Predicament Bondage

[AmyAmy]

Could you describe the elements of the "predicament bondage" genre?
What is it that delivers the predicament feel?

I originally posted this question in the Story Contest thread, where "predicament" was used in a context where it seemed to refer to a genre.

I really enjoy the aspect of 'predicament-bondage' and trying to write stories which include some aspect of 'this-for-that' problems for my protagonists.

[ElectroPainLover]

Hi AmyAmy,

To me, "Predicament Bondage" is a situation which delivers something; usually punishment; for a person's actions. Let's say, having wrist cuffs attached to a rope which go through an eye-bolt above their head and then attach to nipple clips. As long as the bound person holds their arms up, their nipples do not get pulled. However, once their arms and shoulders start to get tired and they try to rest them, the rope pulls on the nipple clamps and provides pain.

In the case of the story I wrote for the contest, both girls were hooked up to tens-boxes and had wires attached to switches. If one girl moved and closed the switches circuit, the other girl got shocked. The only way they both received a shock was by activating the microphones against their throats. If either woman tried to speak, or, otherwise, made noise; they both received a jolt of electricity. If they care for one another, as the two women did in my story, you would try to keep from moving and torturing your friend.

In my story, "Amy's Surprise Awakening", Amy was presented; though unknowingly as she was blindfolded; with one of two ways to get loose from the predicament she found herself in, or, the option of not doing anything to escape. She had no actual knowledge that enduring things would allow her to free herself but, expected their had to be a reason for her to be afforded the ability to move, thus, there should be an escape option in one direction or the other.

There are other forms of predicament-bondage which just switches the discomfort from one place to another. Having nipple clamps attached over-head and labia clamps attached to the ground...strings at a length that rising up on the balls of your feet relieves the pull on your nipples but pulls on your labia. Going to flat-foot relieves the pull on your labia and pulls up on your nipples.

There are any number of ways to put someone in a this-for-that situation and above are only a couple of examples.

I hope I answered your question for you.

Dana

EDIT--I moved this to a new topic in order for it to have it's own thread out of the Story Contest thread.

Dana

[AmyAmy]

It sounds like it's important that the subject has the ability to make a decision, to do this, or to do that; that they have more ability to influence events than in a non-predicament bondage scenario, where they just have to take it, and all the magic is happening in their internal thought processes.

I see two sub-genres here, so far:

It seems like it's possible to construct scenarios where "defeat" is built-in, but the degree of defeat may vary. For example, the two girls in EPL's story - they are almost certainly going to get some shocks, but it may be more shocks or less shocks - in the story context, they have to get shocks, or the reader feels cheated.

It seems like it's also possible to construct a different kind of scenario, where the subject can "win" and so it's a win-loss situation. They might overcome the challenge, they might not. They might find the key and escape, they might not topple over, they might win the who orgasms first competition, etc.

Variously, in the two kinds of scenarios, are certain outcomes intrinsically more satisfying to readers?

In a built-in-failure, is the expected, or preferred outcome that the subject is defeated by the predicament? (Probably this results in a orgasm, or an orgasm being denied, or some other possibility involving an orgasm that I haven't thought of). If they have to lose, is total and utter defeat/capitulation the best outcome for the reader?

And in the win-v-lose scenario, is it better if they win, or if they lose? What is most satisfying, if you are really into "predicaments". Or putting winning/losing aside in the simple sense, is it better if the result is intensification, or (instead) completion.

I like that these kind of situations have a back-and-forth that lends drama and eventfulness to the situation, and to an extend I'm wondering how I never thought of these things as a genre in themselves until now. Before this term was mentioned, I might see such a thing in a story, and think it's a pony story, or a girly-friends story, or a dark-predator story, or whatever, but I didn't think of predicament as a genre. But I see it could be, and for those that are searching for a certain predicament feeling it was always a genre to them, and they have been judging stories based on how much or how little they contain it (rather than something like rubber, pain, bad smells, tickling, dolls, etc).

I have the sense that since "Ever Increasing Bondage" appeared here, there's been more emphasis on predicaments in stories, generally, but I wonder if the predicament enthusiasts would say there was always plenty going on before, and maybe that story just made me notice it more? Though if I had to guess, I'd say that story has raised the interest in predicaments across-the-board somewhat.

I wonder if we're heading towards a period where if you don't have a certain amount of predicament content in your story, people are going to think it's a bit dull, or old-fashioned.

[ElectroPainLover]

Hello again AmyAmy,

To cover the last part of your post first...I believe there is still room for stories that do not contain elements of predicament bondage within them. However, I do like the element of...say...trying to get free causes pain or discomfort from another source as you pull on the restraints.

It seems like it's possible to construct scenarios where "defeat" is built-in, but the degree of defeat may vary. For example, the two girls in EPL's story - they are almost certainly going to get some shocks, but it may be more shocks or less shocks - in the story context, they have to get shocks, or the reader feels cheated.

It seems like it's also possible to construct a different kind of scenario, where the subject can "win" and so it's a win-loss situation. They might overcome the challenge, they might not. They might find the key and escape, they might not topple over, they might win the who orgasms first competition, etc.

Variously, in the two kinds of scenarios, are certain outcomes intrinsically more satisfying to readers?

I believe you are correct in the sub-genre's of predicament bondage. Much of mine will usually deal with movements and/or struggling costing the bound person discomfort...and usually...from electricity. Hey...I am ElectoPainLover after all.  Most of my scenarios have to be endured until the bondage session ends (some sort of timer if SB or a partner ends it). I enjoy the frustration, and building that frustration into my characters, of having to endure one form of pain to prevent another form of pain. Muscle cramps and/or fatigue making a person need to adjust their position only to cause pain somewhere else is very erotic reading (and writing) to me. In Sarah and Kara's case, they received pleasure if they stayed perfectly still. Enough pleasure to allow for orgasms. However, how many people can stay perfectly still during an orgasm...I sure the hell can't. Thus, during an orgasm for one of the two girls, their movements of their pleasure caused the other painful electrical shocks.

In a built-in-failure, is the expected, or preferred outcome that the subject is defeated by the predicament? (Probably this results in a orgasm, or an orgasm being denied, or some other possibility I haven't thought of). If they have to lose, it total and utter defeat the best outcome?

And in the win-v-lose scenario, is it better if they win, or if they lose? What is most satisfying, if you are really into "predicaments".

Usually, for my protagonists, the scenario of the predicament-bondage they are in will last the entire time until the timer and/or tormentor ends it. However, in some of my other styles, some sort of pain must be endured to gain release. In "Amy's Surprise Awakening", Amy had no idea there was a release method available, but, in order to find out, she had to walk while the hemp rope drug across her vulva. Large, rough knots in the rope caused painful area's to have to get past; an electrical shock area had to be endured, and, finished with having to wet the rope...either by urine or cum...in order for the keys to be released. All-the-while, she had no idea it would work or if there were keys for her release. She also had the option of going backwards instead of forward. Though, since she did not, we never got to learn what Monica had set up for her behind her, but, Monica did make mention that it would have been worse.

I, personally, like both forms; winning and gaining freedom...losing and getting pain.

I like that these kind of situations have a back-and-forth that lends drama and eventfulness to the situation, and to an extend I'm wondering how I never thought of these things as a genre in themselves until now. Before this term was mentioned, I might see such a thing in a story, and think it's a pony story, or a girly-friends story, or a dark-predator story, or whatever, but I didn't think of predicament as a genre. But I see it could be, and for those that are searching for a certain "predicament feeling" it would definitely be a genre to them, and they would judge stories based on how much or how little they contain it (rather than something like rubber, pain, bad smells, tickling, dolls, etc).

The drama can be much expanded by how many elements of predicaments the author wishes to use. Having 'layers' of predicaments can place the protagonist into different areas of pain through different movements or actions. On form of drama could be offering the bound person something they really want, but, it cost them in some other way to get it. Again, an orgasm which causes pain to themselves or a friend should any sound be made during the orgasm. Predicaments can be as broad and as devious as the writer's imagination for the story they are telling.

Yes, I do believe that many fans of predicament-bondage rate the story's quality based on how intense the predicament is. People, unless they have done it, usually do not realize how hard it is to hold their arms stretched above their head for an hour or more. Eventually, the shoulders become quite tired and the need to lower the arms and rest becomes a painful burn in the muscles. However, arms are quite heavy if the other ends of the rope are attached to clover-clamps on the nipples. Or, having to stand on tip-toes gets the calves burning after awhile, but, is that burn better or worse than the cattle prod mounted only an inch or so from someones pussy and lowering one's self to relax the calves results in a the prod shocking their sex.

I personally like fair harsh predicaments..."The Blackberry Patch being one of my most painful predicament-bondage stories so far.

I wonder if we're heading towards a period where if you don't have a certain amount of predicament content in your story, people are going to think it's a bit dull, or old-fashioned.

I hope we're not and I believe there will always be room for stories that do not contain elements of predicament-bondage. I believe, like any other fetish genre, that predicament-bondage will be sought by readers whom like that style of writing, but, Latex lover's will read a Latex story whether it has an element of predicament-bondage in it or not.

Just my thoughts though.

Dana

[rmcingle]

It sounds like it's important that the subject has the ability to make a decision, to do this, or to do that; that they have more ability to influence events than in a non-predicament bondage scenario, where they just have to take it, and all the magic is happening in their internal thought processes.

I suppose that would fit in the predicament area, but what I consider to be predicament isn't so much of a conscious choice as much as the lesser of two evils.

An example of what I mean would be a woman straddling a thin board.  If she stands on tip-toes her crotch clears the board, but she can't stay up on tip-toe for too long.  If she relaxes her crotch rests hard against the narrow board, punishing her sex.  She can tolerate one as long as she can and then switch to the other.

A form of predicament bondage that I have included in my self bondage is very similar to the situation that ElectroPainLover described:  I had a ten pound weight secured to my balls by a "parachute harness".  This was tolerable for a while, but after a few minutes really started to ache.  I could kneel and rest the weight on the floor.  However:  I had nipple clamps, the "clover" type that pinched harder when tugged on, connected by a rubber band to a chain that hung from the ceiling.  The rubber band were three of those large blue ones that asparagus comes bound in.  If I knelt, the rubber band was stretched tight and pulled hard on the nipples.  My hands were cuffed and locked to the chain as well so I could not reach the nipple clamps.  I was locked there for an hour.  Yes, my nipples and balls were really sore before I was released!

Other forms of predicament bondage are more of a "one time" deal:  If you move to far you spill a bucket of something really messy.  If you don't hold this then that will drop and release the clamp holding back an enema. 

I enjoy stories that have a predicament situation, and I enjoy stories that don't have it.  I see things go in cycles, where someone will post a story that has a certain theme and then a bunch of other people will write stories that also have that theme.  It goes in cycles. 

Ron