A friend of mine is currently going through sub frenzy. We had a chat about it and where it comes from and how to deal with it, and I mentioned that doms go through the same thing although no one seems to talk about that. She went researching (as we nerds do when we want to understand something) but couldn't find much about dom frenzy, and asked if I had any recommendations.
I don't. I've never seen anything written about dom frenzy. I'm sure some exists out there in the quiet areas of the internet, but I haven't seen it.
So I'm writing a post about it.
Dom frenzy is a mental state a dominant can fall into where they want more, they want it all, NOW. They want full control. They want a slave. They want a stable of slaves! They want to live like a roman emperor! They want to tear you apart and put you back together. They want to play three times a day. They want to do edge play, even if they're new! They want to take on complete control and responsibility regardless of whether that's something they can handle.
Like all mental states it looks different on different people. A monogamous person probably doesn't want a stable of slaves, but they might want their slave to be under their thumb as often as possible, all day, all week, all year, no matter what kind of career their submissive has! A poly dominant might literally want a stable of slaves and not care too much about their personal compatibility with each one, as long as they have lots of them. A dominant interested in edge play might go piercing or cutting things they don't know enough about to pierce and cut, because sheer hubris and desire makes them believe they can do it.
Sub frenzy and dom frenzy are similar in the basic ways - from both sides of the coin, it's about wanting MORE, and wanting it NOW. It's about being vulnerable to making bad decisions based on your desire.
The problem with dom frenzy (just like the problem with sub frenzy) is that people get stupid. They think they can do things that they can't. They think they want to own a slave but they don't actually want the responsibility for owning a slave. They want to spend all their time with their submissive and play as much as possible, possibly leaving friendships (and even work) by the wayside. They do risky play that they've had no training in.
Dom frenzy can let you fuck up your relationships and your submissive(s).
So how do you tell if you're in a frenzy?
Like everything in kink, a good self awareness is the best starting point. Know what you're like when you're rational and sensible and then check in with yourself every so often to make sure you're still being that.
Are you thinking about kink more than usual? Are you fantasizing more than usual? Do you find yourself wanting a level of D/s you've not previously desired? Do you want to do more types of play that you've not previously had an interest in? Do you want types of relationships you've not previously wanted? Do you find yourself unable to focus on things that aren't kink? Do you find yourself drifting off and daydreaming about it more than usual?
You might be in a frenzy.
Now in case it's not obvious, all of these things can also just be normal growth experiences. Actually, I'd almost go so far as to say that most states of frenzy are natural growth spurts.
So please don't think that frenzy = completely irrational things that you don't actually want. Because that's not the case at all. The problem with frenzy isn't that it makes you desire new things, it's that you can get over excited and carried away with trying to get them.
So here's some tips on how to deal with frenzy:
First of all, remember frenzy in and of itself isn't a bad thing. It's a growth spurt. You're hitting kink puberty, you're being flooded with all these feelings and desires you didn't really notice before.
Be patient. Your blood is telling you to go and get all the new things NOW NOW NOW. You don't need them now now now. You can wait. Trust me, all those things you want to do or have? They'll still be there when you get to them. Don't go running into things head first, that's a good way to fuck things up. Take it slow.
You can, however, start looking into these new things that interest you. Developed an interest in Master/slave relationships? Read books, read blogs, join a MAsT chapter in your area, meet folks who are in M/s relationships. Got an interest in edge play? Ask around and meet the edge players in your local area and ask them questions and pick their brains. They'll probably be happy to share information with you. Whatever new thing has caught your interest, don't assume that you're not really into it just because you're feeling frenzied. Go and research it. Meet people who do it. Ask questions, watch scenes, let it sink in.
Communicate all your frenzy feelings to the people around you. They probably understand, and talking it out will help you make sure you don't lose your shit. Letting people know where you're at also helps hold you accountable for your actions.
Think about things carefully. Before, after, during. Keep a good awareness of your own mental state at all times. Be analytical, even when you don't want to be.
If you're like me, all of the above is well and good but how do you deal with the blood pumping NOW NOW NOW feelings when they happen? Being responsible is all well and good but how do you deal with frenzy when it's itching under your skin and you can't sit still?
* Watch porn. Whatever fantasies you have, watch porn of them. If you're more of an interactive person, roleplay online. Join ShangrilaMUSH or Second Life, or go into chat rooms for cybersex, or something like that, and get it all out on there.
* Do more of the stuff you can already do. Play more if it's reasonable, using techniques and toys you're already familiar with. If you're in a D/s relationship and you have certain privileges with your submissive built into your contract, use them. Take a small thing and make it a big deal - maybe instead of your submissive just making you coffee in the morning, maybe they have to present it to you on their knees for a few days.
* Spend time on forums and networking sites with people like you. Join fetlife groups for the stuff that's interesting you and read all the discussions. Read collarme or recon personals (although probably don't respond to any unless you've thought about it for a week).
However you deal with it, you'll be okay. Just try to be as clear headed as you can be and don't rush into anything, and you'll be just fine. And honestly? Enjoy the frenzy as much as you can. There's something to be said for the intoxication of desire. :)
Monday, January 28, 2013
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Why I Care for My Own Leathers
It's pretty common in Leather circles to have your submissive/slave/etc take care of your leathers for you.
For my boots, I like this. I like my subs caring for my boots. It's a service they can give me that I value greatly. It's a skill that I can be proud of them for. It's something they enjoy doing, as I'm sure it's a potent thing to help you "feel" submissive to work over your Dominant's boots. And if I am wearing the boots so much the better, a good boot black scene is a delicious morsel that should be savoured.
But my vest, I care for myself.
My vest is a very important piece of clothing for me, as you know if you're a long time reader. I bought it for myself as a promise that I would constantly strive to be the best I can be. Every time I put it on I ask myself if I am worthy of wearing it. If the answer to that question is no, it stays off until the answer is yes. My vest is very personal. It's a part of who I am and who I can be.
Because of that, it would feel wrong to have someone else care for my vest. My taking care of it is as much a part of the package deal as anything else. If I don't have the inclination to love and look after my vest, then I don't deserve to wear it.
Aside from all that though, I enjoy looking after my vest. It's relaxing, it's calming, it's a good labour with a satisfying end.
For my boots, I like this. I like my subs caring for my boots. It's a service they can give me that I value greatly. It's a skill that I can be proud of them for. It's something they enjoy doing, as I'm sure it's a potent thing to help you "feel" submissive to work over your Dominant's boots. And if I am wearing the boots so much the better, a good boot black scene is a delicious morsel that should be savoured.
But my vest, I care for myself.
My vest is a very important piece of clothing for me, as you know if you're a long time reader. I bought it for myself as a promise that I would constantly strive to be the best I can be. Every time I put it on I ask myself if I am worthy of wearing it. If the answer to that question is no, it stays off until the answer is yes. My vest is very personal. It's a part of who I am and who I can be.
Because of that, it would feel wrong to have someone else care for my vest. My taking care of it is as much a part of the package deal as anything else. If I don't have the inclination to love and look after my vest, then I don't deserve to wear it.
Aside from all that though, I enjoy looking after my vest. It's relaxing, it's calming, it's a good labour with a satisfying end.
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Negotiation Tips: Give Examples
A quick note, this post is about D/s relationship negotiation, not BDSM play negotiation. There are similarities between the two of course but at their core they are quite fundamentally different.
Pet and I have been doing LOTS of negotiating over the time we've been together, not just at our re-evaluation times every three to six months, but just in the day to day when we talk hypothetically about the future. And I've been talking about it with a lot of people who express interest in knowing how we do it. Negotiation is one of those things in WIITWD that everyone says we should do, but no one really tells you how to do it. There are checklists and so on and so forth but those only get you so far.
After talking with a few people about negotiation and communication and making sure you're understood and all that, I thought I'd offer up this tip. First of all though, this isn't the be all to end all about relationship negotiation, I don't have the energy right now to write up a post in great detail of how we do it, but this is something that might help if you've had trouble making yourself understood or understanding your partner.
Give examples.
Lots of them. Not just one or two.
Don't worry about "going too far". Because this is a negotiation. It's not set in stone. You're not laying down the law at this point, you are discussing options. You're offering what you do and don't want, and then they offer what they do and don't want in return, based on your wants and not-wants. That's negotiating. Examples are hugely useful for this.
Don't just say, "I want to control your eating habits". Explain what that might look like. Tell them you want to be able to specify how often they eat, what they eat, what they're not allowed to eat. Tell them you don't want to be asked about every meal though. Maybe you only want it when you're around. Or maybe you do want it all the time, maybe you want to construct some kind of schedule meal plan for them. They might ask, do they get time off from your plan? Do they get exceptions? Can they eat a chocolate if they've been good? Do they get to have x number of cups of coffee every day without asking?
Don't just say, "no body modification". Think about and explore what that means. Okay it means no tattoos, what about piercings? Probably not. But what about hair colour? What about clothing? That's modifying presentation. Are those okay?
Don't just say, "I want to mark you as my property". Marking with what? Words? Symbols? Pictures? In what medium? Tattoos? Piercings? A collar? Branding? Sharpie-on-skin?
Don't just say, "I want you to respect me as your dominant". Jeez. What does respect mean? What does it look like? Respect might just be a feeling, are you okay with your sub just feeling it and not expressing it? Do you want them to show you respect by worshipping you every day? Bringing you coffee? Sitting at your feet? Never interrupting? What does "respect" look like, to you? What does it look like to them?
The reason examples become so useful is that talking theoretically will only get you so far. You can talk about an idea and it sounds great to everyone, but everyone might have different ideas of what it looks like.
For example (heh):
Pet and I originally had a protocol that if she was around me, she would have to ask before drinking or smoking. When she was on her own it was her decision. Something that changed this most recent negotiation is that that no longer applies. She now has to ask every time if she can drink alcohol or smoke. When we discussed this, she said, how do I ask? I said, send me a text. And to pre-empt her next question, I added, if you don't get a reply, assume "no". She was concerned, what if she's in vanilla company and someone offers her a drink, and she can't exactly say "oh hold on, I need to text Sir and ask"? I replied, then she can say "Oh, I'm not sure," or "I'll think about it", and then quietly text me. She was satisfied with that answer.
Without that example, she might have been floundering a bit should that situation actually come up.
We had a conversation when we were discussing, can she play with other people without permission? My stance on it was, she can play, but she can't submit. She submits only to me. And that threw her a bit, and we had to define what "submission" meant to us. For me, it's as simple as - if she's playing for her, then that's fine. If she's doing it because she's told to do it by someone who isn't me, that's not fine.
I'm running out of brain juice for this entry (stupid brainfog, stupid chronic illness) but I hope that's given people some ideas, if you've had communication issues around D/s previously. :)
Pet and I have been doing LOTS of negotiating over the time we've been together, not just at our re-evaluation times every three to six months, but just in the day to day when we talk hypothetically about the future. And I've been talking about it with a lot of people who express interest in knowing how we do it. Negotiation is one of those things in WIITWD that everyone says we should do, but no one really tells you how to do it. There are checklists and so on and so forth but those only get you so far.
After talking with a few people about negotiation and communication and making sure you're understood and all that, I thought I'd offer up this tip. First of all though, this isn't the be all to end all about relationship negotiation, I don't have the energy right now to write up a post in great detail of how we do it, but this is something that might help if you've had trouble making yourself understood or understanding your partner.
Give examples.
Lots of them. Not just one or two.
Don't worry about "going too far". Because this is a negotiation. It's not set in stone. You're not laying down the law at this point, you are discussing options. You're offering what you do and don't want, and then they offer what they do and don't want in return, based on your wants and not-wants. That's negotiating. Examples are hugely useful for this.
Don't just say, "I want to control your eating habits". Explain what that might look like. Tell them you want to be able to specify how often they eat, what they eat, what they're not allowed to eat. Tell them you don't want to be asked about every meal though. Maybe you only want it when you're around. Or maybe you do want it all the time, maybe you want to construct some kind of schedule meal plan for them. They might ask, do they get time off from your plan? Do they get exceptions? Can they eat a chocolate if they've been good? Do they get to have x number of cups of coffee every day without asking?
Don't just say, "no body modification". Think about and explore what that means. Okay it means no tattoos, what about piercings? Probably not. But what about hair colour? What about clothing? That's modifying presentation. Are those okay?
Don't just say, "I want to mark you as my property". Marking with what? Words? Symbols? Pictures? In what medium? Tattoos? Piercings? A collar? Branding? Sharpie-on-skin?
Don't just say, "I want you to respect me as your dominant". Jeez. What does respect mean? What does it look like? Respect might just be a feeling, are you okay with your sub just feeling it and not expressing it? Do you want them to show you respect by worshipping you every day? Bringing you coffee? Sitting at your feet? Never interrupting? What does "respect" look like, to you? What does it look like to them?
The reason examples become so useful is that talking theoretically will only get you so far. You can talk about an idea and it sounds great to everyone, but everyone might have different ideas of what it looks like.
For example (heh):
Pet and I originally had a protocol that if she was around me, she would have to ask before drinking or smoking. When she was on her own it was her decision. Something that changed this most recent negotiation is that that no longer applies. She now has to ask every time if she can drink alcohol or smoke. When we discussed this, she said, how do I ask? I said, send me a text. And to pre-empt her next question, I added, if you don't get a reply, assume "no". She was concerned, what if she's in vanilla company and someone offers her a drink, and she can't exactly say "oh hold on, I need to text Sir and ask"? I replied, then she can say "Oh, I'm not sure," or "I'll think about it", and then quietly text me. She was satisfied with that answer.
Without that example, she might have been floundering a bit should that situation actually come up.
We had a conversation when we were discussing, can she play with other people without permission? My stance on it was, she can play, but she can't submit. She submits only to me. And that threw her a bit, and we had to define what "submission" meant to us. For me, it's as simple as - if she's playing for her, then that's fine. If she's doing it because she's told to do it by someone who isn't me, that's not fine.
I'm running out of brain juice for this entry (stupid brainfog, stupid chronic illness) but I hope that's given people some ideas, if you've had communication issues around D/s previously. :)
Power Trip
The little thrills of power intoxication have started. Just little ones. Pet and I aren't far enough into this for me to get drunk on power just yet, but there are the small moments that warm my belly.
When I look at her septum piercing. Knowing; I did that. I chose it, I paid for it, I made the decisions about the jewellery and the location and the piercer. That ring is mine. That hole in her body is mine. She wears it because it pleases me and she won't remove it without permission. She cannot hide it; it marks her as something outside the norm and that's now inescapable. My presence on her body is inescapable.
Even when she is at home my control is slipping into her life, not just her body. She emails me every night to let me know she's done her chores and she's going to bed (so I know she's going to bed on time).
I get that email and I feel warm. She is doing as she is told, and she is keeping me informed. She is conscious of me. I am boring my way into her mind, becoming an inescapable presence in her actions and thoughts as well as her body. I am the all seeing eye.
She now has to do ten minutes of kitchen housework daily even when she is not at my house. Knowing she is doing housework, even if she's not at my house, because I have told her to, is good. Housework isn't much fun at the best of times, and her doing housework at her house does not have an obvious benefit for me. Obviously there are plenty of indirect benefits but that's not the point of this post. Bottom line, she is doing it because I told her to do it. That makes me feel warm.
She is obeying. Her obedience is the tangible expression of my control.
When I look at her septum piercing. Knowing; I did that. I chose it, I paid for it, I made the decisions about the jewellery and the location and the piercer. That ring is mine. That hole in her body is mine. She wears it because it pleases me and she won't remove it without permission. She cannot hide it; it marks her as something outside the norm and that's now inescapable. My presence on her body is inescapable.
Even when she is at home my control is slipping into her life, not just her body. She emails me every night to let me know she's done her chores and she's going to bed (so I know she's going to bed on time).
I get that email and I feel warm. She is doing as she is told, and she is keeping me informed. She is conscious of me. I am boring my way into her mind, becoming an inescapable presence in her actions and thoughts as well as her body. I am the all seeing eye.
She now has to do ten minutes of kitchen housework daily even when she is not at my house. Knowing she is doing housework, even if she's not at my house, because I have told her to, is good. Housework isn't much fun at the best of times, and her doing housework at her house does not have an obvious benefit for me. Obviously there are plenty of indirect benefits but that's not the point of this post. Bottom line, she is doing it because I told her to do it. That makes me feel warm.
She is obeying. Her obedience is the tangible expression of my control.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Big Update
Hello, hello! Happy new year!
I had meant to do a big round up of 2012 before it ended but, well, as you can see, I didn't get around to it. I have a lot to update you on, so I figure it's time for a nice generic What's Been Happening sort of blog post.
Pet and I had our renegotiation on January 4th. Rather than explicitly state our next renegotiation is in six months, in six months we'll discuss whether we want to renegotiate or simply extend the period for another six months.
Not a huge amount changed, it was more that a lot of areas were simplified. I now control much more of her life than I did previously, but she still has complete freedom in some areas (such as her money and her sexual life). It's all in a good place that I feel good about, and I am enjoying this level of control while maintaining a level of irresponsibility. It's a sweet spot :) Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to the deeper slavery type stuff eventually, but just because there's a goal doesn't mean I can't enjoy the ride an awful lot.
One thing that did change was that I now have complete control of her physical presentation, barring tattoos. It'll take some time before that effect will really be obvious (since I am not made of money and can't afford to just replace all her clothes in one fell swoop) but I did want to mark the occasion with something special so I took her to Piercing HQ, a kinkster owned piercing studio here in Melbourne, and I got her a septum piercing with a ring for the jewellery.
I'm not sure why, but septum rings have always appealed to me as a submissive piercing. *shrugs*!
I don't think people understand just how boring the negotiation process is - especially when it's run by me, and I'm terribly anal retentive and love paperwork a whole lot.
I mean we literally spend hours going over limits and boundaries and what powers I do and don't have. My limits and boundaries too, by the way, not just hers. We talk about potential issues and how they should be resolved. We talk about rules and protocols and punishments. For most people, it's an incredibly boring session of talking about boring things.
But I feel good when I have these talks. It lays everything out so there are no surprises. It lowers the chances of drama.
And I don't mind taking so long with these things. Pet and I are working towards a lifetime commitment. I see no reason why we shouldn't be taking it as slowly and carefully as possible.
The other big thing that happened was the solidifying of our hierarchy. Boy and pet had their own negotiation that I facilitated and also took part in, to work out their own thing. As it stands now, they also have a slight power exchange relationship. Boy wants to exercise his domination muscles and learn to be a better dominant and having the opportunity to learn by doing with me and pet is a good one for him. So that is now also a part of our lives.
We will see how that pans out. If it goes well, that gives me hope for our family as it grows together and also as it may expand. Boy is a very special part of my life and it is good for me to have him by my side, and if that can continue through my relationships so much the better.
There is another new thing I feel is worth blogging about. We are certainly a Leather family of the 21st century, as we have started a household wiki! It's fairly common for Leather and D/s households to have manuals, but being the products of our generation as we are, we've gone high tech and are utilizing wiki software for ours. It's a good move, actually, it lets our manual have branches and structure that is much harder to do in a linear manual.
In short, things are good. Busy, but good. I could talk in more detail about all of these issues but I'm tired and a little out of practise blogging. Perhaps it will come in future posts. :)
I had meant to do a big round up of 2012 before it ended but, well, as you can see, I didn't get around to it. I have a lot to update you on, so I figure it's time for a nice generic What's Been Happening sort of blog post.
Pet and I had our renegotiation on January 4th. Rather than explicitly state our next renegotiation is in six months, in six months we'll discuss whether we want to renegotiate or simply extend the period for another six months.
Not a huge amount changed, it was more that a lot of areas were simplified. I now control much more of her life than I did previously, but she still has complete freedom in some areas (such as her money and her sexual life). It's all in a good place that I feel good about, and I am enjoying this level of control while maintaining a level of irresponsibility. It's a sweet spot :) Don't get me wrong, I am looking forward to the deeper slavery type stuff eventually, but just because there's a goal doesn't mean I can't enjoy the ride an awful lot.
One thing that did change was that I now have complete control of her physical presentation, barring tattoos. It'll take some time before that effect will really be obvious (since I am not made of money and can't afford to just replace all her clothes in one fell swoop) but I did want to mark the occasion with something special so I took her to Piercing HQ, a kinkster owned piercing studio here in Melbourne, and I got her a septum piercing with a ring for the jewellery.
I'm not sure why, but septum rings have always appealed to me as a submissive piercing. *shrugs*!
I don't think people understand just how boring the negotiation process is - especially when it's run by me, and I'm terribly anal retentive and love paperwork a whole lot.
I mean we literally spend hours going over limits and boundaries and what powers I do and don't have. My limits and boundaries too, by the way, not just hers. We talk about potential issues and how they should be resolved. We talk about rules and protocols and punishments. For most people, it's an incredibly boring session of talking about boring things.
But I feel good when I have these talks. It lays everything out so there are no surprises. It lowers the chances of drama.
And I don't mind taking so long with these things. Pet and I are working towards a lifetime commitment. I see no reason why we shouldn't be taking it as slowly and carefully as possible.
The other big thing that happened was the solidifying of our hierarchy. Boy and pet had their own negotiation that I facilitated and also took part in, to work out their own thing. As it stands now, they also have a slight power exchange relationship. Boy wants to exercise his domination muscles and learn to be a better dominant and having the opportunity to learn by doing with me and pet is a good one for him. So that is now also a part of our lives.
We will see how that pans out. If it goes well, that gives me hope for our family as it grows together and also as it may expand. Boy is a very special part of my life and it is good for me to have him by my side, and if that can continue through my relationships so much the better.
There is another new thing I feel is worth blogging about. We are certainly a Leather family of the 21st century, as we have started a household wiki! It's fairly common for Leather and D/s households to have manuals, but being the products of our generation as we are, we've gone high tech and are utilizing wiki software for ours. It's a good move, actually, it lets our manual have branches and structure that is much harder to do in a linear manual.
In short, things are good. Busy, but good. I could talk in more detail about all of these issues but I'm tired and a little out of practise blogging. Perhaps it will come in future posts. :)
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