Tag: Pro-domme

Use Your Words (revisited)

My safeword post from last week generated a number of thoughtful comments. The general consensus seemed to be that simple open communication was a good way to go and that safewords didn’t need to be particularly original.

poe2600 raised the interesting point that most submissives are very resistant to using safewords, even when they probably should. I think there’s a good deal of truth in that, although there always exceptions. I remember one pro-domme telling me about a client who she call the traffic light guy. He thought he should accompany their entire session with a constant stream of  ‘green… green… yellow… green… yellow… red! red!… yellow.’ Needless to say that wasn’t exactly conducive to a good D/s dynamic. Exceptions aside, I think it is true that there’s a natural inclination to try and avoid breaking the flow of play with a safeword. Which makes for another good reason to use your words and communicate in a more graduated and subtle way than a simple go/stop approach.

The trickiest situations for me are those where I see a possible problem arising later in the session and have to make a judgement call on when or if to call it out earlier. Typically this is when complex bondage and layered sensations are involved. For example, playing in NYC earlier this year I had a situation involving some particularly painful nipple clamps, a straitjacket and a lot of leather straps. Nipple clamps are usually painful going on and off, but become numb when on. These were not reacting like that. The pain was high and not diminishing, but it wasn’t yet at my stop point. However, the domme was about to tighten the straitjacket over them and I could see a lot of leather straps ready to go around it. Adjusting the clamps when they were hidden under all those layers would be a significant undertaking.

My solution in these situations is always the same – given the domme the information and leave the decision to her. I might be misreading her plan and adjusting later will be easier than I expect. Or she might prefer to push on and deal with any adjustments if it becomes necessary. In this case I told her that they were intense and bearable for a short period, but possibly not something I could handle over an extended period. She then elected to swap them for a different pair before pulling all the bondage into place. The remainder of the session then unfolded flawlessly.

These situations are always tricky because they’re not a simple binary choice. I also don’t want to be another traffic light guy and overload the domme with feedback. It’s ultimately a judgement call based on the the likelihood of needing to adjust something and how difficult it looks like that adjustment will become.

I’m fairly certain this shot of bondage and nipple torture is of Domina Yuki. That’s not me in the photo, but I’ve done a very similar scene in that space.

Problem Solver

A few posts back I wrote that “…watching dommes creatively problem solve and experiment on me in realtime is hot AF.” Thanks to a recent blog post by Bastienne Cross, I’d also now add that reading about them doing kinky problem solving to craft compelling sessions is also pretty damn hot.

Before I go further and actually provide the post link, I should add that the kinky session in question is a full toilet one. There’s no explicit detail or pictures, but if the very thought of that squicks you out, then it’s probably best avoided. For everyone else, the post in question is here. It provides the backstory to the unusual toilet design that I featured in this previous post. I’m guessing the ‘Panda’ of the original scene is also who commented on that post.

I never thought I’d find myself impressed by someone coming up with creative and thoughtful ways to literally crap on people, but here we are. Life can lead you in odd directions at times.

This is the creative domme in question – Toronto based Bastienne Cross. Should scat play not be your thing, she has a pretty wide variety of other interests.

On the Steps at Night

Right now I should be somewhere warm and sunny relaxing with friends. I’d planned a non-kinky but fun getaway for a few days post Thanksgiving. Unfortunately I’ve been hit by one of the seasonal viruses that love to show up this time of year. So I figured I’d rather be miserable at home than miserable travelling. Bleah!

While I head off to crawl under a duvet, I’ll leave you with a totally random image to enjoy. This is pretty much the opposite of warm and sunny and has zero to do with seasonal bugs. I just spotted it via this tweet and loved the atmosphere of the shot. I believe that’s Mistress Niko Flux and Mistress Sybil Fury, both pro-dommes based out of NYC.

The image was posted by Kareem Montes, who I assume is the photographer.  You can see more great work from her via her instagram.

Command and Control

A few week ago Mistress Troy Orleans posted an interesting twitter thread on her approach to play and the difficulty of finding appropriate labels for it. I liked a lot of things about, particularly this sexy as hell digression, but I wanted to pick up on the following section in particular…

During a scene, I’m undeniably in control, but if something’s not working, I’ll adjust. My ego’s not attached to the action.

I think that’s an important point for people on both sides of the D/s equation. BDSM is complicated, particularly when doing heavy bondage or intense play. No matter how skilled the participants are – and Troy Orleans is very highly skilled – not everything will work out exactly as expected.

I’ve played with a small number of dommes who did tend to get frustrated or annoyed when a particular setup wasn’t working out as they’d imagined. Those were typically one off visits, because that reaction really kills the dynamic for me. I’m looking for someone in control, which means of themselves as well as of me. Control is about remaining in command of the situation when things don’t work, not trying to make the impossible possible. Plus, watching dommes creatively problem solve and experiment on me in realtime is hot AF.

On the flipside of the coin, from the submissive perspective, I think there can be a danger of treating play as a form of theater, with the domme as the actor and the submissive as both audience and props. That feeds into the bad idea of a scene as crafted narrative that needs to be executed for it to be successful. In reality it’s a highly collaborative process, where the end goal is a creation of a particular energy. Adjusting to something not work out should be viewed as part of building that energy, not a failure of the process. Variation and adaption are what make each experience unique.

Here’s a shot from Mistress Troy Orlean’s twitter feed of a man under her very tight control. You can see more media from her via her OnlyFans.

Floaty

A short post tonight. I’m still floating from Savannah Sly sticking a bunch of needles into me and calling me ‘a good boy’. Clothespins, electricity and breathplay may also have been involved. I’ve now got the kind of post session buzz going where I periodically pause whatever I’m doing, reflect on the night and smile to myself.

I’ll also add that while I’ve played with a lot of fancy BDSM furniture over the years, there’s something to be said for a simple padded table with a heated pad on it. It makes for a nice contrast to have one side of the body toasty, warm and comfortable while terribly painful things are happening to the other side. One might as well be comfortable while one is tortured.

This very sexy shot of Savannah is from her twitter feed. If you’d like to see more from her, she also has an OnlyFans you can follow.

A Schooling via Twitter

This twitter thread – featuring a man complaining to Dan Savage about the prices charged by pro-dommes – blew up big on my feed. Unsurprisingly a lot of dommes were unimpressed with his suggestion that they drop their rates to suit him. Dan summarized a collection of the responses in his column.

I’m not going to rehash the primary question. I think the answer to that was covered pretty extensively in the thread. I will say that I love his subconscious thought process that led to it. Presumably it went something like this: I want to be dominated. I can’t afford a pro-domme. That fact can’t possibly be my fault. It’s therefore a problem with the pro-dommes in my area. They obviously don’t understand how to run their business. Amazing that all of them are making the same mistake. I shall now write to the world to tell everyone of my insight!

Ironically, if it’s true that all the professional in his area are charging $250 an hour, then he’s actually getting a bit of a bargain. That was the average rate when I started playing almost a decade ago. These days it’s usually $300 and up, rising to $400+ in expensive areas like Manhattan or San Francisco.

In an effort to produce something positive from his letter, and aid anyone thinking of seeing a pro-domme for the first time, it might be worth clarifying the subject of tribute. He seems somewhat confused by the word. Possibly due to hanging out on social media with too many fin dommes.

Tribute is simply the fancy industry term for an hourly rate. If you’re playing with an independent domme, then you simply tribute for the length of session you desire. A small number of dommes do charge extra for certain equipment (e.g. single use medical supplies) or for certain activities (e.g. full toilet), but that’s relatively rare and those extras should all be announced and agreed upfront. Tips and gifts are obviously gratefully received, but never required *.

In the very unlikely event that you find yourself in a situation where fees are being negotiated mid-session, or you’re being upsold activities after starting play, or there’s not a clear understanding ahead of time of the total cost, then don’t walk away. Run as fast as possible. I’ve never had this happen to me. No competent professional will ever do it. But I have heard of it happening, particularly when dealing with escorts who offer domination services, and it’s a big red flag **.

I found this Tribute inspired T-Shirt available for sale here.

* This applies to independent dommes. For playing at a house dungeon, where the domme works as an independent contractor for the commerical dungeon, then you should always tip the domme.

** This applies to conventional BDSM sessions. If you’re mixing financial domination into your play, then obviously different rules may apply.

More Chicago Hijinks

As I’ve written in the past, I like to mix up my kinky play when travelling. I want to play with people I know to continue to build a rapport, but also play with people I’ve not met before to explore new dynamics and expand my kinky horizons. It’s not an algorithm that scales all that well, but it is fun to try.

For my recent Chicago trip, in the former category was Mistress Mara Mayhem, who I’ve known since 2016. In the latter category I was lucky enough to get some time with Olivia Black. She has an outstanding reputation as a talented and creative domme. After doing just one session with her, I can say that it’s thoroughly deserved.

We did a nice mix of caning, bondage and torturing my delicate parts (TDP), all delivered with the kind of caring sensual sadism that really pushes my buttons. I particularly enjoyed the trick of leaning in for a hug after attaching clothespins to my chest. There’s something attractively devilish about using a moment of closeness and contact to spike the pain levels by dragging against the pins. It’s a heady mix of pain and pleasure, where the boundaries between the two become very blurred.

This is Olivia Black shot by photographer Alejandra Gguerrero. If you’re in the Chicago area and interested in scheduling a session, you can find Olivia’s professional site here.  Her instagram is available here.

Home Again

Apologies for the lack of posts in recent days. My Chicago hotel, whilst excellent in many aspects, was sadly lacking in terms of a reliable internet connection. They had zero connectivity for 3+ days and I didn’t have the time to schlep my laptop to a coffee shop to blog. I’m now back in Seattle, so normal service should be resumed.

Although I had some good kinky fun in Chicago, I sadly didn’t get any photographs to share. I had two great sessions with Mistress Mara Mayhem, who made me growl with nipple clamps, moan with clothespins and laugh a lot with an ice cube. I think an unexpected shock of cold to the nape of my nape provoked a stronger reaction than a needle through the nipple did.

I don’t get to see Mistress Mara as often I’d like, but it’s always a pleasure when our paths cross and we can renew our play together. Although we’re both serious about kink, that doesn’t mean sessions have to entirely serious, and it’s nice to intersperse laughter between the moans and yells. It is called ‘play’ after all.

This is Mistress Mara looking serious in an image from her professional site. You can find links to her OnlyFans, NiteFlirt and Clips Store here, or follow her on twitter.

A Session with Empress Wu

My final kinky experience of my NYC trip was a session with Empress Wu. We had not played together before, so this was a getting to know each other exploratory scene. I’m always a fan of easing into new dynamics rather than trying to bounce off limits in the first hour or two. I’d rather leave buzzed, floaty and imaging how we could evolve in the future, rather than staggering out shell-shocked and wandering what the hell just happened.

One of the nice things about being somewhat omnivorous in my kinky appetites, and being lucky enough to play with different dommes, is the opportunity to do different types of scenes. I always try to skew towards activities dommes call out as favorites, and in Empress Wu’s case this gave us a really fun scene heavy in spitting, pissing, scentplay, breathplay, gagging and CBT. As a general rule, letting a domme riff on some of her preferred activities is never bad way to do a first scene, and that was certainly true here. It was a great scene and an ideal way to end my NYC trip.

One particularly interesting aspect was the breathplay we did. There was some of the ‘regular kind’ featuring smothering, hand to face and a plastic bag over the head. However, Empress Wu also did some breathing exercises that I’d typically associate more with yoga or meditation. She talked me through breathing patterns, allowing me just to sit and be in the moment, following her voice. That’s really unusually in a pro-domme session – a first for me – and it was a really interesting dynamic. I was floaty from the more intense physical play we’d done, still in a D/s mindset, and it was almost hypnotic to follow her voice and try to let my thoughts go.

We didn’t shoot too many photographs, but I did think this was a fun one featuring a bit gag and some nipple clamps. Bit gags are always good for drooling and the chain pulling the head down just enhances that.

This rather striking selfie shot was from Empress Wu’s twitter feed. If you’re in the New York area and would like to schedule a professional session, then her site is here. For anyone further afield, then you can subscribe to her OnlyFans here.

A Session with Mistress Troy Orleans

One of the pleasurable things about returning home from vacation is the opportunity to sort through holiday snaps and reminisce about the fun times you had.  In my case that normally means less in the way of shots of beaches and cute bistros discovered down side streets, and rather more in the way of leather, steel, pain and oh my! Visiting NYC resulted in lots of photographs from that second category, and the first I’m featuring here come from a really great session I did with Mistress Troy Orleans.

We started with some bondage using a post and a harness to put me in a vertical but semi-seated position. You can see photos of that in this side view, this front view and this back view. The boots I’m wearing are particularly fearsome. They hold the foot fully extended inline with the leg and grip everything very tightly. I think they’d be impossible to walk on, but in this position I can use them to take some of my weight. I love the combination of the fetishistic look of the boots and the sleeves together with the degree of control they apply. You can see a nice close-up of the locks and metal clips on the sleeves here. It’s not shown clearly in the images, but I should also point out that my throat and head are also fixed in place against the post.

Of course bondage alone is never enough. Troy always likes to throw some pain into the mix, as you can see from this shot. The nipple clamps were a little painful, but the real killer was the nasal clamp that’s holding the chain up. Nipples go numb over time, but the septum never seems to. Every time the chain moved it felt like someone sticking a needle into the inside of my nose. Even when Troy took forever some time to shoot selfies (one shown below) she left that damn nose clamp in place, creating an extended series of cries and moans of pain from me.

After this vertical bondage we moved onto a slightly more meditative horizontal position. Inspired by Savannah Sly’s writing on my chest, Troy decided to put her initials (MTO – Mistress Troy Orleans) on my back. This was also done with cupping, but where Savannah had cups with a manual pump, Troy used the fire cupping technique. The application of the hot cups created a relaxing and floaty headspace for me, but considerably upped the challenge in terms of writing anything. The suction effect is nowhere near as strong with fire cups and it’s hard to accurately place and moved them with breaking the seal. As you can see from this shot of my back, she did manage to get a pretty clear ‘MTO’, but it wasn’t as vividly defined as the ‘Sly’ from the pumped cups.

Finally, we moved onto a suspended bondage scene, using Troy’s amazing metal frame and spring set-up. You can see a side and front shot of that here and here. I’m in a leather body bag, with a tongue depressor gag and a pair of ear mufflers for some added sensor deprivation. Moving from the back writing scene to this worked really well, as it kept me a lovely spacey floaty zone that allowed me to just drift in the moment. The gag was just enough to remove the idea of talking, without being so uncomfortable it kept dragging my attention to it. Attention to small details like that really make the difference in these kind of scenes.

As is always the case when I play with Mistress Troy Orleans, it was a great session and I’m really glad I got the holidays snaps to remember it by. Although I probably will not be passing them around in the family album the next time friends drop in.

If you’re interested is seeing more of Mistress Troy’s creative work then she has an OnlyFans account here.