bakerstreet | the mutual captivity dependency (romance) meme

the mutual captivity dependency (romance) meme

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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

Turncoats: Your captors have pitted you against each other.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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?

WILDCARD

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Poe's normally expressive mouth tightened at the accusation. He'd been in enough arguments defending his hero and pseudo political mentor that one more really wouldn't bother him, save the simple fact that it's her son. Still, he couldn't let it slide quite so easy. Not when he owed Leia so damn much.

Just as he was about to snap out a pointed retort, the laugh truly registered and the sound grated on Poe's nerves. He knew that sound. He'd heard his own pilots and fellow members of the Resistance laugh like that. It was a laugh he'd come to hate as much as he expected it from those that had made it to the end of the conflict.

"Don't you dare. She sent you away because she thought you'd be better off training with Skywalker. You better be glad you still have her here to give a crap about you. Trust me, kids miss their moms when they're gone no matter how old they are."

It was clear that Poe spoke from experience.

"She was afraid of me..." He countered, but without the usual malice. Perhaps it was a true fact at one time or another, but it would be far more accurate to say she was afraid for him.

At the moment, most of his memories of her, his childhood and practically anything before he turned to the dark were hazy at best. He couldn't tell the difference anymore between what actually happened and the Supreme Leader's assessment of what happened. All of them were painful.

"She's never been afraid of you. Neither was your father."

There was quiet certainty in Poe's voice. He knew he could draw Ben out, if he just had time. Patience was something he'd learned during the war, but even that could be tremulous at times. At least, it could if something really wasn't worth waiting for. Trying to help Ben was worth it.

Sighing, Poe moved to sit down nearby, wincing just a bit as the motion jarred old, nagging injuries. The war hadn't been kind to him in more ways than one.

"What do you want? Right here, right now, tell me what you want."

For so long he felt as though he were being torn apart. Now, there was nothing left to tear. Kylo Ren seemed to curl in on himself when Poe sat down. He really was trembling. There was silence where there used to be voices and phantom pain in his soul. The more he attempted to reach out with his mind, the heavier the nothingness that came back to him.

"The Supreme Leader's guidance..." He whispered brokenly. "I don't... I don't know what to do..."

Even after being selfishly tossed to the Resistance, he still trusted his master more than his mother. That, in and of itself, was disconcerting. The First Order may not have been kind to him, but pain was better than nothing at all.

"Snoke pretty much handed you to us so he could get away. He used you in every way he could. His 'guidance' is what go you here."

Seeing his old friend so very broken was damn near painful for Poe. He wasn't a bleeding heart in any way, but he truly hated to see suffering and Ben... oh, Ben was suffering. There was nothing he could do to return the Force to him and really, there was little else he could offer him, save a shoulder to cry on or an ear to bend if he needed to talk and he had a feeling that Ben wasn't anywhere close to the point that he'd be willing to do either.

Still, he couldn't stand to see him so torn up. With a soft grunt, he stood and moved back over to Ben and bent to remove his restraints. The cuffs, he left on but he could stand to see his old friend restrained like a rabid animal. Beside that, Poe knew the cuffs would deliver a debilitating shock if Ben tried to hurt him. All he had to do was say the word and the former Knight would be a writhing lump on the floor.

"What you can do is rest and recover. You can listen to your mother when she comes to visit you. You can learn that some of us aren't your enemy. You can... try to remember Ben Solo. You can try to remember me."

Rest? Recover? Listen and remember? Those were insurmountable requests for the former Master of the Knights of Ren. But stripped of the Force and locked in a cell, what choice did he have?

Over the next several days, the Resistance saw a side of Kylo Ren that people didn't think possible. They expected rage. They prepared for violence. But not once did anyone need to use the cuffs to shock Ren into submission. Even freed from the additional restraints, he didn't lash out. He didn't speak much. He barely even made eye contact, and left whatever food they brought him uneaten and untouched.

At night, they could sometimes hear him beg for forgiveness, but it was to the Supreme Leader for his failure, not the galaxy for his crimes. Once, they heard him mention Han Solo, but couldn't make out the context.

Decades of conditioning did not simply go away overnight. But so far, Poe came closer than anyone else to getting through to the man underneath the darkness. As the guards observed, "He looks at you. Speaks to you. He won't even acknowledge the General, and he outright hid himself from Rey like a wounded animal."

It'd been a few days since Poe could visit thanks other duties, but he knew exactly what was going on. Ben's recovery had been left up to him, along with a multitude of other things that took up far too much of his time. It left him worn and on edge but such was the burden of command, even if it wasn't something he'd wanted in the first place.

He'd trade almost all of it for his cockpit once again.

The news wasn't much of a shock to him. Leia had told him that she couldn't seem to reach him and honestly, he wasn't surprised at his reaction to Rey. He'd tried to warn her but in the end, they both knew that her presence wasn't likely to be well received for a while. After a few quick words to the guards, he slipped inside the cell and finally let his gaze settle on the man that had kept his attention for so long.

"So I hear you're not eating. What can we do to fix that?"

He was in the same corner as before, curled up on his side. Streaks of light cut through his face like open wounds, but he didn't seem to care. He wasn't asleep, given that open eyes followed Poe as he walked inside the cell, but he didn't sit up. He was weak and tired. Eventually, he just looked away.

"...they always fought, didn't they?"

He ignored Poe's question in favor of a stray thought, a memory of his parents he was relatively sure was real.

He watched Ben for a long, silent moment before he moved to sit nearby. His question seemed out of place, but oddly enough, Poe seemed to know exactly who he was talking about. He let his head fall back to rest against the wall, idly staring up at the ceiling for another few moments as he gathered his own thoughts.

"Pretty sure they did, even more than anyone else realizes. A couple of times that I can remember back on Yavin 4, but that was a long time ago. When he came back to the base, after they found Finn... I don't think they did. Not really. They had something else they were thinking about."

As Poe responded, a few long-forgotten memories floated through his mind. They were loud amidst the unnatural silence. His parents were always loud, though - Leia screaming at Han, Han shouting all the way down a landing ramp, Leia screaming even louder at the hull of the ship. Both of them screaming at him...

"The traitor..." He muttered.

Cuffed arms shook as he slowly pushed himself up. For a brief moment, he dared to look Poe in the eyes.

"... Destroying Starkiller. I know."

That still rankled Poe to no end. Even now, hearing Finn being called a traitor was enough to bring a sharp frown to a face that used to be more accustomed to smiling and laughter. It wasn't exactly a pleasant look and in recent past, that look had been enough to frighten troops and enemies alike. He knew it probably wouldn't bother Ben, though.

Still frowning, he reached up and shoved his hand through his hair as he fought to keep his own frustration at bay. If anything, Ben Solo was more like his parents than he'd want to admit. Kriffing stubborn.

"Your father's last act was to try and save you. Your mother asked him to. Starkiller needed to fall but they were thinking of you just as much. She still is. She'd die apologizing for the things she thinks she's done to you."

"Han Solo's death was a test of my resolve. The means by which I would finally conquer the light." The words flowed too quickly, too smoothly, to have gone unrehearsed. Furthermore, they weren't even true.

He remembered the day Starkiller imploded. He could still feel his father's hand on his face and the pull to the light had gotten stronger, not weaker! The Supreme Leader, however, was wise, and the rigorous training Kylo Ren later endured all but erased the burden of such a failure!

At least, that is what the Supreme Leader said, and what he kept telling himself.

He bit his lip, slumping into the corner. "...he said he would help me... with anything... And he did."

The admission was a painful one - that as steeped in the darkness as he was, Kylo Ren didn't actually have the strength to kill his father in cold blood without Han willingly giving himself up. They both had their hands on that lightsaber.

"He could have fought back... He could have run..." Fists clenched inside cuffs. Ren buried his head. "He helped me kill him."

Poe knew that deep down, Ben didn't believe the crap that Snoke had been shoving down his throat all these years. He couldn't. He knew Ben was smarter than that. It had just been a case of being controlled and lied to for so long. Now that he was away from the source, it sounded like Ben was finally starting to truly doubt it all.

Maybe there was hope after all.

He watched in silence as Ben buried his head in his hands. If it'd been anyone else, Poe would be beside them, an arm around their shoulders in silent comfort. He wanted to do that right now, but he didn't know how it'd be received. Even cut off from the Force, Ben was still well trained and knew how to fight. The cuffs might stop him from killing Poe, but he could still do some damage before they could be triggered.

"He could've, but he didn't. He stayed because it was you. All he wanted to do was get you off of Starkiller and take you home. He didn't need the Force to know you were still doubting it all. He loved you, Ben."

"He didn't love me... No one ever wanted me... Until the Supreme Leader..."

His voice faded, and if he could have buried himself any farther in that corner, he would have.

Kylo Ren was no longer sure which thoughts were really his own and which had been inserted by the Supreme Leader. There was a part of him dying to latch onto everything that Poe said and believe it with all his heart, just like there was a part of him that always wanted to come home. But that part of him had been destroyed! He burned it off and cauterized the wound! So why was it still...

When he lifted his head again, the light glistened off tracks of tears.

It was heartbreaking to see someone break down so completely. To some, they'd see this as a victory, and in a deep, darkly vindictive part of his soul, Poe felt a vague glee at the torment his former tormentor was putting himself through. Just the thought of that made him feel almost ill with self-loathing, though. He wasn't here to wallow in someone else's grief and it was selfish to even entertain the idea.

The hard lines of Poe's face softened and after a moment of hesitation, he got up and moved to crouch before Ben, a hand settling gently on his arm. He waited to see how that simple contact would be received. If it wasn't met with violence or withdrawal, then Poe could try more to help ease Ben's spirits.

"That's not true."

Unfortunately for Poe, the breakdown wasn't a breakthrough yet.

When he crouched down in front of Kylo Ren, he was met with a confused, somewhat frightened expression. Ren flinched at the touch, expecting there to be pain as he desperately begged the Supreme Leader to forgive him for his weakness.

Some things were just going to take more time...

After just a moment, he let his hand fall away. He did his best to keep his expression carefully blank but it was hard to keep the dismay off his face. This wasn't something he was good at. Flying, yes. Fighting, of course. People to an extent, but this... this was out of his comfort zone. In the back of his mind, he pondered telling Leia he couldn't keep doing this, as much for his sake as it was for Ben's.

Before he moved away, he slowly reached for the cuffs and while he knew it probably wasn't the right time for it, he couldn't keep them on his old friend. It just didn't seem right. A few quick taps of his fingers and the cuffs snapped open. Without another word, he backed away only to settle back against the wall opposite Ben.

It was a show of trust and a clear sign that Poe wasn't afraid of him either. Whatever Ben did with that was up to him.

He flinched again when Poe went for the cuffs, almost jerking his hands away entirely. But when they snapped open and fell into his lap, Ren was absolutely stunned.

If he truly wanted to, he could try and run. The door was unlocked and he was completely unrestrained. Granted, there were enough Resistance guards to stop him from getting very far, but if he truly wanted to, he could make the attempt to return to the First Order.

The cuffs clattered to the floor as Ren shifted. It had been days since he even tried to stand, and it was fairly obvious that he wasn't going to last on his feet for long. Still, he managed to stagger forward a few steps, finally moving into the light. Hunched in dirty robes, his height wasn't nearly as menacing. Greasy hair framed a pale face that he still tried to hide.

He stopped, glancing down at Poe, not exactly sure what was going to happen next.

Dark eyes peered back up at Ben but he stayed where he was. There was no fear in that gaze. No anger. At that moment, the infamous Poe Dameron wasn't the playboy pilot that his reputation seemed to insist on. No, he was simply a man left weary but hopeful that his recent faith hadn't been misplaced.

It was true, he could try to run but the guards weren't that far off and if he tried, it'd likely end in his death. Maybe that was what he wanted. Maybe not. It was up to him to decide.

"You have a place here, if you want it. I'm willing to help you as much as I can, but you have to show everyone that you're not a threat. Don't run. Please."

Faith? In him? After everything he'd done within the First Order? He took another couple of steps toward the open door, but stopped before he reached it.

"...why?"

It was a soft, simple question. Why shouldn't I run? Why would I have a place here? And most importantly, why are you, Poe Dameron, so willing to help me?

Such a simple word. Such a loaded question.

He was surprised that he didn't make a break for it while he could. Poe was hoping that in some way, he trusted him even if he didn't realize it. Even if he didn't, there was still some hope left if he hadn't tried to get away the moment he had the chance.

"Because I think that most everyone deserves a second chance. I won't lie and say that everything you've done can be forgotten. Some still want you to die for all of it. Some think imprisonment is a better option, but some of us think that you deserve another chance. Snoke was in your head for a long time. I know the horror and pain of having someone prying into your deepest thoughts. I want to see how you do when it's Ben Solo in there instead."

Huffing a soft groan, he heaved himself to his feet but made no move to try and stop his companion.

"If you try to leave, you'll be taken by force to be imprisoned. If you stay here, under my care and supervision, you can earn your freedom in time. In a way, helping you... helps me."

He used to be the one prying. His mind was once filled with the thoughts, memories and screams of the First Order's enemies. Now, there was only a deathly silence. Which made it all the more apropos when he turned away from Poe and simply whispered, "Ben Solo is dead..."

Kylo Ren walked to the door, but stopped again when he heard Poe stand. Swaying slightly, he put his hand against the wall to steady himself.

"Ben Solo is dead... He... was weak. I killed him." He chanced a glance back, and realized once and for all that the other man was not going to stop him.

Fate, however, would. And it would make the choice a broken man was unable to make for himself. One moment, Kylo Ren was standing in the light. The next, he dropped to the ground, having fainted from hunger and dehydration.

The dehydration was something the medtechs could handle so without a second glance, Poe had them take charge. Once they'd done all they could in a cell to alleviate the problem, they were sent on their way and Poe followed, making sure the door was secure behind him. As much as he'd hoped things would be different, they just weren't. Deep down, he wondered how much longer he could continue on without any signs of progress.

Maybe he was right. Maybe Ben Solos really was dead. Maybe this was all pointless. He felt like such a failure when he checked in with Leia and even though she encouraged him to keep trying, he felt it pointless. It was like watching a caged animal beat itself brainless against the bars of its cage. It was cruel and Poe hated it. It was in his nature to be stubborn and loyal, but cruel? Never.

Still, he made his appearance the next day, bearing the freshest, most tempting food he could offer. It was a far cry from the mess service offered to prisoners. He didn't saw a word as he approached the other, just settling it in arms reach before he found somewhere to sit himself down.

He never tried to touch him. He never tried to look him in the eyes. He kept conversation as light as he could manage save answering questions that Kylo Ren asked.

Each day, the same thing. He'd arrive, bringing fresh tasty food and himself as company. Questions were answered and stories told. He recounted a few times that Ben had visited his family on Yavin 4. He told him about the last time he'd seen Ben before he left for his training. He told him how much he missed his friend, and that he was proud of him and a little bit jealous since, hey, Luke Skywalker.

This went on for a week until one day, Poe didn't make it. The guards were in a flurry, all tense comments and even tenser nerves. There were whispers of violence and still, Poe didn't show. Every day, food arrived along with supplements that could help counter the effects of malnourishment, but still, no Poe.

It took four more days before he did, and when he did, it wasn't the same Poe. This one was pale and bruised, arm in a sling and stiff backed. He moved like someone that needed a lot more rest and medical attention, and at the moment, he might just agree with that. At the moment, his willpower was the main thing keeping him upright.

"... sorry I haven't been here though I'm sure you didn't miss my nonstop chattering."

Progress was minuscule, but it was there. He didn't eat what Poe brought on that first day in front of him, but the guards reported that he ate at least some of it after he'd left. He didn't make much eye contact, and barely moved? But he listened to the stories, asked more questions, and generally showed far more attention to Poe than he did some of the others that came down that way.

But the biggest change, the guards told Poe, was during the mission.

Kylo Ren couldn't feel the Force. He didn't know what was going on outside that cell, much less neighboring star systems. But there was enough light to tell day from night. He knew Poe wasn't there and how many days he'd been gone.

"He asked about you the day before yesterday." The guard reported sheepishly. "Like he actually came to the door, tapped on it and said, 'is Poe all right?' We didn't know what to tell him, so Jess asked if he missed you."

Apparently, Kylo Ren didn't say a single word after that. He just went back to that corner, silently refusing to acknowledge anyone or anything that came through the door.

But then Poe came back.

Kylo Ren was on his side with his back turned to the door, so it took a moment to notice that he wasn't alone. When he heard the familiar voice, however, his eyes opened. He shuddered a little. Was his mind playing tricks on him? No... No, that wasn't possible now... He sat up, glancing over his shoulder nervously. His eyes traced over every one of Poe's injuries before settling on the ground again.

"You're hurt..."

Well, that was certainly an understatement. Usually, Poe would chuckle wryly and just shrug it off, no big deal. Now, all he did was glance away. He looked beaten. he looked defeated. In truth, he shouldn't even be there. He should still be in the medbay but Poe, as charming as he could be, had conned the techs into letting him out early as long as he promised to behave himself and rest.

This wasn't exactly resting.

Every time Poe left Kylo Ren, he told him he'd be back and he wanted to make sure he knew that he meant what he said. Just because Snoke had abandoned him didn't mean everyone else would. For now, he felt like they both needed something familiar.

"... yeah. It's been a rough few days."

the mutual captivity dependency (romance) meme

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... Our redemption arc has really taken a sad turn.

These two are just sad. I think it can work, though.

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