Originally Posted by Clodfobble

The other side of that coin is that if Merc knew you, he wouldn't say nearly as much of that kind of thing. Merc suffers very strongly from the Anonymity Syndrome of the internet. If you're some stranger, his default position is to be a douchebag towards you. When he first arrived, he was a douchebag to a lot of people. As he got to know us, and we got to know him, he stopped being nearly so childish towards most people and most discussions. Still does on occasion, to be sure, but nowadays it's almost 100% directed towards you. He's fiercely loyal to those he cares about, and violently defensive against people he doesn't know. It's a character flaw, to be sure, but it's known. You are unknown, so not only does Merc taunt you like a pit bull, but we don't care enough to stop him.