Mark finally gets a few words in edgewise! Lotta good conversations going on on the comments about who’s in the wrong here! The general consensus seems to be “Everybody”.
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Rahne Says:
Definitely everybody screwed up, but he really does have a point. I think she would have flipped out no matter how she found out about it, even if he explained it. And she definitely would have mocked him.
CroctorWho Says:
Honestly, they both seem to kind of wrong. She’s in the wrong on many levels, the snooping being the biggest. But Mark is also kind of wrong for not telling her, although that concern is slightly allayed by the point he makes
Bender_Sastre Says:
Girlfriend, you have exceded your hotness to crazy ratio. Dump’er, dude.
Hurbster Says:
It doesn’t help when ALL he seems to do in his spare time is game.
Ro9ge Says:
I know lots of people are saying that they’re over with but…I kind of hope they get past this. I’ve also seen how Sarah still clearly cares about Mark in spite of his geekness. She does need to work on how she treats it, but I really do like the idea of showing how a relationship can work despite people not sharing everything in common. Maybe this will eventually really help them have a better understanding of each other? Maybe not, but either way it’s good to see this finally come out.
DarthThought Says:
I wouldn’t say all he does in his spare time is game, though yeah I think Hubster is talking about from her point of view.
The problem, the major problem with this relationship is like many have said in this and previous posts is the fact that this couple has two separate lives with nothing intersecting. I mean having seperate friends and lives is good but only if ya know you have a few common threads. I don’t know where you’re going with this but this has been coming for a long time.
I just kinda feel horrible for the awkward aftermath upcoming
Marty Says:
Whoops, Ro9ge, I believe that was a Freudian slip…
Of course, I’ve been a Sarah/Mark shipper from the start. And I’m not embarrassed to say that. I am, however, embarrassed to have used the word “shipper.”
Ebony Sable Says:
Well, at least she seems to understand now that he’s not cheating on her with another woman. He’s cheating on her with a game instead. Which is worse?
Anaxim Says:
The bit that I find completely idiotic in this whole mess is that Mark or Sarah don’t have special Email addresses for their _characters_. On the assumption that the Vampire LARP occurs in modern times (seeing as they are using Email as a game tool)… why would they both leave an incriminating trail for the uninitiated? They’re both smarter than that!
Zephi Says:
Care about mark IN SPITE OF his geekiness?! FUCK THAT! If they were a good match she would care BECAUSE of his geekiness! There should be no shame in what he likes to do, any more then he should make fun of her for knitting!
There is a VERY good reason I married someone as nerdy as me. And statements like that reinforce it.
Twentydragon Says:
I’m with Ro9ge here. I hope they sort this out without something going awry (breakups and/or geek-outs included).
Jess has every right to be suspicious after what she found, but she went into this with the intention to snoop, and when you do that, you WILL find things you don’t expect. Even if she had simply stumbled across the e-mails, there’s no reason for her not to let Mark explain himself.
Mark should have password-protected his computer as soon as he got it, even if he were living with his family. This situation was totally preventable from Mark’s position.
I also understand why he didn’t tell Jess about this beforehand. To him, it’s part of the game, in which she has no interest, and totally separate from real-life. It simply wasn’t worth mentioning. Any way he could have raised this plot to her probably would have come off as strange, suspicious, and suspiciously strange.
It’s obvious from an audience standpoint that Sarah has feelings for Mark, but she seems to value both his and Jess’s friendships enough not to make any kind of move like this intentionally. Remember, this plot all started because of in-game “punch” that was simply lying around for anyone to drink and had a love spell on it. Unless she’s just that diabolical. *looks at panels with Sarah* Yeah, she’s no Joel.
Now there’s an interesting wild theory: Joel set this up in an attempt to break up Mark and Jess so he can see Sarah instead, possibly with the point of view that geeks and mundanes are totally incompatible or even mutually destructive. Basically, he’s a jerk, but he means well.
At any rate, I do hope Mark and Jess can sort this out. Jess has increasingly become a sympathetic character, and I’d hate to see her permanently at odds with our hero.
kenneth Says:
Just because you love someone doesn’t mean you should be together. These two are doomed to fail. Mourn the love lost and move on, I say.
As to which is more wrong? Doesn’t matter. For them, trying to define who is most wrong is a waste of time and tears. Let it go and try to end as friends. That way you don’t have to dodge each other at the supermarket for the next few years.
That said, I choose Jess.
Too much trust in a relationship creates complacency. The occasional snoop doesn’t make you a monster. Being completely uninterested in your mate’s hobbies doesn’t make you the devil either. Men and women typically like different things. Heaping derision on your mate’s hobby? That does make you the badguy.
As to Mark’s behavior, whether in character or not, corresponding in a series of love letters to a potential romantic rival is a bad idea if you are already in a relationship. Period. It’s not necessarily cheating, but it certainly could look that way. I doubt someone truly in love would even consider it without full disclosure to their partner. While it wasn’t a secret, Mark should have at least mentioned it, even if it was ignored. His sins are insensitivity and not communicating. They are flaws, but not fatal ones.
Aita Says:
Gamers thinking cheating is bad? Really?
Er… didn’t we all get over this in the days of MUDs?
Siriln Says:
I hope the record is set straight. And then that they break up. When you have to sneak around about your interests because your “other half” mocks you, it’s not a particularly good sign. Neither may be a bad person, but they don’t respect each other enough to be together happily. Better to get out before they reach a serious level in the relationship (they have no child, they don’t share a place, they aren’t engaged/ married- thus, they aren’t strongly bound yet). With maturity and better communication skills on both sides, this could be resolved, but in that case it likely never would have happened.
Joker Says:
Both of them are in the wrong to an extent, but in this case…I kind of have to side with Mark. If she belittles his hobbies and things he enjoys then she clearly doesn’t respect him, or at least doesn’t think that he deserves her respect unless he’s doing something SHE thinks is fine.
What he was doing was in a game, while we the audience know about Sarahs feelings, Mark doesn’t. Besides that, while I admit that the love letter thing might be a bit odd, it is a reasonable part of the game. The issue frankly is more how exactly could Mark bring that up. It isn’t like he hadn’t tried to explain his hobbies to her before, she just ignores him or insults him.
At the very least, they need to reassess the relationship, and maybe should have done it earlier. And to Hurbster, Mark does more than game, we see him gaming because the comic focuses on that, but he does spend time with her, goes shopping with her, etc. as well as any other hobbies he might have.
Raven Says:
Open communication and set limits are the key in this situation. I’m a married woman. My main larp character is the lover of another larp character, played by a man who is not my husband. I have set limits on what goes on in e-mail communication. It’s all innuendo and implied off-screen. I told my husband about the whole thing, limits included, as soon as it began. And he’s totally cool with it because of that. My husband doesn’t larp anymore, but understands larping, which helps.
Bazza Says:
“If you can imagine it, it’s real”
Playing a game is a real activity, what is going on that makes it fun?
That’s what’s real about games.
Does he put more energy into the “game” than into the “real”?
Oh ho! big plot point!
How many passionate love letters has he written to his “real” girl?
Which has more of a hold on him “really”?
And what if something that should be getting a “real” outlet only has a “game” in which to express itself?
What fools these mortals be.
Rhaina Says:
This is kind of similar to something I’ve had happen. Jess will break up with Mark or forbid his interacting with Sarah (which would cause a major issue since Sarah has been a part of their gaming groups longer). OR Jess will confront Sarah after shoving her foot a good bit into her mouth and listen to Sarah’s side of the story then decide if she’s got too much pride or is willing to eat crow to keep from pushing Mark and Sarah together
Lync Says:
Here’s what needed to happen: Mark should have asked his girlfriend to listen to him and respect his choices as an intelligent and independent human being, at which time he would have been able to tell her about his games in a calm and rational manner.
Also, I think Mark wins the argument due to Jess’ use of logical fallacy. (You don’t tell me about your games! And now I turn around and mock you for playing them! Gee, I wonder why you don’t tell me about them!)
john Says:
honestly, I think she should get dumped. because she is always a jerk to him, so why would he ever want to marry a person like that? just look at the way she ignores him in her self rightious way!
Salidar Says:
Looking back over the comments from the last two news postings, it’s pretty obvious to me that not many people have a lot of experience with role playing, especially as it relates to Vampire. Mark is not under a love spell, he is bloodbound, and it looks like third degree to me. That means that to his character, Sarah’s character is the entirety of his character’s life. It’s completely within character to exchange emails in character like this, and I did many times myself in LARPs, all while maintaining a relationship with someone else. Irregardless of Sarah’s motivations, Mark is playing his character correctly in my opinion. That said, he should have passworded his PC, but then, there is the violation of trust involved in her snooping, and also there is the fact that she has refused to communicate in an adult manner regarding his hobbies.
So, yeah, this is completely on Jess. Mark isn’t off the hook though in that he’s definitely letting his gaming interfere with his life, as evidenced by his being late, and the opportunity arising for Jess to snoop anyway. Do I think Mark and Sarah should end up together though? No, not really. Or not now anyway. Sarah needs to be mature and healthy in how she communicates how she feels for Mark. Mark needs to get a handle on his gaming habit and not let it rule his life. Jess needs to accept and be understanding of Mark’s gaming habit and be willing to communicate with him about it, also she needs to respect his personal space. I’ll be honest though, I don’t see them surviving this.
Christopher Says:
I’m really glad that they’re finally communicating. I was kind of worried when this started that things were going to crash and burn. She’s really got to learn to accept his hobbies, though. (I’m so glad I got my wife into gaming, she’s really into it… 🙂 )
Frankie D. Says:
Ken, it’s roleplaying. It’s not cheating at all.
Kevin S. Says:
It’s a bit too much to be considered *just* Roleplaying.
FSilvermane Says:
She is much more in the wrong for one simple reason,…she has closed her mind to any other possibility other than Mark is cheating. She has already made her mind up and is so assured she is correct about the cheating, about the innocence of her looking through his email [which to me regardless of being in a relationship is wrong], and about his “pocket protector dorky” games that without a decisive and direct sign from the Universe she will not change her mind. Further her “friends” have also “poisoned” her mind about Mark and Sarah so she feels doubly justified in her views [multiple people agreeing means consensus in her mind]. Her friends, while trying to help her in their minds, think they know whats going on but they do not understand Geeks and do not understand Gaming and because of this try to use “mainstream” or “pop culture” logic on a situation that does not conform to that view of the world. All of this combined has put Jess way behind the eightball as it were and put her firmly in “the wrong” in this case.
Sigurther Says:
They should break up, she should date the overbearing douchebag she really wants to and he should hook up with Sarah, end of story. Of course, there’s got to be drama and basic human stupidity because the simple right result will never happen.
CelticDragon38 Says:
Kenneth- Re: the point about derision- Constantly putting down the passions of the person you care about- and therefore, the person themselves- is abusive. That very much gives her bad guy points. The worst thing Mark is guilty of is failing to realize his in-game decisions could have real-world consequences. And we don’t know-he may have wanted to tell her, but [correctly] realized that he would get nothing but grief and abuse from her if he tried to bring up gaming again.
But I completely agree with your second paragraph. Both parties here are guilty of not communicating , going behind each other’s backs, and not being considerate of the other. It would take quite a bit of restraint, acceptance (both of each other and of their own faults), and emotional maturity for this relationship to be salvaged. I don’t think the potential for all of that is there in this case.
Marcel Says:
Wow. $@!% just got real.
Frank Says:
As much as I’d love for them to make up (and make out afterwards XD) this relationship will never work out, simply because Jess lacks one fundamental thing: Respect. Since she discovered Mark’s geeky side, she no longer respects him, even to the point of making fun of him, and with a very derogative demeanor, may I add.
I happen to be a VERY geeky guy married to a “not-so-geeky” wife, who doesn’t like board games or video games, but she’s quite into sci-fi, fantasy and zombies, and we enjoy those shared things together, but she also gives me my space to play my video games, board games and wargames with my friends. Shoot, we even sit together on the couch watching some random movie and I will paint my minis while she does her cross-stitching. But that’s the whole point, she respects my hobbies, my personal space, as I respect hers, and that’s what makes our marriage work. I just don’t see the same between Mark and Jess anymore, and that’s pretty sad…
I just hope Sarah doesn’t make any moves too soon, ’cause that’s gonna be some major drama!!! (oops, I gave the DM an idea… XD)
Lady Kal Says:
Maybe it’s just my perspective as a female gamer, but when I have been involved with someone, I always ‘cool down’ the romance aspect in my games because it does feel like cheating to me.
I always tell the guys I was involved with about the gaming relationships and since all of the guys I date are gamers, they have understood and returned me the same curtesy. I also learned never to have an in game relationship with someone I was dating because it got really awkward gaming together after we stopped dating whereas with other guys I dated that I didn’t do an in game relationship with we had no trouble continuing to game together. And the guys I had the in game relationships with were all ok with pulling back on the relationship stuff when I asked.
So in my mind, the best way to handle it is to be up front and not to date people who don’t share at least one major hobby with you.
Zachary Says:
The two of them seem quite wrong for each other since the beginning of the comic. They might have been right before Mark’s gaming hobby, but after it their relationship seems to be coming apart at the seams, bit by bit. A partner/spouse that doesn’t respect your hobbies is one fast way to do that.
This happened to my Aunt with her first marriage, according to stories she’s told in passing. She’s never been much of a game person and never had respect for their ability to stimulate the mind and encourage social mingling. Poker’s “okay”, but otherwise she’s into dog shows, nice furniture, and interesting cooking. Her first husband liked games. It ultimately never worked out. If Mark tries to continue this relationship, the same will occur.
Pilgrim Says:
I for one kind of hope this leads to Jess giving Vampire a try. THAT would be a very interesting dramatic development, both RL and in-game!
The comic made the point earlier that everyone has a geeky side – the hunter’s was WWF. What is Jess going to geek out on?
Quin Says:
I can see the problem and the issues with both sides. While it is true that he properly should have told her… I highly doubt she would have listened and just would have freaked out latter. She was only okay with him when it was on her terms. She didn’t try to listen or understand what was going on. Yes there are none geeky couples, but this isn’t so much about the games as it is about the relationship. He wants to spend more time with his friends and he was sort of leaving her. While he was with her he was a good boyfriend expect she only wants him on her terms. While he was willing to make room and make changes for her in his life. She was not willing to do the same. She just mocked what he did and never really bothered to care about him beyond the “I have a boyfriend” aspect of the relationship. There is a chance for them still… but lets face it. They properly going to break up for now and date other people or just stay single. Their not going to adress the issuses or try to understand each other.
Wm Says:
I really like how Jess is shaded in that first panel.
Jon Thurtell Says:
This relationship was doomed from the start. Mark should just drop her and ask Sarah out already. They’ve been dancing around each other since they first met.
OOC: Kudos to Alina for writing a web comic romance plot I actually give a frak about. Normally this sort of nonsense is guaranteed to make me loose interest but I’ve been waiting for this to happen ever since Jess made her first appearance.
Erik Says:
She’s completely in the wrong on this one. She’s the one who has never shown one bloody interest in what he does; she’s the one who was snooping through his emails; she’s the one who jumped to a conclusion (albeit, without the ‘jump to conclusions’ mat from Office Space)…
Keith Says:
Proof positive why I refuse to date someone who doesn’t also game. There’s just too much of a gap otherwise.
Though frankly, given all the emotional turmoil that happens in relationships, I’ve found I’m happier single. I never have to feel ashamed, compromise time/attention/money, or deal with stupid misunderstandings.
Hopefully Mark realizes the same. Jess bad, Sarah good, end of story. Gamers and Mainstreamers don’t mix.
Tom Says:
Who is in the wrong? Jess (wrongly) bullied Mark over his hobbies. While she may disagree with his hobbies that doesn’t mean they’re bad. He hates her hobbies, she hates his hobbies. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be together but she should be more respectful of him. He carries her shopping around while she chats to her friends. He clearly respects her.
That being said, Mark is more in the wrong. In game romances are risky as one person may want the romance to develop into more. This should be obvious- you shouldn’t be flirting with someone, in game or out of game, without clear permission from your partner. Mark is flirting with someone who secretly wants him to be with her which is very out of bounds. He should have told her about this before even with the risk of bullying, or broke it off with Jess.
Something like. “Me and my friends were playing a kind of vampire dnd. We pretend to be vampires and plot to drink each other’s blood and such. My character, in game, has been magically bound to another vampire in eternal slavehood. Is it acceptable to you if my character flirts with their character? There will be no kissing or sex, just romantic talks.”
Most flirting starts as a game, as something not serious. Like a roleplay. It often develops into more than that. If you want to do it you should talk to your partner about it before.
Nicholas Walls Says:
And now, if Mark has any self respect, he will break up with her. This relationship lacks common ground and clearly common respect.
She knows where he is. At the shop with friends. She has played the games with them. Hardly anything sordid or illicit.
Mark gave her no reason to be invading his privacy, she does not respect his hobbies so why on earth would he tell about them, and more to the point, its LARP. Acting. Role Playing.
If ones girl/boy/otherfriend is in a play and is “intimate” with another, that does not constitute cheating. Both are acting their characters.
Yeah btw, don’t pick up a cellphone, go through emails, etc without permission from your significant other. It does not show “interest” in what they do. It shows trust issues. “Interest” invovles DIALOGUE.
“Hey honey, how was your day?” not “I am going to rifle through their shite without permission. Yay boundaries!”
Now, perhaps with situations with living together or marriage that dynamic changes. But like this? Naw. Excuse the vernacular but “Bitch done wrong.”
Yeah, about that.... Says:
I agree with Kenneth. Doesn’t matter that it’s a game. It doesn’t matter that Jess snooped. Justified. Unjustified. Mark’s actions are the emotional equivalent of cheating on your significant other.
Mark intentionally fed Sarah’s interest:
Mark has known of Sarah’s interest in him since comic #44. Mark intentionally put his character in a situation where he could feed Sarah’s emotional interest by drinking the cups Sarah’s vampire character left out. Mark intentionally fed Sarah’s emotional interest by agreeing to carry on the love affair outside-of-session at through email.
Mark intentionally hid the emails from Jess:
Mark never mentioned the emails to Jess. He never EVEN TRIED to mention the emails to Jess. It doesn’t matter that she doesn’t listen (in this one instance) because he never made the effort to share about the emails.
Mark showed poor judgment, but is still responsible for his actions:
Mark knew he was dating Jess. Mark knew Sarah was interested. Mark knew he was unavailable to Sarah, but strung her along anyway through his in-game actions. This isn’t a “I failed a dice roll. The GM made me do it. Leave it at the gaming table” scenario. Mark knowingly walked into this; he knowingly took it out-of-session; he knowingly hid it from Jess; and now he’s trying to rationalize his way out of it so that he can preserve the self-image he has of himself as a good guy.
There is plenty of blame to go around in this relationship. Mark is spineless, and avoids conflict. Jess is close-minded, and belittles things she doesn’t understand. But I put most of the blame on Mark. If he wasn’t emotionally fulfilled with Jess, he should have broken up with her, so that he’d be free to honestly pursue other options, instead of trying to use the game as an excuse for his emotional deceit. And, if he was happy and fulfilled in the relationship, he should never have fed Sarah’s interest in him.
Surfpenguin Says:
If I was Mark, I’d be snapping right about now: Jess has already made up her mind, and the fact that she refuses to listen to his explanations (because they involve gaming, which is ‘pocket-protector dorky’) isn’t helping any. I’d be shouting something along the lines of “When you’re ready to talk like an adult and not some high-school prom queen, you have my number. Until then the door is that way!”
Satyrwyld Says:
Jess is abusive, controlling, and condescending. Mark is playing a LARP. He’s under no more obligation to tell someone about roleplaying a romance than he is to tell them about roleplaying threats of assassination. Even before she found out about his geek hobbies (presumably, even before HE found out about them) she pushed him around and treated him like a servant.
Here’s an unpleasant thought… we haven’t seen Mark trigger his weregeek form yet… what if this is enough emotional agitation to make it happen?
Satorui Says:
keep in mind the whole reason Jess was snooping was because her “friends” had put the idea that mark was cheating in her head in the first place. trust issues or not if all my friends were telling me my hypothetical girlfriend was cheating on me I would to be sure. you can blame Jess for mocking Mark’s hobbies but the idea that the in-character ship could become cheating is valid
Satorui Says:
another thing is that previously Jess was okay with mark doing geeky stuff if it made him happy UNTIL her friends brought up the idea of cheating, so it’s really their fault
Nikko Says:
Watching people respond to this rorschach of a comic has been interesting.
As for my opinion: If you think right and wrong are obvious and distinct, read up the page a bit. For every morality judgement up there, there’s at least one person who’s made the opposite call. Is snooping on someone else’s computer an invasion of privacy, or was it wrong to have something to hide? If Mark put a password on his computer, would it be prudent and reasonable, or a betrayal of his trust in Jess?
Nothing I’ve seen has prepared me to assign any definitive blame. I’ve met people who are content leading separate social lives from their significant other. Some have multiple partners, which they regard with anything from full disclosure to an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ attitude. Some maintain relationships while living hundreds of miles apart. I know a couple who would consider it a betrayal if their partner neglected to inform them when they ran into a friend at the store or bought a new brand of batteries. One guy hides things that he thinks would upset his girlfriend, and they never attend social activities separately. I met a guy whose ideal girlfriend would have her own interests, but they would both break off contact with all opposite sex friends as soon as they got together. Another guy could never make his girlfriend the entirety of his social life because he would feel smothered and closed off from the world. A friend is going through trials from his partner in preparation for moving in because she wants to make sure he can conform to her way of doing things. He is doing well, checks in regularly, and happily does everything she says. A mutual friend says he would never take that kind of shit from anyone, and a man with self respect would have dumped that bitch ages ago. One couple argues constantly, but their mutual fear of being alone has united them in a marriage that will probably last forever.
As far as I can tell, there is no right or wrong way of doing things. The best you can hope for is to find someone who wants the same relationship that you do, and then arrange something you can both agree on. Can Mark and Jess do that? I can’t tell. The fate of their relationship is entirely at the mercy of their writer.
Maemae Says:
This has actually happened to me…. I sometimes roleplay over text, and ny boyfriend happened to check my phone once when I got a text from my roleplay buddy.. Thankfully he took it a lot better than Jess is (crisis averted moment)
Nicholas Walls Says:
@Satorui
Not really, because she believed their completely baseless and ignorant assumptions. The fault lies with her.
@Yeah,About That…
Wait, what?
It Mark’s fault that he “hid” them from her? He hid nothing. We can already see that the ignorant sow has no interest in his games, why on EARTH would he share what is obviously to him an entirely fictional thing?
Should he tell her about the “kidnapping” then or that he is heir to a political power base of the undead?
It is in a game. And one that DID NOT INVOLVE NOR INTEREST JESS.
Next time he plays WoW or some such, he should probably admit to genocide then and animal abuse. Those poor skinned animals!
Mark is NOT cheating. It is a role in a game! This is not a difficult concept to wrap ones head around.
That Jess is ignorant, suspicious, and judgmental is not really his fault though it is rapidly becoming his problem. He is not the one “emotionally unfulfilled” and ready to assume the worst about his partner based on vapid and air headed friends say so.
This would all be on Jess.
Mark’s fault? Trying to respect the fact that his girlfriend has no interest in his hobbies and thus not forcing her to play them. Oh, and being late. Shame, m’boy, SHAME!
Tokoz Says:
I feel a lot of it comes down to the intentions. Granted, Jess is pretty upset, but Mark obviously had no idea what she was really upset about. If he had been being erotic, trashtalking her, anything more, really, I could understand it being cheating. But he was literally just exchanging mushy letters. Honestly, if Jess really knew Mark, even partially, she would have realizied he wouldn’t pull that crap and listened. I mean, no offence Mark, but you’re too… Innocent? Dopy? Naive? Some of each? To cheat for that long and not only get away with it, but to not feel and probably look guilty as hell every time you’re in the same room together as the pair of them. Jess knew Sarah, hell, they hang out together. She should know she’s too much of a nice person to knowingly cheat on someone. The pair obviously weren’t trying to hide anything, they used their emails, and Mark leaves his computer open. Hell, I password everything and nobody touches my horrible laptop.
Nevik Says:
I really hope there over, i havnt liked Jess really since day one because she always seemed unsupportive of her boyfriends hobbies and a real bitch about everything.
Ps. Love weregeek wished i had found it sooner
DarkPascual Says:
Ok, I just got through the entire archive and have to say… this is a very good comic.
I’m not that fond of the “weregeek” side of the comic, but overall I think this is great.
Now, I’m kinda surprised with learning that Jess made fun of Mark’s hobbies. Last time it was brought up between them, Jess seemed uninterested but understanding… a “is just not my thing” kind of deal.
Unless I missed a few pages, she calling Mark’s D&D hobby “pocket-protector dorky” comes kinda out of nowhere to me.
WolfsSOL Says:
I can see where she is coming from but Mark is right, no matter how he broke this to her she would have been pissed or mocked him. As someone that has had both happen to him because of my table top gaming hobby I can see where he was coming from.
Anon_Mahna Says:
Having been in Mark’s shoes (sans not telling the s/o about the gaming), he needs to break it off. Some one else pointed it out, just because two people love each other doesn’t mean they should be together. And if he tries to salvage things, it’ll only buy a brief peace before things go all the way to critical mass. I still love my ex wife to this day. We just should have been smart and divorced a lot sooner than we did.
draginbeard Says:
Been waiting for this to come to a head.
As much as I like Sarah, I dont think Mark is going to want to get involved with her anytime soon. Later, maybe. But if they got together now, it would be a bad thing since his heart wouldn’t be in it.
I never had a situation like this come up myself, but I have dated my share of non-gamers and being mocked or made to feel stupid because of your interests is a deal breaker.
Points go to Mark for trying to show her what he was into, loss of points to Mark for sneaking around.
Points go to Jess for at least trying to be part of Marks hobbies. Loss of points for making him feel bad about them, and then snooping.
Halzar Says:
NOOOO!
I hope they get back togethor and I’m probably in the minority but I definitely hope mark and sarah don’t start dating after this.
DarthThought Says:
OK i’m going to adress some other comments before I get to my own opinion main one I want to address is “Yeah About that”
You say that mark new from Comic forty-four. As part of his character he’s a little dense therefore that comic doesn’t show that she has interest she’s a little nervous but Mark does not know aout her feelings. Abbie, and the others yeah they do, they should’ve stopped the in-game stuff before it could start. As for Mark intnetionally drinking the things that Sarah set out? Correct me if i’m wrong here people but when you have a LARP does everybody know what everyones done BEFORE the game? I saw that as Marks character being hte inept vamp he is.
Yeah that’s about all i can say on that comment.
Oh dear god Alina you….are….killing me………with this I love it but god so many feels! I think that Mark shouldn’t rush into his next relationship; it would just hurt him and whomever he gets into it with. I love this comic I seriously do
Shinji Says:
Hopefully this ark and this relationship is over.
It’s easy to blame Mark for not telling her. But whoever was in this kind of relationships completely understands why he didn’t tell her.
If your partner belittles you for your hobbies and even makes fun of you (worst of all, in public or in front of mutual friends) you just stop to mention your hobbies anymore. Why mention anything if the only reaction is a snarky comment at best?
It’s either this or a full scale fight.
Usually if you care for your partner but get belittled all the time it takes years for you to realize that this is going nowhere and you should end it.
Dan Says:
The funny thing is, I’m not sure Sarah will still see Mark as attractive. Now that Mark is single, there’s nothing risque about flirting with him.
Anyway, if Mark really loved Jess, why did he spend seemingly all of his free time with his gaming friends and not her? I’m not necessarily saying that Jess was in the right, but Mark was a lousy boyfriend in many ways.
Adafr Says:
Does it make me a terrible person that all I can think is “Finally! Hopefully it’s over!” I think it may…
Mjoellnir Says:
I guess Mark has no idea how incredibly lucky he is to get rid of her. Relationships with people who feel like that about you and your hobbies are a disaster waiting to happen. And he got out of it only with her probably telling everybody that he cheated on her, that could have been way worse too.
Dancergirl Says:
Ouch, this hurts. I hate seeing couples argue. At the same time, this is the healthy thing for them to do.
I must say, I feel extremely lucky that most of the guys I’ve dated have been geeks. My first boyfriend introduced me to D&D, and my second boyfriend introduced me to LARPing. That being said, I should probably talk to the guy I’m dating now about my hobby, just so he knows.
BigAl Says:
I think it is both of their faults. I side with Mark as from being in his shoes. You game lose track of time, and boom you’re late to do something. That said, you do stuff to make up for it. If you are more than 5 to 10 minutes late, you are super late, 20 min or 30 min is just a number at that point. Stop by pick up something nice for her and let her know you were thinking about her.
Though for her derogative feelings about his hobbies, that can happen too. The scenes show he does stuff with her, he didn’t really like to do, but did them anyway. From a writers point of view, he may have done this more than we saw, it is just not part of the plot. Some say he was a lousy boyfriend, but he did support her on what she liked to do.
Also if you haven’t noticed, Mark is a really trusting person. He is also pretty open, unless you deride something he likes, then he will just shut up about it. He wouldn’t have password protected his computer, it wouldn’t occurr to him someone was going to snoop. At least that is my take of his character.