I had purchased tickets for Stomp for last Saturday night at 10:30pm for Conny and I. I had really wanted to take her to Blue Man Group, but no tickets were available, so Stomp made a good second choice. The time of the show was later than I wanted, but apparently last weekend was a busy theatre weekend. I was grateful I could get tickets at all, and I did manage to score some excellent seats as well. We had also discussed going to an SM club, Paddles, after the show.

After we left our late lunch at the Italian place in the Village, we headed even further downtown to see the World Trade Center, and the Winter Garden at the World Financial Center (where I work, actually). We had originally planned on going up to the observatory at the top of the towers, but there was an hour wait, which seemed a bit extreme. We made plans to return in the morning when it would hopefully be less busy. Strolling over to the Winter Garden for a quick look, we saw the sun setting over the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty, and then headed home. It was almost 5, and it had been a very full day.

At the apartment, we relaxed with a cocktail and more conversation. Finally, I felt it was a good time to ask her if she was up for experiencing a shibari body harness. She was quite receptive, so I fetched the ropes, and began. Just like all the other times I've practiced on my patient friends, Conny was fully dressed, for those with more prurient imaginations. I explained what I was doing, while I was doing it. I had barely started, with the knotted front lines draped over her shoulders and down her front when the door bell rang. To her credit, she didn't flinch, and I peeked through the peephole, to see Michael and Oliver, laden with shopping bags.

"Can you hang on a second?" I asked.
Michael smiled knowingly. "Sure thing, sweetie."
I went back to Conny. "Are you comfortable if they join us? I've actually done this to Michael as well."
She smiled, unflappable as ever, "Sure. No problem."

So I let them and their Christmas shopping in. Conny and I took a brief break as Michael and Oliver gave me an early Christmas gift of a lovely lamp, which replaced a rather ugly one which came with the furniture set in the living room.

Michael saw the start of the harness. "Oh, I've done that." he said to Conny, nodding and winking. "It's nice."

I gave them a drink, and they made themselves at home. Michael was kind enough to make a recommendation for a trendy and quaint little middle eastern place near the theatre, so Conny and I could get a nibble and drink before the show.

I resumed the harness with Conny, lacing her up nice and snug. I added a few extra lengths, and secured her arms as well. It was definitely one of my better efforts, and she seemed to be enjoying it. After we all admired the knotwork, I challenged her to get out of it. Much to my surprise, in a fairly short order she freed her hands. She has very small hands, not much bigger than her wrists, and her arms have an amazing degree of flexibility. Those two things combined with her cleverness in how she attacked the knots were more than a match for my rope work. After I freed her from all the ropes she was eager to try it herself. So, being a gracious host, I let her give it a go on me.

The woman is a natural. With just a little bit of guidance, she had me wrapped quite well. It was an excellent first effort, and there was no timidity in how she handled the ropes on me. Michael and Oliver were rushing off to meet someone, and I had to say farewell to them while somewhat deprived of my freedom to move. They left, and Conny finished her handiwork. Ironically, when she had finished, I was entirely unable to free myself. I think she took some glee in this, but she graciously released me nonetheless.

We talked a bit about the experience, which she really enjoyed. Most people look at the harness, especially the basic part of it, and can't understand the purpose. Why wrap your upper body up in elaborate rope? It doesn't even keep you from moving. But once you've experienced it, it makes a lot more sense. You feel the harness with every movement and every breath. It's a very physical and sensual thing. It's also a great starting point for more restrictive bondage as well. The classic bondage pose, tied spread eagled to a bed, is actually one of the least sensual or erotic for the person tied up. Admittedly, it's a very convenient tie for the top, since it grants a lot of access, and the bottom is very exposed. But the spread out pose has a very different feel than a pose where you are brought inward, tied to yourself. For instance, I personally find nothing quite as sensual as a good hogtie. Being face down, with the weight of your own body being supported by your entire front side, and your limbs rendered useless, is a very sexy experience. You can also wriggle like mad, and you feel it everywhere.

After discussing these things, Conny was interested in experiencing a hogtie first hand. We moved into the bedroom where I was to try to successfully hogtie her so she could not escape. She lay down on her stomach on the bed, and I probably spent at least the next 20 minutes tying her up. She observed at how different this bondage felt from the harness, and she agreed that it was very sensual. She also looked absolutely delicious I have to confess. So after I soaked up an eyeful of my bound friend, I gave her the go ahead to try and get free.

And damn her, she was out in less than 5 minutes. It was a fairly strenous five minutes, at least. As we removed the last coils from her, she observed how much fun the sheer physical nature of it was. When you are tied and struggling, it involves your entire body, and you use muscles in your body that you're not aware of. The struggling ends up being a bit of a work out. She was breathing pretty heavily by the time she secured her freedom. Though, later, I would find out, that it wasn't just from the effort.

We looked at the time, and realized we had to run for the show if we were going to make it. Any plans for anything before hand were shot. I know in that moment, both of us would have been content to continue playing, but we took a break from it. There'd be plenty of time for more play later, and the show would be fun too.

The efforts of the day caught up with us in the long, slow taxi ride over to the theatre on the lower east side. I was having a hard time keeping from yawning, and I wasn't suffering from jet lag. The motion of the car was lulling us both to sleep. We got to the theatre and found our way to our seats with a little time to spare. The lights went down, and the show began. For those who have never seen any performances by Stomp (they've done lot of work, both for TV and commericials), it's basically percussion and dance, and it's done with great style and a sense of fun. There's no dialog, but there's a lot of humor.

As loud as Stomp can get, the comfortable seat, the dark, and the warmth of the theatre were too much for Conny, and her jet lag hit her with a vengence. She fought a brave battle to stay awake, and I know she managed to catch a fair amount of the performance. I felt so bad for her, knowing how awful that feeling is when you just can't help yourself. I was tempted to take her out and get her home to bed, but we were at the end of the very narrow row, and it would have been quite a commotion if we tried to get out. She apologized after the show ended and we left the theatre, but there was no need. I suggested we head home and call it a night.

"No. I'm fine now." she insisted. "Let's go to the club."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'll be fine."

No taxis were to be had, so I suggested we head for the subway. It was a convoluted journey, from lower east side, to west 26th street, but 30 minutes later, we were walking into one of New York's finer SM clubs. She didn't seem hesitant in the least as we descended the stairs.

More soon.
posted 10:57 AM | link |