Garters, Boots, and Whips

On Friday I attended my first BDSM club, Bound.

I haven't had much exposure to the more public side of BDSM culture; my scenes have always been private and personal. But when a friend of mine received an invitation to attend Mistress Dolphy's birthday party celebrations, I couldn't turn down the chance to go along.

I'm glad I did.

We lucked into a parking space around the corner from the hotel (a small miracle for DC on a Friday night), where everyone was meeting for pre-celebration festivities. Up in the hotel room, the women had just finished dressing for the evening (it was medical fetish week, with nurse and doctor outfits strongly encouraged); the birthday girl, Mistress Dolphy, was dressed in a sleek custom-made black corset, garters, and knee-high boots – a deadly combination (I'm a large fan of all three).

After general introductions, we grabbed a cab and headed to the club. 

In the hallway leading into the main room was a small table selling custom BDSM toys (I wish I could remember its name – I somehow managed to lose the business card). They had creative wooden paddles in the shape of knives that felt deliciously comfortable in my hands. But I had my eye on something else and ended up purchasing a cherry wood stinger paddle.

The club itself was different from what I had expected – in a good way. The room was large enough to provide floor space for dancing, mingling, and play, but wasn't so large that it lost the sort of public intimacy that makes you feel like you're part of the group no matter where you're standing. The music was an excellent mix of techno, industrial, and goth; it was never too loud, and yet you couldn't stand in the room without feeling the beat of the music in a way that made you feel like you had to move. 

Along the right side of the room was a bar with two accommodating young women serving drinks.  In the back of the room there was a lighted stage that was constantly in use. At various times during the night, the stage hosted scenes of flogging and sensual torture; the colored lighting and practiced ease with which pain and pleasure were delivered made the entire process feel beautiful, surreal, and alive.

Over the course of the evening, I had the pleasure of watching extensive rope bondage (from a swing), saw first hand what a vacuum bed looks like, and learned that band-aids don't work so well as pasties when covering a woman's nipples. I also had some interesting conversations with several of the people there, and look forward to speaking to them again. I find it interesting that those involved in this lifestyle tend to have a greater appreciation for life.

My kind of people.

Of course, I ended up drinking too much and spent the next day trying to avoid loud noises and bright lights.

But it was worth it. If only for the garters, boots, and whips.