Today I am speaking to single submissive kinksters, particularly those who are new to kink culture and who are seeking a compatibly controlling partner. Welcome, I say. I know you are eager to find a leather-clad wet dream to make your most throbbing fantasy come true.

But first I want you to stop and listen to what I have to say.

That's a suggestion, not an order. I only give orders to people with whom I have an acknowledged BDSM relationship. I am a mistress, but I am not your mistress--a crucial distinction.

However, some submissive boys and girls seem to think that if someone is a mistress or a master, then they must surely want to dominate anyone, and everyone, all the time. So if you want to be a certain person's submissive, well, just act as though they've agreed to it--kneel at their feet, lick their boots, press your leash into their hands. They'll love it, right?

Wrong. Such behavior is presumptuous, and makes you look indiscriminate and desperate--and that's not attractive. Plus, it implies that your targeted master/mistress is equally indiscriminate, which is insulting. Being my personal submissive is a privilege granted to only a few.

So I am extremely unimpressed with people who see me at a BDSM event, perceive that I am a mistress, and throw themselves at my feet just because I look good in a latex catsuit. I am much more impressed with people who stay on their feet and talk intelligently about what they can offer me, and who value themselves enough to ask me questions about my style of BDSM. This is called negotiating, and it's central to good kinky relationships. I know that in kinky movies and novels, one rarely sees BDSM being negotiated. But in real life, you have to talk about what you want before you play. I may decide I want you, or I may not. But any mistress or master worth having will not think less of you for wanting to take each step one at a time.

For me, half the fun of being the dominant is transforming a desirable peer into a quivering, panting thrall. Don't deprive me of that delicious metamorphosis by doing it all before I get my hands on you....

matisse@thestranger.com