bakerstreet | [ caged bird ]

THE CAGED BIRD
shipping meme

From the moment you first set eyes on them, you've been drawn - but this is no meet-cute. Thy are beautiful, interesting...and so, so sad or angry, like a bird with clipped wings in a cage. They're a prisoner: mentally, physically, or both. Again, caged. You? You could be anyone, from an innocent bystander who happened to catch a glance in a faraway window, just a cog in the machine that keeps them trapped, to a fellow entombed creature. Even if you've never felt a thing like "compassion" before (or thought yourself incapable), you are sympathetic towards them now and your feelings only begin to grow, a fixation forming. At a certain point, you realize that you have but one option. You have to free them by any means necessary. You want to see them safe and content, more than anything in this world.

...even if they're free and don't want to be with you, that's enough. Right?

HOW TO PLAY

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RNG if desired.

WHO

Caged: You're the victim here, kept locked away.
Passerby: Here you are, minding your own business, when - who's that? Why are they there?
Rescuer: Whether you're a knight in shining armor type or someone simply paid or commanded to do this job, you never thought you'd fall for the one you had to rescue.
Conflict of Interest: You're a guard, but you can't very well do your duty if you want the person you're guarding let go.
Unknowing Villain: You had no idea your allies were keeping someone and you don't agree with their methods.
Enemies: They did wrong by you in the past; even they don't deserve this, though.
Should Be Reviled: Your people and theirs have never gotten along. You should hate them, yet you don't. You want to save them.
Who's the Monster?: They're being locked away because they're a monster. No one could be further from a beast in your eyes, however.
Never Felt Before: Usually, you're stone cold, but their plight has gotten under your skin.
In this Together: Both of you are prisoners, so you can't easily save them, can you?
Not All Bad: They're been told that they're being protected. You want to show them the outside world isn't so bad.
The Better Devil: To be honest, you're not much better than their captor. Still, you're something new.

HOW

Plot and Plan: You know busting them out won't be easy, so you'll put your mind to it.
Sneak: It's an old-fashion escape with all the subtleties and espionage to get out undetected.
Fight Anyone: Maybe you're more brawn than brains, or maybe you're just in a tight spot.
Bargain: Their freedom for yours. Seems like a fair trade.
Guilt: You can't really free them, can you? This fact tears you up inside.
Give You Hope: You might not be able to get them out of here now, but you'll keep them looking towards the future.
Keep You Happy: You'd do anything to see them smile again.
Be Healthy: They're being mistreated or ill-fed. You can at least try to remedy that.
Saved Themselves: They only needed an extra push. At the end, they pulled themself out of the pit.
Selfish: No denying it, you freed them for selfish reasons.
Selfless: What you want doesn't matter. Their safety and peace are paramount.
Sacrifice: If need be, you'll put your life on the line.
Used You: They didn't really love you. But they did know you'd be useful.
Failure: Your attempt failed and now both of you are looking death in the eyes.
I'll Steal You: They didn't want to leave their "home." You stole them away.
Indebted Friends: So they weren't romantically attracted to you. They, however, did platonically bond with you.
Finally "Together": You've wanted to touch them, hold them, kiss them, and be with them in every way possible, even if it's only for a moment. The smut option.
Happy Endings: You're both safe, far from danger, and together.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Hell yes, things I didn't know I wanted until this moment: this. Super interested in playing him as the metaphorical bird here given his entire situation, but dude's also known to pull some serious tricks to save others, so could definitely go either way. M/M for shipping, OTA for gen. Cross-canon welcome and I'm always hype for brainstorming! ]

[That pretty little golden songbird who will crash against its cage until its wings are broken and bloody. Very, very angry at his guardians rich boy kept away safe "for his own good" when all he wants is to explore the world and fight battles for others and blow up corrupt government buildings, is that too much to ask?

OTA for gen, shipping might be a toss-up, considering how picky his tastes can be, but if he thinks someone's willing to get him out, he'd also be fully on board with pretending to like them just until he gets the hell out. Not your average grateful rescuee.]

[ certainly the caged little mage, chafing at the restraints of the Circle of Magi. kiiinda lookin to lean into the potential dramatic combo that 4/7/8/11 make for, like, templars and such... ]

Edited 2018-09-06 19:20 (UTC)

[ Since she’s based on the monster from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and was similarly shunned in life, she fits most naturally into the caged bird role in this AU situation, but I am willing to work with a reversal. I prefer stories with optimistic endings, though I’m flexible, and smut would require loooong build up since she has little experience in interpersonal relationships in general, but I’m otherwise open to most things, platonic or shippy. ]