Bloodlines

[Guest Wyndham]

I'm not a regular poster but wanted to let you know how avidly I am following the stories.

 

It may sound corny but one of the highlights of my day is when I get an email notifying me that a new chapter from you has been posted.

 

I would also like to compliment your team as it is a real pleasure to read stories which are well laid out with good grammar and spelling! Thank you.

 

Best wishes and Christmas Greetings, and a Happy New Year to you, your team and all posters on this forum.

[paya]

Thanks Mark! You're awesome! siiigh... now I can peacefully finish that damn paper...

 

 

 

Tiger, I wouldn't be that categorical. Given the state of their marriage - why should she give a shit? Sons hate fathers, that's common. But how would that help her, I mean "his" career if she knew why? Would that make her a better mother if she knew? Following her logic, there was no need to do it unless everything held together. It's now when it started to crumble that she had to know. Now she's going to adjust her attitude in some matters and life will go on...

 

Oh and I'd add picture of the day!

 

 

 

Edited December 15, 2009 by paya

[jenni]

I was actually up late enough last night to read this chapter when it was posted, but it was so heavy that I thought I should read it again today with a clearer head before posting my thoughts. So I've read it again and . . . wow, what a sad chapter! I feel so unbelievably sorry for Wade. Both he and Matt have essentially lost the families they grew up with, but I think it's worse for Wade. I think his mother's reaction, or rather non-reaction, to the news that Wade had been molested by his father for years would be almost as hurtful as the abuse itself. She cares more about the family's power and position than her own son. So, to me, the betrayal by both Wade's father and mother would hurt more than Matt's parents' rejection of him due to his homosexuality. For Wade, it's not a rejection of him because he's gay, it's more like saying that he just isn't valuable enough as a person to care about. At least, that is what I think it might feel like to people in that position. Also, at least Matt has a new family who loves and supports him. Wade has Matt, but sexual relationships are not as stable as family relationships, or at least as family relationships are supposed to be. Brad, Robbie, JP, and Stef will always be there for Matt, and he knows it. But what if something happens to Matt or his relationship with Wade? Who will be there for Wade? I suppose that's something many people have to face, but it seems really unfair for someone to have to deal with that at the age of 18 or 19.

 

But, on the brighter side, Wade does have Matt and they seem to be getting stronger and stronger together. Oh, and he also has the hockey team, who have already given an awesome demonstration of their support for him.

 

Love the picture, Paya!

Edited December 15, 2009 by jenni

[Conner]

Mrs. Danfield will no doubt continue to prop her husband up. Her life choices were made long ago. She will drink more now. She has that much more pain to drown.

 

Matt and Wade are so great together.

 

Carullo will survive. You gotta love this guy.

[rjo]

I still feel a huge problem is coming. Brian. Evil is waiting to pounce. I wonder if JP with have to deal with Brian perminantly. no redeeming Brian he's to far gone. What buried secrets will come out?

[Mark Arbour]

I'm not a regular poster but wanted to let you know how avidly I am following the stories.

 

It may sound corny but one of the highlights of my day is when I get an email notifying me that a new chapter from you has been posted.

 

I would also like to compliment your team as it is a real pleasure to read stories which are well laid out with good grammar and spelling! Thank you.

 

Best wishes and Christmas Greetings, and a Happy New Year to you, your team and all posters on this forum.

 

Thanks! Glad you came out of the woodwork and joined us! And thanks for recognizing that what I write is sludge without my team. They do so much for me. The latest was a catch on the timeline of this chapter. I had originally had Wade and Matt meeting for lunch, then going back to their room and encountering his mother. An inspired member of my team pointed out that unless Mrs. Danfield had a sonic broom, it would have been pretty tough for her to get there so quickly. So the scene takes place after dinner instead.

 

Happy Holidays to you too!

[Mark Arbour]

Thanks Mark! You're awesome! siiigh... now I can peacefully finish that damn paper...

 

 

 

Tiger, I wouldn't be that categorical. Given the state of their marriage - why should she give a shit? Sons hate fathers, that's common. But how would that help her, I mean "his" career if she knew why? Would that make her a better mother if she knew? Following her logic, there was no need to do it unless everything held together. It's now when it started to crumble that she had to know. Now she's going to adjust her attitude in some matters and life will go on...

 

Oh and I'd add picture of the day!

 

 

 

 

 

I absolutely love the pic Paya!

 

I was actually up late enough last night to read this chapter when it was posted, but it was so heavy that I thought I should read it again today with a clearer head before posting my thoughts. So I've read it again and . . . wow, what a sad chapter! I feel so unbelievably sorry for Wade. Both he and Matt have essentially lost the families they grew up with, but I think it's worse for Wade. I think his mother's reaction, or rather non-reaction, to the news that Wade had been molested by his father for years would be almost as hurtful as the abuse itself. She cares more about the family's power and position than her own son. So, to me, the betrayal by both Wade's father and mother would hurt more than Matt's parents' rejection of him due to his homosexuality. For Wade, it's not a rejection of him because he's gay, it's more like saying that he just isn't valuable enough as a person to care about. At least, that is what I think it might feel like to people in that position. Also, at least Matt has a new family who loves and supports him. Wade has Matt, but sexual relationships are not as stable as family relationships, or at least as family relationships are supposed to be. Brad, Robbie, JP, and Stef will always be there for Matt, and he knows it. But what if something happens to Matt or his relationship with Wade? Who will be there for Wade? I suppose that's something many people have to face, but it seems really unfair for someone to have to deal with that at the age of 18 or 19.

 

But, on the brighter side, Wade does have Matt and they seem to be getting stronger and stronger together. Oh, and he also has the hockey team, who have already given an awesome demonstration of their support for him.

 

Love the picture, Paya!

 

You make some excellent points! It's so awesome to hear your perspective, on what they must be feeling as they deal with this stuff. I tend to agree with you that Wade's got it tougher. I think he's the kind of guy who doesn't need a whole lot of close friends, he just needs an anchor, then he gets the rest of his joy from a series of more casual friendships. If you think about it, as f**ked up as things have been at home, he probably hasn't had one, unless it's Beau.

 

The good news is that our friends at Escorial, while they prize family above all else, haven't turned away a hot guy who needs love yet. Think Max and Cody. And Lou.

 

Mrs. Danfield will no doubt continue to prop her husband up. Her life choices were made long ago. She will drink more now. She has that much more pain to drown.

 

Matt and Wade are so great together.

 

Carullo will survive. You gotta love this guy.

 

Carullo. I gotta tell you, writing this so that guy ended up all sad was pretty raw. I have to find him a b/f.

[Tiger]

Carullo. I gotta tell you, writing this so that guy ended up all sad was pretty raw. I have to find him a b/f.

How about a threesome in the mean time?

[Enric]

ch44: somehow, misfired. or something like.

[jenni]

OMG I've been waiting for the other shoe to drop for a while, but I never saw this coming. Poor Matt.

 

The uncertainty over Matt's health was definitely unexpected and sad, but Matt and Wade were so wonderful together. I loved the little moments, like the way Matt immediately asked to check where Wade was before he went to the hospital and the unequivocal support Wade was giving Matt in the hospital room. Even though I've only "known" these two characters for one story, they are quickly moving up to one of my favorite couples with JP and Stef, and Brad and Robbie.

 

I understand why AIDS would be the scary prospect for Matt, but I'm wondering which would be more deadly, leukemia or AIDS? Hopefully he has mono!

Edited December 17, 2009 by jenni

[Exterminator96]

Like many of the other readers: I can not get enough of my "Mark -APS" fix. Frequently, I check to see if another chapter has been posted prior to heading to bed late at night or first thing of the morning. The characters are written so well and developed that they have become alive with their personalities. I can almost feel like I am in the hospital room with Matt and Wade as they face this disease. Mark and his staff of advisers/editors do an outstanding job. As we close out this year and go forth, I want to wish them (& his readers) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

[Ivy]

So Mark is a fan of the sucker punch? Get us all relaxed with a great hockey game, nice dinner with the family, no problems at the party, sidetrack us with Cole & Allison, then even Carullo is decent to them.....

 

then....

 

Wham! Blam!...Matt's sick! And we don't know with what!

 

I mean we were all expecting the kidneys to go at some point, but donors have already been found, so I guess that just wasn't quite traumatic enough.

 

Geeze Louise, Mark, how am I supposed to get any work done today.

 

Not sure if this counts as a cliffhanger, but I'm sitting here on pins and needles wondering how I'll make it to the next chapter posting...

 

Thanks for a really, really captivating story. Like Jenni said, Matt and Wade are a great couple and I can't wait to see how things turn out.

 

 

[Mark Arbour]

First of all, thanks for all the nice things you guys said. And I really appreciate you pointing out my team. They are truly awesome.

 

I wouldn't call this a cliffhanger. I would expect a cliffhanger to resolve itself in the next chapter, and this one doesn't.

[Enric]

ch45: terrible

[Conner]

 

I wouldn't call this a cliffhanger. I would expect a cliffhanger to resolve itself in the next chapter, and this one doesn't.

 

Yeah, right! Nice try though!

 

If it looks like a cliffhanger, sounds like a cliffhanger, feels like a cliffhanger and smells like a cliffhanger, guess what? It's a cliffhanger. :2hands:

 

The authour's inability to resolve said cliffhanger in a single chapter is irrelavent.

[Mark Arbour]

Yeah, right! Nice try though!

 

If it looks like a cliffhanger, sounds like a cliffhanger, feels like a cliffhanger and smells like a cliffhanger, guess what? It's a cliffhanger. :2hands:

 

The authour's inability to resolve said cliffhanger in a single chapter is irrelavent.

 

 

Alright then. Do I post Belvidera or Bloodlines next?

 

 

[Nephylim]

Bloodlines.... absolutely and definately. I am too old to cling to the edge of a cliff for long

[Tiger]

Bloodlines.... absolutely and definately. I am too old to cling to the edge of a cliff for long

I know! Mark should be the King of Evil Cliffhangers this year since CJ isn't eligible.

[Mark Arbour]

CJ's just being a big pussy. He's tired of getting shit for that.

[Mark M]

Like many of the other readers: I can not get enough of my "Mark -APS" fix. Frequently, I check to see if another chapter has been posted prior to heading to bed late at night or first thing of the morning. The characters are written so well and developed that they have become alive with their personalities. I can almost feel like I am in the hospital room with Matt and Wade as they face this disease. Mark and his staff of advisers/editors do an outstanding job. As we close out this year and go forth, I want to wish them (& his readers) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 

I wonder.....how can you possibly feel your in the hostpital with them when the only description we got is that he's on a bed in the hospital, mostly unconcious. So i can imagine you feel as if your in the hospital room probably with the most familier hostpital room you've ever been in yourself. Myself i've been in ICU, waiting rooms, 4 person ward, 1 person single, varies outher rooms, EMERG room? we honestly don't know which of these he is in so i'm befuddled as to actualy feel as if i'm there myself.

 

First of all, thanks for all the nice things you guys said. And I really appreciate you pointing out my team. They are truly awesome.

 

I wouldn't call this a cliffhanger. I would expect a cliffhanger to resolve itself in the next chapter, and this one doesn't.

 

haha -2 on this post, and i'll admit i did give it a negative. cliff hangers that keep going and going are well okay but nothing something preferable. But now that matts hospitalised......Will you do what you asked us in chat one day long ago?

[jenni]

LOL @ Mark getting two negatives for saying it's not a cliffhanger. It wasn't I, Mark! Nevertheless, I think the people have made their feelings clear that Bloodlines should be next. (I admit to being biased!)

[Mark Arbour]

I wonder.....how can you possibly feel your in the hostpital with them when the only description we got is that he's on a bed in the hospital, mostly unconcious. So i can imagine you feel as if your in the hospital room probably with the most familier hostpital room you've ever been in yourself. Myself i've been in ICU, waiting rooms, 4 person ward, 1 person single, varies outher rooms, EMERG room? we honestly don't know which of these he is in so i'm befuddled as to actualy feel as if i'm there myself.

 

Sometimes I agree with you on detail, but not this time. We all don't have to be looking at the same hospital room and the same set-up. I'm assuming everyone's been in a hospital room of sorts, so I'm trying to let the reader conjure up his/her own image. When I see the scene, I visualize how it was when a friend of mine was in the hospital and I went to see him.

 

Some people may see tubes sticking out of him, others may not. I think what matters is that they conjure up their own, personal visual, not one I create for them.

 

 

 

haha -2 on this post, and i'll admit i did give it a negative.

 

Back at ya big guy.

 

cliff hangers that keep going and going are well okay but nothing something preferable. But now that matts hospitalised......Will you do what you asked us in chat one day long ago?

 

Not everything can be resolved in one or two chapters. If I remember correctly what I asked you about in chat, the answer is yes. Next chapter.

 

 

 

 

[Nephylim]

If I remember correctly what I asked you about in chat, the answer is yes. Next chapter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

That's just not fair.

[Conner]

Alright then. Do I post Belvidera or Bloodlines next?

 

Did I say cliffhangers are a bad thing?

 

Actually, in your case, cliffhangers are a good thing...'cause you are vulnerable to moaning and whining from your fans.

 

I believe the desired result is that you post one chapter of each story.

 

Here's the bottom line, Mark.....we are insatiable. Picture this. A huge maple or oak tree. The tree is full of nests, hundreds of them. Each nest has 3 or 4 hungry little birdies, all with their mouths wide open, and squawking of course, to be fed. You are the sole "parent" bird and your job is to feed the multitude. Then the camera pans back and there are thousands of these trees, all full of hungry little squawking birdies.

 

I hope you don't have nightmares now.

[Tiger]

Alright then. Do I post Belvidera or Bloodlines next?

How about both at the same time?