At first, they give you a little cane but they have endured a lot because at three in the morning you open the hatch with hake in the car ... They behaved very well, ”he adds, still laughing. HE ASPIRES TO REPRESENT SPAIN IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP: “APART FROM BEING ON GUARD, I FEEL VERY SPANISH” Now his plan is to continue training to find the physique that he "likes" without focusing on competitions, something that, he thinks, also affects his ability as an agent in a municipality that is increasingly populated. "It's good to be in shape to attend any performance." He confesses "stubborn" and points out that one day he would like to represent Spain in the European because "apart from the civil guard, I feel very Spanish. If someday I succeed, it would be a dream come true. ” He regrets, yes, the little public support that exists for those who practice disciplines like his. “Since bodybuilding is also not an Olympic sport, it is not given the importance it should be. In the United States, one lives from this sport. Not in Spain, you have to look for a lot of life ”. In this sense, he underlines the support of the 'Propharma Nutrition' brand from La Cañada, whose manager, Carlos Román, is the Provincial Delegate in Almería for Bodybuilding and Fitness, for his help in this "quite expensive sport" in the expenses it has derivatives. “That is another reason why I want to rest a little. It is a very expensive sport. Competing internationally, something I want to do now that I have won the maximum competition in Spain involves paying for flights, stays, meals ... A bikini can cost between 450 and 500 euros. And the prizes are not cheap, they are trophies and they usually give you a little money, if they ever give it ”, Jennifer concludes.

[myselfinserts]

“ No sense in picking fallen petals up from off the ground. ”

There were many things Mary didn’t want to deal with that day. She’d already failed a test, missed lunch, and lost her lucky charm bracelet.

Now she had to deal with swim practice.

And a strange boy who wandered in against regulations and had all eyes on him. No one moved. No one jumped into the water. It was as though they’d been hypnotized by a villain’s quirk.

There would be no practice as long as he was there.

“HEY!” she yelled. “YOU CAN’T BE IN HERE!”

The boy looked at her, perplexed. “Huh?”

“Can’t you read the sign?! It’s a closed practice!!!”

“Ah, my bad,” the boy apologized. “I’m not overly familiar with the school. Outside of the pamphlets and reputation, that is. See, I’m part of the Apprentices tour for next weeks conference and I kinda got lost when I thought I saw-”

“I don’t care!” Mary groaned. “We have a big swim meet coming up and you’re not allowed to be in here! You’re a distraction to the entire team!”

“I’m sorry! Geez, lighten up, will you?”

“I’ll ‘lighten up’ when you get the hell out!”

“Can you give me directions to the main office at least? This place is huge and I lost my map.”

Mary couldn’t believe this. Damned apprentices. She’d worked her ass off to get into Lucienne’s. Advanced classes, harsh training regimes, strict diets, the whole nine yards. She was the first of her family to ever make it this far on the Hero track.

Apprentices were different. With their laid back, devil may care nature and lack of appreciation for the rules, they train directly under Heroes and get to do almost whatever they pleased. But only if the Hero saw potential.

No one saw potential in her. And she couldn’t blame them. Her quirk wasn’t really suited to combat. It required fast, neat, legible penmanship, an active imagination, and no distractions to finish a sentence. Such was the downsides of her power. And with the 24 hour time limit, that made her look even less like a viable Hero, better suited to entertainment. But she trained hard and made it work. That’s why she had full scholarship. Why she was a year ahead of her peers. Why, even at her age, she had three agencies looking to take her on the moment she graduated.

And now, standing before her with no sense of direction and a haphazardly buttoned shirt and muddy jeans, was the embodiment of entitlement she had come to resent and fight against.

“Follow the yellow brick path,” she spat. “It circles around the entire outside of the school and will lead you to the courtyard. Follow the signs from there. You’ll find it.”

The boy smiled, giving her a pat on the head. “Thanks. Sorry for the inconvenience. Have a great practice.”

Mary stared at him in horror as he left the building and the team returned to their practice.

She hoped she’d never have to see him again.

“He was a total ass!”

“Yeah, you said that already.”

Mary had told her friend and roommate the entire thing. Needless to say, both of them were annoyed at the situation. But Marianne seemed to be a bit more understanding of the boy. Even insisting they should go out for coffee to come up with a plan.

“You need to chill,” she said. “No agency is going to keep you if you keep acting so cynical.”

“Says the cynic queen,” Mary grumbled. “How can you be so okay with Apprentices when they’re?”

Marianne rolled her eyes. “Because only about 3% of the people entire program is ‘like that’. I know, because my dad-”

“Your dad went that route and your uncle is a trainer in the program and blah, blah, blah.” 

“Try and get to know the Apprentices before you judge them.” Marianne looked up at the sky, a nostalgic glimmer in her eyes. “No sense in picking fallen petals up from off the ground just to spit on them. Get to know them. You never know. One of them might make you proud.”

Mary made a gag noise. “Like hell they would.” She stopped, grabbing Marianne’s arm and pointing at a group of kids about their age. “Look! There he is! The ass!”

Marianne smirked, smugly staring at her friend. “Which one is he?” 

“That one! The one in the ugly flannel and ponytail.”

“Hate to break it to you, Mary, but that’s not an ass. That’s my baby brother.”

“You’re fucking kidding me. That jerkwad that told me to lighten up? That’s the darling Reginald you’ve been gushing to me about for the last three years?”

“Been a while since I updated the family photo in our room, but yes, that’s him.”

“You have got to be fucking with me right now.”

Marianne cackled. “If that’s the kid that has you all worked up, I think your views on Apprentices will change.”

Mary highly doubted it. “Whatever.”

“Hey Regi!!!”

Mary’s eyes went wide as the ass-Regi, looekd over at them with glee before skipping over.

He fucking SKIPS?! This lad is a right loon!

“Marianne!” he cheered, pulling her in for a hug. “So good to see you!!! How are you?”

“I’m fine,” Marianne giggled. “How’s Tan?”

“She’s okay. Mrs. Clifton calls every few hours with an update.” He looked down at Mary, the same perplexed expression taking over like before. “You’re friends with Princess Lucienne?”

“My name is Mary McMiller,” she spat. “And I’m currently the #2 student at this school, thank you very much!” She sneered, glancing to the side as if Regi wasn’t even there. “Not that I expect a dumb apprentice to respect the work that goes into that.”

Regi winced, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry…”

Marianne smacked Mary on the arm. “Regi, we’re going for coffee and donuts. Wanna come?”

“Love to,” Regi said sadly. “But I can’t. We have to head back to the hotel. Mr. Derezzed is having us all learn how to eat at a big fancy dinner.”

“Alright. I’ll call you later then, okay?”

“Okay.” Regi skipped back to the other apprentices, waving goodbye as he went.

Mary glared at Marianne once they were gone, seething in rage. “Why did you hit me-”

“Don’t ever fucking talk about my baby brother like that again. And never, EVER snap at him like that. Do. You. Hear. Me?”

Mary froze, feeling the air around her taste of salt and snow. Marianne never spoke like that. Clouds began to float around her, a slight wind messing up her hair. 

Marianne was pissed.

And Mary was the reason why.

“Do you remember what I told you?” Marianne asked. “When we first became friends?”

“I-”

“I told you I had a baby brother and sister to look out for. That was why I’m here. Because the school was paying me to come here.” She clenched her fists, her head kept down as her shoulders shook. “That’s why I work so hard to hold my #1 spot. Why I keep fighting against all the more combative kids. Why I have no other friends besides you. Because I have to put them first. The money I make by getting my education here puts food on the table and allows my brother to freely go on his apprenticeship while I’m away from home. Away from my little sister, who barely gets to see me, and is slowly barely getting to see him. We’re all each other have.”

Mary felt her eyes burn, trying hard not to cry. “Mari-”

“If he had gotten to follow his dreams like he wanted, he’d be the current #1 and on his way to the big leagues by now, and I’d be the apprentice healer at the General hospital.”

Mary’s heart broke. She sank to her knees, covering her face and sobbing. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know-”

“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to him.”

Marianne turned and headed back to the dorms. 

And Mary was left alone.

Mary found Regi in the infermary the next day. She’d passed out during class and woke up there. No doubt from the hunger she’d felt that morning. 

She knew she shouldn’t have skipped dinner. 

And breakfast. 

And lunch.

“Ah, you’re awake.”

Mary saw Regi sitting on a nearby stool, smiling as he strummed on a guitar. His hair wasn’t in its usual ponytail, so he looked almost like an entirely different person. 

But those eyes. That smile. It was still him.

“So,” he hummed. “How’re you feeling? Hungry? I brought some bentos from the farmer’s market down the road.”

“…why are you being nice to me?”

Regi stared at her, taken aback. “Huh?”

“I yelled at you,” she elaborated. “I got mad, took my anger out on you, insulted you…why are you still being nice to me?”

“Oh. That’s easy.”

“No sense in picking fallen petals up from off the ground. Best to let them fade with the seasons. We had a bad meeting. That’s all. Might as well try and start over while we can.”

Mary couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Either this kid was an idiot and bottling up how much it hurt, or he was just that stupidly nice.

She secretly hoped it was the latter.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have behaved that way…”

“Apology accepted. And I’m sorry for being a pain.” He stopped playing, holding out a hand to her. “Let’s start again. I’m Reginald Gladstone, soon to be The Technonaut Hero Renegade.”

Mary smiled fondly, accepting his hand. “I’m Mary McMiller, and I’m The Neverending Story Heroine Skald.”

“That’s a cool name! Although-” he pouted, trying to find the words “-no offence, but a bob cut like that doesn’t suit such a cool hero. You should grow it out. It’s a lovely color. It’d be a shame to waste.”

Mary just rolled her eyes.

There was no way she’d get used to him.

Images made at Rinmaru Games