#BLOOD BONDDS.S.S.S.S

[auspex]

SESSION RECAP!!!

to set the scene - Mark is entering Sampson's bar to continue the conversation about their Situation after dealing w the kindred spying problem outside (w violence)

this summary was written for ppl w some context to Mark's story already so i am sorry if some things do not Cohere for u feel free 2 ask.

SO. 

Mark goes in to continue the conversation. He starts off by trying to talk about Sampson and him’s situation, but Sampson insists on talking about Mark’s blood bond to Julius. Sampson says he is thinking more clearly than he has in a very long time and it’s made him realize how fucked his situation is, and how fucked the blood bond is… and in turn how fucked Mark is with his bond to Julius. Mark starts getting defensive, more than he normally would obviously, and has to start rolling WP to not defend Julius profusely, but also emotionally wants to anyway so even when he succeeds he still hedges his bets with it. 

Sampson asks Mark how he would describe his relationship to Julius (he doesn’t know his name still) and when Mark says he is his boss he calls Mark an idiot and says his master is a monster and he is a tool. This pisses off Mark so bad that he stands up in his chair, not even noticing he breaks it until later. Sampson won’t answer Mark when Mark asks him what he is hoping to get out of this and they start shouting at each other about it, Mark doesn’t have a coherent defense. At one point Sampson says ‘and if I’m an inconvenience he’d have you drain me’ and Mark replies “then don’t be a fucking inconvenience” and its when Sampson laughs that he pushes him for the first time. He ends up PUSHING Sampson who just laughs at him and says that he doesn’t even see how ridiculous it is how mad he’s getting. Sampson does end up pushing him back just to get him out of his face but the whole time he’s sardonic. He says something else about Julius that really sets Mark off and the ST says Mark has a choice after the WP roll: Punch him, or do something similar to that, or leave. So I have Mark turn to leave, calling Sampson an idiot, and Sampson essentially says “when you’re ready to admit how badly you need help, if you ever do, maybe in a month when you have the courage.” but like in an angry way, implying he does not think he will come back anytime soon, very mean lol. 

Mark goes to his car. Or rather he starts approaching it. He spots a man with greasy, unkempt hair, ripped t shirt, and ripped jeans, waiting by the car. The ST says Mark realizes its a kindred because he has gashes showing BONES but he is standing like it’s fine. He is acting SUPER weird. Mark is STILL fucking MAD so he isn’t as nice with his introduction - when the man asks “are you Mark?” Mark replies ‘who the hell are you?’. The man knows whats up and is like. “Hey. Boss thought you might need help. I’m JP. He sent me”. And Mark is like Oh because OMG JULIUS HE CAN’T KNOW ABOUT SAMPSON’S INSOLENCE so Mark is like ah. OK. Don’t need help. The guy is suuuuper weird about it and is like are you SURE there is NOTHING I can help you with, please? Like basically begging Mark to ask for his help. Mark relents and is like. Well you can help with the anarch problem. 

JP is like. ‘Sure that’s a big problem. Are you Julius’s childe too?’ And Mark is like yes. And JP is like ah well. You got the *points to back*? And Mark is like yeah. And JP says ok yeah see I’m who he sends to help when he has no one else available. And he lifts his shirt AND THERES A HUGE GNARLY SCAR SHOWING BONES THAT IS CARVED INTO HIS FLESH THAT SAYS “I REBELLED AGAINST JULIUS” .

And he continues to say “more than once!” with the most PAINED face. And upon seeing that Mark has some Realizations. He realizes 1) the blood bond is the most traumatic, most deeply violating, thing that can be done to a person. Worse than the shame and ridicule he faced while alive for being gay, worse than even being embraced, even worse than Gaius getting all of his memories. It’s abhorrent. 2) He would need help to get out of this and 3) it would have to be someone with experience on dealing with it. 

Mark’s anger is replaced by a profound emptiness. Drained. But the night continues. So Mark says that, yeah, maybe actually he can help with many problems. JP is like yeah. Julius has been busy these nights. Very busy. And Mark is like ah I see. Will you be around? And JP says Julius sent me to Help You :) let Me Help You :) and he can’t say this explicitly but he basically says IF YOU SAY I HAVE TO STAY TO HELP WITH OTHER THINGS I CAN STAY AND HELP WITH THE BLOOD BOND. 

And Mark and him have the most awkward roundabout conversation and JP says. Well it’s difficult to talk without a Medium. Obviously trying to imply something. And Mark is like. A medium huh? Like … fortune teller orr…? And JP is like Nooo and Mark can SMELL HIS SIGIL BURNING LIKE IT DOES TO HIM SOMETIMES so obviously something is up with this. THANKFULLY after he mimes a ball i get that he means one of the memory balls! And Mark is like OH. and very seriously says I can help with that. Because he had asked for one from Julius a LONNGGG time ago on a whim cause he thought they were neat!

And JP seems relieved but has a very pained smile so he’s like. Again so. Do you need help? And Mark is like well. I could use someone to watch the territory, and he asks JP if he has a place to stay. And JP says not here :) his body language and tone of voice is just SCREAMING “PLEASE HELP ME” lmfao. So Mark asks if he got him a place to stay could he stay. And he says yes, if I need to stay to help you I can. And so Mark brings him to a place on the territory, the lighthouse safe house, and apologizes that it has no mattress tonight, just an old, shitty, rotting couch. And JP says, with WONDER. “That’s much more than I usually get…. I can get a mattress?” BRUH. 

And Mark is like. Oh  my god yeah. And how long have uh. You had those referring to the scars and marred skin. And JP is like oh? I get new one’s every night. And Mark is like oh my god someone comes here? And he’s like no… it’s hard to explain. OH MY GOD I JUST GOT THE IMPLICATION MAYBE JULIUS HAS ORDERED HIM TO DO IT TO HIMSELF??? OKAY I ASKED ST AND HE CONFIRMED IT. HE DOES IT TO HIMSELF. FUCK.

But yes Mark leaves him there for the night. And he cries in his car a little because oh my god. What is this situation. But he remembers Sampson saying that when he’s ready for him to help him get out of this, he would, just come back. So Mark goes Fuck It We Ball and goes RIGHT BACK TO SAMPSON because he has Realized that Sampson was right and he was an Idiot Sandwhich (I need that meme drawn btw of Sampson calling Mark an idiot sandwhich, w the bread). 

So Mark, totally drained, goes back to Sampson’s bar. Sampson lets him in. And Mark says. “Let’s try this again. Carefully.” and Sampson doesn’t really say anything but ‘ok’ and Mark continues and says. “I am sorry. About the chair and pushing you. You were right. About everything.” (had to roll wp to say that) and Sampson has him sit down. He asks him to say it again and Mark can’t this time but he gets it. 

So Sampson is like. Okay i honestly didn’t expect you to come this soon. Wasn’t sure if you would at all. But this is good. And Mark is like yeah. And they were quiet for a bit but Sampson is like. Okay. What are we talking about. And Mark asks him again, why are you helping, and Sampson is basically saying that he wants out of this life. That he is really stuck and trapped, and he recognizes how fucked it is, but he is only gonna get out of it if Mark gets through his blood bond stuff. I can’t fully remember how the conversation flowed but it did flow naturally. But I will just have to list other developments.

Mark says he still cares about Sampson. Sampson says he isn’t sure if Mark is pretending to care or not, and asks what he thinks. Mark says he definitely still does. Sampson appears ambivalent, like it doesn’t really matter. He’s non committal about what he believes, but says he believes Mark believes what he is saying at least, but he might be lying to himself/doing it out of habit. Because he KNOWS other ghouls and stuff (this was talked abt in the earlier convo as well) and he knows how kindred are, and how he can’t trust Mark due to the blood bond also. But yeah. Mark FINALLY straight up asks Sampson how he feels about him and Sampson first asks if Mark really wants to know. And Mark, after hesitation, says he does. Sampson says. “Honestly, you make me sad. I remember what you were like before, what we were like, I know my situation and when I think about you… it’s just sad.” 

Like basically the implication is Mark is a sad memory, he feels like he owes him (said that explicitly) and has some fondness for, but wants to move on. He wants to move past him and put all this behind him (said explicitly). Mark is quite sad. Sampson says they can have a more normal relationship now. But its clear - he doesn’t want to be friends long term, they are just working together, with a deep shared history, and some level of fondness. But he doesn’t love him. There isn’t some deep care. He can’t trust him and does believe he is a vampire who either has already or will eventually stop caring. 

Sampson says that this was a downer note to end on. As just before he had said this was good, and he felt he had hope for the first time, and they both committed to being honest with one another (sad thing is Mark always was really when he could be.). Mark just says “that’s good. [regarding feeling hope] And that if there was nothing else, please keep me in the loop if anything happens here this time, but I will stop bothering you now.” Sampson walks him out. Says goodnight Mark as he leaves. Mark says goodnight as well. Mark is empty, drained, should feel hope but can’t due to blood bond, and is just miserable that it is finally confirmed Sampson doesn’t feel the same. 

Mark goes home. Does his normal routine. Checks his email - an email from ‘regional’. It just says “I sent help. Be careful. -J.”

On that menacing note, Mark cries himself to sleep for the i think third time in his unlife and willingly enters torpor early <3 THE END

I AM SUFUCKERING /POSITIVE