How do I get my girlfriend or wife interested in this lifestyle?

Question: I am really interested in Code d' Odalisque. How do I get my wife/girlfriend interested in this?

Many couples already play an informal version of Code d' Ode in their bedroom games. The woman submits sexually to her man and says, “Use me! Do whatever you want with me! I'm your sex slave!” If you already play such games, that is a good basis for further development. You can then start to add elements of Code d' Ode to your slave games, especially the slave positions and the code of etiquette. A prerequisite, of course, is that your lady is sexually submissive. She must be inclined to sexual service by nature. We have no interest in making a woman into something that is against her nature. But if your wife or girlfriend has aptitude for sexual service – she loves to be used, she loves to serve cock – then you can foster that natural inclination. A true odalisque – a woman who is suited to full-time service – is rare. So it is unlikely that your wife/girlfriend is a true odalisque. If she is, rejoice! But the role of wife and odalisque are quite different and it is unlikely that you are so fortunate to have married a woman with the soul of a true slave. In that case, aim for part-time play or consider finding an odalisque for both you and your wife to enjoy. How do you get your wife/girlfriend interested? Build on existing foundations.

Then introduce her to the Code. Emphasize the pro-feminine and non-violent aspects of the Code. Stress that you are not looking for a domestic servant cook/housekeeper. In fact, you might suggest employing a housekeeper in order to keep your wife/odalisque from domestic toil and freeing her for sexual service. Suggest to your wife that you employ someone to do the domestic chores so that she can be free to take on the luxurious life of sensuality and sexual delights enjoyed by the odalisque. For a woman with natural aptitude the odalisque's life is a good deal indeed. She is kept for sex. This is a better deal than the average wife has. The average wife is housekeeper/mother/cook/cleaner/nurse AND sex-provider, and often works a job as well! When you introduce your wife to Code d' Ode, offer her a new deal. Offer her a life of sensual leisure in return for sexual obedience.

And in this offer her sexual adventure. If your wife is not in the least bit sexually adventurous then Code d' Ode is not for her. The prospect of sexual adventure needs to be enticing to her or you don't have much chance of getting her interested. The whole reason a couple who consider taking up a Master/slave relationship under Code d' Odalisque is for sexual adventure. It is a journey into luxury and lust, and specifically an exploration of the Master's fantasies. Your wife needs to be ready for that. She must have a genuine desire and readiness for playing the role of her husband's secret fantasy girl. She must be prepared to do that, be that. Happily, there are wives who will do whatever it takes to bring their man to fulfilment. If your wife is like that then you have a real chance of getting her interested. If not, little. Is the prospect of sexual adventure – exploring fantasy and pushing limits - an exciting prospect for your wife? Or are you ill-matched? You're adventurous – she's a prude? You can't turn a woman into a (consensual) odalisque if it is against her natural dispositions. So, make an honest assessment of your wife's aptitude. Then introduce her to the Code and emphasize that it offers her a new deal. Then, proceed slowly. Talk lots. Don't rush. Don't try to talk her into it. Talk about it.

It hardly needs to be said that if your marriage is shaky then it is probably not a good idea to introduce Code d' Ode into it. It certainly won't save a bad marriage but it is intense and might harm a precarious marriage. Only consider it if you already have a strong relationship with a high degree of trust and familiarity and understanding between you.

The Slave on Sojourn (Repost)

20.4. - A cockslave in sojourn not a freewoman
An odalisque in sojourn is not a freewoman, although she goes as a freewoman in the world. She is an odalisque. If she is bonded, then she is the sexual property of her Keeper at all times, in occlusion or sojourn. If she is unbonded then she yearns to be owned sexually by a Keeper.

In modern conditions the 24/7 cockslave is rare. Rather, contemporary women either need to work or want to pursue their careers, or they want to study, etc. This requires arrangements where the slave spends part of her time in "sojourn". This is also the case where she needs to leave the house and interact with the world for other reasons, such as going to gym or swimming or to yoga classes. The odalisque's life is very likely to involve times when she is in sojourn rather than in "occlusion" as a slave.

A slave on sojourn goes about her business like a freewoman but she remains a slave. The Code provides rules for the slave on sojourn. For instance, she is forbidden from discussing her slavery with strangers, i.e. she is sworn to be discreet.

To remind her that she is bonded to her Master he may require that she wear a reminder of her captivity.

20.2. - A reminder of captivity during sojourn

A Keeper may require that his cockslave wear a collar or, more appropriately, an ankle band or nose ring, or some other item of clothing or jewellery, whenever she is in sojourn to remind her of her captivity and her continuing obligations as an odalisque.
The usual device for this is the anklet or ankle band. The odalisque has an anklet that she wears whenever she is on sojourn. She is forbidden to leave the house without wearing it. It serves as a subtle, inconspicuous reminder that she remains a cockslave even when not in occlusion.

The true odalisque loves occlusion. She will try to minimize her time on sojourn.

20.1. - An odalisque loves occlusion

A true odalisque prefers occlusion and captivity to sojourning as a freewoman. An odalisque shall attempt to minimize the time she spends in sojourn.

Economic security

We live in increasingly uncertain times. Automation is evaporating our jobs and at the same time our welfare networks are getting thinner and less reliable. There is a growing number of homeless and destitute people. There is a widening gulf between rich and poor. Work is being casualized - more and more people can only find part-time employment, if at all.

In these circumstances it is a sad fact that an increasing number of young women are looking to prostitution as a way of making a living. It pays alright per hour, perhaps, but it is a lifestyle that entails any number of dangers and disadvantages. There are pimps and police to contend with for a start, then there is exposure to bad characters, disease, drugs and so on. It may be better than starving, but it is not a glamorous life.

The odalisque's lifestyle offers itself as another alternative. An odalisque is a dedicated sexual submissive, a slave who consents to be owned by a Master. Like the whore, her duties are sexual - the sexual enjoyment of men. But unlike the whore she is not for hire and her Master is bound to keep good care of her and to provide for all her needs. She is not an object in a callous and cutthroat market. Her status as "slave" means that she is dedicated to her purpose - she is kept and protected, preserved from hardship and toil, shielded from the ugliness and dangers of whoredom. An odalisque is not a work slave. She is kept for sex. Her Master provides for her as she serves his bed.

Assuredly, this is not a lifestyle for every woman, but - under Code d' Odalisque - it is another possibility. The motto 'Kept for Sex' says it all. The odalisque is kept - she has economic security. Her Master provides for all her needs. She doesn't have to pay rent or work a job. Her role is sexual. Her only duty is to offer herself as a willing, submissive slave for the sexual enjoyment of her Master. In this, her life is regulated by the protocols and rules of the Code. For women who enjoy sex, who like being used, life under the right Master can be secure and fulfilling.

For more information about this lifestyle, see our website:

http://theguildoftheblackpearl.blogspot.com

Slavetraining - PHYSICALIZATION (Repost)

Impress upon the slave:

We are interested in your body. You are a sex slave. We want to use your body. Your body is what makes you valuable to a Slavekeeper. So it is essential that you look after your body and keep it in a healthy and attractive condition.

The contemporary freewoman tends to be very intellectual. This is not desireable in a cockslave. A cockslave is merely a fuckpuppet. Training needs to physicalize her and make her identify herself with her body. She must know implicitly, I AM A BODY. I AM FLESH. Most modern people actually think of themselves as minds in a body (ghost in the machine). A cockslave must stop doing this. She must always think of herself as a physical creature. She should be very focused on her body. She should attend to her body, preen and groom, daily. She should be vitally concerned that she is attractrive and presentable - and fuckable - to the men who are over her.

Don't over-stimulate the slave's mind during training. It is easy to do, but it is a mistake. Reduce her mental stimulation. Make her more physical.

A simple way to reduce her mental stimulation is to keep her blindfolded and otherwise in dimly lit rooms. An odalisque is a creature of the night. Keep her in shadows. In this way she becomes less VISUAL. She takes in less visual stimulation. During training don't let her read or watch television. Let her listen to music, perhaps, but reduce her visual imput. At the same time, concentrate her attention upon her body.

It is usually extremely beneficial for these purposes to indulge the slave in sessions of massage. The Trainer gives her long whole body massages. The intention is to bring the slave deeper into her body, to make her more physical, more "real in the flesh", more present. As an exercise, it also helps the slave learn to surrender her body to the use of another.

Let the slave be fresh from a shower.
Plug her ears and blindfold her.
Let her lay naked on her back at the prepared place (a massage table, for example).
Let her relax.

The Trainer now spends an hour or more massaging and stimulating her whole body. This can include the use of ice packs and hot towels (hold and cold), brushes, prickles, ticklers, rollers, escoriating devices, creams, oils and jellies - a full range of devices designed to give the slave a wide range of sensations. The massage should not be overtly sexual, but rather is sensual in nature. The slave remains entirely passive, her ears and eyes closed. The Trainer has free license to do whatever he likes with her body. He rubs, strokes, kneads, slaps, chops, rolls, tickles - a full range of massaging techniques. The massage should be prolonged and intense. The Trainer can use his imagination and deploy whatever methods and devices he likes upon her body, back and front, to expose her to a full range of sensations, although not excessive pain. It is a mistake to train the body to respond to pain. It can make it numb to finer sensations. Instead, this massage on the slave should take her through a full range of sensations from light tickling to vigorous slapping. Of course, every care must be taken not to scratch or damage the slave's skin.

The objective is not therapy or relaxation. It is increased PHYSICALIZATION. Instruct the slave to do nothing but passively experience the sensations of the massage on her body. Instruct her: "Try not to think about anything. Just feel." Making the slave more physical means making her feel more and think less. In a complete training program there is usually a massage session every day.

A slave might be surprised to find that part of her servitude is to be subjected to prolonged sensual massage, and a Trainer might wonder why he is serving the slave and not the other way around. Such are the special benefits of an odalisque. In this case, the pampering serves a good purpose. It promotes a PASSIVE PHYSICALITY that is exactly what is needed in a cockslave. At a later point the odalisque can learn how to massage a man - it is one of her arts - but in training she is subjected to this vigorous, sensual, physicalizing massage in order to bring her more into her body.

As a general rule physical training is more essential than psychological training. The mind will follow the body. Work from the body to the mind. Train the body first. Training is first of all about the slave's body. A Trainer should not be too eager to go into "brainwashing" and "reprogramming" - if he controls the slave's body then these things will follow. The first thing is to make a real connection to the slave's physicality.

A creative endeavour (repost)

I like many aspects of Code d’ Odalisque, but I find it too specific. I like to do things my way.

Code d’ Odalisque is made available for free. People are free to take or leave whatever they like. Code d' Ode is a free gift. We do not prosecute copyright with packs of vicious lawyers - its not Scientology! The complete Code along with a lot of supporting material is available for free to anyone who wants it. Code d' Ode operates in a spirit of charity, its economic aspects literally so.

There are many worthwhile aspects of the Code – the grading system, the slave postures, the system of etiquette, as well as the philosophy and ideals. People are free to take whatever elements of the Code they like, just as they are free to adapt the Code to their circumstances. The Code is comprehensive and internally coherent, but it is always possible to take some things from it while leaving others. Indeed, we hope that Code d’ Odalisque has a stimulating and positive influence upon a wide range of people, especially people in the BDSM sub-culture.

All the same, Code d’ Odalisque has a special mission to submissive women that sets it apart from ordinary BDSM – it seeks to offer submissive women an alternative to S & M and drudgery. It seeks to reinstitute the role of “odalisque” – the dedicated pleasure slave. The Code offers a complete restoration of consensual odalisque slavery and serves as a foundation for a distinct odalisque slave culture. While many people are eclectic, some people are purists. The codifications of Code d’ Odalisque offer a formal ideal. The objective is to build a community of players dedicated to that ideal and living that ideal.

You can get a free copy of the fifth edition of Code d’ Odalisque by writing to: bedroomslaves@yahoo.com

You are invited to embrace the ideals of the slave code and to join us in creating a vital community of the odalisque slave lifestyle. Otherwise, feel free to take ideas and to adapt them to your purposes. It is always a creative endeavour.

Guild of the Black Pearl - website

Just a reminder that our central website, The Guild of the Black Pearl, is now at the following URL:

http://theguildoftheblackpearl.blogspot.com.au/

Lots of free information on all the basic aspects of Code d' Odalisque.

Fathomless Lust/Perfect Obedience (Repost)

One of the mottos of an odalisque is "Fathomless lust, perfect obedience". It sums up the tension, the paradox, that is at the heart of the odalisque. On the one hand she is expected to be refined and elegant, and on the other hand she is expted to be wild and frenzied. There is control on the one hand and mad sexual lust on the other. Slavery is, by definition, an exercise in restriction, control. She is always controlled. Her Master controls her. But she must also be seething with lust.

This is the odalisque ideal. She is controlled, poised, disciplined, obedient, compliant. Yet she is also wild, cock-crazy, mad with passion. She must be trained to be both. There is expansion and there is contraction. She is to learn both. Fathomless lust. Complete abandon. Mad sexuality. But also perfect obedience. Control; Discipline. Compliance to her Master's will and his imagination.

The training of an odalisque can be structured around this motto. Exercises of self-control and obedience. Exercises of wild abandon. Apollo and Dionysius. The whole psychology of the trained odalisque is shaped by these expansions and contractions. She must learn to be shy and wild both.

An Orgophon - A True Story

This is a true story. Gentlemen who are interested in Code d' Odalisque might take it as encouragement. As well, it offers an interesting portrait of an odalisque.

* * * 

Some time ago I encountered a young woman online who I will call "Sara". It was through the member's list in a yahoo group for local adult parties and sex events (where I sometimes lurk.) Sara, I noticed, was a lone female post in pages of male posts and spam, and she seemed to be fishing for adventure.

I wrote to her and she in turn looked me up, read my blog, etc. This must have formed a good impression because she began exchanging emails. She related to me that she had only moved from interstate recently for her work, but it wasn't turning out well. She wasn't looking for a boyfriend or a partner, but she was looking for unspecified adventures.

At this point it became apparent to me that her interest in myself was not directly sexual. She had some other agenda than hooking up with me. Eventually, she explained...

The trouble, she said, was that the internet is full of jerks and it is very hard to find decent guys for sexual fun. She didn't have much luck with it, anyway. This was also because she was shy and tended to get caught up with idiots and was a terrible judge of character. But she was going to trust me. I was an older man and I was polite and bright and she thought I seemed legit.

What she wanted, I soon realised, was for me to procure young men for her. Her interest in me was as a facilitator. What she wanted was to be used. She proposed that I could organise adult evenings for her with three or four guys at a time. "Could you supply suitable guys?" she asked.

She was straightforward about her proposal, but also distant and slow to respond sometimes. The email exchanges went on sporadically over months. I wondered if she was a prostitute. She'd said her job hadn't worked out. Was she wanting me to pimp for her? Is this what she meant by "supplying suitable guys?" I put this to her and she was offended. She insisted she was for real. She loved to fuck, and she really liked being gang fucked. But she found it hard to organise for herself. She wanted me to organise these events and to find suitable young men.

To prove she was serious she eventually passed on her phone number. She had refused initially. I rang her. She seemed the real deal. Nice.

At this point I introduced the idea of the odalisque. We hadn't mentioned slaves or slave play up until then, although I didn't hide it. She said she was well aware of Code d' Odalisque and had been reading all about it since she first looked me up. She said she would talk to me about it if I first helped her by organising an evening of group pleasure. I agreed and followed her instructions. She wanted a few young guys, white guys, slim, not overweight, polite, respectful, preferably circumized, preferably not covered in tatts. They were her requirements. The venue was to be a rented room at a swish hotel in the city CBD, upper floor, great view, not at her expense.

I duly organised the same. She arrived right on time - the first time I had actually met her in person! Tall, brunette, quiet. Twenty-eight just like she said. To be honest, I had no guarantee she would show, but she did. We stripped her, tied her up and fucked her for several hours, exactly as she had requested. Strictly no anal.

She was sensational. Afterwards, when the young gentlemen had departed, we talked and she opened up. She said she was "really, really sexual". She loved sex. Shy girls get horny too! She had had a boyfriend interstate. Did he know about her gangbangs? Yes, she said. They had a wild sex life, she said. He organised it all, though.  They'd broken up. She then said she thought that he might be "slightly dangerous" now and so she had fled to a new city. The plot thickens, I thought.

She didn't officially think of herself as a "submissive" but she revealed that her erstwhile boyfriend was a domineering alpha-male who seemed a bit unhinged. She stayed with him because he gave her wild, exciting sex - especially multi-partner sex. He'd introduced her to that and she loved it. It was a tale of sexual submission.

About this time I pressed her again about Code d' Odalisque. I explained that I wasn't proposing myself as her Master, but I did know a suitable man. He lived in the hills less than an hour from the city. If he was agreeable, she might live with and serve him for an agreed period, and I was sure he would happily organise group scenes for her on a regular basis. She thought it over and said she was interested. She admitted she wanted to "go again" as she put it.  She also let slip that she'd lost her job and was at that point unemployed and struggling to meet her rent. We talked frankly.

SARA: I'm not into pain.
ME: No. No. No pain. No S and M.
SARA: I'd be hiding there?
ME: Sure. No one needs to know you're there.
SARA: And he just uses me? For sex?
ME: Yep.
SARA: For how long?
ME: As long as you like.
SARA: Not too long, hey.
ME; As long as you like.
SARA: Cool.
ME: There's a group of us, you know. A network, sort of.
SARA: And you can all use me?
ME: If you like. Better than complete strangers.
SARA: Do I need a Master?
ME: You don't like the idea of a Master?
SARA: No. I do. I really like the idea of a guy who's my boss. Who's in charge. Who looks after me.
ME: But not a pimp?
SARA: No. I can't be a hooker. I want the right to say no to a guy. You know? Ninety-nine times out of a hundred it would be OK, but in the end I want a guy who will respect me and look after me and if I say I really don't want to fuck some guy then he will be on my side. Does that make sense?
ME: Sure. Consent.
SARA: So I couldn't be a hooker. I want, you know, nice guys.
ME: No fat guys?
SARA: Exactly. And no creepy guys.
ME: Sure.
SARA: And it's rent free, right?
ME: Sure. You know what an odalisque is?
SARA: Yes. I do.
ME: For three months? Six? More?
SARA: Maybe just three. Maybe...

After this I organised for her to meet my friend Mr T., forty-three years old, (a former police officer, by the way!) - a harmless and delightful eccentric, to be honest - who I had discussed the case with all along. He was keen. A fitness nut. Not bad looking. He wanted an odalisque. He was as horny as a goat. He needed an odalisque!

We met and talked it out. Sara was too good to be true, though. That was his worry. Mr T. and I kept asking each other what the catch was? But she was genuine. I made some further inquiries. Her story checked out. She had moved from up north. Really liked sex. Group sex. Hiding from a bad break up. Unattached. Submissive. Perfect odalisque material. She was taking a great leap and putting her trust in us. It was an honour, in fact. I didn't take offence when she one time referred to me as "old" and seemed to think of me as a sort of father figure rather than a sexual being; it was a compliment that she trusted me. I assured her that Mr T. would treat her well.

But what if her unhinged boyfriend shows up? We made it an absolute stipulation that she could not have any contact with him or with anyone who might alert him to where she was. If she really wanted to get away from him, she had to burn her bridges. An odalisque has no past. Seemed to me that even though she was running away from this psycho she found the dangerous side of him exciting on some level. None of that. She agreed.

Some time later, therefore, Miss Sara moved in with Mr T. as his odalisque and stayed there in his service for just over three and a bit months. Short and sweet. Right through the spring and a hot and sultry summer. All went well. A large natural-timber house amid temperate rainforest ferns and silver birch. Quite isolated. She was enjoyed at length. A beautiful young lady. Great legs! A true orgophon.* She spent her days swimming and sunbathing and watching movies and looking out for jobs.

Again: this is a true story. There ARE women like Sara in the world and sometimes you DO chance on them online. Above all, they are looking for gentlemen they can trust. That is a feature of the odalisque's predicament; she wants the sexual adventure but needs a Master - an authority, a figure of trust - to provide it. This is the difference between a slave and a slut. A slut is looking for sexual adventure, but she is very definitely her own boss. She knows how to get it all by herself. A slave needs a Master. Although very sexual and ready for most things, someone like Sara is not a slut - instead, she has real aptitude for the odalisque role. 


*orgophon = an odalisque who specialises in group sex

Starting (repost)

Many inquiries ask how Code d' Ode is played in simple terms. The Code itself is big and a bit complex. It includes an entire system of etiquette as well as a system of contract. Then there's a philosophy of erotic slavery. What does it all amount to? How does an ordinary couple get started?

The short answer to this is that the core of Code play is the relationship between Slavekeeper and odalisque. You play Code d' Ode by taking on the Keeper and odalisque roles. The man becomes the Keeper and the woman becomes his odalisque. It is as simple as that. Start there.

The only thing that matters is that the woman is treated as a dedicated cockslave and is preserved from other and lower forms of slavery. She is not a maid or a drudge. She is a sexual slave. The Code defines such a slave.

Couples play simply by starting their own game of Slavekeeper and odalisque. They can develop these roles in any way they like - the Code offers detailed guidelines that they might choose to follow. Couples are always free to adapt Code d' Odalisque to their own preferences.

Just start by having the woman naked and humble while she attends to her man. Ad lib around the "sex slave" theme while you learn more about Code d' Odalisque.

Gradually, the Slavekeeper can then teach his slave the standard slave positions set out in the Code and slowly develop her character as odalisque (cockslave).

It is best to start with informal play and to then add items of etiquette and formality step by step.

If you are looking for somewhere to start - the Slavekeeper/slave relationship is central. Start there. And the place to start there is talking. Discuss, negotiate - before you begin. Go slow. Make sure you discuss the issue of consent.

In practical terms, the best place to start is with the slave positions which are described in the relevant section of the Code.

The Transgender Odalisque

For historical and practical reasons Code d' Odalisque is an essentially heterosexual system of slave play. The motive force of play is male "fantasy projection"and the main mode of play is cockworship. The cry of the slave is "I am my Master's cunt!" Play is essentially male dom/female sub with an emphasis upon sexual objectification. The phallus is glorified and in response the female submissive renders herself as an object of phallic pleasure, a sexual puppet for her Master's pleasure. The entire Code including its system of etiquette is based on this premise. It is a system designed for cunt-loving men and cock-loving women.

There is, all the same, nothing to stop homosexual players from adapting it to same-sex play, and there is also nothing preventing transgender people from being involved. Most specifically, there is nothing preventing a transgendered man - that is, a biological man who has become a woman - from playing the role of odalisque. Over the years we have had several inquiries from from such women about this, and we have also had correspondence with a transgender odalisque. It is entirely possible - to each their own. There are no moral or philosophical objections.

It has to be said, of course, that the odalisque role is only really open to a post-op tranny - an odalisque is her Master's cunt and must therefore be physically equipped. Moreover, it also needs to be said that - to be perfectly frank - some gender transitions are more successful than others. It is, finally, a matter than needs to be considered on a case by case basis. Some men make nice women. In others the transition is less flattering. These days the medical assistance and surgery required for the transition is much more advanced than in the past, and so there are many cases of men who have become quite beautiful trans-women. For the Slavekeeper, Code d' Odalisque is a celebration of female beauty. Some transgender cases are more suited in this respect than are others. So too in regards to functioning genitalia.

The question of psychology is more vexed. A man can be changed physically by surgery, but what about his psychology? Cockworship necessarily involves the mystery of "otherness". A biological female can never really know the realities of masculine phallic sexuality. This is not true of someone who was once a man but is now a woman. It is a complex issue.

As always, the key factor here is consent and honesty. We have known instances of trannies posing as biological females in various adult and swinger scenes. This is dishonest. Everything ought to be upfront and transparent. If a trans-woman advertises herself as an odalisque looking for a Master, she should make it clear that she is a biological male from the outset.

Needless to say, the vast majority of Slavekeepers are looking for real, biological females as their odalisque, not a converted male. Again, Code d' Odalisque is essentially heterosexual and is a celebration of male/female lust and attraction. This can be adapted to other possibilities in the gender spectrum but it requires creativity. This is to be encouraged, by all means, but the essential character of the Code, and the orientation of those involved today, remains as it always has been.

Surfaces

An odalisque is elevated above low work slaves in order that her beauty is preserved so that she can be put to use as a pleasure slave, a sexual servant. Accordingly, she is - compared to other slaves - pampered and spoilt. She is preserved from toil - she does no work. She is well-fed and is kept in luxurious conditions. She is essentially naked. She is valued for her beauty and her sexuality.

An important aspect of keeping an odalisque is to provide her with suitably lavish surfaces throughout her environment. She is not a dungeon slave. She is not kept in a grungy cement pit. She is, instead, provided with soft cushions, rugs, silk cloth - gentle and soft surfaces that are not abrasive to her naked skin. Slavekeepers should invest in such things and provide an odalisque with a sumptuous, beautiful and sensual environment in which she may luxuriate as she waits to serve her Master's bed.

Surrender and respect

There is a deep ambivalence in male sexuality. It is well documented. In daily life it takes this form: a man will yearn for a woman who willingly surrenders herself to him and behaves as a lewd, cock-crazy animal for him, meeting all his most perverse desires, and yet as soon as a woman does this for him he no longer respects her. In a crude form we find it in situations where a man - or a group of men - enjoy a "loose" woman while at the same time denigrating her as a "stupid slut". Men want women who are free and easy but - here is the twist - they don't respect women who are.

There is no purpose in theorising about the roots and causes of this hypocrisy; we merely need to note that it is widespread and a reality of male sexual life. We then need to address it and take it into account. This is why slave play under Code d' Odalisque is heavily codified and wrapped in a developed system of etiquette and elegance. It is why the Code identifies and defines the institution of the odalisque and asserts its nobility. An odalisque, by definition, willingly surrenders herself to male sexual fantasy - the Code then seeks to ensure that she is afforded due respect and is not subject to denigration. An odalisque is a noble creature; Slavekeepers are bound by the slave code to respect her and not to make her into an object of misogyny and abuse.

It is necessary to codify this and to place it within a context of defined protocols and rules and standards of behaviour in order to prevent the odalisque being caught up in this syndrome; this then enables her to be exactly the lewd, cock-crazy animal of her Master's desires. The motive dynamism of odalisque slave play is fantasy projection. An odalisque makes herself the passive vehicle of male sexual fantasy. She makes herself the sex-loving woman of his dreams. The formality of play - the slave positions and code of etiquette - is in part to prevent a self-hating reflex to take hold. Men can hate themselves for the vulnerability of desire. Code d' Odalisque constructs a civilized formality whose purpose is to keep male players as gentlemen and to institutionalise respect for the consenting female.

Certainly, an odalisque should be confident that she will not experience a backlash of disrespect if she surrenders herself to her Master and what other men might be put over her. Men are not going to use her and then dismiss her by saying "What a stupid bitch" or "What a dumb slut" or similar. On the contrary, under Code d' Odalisque female cockslaves are prized and regarded as a treasures. Here is a woman who willingly gives herself - her body, her sex - for male erotic indulgence. She is to be celebrated! The Code institutionalises a deep respect for her. She is a slave - that is a measure of her submission - but among slaves she is a rare treasure, the most valued of slaves.

Male players might usefully reflect on this aspect of male sexuality in themselves. When a woman agrees to sleep with you, do you respect her in the morning? Or do you wake up thinking "only a stupid slut would sleep with me..." It is a deeply neurotic thought. But it is, as we said, very common. It has no place in the psychology of a Slavekeeper who owns an odalisque. When she surrenders herself to him, and meets his desires - is happily used to satisfy his lusts - he respects her and values her all the more.

Yoga for odalisques

Code d' Odalisque is pro-health. Sex and vitality go together. An odalisque is devoted to pleasure and the enjoyment of pleasure depends upon physical vitality. The surest way to sustain or increase libido is to maintain a high level of physical vitality. A regime of physical exercise is therefore an indispensable part of the odalisque's life. She must keep herself beautiful, and she must keep herself physically fit and healthy. Simple forms of light exercise are ideal for this - walking, jogging, cycling, swimming.

As well, a simple regime of hatha yoga is perfect for keeping an odalisque fit, healthy and flexible. Yoga involves stretching the body. It brings balance to the energies of the body, improves posture and elasticity, deepens breathing, aids relaxation, concentrates the mind, increases stamina and keeps the body supple. A basic routine of hatha yoga asanas (postures) every day will help keep an odalisque in good physical condition to perform her duties. The routine called 'Salute to the Sun' is good for beginners, but other routines are specifically designed for sexual health.

There are many good introductory books on yoga and yoga classes are usually inexpensive. There is no need to detail yoga practices here. But Slavekeepers and Slavetrainers are encouraged to include some yoga - or a similar system such as "tai chi" - in the daily discipline of an odalisque.

The importance of charity

Code d'Odalisque works against forced prostitution

One of the unique features of Code d' Odalisque is that it codifies an ethos of charity and compassion into what is otherwise an entirely hedonistic culture of self-indulgence. Odalisque slave play under Code d' Ode is about sex, pleasure and captivity - but always in a safe, legal and consensual framework. Consensual slavery is post-slavery slavery. In the modern world the institution of historical slavery has been abolished. Only consensual slavery - as a mode of reverence and submission - remains. 

An important part of this under Code d' Odalisque is an active sense of charity directed at combatting the remnants of historical slavery and especially the sexual abuse of women and girls. The sad fact is that women and girls in many parts of the world are still used as sexual slaves or, more correctly, are lured into forced prostitution. This is an inhuman and barbaric trade that has no place in the modern world. The revival of odalisque slavery on a consensual basis under the Code acknowledges this fact and seeks to counter it. People who indulge in consensual sex-slave play ought to have a keen awareness that there remains non-consensual sex slavery today and they should denounce it and work against it. Eradicating non-consensual slavery is a noble cause. 

When a woman is taken as a (consenting) odalisque by a Master, she is "purchased". This takes the form of a donation given to an appropriate charity. Under the Code, the "slave price" is said to be "commuted to alms". For legal purposes, no money ever changes hands between players. It is, of course, illegal to actually buy and sell people. Instead, there is a play sale of the slave. Her Master pays a small sum of money to a charity and this suffices as the "slave price". The Code includes details of the formal steps by which this is done. The slavewoman decides what charity will benefit from the donation and the Slavekeeper decides how much he will donate. All donations are directed at campaigns to eradicate forced position and related abuses against women and girls. 

Charity is an important part of Code d' Odalisque culture. Code culture is luxurious, decadent, debauched, hedonistic - but this is off-set by a genuine concern for the plight of women and girls who are suffering under forced prostitution. There are hundreds of thousands or even millions of women and girls in this situation today - even in so-called Western countries. While Code d' Odalisque may be an exercise in sexual self-indulgence for all involved, it is not without conscience. The Code seeks to build a civilized, urbane institution of consensual slavery in a fully post-slavery world. 

Short-term slave?

Tess writes to us:

I really like the idea of living as an odalisque, but not all the time. I think it would be... great for a while... Is it possible to have a contract for a short period of time, like a few months?

Yes, it is possible for a woman to limit her tenure as an odalisque to a short period of time. Every slave has a Contract of Submission. This contract specifies the length of time that the woman remains as a cockslave. The maximum length of time under the protocols of Code d' Odalisque is six years, but it is entirely possible for a woman to specify a shorter period of time.

Odalisque slavery can be intense. While an odalisque is a pampered slave and lives a life of comparative luxury and has many rights and benefits not enjoyed by a lesser slave (memlook), her role is nevertheless a sexual servant and she spends her time providing sexual pleasure to her Master and whatever other men he puts over her. This can be demanding. Few women have aptitude for full-time service year after year.

If a woman so wishes, therefore, she can stipulate a short period of tenure in her Contract of Submission. This might be a few months rather than years. It is a matter that is entirely up to the woman concerned. Her Contract of Submission is a statement of consent. If a short period of service is all she wants then she merely states so in her Contract of Submission.

A woman who makes many short contracts with various Slavekeepers is called a "Qoola" in the terminology of Code d' Odalisque. This is permitted but not encouraged.

Comparative sitting positions (repost)

The following picture illustrates the basic sitting position for an odalisque under Code d' Odalisque. It is sometimes called "Second Position" or "Lelune" meaning "like a crescent moon" referring to the curve of the woman's back. Notice that her hands are on her knees, fingers outstretched. Her eyes are looking at her fingers.

This position is usually used for instruction purposes or while the slave is waiting. The slave is silent and still.

Compare the Code d' Ode position "Lelune" to the following picture. It illustrates the basic sitting position for female slaves in Gorean slavery. By extension it is commonly used in slave play throughout the BDSM sub-culture. The slave sits on her haunches. Note the position of the hands; on the thighs, palms upwards.

This Gorean position is not used in odalisque slavery. Code d' Odalisque includes a complete system of distinct slave positions. "Lelune" is position two. Slaves who serve under Code d' Odalisque should be instructed and trained in the appropriate slave positions. Perfecting some of these positions is an art form of elegance. Other positions are for sexual access or sexual display.

Why slaves? (Repost.)

Why does this form of play have to take the form of “slavery”? The idea of a “slave” is archaic and offensive. Why “slaves”?

No one laments the passing of the institution of chattel slavery. The slavery to which African Americans were subject, for example, was archaic and offensive. All of that is gone, and rightly so. Code d’ Ode should not be confused with that type of slavery. Private, consensual slavery (in a post-slavery context) is an entirely different thing. It is a mode of self-expression. But of course the idea of “slave” does still carries stigma for historical reasons, which is unfortunate.

The role of “slave” continues in other ways because it is – divorced from any economic institution or any particular manifestation in history – an expression of deep reverence. People will be “slaves” to things they revere. To be a “slave” is the ultimate surrender.

The idea of the odalisque grows out of a common sentiment found in many relationships – as an expression of surrender (and/or love) a woman cries, “Take me! Do what you want with me! I’II be your slave. I’II do whatever you want!”

This is a transcending passion. At first the woman is agreeable. Then she is enthusiastic. Then she is passionate. Then, finally, her passion transcends her self-regard, she surrenders all, and she is then “slave”.

The idea of “slave” then is a measure of commitment, passion, submission and surrender. If you want to surrender to someone to an extreme or transcending degree you are willing to be “slave”. Question: To what degree will you submit to me? Answer: I’II be your slave! – which means, total submission, extreme submission, submission to the Nth degree. What else do lovers mean when they say, “Take me, I’m yours!”?

To be an odalisque a woman needs to want more than just sex play. She needs a consuming passion. She is saying, “Not only do I want to be used for sex. More than that! More than that! I want to GIVE MYSELF – surrender! – and do whatever I’m asked to do.”

“Slave” is a condition of the heart. Consensual slavery is an act of reverence and submission. That is why an odalisque is a slave. It is not a designation intended to degrade her; rather it is a measure of her commitment and submission, the degree of her surrender. For want of a better word, it makes her a “slave”. She finds fulfillment in this.

On the Service Paradox

In all consensual slave play, and all Dominant/submissive play, there is the so-called "service paradox".  It is part of "power exchange". What it means is that, while one player has an obvious position of power over another, the exercise of that power entails a reversal of roles such that the dominant player often ends up in service to the submissive. That is, while a slave obviously serves a Master, the conduct of play often means that a Master will need to serve his slave.

This is simply to say that the role of Slavekeeper entails responsibilities to the slave. A slave is a helpless servant, not a self-supporting free agent. A Keeper has an absolute obligation to protect and look after his slave. In this, he will often need to be in her service. His role is therefore paradoxical. He is the Master and she the servant, and yet the Master must serve. For example, a slave must be housed and fed. This is the Slavekeeper's responsibility. A Slavekeeper soon discovers that keeping a slave means devoting time and energy to her keep.

Gentlemen who aspire to own an odalisque should be aware of this. While owning a cockslave is a great joy and a means to exquisite pleasures, those joys and pleasures come with responsibilities and obligations. A Slavekeeper will find himself devoting a lot of his time - and perhaps some of his money - to the up-keep of his slave. This is especially the case for an odalisque, because she is not a work slave. An odalisque is preserved from toil and kept exclusively for sex. It is the Keeper's responsibility to look after her. She serves him, yet he is in her service too. The service paradox.

No one should underestimate this. It is important to realise that keeping a cockslave can be hard work. A Keeper must keep. Immature men fail to appreciate this and imagine that keeping an odalisque is one non-stop orgy of fun. A mature man appreciates that there are serious responsibilities in keeping a slave and that orgies of fun are only part of the deal. There is a pact of mutuality between Master and slave in any Master/slave relationship. There is a duty of care on the part of the Master. That duty of care is a form of service.

The service paradox is part of the beauty of the Master/slave relationship. Outsiders wrongly suppose that the relationship is entirely exploitative and one-sided. This is not the case. Under Code d' Odalisque the duties and obligations of both Master and slave are carefully defined. It is a mutual relationship calculated to allow the greatest exploration of male sexual pleasure while at the same time ensuring the safety and well-being of the female slave. People who are interested in Code d' Odalisque should approach it in this way, with a realistic appreciation of the paradoxical nature of service.

Disturbed women?

It was put to us recently that owning an odalisque is likely to be self-defeating - only a woman with mental disturbances and severe personal issues would want to live as an odalisque anyway, so she would be more trouble than it was worth. The gentleman explained that, in his experience, women in the consensual slavery scene are "all neurotic" as he put it and that acting as Keeper over such women is "not much fun". In some cases, he said, he had met women who were "quite disturbed" and were, or should have been, under psychiatric care.

Our response to this is to say that he is generalising and exaggerating. There are, no doubt, women such as he describes in this and in every other sexual subculture. Just as there are women - and men - such as he describes in the general population. But it is exaggerating to say that they are so prevalent as to make the dream of owning an odalisque futile. Our experience is otherwise: there are plenty of sane, self-aware women who are well-suited to the odalisque role and who would be a joy to own and use. Finding such a woman is not easy, and you may encounter loonies and neurotics along the way, but there are such women and they are very worthwhile.

It is a stereotype to think that women who would feel fulfilled by the odalisque's life must be crazy. It is the same stereotyping that proposes that all women who work as prostitutes must be damaged and were abused as children. Again, there are no doubt such cases, but we should not generalise and exaggerate. The fact is that many women who work as prostitutes are happy, well-adjusted women from ordinary middle-class backgrounds. Moreover, rather than being "victims" they enjoy their work. Similarly, there are women who - being sexually submissive by nature and inclination - enjoy the role of odalisque (cockslave). They are not "damaged goods". They do not come from terrible childhoods. They are not broken or crazy.

Likewise, it is a stereotype to suppose that sex-loving women are "insecure" or "looking for acceptance" or are "sex addicts" in need of treatment. Rather, it is a fact of nature that sexual appetites differ among people: some people have little libido and some people have more. Some women are cock-mad. Some men are cunt-mad. It's a fact of life, and we should not impose some abstract, puritanical standard of "normal" upon everyone. It takes all kinds. There are women for whom life as a sexual servant - where her task is to be used for male sexual pleasure - is very appealing.

Nevertheless, sanity is a proper issue to consider when a gentleman is shopping for an odalisque. It is quite proper to ask, is she stable and sane? A Slavekeeper does not want to take on a woman who is psychologically fragile and troubled. Apart from other considerations, it is a health and safety issue anyway. The odalisque's role can be demanding and intense. It is only suited to the psychologically robust. It would be ethically wrong to expose a woman who you knew to be psychologically fragile to intense service as a cockslave. An assessment of this must be made in every case. It is part of: safety first. The woman's safety comes before all other concerns. This includes her psychological well-being.

A simulated slave economy (repost)

Code d' Odalisque includes a simulated slave economy. Legality is a first principle, so slavetrading is entirely simulated and no money changes hands between active players at any juncture. But a simulated trade operates as follows:

*Before purchase cockslaves are graded and priced. They are very expensive items! They are the most expensive of all slaves.

*A slave should demand that she be purchased, not taken freely like a slut. She is proud to be purchased.

*But her owner can "opt" to "commute" the slaveprice to alms. This means he makes a donation to charity instead. The purchase is only token (and indirect).

*Only some charities are acceptable for alms. These are: campaigns against child labour, forced prostitution and female genital mutilation, and all forms of non-consensual slavery. (You can't make a donation to your golf club and call it alms. It has to be directed to an appropriate cause.)

*The slavewoman has the right to nominate the organisation to which she wants her new owner to "commute the slaveprice to alms."

*The slaveowner has the right to decide the sum he will pay in alms to the charity his slave has nominated. Symbolically speaking he has paid the full price and the slave can wear her price with pride.

*A slaveowner is not required to reveal to his slave the actual sum of alms he has paid, nor is he required to give proof of payment to the slave or to anyone else. It is enough that he says to his new slave that he has "commuted the slave price to alms" with the charity of her choice.

*This constitutes full payment.

*It is improper for either slave or Keeper to ever mention either the fact or the sum of payment in any context again. It is a taboo topic in Code d' Ode play.

*It is a voluntary code. Men of good conscience will acknowledge that owning a cockslave is a rare privilege in life and will happily make a generous donation to a worthy cause in lieu of the slaveprice. This legitimizes the bond over his slave.

*Honesty is a cardinal virtue in a Slavekeeper. So when a man says "I have paid the slaveprice" (by way of a token donation to an appropriate charity) then we expect he is reporting the truth. It would be poisonous to begin a Keeper/slave relationship with a lie.

*It is the intent of Code d' Ode to foster and protect odalisques at all times. The whole Code works against illegal slavetrading, forced prostitution and exploitation.

*Odalisques are urged to demand that their owners pay the slave price. She should ask, "Am I to be taken for free like a slut?" An odalisque should SHAME her owner into paying a price for her.

*A key quality in a Slavetrader is the urge to protect and nurture odalisques. Such a man will abhor the ruthless maltreatment of beautiful, erotic women at the hands of underworld rackets and will happily give to charities that are devoted to helping such women.

*There are no obstacles to players holding (consensual) slave auctions or auctions-for-service so long as ALL proceeds go to an appropriate charity.

*Code d' Ode seeks to create a high-class, luxury, consensual cockslave culture where play incidentally assists charity work that is devoted to eradicating forms of non-consensual sex slavery.

The Pearled Slave

A "pearled slave" under Code d' Odalisque is the most accomplished of odalisques. Specifically, the term refers to a slave who has successfully completed a full series of erotic ordeals. This is a feature of Code d' Odalisque - it includes a system of ordeals that are like steps in an initiation.

A freewoman becomes an odalisque by way of "discalcing" - a ritual stripping. This is an initiation ritual. But throughout the time of her service to her Master, he may impose upon her certain "ordeals". If she completes these ordeals then she is to be rewarded with a string of genuine black pearls. Thereafter, she is referred to as a "pearled slave."

Therefore, a pearled slave is one who has demonstrated service and prowess by undertaking the tasks set to her by her Master. A pearled slave is a slave who has risen to the challenge of the set ordeals. She has passed every test. She is accomplished in her arts.

Under Code d' Odalisque contract, a Slavekeeper may offer his slave a written 'Promise of Pearls' which sets out the details of the ordeals she must undertake. If she completes them, then she is promised a set of black pearls. An odalisque aspires to win her pearls.

The nature of the ordeals is up to the Slavekeeper's imagination. An ordeal is - as the name suggests - a difficult undertaking - acts of extreme intensity, endurance or both. The slave agrees to a program of ordeals to be accomplished during the period of her occlusion.  After the final ordeal, she is presented with her pearls. Under the Code, the pearls must be genuine black pearls - quite an expensive item.

A pearled slave is the highest and most respected of slaves. She is entitled to wear her pearls to signify her dignity and status.

Discretion

In a recent case brought to our attention, a man and his female "pet" - who he kept half-naked on a chain - were denied service in a store and have undertaken to pursue the matter in the courts and in the media. Newspaper reports feature an interview with the woman who explains that she is a "human pet" and a "slave", a role she loves and to which she has a right as a consenting adult. Her owner wants to take her out in public and expects that people will accept their lifestyle without judgment.

In other words, this couple have decided to get political about their lifestyle. They know that the idea of a "human pet" is confronting to ordinary "vanilla" people, but they are going to make a point of it and demand their right to life as they choose.

This attitude is understandable, but so too is the response of the "vanilla" public. The media are treating the couple as a freak show, and that indeed is how the vast majority of people see it. People who keep "human pets" are in a very small sub-culture, and the general public looks at it with horror and outrage. We might - and should - defend the rights of consenting adults to do as they please, but there is also a case for being realistic and to show some respect to the sensitivities of hardworking Mr and Mrs Average.

There is a line between private and public life. Properly speaking, consenting adults can do as they please in the privacy of their own homes. The state has no right to intrude. But conversely, there are public values and community standards, and what happens in private isn't necessarily okay in public. Some consenting adults like dressing up in diapers, for example. You might think its weird, but that is their right. It would be confronting, though, for these same people to go about in public wearing diapers.

The same applies to consensual slavery. The "vanilla" public hears the word "slavery" or the term "sex slave" and is in no mood to hear arguments about rights. There is a wall of hostility to the whole idea. When people hear the word "slavery" they ring the police.

From its beginnings, Code d' Odalisque has acknowledged this reality. The Code advises diplomacy and discretion. Players are not to discuss their lifestyle in an overt, public way. It is not to be made into a freak show. Odalisques are forbidden from discussing their slavery with strangers or in a public forum. It is the very nature of odalisque slave play - because it is slavery and because it is sexual - that it should happen behind closed doors, away from prying eyes, in order to avoid scandal, controversy and unwarranted police intrusion. In Code d' Ode, discretion is a virtue. We keep it private. We are not on a political crusade.

Fiction. Training Miss Esther - a short story

Gary de Silva, himself Jewish, was sensitive to anyone or anything Semitic. He had never really noticed the Jewish features of Mr Hutch’s young slave, Miss Esther, until that evening. As a prelude to the demonstration that Hutch had organised for de Silva and several other gentlemen, the girl had been placed in isolation for six hours, confined to a small cage and kept in the warm, silent darkness of the boiler room deep in the oldest parts of the Bathhouse. When she was brought up and the whole cage placed on a low table in the training rooms, she looked lank and dishevelled, and de Silva couldn’t help but think of images of the Israelites in Egypt and tales of maidens from those ancient days. She had distinct, Hebrew features which were suddenly unmistakeable. Her olive skin, her thick sexual lips, her dark curly hair, her fine aquiline nose, her cheek bones, her jaw-line, her sleepy eyes; all of these were Jewish characteristics that de Silva had hardly noticed in the past. Now, as she lay curled up naked in the bottom of her cage, subdued from her time in isolation, it was plain; the girl was an Eastern European Jewess and was possessed of a typically aloof and strange beauty. Hutch, the Slavetrainer, regarded her as exceptional. The Jewish psyche, he claimed, was in some instances capable of extra dimensions of surrender.

De Silva, dressed in business suit and tie, observed her carefully and felt a particular right to leer over the shapes of her body and to lust for its’ enjoyment. The other gentlemen assembled, also formally dressed, watched her too. They were all impressed with the Slavetrainer’s work. He had evidently taken a poor, miserable waif from the streets of Budapest and shaped her into an odalisque of distinction. She was increasingly the slave of choice when he wanted to demonstrate either the finer - or the cruder - aspects of the odalisque’s craft. Her perfume was sultry, hot, spicy. Its’ subtle chemistry began stirring the blood of all the men as soon as she was brought into the room. There was nobility in her eroticism. She was proud of her slavery. She stayed quiet, gazing at her audience with her large dark eyes.

“The slave,” Hutch explained, “has been in a low sensory environment for several hours. Silence. Darkness. Alone. A few hours is very effective. Even one hour will do. Without stimulation the whole mind and sensorium change.”

Dr Hampton, who was there accompanied by his young offsider Aden Carrow, asked some questions about safety, and Adam Hishem – one of the administrators of the Bathhouse – wanted to know what matters filled the slave’s mind during her time in the boiler room. The Trainer replied with details of his safety regime, and an account of the processes of mental simplification. He invited his guests to stand up and walk around the cage in order to observe the slave’s nakedness better, and explained that, for this exercise, it was best to leave the slave’s mind undirected. De Silva and Carrow wandered around behind the cage and the Slavetrainer motioned to the slave to part her legs and expose more of her mool for them. Her cunt-lips were dark, with carefully trimmed dark pubic hair, but when she moved her left thigh a flash of tender, moist pinkness opened up between them which the two gentlemen gazed into and admired. “Sometimes it is important to stop the mind from rambling,” Hutch said, “but sometimes, rambling is what we want.”

“But with only internal stimulation?” said Mr Hashim.

“Yes,” said the Slavetrainer. “Or rather with as little stimulation as possible.”

“What is to stop her falling asleep?” asked Dr Hampton.

The Trainer looked over at his apprentice, Nick Draper, and admitted with a smile, “Yes. Sometimes it is necessary to prod her.” Draper had the duty of going down to the boiler room every half hour or so to make sure Miss Esther remained awake. She had, nevertheless, been rendered weary and empty, mentally drifting and will-less, more or less half-asleep. She was ready for the exercise.

* * * * * 

At length, the Trainer took her from the cage and displayed her body to the guests. There was a set routine of slave positions. He took her through them. As an added delight, Mr Hashim’s slave, Miss Zeka – who stood to one side and remained inconspicuous throughout - attended to drinks. For the occasion, the resourceful Dr Hampton had supplied a bottle of very fine, very rare, aged Scotch. Gary da Silva supplied fine cigars.

In turn, each of the gentlemen praised aspects of the slave’s beauty and noted her poise and elegance. She was small-boned, delicate. Her breasts were small and pointy. De Silva noted how she held up her chin as she moved, and in the process accentuated the profile line of her nose, and once again he thought how Jewish she looked this particular evening. He liked it. The naked body of the young Jewess filled his eyes and excited him. The Trainer commanded her with the word “Beau” at which she bent over and displayed her private parts to the appreciative men, putting her pink wet sex on display. As she bent over it was as if her whole persona was subsumed by the display of her pussy. It was as if, by her gesture, she had become cunt – just cunt – for them. It was very good, the way she did it. All the gentlemen were left sitting there suddenly confronted by her delicious behind. She was quite lovely. But wild. There was something exotic about her. Her pussy was shapely, petite. At the same time her pink hole looked tasty, like a strange fruit. Her skin looked silky, smooth. The gentlemen ran their eyes over her, down her thighs to the delicate shapes at the backs of her knees.

“Tonight,” said Mr Hutch, “I’d like to demonstrate an excellent example of letting go. We have control.” The slave stood back into First Position. “And we have letting go.” He stood up, went over and gently held the slave’s right hand, and explained further by way of the puppet analogy. “Sometimes, the puppeteer lets go of the string,” he said. “Sometimes we let the slave go uncontrolled.” What he meant by this was not a wilful independence, but rather a flowing spontaneity. A subdued compliance and dutiful slave positions are only half of the art. “What I strive for in a slave – in Miss Esther,” Hutch went on, “is an instant insanity. On command, a slave is a wild thing, a wild creature. Her civilized demeanour, we know, is a veneer over an ocean of lust.”

Aden Carrow sat up at this. He liked that idea. He sensed the exotic aura around Miss Esther. He could sense that ocean of lust inside. As he looked over the slave’s body again his cock stiffened in his trousers. De Silva was interested too. Kosher cunt. “I want the effect,” said the Slavetrainer, “of a subterranean river. Suddenly it bursts to the surface.” He explained again the importance of first quietening the slave and how essential is the prelude of a drifting isolation. “Even for an hour. But six hours is best.” After six hours, the slave has few thoughts, no imaginings, slowed expectations.

* * * 

The nature of the exercise was this: the slave was seated on a stool before her admirers, and was given permission to masturbate. At the same time, Mr Hutch commanded that she “speak dirty to us, Mademoiselle”, that she open her throat and engage her tongue and unleash for them a veritable torrent of the most outrageous filth of which her vocabulary was capable. The slave nodded. Did she understand her orders? She did. “Speak to us, Mademoiselle. Reveal to us the most debauched obscenities nesting in your heart!”

The most debauched obscenities nesting in her heart? What perversities had the Slavetrainer programmed into the girl? What sort of outrages lurked within that beautiful young sexual form? The Trainer’s plan became obvious. First he rendered the slave empty headed. Now, suddenly – for the entertainment of his guests – he wanted the girl to turn on a river of uninterrupted, never-ending, spontaneous verbal filth. First, silence. Then, suddenly, blithering obscenities.

The slave began. She knew what to do. It was not by any means the first time she had been given this command, but it was the first time she had done it before an audience of gentlemen. She ignored this fact. Single-mindedness came naturally to her. She moved into the groove. Dr Hampton and Mr Hashim, who were Slavekeepers themselves, took a professional interest in this turn of events, while the others, including Gary da Silva, looked on with an outsider’s fascination. The Jewess started stroking her own breasts and inner thighs, then introduced her fingers into the pink centre between her dark vulva, as she began mumbling and ranting half-formed sentences replete with expletives. Within a few minutes she was transformed. Aden Carrow sat forward, intrigued. He had never seen a woman doing such a thing. A young man in the grip of fantasy, he started staring indelicately, almost gorping, getting hot under the collar, growing erect and flustered. He swallowed. Goodness, what a thing to behold! He was very glad Dr Hampton had invited him along. Miss Esther closed her eyes. All the rules that restricted her speech as a slavegirl were gone. Her breath was heavy. With her heavy breaths she blurted out words and phrases attesting to her urge to be “fucked”, to be thrashed with “cock”, to have a thousand men revel in her “cunt” fucking and fucking and fucking. Then she gasped a deeper breath and blurted out more of the same. She fingered her pussy. “Fuck me! Fuck me! Fuck me!” she seethed. Within minutes she was demented.

All of the gentlemen had the expectation that this burst of passion would soon subside, but instead Miss Esther hunched her shoulders, reshaped her body as her fingering grew faster, and continued into a stream of talk littered with the most obscene words she could muster. She wanted men to “fuck the shit out of me” and to “nail me” with their gorgeous “smelly, cum dripping dicks” over and over and over. Mr Da Silva took it in his stride, but young Mr Carrow almost blushed. The girl was suddenly like a demonness, possessed. All her sweetness was gone. She hastened. Her true nature was revealed. She masturbated wildly, rubbing her fingers in a rush around her clitoris. She held up her chin. Her free hand clutched at her tits. She panted. The stream of dirty talk – crazy talk - poured from her mouth with spontaneous fluidity. Mr Carrow glanced across at Miss Zeka, who watched from her corner without any reaction at all.

* * * * * 

After more than a few minutes the slave was debasing herself, making a show of it, before the various gentlemen. She was on the edge of her stool and where her feet touched the floor she was now taut and perched on her toes. She started heaving, and as her fingers searched deeper in between her legs, Mr Hutch suddenly, abruptly, gave her the command to stop. She stopped immediately.

“So the important thing,” said the Slavetrainer, “is to first create the space, then to fill it.” He was directing his comments largely to his apprentice, who took appropriate notice. Hutch clapped his hands twice and the slave moved temporarily to second position, the position called lelune. She was panting, disoriented, but she fell into the position perfectly, and sat with discipline, even as her brazen slave heart pounded. Then her Trainer gave her additional instructions.

“I know there are a limited number of cuss words, Mademoiselle,” he said. “But you are too repetitive. You will find new things to say. Also, as you hunch yourself over, I think several of my guests were not able to see your mool to full effect. You will sit up. Oui?”

The slave answered meekly, “Oui.”

Gary de Silva had no complaints. He was certainly happy with her display. He noticed how her breast was pounding and then how her nipples had hardened. The Trainer knew her best. She was probably very close to cumming. De Silva saw he in profile again. Her distinctly Jewish beauty. The knowledge that she was a young Jewess thrilled him at that moment. The violation of Jewish womanhood thrilled him. He thought of every sour, guilt-laden, domineering Jewish mother, including his own. He felt a bond of identity with the girl. He loved the fact she was, as some would have it, completely ruined.

For his part, Aden Carrow was enthralled. He was impressed at how the Trainer had her in his control. How, he wondered, had the girl possibly managed to stop so suddenly on command? There was a pause as the Trainer reiterated several points and then spoke freely about Miss Esther’s particular skills and limitations. “What happens when you let go of the strings?” he asked. “Will your puppet know what to do?” Command and control must be matched with real fire, real passion, a spontaneous lusting.

Finally, Hutch directed the slave to resume her position on the stool, to begin masturbating again, and to unleash once more that river of obscene speech that had been flowing out of her. She quickly found the groove again. She closed her eyes. In a low, frantic voice, she begged and blurted her hungers and desires. She crooned about her love of cock. She wanted to be impaled. She wanted to be fucked again and again. She spat it out. “Fucked! Fucked! Fucked!” Her fingers delved back into the juicy heat of her pussy. She spread her legs wider than before so that all of the gentlemen could see.

Soon, though, the full cruelty of the Slavetrainer’s intentions emerged. The slave started heaving again. He commanded her to stop. He corrected her imperfections. Then he commanded her to start again. The slavegirl lurched from one state to another. It took a toll. Her mouth grew fluid with saliva. She spat and slurred, frothing. She frothed, “Fuck me, sirs. Fuck this fucking cunt…” fucking, fucking, fucking. Her climax was denied. The Trainer directed her to bring herself to the edge, then he commanded her to desist. Her shoulders collapsed. All the air deflated from her lungs. A deep out-breath of anguish. Her fingers and hands and wrists were starting to tremble. Naked, the slavegirl shivered. Her fingers were dripping wet. Her hair fell with abandon.

Dr Hampton sipped his scotch. He watched the slave’s face. “You could,” he observed, “push the poor girl to exhaustion…”

“You could,” Mr Hutch agreed.

“She’s splendid!” Aden Carrow enthused.

“You can see my difficulty, though, can’t you Hampton?” Hutch continued. “It is spontaneity that I’m after. Perfect spontaneity.” He remained disappointed every time the slave fumbled for words or paused or lost the train of her ranting. “An unbroken stream. That’s what I’m after.” He explained that every blip, every pause, was caused – in his professional estimation - by the slave girl’s wretched ego. “I want her selfless,” he said. He wanted her to be a tap. On. Off. A gushing stream of obscenities upon command.

Dr Hampton thought it was an admirable objective, but as a physician he was giving increased regard to the slave’s deteriorating sense of cohesion. He leant forward. Her eyes her wild, her pupils dilated wide. “Yes,” he said, “the ego is no doubt the author of all our inhibitions.” Then he advised that the “poor girl” seemed to be almost hyperventilating.

The Slavetrainer ordered her to step down. He sent her to Third Position to rest.

Carrow and de Silva looked at each other.

“You deny her the final solace then?” asked Carrow with some consternation.

“Later,” Mr Hutch assured him.

Carrow was relieved to realise that the evening’s entertainment had only just begun.

Nick Draper, the apprentice, was especially interested. From watching the display, he understood an important point more fully. “It seems to me,” he said, “that there is a deliberate, programmed correlation between her mool and her mouth.” He looked at Hutch as if to say, “Am I right?”

“There is,” said the Trainer.

That was the key. The flood of filth could just as easily be done sitting still and frigid. But no. The talking had to accompany the masturbation. Nick Draper was right. He understood “programmed correlations”. Dr Hampton understood something of it too. The others were just beginning to understand. It was a feature of Hutch’s technique. No action stands alone. Every act calls up another. Every poke is a push, as he would say.

Gary de Silva felt a pang of pity for the slave. He watched her panting in Third Position. What Hutch was demanding seemed impossible. The Trainer had been playing with her, surely. She had emerged from the boiler room subdued, sullen. Then suddenly, the Trainer provoked her into frenzy. Slugged. Smacked. She seemed shocked. De Silva noticed how her hands started to tremble. Her dismay accentuated her Jewish features again, though, and the guest enjoyed that private thrill once more. Why had he never realised that a girl with a name like Esther might be Jewish? Esther. Of course. Just before the Trainer commanded her into Third Position – the position of slavish abeyance, face down – de Silva caught her dark, Hebraic gaze. He couldn’t see into her soul. Instead, he saw the ‘emptiness’ to which Mr Hutch had referred. The ‘poor girl’ had emptied herself, an empty vessel. She was desperately trying to do so. Empty and ready to be filled with whatever words and phrases and dark thoughts, demonic, squeaking, hissing, begging, frothing hungers might satisfy the men put over her.

The Scent of an Odalisque - a new video

Please enjoy this new video upload, this time on the theme of the slave's attar, or her perfume. 

The Gentleman Slavekeeper (repost)

No one needs to be convinced that gentlemanly virtues are in short supply in our age. The days of the chivalrous gentleman are gone. Social relations today – while arguably more open – are more coarse and harsh. Women are no longer ladies and men are no longer gentlemen. Feminism has advanced female equality, and men are less able and less likely to institute systematic discrimination against women, but at the same time the aura of the “fair sex” has fallen and men’s attitudes to women have hardened on a day to day level. It is not uncommon in general society today to hear young men referring to their women as “bitches” or “sluts” and its not uncommon to see these women being treated accordingly, like dogs. In general, relations between men and women have become far less refined - and more seething with resentment - over the last fifty or so years. Women have lost their femininity and men have become more openly misogynistic. Underlying patterns of violence have become more open.

Code d’ Odalisque is very old fashioned in this respect. It values femininity in the female and it values chivalry in the male. It preserves old models of behavior. The odalisque (slave) is female submissive. The Slavekeeper is male dominant. Code d’ Ode celebrates good old fashioned Maledom/femsub gender roles. But the Slavekeeper is not necessarily maledom in the alpha-male Conan-the-barbarian sense. Rather, the Slavekeeper in Code d’ Ode is the sophisticated urbane gentlemen, a man of good taste and appropriate manners, whose dominant nature is expressed in a quiet and assured authority. He is patient, compassionate and he treats women with due respect. He regards odalisques as truly precious. He is a kind and forbearing Keeper who treats his slave with generosity and mercy. His motivation is pleasure, not power. Sexual violence is not in his nature.

The written codifications of Code d’ Odalisque include a complete formal system of etiquette and manners. The intent of the Code is to bring an atmosphere of refinement to Master/slave play. The Code offers an alternative to the prevalent S & M type of maledom/femsub play found in alternative adult scenes today. The Code states:

24.1. - Intention of refinement

The general intention of this Code is to bring refinement, fine taste and decorum to the modern environment of sexual experimentation and adventure. All players are bound to this same ideal in word and action at all times.

Slaves receive training towards this end. But Slavekeepers also need to learn and practice modes of proper conduct. For some men today even the common courtesies of “please” and “thankyou” do not come naturally. An important dimension of Code d’ Ode, and one that is often neglected, is the cultivation of gentlemanly virtues in men. Slaves are trained to the role of female submissive: meek, demure, obedient, obliging, passive. The Code also seeks to bring refinement to contemporary men. The man who would be a Keeper of odalisques must learn the old virtues of the proper gentleman. The Code states:

24.3. - Gentlemanly behavior at all times

All male players (gentlemen) shall behave in a civil, honest, straight-forward, polite and chivalrous manner at all times. Violence, unruliness, jealous rivalry, uncouth behavior and ill-mannered machismo are out of place in all play.

The Code seeks to create an atmosphere of polite and mannered civility. This must involve both male and female players. It is vitally important that men who are involved in Code d’ Odalisque adopt appropriate standards of gentlemanly behavior. Code d’ Ode is not for yobs, rednecks and deadshits. It is not for men who are crass, abusive or ill-natured. It is not for women-haters and men who can’t hold their peace.

This dimension of Code d’ Ode should not be overlooked. The Code seeks to build an appropriate male culture – a culture of the slavekeeping gentleman. Not a culture of the sadist. Not a culture of the alpha-male. And not a culture of street grunge where women are just “bitches”. Instead, a culture of a refined and enlightened hedonism, where women are respected, where odalisques are prized, and where the pursuit of sexual adventure and carnal delights takes place in an atmosphere of chivalry and decorum. Without such an atmosphere and the observance of a code of common etiquette and cordial behavior, sexual adventure and carnal delights can quickly degenerate into a culture characterized by ugliness, coarseness and brutality.

SLAVEKEEPERS WANTED

We are seeking suitable gentlemen to be Slavekeepers. Do you have what it takes?

Of recent times we have had far more inquiries from women wanting to be odalisques than we have had from gentlemen seeking slaves. As well, while the quality of interested females is high - attractive women who are sincere and serious about it - the quality of interested males tends to be low: fools, dickheads, sadists and men who are just time-wasters. 

We would like to hear from gentlemen with the following points of aptitude:

*Extra horny. A man only needs an odalisque if he has a strong need for sexual adventure. Don't over-estimate yourself, though. Lots of guys are very horny but they'd be just as happy going to a whore. Are you so horny you need an odalisque? Are there fantasies you really, really must explore?

*A lover of women. (No women-haters! If you have personal issues about women, hated your mother or are a repressed homosexual, you are not suitable.) You must love women to own an odalisque. You love women and want to protect and enjoy them.

*Sane. (No psychopaths or egomaniac narcissists, thank you. If you have mental health issues, anger problems, or a personality disorder, you are not suitable. And no alcoholics either.) Well-adjusted even-tempered guys only.

*Mature. (No immature fools or teenagers pretending to be men.)

*Honest. (No married guys wanting an odalisque behind their wife's back.) You must be upfront and honest about your situation.

*Prepared to follow the rules. Odalisque slavery is regulated by Code d' Odalisque. Interested females are only interested because the Code offers them a protective, structured environment. Gentlemen must be prepared to respect and follow the rules. If you think you are god and don't think you should follow rules, you are not suitable.

*Means. You don't need to be stinking rich but you do need to have the means to support an odalisque. Owning an odalisque means taking on a dependent. As Keeper, you must look after her. You cannot make money out of an odalisque. Are you prepared for the cost? Do you have a suitable place for her to stay and suitable facilities in which to use and enjoy her?

*No sadomasochism. If you are into S&M you are not suitable. Code d' Ode is strictly non-SM.

If you think you would like to own an odalisque to protect, nurture and enjoy under the slave code, write to us at:

bedroomslaves@yahoo.com

Sincere inquiries only thank you.

The Collar in Code d' Odalisque (Repost)

Question: Does an odalisque wear a collar to indicate that she is a slave?

Not necessarily. People commonly use collars in Master/slave play, but the collar is not a requirement in Code d' Odalisque. Instead, the slave is kept naked and her nakedness is a symbol of her servitude, her nakedness is her leash. Code d' Ode is different than other styles of Master/slave play in this regard. The collar is for a newly captured low slave. It is a symbol of the memlook. But an odalisque is a special slave with a high status and is usually free of a collar.

Since it is most improper - indeed insulting - to treat an odalisque like a memlook, some consider it an affront to put a collar on an odalisque. Usually, if a memlook is elevated to the higher status of odalisque she will have her collar removed. But she will be held in captivity (occlusion) and she will be (essentially) naked. Since beauty and sex are now her "work", she no longer needs the clothes that protect the worker, the maid or the cook. An odalisque's nakedness is her leash - and her collar.

Others like to use a collar as a symbol of slavery. Some find it aesthetic as well as psychologically effective.

In Code d' Odalisque it is the nape of the neck, the back of the neck, that is important. It is a gesture of submission for the slave to offer her Master the nape of her neck.

Otherwise, an odalisque may wear a (discreet) collar when she is on sojourn but not when she is in occlusion. In that case, the collar serves as a reminder to her that even though she goes about like a freewoman when she is on sojourn, she remains a slave.

On the whole, the collar is not central or important to Code d' Odalisque. It is not usually a part of odalisque slavery. It is more a feature of other styles of slave play.

Overmistress - a discussion

Questions and answers on the role of the Overmistress under Code d' Odalisque. 

Q: Why does a slave have to have an Overmistress as well as a Master?

A: It is not essential for an odalisque to have an Overmistress. But she may if she wishes. It is up to her.

Q: I wouldn’t like my girl answering to an Overmistress as well as me. I expect my girl to answer only to me.

A: An Overmistress is not a Slavekeeper in any sense. An odalisque does not answer to her Overmistress. An Overmistress is not in charge of the slave. Her role is simply to protect the slave.

Q: Protect her from what? From her Master? I would object to that. As her Master, I expect to be in control.

A: You are in control. A slave answers to her Master. She doesn’t answer to her Overmistress. But an Overmistress acts as a type of friend and mentor. She doesn’t control the slave. She provides back-up support for the odalisque. It is a safety device. If the slave feels she needs it.

Q: But this Overmistress can interfere. I wouldn’t like that.

A: She only intervenes if the slave is in danger or is being mistreated. She shouldn’t interfere, as you put it. That is not her role. She is not a Slavekeeper. She is an older female who provides oversight and makes sure the slave is okay.

Q: But a slave would only want this oversight if she didn’t trust her Master. That’s no good. I object to that. I expect trust. Trust is submission.

A: Yes. An Overmistress is only back-up support. It doesn’t change the fact that a slave must trust her Master. But Code d’ Odalisque is designed with safety, consent and legality in mind at every stage. Some women might feel the need for that extra back-up support. In that case, she can choose to appoint an Overmistress. The Code puts the slave’s safety ahead of all other considerations. That’s how it should be.

Q: But it undermines the authority of the Slavekeeper.

A: Not at all. The Master/slave relationship remains intact. But an odalisque is a special type of slave. Let us keep that in mind. Here is a woman who – voluntarily – will give herself to a man to be used for sex. There are lots of things that could go wrong. The best way to protect against that is to have extra people involved. Experience shows that problems arise, when they do, in situations of isolation. If something goes wrong, the slave needs someone to turn to. The Code allows for formal arrangements to provide extra safety. If a woman is prepared to offer herself as a sexual slave for sexual use – which is a big deal – she is entitled to arrangements to ensure her safety and security.

Q: What sort of things could go wrong? What do you mean?

A: There are plenty of men who might abuse their power. There are plenty of cases of that.

Q: So you don’t trust Slavekeepers. You’d only need an Overmistress where there is no trust. And if there is no trust, then the slave shouldn’t be a slave at all. That’s how I see it.

A: But you might argue the same thing about slave contracts. If a slave trusts her Master why would she need a slave contract? Or you might say, in marriage, if you really love me and trust me you won’t need a pre-nup. But let’s be realistic. Marriages fail sometimes, which is why people take out the insurance of a pre-nup. And Slavemasters abuse their power sometimes, which is why slaves have contracts and why the Code allows for an odalisque to have an Overmistress. It is insurance. The fact is, once a woman is immersed in the slave role she often loses a strong sense of self. The odalisque’s life is for submissive women, anyway. Often, by nature, they are not inclined to stand up for themselves if they are being mistreated. An Overmistress is there to look after her. Not to interfere. It doesn’t undermine trust. It permits trust. If a woman has an Overmistress she will feel more secure and will be able to submit to her Master more fully, knowing that the Overmistress is there to make sure she won’t be harmed. Trust is all very well, but it is sensible to take precautions. As the Arab proverb says, "Trust in God, but tie up your camel first."

Q: But you assume that Masters are bad people. Slavemasters love and care for their slaves. If a man needs an Overmistress looking over his shoulder, maybe he is not fit to be a Slavemaster.

A: Be realistic. It is a power relationship. Sometimes some men abuse it. It happens. There are plenty of cases. Ideally, Slavemasters are sane, sensible, caring gentlemen. But that is the ideal, not the reality. We need to allow for the possibility that things might go wrong. Like what? Well, for example, some men might be tempted to prostitute their odalisque. That happens even among middle class swingers. Husbands start charging men to attend swinger’s parties where their wife is the main attraction. Making money from a sexual slave is a real temptation. An Overmistress would prevent this. An odalisque is not a whore. A Slavemaster is not a pimp. An Overmistress would provide the extra over-sight to ensure this and prevent a slave from being taken into whoredom.

Q: How does she do that?

A: She meets with the slave from time to time. She has access to the slave. And the slave can turn to her for help. Then the Overmistress would speak to the Slavemaster about it on behalf of the slave.

Q: I think I’d resent someone interfering like that.

A: Some men would. Some “doms” are authoritarian and want complete control. But an odalisque deserves extra protection. Odalisque slavery is non-violent but it is also intense. It is sexual submission. Sex is a powerful energy. The slave is used for intense sexual adventures and fantasies. Don’t underestimate it. You might think that because it is non-SM then it is “soft” and “vanilla”. But an odalisque is subject to constant, intense sexual use. Her Master can use her to explore quite extreme fantasies. Very sensibly, Code d’ Odalisque frames this within structures that help ensure it is safe, consensual and within the law. And so no one gets hurt. If a man won’t accept that a woman who gives herself to sexual slavery wants to feel secure and safe in her role, then he fails to understand the nature of odalisque slavery. It is an intense form of slavery. The woman’s need for safety and security is far more important than a Slavekeeper feeling peeved about an Overmistress “interfering”. Safety comes first. It comes before the Slavekeeper’s rights. Only in the context of safety and security can a woman truly surrender herself. So it is in the Keeper’s interests too. If a slave has an Overmistress then a Keeper can take play that much further because there is that extra safety device.

Q: But some Overmistresses might interfere…

A: That could happen. But then she would be a poor Overmistress. An Overmistress is not some dour old bitch who wants to kill people’s fun. She must know the limits of her role. She should only intervene when absolutely required. Mainly she just stays friends with the odalisque, gives her some company, makes her feel secure. An Overmistress also wants the odalisque to be used as an odalisque. She wants to see the odalisque used and fulfilled in her role. She wants the Master/slave relationship to go smoothly. In most cases, the Overmistress doesn’t really have much to do. She is just there in case. And in lots of cases, as I say, an Overmistress is not necessary. It depends.

Q: Depends on what? And who decides?

A: The slave decides. If she wants an Overmistress, then under the protocols and structures of Code d’ Odalisque she is entitled to have one. But it depends how she feels about what she is getting herself into. She might think to herself, “Wow. I’m going to be used as an object. I’m going to have my brains fucked out. Men are going to use me relentlessly. I’m going to be kept for sex. Maybe I need someone to be looking out for me in this.” That would be reasonable, wouldn’t it? Especially since a lot of Code play is very psychological. The slave can be trained into an obsessive monomania. We fuck her body, but it is a mind-fuck as well. Once she is involved, immersed, she may lose objectivity and not be able to defend herself from an abusive or dangerous situation. An Overmistress is an objective pair of eyes. But if a couple don’t plan on exploring sexual extremes then an Overmistress wouldn’t be required. Code d’ Ode is designed like that. You can use odalisque slave play to explore sexual extremes. Then the slave would benefit from the caring overview of an Overmistress.