This story is inspired by EmilieRockerz’s The Trinity – Bondage Academy for Girls:
viewtopic.php?f=37&t=10500
I have ER’s gracious permission. However, I am posting it in a new thread in case it goes in a different direction from that intended in the original.
Be warned, this is not your typical TUGs story. It is more about my musings on the nature of bondage and consensual slavery. The focus tends to be on the slavery aspect, but I believe the motivations are essentially the same for bondage, even if they may vary dramatically from person to person. I should add that some but not all of the expressed ideas and beliefs are my own. My fictional imaginings do not always speak for me.
Article reprinted with permission from Modern Life Journal
Introduction
Since its opening a decade ago, The Trinity, better known to the general public as the Bondage Academy for Girls, has received positive reviews and glowing tributes for its innovative program shaping undisciplined and directionless young women into conscientious, devoted slaves.
Among the students completing their first year of study is a young lady who caused a media stir when she gave up a budding career as an actress to enter the Academy. Jane Emma Shaw, the 19 year-old star who seemed destined for fame and fortune, has instead opted for the calling of service and obedience. She has not sought publicity, and the staff of The Trinity are extremely diligent in protecting the privacy of its students and alumni. However, Ms Shaw agreed to this exclusive interview in order to explain her motivation and describe life at the Bondage Academy.
As our conversation progressed, the feeling grew that many of Jane’s answers may have been coached or were at least rehearsed – very formulaic, not unlike what you would read in a recruiting brochure. Nevertheless, I have no doubt that all of her responses were the genuinely heartfelt declarations of a young woman deeply committed to the challenging pathway she has chosen for herself.
The interview took place in a small, sparsely furnished room adjacent to the foyer of the main building. There was a table with a water jug and a set of glasses, two chairs for myself and my photographer-assistant Paul, and a wooden stool. Jane arrived dressed in a short, plain white smock. The delicate beauty which has adorned the covers of fashion and show business magazines around the world was unembellished by make-up or manicure, and she looked lovelier than ever. Her body, accentuated by the snugness of her little dress, appeared leaner and more toned than it was last year. But what I did not get to see were those exquisite, expressive, grey-green eyes. During the entire time we were together, she kept her gaze directed towards the floor. Not once did we make eye contact, even for the most fleeting instant. It takes training and discipline to maintain that unwavering downward focus for so long.
She was barefoot. Around her slender throat was buckled a black leather collar. To this was attached a fine metallic cable, and by it she was led into the room by a small, dark-haired young woman wearing identical dress and collar, and with the same humble bearing. Her companion unclipped the leash from Jane’s collar and placed it on the table before quietly departing.
I introduced myself and Paul, and Jane merely nodded. She waited until we had sat down, and then asked “May I be seated, Sir?â€
It is interesting that she asked the man, who had just been introduced as my junior associate, for permission. He took a second to realize it was he who was being addressed, and then he grinned at me, turned to her and nodded. When she did not react, it took another pause for him to realize she was not looking at him and so could not have seen his response.
“Yes, you may.â€
“Thank you, Sir.â€
She took her seat, keeping her knees demurely together. She carefully smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress, though it no longer covered much, before folding her hands decorously in her lap. She continued to stare down at the polished floorboards, and she remained composed, almost impassive, throughout the entire interview. And yet behind the meek, self-effacing demeanour I could discern a more subtle expression, one of self-possession and self-confidence.
Afterwards, Paul informed me of something that I missed at the time – I guess some things take a male’s eye view. As she sat, Jane swept back the rear of her dress. For just a fraction of a second the hemline rose up and he could see that she was wearing nothing underneath. The result was that the bare flesh of her derrière came into direct contact with the seat of the stool. Since it was an action not meant to be seen, this was apparently a symbolic gesture for her alone, and not a show for our benefit.
The Interview
Q. Shall we begin? Ms Shaw... or should it be Jane?
A. Jane is correct, Ma’am. Only our first names are used here.
Q. Thank you, Jane, for giving up your spare time to speak with us today. I understand that you don’t get much time to yourself.
A. It’s my pleasure, Ma’am.
Q. Is addressing all the people you meet as “Ma’am†and “Sir†a formal part of your slave training? I notice you also keep your eyes downcast at all times.
A. Yes, Ma’am. As a slave, I show honour and respect to all free persons. While we are here, we are the property of the Academy, so we address all members of the staff as “Master†and “Mistress.†Free persons such as yourself are addressed as “Ma’am†and “Sir.â€
Q. Well, the obvious place to begin is why you have chosen to study here at the Academy. At first, there were some critics who claimed that it was just a publicity stunt. But it’s been a year now, and I think they have all conceded that they misjudged your sincerity. But do you still have the same dedication to this calling of yours that you felt a year ago?
A. Yes, Ma’am. In fact, what I have learnt and experienced here has reaffirmed and reinforced my commitment. I find myself more devoted to my chosen role in life than I was at the beginning.
Q. In my discussion with your Headmistress, I was told that young women have many different reasons for applying for admission. You left behind a promising career when you came here. What was it that you were seeking?
A. Although I have been incredibly fortunate in my career, I have for quite a long time known that there was something missing in my life. In fact, ever since I was a little girl, I knew that a “normal†marriage or a “regular†career were not what I would find fulfilling. I have always felt that the most rewarding role in life for a woman is to be the loving and obedient slave of a strong and caring master.
I know that sounds very old-fashioned, more than I really intend it to be. I don’t expect that all or even most women feel the same way, and I would never presume to deny anyone the right to choose her own path in life. In fact, many of the girls, who have their own reasons for being here, would disagree. And while I speak of a “master†I do not have a problem with other relationships. Nevertheless, in my ideal the man is lord of his domain.
What I do strongly believe applies to everyone is that in any enduring relationship, whether or not it’s the traditional marriage between a man and a woman, there must be one who rules and the other who obeys. I think that men are better equipped to rule, but that’s not a conviction I would want imposed on others who don’t share it.
So I have come to the Academy not to learn my place – I already know that – but to prepare myself physically, mentally and – if you will – spiritually for a role that I hope and expect will last for the rest of my life.
Q. There were, of course, the usual stories in the media when you were still in the limelight, of you dating such and such eligible bachelor, and there were rumours of a secret sweetheart back home. Is there in fact a special man in your life?
A. Apart from my dad and my little brother [she smiles, but never looks up], no... not yet. Even if there were, I couldn’t subject him to three years of waiting for me to graduate.
Q. When you do leave here, do you think you will have difficulty finding the right man? With your celebrity and your looks, and especially with the training you’ve received here, it could be – for want of a better way of putting it – a shark pool out there.
A. In our third year, social activities are arranged to assist us in readjusting to life on the outside, when we no longer have the protection and guidance of the Academy. It’s not a matchmaking service, but we will be provided with opportunities for meeting people and possibly developing relationships in a safe and supportive environment.
Q. So when you leave, where will you live? Will you go home to your parents?
A. Yes, I will live with my parents until I find the right man – or he finds me. As a slave, I am not entitled to any independence. My brother will have started university by then, and if he has a place of his own I may live with him. It all depends on the circumstances at the time.
Q. So does this mean that you will still be a slave even after you leave the Academy?
A. Only by choice. Everything about the Academy and our life as slaves is consensual and nonbinding. [She smiles again, at the irony of that particular word.] We are perfectly free to choose whatever we want out of life. As you’ve said, girls have many reasons for being here; some will leave to pursue a life of freedom, and others have different plans and ambitions. But as for me, I will always be a slave.
I suppose this sounds odd, because it seems like an inversion of how a relationship normally progresses, which is that you find a man whom you cherish and then you commit yourself to him. Whereas I have already made that commitment to love, honour and obey.
Q. Who will own you until you find that right man?
A. I will belong to my father, but in the sense of me being a dutiful, obedient daughter.
Q. What role will he play in finding your man?
A.[ She laughs, though never lifting her gaze.] Well, hasn’t every father since the beginning of time tried to find the ideal man for his daughter?
Q. Do you think he will?
A. Has any father since the beginning of time found a man who was good enough for his daughter? I expect he will give me good guidance, but in the end the decision will be mine.
Q. So putting you up for sale on the village bride market is out of the question.
A. [This time she giggles.] It’s not likely to happen. Though if it helps pay my brother’s university fees or my parents’ early retirement, I might consider myself a good investment. Just kidding.
Q. You appear to be enjoying yourself right now, answering these questions and having some light-hearted moments. Do you get many chances for just having fun?
A. Well, every single minute at the Academy has its own special joy. It’s not all fun and games, and we aren’t allowed much time for leisure or recreation, but that’s not what we’re here for. As a slave, I must learn to accept and take joy in the fact that my pleasure comes solely from my unconditional service and obedience to my master, to giving him pleasure even though my needs and wants must always be subordinate to his desires and demands.
Q. Well, this is a good time to talk about what you do here. I have been looking through the Academy syllabus and would like to hear your thoughts and feelings about some of the lessons and extracurricular activities. The first item is a 28 hours per week regimen of physical exercise. That’s a very strenuous program, four hours a day.
A. Yes it is, and sometimes it can be very hard; but physical fitness and endurance are essential qualities for a slave. She has to be ready to serve her master at any time and in any way. A good physical condition also promotes mental agility and psychological well-being and instills self-discipline. And, of course, a slave must look pleasing to her master, and a rigorous daily workout keeps us in trim while we’re here and will make it an ingrained part of our existence when we leave.
Q. Just to digress... I noticed a hint of pride in your voice as you said that. You’re proud of what you are, what you’ve become, and what you’ve achieved since being here?
A. As a slave, I do not have the right and do not deserve to feel pride except so far as I fulfil my duties; because personal, inwardly-directed pride is really just vanity. It creates a sense of self-importance which can lead to selfishness and insubordination. But I can be proud of the fact that I am a slave, and I take pride in my dedication and endurance. When I am owned by my master, I hope I can be proud of how faithfully I serve him and how much pleasure I give him.
Q. Well, from what you’ve said so far, I think you will be. The next item in the syllabus is torture – specifically nine hours per week. What forms of torture do you endure?
A. There are many forms of torture, both physical and mental. There are really too many to describe...
Q. Okay then, which torture is your favourite? I don’t mean which you enjoy the most – I can’t imagine the torture is for your enjoyment – but which, if any, do you, like, say “Oh, I’m having such and such today, this will be fun or this won’t be so bad.†Do you get what I mean? I don’t ask many young women about their torture.
A. Yes, Ma’am, I understand. I don’t look forward to our torture sessions, and our teachers make sure to keep the experiences varied so we don’t become inured to it. I don’t have a very high pain endurance threshold, unlike some of the girls. So I guess that I would have to say that I prefer those tortures which don’t involve a lot of pain but are more focused on humiliation – like breast and genital torture. Only so much can be done to you without inflicting permanent damage, so the emphasis is less on pain.
Q. Is that important? The humiliation?
A. Oh yes. Humility and humiliation are not the same, but humility, which is essential for a slave, is achieved through the process of humiliation, breaking down the ego and forcing us to look beyond our own petty, selfish needs and desires.
Q. Yet some would say that a woman who devotes her life to a man as his slave lacks the self-esteem to be her own woman.
A. And while that may be true in some cases, it isn’t a general truth. Nor is there shame or dishonour in being a slave, if your slavery comes from inside you and it’s a state entered into of your own volition. I nearly said “of your own free will,†but I don’t think it’s really free will when you are following your destiny. Which in turn sounds portentous, but I hope you know what I mean.
In any case, to be a slave takes great strength of character, and in fact the slave must in some ways be stronger than her master. It is she who must make sacrifices for his comfort, who must subsume her desires within his. She must learn to endure pain, hard labour and deprivation, to suffer them in silence and to tolerate her master’s whims and caprices. She must revere him even at those times – especially at those times – when he doesn’t live up to the trust she has placed in him; and she must obey him without complaint or hesitation.
It’s her humility which gives the slave the right sense of perspective and proportion, to remind her of what is important in her life. So humiliation and other forms of torture don’t destroy self-esteem. When properly applied, they build it up.
As for torture that I don’t care for, whippings and spankings are near the top of my list because they normally use straps, paddles and floggers rather than crops and canes.
Q. Really? I thought a strap would be preferable to a cane.
A. That’s what everyone thinks at first. But a cane or crop leaves marks and can break the skin, so can only be applied for so many strokes. With a strap, paddle or flogger, it goes on for an awful lot longer.
Q. So is that the torture you dislike most?
A. No, most of all I hate the water torture. The staff can be very creative. It doesn’t leave permanent scarring or mutilation, but it can still be excruciating in so many ways.
Q. Do you get time off after a torture session to zone out, or to zone back in... whatever term applies? I’m not an expert in this field.
A. No, we’re put to work on our chores immediately after our torture, partly to take our minds off the residual pain, but also to remind us that some degree of suffering is an integral aspect of our slavery. It is not just for the pleasure of my master, although it will be his right to torture me for his gratification, since I am his property. But that in itself is important, because it teaches me the importance of compliance and acceptance.
Having said that, there is another facet to the torture sessions; and that is, by experiencing suffering in all its forms, we are better equipped to make informed choices about the extent and limits of our submission. In the end, our slavery and everything we do as slaves is and must be consensual – a deliberate and conscious choice.
So for me humiliation – and the bondage – is sort of like a path to enlightenment, illuminating aspects not just of our slavery but also of ourselves.
Q. Do you get aroused or get any pleasure from the torture?
A. Some girls do, but they’re the unlucky ones.
Q. Why on earth are they unlucky if they actually enjoy the torture that they’re going to receive in any case?
A. Because our slavery is about sacrifice and self-abnegation. I don’t mean we shouldn’t enjoy it, if that’s the way we are, but this is not the primary purpose. Our submission is not conditional upon how much pleasure we personally derive, nor on any reward, except the satisfaction we get from giving pleasure. So it is important that there are aspects of our slavery, things to which we are subjected, that we do not find pleasurable or arousing but which we willingly and joyfully endure.
Q. Okay then, I’m beginning to understand. The next item in the prospectus is specific skills, such as cooking, cleaning, secretarial work, modelling and teaching.
A. Yes Ma’am. We are taught the important domestic arts for being a valuable homemaker, and also skills which will make us useful to the master if he decides that we should contribute to the household income.
Q. The occupations listed here are what we’d call the more traditional female roles, and I can see the reasoning behind that. However, before entering the Academy, you were a very successful actress, on stage, screen and television – in fact, you had a phenomenal career. You had also started at university. You certainly had a busy life. Do you think you will ever return to acting, or to your studies, or take up any other career?
A. Well, that will be something for my master to decide. I imagine that, if we have children, there may eventually be a time when I go out to work. Of course, any income I earn will belong to my husband. I will probably have been too long out of the acting profession to make any sort of comeback there, but I would like one day to return to finish my degree.
Q. So now we get the key part of the curriculum, your training to become, in the words of the prospectus, “a versatile and talented slave.†Bondage is one of the four strands… Hmm, does that qualify as a pun? [My assistant Paul dolefully shakes his head.] Maybe not. Can you give a brief rundown?
A. Again, it’s a very big subject, and there is considerable overlap with the torture. Mostly we are taught the various techniques and styles from the “bottom†position, but we also receive training in applying bondage. It may be, for instance, that the master wishes us to tie up other girls.
Bondage in slavery is very much about the symbolism, as I’m sure you are aware. But the main purpose of our training is to make us familiar with all aspects of bondage so that we will be prepared and comfortable with it. The master will get more pleasure that way; but it also makes it more enjoyable for us. The sessions include yoga and callisthenics to put us in the right physical and mental state. And we also study the artistic and philosophical facets, through, for example, Japanese Kinbaku, or Shibari.
I should add that for many of us Kinbaku is our favourite bondage, because of all the interesting positions, but it’s also the most strenuous. We like it when we get to do the tying, because it’s about putting your partner into the most uncomfortable – though not painful – and humiliating poses you can devise. It helps to have this vent for our stress, even if we’re taking it out on our sister slaves. We even have an informal competition to see who can make their partner squirm the most.
On the whole, we all look forward to our daily bondage. It’s the most popular part of the curriculum.
Q. You just mentioned stress. Is life here very stressful?
A. The stress is not the unhealthy kind that builds up without an outlet. Most of our activities are designed to put pressure on us, physically, mentally, emotionally – in preparation for our life outside. But they also act as safety valves. In the bondage, being at both ends of the rope works as a wonderful stress-reliever. And even the torture can be beneficial. A good scream or cry is very therapeutic.
Q. I think I will have to take your word for that, at least for now. [Paul gives me an odd look.] Okay, moving on, back to the syllabus... Submission and BDSM. I am guessing that this is more about the philosophy than about the practice, which it looks like are covered in other parts of the curriculum.
A. Yes Ma’am. This component deals with the why as well as the how, but it also covers the ways in which we express and reveal our submission. It includes lessons on, for example, posture, and also aspects of protocol and etiquette, such as how we should dress, how we speak – to our master, to other free persons, to other slaves. In addition, a slave has to know how to adapt to different situations without having to be told, how to act under different circumstances and so on.
Most importantly, we are taught to examine, analyze and if necessary question our own motivations, desires, strengths and weaknesses. A slave who doesn’t understand herself can never hope to understand and anticipate her master’s needs.
Q. One thing about what you just said about protocol... I noticed that, at the beginning of the interview, while you treated us both with respect, you appeared to show more deference to my associate, Paul. For instance, it was his permission you asked before you sat down. Are you trained to treat males with greater reverence?
A. I apologize if that offended you, Ma’am...
Q. No, I’m not offended, just curious.
A. I have been taught to be deferential to all free persons, men and women, as a reminder and a reinforcement of what I am and what I am not. However, the fact is that we at the Academy are all female slaves, and so it is natural that we honour the male with special obeisance, since most of us will become the property of a male.
It doesn’t mean we believe males are superior to females... in fact, we know that’s not true. [She smiles and almost forgets the code and begins to raise her eyes to mine, before quickly lowering them again.] It’s more a symbolic way of acknowledging our submission as females.
Q. Sex and slavery – I’m referring to the prospectus again. Is that sex as in gender or sex as in intercourse?
A. Both, because it deals with the implications of being a woman and being a slave. But it’s mainly about ways of pleasing my master with my body; and finding the right balance in the pleasure I feel myself, that is between the personal joy of sex for me and the joy I derive from giving pleasure to my master.
Q. So it’s not just about his pleasure?
A. No, of course not. I would not be a slave if it were not for the joy I feel in my slavery. But beyond that, a good slave is a better slave if she shares the pleasure with her master.
Q. Well said. So I imagine you study all the different lovemaking techniques.
A. The Karma Sutra, The Perfumed Garden, Mills and Boon... all the classics. [She does not crack even the suggestion of a smile at her little joke.]
Q. This final segment intrigues me. Kidnapping and media use.
A. I haven’t reached that part of the course yet, so I am not sure exactly what it entails.
Q. Then we’d better move on before we start speculating and getting ourselves in trouble. The next topic is punishment, and I’m somehow not surprised that it takes up the most space in the course description. So before we go there, shall we take a short break?
A. Yes, Ma’am.
******
That’s the end of the first part, and I am not sure if it’s the sort of thing TUGs forum readers are interested in. In any case, I had fun writing it, and it allowed me to articulate some of my own thoughts and feelings on the subject.