the mutual captivity dependency (romance) meme

[picturethat]

the mutual captivity dependency (romance) meme

No matter how hard you fought, how subtly or overtly you rebelled, or how many times you tried to escape, you ended up at this point all the same: you're a prisoner. Perhaps you're just a regular, run of the mill captive, perhaps a hostage, a science experience, a weapon to be used, yet, no matter what, you're not free.

But you're also not alone.

There's someone else confined along with you, who you met through your mutual imprisonment. The only thing you two may have in common is that you're both trapped here - and that's enough. The two of you grow close (it seems you're closer to them than you've ever been to anyone, but that could just be the situation); soon, something begins to start between you, tiny and delicate. You can't speak to what that something is, not in a place like this, but you know you want it to last. They are another reason to keep going.

Captivity, of course, has a way of stripping everything from you, including reasons to live. Surely, it is only a matter of time before this small - and still somehow world encompassing - comfort is taken from you...

...no. Not this time. They've taken all you have, right down to your freedom, and it stops now. You won't let the person who's become most precious to you in this hell be stolen away.

No matter what.

HOW TO PLAY

• Comment with your character and preferences. Are you open to AUs and assumed CR? What are your limits? Given the subject of the meme, there's likely to be triggering material here. Do you prefer very dark fare or a light at the end of the tunnel scenario?
• There's one prompt that could be smut, but feel free to play it in others if you're open to it. However, I'm going to be posting this as a smut meme on TLH later this week.
• Reply to others. RNG.

PROMPTS

1. Prisoner of War: Who's side were you on? Or were you just an innocent civilian caught in the mire?


2. Hostage: Take heart. You're worth more alive than dead.


3. Scientific Experiment: What an interesting specimen you are. You will have to be tested.


4. False Charges: One or both of you are here because of lies told against you; eventually, though, you may begin to believe that your worth is truly that low.


5. Do the Dirty Work: Your powers are useful, maybe even enough to use you as an unwilling assassin.


6. For Different Reasons: You're imprisoned for different reasons, and you still draw close. After all, does it matter when you're both stuck?


7. Most Unforgivable Sin: One of you is a prisoner in the most basic of senses: hostage, slave, what have you. The other? Well, it's much more complicated. The other is a person forced against their will to be a lover, spouse, or sex slave of those in charge. What if that other does find someone they actually love? It could cost you both your heads.


8. Equalized: Maybe you were in different social strata before, but now, you're both common dirt.


9. Should Be in Charge: One of you has a higher ranking in the system. Will you use your power to manipulate them or to skew things in their favor.


10. Beneficial: You both have something the other wants. It's a mutually beneficial set-up, and that's all it needs to be. At least, that's how it starts.


11. Love at First Sight: You never thought you'd see someone like them here, and maybe it's because you've been cut off for some long, but you're feeling so smitten, even if that's usually not you.


12. Needy: You're not cut out for this. Almost immediately, you reach out for anyone who can offer to take you under their wing.


13. Won't Fall: To you, it's all to keep yourself sane. You won't actually fall in love, not in a million years.


14. Traumatized: It's hard to care for someone so broken, someone who's seen such terrible things, but you do it anyway.


15. Brainwashed: Before you met them, you never doubted your masters. But now...


16. Flower of Hell: Such a beautiful ray of light should not belong here in this darkness. Cruelty will snuff if out. You don't want that to happen.


17. Kindness: They showed you an unprecedented act of charity and selflessness. You feel drawn to them.


18. Tend to Wounds: It's easy to get hurt while captive. At least you don't have to wait for your wardens to fix you up. You have someone kind or dedicated enough to tend to you and you alone.


19. Anything to Protect You: They can't protect themselves, so you'll do it for them in any way you can.


20. Using Them: Really, you don't care for them. You just want their protection and their help. At least, that's what you keep thinking.


21. Burned Before: You had another prisoner before that you loved, and they were sent away or killed. You want let down your guard again.


22. Human Contact: You've been deprived for so long, you crave any attention.


23. Can't Touch: You're in cells, kept apart. You can never touch.


24. Barely See You: There kept away from you and everyone else for most of the day, but you still have feelings for them.


25. Separate: They're to be taken away, perhaps even to another outpost. What will you do?


26. Frustration: How long has it been since you've been with someone? You may take any opportunity to get some privacy.


27. Have Hope: You don't want your partner to lose faith, so despite your own beliefs, you'll stay positive.


28. Promises: You keep telling them things, swearing that you'll follow through and you'll both be okay. Inside, a part of you may fear it's all hollow words.


29. Escape: You're going to leave, but not without them.


30. Punishment: For your crimes, both of you will be punished. How much will your affections mean then?


31. Forced to Torture: Not only does your closest person have to be tortured, but you're the one who has to do it.


32. All a Sham: The truth is out. They were only playing you. In fact, they may


33. Turncoats: Your captors have pitted you against each other.


34. Fight: You may argue or even come to blows, yet soon enough, you'll be wanting to forgive and forget because there's no one else to look out for you.


35. Jealousy: They're all you have here, so you're not inclined to share.


36. Taken by Another: Someone else captured here with you all saw what you had and decided they would steal away your significant other.


37. Know How to Break You: Your tormenters know they can't hurt you with torture, but if they hurt the one you care for? That's another story.


38. Death: There's no need for prisoners who won't keep on the straight and narrow. You've pushed the envelope too many times, and now, execution is the easiest option for your captors.


39. Finally Free: The two of you have finally made it out alive. Suddenly, in the light of day, things seem different. Was all of this, all of these feelings...were they true or out of some desperate need?


40. WILDCARD

Comments

[ex_elfblooded446]

The outburst actually made Alistair jump more than the shock of finding Jack here. When had his friend ever raised his voice like that outside of battle or jests? Alistair grimaced as he came to realize just how much this was all having an effect on more than him. He wanted to reach out and pull the slender creature close to his body but the fear that one of his master's people might walk in to check on him kept his arms at bay.

"You know that just taking him out won't work." Alistair shook his head to that plan. Even if they succeeded in taking the man out, it would just anger and confuse his followers. They were a ragtag bunch without him; Alistair had surmised that much. He was the linchpin, sure, but removing him would just throw everything into chaos. He, sadly, had to take a step back from Jack and it tore at his heart.

"You need to leave or else end up like the others." The other spirits - the demons - corrupted and at the mercy of these mad mages. That might just destroy Alistair.

[nippinatyournose]

He couldn't take this rejection personally, that much Jack knew. Still, he felt an uncomfortable tugging in his chest when Alistair stepped away. The worst part? Everything he said was probably true.

That didn't mean Jack wasn't willing to fight against the odds. As far as he was concerned, there was no other viable choice.

"I'm not leaving." Even if he could go back into the fade, the risks of someone here finding out and taking drastic action were too high. Beyond that, he hardly wanted to leave Alistair alone. What if he never got to see him again?

Hesitantly, he took a step forward to once again close the distance between them. "We need a plan. If you don't help me, I'll just come up with something on my own. Will that really be better?"

[ex_elfblooded446]

Alistair took one step back but froze. He couldn't keep backing away from Jack and he didn't want to - he didn't want Jack to think that he didn't want to hold him again in his arms. He just... couldn't, not without risking Jack or risking everyone else he still had to watch over. And his mage friend was irritatingly persistent as usual. Alistair closed his eyes in frustration.

"I'm supposed to be the fool here, remember?" Slowly, the king opened his eyes and regarded his friend with a fondness that he'd been hiding.

"I've been trying to handle this, Jack but I don't have all the information I need to even begin planning something."

[nippinatyournose]

Jack wouldn't be able to say just how incredibly relieved he was to see that fondness return to Alistair's expression. That little change helped give him hope, as well as an extra surge of determination to see this job done.

He had to fix this for Alistair. He knew he would do the same if their positions were reversed, that the king would stop at nothing to see him saved from such a horrible predicament.

"You can't have the monopoly on foolishness. Gotta share sometimes."

He chuckled, though there was still a tension about him. He wanted to run in for a hug, and if these spent much more time talking, he might just give into that temptation. "What do you need? I'll play spy for you."

[ex_elfblooded446]

Alistair laughed. He couldn't help it - they two of them had certainly been the most foolish of the bunch back when they were traveling around, trying to find a way to defeat an archdemon. More than their fair share of scathing looks had been shot their way from Morrigan, Sten, and even their Warden companion. Maker's breath, what were they going to do here?

He finally caved in and crossed the distance between them, throwing his arms around the mage's body. He pulled that slender frame against his, feeling like he could never let go.

"I wish I could just get you to leave til I've figured this out." It was terrible - Alistair could maybe handle the terrifying thought of losing his kingdom; losing Jack to some kind of corruption was almost unthinkable, though.

[nippinatyournose]

If Jack thought he was relieved before, that was nothing to the sheer gratefulness he felt when Alistair finally gave in and pulled him into a hug. He returned the gesture enthusiastically, would have leaped into those arms if he'd known the embrace was coming beforehand.

To the Maker with the mage leader. He wouldn't have his way without them fighting back.

"You can't, so you'll have to think of something else for me to do," he replied while busily burying his face against the side of Alistair's neck. He knew this couldn't last long, so he would take whatever comfort he could while the King was willing to offer it to him.

"You're a leader, right? Lead me." Unless those orders continued to be for him to leave. Sometimes defiance was necessary.

[ex_elfblooded446]

"Jack, do you remember our days traveling together or have you hit your head?" Alistair was joking as he continued to hold onto Jack, but in truth- he was scared. His choices here could have terrible repercussions not just for everyone trapped in these lands, but also the rest of Ferelden. Who knew what was happening now, anyway. He could only imagine that if news of these events had reached Orlais, then maybe a new invasion was being planned.

Finally, though, he steeled himself enough to pull away from Jack and put him at arm's length.

"Alright. What I've gathered so far is that the mages are still moving in and out of the barrier for whatever reason; probably restocking supplies of things like lyrium." There could only be such a limited supply in his lands and Alistair was sure they needed to keep fueling their magic to keep the demons docile. He reached a hand out to cup Jack's cheek.

"If you can stay out of harm's way, do you think you could find where they're getting out?"

[nippinatyournose]

He chuckled, feeling cheerful for the first time since all of this began as he leaned into the hand gently pressed against his cheek. The information Alistair provided could certainly be vital to finding a way out of this mess, and Jack felt confident that he could sneak around well enough to take a look.

"I think I can manage that," he said, smiling as he lifted one of his own hands to cover Alistair's. He would put himself at any risk to put an end to all of this, though it was difficult to pretend saving Alistair from the torture Hadley was inflict on him wasn't his prime motivation.

Kingdoms and borders didn't mean anything to someone like Jack. Relationships meant everything, and this relationship had changed his life in so many wonderful ways.

"Come to bathe every day at the same time if possible, and I'll be waiting for you once I have this solved. Okay?"

[ex_elfblooded446]

"Alright." Alistair nodded. This was certainly a foolish plan, but what step in this whole ordeal wouldn't be foolish? They were risking so much at every turn- and, well, Alistair was sure he didn't want to go down without a fight, should it come to that. He supposed Jack felt the same way and he couldn't be prouder of his lover. His friend.

Alistair looked to the bath and wondered if it would be tempting fate too much to ask Jack to stay with him. It probably was with how long he'd been in here already.

"I'll meet you here tomorrow, then." And then Alistair went forward to give Jack another hug. Without much concern for whether Jack stayed to watch or not (not like it mattered much with the required haste now), he quickly washed himself and got dressed.

The next few weeks were spent with meetings with Jack every day. They were the bright spot in Alistair's days and they made him feel like he could keep on going with this plan. Maker, this could have actually been working. Until one day, he walked into the chamber to find no Jack.