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Description
Standard 18+ Content Warning. Please don't continue if you would be offended by such, or if you are under age.
~

Here is our humble entry to the contest. Both of us worked on this one, (both 'Ashley' and 'Paige' - and 'Ashley' a bit more) so we hope you like it.
Enjoy!

~~~~~
"...And you are *sure* that we can get in? I don't want to have driven out here for nothing."
Asked Ana, hefting a bag from the trunk of the car over her shoulder.

"Yeah - an old friend...eh...maybe 'friendly acquaintance' would be more accurate - well, she works security here. And the old guy that used to do it with her just retired. So while they're looking for replacements... she said we can use the place to shoot."
Stella said, a spring in her step leading the way and a pleased expression at what she had managed to arrange.

"I suppose it's better than paying for a hotel." Said Ana with a shrug "But why a factory?
"I think it'll go well with a bunch of costumes - especially anything Overwatch related. And maybe there'll be other good places to shoot there, like a break-room or something."
Stella's matter-of-fact response was hiding a secret, additional fact she knew about the factory.

A few paces later, the door opened for their approach.
"Hey there Stella! And you must be Ana - and wow - yeah - I can see why you're a model! I'm Carol*"
The security-guard Carol extended her hand to shake towards Ana who was rapidly turning crimson from the comment.
Stella tried to say something, but Carol just continued talking as she led them through a short hallway towards the main factory floor.
"The hiring process looks like it's going to take a while. I know this place is an hour away, but, you'd really be welcome to come any time for more shoots. It's a nice alternative to just watching YouTube and patrolling an empty parking lot. You've got at least two weeks before they get someone."

"Well - here you go." Says Carol, holding the door open. "I'll... try and stay out of your way. But if you need anything or want a tour - I'll be in the office on the far wall."
Carol then skipped off.
"She seems super nice." Ana noted.
"Ehh - she has a strained relationship with common sense. But ... she means well?" Stella replied, only 90% certain her statement was true.

The brightly lit, clean factory floor was laid out before the duo.
There are conveyor belts with six-by-four large metal trays for transporting things, and various large stations of large industrial machinery all across a vast floor-space.
Industrial-robot arms hung down from archways or came up from the floor, with a variety of specific-purpose cranes and hooks dangling at points from the ceiling.
There were also racks filled with parts... human-ish bodyparts. Heads. Arms. Torsos. Legs. Hands and Feet.
It was a factory that constructed and shipped Mannequins.

"Oh. Mannequin factory. Neat." Ana said, mostly to fill the tense silence that seemed to radiate from Stella since they stepped through the door.
"So...wait - you're cool with it? I figured you'd need some coaxing not to run for the hills when you saw all the mannequins."
"...uh - why would I be afraid of Mannequins?" Ana was genuinely confused.
"You said you saw a movie where a mannequin came to life and you were scared of them.".
"Yeah. The movie 'Mannequin' - because I was five. And I stopped being afraid of them before I turned six...
...though this place would probably be terrifying if the parts were scattered about and everything was all rusty and..." Ana mused, poking at Stella.
"Damn. I've been worried about that all week." Stella said, mostly to herself, as Ana pushed the equipment bag into Stella's distracted arms and dashed off towards the center of the factory floor to look around.

Both spent a few minutes of wandering, looking for different places to shoot.
Stella quickly found a spot near the beginning of the line that she just *had* to shoot, and began retrieving and setting up the camera.
Ana returned when she saw Stella with the equipment out, and looked down the lens of the camera.
"Ohh - you can see the the belts all winding into the distance. Nice find!"
Stella took a bow.
"Hey, do you think that Carol would be okay with us briefly using a crane? I think we could do some cool shots with my arms tied up above me." Ana asked.
"Sure...but I want to get this shot before anything..." Stella said, then explaining her paranoia: "...I just can't shake the feeling that it's all too good to be true, and that, like, we'll have to leave at a moment's notice."
"Okay weirdo. I found the bathrooms so I'll go change... and I also - break room has bright pastel colors, so there's, like, a lot of different costumes we could shoot here."
"Like I said - I'm telling you - it's too good to be true..."

It was only a handful of minutes later when Ana returned, clad and made up in her secretary-themed assassin. She was getting used to putting this particular look together, and quickly.
"Let me do a few shots to get the lighting and camera settings right, and then we'll add the rope." Stella said with a grin. She liked that costume - and the clack that the heels made as Ana was walking against the concrete factory floor.
Ana sat on the side of the conveyor belt and casually posed, showing the camera her profile.
"I have to turn the settings down because there's too much interfering light... but when I do, I end up needing little bit more light. Maybe we can use those metal trays as reflectors? Try sitting on that one."
Ana complied; she hopped up onto the tray lying on the conveyor belt, and posed holding her knees.
"It's working - And there's a nice glow from it. Maybe... move that other tray a bit closer?"
A few seconds of pushing and pulling the the long metal trays up and down the belt, and Stella had created perfect lighting.
After several shots from a few different angles, Stella took the camera from the tripod and stepped up onto an adjacent tray, pointing the camera down at the seated Ana.
"These are coming out awesome, Ana." She added, with genuine enthusiasm.
"...Then, let's get to it and start adding ro-."
"-Hey girls!" Said Carol, interrupting Ana's suggestion. "How's it going? ... dang girl, that's hot as hell!"
Ana giggled, not quite as surprised or embarrassed this time, and responded as Stella continued to snap shots to find a yet-more-perfect angle.
"Going great! - we were just about to add the ropes...but hey, I have a question for you - do you think we could use one of those cranes briefly?"
Carol beamed her response through a bright smile: "Well sure! I can lower that one right there."
She moved over to a set of controls near the belt and pushed a button.

It was not the crane control.

Instantly, the belt shifted and began moving rapidly.
The speed was sudden enough that Ana froze in place and placed her hands down on the tray to hold her grip. Stella who was crouched getting a close shot in that moment, fell over onto her side. The girls screamed and shouted to Carol, but they couldn't even hear themselves over the roar of all of the machines coming to life at once.

Carol frantically pushed the emergency stop on the same panel - but nothing happened.
The costs to make the factory largely automated had been extreme; but with less people in the factory and machines doing nearly everything, safety was one of the areas that simply wasn't getting the attention it needed. She ran to catch up with the rapidly moving belt.

There was no question of just jumping off - it'd be like jumping out of a moving car - and onto concrete. Neither of their brains would let them consider it - no - they were still in the 'cling on for dear life' phase of panic. And then - everything lurched to a sudden stop. Ana and Stella were shook flat onto the giant metal trays. In that half second, they begun to sit up more and in the process of moving to push up and hop off the belt... but this was interrupted in the next half-second. Long, thin, plastic strips were suddenly pushed down against their stomachs - squeezing some of the wind out of each of them. Before they could squirm out, another strap came down across their thighs, and another their ankles, then above and below knees.... and all this in less than two seconds. Already the first strap was being pulled taught; the machine was threading and pulling through the holes in the sides of the tray itself. Loops of plastic on a separate machine arm scooped any flailing arms and wrists; it seemed purpose designed to find arms in a number of configurations and then adjust them to a new standardized position. It did this by pulling captured the captured limbs to either side of the tray and threading them in place there. As this happened, more straps came directly from above as the first few had - this time right across the upper chest, above and below the breasts. And then - then across the neck.
Every evolutionary panic set in for Ana when her neck was being squeezed. She thrashed like never before, snapping a few of the plastic straps. But the strap kept pulling tightly at her neck and threatened her ability to breathe.

That was the moment Carol caught up, panting from her sprint. "Don't *pant* move! *pant*
She swallowed hard to get the air she needed. The machine thinks you are mannequins!"
Neither Ana nor Stella saw how that information helped their current situation. Though neither was exactly able to think straight, what with all the panic and terror.
"It doesn't break mannequins because mannequins don't move on their own."
Oh. That... actually kind of made sense. But the instinct to squirm was hard to suppress. Ana drew in the courage to try it for just a second - and - the straps stopped pulling as hard. They were still getting threaded tightly, but no longer so tightly that she couldn't breathe.
Stella was still thrashing, air being squeezed both from her belly and at her neck.
Ana called out: "She's right. Don't move and they stop trying so hard to hold you in place."
With great difficulty, Stella lay still...and the machines eased their assault.
The machines would continue for another several seconds, placing then weaving plastic strips, until there were exactly three intact strips holding each location - ankles, below and above the knee, thighs, belly, wrists, upper arms, upper chest both below and above breasts, and across the neck.
Even if it was now safe to do so, any chance of struggling free was unlikely. Ana still felt a sting from where she'd snapped a few straps earlier; it was the kind of packing plastic that is supposed to be cut.
"You okay Ana?" Stella asked, in the moment of silence that followed once the whirs of robotic arms had fallen silent.
"I'm alive...but I get to pick the location next shoot. I am not fond of how it's squeezing my chest."
"You're not fond of it? Well, my chest has more cause for complaint. I'm being squeezed from above and below. It's like my t-"
Stella was cut off by the lurch of the belts reactivating and moving them both on to the next station.
Carol sighed and ran after.

The ride was only a few seconds, and, not quite as terrifying the second time - maybe because there was no longer the danger of falling off?
The next section only took in Ana as she was in the first occupied tray; this part was designed to only work one mannequin (or in this case, restrained damsel) at a time.
Ana saw a green grid of laser-like light projected onto her. She closed her eyes.
"Heads up - there's lasers in here. Might want to not let them shine in your eyes." There was a loud klaxon blare that sounded for a half-second...and after a moment of shuddering from the very sudden, very near, very loud noise, she felt her Widowmaker headpiece being plucked from her head.
Carol, slightly less winded this time, shouted:
"This part removes foreign objects before the next stage."
"Yeah - I just felt the bastard machine nic my headpiece! But, uh, what counts as a foreign object? Is it going to pull my head off next?" Replied a justifiably annoyed Ana.
"I...don't know - I've only ever seen it going with mannequins in it! ...Though there was that time that some got fed through after being returned from a store." Carol said.
Ana shrieked. "My top!"
"Yeah - that batch went it with clothing and came out without. So yea, it'll probably take your top." Carol said, musing far too calmly for the situation.
"It just ripped it off me! It's taking my skirt! Eeeee!" Ana squealed - and not in delight - as the machine pulled until the zipper snapped and fabric ripped.

"Oh, screw this perv machine!" Stella said, thinking over her options...and opting to struggle like crazy for freedom before she, too, was machine-stripped.
"Carol - do something! Get us out of here!"
"I can't - I'd need a knife to-"

"GET A KNIFE!" Screamed both girls, in stereo.
And Carol dashed off to find something to cut with.

The machine continued it's assault, taking Ana's boots from her feet - though it left her glasses and collar alone - Maybe because of different facial poses, it wouldn't look for foreign objects there? And just as suddenly as it started, it was done. A second of pause and the conveyor belt suddenly lurched forward again, moving Ana out of the chamber.
She was red all over from the embarrassment of being machine-stripped, but was thankful that it stopped before taking her undergarments.
She opted to go with the flesh-colored ones for this photoshoot, and was convinced that was the reason she now had some of her dignity.

Stella was ... not so lucky. And no amount of her struggling would prevent what would happen.
The machine, slowly and methodically identified her favorite t-shirt...and then tugged and tore it from her body. Then her cute black lacy skirt was just shredded in two as it pulled between rows of plastic straps. Her shoes and socks came from her feet with little resistance, and her bra broke almost instantly when being pulled. Her lacy panties were a quality faux-silk though, and they did not yield easily. Eventually they were ripped and pulled through. It was a sensation that Stella would remember for some time to come.
Stripped bare, the machine finally released her for the next part of her journey along the belt.

Ana had already arrived. Trusting her own earlier advice, she closed her eyes as soon as she entered this chamber.
Her head was pushed and secured by flat panels, holding her head and face in an exact position...and then she heard a hiss and felt something wet above her eyes and eyelids.
Ana quickly put it together - this must be where the mannequins are repainted.
"Paint! Stella - close your eyes and mo-" Ana's jaw was abruptly pushed closed by a flat panel pushing from under her chin; yelling was too much wiggling for this precision work.
Stella didn't hear - she was neither close enough yet, only just finishing in the previous chamber.
Ana's cheeks were sprayed lightly next, and then something firm and wet pressed and held against her lips.
"Mmmmph!" was the noise that came from Ana; a protest to this machine attempting to make out with her... or... well... press paint onto her lips.
This situation was weird; she had every reason for her thoughts to have gone a little off, too.
After about twenty seconds of firm, paint-y pressure, the machine pulled off. She was sped off again to the next - and unbeknownst to her final - stage.
"Mrps mr mrllmyph...mm! mrm mranph mrrlph!" Anna commented, attempting, and failing to say: 'This is getting...wha! I can't talk!' - but unable to do so because the new coat of bright red industrial-paint lipstick she was sporting had sealed her mouth shut.

Stella would have a similar experience, though she didn't have her eyes shut when she entered the machine - saw the industrial sprayers - and knew exactly what would happen next. She firmly shut her eyes and mouth, and didn't move a muscle. The only difference in the girl's experience was that on Stella, there was more to spray. Mannequins are not supposed to have anything resembling nipples; this machine was designed to repaint any defaced mannequins - and to it - that's exactly what Stella's nipples were. She was sprayed until the whole of her breasts were all the same smooth color; the sudden cold spray on such sensitive spots was...another new sensation that Stella would end up mentally recording.

Ana was stopped at the final station - there was loud whirring as the machine loaded itself again - and Stella would catch up; the conveyor belt in this part opening up and both metal trays they occupied lined up adjacent to each other. With Carol nowhere to be seen, they knew they'd be facing this next part together.
Ana and Stella looked into each other's eyes, stretching their fingers out towards each other over the lip of the tray, just barely able to make contact - though it was comforting still. They'd both survived this far...
...and with a final clank, the belts moved into the final machine, and started tilting upwards.
The girls pulled their fingers back and balled them into fists out of caution.
Soon, they were both upright...and they kept tilting... and tilting... and now they were upside down, a few feet facing down at the belt. Two large cardboard boxes slid into view under each of them; open facing towards them. A large sheet of thick bubble-wrap was forced in to line the box, followed by the noise of a hose - spraying packing peanuts into the box.
Something clamped on to the sides of the suspended trays...and quickly raced along the side - not that Ana nor Stella saw this; they were too busy falling, having had all of the plastic bonds cut in the blink of an eye.

The landing was fortunately soft, but neither could recover fast enough to fight the spray of packing peanuts in their face or the second layer of bubble wrap being pushed down onto them. Then light disappeared as the box flaps were closed - followed instantly by the scratchy wrenching sound of tape being pulled; the packing tape that would firmly seal them into their new soft but cramped dwellings. The box was packed too tightly to have enough leverage to bust themselves out - or - move much of anything. This was of course by design - a mannequin rattling around during transport could get damaged; they had to have the machines pack the boxes as tightly as they could.

The boxes would be spun, turned, and eventually put upright against a wall with a number of other boxes of finished product.
Stella was 'Mmmph!'-ing and moaning as loud as she could trying to separate her lips. She'd need those to yell at Carol later.
Ana knew that it was at least, probably, over. She nestled in and awaited rescue. She saw no reason to make a ruckus now... at least, until she heard what Carol said next:
"I found a knife! I found a knife!...uh...where did you go? Did you get out? Did you leave?"

It was another minute before the machines would power themselves down completely so they could be heard over the idle noise, and another minute before Carol would be close enough to hear them screaming for her.
Carol was careful with how she opened the boxes...which had more plastic straps on the outside, so, she needed that knife after all.

Ana was red and Stella redder with embarrassment about their current state, though at least some of it was red from anger at Carol and what she'd just put them through.
She sensed this - with the being stared at by them both and all - and tried to make it better by saying: "But...with the rosy cheeks and the makeup - you both actually look really cute!"
It did not help.
Ana and Stella gestured to each other - as their mouths were still sealed shut - and figured out that Stella would wear what Ana wore in, and Ana would wear her Cop costume; if just to be decent again. Ana realized that she already had the bright red lips for it.
Carol made herself useful by finding paint-thinner in the janitorial closet. An unpleasant, but effective, solution to their imposed silence and other makeup mishaps.

After their ordeal, Stella and Ana decided to call it a night. At some point, Ana convinced Stella not to yell at Carol: "What would it help?"
Stella was tired, and wanted an excuse to drop it anyway so... and...that'd work fine.

As they went to leave, Carol pleaded, out of guilt: "You'll...come back another time to shoot, right?"
"We'll have to think about it." Said Ana; Stella just kept walking.

~

The next night, Ana arrived again at the factory - Stella said she was busy so there was no reason to tell her that she was going to return.
She couldn't get it out of her head - she'd never been bound and terrified like that before... and... well... she needed that thrill again.
Maybe if she asked Carol nicely, and they prepared a bit better? She'd brought a white blank costume face-mask. And some rope - being more tied up ahead of time would reduce the dangerous urges of wiggling. And she had a pale bodysuit, or she could just take off her clothing first too... well, most of it. Maybe it'd be okay to just have a few items dramatically torn off of her again?

She approached the door to knock...and started walking away - this was stupid - ...and started walking back. No, it wasn't stupid - she just...needed to try it again to get it out of her system. As she approached a second time, the door opened with Carol in the frame "I... think I know why you are here."
As they walked the hall, Ana sheepishly tried to explain: "I - uh - am not sure you do. It's not for a photoshoot."
Carol opened the door to the main floor with an inquisitive: "Hmm?"
As Ana walked towards the start of the line, she tried to explain: "Well, uh, I was wondering if there was any chance-"
"-Oh hey - a facemask! That's a much better idea." Carol said, interrupting, as was her custom. "We could reuse it over and over."
Ana didn't know what Carol was getting at...until she saw Stella in the distance, bound, gagged, and blindfolded lying on a tray.
"Do you mind if we go one at a time, and reuse the face-mask? Stella is ready to go, and I don't think she was too keen on me leaving to answer the door."

Ana smiled wryly, and placed a finger on her lips before sneaking up the rest of the distance to the bound and waiting Stella.
She quickly off the blindfold. "Good Morning, Sunshine!" getting a moment of a startled Stella's eyes before covering her face with her mask.
Stella's confused 'Mmphs!' echoed for a moment in the factory - and then were quickly drowned out as Ana pushed the the button to start the machines.

~~~~~

Hopefully you all enjoyed this! Always a bit different and challenging when not working with our own characters.

* "Carol" is a reference I dropped just for Guardian. A foreshadowing of trouble, and that she would be the likely cause

:) (Smile) — Description
Standard 18+ Content Warning. Please don't continue if you would be offended by such, or if you are under age.
~

Here is our humble entry to the contest. Both of us worked on this one, (both 'Ashley' and 'Paige' - and 'Ashley' a bit more) so we hope you like it.
Enjoy!

~~~~~
"...And you are *sure* that we can get in? I don't want to have driven out here for nothing."
Asked Ana, hefting a bag from the trunk of the car over her shoulder.

"Yeah - an old friend...eh...maybe 'friendly acquaintance' would be more accurate - well, she works security here. And the old guy that used to do it with her just retired. So while they're looking for replacements... she said we can use the place to shoot."
Stella said, a spring in her step leading the way and a pleased expression at what she had managed to arrange.

"I suppose it's better than paying for a hotel." Said Ana with a shrug "But why a factory?
"I think it'll go well with a bunch of costumes - especially anything Overwatch related. And maybe there'll be other good places to shoot there, like a break-room or something."
Stella's matter-of-fact response was hiding a secret, additional fact she knew about the factory.

A few paces later, the door opened for their approach.
"Hey there Stella! And you must be Ana - and wow - yeah - I can see why you're a model! I'm Carol*"
The security-guard Carol extended her hand to shake towards Ana who was rapidly turning crimson from the comment.
Stella tried to say something, but Carol just continued talking as she led them through a short hallway towards the main factory floor.
"The hiring process looks like it's going to take a while. I know this place is an hour away, but, you'd really be welcome to come any time for more shoots. It's a nice alternative to just watching YouTube and patrolling an empty parking lot. You've got at least two weeks before they get someone."

"Well - here you go." Says Carol, holding the door open. "I'll... try and stay out of your way. But if you need anything or want a tour - I'll be in the office on the far wall."
Carol then skipped off.
"She seems super nice." Ana noted.
"Ehh - she has a strained relationship with common sense. But ... she means well?" Stella replied, only 90% certain her statement was true.

The brightly lit, clean factory floor was laid out before the duo.
There are conveyor belts with six-by-four large metal trays for transporting things, and various large stations of large industrial machinery all across a vast floor-space.
Industrial-robot arms hung down from archways or came up from the floor, with a variety of specific-purpose cranes and hooks dangling at points from the ceiling.
There were also racks filled with parts... human-ish bodyparts. Heads. Arms. Torsos. Legs. Hands and Feet.
It was a factory that constructed and shipped Mannequins.

"Oh. Mannequin factory. Neat." Ana said, mostly to fill the tense silence that seemed to radiate from Stella since they stepped through the door.
"So...wait - you're cool with it? I figured you'd need some coaxing not to run for the hills when you saw all the mannequins."
"...uh - why would I be afraid of Mannequins?" Ana was genuinely confused.
"You said you saw a movie where a mannequin came to life and you were scared of them.".
"Yeah. The movie 'Mannequin' - because I was five. And I stopped being afraid of them before I turned six...
...though this place would probably be terrifying if the parts were scattered about and everything was all rusty and..." Ana mused, poking at Stella.
"Damn. I've been worried about that all week." Stella said, mostly to herself, as Ana pushed the equipment bag into Stella's distracted arms and dashed off towards the center of the factory floor to look around.

Both spent a few minutes of wandering, looking for different places to shoot.
Stella quickly found a spot near the beginning of the line that she just *had* to shoot, and began retrieving and setting up the camera.
Ana returned when she saw Stella with the equipment out, and looked down the lens of the camera.
"Ohh - you can see the the belts all winding into the distance. Nice find!"
Stella took a bow.
"Hey, do you think that Carol would be okay with us briefly using a crane? I think we could do some cool shots with my arms tied up above me." Ana asked.
"Sure...but I want to get this shot before anything..." Stella said, then explaining her paranoia: "...I just can't shake the feeling that it's all too good to be true, and that, like, we'll have to leave at a moment's notice."
"Okay weirdo. I found the bathrooms so I'll go change... and I also - break room has bright pastel colors, so there's, like, a lot of different costumes we could shoot here."
"Like I said - I'm telling you - it's too good to be true..."

It was only a handful of minutes later when Ana returned, clad and made up in her secretary-themed assassin. She was getting used to putting this particular look together, and quickly.
"Let me do a few shots to get the lighting and camera settings right, and then we'll add the rope." Stella said with a grin. She liked that costume - and the clack that the heels made as Ana was walking against the concrete factory floor.
Ana sat on the side of the conveyor belt and casually posed, showing the camera her profile.
"I have to turn the settings down because there's too much interfering light... but when I do, I end up needing little bit more light. Maybe we can use those metal trays as reflectors? Try sitting on that one."
Ana complied; she hopped up onto the tray lying on the conveyor belt, and posed holding her knees.
"It's working - And there's a nice glow from it. Maybe... move that other tray a bit closer?"
A few seconds of pushing and pulling the the long metal trays up and down the belt, and Stella had created perfect lighting.
After several shots from a few different angles, Stella took the camera from the tripod and stepped up onto an adjacent tray, pointing the camera down at the seated Ana.
"These are coming out awesome, Ana." She added, with genuine enthusiasm.
"...Then, let's get to it and start adding ro-."
"-Hey girls!" Said Carol, interrupting Ana's suggestion. "How's it going? ... dang girl, that's hot as hell!"
Ana giggled, not quite as surprised or embarrassed this time, and responded as Stella continued to snap shots to find a yet-more-perfect angle.
"Going great! - we were just about to add the ropes...but hey, I have a question for you - do you think we could use one of those cranes briefly?"
Carol beamed her response through a bright smile: "Well sure! I can lower that one right there."
She moved over to a set of controls near the belt and pushed a button.

It was not the crane control.

Instantly, the belt shifted and began moving rapidly.
The speed was sudden enough that Ana froze in place and placed her hands down on the tray to hold her grip. Stella who was crouched getting a close shot in that moment, fell over onto her side. The girls screamed and shouted to Carol, but they couldn't even hear themselves over the roar of all of the machines coming to life at once.

Carol frantically pushed the emergency stop on the same panel - but nothing happened.
The costs to make the factory largely automated had been extreme; but with less people in the factory and machines doing nearly everything, safety was one of the areas that simply wasn't getting the attention it needed. She ran to catch up with the rapidly moving belt.

There was no question of just jumping off - it'd be like jumping out of a moving car - and onto concrete. Neither of their brains would let them consider it - no - they were still in the 'cling on for dear life' phase of panic. And then - everything lurched to a sudden stop. Ana and Stella were shook flat onto the giant metal trays. In that half second, they begun to sit up more and in the process of moving to push up and hop off the belt... but this was interrupted in the next half-second. Long, thin, plastic strips were suddenly pushed down against their stomachs - squeezing some of the wind out of each of them. Before they could squirm out, another strap came down across their thighs, and another their ankles, then above and below knees.... and all this in less than two seconds. Already the first strap was being pulled taught; the machine was threading and pulling through the holes in the sides of the tray itself. Loops of plastic on a separate machine arm scooped any flailing arms and wrists; it seemed purpose designed to find arms in a number of configurations and then adjust them to a new standardized position. It did this by pulling captured the captured limbs to either side of the tray and threading them in place there. As this happened, more straps came directly from above as the first few had - this time right across the upper chest, above and below the breasts. And then - then across the neck.
Every evolutionary panic set in for Ana when her neck was being squeezed. She thrashed like never before, snapping a few of the plastic straps. But the strap kept pulling tightly at her neck and threatened her ability to breathe.

That was the moment Carol caught up, panting from her sprint. "Don't *pant* move! *pant*
She swallowed hard to get the air she needed. The machine thinks you are mannequins!"
Neither Ana nor Stella saw how that information helped their current situation. Though neither was exactly able to think straight, what with all the panic and terror.
"It doesn't break mannequins because mannequins don't move on their own."
Oh. That... actually kind of made sense. But the instinct to squirm was hard to suppress. Ana drew in the courage to try it for just a second - and - the straps stopped pulling as hard. They were still getting threaded tightly, but no longer so tightly that she couldn't breathe.
Stella was still thrashing, air being squeezed both from her belly and at her neck.
Ana called out: "She's right. Don't move and they stop trying so hard to hold you in place."
With great difficulty, Stella lay still...and the machines eased their assault.
The machines would continue for another several seconds, placing then weaving plastic strips, until there were exactly three intact strips holding each location - ankles, below and above the knee, thighs, belly, wrists, upper arms, upper chest both below and above breasts, and across the neck.
Even if it was now safe to do so, any chance of struggling free was unlikely. Ana still felt a sting from where she'd snapped a few straps earlier; it was the kind of packing plastic that is supposed to be cut.
"You okay Ana?" Stella asked, in the moment of silence that followed once the whirs of robotic arms had fallen silent.
"I'm alive...but I get to pick the location next shoot. I am not fond of how it's squeezing my chest."
"You're not fond of it? Well, my chest has more cause for complaint. I'm being squeezed from above and below. It's like my t-"
Stella was cut off by the lurch of the belts reactivating and moving them both on to the next station.
Carol sighed and ran after.

The ride was only a few seconds, and, not quite as terrifying the second time - maybe because there was no longer the danger of falling off?
The next section only took in Ana as she was in the first occupied tray; this part was designed to only work one mannequin (or in this case, restrained damsel) at a time.
Ana saw a green grid of laser-like light projected onto her. She closed her eyes.
"Heads up - there's lasers in here. Might want to not let them shine in your eyes." There was a loud klaxon blare that sounded for a half-second...and after a moment of shuddering from the very sudden, very near, very loud noise, she felt her Widowmaker headpiece being plucked from her head.
Carol, slightly less winded this time, shouted:
"This part removes foreign objects before the next stage."
"Yeah - I just felt the bastard machine nic my headpiece! But, uh, what counts as a foreign object? Is it going to pull my head off next?" Replied a justifiably annoyed Ana.
"I...don't know - I've only ever seen it going with mannequins in it! ...Though there was that time that some got fed through after being returned from a store." Carol said.
Ana shrieked. "My top!"
"Yeah - that batch went it with clothing and came out without. So yea, it'll probably take your top." Carol said, musing far too calmly for the situation.
"It just ripped it off me! It's taking my skirt! Eeeee!" Ana squealed - and not in delight - as the machine pulled until the zipper snapped and fabric ripped.

"Oh, screw this perv machine!" Stella said, thinking over her options...and opting to struggle like crazy for freedom before she, too, was machine-stripped.
"Carol - do something! Get us out of here!"
"I can't - I'd need a knife to-"

"GET A KNIFE!" Screamed both girls, in stereo.
And Carol dashed off to find something to cut with.

The machine continued it's assault, taking Ana's boots from her feet - though it left her glasses and collar alone - Maybe because of different facial poses, it wouldn't look for foreign objects there? And just as suddenly as it started, it was done. A second of pause and the conveyor belt suddenly lurched forward again, moving Ana out of the chamber.
She was red all over from the embarrassment of being machine-stripped, but was thankful that it stopped before taking her undergarments.
She opted to go with the flesh-colored ones for this photoshoot, and was convinced that was the reason she now had some of her dignity.

Stella was ... not so lucky. And no amount of her struggling would prevent what would happen.
The machine, slowly and methodically identified her favorite t-shirt...and then tugged and tore it from her body. Then her cute black lacy skirt was just shredded in two as it pulled between rows of plastic straps. Her shoes and socks came from her feet with little resistance, and her bra broke almost instantly when being pulled. Her lacy panties were a quality faux-silk though, and they did not yield easily. Eventually they were ripped and pulled through. It was a sensation that Stella would remember for some time to come.
Stripped bare, the machine finally released her for the next part of her journey along the belt.

Ana had already arrived. Trusting her own earlier advice, she closed her eyes as soon as she entered this chamber.
Her head was pushed and secured by flat panels, holding her head and face in an exact position...and then she heard a hiss and felt something wet above her eyes and eyelids.
Ana quickly put it together - this must be where the mannequins are repainted.
"Paint! Stella - close your eyes and mo-" Ana's jaw was abruptly pushed closed by a flat panel pushing from under her chin; yelling was too much wiggling for this precision work.
Stella didn't hear - she was neither close enough yet, only just finishing in the previous chamber.
Ana's cheeks were sprayed lightly next, and then something firm and wet pressed and held against her lips.
"Mmmmph!" was the noise that came from Ana; a protest to this machine attempting to make out with her... or... well... press paint onto her lips.
This situation was weird; she had every reason for her thoughts to have gone a little off, too.
After about twenty seconds of firm, paint-y pressure, the machine pulled off. She was sped off again to the next - and unbeknownst to her final - stage.
"Mrps mr mrllmyph...mm! mrm mranph mrrlph!" Anna commented, attempting, and failing to say: 'This is getting...wha! I can't talk!' - but unable to do so because the new coat of bright red industrial-paint lipstick she was sporting had sealed her mouth shut.

Stella would have a similar experience, though she didn't have her eyes shut when she entered the machine - saw the industrial sprayers - and knew exactly what would happen next. She firmly shut her eyes and mouth, and didn't move a muscle. The only difference in the girl's experience was that on Stella, there was more to spray. Mannequins are not supposed to have anything resembling nipples; this machine was designed to repaint any defaced mannequins - and to it - that's exactly what Stella's nipples were. She was sprayed until the whole of her breasts were all the same smooth color; the sudden cold spray on such sensitive spots was...another new sensation that Stella would end up mentally recording.

Ana was stopped at the final station - there was loud whirring as the machine loaded itself again - and Stella would catch up; the conveyor belt in this part opening up and both metal trays they occupied lined up adjacent to each other. With Carol nowhere to be seen, they knew they'd be facing this next part together.
Ana and Stella looked into each other's eyes, stretching their fingers out towards each other over the lip of the tray, just barely able to make contact - though it was comforting still. They'd both survived this far...
...and with a final clank, the belts moved into the final machine, and started tilting upwards.
The girls pulled their fingers back and balled them into fists out of caution.
Soon, they were both upright...and they kept tilting... and tilting... and now they were upside down, a few feet facing down at the belt. Two large cardboard boxes slid into view under each of them; open facing towards them. A large sheet of thick bubble-wrap was forced in to line the box, followed by the noise of a hose - spraying packing peanuts into the box.
Something clamped on to the sides of the suspended trays...and quickly raced along the side - not that Ana nor Stella saw this; they were too busy falling, having had all of the plastic bonds cut in the blink of an eye.

The landing was fortunately soft, but neither could recover fast enough to fight the spray of packing peanuts in their face or the second layer of bubble wrap being pushed down onto them. Then light disappeared as the box flaps were closed - followed instantly by the scratchy wrenching sound of tape being pulled; the packing tape that would firmly seal them into their new soft but cramped dwellings. The box was packed too tightly to have enough leverage to bust themselves out - or - move much of anything. This was of course by design - a mannequin rattling around during transport could get damaged; they had to have the machines pack the boxes as tightly as they could.

The boxes would be spun, turned, and eventually put upright against a wall with a number of other boxes of finished product.
Stella was 'Mmmph!'-ing and moaning as loud as she could trying to separate her lips. She'd need those to yell at Carol later.
Ana knew that it was at least, probably, over. She nestled in and awaited rescue. She saw no reason to make a ruckus now... at least, until she heard what Carol said next:
"I found a knife! I found a knife!...uh...where did you go? Did you get out? Did you leave?"

It was another minute before the machines would power themselves down completely so they could be heard over the idle noise, and another minute before Carol would be close enough to hear them screaming for her.
Carol was careful with how she opened the boxes...which had more plastic straps on the outside, so, she needed that knife after all.

Ana was red and Stella redder with embarrassment about their current state, though at least some of it was red from anger at Carol and what she'd just put them through.
She sensed this - with the being stared at by them both and all - and tried to make it better by saying: "But...with the rosy cheeks and the makeup - you both actually look really cute!"
It did not help.
Ana and Stella gestured to each other - as their mouths were still sealed shut - and figured out that Stella would wear what Ana wore in, and Ana would wear her Cop costume; if just to be decent again. Ana realized that she already had the bright red lips for it.
Carol made herself useful by finding paint-thinner in the janitorial closet. An unpleasant, but effective, solution to their imposed silence and other makeup mishaps.

After their ordeal, Stella and Ana decided to call it a night. At some point, Ana convinced Stella not to yell at Carol: "What would it help?"
Stella was tired, and wanted an excuse to drop it anyway so... and...that'd work fine.

As they went to leave, Carol pleaded, out of guilt: "You'll...come back another time to shoot, right?"
"We'll have to think about it." Said Ana; Stella just kept walking.

~

The next night, Ana arrived again at the factory - Stella said she was busy so there was no reason to tell her that she was going to return.
She couldn't get it out of her head - she'd never been bound and terrified like that before... and... well... she needed that thrill again.
Maybe if she asked Carol nicely, and they prepared a bit better? She'd brought a white blank costume face-mask. And some rope - being more tied up ahead of time would reduce the dangerous urges of wiggling. And she had a pale bodysuit, or she could just take off her clothing first too... well, most of it. Maybe it'd be okay to just have a few items dramatically torn off of her again?

She approached the door to knock...and started walking away - this was stupid - ...and started walking back. No, it wasn't stupid - she just...needed to try it again to get it out of her system. As she approached a second time, the door opened with Carol in the frame "I... think I know why you are here."
As they walked the hall, Ana sheepishly tried to explain: "I - uh - am not sure you do. It's not for a photoshoot."
Carol opened the door to the main floor with an inquisitive: "Hmm?"
As Ana walked towards the start of the line, she tried to explain: "Well, uh, I was wondering if there was any chance-"
"-Oh hey - a facemask! That's a much better idea." Carol said, interrupting, as was her custom. "We could reuse it over and over."
Ana didn't know what Carol was getting at...until she saw Stella in the distance, bound, gagged, and blindfolded lying on a tray.
"Do you mind if we go one at a time, and reuse the face-mask? Stella is ready to go, and I don't think she was too keen on me leaving to answer the door."

Ana smiled wryly, and placed a finger on her lips before sneaking up the rest of the distance to the bound and waiting Stella.
She quickly off the blindfold. "Good Morning, Sunshine!" getting a moment of a startled Stella's eyes before covering her face with her mask.
Stella's confused 'Mmphs!' echoed for a moment in the factory - and then were quickly drowned out as Ana pushed the the button to start the machines.

~~~~~

Hopefully you all enjoyed this! Always a bit different and challenging when not working with our own characters.

* "Carol" is a reference I dropped just for Guardian. A foreshadowing of trouble, and that she would be the likely cause