Sadō

by Steelwhisper

When ropemaster Toson Uetake is challenged by another rigger, Kenjo Inouye, it is his chauffeur, Ivar, who is put to the test. Inouye will stop at nothing to ensure victory, but for Ivar it is not only a matter of pride, but a deeper emotion that forces him to accept.

This story was written as a part of the M/M Romance Group's "Love is an Open Road" event. Group members were asked to write a story prompt inspired by a photo of their choice. Authors of the group selected a photo and prompt that spoke to them and wrote a short story.

Dear Author,
I’m looking for a story from the sub’s POV… focusing on the senses, especially how the rope feels against his skin. Also how being tied up makes him feel… helpless, but safe. He trusts his Dom, and feels pleasure in pleasing him. Another person is watching, but the possessive Dom won’t let anyone else touch his boy. Instead, he carries on a long conversation with the other person, all while casually touching the sub, with minimal verbal interaction with him. Impersonal touches, almost absentminded, although the Dom is actually very focused on his boy. Maybe a brush against his balls while ignoring his cock. Or some nonchalant fingering while he discusses other matters with his guests. All gentle, though. And once the guest is gone, I’d love a tender aftercare scene.

Photo Description:
A dark-haired man in an intricate karada of jute rope lies spreadeagled on a low table, wrists and ankles tied to chairs positioned at his head and feet. He is naked and a Japanese tea tray, with the accoutrements for sadō, covers his lower chest and abdomen. His head is unsupported and his genitals are exposed to view.

This story may contain sexually explicit content and is intended for adult readers. It may contain content that is disagreeable or distressing to some readers. The M/M Romance Group strongly recommends that each reader review the General Information section before each story for story tags as well as for content warnings.

Genres: BDSM, M M Romance, Erotica, Contemporary, LGBT, Short Stories, Romance

23 pages, ebook

First published September 14, 2015

About the author

My stories are romantic, fantastic, futuristic, queer, weird, sadistic. Most will not only contain a sexual journey, and be a love story, but also have a solid secondary plot. Please note that I write LGB fiction and dark erotic fiction rather than mainstream romance. I don't do bittersweet endings, I like HFNs instead.

What to tell you about my person? I'm gender non-performing, green-eyed with dark hair, unmarried, bisexual and kinky in just about any direction you can imagine, and some you wouldn't even think of. I've been in the BDSM lifestyle since before I was officially old enough. I have more than a working expertise regarding whips and other percussion instruments and love to spend my time outdoors gardening or with my dogs.

If you want notifications for releases, ARCs and giveaways, you can join my maillist here:

http://eepurl.com/J4Igf

And if you'd like some direct interaction and discussion, please join my group (it is for adults only):

https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/...

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. Review posted November 13, 2015



I liked the writing but otherwise nothing worked for me. Some will perceive this as sexy and erotic, but it wasn't for me. It wasn't "dark" or especially "edgy", either. I have read about wand play (sounding) before, so that wasn't new to me. Also, I neither connected with the "exsanguinate" characters nor did I feel any kind of emotion. That's the problem: it was a wholly sterile reading experience for me. I'm sorry, just not my cup of tea.

As a side note

A)
gemütlichkeit is a noun and the correct spelling in German is Gemütlichkeit


B)
A mistake in the dedication never looks good, IMO.


Dedication

This is story is dedicated to my lovely golden lady. I’m sure your mum waited for you on the other side…

[~✡~Dαni(ela) ♥ ♂♂ love & semicolons~✡~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Visceral.

Raw.

Startling.

A chauffeur and his employer participate in a most unusual Japanese tea ceremony.

Ivar is the bound; Uetake the master of bondage. Because Uetake is blind, his rope work is created by feel, not sight, and is as unique and beautiful as the man himself.

The story comes together in the most unexpected way, like pieces of a puzzle slotting together just so.

I learned that sounding is most certainly not my kink.

No sex; no romance; no HEA or HFN, just a moment and the possibility of more.

[Vivian · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiescence.
The state of excellence striven for herein.

Control.
The restraint in the language is not merely conservation; it is elegant and echoes the mastery of the bondage. Understated as culturally appropriate, the space between is as important as the object described herein. Simply, what is not being said is as important as what is.

Precision.
The rope work is gorgeous in its description. Ivar's suffering and perseverance is real. But, the synchronized acts of both Ivar and Uetake bind them together as surely as the jute.

Overall, a beautiful vignette of devotion.

My thanks to the author for participating in the MM Group's 2015 DRitC event, Love Is an Open Door

[Chelsea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very sweet short read. Very true to the prompt. We got a nice introduction to the characters and their background, which is hard to do with a shorter word count, so that was a bonus. The subtle touches were perfect during the rope scene, but it made me want to know more about their relationship, especially Uetake's thoughts and feelings about Sinclair. It ended with a HFN that made me want to see what happened next.

Also the tags make it sound scary, but i found it quite light, if you can handle sounding you'll be fine.

[Sheziss · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the language. The choice of words. The compelling rhythm.



I had to re-read the “beginning” (well, the first 30%) several times because I got lost. I didn’t understand who was who at first.

What I didn’t like that much was the impersonal touching. Not by the master, but by the one who is watching. I liked the premise a lot, and it was promising, but in the end it made me uncomfortable rather than turned on.

I’ve read about exhibitionism and sounding before, but this one was weird instead of erotic. Maybe because it’s not the master the one doing it.

I also missed love, although there are loads of devotion. I mean that this is not a romance, but maybe the beginning or one, the opening scene of a whole novel. There is a perfect Dom/sub relationship but from that to love there is a huge step.

Despite this, it was different and certainly hard to forget. I hadn’t read anything of Japanese BDSM before.

*****

You can read it for free here.

[Emma Sea · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! The writing is lyrical yet controlled and restrained, which seems kind of apt :)
Of course I want more, and yet in a short story Steelwhisper has communicated a lifetime of both the MCs. Their relationship is quiet and understated, woven from suggestion and allusion.

Also, can I just take a second to admire the opening sentence? Because it's perfect and fills me with envy. It's a sentence that's been sculpted and trained and refined until it glows with a subtle lustre; nothing shiny and crass about it about it.

Small and perfectly formed.

Thank you for the story, Steelwhisper, and thank you Sunny for the outstanding prompt.

[Eve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quiet and elegant and intense, this gorgeously written short story captures a whole culture in one scene. I loved the lovingly drawn details, the precision of every word, the building anticipation and the sense of possibility as Ivar and Eutake take their relationship to another level. The writing here is as artistic as the masterful bondage of the prompt picture.

[Noah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to this short story I familiarized myself some more with elevator music and basic advanced kinbaku. It also supplied my daydreams with the vision of a guy in a kimono skillfully objectifying me while slurping tea. What more a reader's heart could desire really. :)

[Sunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

My comment on the story thread:

Shivers is right. I feel like I need to just sit here for a bit, processing the story. I'm incredibly impressed at what you can do with just over 5000 words, and little of it dialogue.

With precise descriptions, you conveyed so much, not only about the setting, but about the characters. You captured exactly what I was hoping for with Ivar's POV- yearning, respect, comfort, security...I loved it.

And the sounding was a nice surprise.

Thank you, Steel!

Additional thoughts...
My current collection of shelves is inadequate for this story. Elegant, intense, quiet, and erotic. I'm still processing what I read and its effect on me. Just, wow. I am so impressed.

9/28/15 added to favorites post on BMBR with additional comment about the ending..."beautiful in its simplicity"

[Sophia Triad · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free. Short. Educative. Emotionless. Motionless. Quiet. Interesting.
Not my thing, but I can understand its appeal.

[Ele · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you don't know what "sounding" is (which means your knowledge on BDSM is as limited as mine) make sure to ask first before googling it. I googled it. I expected to see some kind of bondage (I never said I'm not clueless). It was an image search.



And although this is so not my kink and I'm not looking forward to reading anything similar, I truly liked this.

Elegance, intensity, a bondage scene that gives you the goosebumps. And so very true to the prompt.

And seriously, creating such an erotic atmosphere without any sex or romance...this takes some serious skill, people!

Great job!

[Joan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Skin-tingly good. I simply love this story – the sparseness of the writing, nothing unnecessary, the writing pared to the bone in places, and yet I was there inside Ivar’s head, feeling the rope on my skin and with that same sense of fear at what might happen.

I love the quiet unspoken love/respect/awe/trust that Ivar has for Uetake. It comes across in the smallest of things: the way he checks the car, the way he bows as Uetake exits the lift, the utterly perfect and delicious description of helping his boss shower.

So many moments. To be honest, I could write an essay on this story. I could go into great detail about the sparse dialogue that outwardly says very little, but actually shows us just how much these men care for each other.



“You don’t need to do this.”

A quick glance into the rearview mirror showed him the quiet tone wasn’t the result of tiredness.

“It will be an interesting experience, bakushi-san,” he said, and at the next intersection pointed the Mercedes down the road leading to Uetake’s house.

Or indeed the simple descriptions that were pared to the bone.

The heavy rope hit the tatami mat with a decisive sound. He shivered.

………….

The embrace of the rope became a relentless prison, as Uetake worked his magic with precision.

……………

The tip of a finger brushed his temple, as if by accident.

………………

Slender fingers and then the whole hand gentled down his throat and neck, the pad of a thumb warm across his lips.

A beautiful piece of writing. As other reviewers have stated - far more eloquently than I can - this is intense, quiet and elegant. I would love to read more of Ivar and Uetake.

[Dani · Rating 5 out of 5]

4,5 stars.
First off, as a current resident of Little Tokyo in Düsseldorf and a former employee of a Japanese company both abroad and in Düsseldorf I’m positively GIDDY with joy at the meticulously researched and insightful set up.

But what really did it for me was the effective off-hand characterization of two intriguing, delightfully atypical men and the strong undercurrent of longing deftly hidden behind an understated but powerful language.

Same with the description of the scene: emotionally restrained but sensual and visceral language with straight access to my gut, without being pretentious or overburdening everything with MEANING and sentimentality (as it so often happens with BDSM in this genre).

And then, at the very end, when both men finally allow for the long-yearned-for intimacy, it is exactely as refined and sublimated as the man Ivar fell for himself – so very satisfying, delightful and exquisitely erotic, while not really releasing the tightly wound tension.
So the story lingers.
Just lovely.

Niggles: The jump from the first scene jarred me a bit – and since I didn’t have any background on the characters at that point it felt a bit flat and superfluous anyway. I assume it functions as a link to the prompt picture – but the story itself would not have needed it in my opinion.

[Debbie McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know nothing about BDSM or Japanese culture. The knowledge isn't a prerequisite to reading and enjoying this complete short story. What I needed to know as a reader was provided through the narrative.

The writing is tight and controlled, which I envisage is an intentional literary device, given the subject matter. I very much appreciate Steelwhisper's crisp style and attention to detail.

A most enjoyable read, and free.

Thank you to the author and the Love is an Open Road team.

[Alona · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not your conventional romance/erotica short, but it's got a hint of both.
I liked the "feel" this book gives the reader, and the small innuendos of what will happen next.
I can totally picture what is in store for the two MCs.
Lovely and refreshing.

[Pixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was very typically Steel… In reading her other shorts and her comments in discussion threads I’ve noted that her writing style is probably best described as deliberate & with purpose. Similar to George this work left me unsettled, most likely because the extreme discomfort of the “event” is described with so much detail I was uncomfortable. Sounding…well thank you for that Steel…yet another thing I cannot unknow.

I think the biggest thing for me is the work is so brief yet makes such a strong impact. Even if I don’t read it again, in a year I bet I could recall it easily because the relationship and tea ceremony as described created a visual that not only could I see but I could also feel. And I felt it profoundly.

I tend to focus on the “whys” and much like George my “whys” went unanswered. I was left dissatisfied, which here is a positive because it means I was interested. I felt the need a day later to return to it and reread (in case I missed the answer) but no, I still have it, that why.

The prompt was incorporated into the story better than in any other story I’ve read in the event. The prompt WAS the story.

[RedL. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Imagine being zoomed inside the mind of a tightly bound man, spreadeagled and serving as a table, rope itching, overall discomfort only bound to exponentially grow. Imagine feeling the muscles beginning to ache, the light abrasion, the need to center. Imagine being the rope. And then being brought back with a flashback to the start of the tale.

Imagine a long sequence shot, revealing yet discrete, allowing you access to a deliriously sensual, slow, understated scene.

There is something so perfectly harmonious in place here, so precise and balanced to leave you breathless. A crisp, elegant, restrained prose perfectly symmetrical to a story of containment, hidden longing, untold needs and pride. Every little thing has significance, every word said, every detailed given or not shown. It is such a sophisticated dance Steelwhisper spins for the reader, so deeply rooted in the senses it needs no adornments. One after the other, each single sense will be activated in intoxicating exchanges.

A wager between rope masters, a tea ceremony, the relationship between one rope master and his chaffeur/model magnified by the latter central role in said wager. It is subtle and smoldering at the same time. Uetake blindness is counterbalanced by Ivan's unabashed admiring gaze only for the scale to be tipped back once Ivan's sight will also be nullified. Everything seems to be steeped in, and oozing, tactility. Sounds also have a presence of their own: doors opening, bowing, fabrics' weight, movement and caress, breaths, materials, ropes touching surfaces and skin. Showers making the skin almost too sensitive, scents, physical proximity, tying knots..it is such an ever increasing sensorial assault, simply tantalizing. I felt every agonizing second of Ivan's fight to steel his body and make Uetake proud. Blood and medical play lit every cell in my being. And not a word out of place. Every time Ivan was afraid his control was slipping, he was anchored and relaxed by the most delicate, apparently casual touch from his rope master or this would manage to slow the scene for Ivan perfectly timing gestures and offerings in the tea ceremony. It was glorious, glorious, especially his reluctant, wrestled succumbing to Inouye's ministrations. As the protocols, the ceremony, the way time seems suspended, the way bondage was careful shield, unforgiving restraint and work of art were; above all the incredible connection between the two men, exposed by minimal facts.

Sadō ends too soon. After showing us very convincingly Düsseldorf's Tokyo town and such a wanting, respectul bond, the camera (or better Steelwhisper's eye) lets us witness just a brief moment of aftercare and intimacy between Ivan and Uetake before zooming out completely. Even though nothing was missing from the story and the prompt given for writing it was more than satisfied, it felt abrupt to be shut out of their sensuous world so quickly. That is the only min point for me.

[Danny Tyran · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone else said, this was elegant. It was perfect for a story about Japanese kinbaku masters. I loved how Steelwhisper succeeded to make every move measured and sensual at the same time. It's like the whisper of the rope or of the silk against our skin.

It could be a great opener to a much longer story.

Even the cover is refined.

I really loved it. Encore!

[Elena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but delightful! If you're looking for a beautiful kinbaku scene, here's your pick!

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't anything to add to my review that others have not said so much more eloquently. But damn, this novella had me still thinking about it the following day. What a wonderful sensual, erotic, peaceful, respectful, warm story.

Yes, I know I'm weird. The sounding/needle scene really gave me a case of penis envy. It was so very hot.

[Demi Idle · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story is free as part of Goodreads M/ M Romance Group event "Love is an open road".

For a story that short, the characters were surprisingly well-drawn.
Unfortunately, they felt wrong. This story has betrayed my every expectation.

I liked the prompt. I did not feel that the story fulfilled it in any way.
Cultural inaccuracies, mixing real Japanese terms in the correct context with the other Japanese words Western BDSM has adopted and changed the original meaning, unnatural dialogue and abrupt ending - these are just a few annoyances that have spoilt the story for me.

Sadō, as an art, celebrates the sound of silence. It is all about tranquillity. It is also highly ritualised. I expected beauty and sensuality, and felt like Steelwisper failed to deliver. The promise of the title was misleading.
The setting, the proceedings, it all felt so very wrong to me, that I did not enjoy the actual BDSM scene.

[Bookbee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully appropriate cover!

Once again I am so impressed with this writer's abilities. When I saw the prompt photo I wasn't sure I wanted to read it. A few sentences in, I was captivated. Beautiful writing - erotic and sensuous without sliding into vulgarity and crudeness (which would have been unsuitable and unseemly for this story).

[Kate Aaron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Understated perfection.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfectly paced and as stunning and simple as a Japanese Tea Ceremony, except with a fireworks display as a finale.

[Karin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Authors should never give 1 star reviews to books they have not read. This is done in protest to a now hidden review by Steelwhisper for a book that has not yet been released. Bad karma!

[Dee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Holy cow, this was a wonderful story. I loved how authentic it felt. A lot of fiction these days reads like just that, fiction! Stories made up without some semblance of reality to keep the reader engrossed.

This story held me at ransom from beginning to end; I literally couldn't put it down and read it in one sitting.

Well done, indeed.

[Marta · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not my kink. I might have just scared myself away from bdsm books, but I'll probably be more conclusive about it after reading "For Real".
Also - I've been disappointed by yet another short story.

[Tully Vincent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Elegant, both the writing and the cover. Intense.

[Rohit · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a nippety little thing really. A prosaic touch to keep you on edge and think rather than feel. Atleast for me. I kept thinking and thinking and imagining during the whole short ceremony. And whenever I felt, I just vibrated with the girth of it. Ivar-San, dude you're one brave fucker.

And he gets his reward. A different HFN.

[Catherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** 3.5 Stars ***