The Story of O, maybe you’ve heard of it, maybe not. If not, it is a must read for those who are interested in Domination and submission. The book was penned in 1957 by French author Ann Desclos under the Pen name of Pauline Réage as a series of letters to her lover Jean Paulhan. It is an erotic tale of a young female photographer from Paris who is trained and educated by a secret D/s society to which her lover Rene belonged. It is quite graphic and detailed, causing a great deal of controversy when it was released. In fact, French authorities attempted to bring obscenity charges against the author, however; those charged were later dropped. That did not stop the popularity of the novel and it has survived, even today, as a classic book set in the BDSM lifestyle. It is from those pages, written over 60 years ago, that many have an understanding of the training involved in BDSM and how it exists today in Second Life. But to bring that novel, and it’s ideals, into a virtual world would seem almost counterintuitive and near impossible because of dynamic explicit and detailed training involved in both the book and D/s.
In the book the main character, named O, is sent to a chateau in Paris, near Roissy, where she is trained to sexually serve the members of an elite club. From there she is given to a new Master, Sir Stephen, and taken to another location, Samois. These two pivotal locations have inspired the long running sim called Roissy Val d'Oise. Taking many of the educational and training aspects of the Story of O novel and translating them into an immersive roleplay environment. But the question remains, how do the ideals and ideas of the Story of O remain relevant and still work in Second Life. To find that answer I interviewed Sir Thomas, the Roissy Supervisor. I asked what aspects of the Story of O were taken from the book and applied at the Roissy Val d'Oise sim.
Sir Thomas replied,“Our owner Rene Geir believes that the Story of O is a good example of submissive behavior and also what responsible Dominants are. He wanted to provide a place in SL, that both recreated the visual environment but also a place for submissives and Dominants to learn what it truly means to be in the lifestyle. We believe in SSC (Safe, Sane, Consensual), D/s and protection of submissives and also the proper behavior of Gentlemen Dominants.”
This is a concept taken directly from the story. During her time at Roissy O underwent very particular training, especially in how to please a man was punished for not following the rules or being disobedient. The training was intense and intended to create a more obedient submissive. In the BDSM lifestyle such training is necessary and it helps to develop the submissive’s skill set and her behavior. This includes everything from sexual service and interpersonal skills to household management. Beyond that general training, each Dominant will train his submissive more specifically on his own personal preferences and to help define her personal goals as a submissive. Training and education isn’t exclusive to the submissive however. Many, but not all, Dominants began as submissives and have had similar training. The education of a Dom is just as vital as that of a sub. Roissy provides both Dominants and submissives with a mentor who can help guide them through their journey. This all culminates in both the Dom and sub being more well rounded and educated both socially and emotionally. This kind of training, both the general and specific, is something that is lacking, more often than not, in Second Life.
Continuing my conversation with Sir Thomas, I asked him how the training described in the book translates to Second Life. “We have training logs that dictate what the Dominant and Submissive must learn before advancing. The tasks are very similar to the Story of O or related to the Story of O. We also have Workshops and Discussions.”
This also corresponds directly to the erotic novel. All submissives were given specific tasks and were tracked on their performance. This, again, is another important part of the training of a submissive. Training can include tasks such as cleaning or be more elaborate like learning proper etiquette when setting a dinner table. Despite popular belief, not everything is sex in the BDSM lifestyle. Again this is lost on many of those who practice the lifestyle in Second Life, but is very intact at the Roissy Val d'Oise sim.
As an ‘Old School’ Dominant, I was very impressed with how well behaves, intelligent and courteous the submissives were at Roissy.
I also asked Sir Thomas about the difficulty in bringing the training practices from the Story of O into Second Life because of the lack of physical contact. He answered by saying, “We have to instruct and help them to understand that feelings are real here and so is pain, from punishment, etc. So for example, whipping is very harsh in the real world and we need to not over due them, just since it's only sl. In short keep it real.”
Roissy Val d'Oise certainly pays attention to every detail in the training of it’s submissives, just as described in the book. But something the book doesn’t focus as much on is the effect this training has on the submissives. I wanted to know, from one of the Roissy submissives, just how the training has impacted her. I spoke with Jaymelie, a sister of Roissy who has been at the sim for 5 years, who was able to provide some very insightful information. I began by asking her what it was about Roissy that made her feel comfortable enough to stay. She said “Its, family... It may sound corny, but I have been a Sister for nearly 3 years now, and I love to come back here and be a mentor, come back to a place the gives meaning to people. And so many amazing people find their way here, so I still experience new things, new feelings, by coming here - and for that, I am grateful.”
I continued by asking her how the training she received at Roissy has impacted her life.
“It's been a journey for sure.... I started the path back in 2013, but never finished - then I returned and started over, finally graduating in 2015.... And I have evolved as a submissive, found my weaknesses first, then my strengths - and that has definitely made me a more assertive person. In RL as well, Sir.” she explained. Her response sums up exactly the importance and purpose of the training a submissive should receive.
The Story of O, despite being written over 60 years ago, has remained relevant in the BDSM lifestyle and has even provided many with their first glimpse into that world. It’s a dark, erotic, entertaining and important book that one would think couldn’t be brought to a virtual world like Second Life. Yet, as we’ve seen, Roissy Val d'Oise does just that and in doing so provides an important aspect of the BDSM community that seems to be in short supply here. If you have any interest in D/s, you should read the book and maybe pay a visit to Roissy.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Website: http://www.roissy-vdo.com
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