#back to the swercy

[thewhizzyhead]

once again this is more of a brainfart but a certain aspect of orphan town has come to mind recently - so obviously the first sets of verses feature the orphans getting ticked off that the reveal that the warriors, the so-called "late night cosmetology class" goers, were present at a gang summit they weren't invited to. the ensuing chorus then features the dudes boosting their rep up, saying that their rumbles are due to be famous and all that - and seeing as the orphans clearly take the lack of invitation as an attack to their ego, fox and swan resort to a well-known tactic used to bring insecure ego-obsessed men to heel: batting their eyelids and making the girls seem small and sweet by saying they were simply just "lost and lonely" while also making the boys feel respected as proper men through compliments ("heavy, heavy") and through asking them for help ("what do you suggest we do") - and this works!!! of course it all goes to shit when mercy challenges their masculinity and dominance by questioning how easily they fall for the warriors' damsel in distress act, but in any case, I find this treatment of the orphans to be another layer of cool and care in recontextualizing the warriors as women - as clearly this is an instance of not only misogyny in action, but in how women have to deal with insecure-ass men through stroking their egos just to get by peacefully, which is obviously not a take one can do if the warriors remained men. also its cool how swan stops the peace act when a.) the orphans seemingly act threatening to mercy ("mercy i'm losing my cool"), so swan, who doesn't know her, immediately jumps to her defense, and b.) when the orphans threaten harm to the warriors ("or we gotta rain down from you, from the rooftops"), causing swan the well-established pacifist to directly insult and attack them. i dunno i just think that's a cool take too that kinda foreshadows how the women are willing to take matters to their own hands once threatened rather than safely play to the tastes of men. anyways woo

[icarus-summer]

Wrote a swercy moment at the 3AM yesterday. Wasn't going to post it, but I thought maybe this would encourage the fandom to write more stuff!

It's essentially A Light Or Somethin' from Mercy's poin of view

•

"What's wrong? Kiss me."

Mercy had never been rejected before. The boys would trip over their feet to get a kiss from her. The girls too. Some of the orphans were actually so desperate that they tried to steal it anyway. So when Swan turned away from her approaching lips, she didn't understand.

"You know, from the moment we came up town, everything's gone wrong." Swan took a step back. "Let's just keep walking."

Mercy felt her lip quiver. She only knew Swan and the rest of the Warriors for what, a few hours? But it felt like it'd been months. Years. Like she knew those women all her life and was just waiting to be reminded of it. No one got her like they did. They had fought together, that had to mean something, right?

Maybe batting some clowns together was not the ideal first date, but Mercy had fun. She felt light and free and happy and a bunch of other things she didn't knew she could feel.

"If I'm everything wrong, why'd you keep me along?" she asked, trying her best to hide the shakiness of her voice. "Tell me."

Swan didn't say anything, just kept still, her back facing the other woman.

"Why stick up for a stranger in spite of the danger?" She took a step foward and held Swan's hand. "Tell me."

Swan turned just slightly, so Mercy could only read half of her expression. Mercy wished she knew what any of that meant.

"Look at me!" She pulled Swan by the shoulders. "What in the hell are you looking for?"

And why wasn't it her? Why couldn't it be her? Swan tried to turn away again, but this time Mercy decided she wouldn't let her. She grabbed her wrist to try to put her hand on her face again. At least so that Swan could look in her eyes.

"Look at me! God, let me know what you're looking for..."

Swan pulled her arm away. It was too dark to see her face right, but she looked upset. Well, Mercy felt the same. She was sick of running away, tired of staying in the background. If only Swan could see what she saw.

"Don't know what you want from me, don't know what you think you see in me." She gave a disheartened laugh, while passing her hand through her hair. Mercy wished she could do the same. Swan's curly hair looked so soft.

How could she think that? How could she not see how perfect she was? Swan was probably the bravest, most courageous, gorgeus and strong woman that Mercy met. No one could compare.

She opened her mouth to say something, but Swan cutted her off immediately.

"Don't tell me you believe in me, you don't even know me! You lonely? You'll be just as lonely in Coney!"

Mercy crossed her arms, uncomfortable on how much Swan seemed to be able to read her. Yes, she was lonely. She was lonely all her life. At seeing how affected Mercy was, Swan's voice gone softer. Her hand went for Mercys arm, close, but not enough to touch her. Mercy's entire body seemed to yearn for Swan's touch.

"Look, I've been in and out of juvie, I was sleeping under the boardwalk when the Warriors came and claimed me. Cleon took me in and named me Swan. Now Cleon's gone, and tonight can't be undone, nothing done can be undone."

Mercy understood that. There was a reason why she was with the orphans. She also had no one. However, unlike Swan, she never had a connection to the Orphans. And before Swan, she never realized how much she craved for it.

"I'm beat up, I'm broken..."

That was not true. Maybe if Swan could just see how Mercy looked at. Of she could see how her eyes lighted up.

"Look at me."

"Do not put your hope in me."

Mercy wasn't going to give up. It wasn't like her. Giving their height difference, Mercy got on her tip toes and pulled Swan's face close to hers.

"What do you see?"

Swan didn't pulled away this time. She reciprocated the gesture, with one hand on her ace and the other safely on her waist.

"Mercy, what do you want me to say? That you're beautiful? Because I think we all know that you're beautiful. You're more than beautiful!"

Mercy felt her heartbeat accelarate even more.

"...More than beautiful?"

She almost wanted to cry. In all her life, she felt like a failure. Like an abnormality. Her beauty was all she had. And it was hard to be beautiful when you lived like she did.

But no one ever saw her more than that. A girl. A beautiful girl. But still a girl.

"You're more than your body! More than these lips..." She rested her hand on Mercy's cheek. Her thumb caressed Mercy's parted lips. "And if we ever someone get out of this place..."

"Then we'll go?"

At the same time Swan said:

"Then you'll go."

No. No, no. Why? Swan was doing this again. Trying to push her away. They could be so good together.

"Find something new."

Swan really couldn't see, could she? She couldn't see how Mercy already had found what she wanted. And it was right in front of her.

"It's all new!"

There was something that both of them could agree on. The light on the end on that tunnel had nothing on them.

Mercy thought Swan was finally ging to kiss her, but then they heard a train noise. Quickly, Swan pushed her against the wall of the tunnel and used her own body as protection.

After the train passed, they knew their moment was gone. They needed to keep walking. They need to get to Union Square. They need to find the rest of the warriors.

"Keep walkin'."

Swan pulled away, but offered her hand to Mercy to hold, which the woman gladly took it. With her free hand, Mercy pointed to the now visible end of the tunnel.

"I think I see a light or somethin'"