floyd leech [ beans camo ] ssr - "it's not like i'm the strongest"

[mandytl]

Location: Woods Behind Campus

Floyd: Aren’t we almost there?

Vil: True. I suppose we’ll arrive at the point in about five minutes or so at this pace.

Members of the Monster Team will likely be waiting in ambush for us at the supply crate. Let’s proceed with caution from here on.

Floyd: I can’t wait to put on a sweet jacket like yours, Betta-chan-senpai.

Riddle: We don’t know whether or not the contents will actually be yours for the taking.

And anyhow, we already stated that whomever eliminates the most opponents by the time we arrive, gets the equipment inside.

Floyd: Which basically means me.

Epel: You seem pretty confident, despite us not knowing where the enemy’s lurking and all.

Floyd: I mean, it’s not like I’m gonna lose to any of these small fry.

I can’t wait to see what kinda gear’s inside that crate. Hurry up already.

Rustle rustle.

Riddle: Hey! Vil-senpai told us to be discreet, so don’t you dare make any thoughtless noise!

Floyd: Forget playing fair. Flushing those annoying Monsters out all at once sounds awesome.

Rustle rustle.

Riddle: …He never listens. This is exactly why I didn’t want to join forces with him.

I’d rather team up with Jade. At least he’s easier to communicate with.

Epel: Now that you mention it… Floyd-san. Do you know where Jade-san is?

Floyd: Hah? Like I know. Why’re you asking me?

Epel: Why? …You’re brothers, so I thought being around each other was a given.

Floyd: You don’t have any siblings, do you, Guppy-chan?

Epel: Uh. N-No, I don’t.

Floyd: Figures.

Lemme teach you a little something, then. You’re makin’ a big mistake if you think we’re joined at the hip.

Riddle: Is that really how it is?

Vil: From my end, the two of you are attached to either side of Azul, like an enormous pair of earrings.

Floyd: You guys just don’t get it. Siblings are like, their own people. We’re not always gonna be hanging off each other.

Azul and Jade were all psyched-up for this year’s Happy Beans Day…

But I was on this same team last year. There’s no way I’m gonna group up to do the same exact thing.

We don’t have to be together if it’s gonna be boring.

Vil: If memory serves, you were running absolutely wild last year. This year’s quite the change of pace.

Floyd: ‘cause I didn’t feel like playing.

… Until now! Who knows what fun things are gonna happen with this group.

C’mon. Let’s make for that supply crate.

Vil: I know perfectly well that I’m the one who invited him along, but… I didn’t imagine dealing with his free-spirit behavior would be this difficult.

Riddle: Sigh…

Epel: …

—PART TWO.

Location: Woods Behind Campus

Floyd: I knew this jacket would be cool! I like it even more after trying it on.

Isn’t the length like, perfect? It totally feels like it’s adding volume to my torso.

Epel: Floyd-san’s kind of been… way more energetic, ever since he got that camouflage jacket.

Floyd: I mean, clothes are neat.

It’s not like having scales to help you blend in with your surroundings, and the colors aren’t for warning off predators.

Plus lots of humans wear flashy colors and stiff, heavy ornaments just to look stylish.

I knew why people wore ‘em, but when I actually came on land and saw it for myself…

It looked way more awesome than what I was taught! I was shook.

Vil: Taught?

Floyd: Yep. At training school.

Riddle: Training…?

Floyd: What, you don’t know? There’s a dedicated training center for merfolk out of water.

It’s a land government-approved facility, affiliated with the Coral Sea.

You live on-site for a whole month and learn from their designated curriculum, day-in and day-out.

Riddle: I see… even merfolk might become sickly after enrolling since they’re not used to dorm life.

Especially when going from ocean to land is such a dramatic change in environment. One could say it’s a system to make things smoother.

What a sensible institution. What sort of things do they teach you?

Floyd: Hmm. Real basic rules of the surface, like, “you’ve got to wear clothes”, or like, “fire is dangerous”.

There was also how to breathe, and walk right, and… oh, yeah. Eating practice.

I totally burned the inside of my mouth the first time we had something hot in class. It was this soup I drank all in one go.

Riddle: They really do start with the very basics. It’s fascinating to look at life on land from a more objective perspective.

Floyd: You just eat up all this school and learning crap, don’t you, Goldfish-chan? You’re sooo serious.

Well, even if it’s still pretty rare, more and more merfolk are coming on land than before…

Seems like a lot don’t even use that facility. We got the red carpet treatment, ‘cause we were their oh-so valuable students.

Vil: So, they’ve a well-equipped system in place despite the low demand.

Floyd: I mean, a long time ago there was this mermaid princess who had a super rough time due to cultural differences on land…

And after marrying this prince from wherever,

She had it built for future generations of merfolk, all based on her own experiences.

I dunno all the details, so ask Azul later or whatever.

Epel: It sounds like fun… Was that entire month just pure excitement from start to finish?

My heart was thumping so fast I could barely sleep whenever I pictured the life waiting for me at school.

Floyd: Nah. It was super boring.

Epel: Huh?!

Floyd: Everything they tried to teach was something I’d already learned from Azul and Jade.

If anything, they knew more.

What really startled me is… how freakin’ heavy your body is when you get out of the water!

I was slow, and got tired super fast, and every time I walked my feet hurt sooo much. Every day, I was like, I’m never gonna walk another step!

Epel: But aren’t you a member of the basketball club, Floyd-san? Don’t you have to move a lot in that…?

Floyd: Yep, yep. I just felt like joining when I was checking out the clubs.

But it totally sucked at first. All they let me do was polish balls and clean the gym.

I thought I’d get to play after that, but then it was dribbling practice, passing practice… the basics.

I can’t stand working my way up through all that simple crap.

If I wanna accomplish something I will, so why do I have to do all that pointless stuff that I don’t want to do?

Epel: You mean practice is pointless… ? I don’t think that’s…

???: There they are!!

Monster Team Student A: The four-person team that’s been bumping off people on the Monster Team…

Monster Team Student B: Beat them and it’ll jack up our standing in physical fitness for sure! Time for an all-out attack!

Epel: Whoa! The Monster Team… at least ten of them! When did they have us surrounded?!

Riddle: The nerve of them to come gunning for us, knowing we won’t come quietly.

Vil: Indeed. Let’s show them exactly how strong we are, dears.

Here we go, Floyd!

Floyd: Nope.

Everyone: What?!

Floyd: I can tell they suck from way over here. I don’t wanna fight a bunch of weaklings.

Good luck out there, guys.

Vil: … He got the jacket he wanted and then completely lost focus?

Epel: D-Didn’t you just say “if I wanna accomplish something, I will”?!

Now’s the time to show your stuff! We’re in a crisis here!

Floyd: Man, you’re annoying…

If I’m gonna fight..

I’d rather it be someone more fun, like Betta-chan-senpai or Goldfish-chan.

You two wanna go? I don’t care which.

Epel: Do you even hear yourself?!

Riddle: Enough… We're wasting time. It’s no use trying to reason with Floyd in this situation.

Vil: Exactly. Leave him be for now. I would rather he didn’t turn against us.

We can clean-up just fine.

Epel: …!

( Floyd-senpai… )

( “If I wanna accomplish something, I will”—yeah, right! We’re under the gun and all he can do is cackle and flap his gums! )

( Why do they even tolerate this unreliable guy? )

Floyd: What’s up, Guppy-chan? You’re just been staring.

Too paralyzed with fright to move? I can help out if you reeeally need it.

...But only if you cry and beg for it! Ahahah!

Epel: I sure as hell ain’t … —am not, going to do that!

( That “I can do it if I try” mentality has got to be some excuse. I can’t trust someone this unreliable! )

—PART 3.

Location: Woods Behind Campus

Epel: I can’t depend on Floyd-san when he’s all bark and no bite!

… is what I said, but now it’s just the two of us!

I’ve got to do my very best now that we’ve split up…

Floyd: You’re racing too far ahead, Guppy-chan.

You’re kind of out there. Don’t call for me when you get caught by the Monster Team, ‘kay?

Epel: Well, you kept going when Riddle-san tried to stop you from approaching that supply crate.

Floyd: That’s different. Having a weakling in the lead is just a pain.

Epel: Weak…? You don’t mean me, do you?

Floyd: Who else is there? I mean, you, versus me?

Epel: Mrgh!!

… If you’re not willing to fight, Floyd-san, then you’ll just have to walk behind me.

Floyd: Don’t be so hard-headed. What a pain.

Epel: I am not hard-headed!

Rustle rustle.

Floyd: There. Right behind you.

Epel: Huh?

Monster Team Students: Foolish Farmer Team. Your back’s wide open! We’ll grab the both of you in this capture net!

Epel: The M-Monster Team?!

( Oh, no. They’re too close! I can’t avoid them…! )

Plink!

Floyd: Idiots. Not so fast!

Monster Team Student B: What?! He fought off our net with a beanshooter?!

Monster Team Student A: H-He’s got some crazy reflexes to do that at close range…!

Plonk, plonk.

… and hit us with beans at the same time!

Floyd: Who’s the foolish one now? Did you really think you could just show up right in front of me and make it out alive?

You’re an eyesore. Beat it already. I couldn’t care less about any weaklings.

Monster Team Students: Ugh, defeated…!

Epel: S-Strong… You took them out just like that..

Floyd: … Guppy-chan, you’re like, a huge nuisance.

Epel: Ugh! … I’m sorry. I let my guard down.

Floyd: I’m not talking carelessness. I mean, this was impossible from the get-go ‘cause you keep trying to go it alone.

Epel: !!

Floyd: You’re weak, so stay out of my way.

Epel: ……

Floyd: Hm? What’re you hanging your head for? Are you crying? Are you gonna cry? Ahahah.

Epel: ... Dammit…!

Y’all… y’all don’t think I’m worth fightin’ at all, huh.

You just think I’m a hard-headed, good-fer-nothin’ weak-ass, huh?

Floyd: Whoa, you totally snapped. I didn’t get any of that. You might be more fun than I thought, Guppy-chan.

You’re all puffy and prickly like a pufferfish! Gyahahah!

Epel: You’re messing with me again… You think you can just talk down to me because you’re stronger?!

Floyd: Hah… hilarious. I mean, I am pretty strong, but…

It’s not like I’m the strongest one here or anything.

It’s impossible to follow you when you go off alone. That’s why I told you to listen to me.

Epel: ...huh?

Floyd: What? You’re so wide-eyed they’re gonna like, pop out. Is what I said seriously that amazing?

Epel: I didn’t expect you of all people to say you’re not the strongest…

I was sure it’d be more of that “I can do it if I try” mentality.

Floyd: Let's see. Today, I flat-out lost to Betta-chan-senpai. You saw that, right?

I went all-in and he threw me like I was nothing. That technique was super cool, huh.

Epel: … How’re you still having so much fun after losing?

Don’t you hate to lose? Because, for me… the fact that I can’t beat you… is super frustrating!

Floyd: It’s not like I like it, but… disliking something and thinking something’s boring are totally different.

Epel: Huh? What do you mean?

Floyd: Hmm. For example…

If I were fighting a super cool guy who pulls off those chic styles perfectly.

Epel: Uhm, you mean… Vil-san?

Floyd: For example.

I’d see that and get an itch, like, “I wanna wear some cool clothes and go ballistic too.”

So I’m cool with fighting nobodies and even wearing heavy, irritating clothes in order to do it.

Let’s see… There was this guy I got close to who always came up with this crazy neat stuff.

Everytime I heard an idea it surprised me. “For real? That sounds super fun!”

As soon as I said, “I’m in!” he would force some stupid annoying work on me, but…

If I got to see something interesting then I’d be like, eh, whatever, even if the work ended up being pretty tough.

What else… I had a classmate in basketball club who was better than me…

Who always made his shots and could read the flow of the game. Anyway, I started standing in a good position to receive a pass…

But he’d still look at me like I was a pushover, so I’d wanna beat him with some sick technique.

I’d do as many lame chores and boring practice sessions as needed just to make it happen.

After two straight days of practice I could finally do a dunk.

I skipped aaall my classes and never went back to the dorm at night. The teachers and dorm leader back then got real pissed at me.

Epel: Two straight days… not without any sleep, right?!

Floyd: Yep. I said I could do it if I tried.

Epel: T-That’s not “do it if I try”... it’s “do until I can”!

What’d you work so hard for?

Floyd: It’s not about working hard.

I wanna do whatever I want, so I just have to do it, right?

I can even enjoy stuff I don’t like if I’m trying to make that a reality.

Epel: Fun…

I want to beat Vil-san too, so I challenge him everyday… and keep on losing, but…

I never considered whether I enjoyed it, uhm, I guess.

Floyd: Isn’t that like, really boring?

See… I got my ass kicked by this itty-bitty guy’s magic during the entrance ceremony.

I barely harassed him and he just lost it, with a face so red I thought he’d caught fire!

Epel: Oh, yeah. Vil-san mentioned something like that earlier… ahahah.

Floyd: I was sprawled out on the floor when I came to. Jade saw the whole thing and burst out laughing. Awful, right?

… There was hardly ever anyone stronger than me in the sea, but this school’s jam-packed.

That’s why one day I’ll be even stronger and then I’ll strangle eeeverybody...

I get all worked up picturing a powerful guy all snotty and shamelessly begging me for his life.

Epel: O-Okay...

Anyway, setting aside the snot thing… I guess I’ve got a long way to victory against my bad feelings.

If I keep on trying and learn to enjoy my losses like you…

One day I’ll get stronger… I guess?

Floyd: Dunno. Don’t care. Why’re you asking me?

Epel: Ugh, he’s so blunt…

… But I think what you’re saying is right.

And now I know you’re not just all talk. Sorry that I freaked out and got in the way.

All I can do is rely on you and follow after you, but…

One day I’ll surpass Vil-san, and even you! The thought alone is exciting.

Floyd: Oh, yeah? Good for you. Now follow me.

Epel: Right.

Floyd: … I really wanted to rough him up and show him who’s boss, but…

Not just yet. Guppy-chan needs to swim around a little more so he’s worth eating later.

‘Cause… it’ll be way more fun to crush him when he’s strong and confident. Ahah.

… Hey, Guppy-chan.

Epel: Yes? What’s wrong?

Floyd: Let’s have fun at school, ‘kay?

Epel: Right! We’ll enjoy it together.