The Stockholm Meme

[socktacular]

THE STOCKHOLM MEME

WARNING: Meme will contain TRIGGERS, including kidnapping, dubious consent, and general uncomfortable content. Please do not click if you don't want to see, and please respect your fellow role-players.

Stockholm Syndrome is a psychological phenomenon in which hostages express empathy and have positive feelings for their captors, sometimes to the point of defending them. These feelings are generally considered irrational in light of the danger or risk endured by the victims, who essentially mistake a lack of abuse from their captors for an act of kindness.

Stockholm syndrome can be seen as a form of traumatic bonding, which does not necessarily require a hostage scenario, but which describes "strong emotional ties that develop between two persons where one person intermittently harasses, beats, threatens, abuses, or intimidates the other."

HOW TO PLAY:
1) Comment with your character and their series in the subject line of the comment. Include any preferences you might have on type of scene/squicks/etc.
2) Comment around to start scenes! Use random.org if you get stuck for ideas.

PROMPTS:
1. KIDNAPPED. You've been taken, either for ransom money or just because you've pissed the wrong people off. Or maybe your kidnapper just wants company. Maybe they need someone to be their companion, to be their confidante, and they chose you.

2. CAPTURED. Maybe you were a soldier, fighting in a battle. Maybe a spy, or a political dissident. Either way, the military has caught up with you.

3. IN CUSTODY. It's a law enforcement agent that has you locked up. Maybe you're a criminal and you're in prison, or on house arrest so that agent can keep an eye on you. Maybe the agent doesn't have enough evidence, so they took matters into their own hands.

4. ASYLUM. This person isn't keeping you here against your will. It's for safety. Maybe you're in the Witness Protection Program. Maybe you sought asylum from your own country. Maybe your criminal life got a little too heated and you had to go underground somewhere.

5. HOSTAGE EXCHANGE. A war, between countries or gangs or even planets, and the two sides have decided to exchange important hostages as a gesture of trust. You're one of them. It might even involve arranged marriage -- a way to unite your two peoples. Hope you enjoy staying with your enemy.

6. HIRED. Someone's being paid to keep you. Maybe a new parent or guardian keeping you at home, or perhaps an evil uncle has had you tossed into a discreet asylum in order to claim your inheritance.

7. SLAVERY. Through birth or misfortune, you've become the property of another. But they're not such a bad master. You might even grow to love them, if enough time passes. If they treat you with the right combination of cruelty and kindness.

8. WILD CARD. For anything not covered by the other options!

Comments

[passingships]

...That's a pity.

[ There is the sound of footsteps receding. A door shuts. Some moments later, the lights in the ceiling slowly brighten. They're dim, but allow Shadow to see the room that he's being kept in. It's something like an interrogation room, with Shadow bound to a chair in the centre of it.

This time, when his kidnapper talks, it comes from hidden speakers. ]

I did have every intention of releasing you once I had made my proposition, you know. These lights are set to brighten a little for each day that you refuse to hear me out. They'll be turned off when you're ready to speak.

[ From then on, Shadow isn't going to receive any response from his mysterious captor. Not unless he gives in or calms down enough to talk. ]

[forgottenshadow]

[Shadow let out a small his as the room got brighter.]

Go pull something old over ya and die!

[Like he would just give in like that. No way! He rather bit off his own tongue before he talked to anyone that treated him in this way.

After a few day the lights had grew quite bright and he was screaming out of pain. It hurt. It burned and it wasn't bright enough to burn him away. His ability to heal was keeping up to the burning way to good.]

Fine, I listen! Just stop this!

[passingships]

[ After a few minutes, the lights gradually dim until they've turned off. Through the hidden speakers, Shadow's mysterious captor speaks again. ]

Once again, I'm truly sorry to have to resort to such tactics. Now - I'd like you to tell me a little bit more about yourself, about what you can do.

[forgottenshadow]

[He was panting hard when the darkness finally surrounded him again. After almost being burned away he needed to recover a bit before he tried to talk. It had truly been a horrid experience and one he rather avoided.]

I'm a shadow and can use that when fighting. Melting into other shadows and draw myself out. Why the hell do ya even wanna know that?

[passingships]

[ He considers ignoring the question, but perhaps he'll gain further cooperation if he explains why he needs Shadow's particular talents. ]

I need your unique skills for a little task of mine. After you complete it, you will be free to go your own way.

[forgottenshadow]

Hell no! Do ya seriously think I wanna help some bastard that lock me up and then almost kills me?!

[No way that he would just go alon with this like everything was okay. He had his pride to think about and right now it was stepped on.]

[passingships]

Killing you wouldn't benefit anyone. If I had assurance that you would not attempt to flee, I'd happily free you from your bonds.

[forgottenshadow]

Flee? Don't make me sound so pathetic. I would crush you!

[After this gaining his will to help was to be hard.]