Random Adventures with Juan Arc
Main Character: Jaune Arc, now called Juan Arc.
Ability: Being optimistic; #Proudofhimself.
Specialty: Bringing tears.
Chapter Four: Making Mercury, the liar, cry.
Mercury Black aka "Hot Rod" aka "Every girl's dream" aka "Gray-ceful Goodness" was in the old famous supermarket shop located in downtown Atlas.
What was he doing? Well what every customer would do in a supermarket, shop for food of course.
The gray haired boy was almost too joyful when rolling his cart through the aisles.
Picking up food for his home.
Mercury grinned as he picked up a freshly plucked tomato from it's stem. His eyes were drawn toward his image on the apple's shiny surface.
He gave a gentlemanly smile and winked towards the apple. The smile got even wider when he heard a giggle from the side.
Briefly looking back, he caught the sight of a young brunette looking back at him with a smile and warm cheeks.
Acting cool for a moment, he winked at her.
The girl blushed before looking down at her shopping cart. Suddenly feeling that the carton of milk she chose earlier looks quite interesting to stare at.
"Now this... this is life." Mercury grinned as he pushed his cart to get to the can goods aisle. The fact that he was shopping with the rest of the ignorant and peaceful folks was splendid.
It is times like this where he will just be able to relax and get away from all the problems that entered his life.
Cinder, his supposed "Powerful" and "Flaming hot boss."
Emerald, although hot, was pretty annoying with her stuck-up attitude.
The White Fang, yup, working with a bunch of human-haters was definitely something to do on his surviving guide checklist.
The mother of all Grimm...
To keep his cool headed character, Mercury would rather not think about her at his relaxing time.
No evil or violence today.
Just shopping and flirting with the beautiful female customers and workers is all he needs right about now.
After a few hours of flirting and getting things he needs, and mostly flirting, the charming gray haired man was now getting ready to leave.
"Just one last girl and I'll be off." Mercury grinned when he saw the aisle #13's cashier sign. He turned with a tad bit of giddiness in his heart.
Aisle 13 was a bit special.
That is because the station's cash register is for new employees or trainees that are trying to get used to taking the lien cards and processing them. That is not all, the fact is that every time he shopped, there was a new girl always there waiting for him with a smile on their face.
The best part is that they have their own special attractiveness to them making Mercury love the aisle even more.
Getting to the cashier, he was expecting to see a beautiful young maiden in front of him but what he got was totally the opposite of what he wanted to see.
The very opposite.
"Hola. My name is Juan si Mexicano Arc and I, a cashier for today. Bienvenidos to Dust and Shopping. Give us your money." a blonde teenage boy asked politely, standing in front of the register.
"?!" Mercury stared in confusion at the teenager in front of him.
Two things caused him to enter the state.
First, which is the obvious one, is that the cashier is not a beautiful girl, like he expected to see and flirt with, instead the other person at the cashier was just a scraggly looking dude.
Second, was that the boy's attire was... weird... to say. The blonde dude was sporting a large, weird round looking hat on his head while wearing a sunset color-schemed vest.
Mercury squinted his eyes at the black mustache that was attached to the man's face. Being the type of person he is on the streets Mercury knew how to identify objects if they were legit or not and this guy's mustache did not fit the legit bill. That honestly can not be real. It looked like it was slapped on with glue or something.
Juan stared back at the extraño who stared back at him with a weird look in his eye.
Juan then gained a hint of realization.
He gasped.
Before Mercury could react, Juan took out a feather duster and slapped Mercury's face with it!
The sudden action forced Mercury to look at the side.
He was frozen for about a few seconds before slowly turning to the cashier who was looking at him like he was about to violate the dude in public.
"Uh. The hell dude?" Mercury asked with confusion. No anger was found in his tone because although the hit did cause him to daze for a second it did not actually hurt him.
"Shame on you, Señor." Juan waved the feather duster at the customer threateningly. "I only like beautiful mujeres. For shame. For shame."
Mercury stared oddly then coughed. "Hey, buddy, can you not speak a different language here. I didn't understand what you meant?"
Gasp.
Juan gasped yet again before stepping back with teary eyes.
Mercury: "...What?"
Other employees and customers started looking over, Mercury was getting nervous. Heyheyhey. What is going on here. I was only asking for you to speak something I can understand also why are you all looking at me like that?
Mercury picked up curiosity, worry and a bit of disdain from around him.
He shivered.
"N-Not speak a different language. Señor, do you not like my language? The language of my people?" Juan pulled back his sombrero and his sobbing features became clear to everyone. "Just when I thought my people will be welcome to a big city like Atlas. Free to speak our language with the song and spirit of our people. Are we not allowed to do so? Ay Dios mío." Juan pitifully stood there, clenching his Sombrero in his hands. A look of disbelief and sadness in his eyes.
Meanwhile with the other people in the supermarket...
"Hey what's going on over there? What's happening and is that... Juan crying?"
"Yeah man. You didn't hear? That fellow with the gray hair there said to Juan to not speak his language anymore."
"What? He dare say that!"
"Oh no... poor Juan. Who the hell is this guy? Everyone knows how hard it is for Juan to get used to the city life and now someone wants him gone just because he speaks his own language?"
"Cruel jerk. There is already racism between humans and faunus yet this guy is going so much lower as to target the people of different backgrounds."
"What a bastard..."
Many employees and customers stared at Mercury with angry eyes.
As the conversations turned louder, Mercury was in a daze.
W-What the actual hell? What...
Tell him to not speak the language? That's only because I didn't understand him!
Want him gone? Since when did I ever say that?!
Racist towards people of different backgrounds? Oh come on. I'm practically the most friendly guy in the villain's side of things! You don't see Emerald or Cinder volunteering at community shelters to help the unfortunate, right?
Although, the only reason he did that was to get brownie points with the lady workers but still… Why is he being viewed as the bad guy here?!
Mercury started to sweat lightly. A few of the girls he even flirted with started looking in his direction. Crap. All his reputation and good guy points is gonna go down the drain!
Thinking of something quick, Mercury gave a nervous smile towards Juan. "He-Hey pal. You are mistaken here alright. I wanted you to speak something else because I didn't understand you. In fact, I love your language, it sounds really great! I am a big fan of your... culture."
At this, the customers and employees started turning away with smiles on their faces while proceeding to do their work.
Even the lovely girls started to smile back at him.
Whew~ Good thing that misunderstanding is out of the way.
Mercury sighed with relief before leaning back in fright when Juan popped up with a viscous amount of positive energy.
"Really, Señor?" Juan patted his chest with pride. "We mexicans of mexicano mexico have the most precioso y lengua soleada."
Mercury opened his mouth but no words came out.
He really didn't understand!
Juan tapped the cash register with a flick of a switch before the machine made a beeping sound, signifying that it was turned on. He warmly welcomes the un anciano canoso que parece un extraño.
"I can help you with your items."
Mercury grumbled in his heart as he began placing his items on the checkout conveyor belt. Not only was his reputation almost ruined but he wasn't able to meet a beautiful girl to flirt with at the register before going home.
Damn it~
At least he would have a chance next time and hopefully he won't ever meet this odd-ball around.
Juan whistled before counting everything.
Mercury was about to pay for his items with his lien cards but was stopped by a smiling Juan.
"Oh wait, Señor." Juan gestured toward a donation box on the side.
Mercury blinked.
He was staring at a donation box with a few pictures of young children, both boys and girls, mixtures of faunus and humans on the box. All of them were wearing rags and had sad smiles on their faces.
The strange thing was that most of these children were dressed almost like Juan with his vest and Sombrero.
"Would you also like to offer lien cards for poor hungry mexican children in my home country?"
Juan's smile fell off when Mercury pulled back his lien cards with a cough.
Donations, huh. Mercury didn't want to donate. It wasn't the fact that he was not kind, it was just that he didn't feel like donating today. "No. I'm good. I'll just be paying for my things. Thank you."
Juan stared at Mercury with raised eyebrows.
He spoke again, but this time with a raised voice. "I'm sorry señor. You do not want to spare a few lien cards to save the hungry and starving children of Mexico?"
A few eyes went back to Juan's station.
Mercury, although a brave guy turned a little nervous again, he shook his worries before saying firmly. "I-I'm good. I... don't want to donate today."
"..." Juan slowly nodded before tapping his fingers on the register. "That is okay then, Señor. I understand. Yes... yes... I understand."
The sadden Mexican asked for the lien cards and under the judging eyes of people, Mercury gave him his money to check out.
"So. Do you just hate my people? Is that why you no donate, Señor?" Juan spared a glance towards the stranger who just claimed a few minutes ago that he is a big fan of his culture and that he is in love with his language.
Truthfully speaking, Juan smells a mentiroso!
Mercury: "?!"
"No! I don't hate your culture, man. I just. Really do not want to donate today." Mercury desperately tried to explain.
"Scumbag. Can't even spare a few lien cards for the poor..."
"I know right. To think that handsome guy was such a jerk."
"To think I saw him in a good light before. Truly my perception of things keeps getting warped every time I go out to this cruel society."
"Hmhm" Juan nodded with a straight face.
There was no crying or joy in his look.
He placed down Mercury's lien cards on the counter before pointing the feather duster at Mercury.
"So... you no donate for the unfortunate mexicans?"
Embarrassed, Mercury shyly nodded his head.
He flinched when he heard a female voice speaking not too far from him, "Douchebag."
Juan sighed.
He then shrugged his drooping shoulders in defeat.
Juan opened his mouth with hesitation before asking with a bit of hope in his voice "Not even few cards?"
Without hesitation, Mercury, who was feeling frustrated by the turn of events, spoke harshly. "No. I do not want to donate to the starving mexican children, alright. I just don't care right now, you understand me! I do not want to give out a single lien ca-"
Mercury forced himself to stop with horrified eyes.
He glanced around him and... yeah. They were all pissed.
Juan couldn't handle it anymore and broke down crying. His tears falling onto the ground and onto his prideful vest. "I-I-I-I under-understand, Señor. It okay. It okey."
Juan's hiccups echoed.
Seeing the crying and kind and very well known Mexican worker cry, especially from the result of a customer, a reaction was made.
Suddenly from all directions, killing intent tore through the air and focused on Mercury.
A shaking Mercury burst into tears.
I'm the one who should be crying. I just didn't want to donate. Why did you have to ruin my reputation, Juan? What did I ever do to you?!
Emerald walked into the room with a whistle. "Hey Mercury. You're finally bac-holy shit! What happened to you?!"
Mercury whimpered as he held an ice pack to his blackened eye.
His clothes were ripped, some scorched and bullet marks were showing.
Bruises appeared over his body and he was also missing a leg for crying out loud.
Mercury slowly stared at a confused Emerald before sobbingly asking out. "E-Emerald. If I do not donate to the unfortunate, would people normally beat you up?"
Because that was what happened to him once he stepped out of the store.
He was actually jumped and pulled into an alley-way to be disposed of like a piece of trash.
They even took one of his legs for damn sake!
He did try to defend himself, he was trained.
Who would have known that the civilians were also trained.
Sniff. Sniff.
"Huh?" Emerald's worried face began sneering. "You didn't donate anything to the poor? You got beaten up for it? Good. You deserve it. I may be a criminal but even the biggest of criminals are willing to donate to the poor." Emerald paused before staring at the soda pop that Mercury opened, to soothe his wounded feelings.
She walked forward, grabbed it and started drinking it as she walked away.
"Dickface."
When Emerald left, the room was filled with silence.
Tears pooled from Mercury's eyes.
Teammate? Friend? Aren't you supposed to comfort me?!
And you even took my one and only soda pop when I'm down?!
From the events that had occurred today, Mercury was psychologically damaged.
A few minutes of sobbing, he then soon broke.
Mercury wailed out loudly. "OKAY, OKAY. I'LL DONATE A LIEN CARD NEXT TIME!"
Cinder, who met Emerald in the hallway, got a gist of the situation. Although cruel, she has a soft heart for her little minions. She was about to go into the room to settle a few words of comfort before hearing what Mercury said.
A snort escaped from her. Cinder opened the door with disapproval in her eyes. "I'm not angry, Mercury. I'm just disappointed by how low you fallen. Just a lien card? Not a few for the starving children?... I know that I am the pinnacle of trash but you're even worse than that." she snarled before leaving.
Mercury laid on his side in defeat.
Okay, I'll donate a few cards...