Orphans Leader and Mercy

[StevenFallonNYC]

I also always felt that when Ajax says "you know what that is, dontcha?" that he meant trouble, and Ajax didn't correct Cowboy's answer of trouble.

I never really thought Mercy was a prostitute, although there's a chance she may be. When she walks down on the stoop, I always thought she simply lived there. I always saw her as not just a mere slut, but a poor Bronx girl who grew up on the streets and is very lost, who has made tons of bad choices and needs to feel loved or wanted, therefore sleeping with men amost every night. That's why she's hanging with a gang like The Orphans instead of a thousand other "name" gangs.

She talks about how much she sleeps around, and it doesn't seem to bother the Orphan's leader since he/they let her stick around. Even the Epstein-looking sidekick semi-pleads with Mercy, "stop looking for trouble now," instead of simply saying "shut the **** up, b****," so she ,ay have them under her thumb to a degree (although she obviously likes to be abused too). And maybe she is sleeping around for some cash (Saturday nights are even better") or maybe some drugs.

I like that they don't spell out clearly just what Mercy is. One thing I like, is when Swan says "she may even like it" about pulling a train on her, she gets angry despite the fact that she WOULD like it, because Swan saw her for what she is, and even though she knows too, she knows deep down she's tragic and doesn't want it pointed out necessarily. But I tell ya, whoever they had on makeup, he/she did a great job on Mercy, the actress looked just like a poor, spent slut from the NYC streets.

Well put. I agree. I dont believe she was a prostitute. I think she was from the neighborhood. The way the leader and the other orphan talk to her, they seem like they know her very well. They know how she is and they know that she will cause problems for them. When Swan makes the comment about the matress on her back and she says saturdays are better I dont think she was refering to money rather than her chances of getting laid are better. She is just a skank from the hood and wanted something new. She needed someone to get her out of the scene she was in.

That's a great point. Chicks like Mercy always are looking for a way out, and who can blame them. She sees Swan as a potential new chance, and her words in the subway tunnel to him verify she wants a better life. Even early on, when she says "what about me?" as they ran from The Prohans, says she wants to be included in something, wants something new, something that can be better. Heck, The Warriors are steps up from The Orphans, no doubt. But maybe Swan got scared in the subway there with Mercy in the tunnel because he knew what she was looking for, and felt some pressure. The end is pretty cool, when Swan gives a little bit of a smile about Mercy's take on travelling "I just know I'd like it"). Maybe this'll work out after all.

[emissary]

I don't think she is. I used to. But now I think she was just intensely bored and disillusioned with life.

[BullDog]

She definatly wasnt a prostitute if anything she was in the fox's terms a whore, the main reason being she didnt charge anything. And no i dont think mercy and the orphans leader were boyfriend/girlfriend because danm that orphans dude is nasty

[emissary]

Yeah, When Swan kisses her, I used to think, ugh! Not about her looks at all, but more about the possibility that she had just been kissing that Orphan guy.

[Oddball]

She's must be the gang's "stress reliever" or something. I 'unno.