by Mistress Blue - Vol 4 Issue 40

It sounds so glamorous--being locked into a cold dungeon overnight at the whim of a cruel Mistress or Master. But captivity is a play activity that is difficult to do in the real world. If you are very careful, as a top you can actually do imprisonment scenes, but you have to accept a great deal of responsibility.

Heightened Anxiety

Why put someone into captivity? In some senses, it is simply a further extension of the same power exchange dynamic that occurs during any other kind of bondage. Captivity adds another element to simple bondage, however--the element of being abandoned or ignored. This can ratchet up the the bottom's anxiety--and excitement. Instead of being the focus of a scene, the bottom becomes secondary to something else the top is doing (or at least that is what appears to be going on). The bottom is no longer distracted by the actions of the top and comes face to face with his or her own thoughts, often for long periods of time.

This can conjure up intense mental reactions, sometimes good, sometimes bad. The most obvious reaction will be fear--fear that the top will not let the bottom out, fear that something will go wrong and there will be no escape, even fears about the top's real intention. Well-done captivity scenes capitalize on this fear to provoke excitement and arousal. For obvious reasons, none of these fears should be founded in reality.

Safety

The key to a safe captivity scene is having the top in complete control and in touch with the bottom at all times, even if it seems otherwise. When you remove someone's ability to escape a situation, you then become responsible for making sure the situation stays safe--and ensuring you can get the bottom out if necessary.

Captivity requires a much higher level of care and double-checking, especially if it is captivity that involves you leaving the room. I insist on monitoring my captives at all times, even if they don't know it. I use a video baby monitor. An audio monitor or intercom will do the job too. I prefer video because I can see if my submissive is in distress before he or she starts making noise. If you are using an audio-only monitor, it is safest to tell the submissive that you will be able to hear them.

Soft leather cuffs are the best method for securing a captive sub. Rope will tend to come loose after a while. Metal restraints and especially handcuffs are not recommended, as they can dig into skin and become very uncomfortable over any extended period.

Be extremely careful to arrange any bondage to avoid any injuries. Never ever restrain a bottom by the neck or in such a way that their neck or head could be injured should they pass out or fall. I also recommend against leaving a submissive in cock and ball bondage; the potential for injury is higher in this area over long periods of time, and if you tie their balls to something, if they fall they could sustain a very nasty injury.

I leave enough slack so that the sub can move around a bit. Being completely immobilized for long periods of time will become unbearable--blood pools in the extremities, muscles begin to ache, and the mental duress is much greater than simply being in captivity. In addition, I want to ensure my subs can at least move enough to get themselves water.

Basic Needs

Don't forget that your captive needs to have some basic animal needs met during his or her "imprisonment." Meeting these needs can add to the humiliation and/or atmosphere of captivity.

I always make sure my captive has access to water, whether it be in a dog bowl, a baby bottle, or some other humiliating vessel. Food is not as critical. Sometimes my subs are fed gruel or bread; sometimes they get a bottle of baby formula; sometimes it's a bowl of beef stew (looks like dog food); and sometimes they have to endure the night without any food whatsoever.

You'll also have to decide how your captive will go to the bathroom. For an hour or two of captivity, this might not be an issue, but it will certainly arise during an overnight imprisonment. I usually solve this by making my captive wear diapers. For a more prison-like scene, use a bucket or a cut-off milk jug as a temporary urinal. Don't force your submissive to hold in their urine, since that can cause bladder and even kidney damage.

One need that sometimes gets neglected is warmth. Especially if your captive is naked, he or she runs the risk of getting chilled--and you probably don't want to make your submissive sick. I provide at least one blanket--often a ratty, scratchy one to hold with the imprisonment theme--and I make sure my sub can crawl under it if necessary.

If you feel that you have everything under control and are ready for any emergency, you can experiment with captivity--with a willing and eager sub, of course. Start with short periods of time and be ready to end the scene immediately should anything go wrong, or if you think your sub is starting to get unduly distressed. Done right, a captivity scene can end with a glorious release and happy reunion of captor and captive.