(Posted with permission by @Julanni)
Hey Y’all!! Your favorite Kentucky girl is here and trying something new (again)! Like I said last week, I’m on a break from DeviantArt, and not spending my days experimenting with my self-bondage rig or writing bondage fiction like before. Incidentally, the “break” is going great. I’m spending a good chunk of my new-found time getting Kyle (my boyfriend) acclimated to having my tied up when we’re together. Didn’t think he’d like it, but so far, he’s dealing. 😊
Anyway, because I don’t have the time to put into new content of my own, I decided to take a minute to write up a “spotlight” for someone else’s story. I’m planning to avoid spoilers but give Y’all enough to make you interested in coming to check it out and read it yourselves. So, here’s my first attempt, and if it goes well, maybe I’ll do more. Maybe folks can help me out and send suggestions. Or maybe this will crash and burn. Lol.
Anyway, onto the story….
FASHIONALBLY BOUND is a LONG story! And I’m freaking verbose. Just ask @@rob66 and he’ll tell you! When I read it, I’d say it took an hour or a little more. It’s hard to say because I didn’t read it straight through. It’s practically a novella. But I mean that in a good way. A GREAT way, in fact!
The story is narrated by Alice, our female protagonist. Julannimade a supremely appropriate choice in giving her this name, as this tale is very similar to that of another fictional Alice who followed a White Rabbit through a looking glass and discovered an incredible, delightful, sometimes frightening, always exhilarating, “wonderland” that existed parallel to the reality in which she lived her normal life. In this story, our Alice’s eye is not caught by a speedy cotton tail. Instead, Alice finds herself captivated by the sight of an intricate, black leather, “outfit” that is sort of a combination of a corset and a gimp suit. For purposes of this write-up, I’ll just call it “the corset.” Anyway, the corset is unmistakably purpose-made for bondage and power exchange. And in first taste of the surrealism that permeates the story, this highly risqué item is prominently displayed right smack in the middle of a display window of a fetish shop on apparently a busy street in a business district or town. We never know what town this is, but let me just say, I don’t know many towns where you can pick up a fresh salad and a coffee for lunch and walk a few doors down and be treated to whips and chains in the display window. Straight away, it is apparent that this shop is the looking glass. Also, it is apparent that Alice is destined to start her journey of discovery.
Something that makes the story, and Alice, wonderfully relatable is that she didn’t throw open the door and boldly take the corset off the rack. Nope. She actually strolls past the store (slowly) trying hard to be obvious about checking out something so taboo. She shops. She had lunch. She gives the reader backstory about the fact that “her friends” are into casual bondage, but that SHE was totally disinterested in the subject. Denial is much more than a river in Egypt to our poor Alice. And for whatever the reason, this particular corset was the impetus she needed to admit her curiosity.
The next “act” of this tale is all about Alice’s flirtation with BDSM. She has entered the shop and been confronted by the charming, super helpful, somewhat intimidating owner of the shop. His name is Alec. Alex is the only other character in the story, and he is pivotal to Alice’s arc of character development.
I need to warn you, when I started reading this “act,” I was concerned that I might not enjoy it. I was expecting a story that was heavy into bondage. That’s not what we get. In fact, Alice doesn’t even get the corset that brought her into the lobby of Wonderland. Nope. Alec leads her off to racks of tamer items. Alec introduces Alice to a BDSM “discipline” that she hadn’t even contemplated. Personally, I can tell you that neither did I. As Alec, in his nurturing and patient way, explained and demonstrated this entry-level kink to Alice, we (me and Alice) were both attentive and interested, our thoughts were constantly straying back to the corset and the activities it was meant for! There is a delicious anticipation building as Alice is sometimes led around the shop, and sometimes left to browse on her own. There is a careful dance between the characters and it is revealed that Alex has been leading since before Alice even came inside.
Like I said, I want to be careful not to reveal any spoilers. But I feel safe in telling you that Alec is subtly Domming Alice through this entire act. Sometimes in very obvious ways, like literally lacing her up in an entry-level corset so she can “try it on,” to much more subtle ways like passive aggressive language and probing questions that put her off guard and force her to think deeply about what she is going through. I can share from personal experience, one of the most dominating questions a sub can be asked is “How does that feel?” Alex asks Alice about her feelings throughout her journey, always at the perfect time. And this is where I really want to compliment Julanni’s skill as a writer. Not only do we get beautifully detailed visual descriptions, not only are we treated to Alice explaining the physical experiences, but we also get a fabulous and intricate explanation of the emotions evoked from Alice.
But let me back up just a moment. This entire second “act” is all about Alice transitioning. She is moving from the real world into Wonderland. She is learning that the control she thought she had was surrendered back when she was on the sidewalk looking into the shop window. She learns that the Alec was not waiting on her but rather he was Domming her. One excellent example of this is when Alice is left to browse the shop wearing a leather piece of merchandise and Alec states that he’ll put Alice’s purse back behind the counter for safe-keeping. He STATES it more than asks it. The reader can assume that Alice would still have the option to object. Not that her character TRULY would. But it’s a such a subtle and important choice by Julanni to phrase that moment that way that it was phrased. By the time this “act” is finished, Alice is mentally past the point of no return. She hasn’t ACTUALLY crossed the threshold (yet) into Wonderland, but she is committed. And as someone who has been there, who has been guided perfectly through the process of self-acceptance, I just found this such a beautiful and perfect account of how the start of power exchange is supposed to take place. If anyone ever asks me to define healthy power exchange, I would tell them to read this story.
I am not going to go into much detail about the next two “acts.” All I will say is that Alice is invited to journey to into the back of the shop which turns out to be a much more expansive space than she’d imagined it would be. This continues the theme of discovery. It also keeps the reader guessing if this story is meant to be a literal journey in the physical world or more of a dream in an ideal place without limitations and taboos. Personally, I think it is the latter (but so wish it was the former). In any event, Alice has two experiences now that she is in Wonderland. Both are so satisfying to read. The descriptions are clear. You can imagine yourself there, watching from a quiet corner, or you can picture it all from Alice’s eyes. The choice is yours. I read both “acts” several times and imagined both! Lol. Again, I will not spoil your reading of these “acts.” But I will let you know that Alice is transformed. She goes through a true gauntlet of sensations and emotions. Reading her hour (or so) of discovery brought me back through the weeks and months that I went through experiencing a similar transition in my real life. It was fabulous to read. I felt broken down and build back up and ultimately freed to be my true submissive self all over again. It did exactly what art is supposed to do. Thank you Julanni for giving me those feelings again. 😊
The last and shortest “act” is Alice’s inevitable return to reality. It’s in this act that we actually learn the names of the characters. But just as the more famous Alice know that she can return to Wonderland when she daydreams in the future, our Alice is not locked out of the new world she has discovered either.
FASHIONABLY BOUND is a sneaky name for an epic story. I was expecting just a vignette about a bondage session involving some cool clothing. It was so much more. It was a lifetime journey of discovery condensed into an afternoon daydream told eloquently by a relatable and likeable protagonist. It was just a beautiful piece. I highly, highly, highly recommend you open it up and take a guided tour from Alec into the Alice’s daydream.