Restraints - Tumblr Posts

Day 14, 21, 24, 28- Never Shall We Die

This was inspired by @olldolldraws they did a great piece with a pirate Katsuki that just made me feral. The story didn't end up like the drawing, but Katsuki's appearance is basically completely the same. But Kirishima wouldn't be the mermaid, so Todoroki ended up doing it. I'm not a fantasy writer, so this might not be the best, but I hope you all really enjoy it.

prompts- water inhalation, restraints, goodbye note, sacrifice- pirate Katsuki has to walk the plank to save his crew, and is resigned to his death. but he's saved by someone, something, completely unexpected

AO3 link- https://archiveofourown.org/works/50193352

Katsuki had never been one that saw the point in making prisoners walk the plank. He thought it was entirely unnecessary, too much energy for too little of a reward. It was far easier to simply stab them and throw the body overboard. His efficiency in executions aided in his rise to becoming one of the most feared pirates on all seven seas, so he never saw a need to make anyone, be them soldier or buccaneer.

He never thought he’d be the one walking to his own death off a flimsy piece of wood.

Granted, he may have been a bit overconfident when the Tainted Revenge first fired upon them, but he won every battle he’d ever entered into. It had never been overconfidence, just a factual statement that he’d win, that is… until now. He’d treated this as any other battle he fought, with the fierce determination to win, unwilling to accept defeat, with complete confidence in his crew. He only took on the best, so Katsuki thought it impossible for them to lose.

It seemed that death had finally caught up to him, having evaded it for so long. Pirates’ lives were grand and full of adventure, but very often, they were also rather short.

“Captain, don’t!” Kirishima shouted, so strong the two men holding him were having trouble keeping him under control. A gag was immediately tied around his loyal first mate’s mouth, but Katsuki had already made his choice. Katsuki had already accepted Captain Shigaraki’s bargain, his life for his crews’. It was a choice Katsuki made without even thinking.

“How can I know you’ll spare them?” Katsuki asked instead, talking directly to Captain Shigaraki, trying to ignore his crews’ shouts and struggles. They had always been loyal to him, and he to them, and the scream that had echoed from all of them when he’d accepted had been one of the most awful noises he’d ever heard. But he refused to let them die when he could save them. “It’s not like a dead man can hold you to your word.”

“Captain!” Mina screamed, causing the blonde bitch holding her to put her sword to her throat, giggling like a madwoman. The bloodlust in her eyes just intensified his resolve to save them.

Shigraki smirked, as if amused by his question. Instead of answering him directly, the bastard turned to another member of his crew. “Magne, prepare the lifeboat.”

Shigaraki turned back to him. “There’s an island a few clicks away from here. It’s uninhabited, but there’s enough life for a signal fire. Once they’re on the water, they’re out of my hands.”

Katsuki knew that would be the best deal he’d get. “Put them on first. Then I’ll walk.”

“Uh, uh, ah.” Shigaraki sneered. “If I do that, they’ll just row over and grab you. Would make the deal a bit moot.”

“I’m not dying before they’re freed.” Katsuki said, stepping up to Shigaraki showing no fear. With his hands tied behind his back, he couldn’t do anything if Shigaraki tried, but he refused to show this sadistic bastard what he wanted. If he was going to die, he was going to die with his pride intact.

“Captain, please don’t!” He could hear the tears in Kaminari’s voice. The young boy was the newest member of his trusted crew, just a simple cabin boy, but the best one he’d ever had, if a little constantly distracted.

“Fine.” Shigaraki rolled his eyes. “I’ll put them on, but I’m not lowering them until I’m sure you’re dead.”

Katsuki took the last long look at his crew. A third man had to join to keep holding Kirishima back, even with the sword at his throat. Mina was crying as the blonde bitch held her too close for Katsuki’s liking, Denki was too, his body trembling in the scarred bastard’s grip. Shinsou was trying to staunch a bleeding wound in Sero’s leg, but they still kept looking up at him in terror. They saw him as unbeatable, and it broke his heart that this was the last time they’d ever see him.

He gave them a smile that was a little too shaky to be as confident as he wanted it to be, and then turned and gave Shigaraki a nod. His crew screamed again as they were thrown roughly into the lifeboat the woman had already prepared. Kirishima tried to rush them but three swords were pointed at his crew in seconds. “Eijirou, stand down!” Katsuki commanded, and Kirishima looked up at him, broken-hearted. “You know your duty. Keep them safe.”

Kirishima just stared at him, the grief so powerful in his eyes, Katsuki had to look away. Shigaraki then pushed him roughly so he stumbled towards the edge of the boat, where the plank lay, as inviting as a siren’s call. “Go on then.”

Katsuki’s heart sped up in fear, but he held firm. He wouldn’t die a coward. He wouldn’t.

The plank was a pathetic piece of wood, and the first step he took made a horrible creaking sound. He hoped he’d be able to walk all the way to the end before it collapsed. If he was going to die, then it was going to be on his terms. Walking on something so narrow with his hands bound was more difficult than he thought it would be, so he took it a little slow, his steps sure and careful. As he walked, he whispered the mantra he’d taught every member of his crew. It was from the first sea shanty he’d learned as a pirate, and the way he’d lived his life on the sea.

“Oh hurry up already, before I get bored!” Shigaraki shouted, startling him a little, causing him to wobble. His steps got a little faster but he tried to keep his cautious approach.

It was the longest walk of his life, but it was only a few short steps until he reached the end. He took a breath, held his head high, and spun on his ankles to face the bastards, but his eyes were only on his crew. Crimson met red, black, yellow, black and purple.

“Never shall we die.”

He jumped.

Panic hit him the second he hit the water. Katsuki had grown up on the ocean, his parents silk merchants who often took him with them as they went from port to port. He’d learned to swim before he’d learned how to spell his own name. But now all those years of expertise were useless, his body jerking out with no traction, his legs directionless as he tried to get back up to the surface. He’d breach the surface for a moment before the ocean’s current would rise again and he couldn’t tread water to keep from being pushed down all over again. Holding his breath was his last resort, trying to take as big of a breath as he could when his head was above the surface but the rolling waves were coming too fast. He could hear voices he knew but the water pushed him down before he could decipher them, and his legs were quickly losing energy to be able to keep himself afloat. His wrists strained on the ropes, trying desperately to get out, but the fiber just dug into his skin, rubbing his wrists raw, the salt of the ocean stinging him as water shoved itself down his throat. Energy drained out of him as he began to sink under the waves, his legs kicking out without strength before going completely limp. He could see the sun shining down on the water, the bright light with its shining rays getting dim as his eyes fluttered. A few bubbles escaped his lips, taking the last bit of air he had, and his last thought was a prayer that his sacrifice was worth it, that his crew, his friends would live on even if he didn't. Darkness claimed him as he sank down into the depths of Davy Jones locker.

Katsuki could feel the touch of fingers on his cheek, gentle as they turned his face a little, and a little pressure on his chest had him coughing up the water in his lungs. Air that wasn’t laden with water passed his lips and he took a breath he didn’t think he’d ever take again. A presence, the fingers owner, was talking to him he thought, but he couldn’t understand the voice at all. But it sounded… it sounded…

Ethereal

Breaking the salt crusting his lids shut, Katsuki’s eyes fluttered to see something his drowned mind couldn’t understand. The sun shone around this stranger like a halo, making the white and red sparkle in the light, but blue as bright as ice and gray like a fierce storm captivated him. He’d never seen such eyes. There was a gentleness in them, though it was guarded with caution. An uncoordinated hand went to reach for the stranger’s face but another hand caught it. The hand was cool, cooler than he’d ever felt a hand be before. His brow furrowed. What… who…

A loud sound caught the stranger’s attention, and his eyes went wide as he saw the stranger shrink back. They weren’t wearing a shirt, and their muscles were on full display, with Katsuki able to see each one of their abs as they went down, down, down until they reached… a tail. Katsuki blinked hard, and still saw the fish tail, the scales enmeshed with their skin. Katsuki’s head swam again, getting dizzy from the sight. The stranger looked down at him again, and with a sadness he didn’t understand, the stranger then crawled away on their hands quickly, and threw themselves back into the water, white and red tail fins high before disappearing under the water. Katsuki stared for another long moment, unable to comprehend what he’d just seen.

It was only then he realized his hands were no longer bound, and another uncoordinated hand came to his wrist, which was still red and raw from the ropes. He could still feel the dried salt on his skin, could feel his waterlogged clothes still glued to him, the water in his ears throwing off his equilibrium, the sand on literally every part of his body, and he just didn’t understand, couldn’t. The stranger was his savior, one of the most beautiful creatures he’d ever seen in his life, but his guardian angel was something he could barely describe. There was a word for what he’d just seen, but his mind just couldn’t connect what he’d seen to that particular word. He had to go after them, had to go after his angel.

Weak arms tried to push upwards, but he barely got his chest up before he crashed back down to the ground. It should not have taken so much energy to move, but his reserves of energy were spent again, and his eyes fluttered shut. The sound of the waves that drowned him rang in his ears, but his mind began to slip back into darkness, unable to keep himself awake. With his eyes closed and sleep infecting his body like a virus, he missed white and red popping back out of the water, staring at him as he lay on the beach.

“Katsuki!”

Katsuki whimpered from the pitch of the scream, his ears sensitive to the noise, wanting to sink back into sleep. In sleep there was no feeling of being like a dried fish, crusted with salt and stiff from the sun. Moving his whole body was too much energy, so he hoped just turning his head to the side would be enough. But then he heard knees crash to the ground, and the sun was blocked from further drying out his form.

“Katsuki, oh god, Katsuki, fuck, how did you- we thought we lost you, oh my god.” Tears were streaming down his first mate’s face, but the watery smile was so powerful that Katsuki had a hard time focusing on his face. Katsuki was then lifted into a strong embrace with corded muscles holding him tight. “I can’t believe you’re alive. I thought… we thought… alive, you’re alive, god, I can’t believe it.” Kirishima pressed a kiss to his hair, the spikes fluffing up as they dried. And then a couple more in his desperation.

“S’itty hair.” Katsuki croaked out, and then he had to turn to his side to cough out a little more water, his lungs aching in his chest.

Kirishima patted his back gently until the fit subsided, letting him gasp until it was just air, and then held him close once again.

“You’re alive.” Kirishima whispered, holding his head gently, Katsuki without the strength to hold himself up. “You’re alive.”

“Al’ve.” Katsuki gasped, attempting for a smile. Kirishima just gave a watery laugh, shaky and overwhelmed, and pressed their foreheads together. Katsuki’s eyes fluttered shut as they took a moment to breathe together. Air had never tasted so sweet.

“You know, when you said never shall we die, I didn’t think you meant literally.” Kirishima breathed a chuckle, still obviously shaken over what happened. Honestly, so was Katsuki.

“N’ther did I.” Katsuki choked out, trying to laugh this all off, but tears poured down his face before he could stop them. Kirishima pulled him into the nape of his neck, holding him together as Katsuki sobbed with what breath he had. Kirishima pulled his body close to his own, cradling Katsuki in his arms, gently massaging at the back of his head, scratching lightly at his hair, whispering soft comforts and encouraging him to just let himself cry. Katsuki hated crying, but these tears were irrepressible, and he broke down in a way he’d never thought he could.

Katsuki had heard stories of drowning, but none of them compared to what actually happened, how someone actually drowned. Drowning was so painful, so terrifying, it was almost enough to keep him from ever going on the ocean again. Katsuki wasn’t sure how long he cried out his fears into his first mate’s embrace, but eventually his sobs subsided into coughing, heavy breaths.

Acting as if nothing had happened, Kirishima stood, standing with such strength he brought Katsuki up with him. This is why Katsuki had chosen him to be first mate, he knew Katsuki best, as well as their crew. “Come on, captain. Let’s get you home with us.”

Katsuki flopped his arm around Kirishima’s shoulders, and Kirishima took his hip, a position they’d been in many times over the years. It was the closest Katuski got to letting people help him, not wanting to show any weakness as the captain of the Howitzer. But this time Katsuki was so spent and felt so shitty that he just let Kirishima drag him, his feet barely pushing him forward as he tried to walk. He knew it was scaring his first mate, but he couldn’t do anything else. He just had nothing left.

He was halfway to unconsciousness when he heard another shout from voices he recognized, this one of joy. A body wrapped around him, and then another, and then he lost track of all the bodies in his personal bubble. Questions were thrown at him too rapidly for him to understand, and they only stopped when Kirishima loudly cleared his throat.

“Guys, back off.” Kirishima said authoritatively. “He’s been through a lot. Give him some space.”

“But how did he survive, Kiri?” Kaminari said, redirecting his question. “He should’ve drowned, how could he have gotten here, and before us?”

“M’rman.” Katsuki panted, leaning too heavily into Kirishima as black spots teased at his vision.

“Did he just say merman?” Kaminari breathed, shock all over his face. “Like merpeople? Like half fish, half hot person merpeople?”

“Denki, back off, now.” Shinsou said, grabbing Katsuki’s other arm to sling over his shoulder. “He needs rest right now, more than we need answers. He probably got sun sickness laying out there as long as he did.”

Kirishima and Shinsou then grabbed Katsuki’s thighs and lifted him into the air a little, his head lolling to the side limply. The fact that Shinsou could take charge in a crisis was one of the reasons he’d chosen Shinsou for his crew, to tend what medical aid he could. He wasn’t a doctor, but he’d been trained in several arts by a teacher even Katsuki respected. They carried him over to somewhere much shadier, and then set him down on some soft dirt, propped up against a tree. This was the best he’d felt since the battle.

“Help me get his clothes off.” Shinsou said, already starting to unbutton his shirt.

“Shinsou, don’t, you know how he is when it comes to stuff like that.” Kirishima hesitated, placing a hand on Shinsou's shoulder. Even when half-dead, Katsuki could appreciate his first mate's desire to protect him. Kirishima knew he never liked anyone seeing him undressed. He was unashamed of his body, but he was Captain. He was always supposed to be strong, put together, collected. His crew looked to him for strength, and being undressed and vulnerable wasn't strong.

“Staying in these wet clothes is worse for him, he needs to dry off completely, he’ll get sicker.” Shinsou said, Kirishima not even breaking his focus. “Besides, his shirt is white, it’s not like we can’t see everything anyways.”

Kirishima sighed but nodded. His first mate then got his boots off, pulling a noise from him as he hadn’t realized how uncomfortable his boots were until they were off. Kirishima then cupped his cheek, trying to reassure him. Shinsou removed his scarf, and then his shirt, Katsuki completely limp as his crew maneuvered his body, blinking in and out of consciousness. He didn’t even notice them taking his pants off, but he could feel that they were done when they got to his undergarments and he was grateful to his crew for that anyways. Katsuki never liked being undressed, even around his crew, the concept too vulnerable to let anyone see, so his muddied mind was at least grateful for the gesture. He drifted when he felt hands stop touching him, voices unintelligibly whispering around him.

A soft cloth with cool water then touched his forehead, gently brushing across his face, drawing him weakly back to consciousness. After his closed eyes were done, he opened them to see Mina with a bowl of water. River water it felt like, since there wasn’t any salt residue left over and it was washing that same salt from his face. River water had never felt so good on his skin. He tried for a smile, wanting to thank her but without the strength to speak.

“It’s okay, captain, we’ve got you.” Mina said, kissing his cheek. “We’ll figure out how to get out of here. It’s our turn to protect you. You can rest now.”

That brought out a genuine, if exhausted, smile. Tomorrow, when he was more coherent, had more strength, he’d tell his crew the tale of his guardian angel, of how he was rescued, and what he thought he’d been rescued by. But for now, his eyes just closed, and he drifted to sleep, completely confident that his crew would get them out of this. Instead of the nightmares he was prone to, tonight he dreamt of his angel with those incredible eyes and inexplicable tail.

Installed a hitching post in Sir’s shower

Alien abductions really are weird. Especially when the aliens seem to have no autonomy, and no one has a clue whose orders they are actually following.

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my plot!

  TW: Threatened torture, abduction/kidnapping, aliens, PTSD, broken wrist, blood, muzzle, restraints, torture, mild language

Day Four: Four Calling Birds: Muzzled | Memories/Flashbacks | Favorite Holiday Memories

Note: Infinity War and Endgame never happen. Nothing post Spider-Man Homecoming is canon to this fic. In this AU, Thanos was stopped by Carol, the Guardians, and some of his other adopted children before he could ever make it to Earth. Tony still has PTSD, but is aware that the threat he had seen while falling back to Earth had been eliminated. Carol had alerted them all that she had taken care of the threat.The Superior IS NOT like the Supreme Intelligence from Captain Marvel. All should be revealed by the end of this fic.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

@amonthofwhump

What will happen when Peter's Aunt May is abducted on the day of the first anniversary of his Uncle Ben's death? 

TW: kidnapping, human experimentation, non-consensual drug use, restraints

Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my plot!

@febuwhump

The sea is beautiful, and so are its creatures, but not all humans are respectful of those most mysterious creatures out there, and most do not believe that merfolk exist. When a young merboy is captured, the other merfolk close to him must find him before it's too late, and they need help to do it. 

Disclaimer: I do not own anything! TW: Kidnapping NOTE: PETER AND TONY DO NOT DIE IN THIS FIC!

Febuwhump Day One

Disclaimer: I do not own anything.

TW: touch starvation, restraints, shock collars, muzzle

Fic 5 of the Family Matters series has been posted!

A villain from the past returns when previously thought dead, and Ezra is in danger.

TW: gore (tongue, burning flesh), cursing in Star Wars language, kidnapping, trafficking, dehumanization, restraints, non-consensual drug use

Could you another drabble with a masochistic whumpee?

(tw: restraints, masochism/sadism)

“You like this, don’t you? You revel in it.”

Whumpee shot Whumper a dangerous glare, sagging in the chains on the ceiling that held them up. Everything in their face told Whumper no, they don’t like this, they want it to stop.

But their body wanted more, needed more, it was an insatiable thing. Every punch to the gut lit a fire in them, every slap scratched an itch deep down they didn’t know they had. Even Whumper’s degrading words urged them to listen, to want to hear more.

“F…fuck you. Fuck you.” Whumpee wouldn’t give. They knew how obvious it was, how their pathetic body looked in that moment, but they still had their dignity. They wouldn’t let that monster strip that away too.

Whumper took a moment to admire what was in front of them. A doll at their disposal. A face with so much anger despite their body being like a magnetic force to everything Whumper had to give them. Such a beautiful contradiction.

“I know how much you want it,” Whumper drawled. The poor little growl that escaped Whumpee’s lips filled them with even more delight. They picked up the nearest item, they didn’t care to look. Anything would satisfy their needs at this point.

“So why don’t I give it to you?”

‘Boy’s a murderer. And he’ll hang at dawn.’

Joey Batey as Pierre in Knightfall 01x04 (2017)

Thank you!!! It's perfect 😈🖤

Can I please request a whumpee help hostage? Knife to throat would be lovely 🖤😇

Knife to the throat IS lovely 😌👀 yessss

CW: Knives, Blood, Interrogation, Threats, Captivity, Cutting of throat (non-fatal)

-

"I don't know why you're making this so hard for yourself, Whumpee..."

The glistening blade of the knife slithered down the length of their arm. Whumpee could feel it's razor sharp edge carving into them as it trailied across twitching skin, gliding over rivers of blue veins. Unforgiving, tight straps fastened them in place to the chair - Whumpee flinched, twising and bucking in a desperate bid to edge away in panic, huffing rapidly through their nostrils and clenching their fists against the binds.

"It's so simple... there doesn't have to be all this pain, you know?" It sounded almost consoling, comforting with their hushed voice, were it not for the weapon being brandished across their body - the threat abundantly obvious.

Until a streak of viscous red trickled down their forearm, stinging from the swift slice and hissing through clenched teeth. The once shimmering silver of the blade now tarnished, dripping garnet red with their blood.

"I just want Caretaker's location, that's all. Just a few words. Just their address."

Just betray the one person you trust, is what they meant.

Those 'few words' would send their whole world spiralling - losing Caretaker wasn't on the table. Whumper was grasping frantically at straws and they knew it: Whumpee wasn't one to buckle - they'd take that information to the grave if that's what it took.

"Do your worst...", Whumpee grimaced, eyes locked in a deathly stare with Whumper to call their bluff.

"How kind of you to offer!"

"I'll never-"

Their words died suddenly in their throat when the knife swiftly flourished towards their neck, their throat bobbing harshly against the blade as they spoke - cutting into them with a startled whine.

"Now, now... I wouldn't talk if I were you... Not unless the next words out of your mouth is going to be Caretakers whereabouts?", Whumper quizzed with a knowing smirk, slightly applying pressure to the blade, pressing further into Whumpee's windpipe with a choke

"Are you about to tell me their whereabouts? You going to be a smart boy, for me?"

Whumpee gulped, feeling the knife bounce against them and sheepishly, slightly shook their head in refusal, careful and weary of the blade threatening to split into their neck. Whumper eyed them up and down, the paralysing tension in their body and straining against the straps, resisting the natural urge to flinch away.

"No matter. They'll come soon enough. When they learn that precious Whumpee has landed in the wrong hands." Whumper begins dragging the knife painstaking slow across Whumpee's throat, feeling the skin part and pry open and blood rushing and spilling down in its wake. Whumpee squealed out, snatching their head away only for it to dig in further and slash them.

"See! Look what you've done!", Whumper bellows infuriated, gesturing to Whumpee trembling beneath them - wheezing, gurgled breaths and weeping. With a dissatisfied sigh, Whumper pulls out their phone and snaps a quick photo of whumpee swimming in their own blood.

"They'll come crawling with their tail between their legs, soon enough. Until then... I quite enjoy seeing you squirm beneath me".

Whumper twizzled the knife around their fingers, admiring the reflection of light shining against it.

And then suddenly plunging it straight towards Whumpee's abdomen.

-

Drabble taglist: @sparrowsage @whumpsday (Just let me know whether to add or remove <333)

Playtime

vows / restraints / don't move (see the chains around my feet)

Ed shuffled her feet nervously, vowing to listen to Jet in the future when he said not to take things into her own hands.

The chains around her feet were an effective restraint, much like the manacles that held her arms bound just above her head. As someone who had never so much as enjoyed trapping her toes inside shoes, this was torturous in and of itself. She was like a bird in a cage, except there was a gag around her mouth so she couldn't even sing.

She caught movement out of the corner of her eye and felt a rush of relief as she saw Faye-Faye stir where she'd been similarly trussed up.

When the other woman had failed to check in, Ed had gotten worried. She'd been back on the Bebop for only a week or two now and things there were still getting back to what she was used to before. Jet hobbled about the ship attending to the endless repairs needed to get it space worthy again while Spike remained incapacitated on the couch. That meant it was up to Ed to be the backup Faye clearly needed against this bounty head. She'd left Ein watching over Spike and had made off with the Swordfish II before Jet could realize she was up to something. He'd been convinced that Faye was fine and just being her usual unreliable self. Had forbidden Ed from going after her.

But Ed had known something was wrong. She'd come back to the Bebop originally because she had realized, after scouring the Earth for weeks looking for her father, that she preferred being someplace where people had your back. Where someone remembered to set out a plate for you for dinner. Where they looked after one another. And that meant she couldn't simply sit and wait for Faye to save herself - she had to act!

Getting caught by the extortioner hadn't been part of her plan though. The chains were cold and heavy against her ankles and the manacles were digging into the sensitive skin of her wrists. She had tried and tried to pull her hands through the metal circles but had only succeeded in making her forearms slick with blood leaking from the abrasions. Escaping handcuffs was more difficult than the videos she'd watched had led her to believe.

"Don't move." Faye's voice rang out clearly. She'd obviously woken all the way up and had realized they were alone in the damp basement of the abandoned house. The gag that had been around her mouth had been worked down until it was under her chin.

"Ed can almost break free!" She insisted, wincing as she tried to contort her hands again. Her gag had ensured that her words were muffled probably beyond understanding but Faye was smart and could see what Ed was up to.

The other woman sighed. "Ed. You're hurting yourself. Hold still, would you? Let me just..." There was an odd sound and then Faye's arms dropped down from the cuffs they'd been locked in. "Give me a minute to get these chains off my feet and then I'll come get you loose."

Ed felt a rush of pride at her companion's abilities and relief that she could stop straining her arms in her attempt to break free. It wasn't even embarrassing to have to be saved, not when she was learning something from her mistakes!

Once Faye had gotten the chains off and moved over to Ed, lowering her gag first, she set to make quick work of the restraints.

"Faye-Faye, you've saved the day! Ed came to rescue you! Will you teach Ed how to bust free? Videos didn't help! Please, please?"

Faye bared her teeth at Ed in a fierce grin. "You bet I will, Ed." The older woman vowed. "There's no way I want you stuck in a situation like this on your own, unable to do anything for yourself except scar up your arms. Now, will you stay down here while I go check if the upstairs is clear or should I assume you're gonna be right on my heels?"

"Ed wants to help! This guy had cuffs that fit my tiny wrists - that means he's held kids hostage before as blackmail. Ed is not about to let him roam free!"

Faye sighed. "Well, okay then but you need to stay out of my way, all right? Stay behind me and cover my back. Let me handle all the hard hitting." She glanced around at the space they were in. "C'mon, I'm gonna kick out those pipes over there. We need some weapons and I think those will do just fine..."

Not sure if this is necessarily the best source to ask, but after seeing your post on handcuffs: Of the restraints you've researched/tried out, which is the most effective at keeping someone immobile? Moreover, without causing serious damage? I imagine metal cuffs would be more injurious than rope, plastic ties or tape, but that might not always be true.

Well it depends partly on how ‘immobile’ you mean. Keeping someonecompletely still is pretty bad for their health in and of itself.

I also feel like I should include a general reminder that this iswriting advice. If I say something could be dangerous please don’t try it outon yourself or someone else.

I tend to approach restraints in terms of them all having differentrisks associated with them. Metal isn’t inherently more dangerous than plastic,it’s about how the restraint is constructed and what it’s used for.

And for obvious reasons I tend to know more about the ways modernrestraints are abused and misused than I do about the risks when something isused properly.

Plastic ties tighten easily. They can cut off circulation and that canfeed into tortures similar to finger-milking (hitting painful swellings in thehands caused by limiting circulation). They can also cause nerve damage bydigging into flesh for long periods, especially when they’re used in suspensiontortures and stress positions.

Rope can do exactly the same thing. But it tends to have more ‘give’ toit and it takes quite a bit more physical effort to cut off circulation withrope than with a plastic tie. It’s used less often nowadays so I’m actually notsure how likely nerve damage is with rope.

Metal restraints are more likely to cause broken bones. But I’ve hadmuch less problems with metal restraints cutting off circulation or causing generalpain. So long as they actually fit I’ve found them more comfortable.

I used to wear a pair of darby-style handcuffs as a bracelet. They’re heavy and that can make themuncomfortable in the long term (hours) but they’ve never left lasting welts theway plastic ties have or a numb tingling sensation the way rope has.

Generally speaking keeping people restrained in the longer term,anything over a handful of hours, is bad for their health in a variety of ways.

Being kept in an uncomfortable position where muscles are strained iswell- basically a stress position. It’s intensely painful and causes massivemuscle damage. The fluid release caused by the die off of muscle cells usuallyresults in visible swelling in the first 24 hours. After 48 hours it can leadto kidney failure.

Most long term restraint tortures allow a degree of movement becauseotherwise victims die.

Being kept immobile in a position where the muscles aren’t strained also kills. But it kills more slowly.

This bit is getting outside my area and into @scriptmedic’s so I’dsuggest consulting her for more detail. I’m thinking about bedsores (orpressure ulcers if you prefer), which develop when people don’t move much forlong periods. There are several different categories based on the severity,ranging from a sort of spongy blister to a deep open wound that reaches themuscle or bone.

Historically these meant a severely reduced life expectancy forparalysed people: medics literally didn’t realise they needed to be moved. Aquick search on bedsores came up with not only direct infection and sepsis, butinfections that spread into the bones and joints and a form of cancer ascomplications that could be lethal.

Which brings me to suggestions:

I’d say tailor the restraints in your story to what you want from thestory. The main questions to consider are how immobile the character needs tobe and for how long.

If keeping the character completely immobile is important then I thinkthe ‘safest’ option is probably a medical bed with 6 or 8 point restraints. Thisis a wheeled bed with tough fabric straps which secure someone in place. They’redesigned to reduce discomfort and the chance of injury and they keep peoplevery still.

There are also good reasons they’re used as a last resort.

Patients can experience friction burns, dislocated bones and broken bonesstruggling against either the application of restraints or the restraintsthemselves. Therehave also been cases of death in relatively short period of time from heartattacks. Keeping patients in such restraints for prolonged periods is notonly dehumanising but damaging to both their physical and mental health.

I don’t have exact time-frames for this. I’m aware that there have beencases of patients restrained in this fashion for a horrifically long period oftime who survived. But realistically…the kind of time frame these restraints aretypically used for is in the realm of hours not days.

If complete immobility is less important to the story but longer timeperiods are important I’d suggest using the sorts of restraints currentlycommon in China for restraint torture.

These are metal ratchetting cuff restraints with a chain between the cuffedhands and the legs. They allow the victim considerably more movement, they canwalk (but not run), handle objects and for the most part take care ofthemselves. They can’t straighten their back, the restraints keep them in anuncomfortable hunched position which causes general pain and discomfort.

But the degree of mobility and ability to relieve strained muscles meansthat unlike a stress position it doesn’t tend to kill.

Victimshave been kept like this for months at a time.

There are long term complications but less risk of sudden death. Longterm complications include chronic pain, weakened muscles, joint and muscularproblems, mobility problems and reduced fine motor control (in some cases dueto nerve damage in the hands caused by prolonged use of restraints.) These areproblems I’d expect to see after a month or more of constant use of these torturousrestraints.

Obviouslyvictims would also be affected by the general symptoms of torture.

Generally speaking there are also some things I’d advise avoiding inyour story if you don’t want the character to be injured.

Any restraint around the neck isdangerous.

Anything that tightens easily isdangerous; plasticties fall into this category and I’d suggest avoiding them in fiction andreality. Whether ropes fall into this category or not depends on the type ofknot.

Anything with a sharp edge isdangerous; metalcuffs can fall into this category but don’t always. Their edges can be rounded.Plastic ties almost always fall into this category.

A hangman’s knot is dangerous whatever part of the body it’sapplied too. It was designed to kill and unless you want the character dead orseriously injured it’s an unrealistic thing to use. If you’re interested in arealistic portrayal of injury from these knots and over 18 Sunstone by SSejic contains a pretty powerful scene of a serious injury in the BDSMcommunity.

I hope that helps. :)

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