Danger comes in many forms

We spend a lot of time discussing the complexities and risks of BDSM. By ‘we’ in this case I mean BDSM blogs and forums. There’s a lot of good discussion around safeword usage, aftercare, consent and the psychological risks of play. But with all the discussion around the dynamics of BDSM play, it’s sometimes easy to forget that the physical stuff can also be pretty dangerous as well.

This was brought home to me reading this article by Midori on a recent suspension accident. You can read the bottom’s version of what happened here. I don’t know either of the players and wasn’t there, so I’m not going to comment on what actually happened (although I do think this post makes an excellent point). Regardless of the specific circumstances, it’s unarguable that the people involved were experts and yet someone still got seriously hurt.

I’ve done suspension scenes several times and enjoyed them a great deal. They can be very beautiful, as in the last two images here. But there is undoubtedly risk involved. I wonder how many tops train not just for the scene itself, but for the potential scene when everything has gone wrong. Knowing what to do with a shaky submissive coming out of subspace and needing some aftercare is one thing. How many have rehearsed a set of steps to follow when they’ve just dropped somebody on a concrete floor? It often seems that the only time we get to practice an emergency is in the middle of one. Which is pretty much the worst time to do so.

This suspension shot is completely unconnected to the scene in question. I found in on this image board. I like it both for the bondage and for the contrast between the dark background and light bodies.

Suspension

Uppity Submissives

Here’s a couple of submissives taking charge for once. The text isn’t all that clear, so in case you can’t read it the one of the left is saying “Don’t worry Mistress. We called in sick for you. Today you don’t need to go to work. Instead, we’re gonna have a nice little birthday party.” And the one on the right is saying “That’s right mistress! Now, come on, make a wish!” I’m not entirely sure of the exact backstory, but I’m guessing this is only a temporary rebellion that they may well regret further down the road.

The art comes courtesy of Shiniez from his site on deviant art. You’ll need to register to view anything, which is annoying, but it’s free and well worth it. There are a lot of good artists featured on the deviant art site in general. In this case you can see the original of this image in its original 1600×993 glory, plus a lot of really well drawn F/f and M/f BDSM artwork. Shiniez strikes me as unusual in that he actually tries to develop emotional and nuanced BDSM artwork. This piece is a good example. Note that it’s really big and long, so you may need to right click, select view image and then zoom to see it properly, or see original here. That’s an example from an ongoing series, taken just after a hot play session between the two women. It obviously lacks context when presented alone like this, but it’s also very clearly different to the simple ‘single snapshot of an extreme scene’ that’s so common in BDSM artwork. When was the last time you saw artwork showing a dom/sub couple unwinding and indulging in aftercare?

Happy Birthday to Mistress

Candles and corset

This pair of performers have featured in a past post on this blog. Last time they were demonstrating a serious side along with a fun side, and these two images follow a similar pattern.

The first image is just beautiful. That’s a fabulous corset, and it matches up very well with her intricate tattoos. He’s been bound in an interesting way, almost as if in prayer. I’m also a fan of those candles. They look very theatrical and fierce. They seem to be quite common in Japanese BDSM, but I rarely see them used elsewhere.

When it comes to the second image, I have no idea what’s going on. Is she about to roll it over him? Or pull him up over it? Regardless of the plan of action, it comes as a very fun playful shot. She’s flying, with a big smile on her face. I always enjoy watching or playing with a happy sadist.

Corset with candles
Flying with a smileI believe this is Mistress Aska from the SM Play Live site (English version here).

Hanging Around

These images first caught my eye for the interesting rope suspension. I always think that suspension shots are the most aesthetically pleasing form of bondage. I know when I mention bondage aesthetics a lot of people are going to think of ornate body ties, like the kind of rope corsets featured here and here. I think they’re fun, but more pretty than practical. In contrast suspension is both beautiful and a very intense and effective way to restrain somebody.

I’ve done it a few times and have been amazed out how tricky it is to get right. It wasn’t really until our third attempt that we got an effective position that I could stand for an extended period. It stretches the body in unusual ways and requires very careful consideration of how to spread the load between pressure points. The effort is definitely worth it however, as it really promotes a great submissive headspace. The body is exposed, vulnerable, available. Unlike normal bondage, where I can sometimes brace myself against the pain, suspension encourages acceptance. There’s nothing to push against, just ropes that move with you.

Although it was the rope work that initially caught my attention, it was the third image below that sold me on writing this particular post. Don’t they make an adorably cute pair? Of all the hot kinky and fetish shots I’ve posted over recent months, I think that photograph is probably my favorite. I always love a happy session and a smiling domme. There’s another shot showing her smile available here.

Suspension scene with mistress and slave
Suspension scene with mistress and slave
Smiling mistress with slave

I believe this is Mistress Aska from the SM Play Live site.

Manscaping with Cybill Troy

Here’s a fun sequence of action shots. They feature nurse Cybill B Troy very kindly helping out a gentleman with his personal grooming. Judging from the redness on his chest and armpits it’s clear this has been a fairly major work of topiary. I know there a different waxing styles, perhaps they should call this one the Full Cybill?

I’ve never suffered this extent of body hair removal, but I did have a fairly painful experience involving duct tape. The mistress (Lady Lydia) had wrapped me in it prior to some heavy CBT and breathplay. Two or so hours later I’m feeling very spacey and happy at the ‘end’ of the session. Then the duct tape starts coming off, together with large chunks of hair from my arms and legs. It’s one thing getting tortured when you’re braced and ready for it. Quite another when you’re relaxed and unwound, expecting at any moment to rejoin the real world. Lydia was of course delighted by this particular turn of events and laughed throughout the removal.

The image comes from this set on the Den of Iniquity site. There’s also a video in their members section to go with it. If you’re not a fan of edge play you may want to click carefully, the image set contains a lot of needle shots and a little blood.

Nurse Cybill B Troy
Nurse Cybill B Troy
Nurse Cybill B Troy
As a complete aside, I just noticed that the wikipedia page on waxing has this comment on the Brazilian – “some believe can become more unpleasant if receiving cunnilingus from a bearded partner.” How random is that? It even has multiple footnotes to support the comment. Weird. Still, if you’re a lady with a bearded partner and you’re contemplating a Brazilian, now you know. Either everyone’s hair has to go, or it all has to stay.

Combo Deal

Here’s a lucky submissive getting a three for one combo deal, with bondage, hot wax and strap-on play all served up simultaneously. I believe that’s the beautiful Mistress Jayden wielding the wax and sporting the strap-on.

Personally I’ve found hot wax play to be kind of relaxing, a little like a massage treatment. Once I calibrate myself to the initial sharp pain of the drips, the trickling warmth can be soothing. The subsequent scraping it off of hairy skin with a large blunt knife, less so.

Wax play with strap-onThis is from the K is for Kink site.

Drip…drip…drip

I find hot wax play a confusing mix of sensations. Which isn’t to say I don’t enjoy it. Just that I find it harder to categorize in my pain/pleasure continuum. The initial splash of wax against the skin is obviously painful. Sharp and searing, it makes me catch my breath and twist away from it. But the warmth as it spreads out and dries is curiously comforting and calming. Once I’ve become attuned to the pain I can almost relax in the warmth and drift away. It’s not an endorphin high, like the type I can get with needles or corporal punishment. It’s much more the kind of muscle relaxing heat that you find in a sauna or with certain types of massage.

Of course when it’s being dripped on delicate parts of the anatomy, as in this image, there’s less relaxing and a lot more squirming. Although at least the gentleman below look like he’ll have a relatively easy clean up task. For me wax is a lot like sand at the beach, in that I find myself picking it out of odd nooks and crannies for days after the event itself.

Hot Wax PlayI found this image on the Intelligent Domination tumblr site.

Suckling Pig

Unfortunately with the apple in his mouth, any suckling on his part is temporarily out of the question.

This looks like a pretty intense situation to be in. Painful hogtie bondage, pulling the head up and feet back. The zipper line of clothes pegs ready to be ripped off. The drip of hot wax. What looks to be some kind of butt plug sticking out. And of course that tantalizing vision and enticing scent just beyond the end of his nose. At least if he gets hungry he can eat the apple they’ve kindly supplied him with. So that’s something.

Suckling pig from Divine BitchesThe image is obviously from the Divine Bitches site, although I’m afraid I don’t know the specific shoot. If anyone can help me out with that, then leave a comment and I’ll update the post accordingly.