Fisticuffs and Unwelcome Home-lives (Part III)
<Now playing ‘First Punch’ by Nothing More>
Mercury: Another day stuck in repeat,
Another someone judging me.
Another hour I hold it in,
Another time I force a grin.
Another god who doesn't speak,
Another leader that's a thief.
Another day without a choice,
Another day without a voice!
All his life - from the moment he was born - Mercury had to fight.
Mercury: I'll hold it in! I'll hold it in! I'll hold it in!
First it was his old man (get the fuck up boy it’s for your own good quit whinin’ and take it like a man you pansy ass peice of shit can’t do anything right-).
Then from the bigger kids, and the even bigger and badder neighborhood thugs who roamed his block (trailer trash Merc stupid fuck r***** hey f***** c*********).
Then the assholes at school (fairy bread tea-bagger, the walking STD, now that was a good one).
Mercury: Forget it, now!
He’d been fighting since he could crawl and never stopped.
Mercury: I'll throw the first punch,
'Cause I've kept my mouth shut for far too long
Enough's enough!
If there was one thing the perverted fuck taught him, it’s that you fight tooth and nail to make a statement. Because that’s the only way people will see you, the only way anyone will bother looking your way.
Mercury: And you say I'm wrong, but it feels right.
And it's about damn time
It's been too long.
So, he took the old man’s advice and got strong.
And he fought back.
Even after he lost his legs, he kept fighting back.
Mercury: Enough's enough, enough!
Enough's enough!
Enough's enough!
Mercury didn’t think that there was a time he didn’t get in trouble.
Mercury: Another time that I get burned,
Another way that I've been hurt.
Another year too little pay,
Another person in my way.
Another lover says goodbye,
Another lack of reasons why.
Another day I'll let it slide,
Another way you try to change my life.
Whether it be throwing an Optimus Prime toy at a bigger kid’s head and giving him a concussion in kindergarten after the brat called him “white trash” one too many times-
Mercury: I'll hold it in! I'll hold it in! I'll hold it in!
-or from the guys on the basketball team who shoved him into one of the shower stalls fully clothed after gym class last Tuesday.
Mercury: Forget it, now!
This hard-earned reputation, coupled with Mercury’s natural “I-give-zero-fucks” attitude, it wasn’t that big of a surprise that the guy didn’t have that many friends.
Mercury: I'll throw the first punch,
'Cause I've kept my mouth shut.
For far too long, enough's enough!
There was Emerald (RWBY).
While Mercury didn’t know what they were relationship-wise (outside of recreational sex), they did have a loyalty towards each other.
Mercury: And you say I'm wrong,
But it feels right
And it's about damn time
It's been too long!
Neo (RWBY) was a nice kid.
Kinda cheeky though. And her stepbrother Roman (RWBY) was one of the biggest assholes Mercury had ever met – but, she was a good friend when it came down to it. Even Roman had his moments.
After all, the guy would let him crash at their place from time to time, no questions asked.
Mercury: Enough's enough, enough!
Enough's enough!
Enough's enough!
Enough's enough!
Although, Mercury couldn’t really count Cinder (RWBY) as a friend.
Mercury: Right between the eyes!
Right between the eyes!
Right between the eyes!
Right between the eyes!
Forget It! Forget It!
She was the one who landed him, Yang, and the others in detention in the first damn place.
Mercury: I'll throw the first punch,
'Cause I've kept my mouth shut
For far too long. (I'll hold it in. I'll hold it in. I'll hold it in.)
Bitch could suck a sandpaper dick for all he cared after that.
Mercury: Forget it, now!
Besides, even though Mercury had managed to live long enough to see his Senior year of High School (and maybe even go on to graduate), he doubted that he would actually make it somewhere in life.
Mercury: I'll throw the first punch,
'Cause I've kept my mouth shut
For far too long, enough's enough!
After all, in the words of his kindergarten teacher: “That boy is a criminal in the making! He’s not going to college, he’s going to end up in one of two places before he turns twenty: out on the street, or rotting in a jail cell.”
Mercury: And you say I'm wrong,
But it feels right.
And it's about damn time.
It's been too long!
She wasn’t entirely wrong.
Mercury was already halfway there.
So what was the point in wanting more out of it?
Mercury: (Enough's enough, enough!) And I'll throw the first punch!
(Enough's enough!) I'll throw the first punch!
(Enough's enough!) I'll throw the first!
(Enough! Enough!) Enough! Enough!
=/=
As the clock on the wall slowly wound down for the next half hour, both Mercury and Aria’s trains of thought began to move towards certain people.
Ezra Fitz and Marcus Black.
<Now playing ‘The Dark I Know Well’ from Spring Awakening>
Aria: There is a part I can't tell,
About the dark I know well.
When Aria first met Ezra, he was everything she could’ve wanted in a romantic partner: smart, funny, kind, and loving (if their brief hook up actually meant anything to him).
If only he were a few years younger, she despairingly moaned at the time.
Aria: You say, "Time for bed now child."
Mom just smiles that smile.
At the beginning of the school year, Aria had no intention of continuing… whatever it was they had had.
But after more than a little coaxing on Ezra’s part, she gave in.
Aria: Just like she never saw me...
Just like she never saw me.
At first, Aria reveled in the thrill of their secret relationship.
The brief kisses between partings, the hushed conversations during study hall, the touches that would send her skin alight.
It was thrilling, it was intense, and whatever it was, only grew from there.
Aria: So I leave, wanting just to hide
Knowing deep inside, you are coming to me.
But, then things began to escalate.
Ezra wanted to go farther physically, Aria didn’t. But, then he began giving her better grades after she did “small things” with him. So, where was the harm in taking it a step further?
Aria: You are, coming to me...
And so, Aria Montgomery gave Ezra Fitz her v-card.
It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either.
It felt weird, and she felt kind of sick afterwards. But, that’s what a person’s first time having sex is supposed to be like.
Or… at least, that’s what Aria thought it was supposed to be like.
Aria: You say all you want is just a kiss goodnight.
Then you hold me and you whisper,
"Child, the Lord won't mind.
It's just you and me – child, you're a beauty."
And for the record, it’s not like they wanted to get caught.
It wasn’t like Hanna and Mike had asked if they could walk in on them making out in Ezra’s (seemingly empty) classroom on a Friday afternoon.
Aria: "God, it's good – the lovin' – ain't it good tonight?
You ain'tseen nothing yet – gonna treat you right.
It's just you and me,
Child, you're a beauty."
At the time, Aria swore she would never forgive her little brother for outing her and Ezra’s relationship and for getting him fired.
Now, looking back on it all… Aria didn’t know what to think anymore.
Mercury: I don't scream, though I know it's wrong.
Mercury on the other hand, he didn’t know why he should care.
After all, it was in the past – not like he was gonna get hurt anymore.
Mercury: I just play along.
Besides, even if Mercury did say something about what Marcus did, it’s not like anyone would actually believe him.
After all, he was Mercury Black.
The crazy, out-of-control, male delinquent, Sunnydale High’s resident asshole… Why the hell would anyone care what happens to him?
Mercury: I lie there and breathe…
It started small.
Mercury: Lie there and breathe.
Marcus removing the locks on his doors wasn’t a new thing, he did that all the time whenever Mercury got in trouble at home. But…
This time, he didn’t put the locks back in.
Mercury: I wanna be strong.
I want the world to find out,
that you're dreamin' on me.
Then, he’d crawl into the bed with him in the middle of the night, to check his breathing or temperature he had said.
Mercury: Me and my "beauty".
Then, the touching started (Dad, no please whatever it was I'm sorry just STOP IT!-).
Both: Me and my "beauty".
Then the whispers (I had a long day I need this you know how fucking long it's been? just shut the fuck up and get your pants off-).
Both: You say all you want is just a kiss goodnight.
Then you hold me and you whisper,
"Child, the Lord won't mind.
It's just you and me – child, you're a beauty."
Then, one night about two years ago, Marcus took it further (Dad Dad... no no no no nononono please DAD!-).
And Mercury, for all his fighting, just lay there in shock as his father, the person who hurt him more times than he could count, took advantage of him in the worst way possible.
Both: "God, it's good – the lovin' – ain't it good tonight?
You ain't seen nothing yet – gonna treat you right.
It's just you and me,
Child, you're a beauty."
Mercury felt gross.
He felt used.
He felt angry.
And Marcus kept doing it even when Mercury begged him not to!
It was what caused the accident a year and a half ago (Dad stop get off watch the road DON'T FUCKING TELL ME WHAT TO D-!).
But Marcus didn’t care, because it started up again once Mercury got better.
Both: There's a part I can't tell,
About the dark I know well.
Then, the night after New Year's Day of 2013, when Mercury was trying to sleep the old man tried again.
But this time, Mercury fought back.
And, he didn’t hold back either.
Yeah, that got Merc the thrashing of a lifetime, but at least some good came out of it, because Marcus finally left him alone after that.
But Mercury didn’t want to chance it; so less than a week later he left, he packed up his shit and moved in with Roman and Neo.
At least, the old man wouldn't drag him back – one of the perks of being a legal adult he supposed.
Both: There's a part I can't tell,
About the dark I know well.
On the surface, it seemed that Aria Montgomery and Mercury Black had nothing whatsoever in common.
Polar opposites in every respect, from the clothes they wore to their very personalities.
Both: There's a part I can't tell,
About the dark I know well.
But, if you dug deeper, one would find that that wasn’t the case at all.
Both: There's a part I can't tell,
About the dark I know well.