Gags

Although most novices consider a blindfold to be one of the most restrictive, scary items of bondage, many experienced players know that the bondage item that requires the most trust between top and bottom is the gag. A gag prevents the bottom from communicating verbally, whether to ask the top for a particular sensation or to use a safe word. This restriction can heighten the level of play and make a scene hotter, provided both Submissive and Master understand how to play while a gag is used.

Types of gags The most commonly used gag in the fetish world is a rubber ball gag, usually made of black, red, or pink latex. The soft latex ball is held in place with leather, rubber, or cloth straps tied at the back of the bottom's head. Ball gags have a great visual effect , reminiscent of a trussed pig complete with apple in the mouth and are usually quite safe. Variations on ball gags include a variety of penis-shaped devices, ranging from short mouth plugs to close to full length dildos. These latex devices sometimes reach inside the mouth, giving the bottom something to bite on. They're also effective as humiliation tools.

While you can use practically any piece of bound cloth or clothing as a gag, it is usually recommended that you acquire a ball or penis latex gag, this is because cloth can absorb the submissive's saliva, dehydrating them and the danger of choking is higher. Many hoods include a gag of some kind, or act as a gag by nature of their tightness and lack of mouth opening. Some hoods and gags include a kind of straw through the gag, letting the Master  force the submissive to take liquids, including urine or other bodily secretions. Safe playing with gags Gags present an unusual danger in that they prevent the submissive from communicating verbally with the Master (this cut off of communication is, of course, the whole point of using gags). It can therefore be tricky to run a safe scene while the submissive is gagged.

The most important limitation is that a safeword or signal for "stop" should always be agreed upon in any bondage scene. For a gagged submissive, this signal must become a non verbal action. For instance, we at the lair give the sub something to and instruct them to drop it if she has had enough and wants it to stop. Shaking one's head or grunting three times are also reasonable safeword substitutes. It's harder, however, to communicate non verbally about the more subtle nuances of play, when the submissive wants more, or wants it lighter, or wants a different sensation. While much of this can still be accomplished between a Master and Submissive who have played together often and can read each other's non verbal cues, in many other cases the submissive must simply submit completely to whatever the Master decides is right (short of using the safeword gesture to end the scene completely).

Of course, a good Master should always pay attention to the bottom's nonverbal messages of fear, anxiety, and pain, but both Master and Submissive should realize before starting gag play that the gag brings in a higher level of control on the Master's part.