At the start of Love Lock, you the player, have just recently celebrated your one year anniversary with your partner. Depending on the player's preferences, you're either dating Mark or Rebecca.
Mark and Rebecca do share some similarities. They both struggle with extreme jealously issues. The kind where if you even just look at someone else they're jealous. They're also both trying to slowly isolate the player further and further away from their best friends, Allie and Adam. Along with sabotage any potential new friendships, like with the character Damien.
Despite these similarities, the way their routes play out is very different. Since Mark is my favorite Love Lock character, I want to focus on him. Mark's jealousy stems from being deeply insecure. He then projects those insecurities onto the player and everyone close to them. Which leaves him feeling paranoid that the player is possibly cheating on him.
Unfortunately for Mark and the player . . . there's someone else who is obsessed and stalking the player. This stalker can easily see Mark's issues and the other little cracks in your relationship. So the stalker will try to manipulate the situation and create false evidence of cheating in order to put a wedge in between your relationship. If the stalker is successful, Mark will believe he finally has proof of you cheating.
Even though Mark believes the player has cheated, he's still interested in trying to salvage the relationship.
Mark: "That's fine. I'm going to fix it and then everything can go back to normal. I'm a tolerant man. Let me make this clear to you. You're mine. You always have been and you always will be. I'm not letting anything take you away from me. I'm not going to let anything get in our way. I'll make it right again. I'll do whatever it takes."
Upon learning Mark finally snaps giving the player an ultimatum. Depending on how you respond, it can result in him doing something too graphic to describe on Tumblr.
Play LoveLock to find out what 😉~ Itchio and Steam
If the player later breaks up with Mark it can lead to his route, where he's holding the player hostage until their “new home” is ready.
During this time any attempts at rejecting Mark as he tries to salvage your relationship infuriates him to the point of 𝘃𝗶𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲. Mark is 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 temperamental which makes him dangerous. He's also prepared to do whatever it takes to make you understand.
It's not enough for Mark anymore to just be in a relationship with you. Not when you can try and leave him again, instead depending on how your interactions with him go, he will begin to assert ownership over you in fear that anything more mutual will result in abandonment again. Even referring to you as his property.
Mark: "You belong to me! ME! You’re mine. I decide when I let you go. I decide where you go. I decided what you do! You don’t move a fucking inch unless I say so."
I find it especially interesting that even when presented with evidence that the player never cheated . . . Mark 𝗰𝗮𝗻'𝘁 accept reality. He can't handle the truth or he would mentally collaspe. He needs to vilify the player in order to justify his actions. He can't handle the truth. I also like how he enjoys hurting the player. It's simultaneously an outlet for his anger towards the player for “cheating”, a way he can display his power/control and sexual reasons. Hurting the player was never part of Mark's plan, but it is something he enjoy a lot.
Despite all of the terrible things Mark does he's 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 for the player to love him. The player rejecting him cuts deep.
Mark: "You were trying to escape . . . . . AGAIN! WHY IS NOTHING I DO ENOUGH FOR YOU?! I DID EVERYTHING RIGHT! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?! WHAT'S SO HORRIBLE ABOUT ME THAT YOU WON'T LOVE ME?! I JUST WANT US TO BE HAPPY AGAIN! WHY DON'T YOU WANT TO BE HAPPY?! WHY CAN'T WE BE HAPPY?!"
Although Mark can realize he's a sadist and feels pleasuring inflicting pain on the player. Hurting the player wasn't his original intention.
Mark: "Fuck it, if i have to hit you until you understand so be it. Beat some sense into you."
One of the things that makes Mark so scary is that he doesn't have a plan and is acting on impulse. He's doing things one step at a time, not knowing the full path he's taking. Which is why there's so many different paths his route can take. I barely scratched the surface with this post. Even decisions you make in the prologue can affect what endings you're able to unlock.
All Mark knows at the moment is that he needs to get somewhere isolated with the player. Be off the grid for a while until the player has figured out their place. A life with Mark where he has complete control over them. No more working, no friends and only being allowed to leave with permission/accompanied by Mark. A life where you're chained right by his side.
If you're playing his route I'd be careful trying to escape . . . he has quite the temper. So it's just best to accept the situation. After all, you’re his whether you like it or not.
