ursa: "So, in the nature of that slumber party, do you guys "kiss on the first date?" What's the BDSM version of that?"
(Kissing is extremely important to me and I can tell a great deal about someone from that kiss. I consider it the first penetration. If the kiss is bad, I might not continue. Honestly, I can usually tell if it will be good or not beforehand and the BDSM version of that... is well, kissing. Not all aspects of behavior between you and a potential partner will be different from vanilla. Good intimacy is good intimacy. Your relational foundation - in my opinion - should be natural, intimate, personal, and based on those boring vanilla things some fear so much that they want everything to be KINK lol)
"I'm not going to let someone I just met completely restrict my every movement,"
(Nor should you. Ever. For any reason.)
"but if we've been talking for a while and there's no red flags, maybe light rope play is okay?"
(Maybe. So what do YOU know about rope play? I would say be careful of thinking any one activity is safer than the others. This is your body we're talking about. I would say do not allow yourself to be restricted after a few chats. If Its going to be just a play arrangement, watch him play with someone else first. Pay attention to how much he is focusing on the bottom of if he (or she) is more interested in who is watching. Some people just like to put on a show. And please do not go forward until you know how to negotiate the scene - and to do that you need to know yourself very well.)
"Even outside of bondage, I'm not going to let someone I've known for two days suddenly decide everything I eat, drink or wear."
(Again, Nor should you. Ever. For any reason.)
"But how long has it taken each of you before you feel comfortable giving up those kind of controls over your life? Or maybe I'm not asking the right question, and it's not about time but more about certain indications that a potential dom gives you that let you know you can "let your guard down" about certain controls, so to speak?"
(At this point I've kissed enough frogs and have enough experience that I have a solid gut reaction to a potential Dom -so I usually know right away. But it is never a total take over. I'm not just getting to know the Dom side, I'm getting to know the man. There should be no rush to building that long term foundation. While the urge to rush is strong in a lot of us, we must value ourselves (both of you) to take it slow and discover if we want to go further. THEN you discuss at length all those wants and needs. Neither of you has total command of how this dynamic forms or what happens within it. You co-create it.)
(You co-create the power exchange because once you enter into that dynamic it is very hard to reverse it to make corrections.)
(Imagine you're buying a car. You might want to know the important stuff. The salesman might want to distract you with all the chrome and shiny. But you're smarter than that. Same principle here. You would never let the salesman tell you what car to buy. You'd need to know a little about what you want and what you need. Then go kiss that car if you want. Kiss the hell out of it.
(So you have to figure out somethings on your own. What are your deal breakers? Don't have deal breakers? Go make some to determine if you go further with this guy or even want him to touch you in any particular way. My deal breakers are no drugs, no smoking (I have asthma) NO verbal abuse, No verbal humiliation. NO history of cheating, no marrieds, I don't date novice Doms. etc. When in chat we hit a deal breaker that is it. Chat stops. We are not chat buddies, online friends, play buddies. We part because that is what a deal breaker is.)
(What are your core values? Do they match his? How do you define yourself? Don't let others define you. Too often what they decide about you is good for them, and could have nothing to do with what is good for you.)
(Too often new subs/slaves/bottom think a Dom will roll up and make it easy for them. Help them figure it all out, but even if you are new to this realm you are not new to being an adult. Hold onto that. And if a Dom starts talking to you, keep it vanilla, even clinical if you can. Avoid the fantasy. Don't do the erotic chat. Focus on him as a person and see if you like him without the options of BDSM and power exchange. They guy inside the Dom is the person who will drive the dominance. If that guy sucks, then the dom will too. If that guy is bitter, then the Dom will be as well. )
Pardon the typos, my cat was helping me type.