I assigned a task to my sub, and he failed to complete it within the stipulated deadline.
Instead of immediately punishing him, I called him and asked what had happened.
He told me he hadn’t been able to do it because he’d had an extremely difficult day at work, was stressed, and couldn’t focus.
He apologized.
I asked:
— Do you want to talk and tell me how you’re feeling?
He replied:
— Why would I be deserving of that?
I continued:
— Because you’re still a human being.
There was a silence of about two minutes.
— Yes. I want to talk.
I started asking him what his day had been like from the moment he woke up until he arrived at work.
He told me, in detail, everything from the moment he opened his eyes until he arrived at the company building. Then he asked:
— Are you really interested in hearing about my life?
I answered with conviction:
— Obviously.
He sent a heart emoji and continued typing for about 10 minutes, without stopping.
I thought:
— Okay. This is going to be a very long text.
I left the chat while I waited.
And I was right.
A notification came in.
I opened the chat.
There it was:
"Well, Mistress. I don’t even know where to begin, and I feel a little uneasy because it feels wrong for me to be receiving this kind of treatment.
Today was one of those days when I couldn’t find a single reason to smile.
As soon as I arrived at the office, I was called into a meeting with my boss. It’s a new project at the company, and it’s been exhausting.
I’ve been devoted to my profession for several years now. I love what I do, and I do it with love.
Lately, I haven’t been receiving enough recognition or appreciation. I work hard, motivate my team, and I feel like nothing I do is ever enough. It’s like trying to fill a leaking cup with water.
I’m discouraged and unmotivated.
I’m sorry for not fulfilling my obligations to you, Mistress. I didn’t want to fail, but I feel overwhelmed. My job is draining all my energy, and it’s directly affecting what I’m able to give.
— You wouldn’t want an useless sub, would you?"
I read it to the end and replied:
— Perhaps you’re trying to fill a cup that can no longer hold any more water. Before giving more of yourself, perhaps you need to find where the leak is.
I told him that recognition doesn’t always come in proportion to the effort we put in, and that he shouldn’t allow other people’s lack of appreciation to determine the value he places on himself.
And, well, I certainly wouldn’t want a useless sub.
But not because I expect him to deliver flawlessly all the time.
I don’t need a man who functions like a machine. I need someone who knows how to recognize when he is failing and has enough courage to tell me why.
So I concluded:
— No. I don’t want a useless sub. But I also don’t want a sub who believes his worth is tied to his ability to produce, obey, and deliver results all the time.
The task was still his responsibility.
The deadline had simply been extended.
However, he would not be punished that night. He had come to me believing that he needed to hide his exhaustion in order to remain worthy of my attention.
And perhaps that was the most important part of the conversation.
Domination, to me, has never been about turning someone into an object or a robot.
It is about occupying a position of authority within a dynamic where both people remain human.
I can demand, hold him accountable, discipline him, and still ask:
— Are you okay?
Care does not weaken authority.
Sometimes, it is precisely what makes authority worthy of being obeyed.
That night, he did not receive a punishment.
He received a conversation and comfort. After all, submission is not the inability to fail.
It is having the courage to remain before your Mistress when you fail and trust that she will have the discernment to decide what to do with it.
The next day, at 8:21 a.m., a message came in.
— Good morning, Mistress.
May I begin?
I looked at the screen and smiled.
— You may.
As I am writing this post I am in the bath, alone this time. I feel inspired to share with you a moment anchored in reality that inspired a chapter from Eros and Agape and the song Sanctuary.
One of my favorite things to do during aftercare, after intense impact play, is to have a bath with my chattel. I wrap my arms around her and wash her body slowly, feeling the marks I left on her skin under my hands. I stay there with her for a while, holding her close, taking care of the body that has just endured so much for me.
And I whisper in her ear that she was my good girl.
The song is inspired by the Eros and Agape scene. I wrote the lyrics and I used Suno to create the music.
Enjoy the song while reading the book 📖 🎵
https://t.co/hLw3nSJgrx