Captivity

**Captivity** (とらわれ; *Toraware*) is a two person mini-drama that was uploaded daily at 5pm on Kirakiratter, starting from December 4 onwards.

The official announcement to public happened on December 1 (through the company's Kirakiratter) and the official "thank you for following" notice was posted on December 15.

## Cast

* Hirai Mariko - as captive
* Cheng Yuna Yu Mei - as slave

## List of Episodes

There were 10 episodes in total and each of them has around 2 minutes:

2. [AH019.12.05] Slavery
3. [AH019.12.06] Encounter
4. [AH019.12.07] Bribery...?
5. [AH019.12.08] Resistance
7. [AH019.12.10] Concern
8. [AH019.12.11] Cooperation
9. [AH019.12.12] Preparations
10. [AH019.12.13] Waiting

### Episode Description

* Ep.1
* Ep.2
* Ep.3
* Ep.4
* Ep.5
* Ep.6
* Ep.7
* Ep.8
* Ep.9
* Ep.10

The scene opens with something that looks like a cellar, or even possibly a dungeon. For a few seconds nothing seems to happen, when a distant rustle can be heard which can be later identified as a female's struggle. As it draws near, Suddenly comes the sound of the big wooden doors being open, and then with silent cry a young female enters the scene, falling on the ground of the dungeon, as if she was pushed from behind. The landing was far from being soft as she let out a painful hiss as her knees and arms came in touch with the rock. The female then turns arounds to presume the direction of the door and for the first time her face is revealed. Her expression is a mixture of fear and anger as she calls out to whoever pushed her down: "You won't get away with this!" But the only reply coming to her is an amused and malicious laugh of some male, followed by the door's shutting and the sound of the key locking the only way out.

The blonde-haired girl is breathing heavily as if only now fully realising what has happened back there. She clenches his fists and grimaces in pain - though more mental than physical. Then as if still refusing to believe the situation she gets up and goes to the door, trying to open it, but obviously without success. Still refusing to give up, she walks around the dark dungeon, visible only partly in the slight light of some candles placed in one corner. The female takes one and starts walking around her prison as if looking for another way out, in spite of being fully aware that there is none. In the end she helplessly sinks to the ground again and placing her head into her hands she finally gives way to the sobs that she has been holding back.

The scene starts with a zoom in on onion being cut, and a silent sob could be heard as well. When it zooms out, a figure of a young girl is revealed. She has long hair of jade-ish colour, and there are some tears in her eyes, but it's hard to tell if they are from cutting the onion or caused by something else. The girl has sleeveless top and when the angle of the camera moves it reveal that it carried a sign of slavery. She continued doing her job until she heard heavy footsteps. Her body immediately tensed and when their sound stopped for a while in front of the kitchen door, her hands trembled a little, and her face showed a hint of fear. Luckily for her, the footsteps then continued going their own way.

The jadish-haired girl let out a sigh of relief, and took a few seconds to collect herself before returning to her job. Once she finished cutting the onion she put it into a bowl, and started cutting some cheese, which she later added there as well. The mixture surely doesn't look very tempting to eat since there was more of the former than the latter. Looking at the food she had just prepared the girl frowned slightly, but then moved on to get a jug of water. Adding a spoon into the bowl she took both it and the jug into her hands and headed to the doors. While the girl had already left the frame, the sounds of her footsteps could still be heard until the scene darkened.

The blonde haired girl was sitting helplessly in one of the corners of the dungeon, and she gave a heavy sigh. Suddenly she heard some footsteps and tensed visibly. However, out of nowhere determination flashed across her face and she stood up, preparing to face the visitor. A sound of the door being unlocked could be heard, but then the young female blinked, clearly having expected someone else. The camera view changed the vision and showed the jadish haired girl with a bowl and jug in her hands. The blondie sank back into sitting position, clearly having expected someone else.

The slave closed the door behind her as she announced: "My lady, it's time for your meal." The captive, not bothering to look up, replied in an absent-minded manner: "I couldn't care less..." The slave pursed her lips, not liking the attitude of the *lady*, before squatting down and pointing out the obvious: "I don't think you have a choice here..." After that she placed the bowl and jug in front of the captive and repeated her previous statement: "My lady, it's time for your meal." The captive sighed before finally looking up, but when she saw what was waiting for her in the bowl, she frowned: "A *meal*, you say...?" The look in her eyes clearly showed she was wondering if the slave was mocking her. "Unappetizing it might look, I can't do anything about it. I have my orders to follow," the slave replied. The captive truly didn't look very happy as her frown deepened: "I'll... have it later..." The slave looked at the *food* as if partly sympathizing with the captive for having to eat that, before getting up and saying: "I'll return to get the bowl later then." A little nod from the captive was the only reply she got as she took her leave.

The captive is once again sitting in the dungeon, but this time she seems to be more focused, as if she has finally managed to get over the initial shock of the events that happened to her. She appears to be deep in thoughts, but her eyes don't have  that hint of hopelessness from before. Next to her is an empty bowl and jug, presumably from another meal. Soon some footsteps can be heard again and once the door opens it reveals the familiar slave, who walks in with her face almost emotionless like always.

Yet, today the slave has brought two bowls, one containing the same raw onion and cheese mix, while in the other is a more appetizing looking salad. As per her usual, she greets the captive with: "My lady." The captive replies with a painfully fake smile, referring to her current situation: "Not much of a lady, am I?" The slave closes her eyes for a slight moment, then replies: "You are still of ranks higher than I, my lady." She then puts the two bowls down and pushes the bowl with the salad in front, "Call it bribery as you may, but you can totally become a lady once more. And not to mention, get better treatment. I see no reason as to why you'd reject *that offer*." The captive raises an eyebrow: "Offer? More like a demand." She snorts in an unladylike manner, but she doesn't really care as she adds: "I see at least two reasons as to why to reject it." The slave girl then withdraws the salad bowl and puts the onion bowl forward instead, giving a shrug she says, "Your choice then." Picking up the salad bowl, she gets up and walks to the door, but stops in her tracks to turn around: "You would have gotten food that's more appetizing at the least if you showed signs of acceptance..."

The captive looks from the bowl of onion and cheese in front of her to the bowl of salad in the slave's hands, and she presses her lips - her stomach letting out a disagreeing growl, yet she seems determined enough not to fall for this bribery. "So, you are saying that the-" she stops herself, momentarily closing her eyes as if deciding whether to say it or not, but then he voice darkens as she spits the next words: "...*Earl of bastards* is prompting me to sell out my body and people for a bowl of salad?" The slave is momentarily stunned at the offensive calling, yet she shrugs it off and instead comments: "My lady, do watch your words."

The captive challenges: "Why should I?" "Why should you watch your words, you mean?"  the slave reacts. "How sure are you that he won't kill you and take over the manor, my lady?" The captive retorts: "My death would bring him *nothing*. While he might occupy our lands, he should be painfully aware of the fact that my father made sure that our estates would pass to our distant relatives if something like that occurred. So yeah... in order to legally get his dirty hands on this estate, he does need me alive!" She gives a small smirk at the end of her speech. The slave sighs and then asks: "Then what makes you think he won't take your tongue instead?" The captive replies with a risen eyebrow: "It's not like he actually cares about what I think or say about him, all he needs in the one word - one that would help him satisfy his greed and feed his ego. And he still needs me to be able to say it." The slave shrugs once again and replies: "Whatever it is, he's got an edge over you in some sense." The captive bits her lips, for even she had to acknowledge that statement to be true.

Looking at the lady before her, who has been facing the ground after letting the latest reply sink in, the expression on the slave's face was slowly starting to change, as if she was taking a pity on her. Yet there was also a hint of uneasiness, for being a slave surely gave her little choice to act upon her own will. She sighs before walking back and once again exchanging the bowls, now having the one with onions in her hands to bring it away with her. "I'll stop with the switcheroo game," she noted, giving a hint of not changing it again. The captive looks up at the slave, confusion written in her eyes: "Why... would you do so...?"

"I'm not inhumane like some others are, I may have my orders to follow, but I have a heart and conscience to listen too as well," The slave replies in a rather low voice, being bold enough to say it out was already her walking on tightrope. The captive blinks: "But... I'm still no closer to accepting..." She stops, looks down once more and then sighs: "I must look pathetic, don't I..." The slave shrugs and says, "I'm in no better position, am I?" She then pauses before adding: "I'll have to leave soon if I want to have any chance of living." She most likely meant that if she stayed too long, her act might be found out, and she clearly would not want that. The captive looked up again. "I-" she wanted to say more, but understood it had to wait, "... Thank you." There was some warmth in her voice in spite of the dark situation. The slave gives a slight smile before walking out the room, presumably to get rid of the bowl with onions. After her departure, the captive then takes the bowl of salad and starts eating it, enjoying the taste of her "unusually good" food.

The captive is for once standing in a corner, stretching her limbs, when the sound of the key in the doors is heard. She turns around and smiles softly upon seeing the jadish-haired slave, who smiles back as she enters with the two bowls of food. As per her usual, she greets the captive with: "It's time for your meal, my lady." The captive nods at that: "Thank you... Will you be waiting for me to finish it?" "Depending on how quickly you finish I'd say yes?" The slave replies.

The captive sits on the ground: "Let's give it a try then." The slave passes the good bowl over and says: "Is there something you'd like to ask?" The look in the captive's eyes changes slightly as she asks in a lowered voice: "Won't you get in trouble for this...?" The reply comes in a rather nonchalant tone, "I might, if I get found out that is."

The captive thinks about it in between the bites and then replies: "Eh... you know what? How about you say today that I was too hungry and went for this bowl...?" The slave lifts an eyebrow in response: "You mean to trick him further into thinking that you might accept it...?" The captive replies: "Well... if I keep on eating only onions and cheese all the time it would be suspicious, wouldn't it...? And if he comes to- ... well,  I could claim that I lied so that I would get better food...?"

The slave does not comment on that except an almost unnoticeable nod, but she changes the topic instead, asking in a hushed tone: "Are you really not gonna try to escape from here?" The captive blinks, not having expected that question, but she whispers back: "Don't get me wrong I would love to, but the question is how...?"

After a moment of silence, the slave replies, "If you manage to get out of this dungeon place; by perhaps momentarily accepting his offer or something, I'd say you can probably make the run for it somehow." The captive takes a deep breath, considering that idea: "Maybe... but for it to actually work... one would need a very good plan..." She remains silent for a while, before suddenly realising that she is supposed to eat her meal, and therefore she quickly takes another bite of the salad. The slave also seemed to be deep in thought, when she suddenly mutters, though probably only as a way of thinking aloud: "Well, if your lady-in-waiting then is an ally of yours it might be easier..."

The captive pauses once again, upon hearing that and asks with a raised eyebrow: "You volunteer...?" The slave seems to be taken aback, since she replies with an "Eh?" before she realises that she must have said it out loud. She gives a nervous laugh and comments: "That would raise suspicions with the Earl would it not...?" Yet she adds: "But I wouldn't mind..."

The captive replies quietly: "Well.. I assume it would be still less suspicious than if I asked for someone from my people? And I mean... if all works well... you might get away together with me...?" The slave falls silent again before she finally replies, "I'll think about it..." Then she adds: "I go by Jade by the way." The captive smiles softly and nods: "Jasmine." Then quickly finishing the salad, she passes the bowl over: "I think you should go now, Jade... Uhm... See you later...?" Jade smiles and picking up the bowl she replies: "I will, Lady Jasmine." Then she turns around and slips out of the dungeon.

Jasmine is sitting on the ground in the dungeon, yet her expression is more of a hopeful one, for the first time in a while. She seems to be awaiting the next period of food arrival, and she doesn't have to wait for too long. After a short while Jade comes in, smiling and bringing only one serving this time. As always, she greets the lady, but this time using her name: "Greetings, Lady Jasmine." Jasmine smiles as well and replies: "And to you too, Jade." Jade then lowers her voice and says: "The earl has caught wind that you are slowly giving in, and thus your meals have now been moved up by a grade I'd say." Jasmine raises an eyebrow, but then the smell of the food hits her nose: "Wow, that smells nice!" Jade smiles again and brings the food over: "Doesn't it?" She then places it down and says: "Your chance might come very soon." Jasmine takes the bowl and starts eating, yet after a few bites she questions cautiously: "Mine or ours...?" Jade pauses at that before giving a semi-confident reply: "Ours." But then she nods and says more confidently: "Yeah, ours." Jasmine smiles in reply: "I'm glad to hear that." There was a small hint in Jade's face that she was also pleased to hear that.

Jasmine continues eating, before she suddenly says: "Uhm... I've been thinking about something..." She leans closer and whispers something into Jade's ear. After she is done she gives the younger girl a half-questioning, half-unsure look. Jade purses her lips slightly before giving a reply: "I'll see what I can do on my end then." Jasmine then nods at Jade gratefully: "I think it would help us a lot..." She finishes the food soon after, and Jade smiles: "I'll be taking my leave then." Jasmine nods and gives her goodbye: "Thank you, and good luck."

The scene once again reveals the kitchen room, where Jade is preparing some food, however, it is crystal clear that her mind is elsewhere, for each other while her eyes fall on the big clock on the wall that is ticking the time second by second. It's almost five o'clock in the evening and Jade presses her lips together, letting out a sigh. "I hope it will go well..." she whispers to herself, almost inaudibly - the matter with lady Jasmine clearly being the thing plaguing her mind. Suddenly she hears heavy footsteps, and her body tenses. She gives another shot in the direction of the clock before getting back to the food preparation - after all she does not want to be caught not doing her job in case the figure on the other side of the doors makes a stop. Fortunately for Jade, the footsteps continue presumably to the direction of the dungeon.

The scene cuts to a close up of Jasmine, who is sitting in the dungeon. Like with Jade, there is also some nervousness written over her face, and she is also biting her lips as she awaits the both feared and desired chance. Suddenly Jasmine grimaces and slaps both of her cheeks with her hands, while muttering to herself: "Put yourself together!" She is aware of the fact that the success of their plan matters a lot on her acting, so she does some calming activities to stay focused on what she has to do. She closes her eyes and lowers her head, when she finally hears the nearing footsteps. "Now or never…," she whispers to herself as a way of encouraging herself, and slowly her expression changes as she gets into the role she has prepared for this situation. Then the key clicks in the lock and the door opens, with Jasmine looking up to meet the gaze of her captor.
## Feedback

* Overall reactions
* Individual episodes

* *@arc-en-ciel:* Although it's simply a mini-drama, and although not much could be done, the acting was almost superlative. The primary use of one setting, the cellar, was handled perfectly, and the last episode left me on the edge of my seat. I hope to see a continuation, as a *drama*, not simply a mini-drama~
* *Mana Kotoko:* I kinda liked this Mini Drama, I want it turned into a full series though! It left me in heart for the Cast, Like I did for The Danganronpa Characters. Can you please make a season 2? If so, Thank you.
* *@Aoko228:* I really enjoyed this mini-drama! The only thing I am regretful about is that it ended with such a cliff-hanger... because I surely would like to know what followed.

- *@Aoko228:* Today I found about this mini-drama, and I really like it. It's rather mysterious... *(Episode 3)*

- *@Aoko228:* Oh, finally we get some hints on what happened... I really wonder what this offer is about... *(Episode 4)*

- *@Aoko228:* Wait a sec, so this earl is forcing the captive to marry him...? Wow... *(Episode 5)*

- *Mana Kotoko:* This Mini Drama looks good, Kinda Like Danganronpa and Kings Game mashed together minus the deaths. *(Episode 8)*

- *Mana Kotoko:* 1 more episode left? I'm just getting into it! But so far I like this Mini-drama. *(Episode 9)*

- *Mana Kotoko:* Like all Finals for a show, the plot ends there. The finale is really good in my opinion. *(Episode 10)*

## Trivia

* The mini-drama was filmed on November 27 of that year, which is coincidentally Cheng Yuna Yu Mei's birthday.
* Due to its popularity, it was later remade into full movie called Escape the Greed.