I'm going to give you my persepective, as a Domme, on failure. On what it is, why it is, etc. I think. *wry grin* I don't promise anything, my head is in an odd space at the moment.

My boys worry so often about failing me. Do they, ever, really? No. They disappoint me sometimes, making mistakes that I know they should know better than, forgetting orders or failing to follow them... but it's not failure. They are still, always, doing their best for me. They are still, always, willing to do what it takes to make up for their mistakes. They are still, always, mine... even when I am disappointed in their actions, the simple fact that those actions are mine to change, to adjust, to approve of or disapprove of, makes me smile.

It makes me happy and proud to own them, not because they are perfect but because they do their best, always. Because they are mine. Because they DO learn, they don't make the same mistakes over and over again.

Could they fail me?

Yes.

Failure would be not learning, not improving, not consistantly doing their best. Failure would be running away, purposely disobeying and being displeasing, going out of their way to be rude or disobedient or uncooperative.

Failure, in short, will only happen if they decide flat-out that they no longer want to please me, obey me... that they no longer want to be mine. If that happens... yeah.

Oh, don't get me wrong. If there are reasons for it, it's a different thing then, too. Everyone needs a break sometimes - if it's just built-up stress and they need a break for a day or so, that's ok. That happens to everyone, myself included.

You see, it's not so easy to fail me, not when you belong to me. I don't lay claim to anyone that I do NOT trust to do their best, to try their hardest. I don't own anyone that I don't trust in some way - I don't trust anyone that I don't own in some way.

Mistakes, now...

Every slave makes mistakes sometimes. Can't help that, it's this whole 'being human' thing. And no, I'm not going to just make light of an error - I'm going to pounce, I'm going to make sure that the slave knows what he did wrong, WHY it was wrong, and that it is NOT to be done again. If he does what I expect and want, which is simply to apologise and ask to be allowed to make up for it, to honestly REGRET the mistake, then yes... he's forgiven, often even without making up for it, or with a token punishment at most.

The second time the SAME mistake is made... then it's not a token punishment. Then I start worrying, and make it clear that a slave who can't or won't learn, who doesn't try, is a bit beyond disappointing.

Third mistake, and then the punishment is SERIOUS, as am I... because there are no fourth mistakes, really. Fuck up that much, the same way, showing me that you can't learn or don't care... and suddenly I don't want you.

But the first mistake of any kind, that's not failure, not by a long shot. That's human nature and it's ok, it's forgivable, and (a little secret here) it often amuses me... I LIKE watching my boys squirm and suffer, I LIKE having excuses to make this happen. *wry grin* Case in point: Usually, when I'm binding a boy, I don't want him fighting... but occasionally Kadin will struggle, not because he wants to get away, but because he knows that it will amuse me to get a bit rougher, to hold him down, scold him, and make him 'pay' for it. Of course, he also knows that if he struggles too much or at the wrong time... then he's actually in trouble. *shrugs* It's a fine line.

This is something of a disjointed entry, I know... my mind is on the other side of life, thanks to someone... *grins* ...but I finally had the words.