Leather and Lace

A Bit of History

Axel

After dinner, we all head into the living room. None of us have seen Sang or Dominique since the incident that happened in the study.

"So how about we give you the basic rundown?" Oliver bounces in his seat. "The basic terminology. Just so you aren't as confused when you visit the club tomorrow."

Most of my brothers nod at his suggestion. I just sat back and listened, already knowing the basics of the lifestyle.

Oliver perks up, "Okay! So let's start with what BDSM means. It stands for Bondage and Discipline, Domination and Submission, Sadism and Masochism. The acronym is what we use now and has replaced the term sadomasochism. Usually, in a BDSM relationship, there is a dominant, the one who takes the reigns and does the disciplining. Then there's the submissive, the one who gives control and obeys."

Luke raised his hand causing Oliver to laugh. "What's a switch?"

Xavier looks amused, "A switch is someone who can switch from being dominant to being submissive. They can both be someone who gives control and who takes control."

He leans back in his seat and rests his arm on the back of the couch behind Oliver. "There are sub-types of dominants and submissives. I'll let Sang explain all that to you."

He looks at us with a fierceness I didn't expect. From our interactions with the Schulz Team, he's the most reserved and calm out of the four. "BDSM relies on a judgment-free zone where communication and trust come first. It can be the safest kind of... Activity anyone can have. We highly respect consent. So what you might see tomorrow will all be done under the consent of whoever is involved."

"Everything is safe at Ambrosia. Nothing there happens without anyone's consent." Dominique steps into the living room and stood behind Xavier and Oliver. "However, that doesn't mean all establishments are like that. Like the three clubs we'll be infiltrating, there's a possibility that they don't hold the same regard we do when it comes to consent."

I notice Dominique glance in the direction he came from just as I faintly hear the sound of someone playing the piano. It was so soft you could barely hear it. But by North's quick stare in the same direction, I know he heard it too.

Dominique sighs, "The first thing you should look out for is a safeword. Albeit some people have their own, the standard and common one is red. Safewords are there for when a scene is too much for a sub to handle or if there's something they are uncomfortable with.

"You'll probably notice some doms asking for a color. It's to tell how a sub is doing during a scene and if they should continue. Green is for go. Yellow or amber is slow down or pause. Red is for stop. If you hear someone say red and nothing stops, you can step in."

"What if the person is saying stop?" Kota asks. I tense at his question. I've never encountered a situation where someone says stop and their partner doesn't listen.

As if he can hear my thoughts, Dominique stares at me with a knowing look. "I'm not sure which of you have experience regarding this lifestyle, but you probably haven't dealt with anyone who disregards consent." He pinched the bridge of his nose. "That is a tricky situation. When a sub says stop, it's hard telling what they mean by it."

"How can you say stop and not mean it? Shouldn't we step in when someone says stop regardless?" Nathan asks incredulously, his brows furrowing in confusion.

"Well, that's not always the case," Oliver shifts in his seat. "As Xav mentioned, these types of relationships are built on trust, consent, and communication. Usually, the dom would know how far to push a sub's limits. But we aren't going to infiltrate a place where they respect the importance of consent." He bit his lip and slouched a bit in his seat.