D&S and the point of no return

Strange as it may sound, I found this one of the most creatively stimulating questions I've seen in a long time.

My thoughts immediately gravitated to questions such as "What could a submissive voluntarily yield (permanently) that would make it impossible to survive safely outside of their current place of imprisonment?' And I came up with some quite interesting possibilities, though not quite contemporary... perhaps of futuristic and a slight sci-fi flavour.

But I ain't saying. Anymore questions Giles? That was a worthwhile exrcise!

I wouldn't suggest that all, or even most, D&S would end that way, But then I tend to actively avoid that theme so it may be just my POV. I prefer dominant/sub-dominant dynamics where the surrender is always temporary and conditional.

Fear. That could very well be the bottom line, especially if the submissive person doesn't have that "lightbulb" moment. If the person is not submissive by nature, fear would have to be the way, IMO. Fear of what? That depends on the submissive.

Many subs are simply submissive creatures by their very nature,though. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around a successful D/s relationship where either of them is assuming a role that isn't their nature.

Are you talking about something along the lines of branding or something even a little more severe to make the point.

I've heard of relationships where submissives/slaves heads are shaved as a display of their submission, where body modifications are made (such as tattoos and branding) and others where contracts are made (though I'm not certain how legally binding these would be in an actual court of law). If you wanted to create an alternate universe so to speak you could make it a world where by law they had a certain amount of time to be "indentured" servants and after that they must make one irrevocable decision "stay or go." I guess I'm not sure exactly what you are asking--a decision or a display. It could be something as simple as having the submissive lock his/her own collar into place (for the final time or even the first time he/she willingly took that action).

Carole said:

Fear. That could very well be the bottom line, especially if the submissive person doesn't have that "lightbulb" moment. If the person is not submissive by nature, fear would have to be the way, IMO. Fear of what? That depends on the submissive.

Many subs are simply submissive creatures by their very nature,though. It's hard for me to wrap my mind around a successful D/s relationship where either of them is assuming a role that isn't their nature.

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Just my own thing, I'd never base a story on a motive of fear, and as you're saying Carole I also can't wrap my head around Dom/sub themes where it is not their nature. I've personally never met a submissive who is basing their actions on fear.

I think that that's why my immediate thoughts gravitated to the submissive yielding something, rather than it being something forced upon her.

akiwiguy said:

My thoughts immediately gravitated to questions such as "What could a submissive voluntarily yield (permanently) that would make it impossible to survive safely outside of their current place of imprisonment?'

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But Giles asked what could make a person decide to surrender. Fear was my first thought. I can certainly see how fearing the other person or fearing a potential situation could help a person decide to surrender.

But as contemp erotica that would be a niche market story at best.

I don't have good contemporary example. I once used a case where in a sci fi humans are not considered sentient--so the only way to travel the galaxy was as someone's "pet". The decision was made by a person not naturally very sub to acheive the goal of getting off planet.

Carole said:

But Giles asked what could make a person decide to surrender. Fear was my first thought. I can certainly see how fearing the other person or fearing a potential situation could help a person decide to surrender.

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Ah yes, point taken. To be honest I got a bit wrapped up not so much in the "why", but how to create a scenario in which it could be "plausibly irrevocable".

Damned plausibility. Mr. Vagabond (hubby) has a saying that goes, "They're my fantasies...leave 'em alone!"

If you are staying true to the SCC (Safe, sane, and consentual) precepts of contemporary BDSM then there is no irrevocable point of no return or "forever surrender" there are symbolic gestures of surrender or capitulation that could be made but if your goal is something real and tangible it will require either some sort of suspension of disbelief or risk enraging a good portion of your audience.

As I mentioned before if you are using some sort of mirror universe or a "Metropolis City" type of scenario then you have some creative license to stretch the boundaries of truth. You could include a collaring ceremony as a "happily ever after" sort of conclusion for BDSM that would be realistic and indicate a happily ever after.

I just had a thought though. What about surgical castration? That would be irrevocable and indicate that it is about the pleasure of the Master/Mistress and not that of the slave/submissive. A little extreme for my taste but it might work for what you have in mind. Short of that I really can't think of anything else that would be irrevocable other than branding (which is much milder) that I mentioned above.