Hello fellow TMF'ers!
Many of you are already acquainted with the delightful "10 Questions with Dave" series that has been a running feature here at the forum for going on two years now. It's a great way to get to know selected members in ways beyond what you'd usually expect in a normal conversation. The only downside to this fun and informative discourse is that one of the forums most entertaining, intelligent, and interesting members has thus far been exempt from being interviewed. Of course I refer to none other than Dave2112 himself. So as a special one time edition, the beloved "10 Questions with Dave" feature will become "10 Questions with Mimi" as I put the famed moderator in his very own hot seat. Also, as a special bonus, several of the questions I will present to him in this interview were submitted by fellow forum members. I would like to thank them for their participation!
Without further ado, I present to you - Dave2112: The Interview!
**********************************************************
1) It's no secret to anyone around here that you are a huge Star Wars fan. And as a fan, you speak of the force and the dark side in Jedi terminology. What are your real life beliefs about spirituality and the world around us? Do you agree with the basic Jedi concepts of the force, etc.?
Wow, quite a topic to jump right into. This actually covers a major spiritual shift in my life that’s been going on for a few years that has really changed me. I’ll try and get to the point, as I could literally go on for pages on this topic. My beliefs about spirituality and whatever “Force” may lie within us or the natural world that surrounds us are far different than my views on religion. I consider them mutually exclusive. I have absolutely no room in my life for religion. All religions, as far as I am concerned, are nothing more than cults. They prey on our doubts and weaknesses while promising vast rewards for our obedience and utter damnation should we disobey. It’s all about control and always has been. (Of course there’s money as well, those who use these tactics to get us to give them our stuff, but that’s not exclusive to religion alone…just very predominant in religion.) Islam, the Catholic Church, Judaism, the Evangelicals…hell, even the Scientologists now…it’s a way to get a large group of people to conform to the controls of a small number who claim higher understanding or station. Being utterly unable to prove or disprove any of it, people wind up basically scared, threatened or even brainwashed into servitude. All in the name of God, Allah or some other figure that the responsibility gets thrown onto, so that those who are attempting this control do not have to take that responsibility themselves. Also, it’s a very convenient action/reward system. When something good happens it was “God”, when something bad happens, it was you. But, fear not, God’s chosen representatives are here to show you exactly what you need to make the good stuff happen. Just believe everything we say, accept our self-serving interpretations of everything and don’t do any investigating of your own, that’s a “lack of faith.” In other words, don’t use the gift we claim God gave you, he just meant it all as a test to see if you’d be obedient to a few of us. Oh, and give us a bunch of your stuff while you’re at it. That’ll make God happy. Load of shit. It’s a holdover from the times when we explained everything around us with superstitions. Thousands of years ago when Man first looked at the stars and asked “What?” or “How?” or “Why?”, the reasons we could grasp ranged from holes in the nighttime sky cover to distant beings and the like. We spent literally thousands of years using superstition to explain the natural world and maybe the last five or six hundred actually trying to scientifically explain things. Of course we are going to have vestigal patterns of ancient beliefs and the feelings that come with them; guilt, fear and the need to be led. Like leftover instincts. The problem is, those that do not wish to give up mass control are holding us back from advancing, just as they’ve always tried to do in the past, from censorship to book burnings to the murder of the scientific community and other “heretics” to the brainwashing practice of self-detonation we see today.
So, you might be thinking, “Ok, Dave’s an Atheist.” Far from it. Actually, I am a very spiritual person who looks beyond the ordinary to explain the things that are larger than we can easily grasp. I do believe in “God”, just not in the way that most people accept. I believe in a higher power, a greater intelligence and a superior providence…however, I make no claims to understand exactly what it is. I don’t believe that any of us truly do or are even ready to at this point in our development as a species. The Universe is a vast construct full of forces that one cannot even begin to fully comprehend. Gravity, nucleic bond, solar fusion, strings…all of it began somewhere and something is in control of it. If there is a “God” in the sense that most people think of, he/she/them/it must be of a nature, unbelievably powerful and completely alien in nature, not even dreamed of by any theologian that has ever existed. And I doubt that this being is the slightest bit concerned what we eat on a day of the week that we’ve made up, or about our mating habits or how we share our possessions. And there is not one person on the face of the Earth that can lay claim to being a bridge to that power, one that deserves our obedience.
So, how does all of this fit into my views of “The Force” as you’ve chosen to frame this question? Whatever this ultimate power or intelligence is, I do believe that it infuses us all in one way or another. Our responsibilities are to each other, and the blame for failure in that quest is ours alone. If we were created for a purpose (and I do believe we were, just in a far broader sense and over a longer period of time than most believe), then it is up to us to fulfill that destiny. And we have the tools. This “Force” can guide us, give us strength, allow us to heal…or it can allow us to kill and dominate. I believe that our very consciousness, our sentience is, in and of itself, the “Force” of life and existence. We do not yet fully understand it, but it is ours alone and is something of vast power and significance. No matter how scientific we are, the actual state of being sentient and self-aware simply cannot be explained without leaving room for a higher origin. What that origin is, we may never know. But, I can assure you, we will never find out as long as we continue to be fed fairy tales and turn the responsibility for our own existence over to those who seek nothing more than mass control and the maintaining of the status quo. Perhaps someday, when we do fully understand what we are and where we come from, the potential in us will be unlocked and something akin to “The Force” as you’ve used it for this question will be part and parcel of our everyday lives, enlightened and as one species living together and inheriting the universe.
2) Still on the topic of Star Wars, did you dress as a Jedi while attending the premier of any of the Star Wars prequels (If you did, then please tell me you didn't dress as Yoda whilst out shopping for action figures)?
Actually, no. I never dressed as a Jedi for any of the films. However, when my friends and I went to see The Phantom Menace, we did get dressed up, and I was Han Solo. White shirt, black vest, red-striped pants and boots, blaster…the whole nine yards. Strangely, prior to the prequels, I was more of a Solo fan until the background of the Jedi and the Force was brought to the forefront. I still consider Han to be the most important figure in the saga, in a way. The one with the least power brought about the most unexpected and important results. I have, however, done the Jedi thing for other functions. I’ve been to a couple of SW conventions and it’s always my Halloween costume du jour. On top of that, I have to admit to another manifestation of Star Wars geekdom. As some of you know, I’ve trained for years in several Japanese swordfighting arts. A close friend of mine is also a student and a Star Wars fan. Summer nights around a fire in my backyard often find us sparring with each other, although we substitute our Katana blades for fully functional replica lightsabers! It’s a hell of a show for our friends around the fire who are usually waxing herbal.
3) One of your most endearing qualities is your incredibly warm and compassionate nature....including your extreme love for animals. You have quite an extensive furry family of your own that shares your homestead with you. Can you tell us about them all? How many pets do you have? What are their breeds and names? And were you just a born animal lover, or did some event in your life open your heart to our darling fellow creatures?
I’m not really sure why, but I’ve always had a very close, almost empathic bond with animals. I have a very sensitive level of empathy with humans, being able to sense emotions in a way I can’t really explain, but with animals, it’s even more profound. Ever since childhood, I could walk into a room and become instant friends with any animals around. I was always the one kid on the block that the “mean dog” didn’t growl at, or the untamed horse didn’t get agitated around. I’ve always felt that as the dominant, sentient species on the planet, we have a responsibility to the creatures that we share it with. Yes, there are animals that serve our needs for food, labor and other provisions. I’ve never been one to try and stop that. It’s the natural order of things. However, I draw the line on things we use animals for outside of the necessities…fur for “trophy clothing”, beauty product testing and the like.
As far as the animals I have now, I’m holding steady at 12 cats, down from a high mark of 19 at one point. There’s Missy who’s about to turn 21, she was an adoption from a friend who could no longer keep her. She lives in my bedroom by herself as she needs to be isolated. She’s very happy alone. I’m amazed that she’s still kicking! She’s showing signs of advanced age, but still has her “cattitude” and might easily see 25. Then there’s Patches and Weed (female calico and male blond) who are the last of the original litters I had 11 years ago. I have two Maine Coon brothers (Cheech and Chong) that I took from my uncle’s litter. There’s Screech and Nala (male white Angora and female white-grey “Husky” looking mix) and two jet black brothers from a pet-store litter, Solo and Boo. Let’s see…there’s Gabby, who was an adoption. She’s a female grey tiger who lives on top of my entertainment center. She’s feisty, but a big chicken-shit. And of course, my favorites and closest cat-buddies, Monkey and Meatball. Monkey is a very small but fearless grey-and white who I took from an elderly woman who bottle-fed him. I wasn’t sure he was going to make it, but I took him in and he has thrived. No fear at all and he sticks with me wherever I go. Meatball is also a grey-and white (more grey than white) and is huge. I think he’s around twenty some-odd pounds. He was a feral kitten, born outside and brought to me by a family friend who found him. He spent the first part of his stay with me in my bedroom until he was healthier and bonded to me closer than any cat I’ve ever had. He’s huge, warm and utterly devoted to me. He’s also appointed himself the household peace-keeper and enforcer. When the other cats start to get into any sort of tiff, he just meanders over and gets between them until they go away. Never causes any trouble of his own…just plays cop for everyone else. Sleeps with me when he can, uses his paws to “pet” my face and a few other eerily human-like interactions with me as his owner and pet human. He also thinks he’s a dog.
Speaking of dogs, I have three. Murphy is a 12-year-old Bassett Hound that I adopted from a friend of an old boss. There’s Deion, who’s what they call a Dobeweiller…Dad was a Rottweiller and Mom was a Doberman. I rescued him from a date with a euthanasia needle. He’s a big dog without a mean bone in his body. He’s around ten and still thinks he’s a puppy. Then of course, there’s my latest addition, Chewie. He’s the first animal I have that was a planned purchase. After all the rescues and such, I wanted a small house dog that I picked out myself and could raise from puppyhood. He’s an Affenpinscher and has quickly become my best friend in the world. I mentioned that Meatball thinks he’s a dog…well…Chewie is starting to think he’s a cat and the two of them meet in the middle somewhere. They are best friends and play with each other, sleep together and share the dog’s toys. Once, I even caught Meatball sitting down like a dog, gnawing on Chewie’s bone, which he doesn’t share with anyone else. Chewie falls asleep on his back, and Meatball’s stretched across his belly, sound asleep!
I also have a Red-Eared Slider (turtle) and a few assorted small things that come and go. I’m always gaining new things like hamsters, lizards and other small things as the mood strikes or desperate “friends” find me to ask how much room is left on the Ark. I had a couple of ferrets up until last year, but I’m currently staying out of the ferret thing for now. Wow…that answer took awhile! Hope I didn’t bore anyone with it.
4) Those around the forum who have been here for a few years have undoubtedly seen our yearly NFL face-off over our fanship of the rival teams, the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. Considering you live over on the East Coast, how is it you came to be a Vikings fan? Did you live in Minnesota at one time? Was the loyalty to the team passed down to you from an older family member? What teams would feature in your dream Superbowl game?
Actually, my love of the Vikings had a very unprofessional origin. It was the 1976 Super Bowl between the Raiders and the Vikings. One of my younger uncles was a huge fan of Fran Tarkenton and I was allowed to hang out with him and his friends for the game. I was almost 9 and to be quite honest, I just thought the Vikings’ uniforms were cool! So, I rooted for the Vikings, they lost, and I’ve spent the last 31 years waiting for them to get back! That’s how it started, but it didn’t take long for me to learn the players and the history of the team and it simply evolved into my current die-hard love for my team. I can’t say who would be in my Dream game for the Super Bowl, so I’ll just say that it would be the Vikings against a team the Vikings could beat! It would be interesting to see a Vikings/Bills game, so that at least one of them would break their current streak of four Super Bowl losses…
5) Now, onto the questions regarding why we are here in the first place: The TMF. How did you come upon the forum so many years ago? Were you already a part of the online tickling community before its conception, or did you make your appearance as the TMF came to life? And finally, as a moderator you are very even handed and intelligent. Your replies are very diplomatic even when dealing with out of control members. How do you maintain such an impressive level of civility at all times? What is your take on the bullies that pass themselves off as moderators on the various types of discussion forums that are floating around the net?
Hmm, a lot wrapped into that question. Let me start at the beginning. I was not a part of any online tickling community prior to the TMF. Like so many of us who were around my age when the Internet became a household item, I discovered the community quite by accident. I knew there were others into what I was into, but didn’t know the scope of it until we all started talking together. I don’t think any of us really knew the scope of our community until then. However, I was a part of the BDSM community before my online experiences began. I attended many gatherings when I lived in L.A. and was always involved in one way or another with like-minded folks regarding bondage and the like, even from the very beginnings of my sexual awakening, maybe even before that. I think it’s always been there. The online tickling community has only reinforced and expanded upon that, refining it, if you will. How I came upon the TMF itself was, as I mentioned, an act of providence. I’d only had my first home computer for a few months when I was deeply into collecting all of the info I could find on tickling. Somewhere on the Net (I cannot remember where), I came across Ozzy’s “Yenny” character and followed the searches where they led me for more info on this darling two-dimensional creation. Eventually, it led me to the initial incarnation of the Tickling Media Forum and the rest, as they say, is history. So, in a way, I can thank Ozzy for my introduction to the TMF.
About my Moderation techniques and such. Hmmm, where to start. Ok, dealing with tough members. From the first day of my job as a Moderator around here, I have considered myself a “members advocate”. Kind of a liason between the users of the site, the members of the community and the Staff of the TMF. The Internet is a strange thing, one still in its relative infancy. There’s a whole new set of rules, a completely new social etiquette that most of us are still learning and developing as we go. Mistakes will be made. Communication without the necessity of personally present interaction is still against our nature. Yes, there are people who are simply taking advantage of that and just like to cause trouble or stir reaction for whatever reason they have. Those folks I do feel a need to take a heavier hand with for the benefit of us all. But, more often than not, it’s simply a matter of things getting lost in the translation. People not understanding one another. Especially in a community like ours, people coming here new aren’t used to the societal “rules” we’ve come to slowly accept. And it’s easy to lash out, become antagonistic or defensive, or leave altogether if acceptance doesn’t come quickly. This medium has trained us to expect almost instant results of one form or another. I feel we need to understand that. The benefits of someone fitting in through guidance and understanding are immense. As leaders of a sort, we Moderators have a responsibility to help members fit in and find what they are looking for. I don’t feel that the heavy-handed, control-freak nature of some Moderators on other boards works here…or really even works where it’s used. It’s a power trip that some fall into. Like the saying goes, power corrupts. Even though it’s a small amount of power, the corruption still happens. Think about it. Even though you are a Moderator on some message board or website, you’re still being heard by potentially thousands of people, if not more. The temptation to use that unchecked ability to enforce your views is often overwhelming. We have a responsibility to keep that power in check, and over the course of the last several years, I hope that I’ve been able to stay true to that responsibility. I try. I fail at times, but we all do. The point is to learn from it and become a better leader. Because, let’s face it…we are leaders in a sense. It’s a new sense, one that is going to change the face of our civilization eventually, but the common person can influence many these days, and we have to take that seriously.
6) You are one of the forums most gifted story writers. Your archive is full of delicious tales of torment that makes lee's shiver in their shoes and ler's snicker with devious delight. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing your stories? How much of their content stems from reality? Or from fantasy?
When I write a piece of fiction involving the tickling fetish, it usually comes from something deep inside that I need to get out. There are some very deep, dark and scary places in my mind. My approach to tickling fiction is basically the same as any other fiction. I need to write a story, not just a descriptive of some tickling action. People often make the mistake of thinking that just because they’re writing fetish fiction, that the fetish has to be the only thing in it, or even the most important. Yes, there are times when I simply get an image in my head of some outlandish tickling scenario and I want to bring it to the page. But usually, I want to layer that within an actual story. Tickling fiction, like any other fiction, needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end. It needs to have characters with specific motivations, cause and effect, reason. Even fantasy needs to make sense. I see a lot of stories that are variants on “Two people were in a room together, and one of them started tickling the other one.” Why? How? To what end?
Many of the inspirations I’ve had have actually been story seeds, ideas for another kind of writing…and it just happened to fit as a fetish story. Sometimes the tickling itself is just another tool to help the story along. I like to write about people. If those people have some reason to be tickling each other, I need to make my reader believe it. I’ve seen some tickling stories that are very descriptive, with a lot of talent given to the act itself…but with nothing else. Tickling can be thrown into fantasy, horror, romance…there are no limits. So, basically, anything that can be written about can have tickling in it. Some of my personal favorite stories that I’ve written have not been the traditional “tickling story” type. A piece like “Mind Over Matter” could easily be an Outer Limits episode. “The Torturer’s Apprentice” is a story that could see a character like Snake Plisskin walk out of it, it’s so steeped in post-apocolyptic archetypes. Basically, rather than starting with a good tickling scene and asking “How can I flesh this out?”, I usually start with a specific tale or literary genre, create the world and the characters and ask “Ok, how can I fit tickling into this?” Crime drama, sci-fi, horror…it’s all fair game. As far as personal influences on my work, I’m sure they’re there. I’ve had a lot of very nice sessions with a lot of people over the years and the specifics are bound to leak into the descriptives of the tickling itself, but the actual stories are usually just creations of my dark subconscious. There are occasions where it’s far more mundane, where I will see an incredibly attractive and sexy girl on TV and start thinking “How dare you be all the way over there and not tied up, right in front of me? I’ll get you for that!” And then I do horrible things to her in a story to purge that feeling. And, luckily for the desperately ticklish young ladies of this world, purging some of these ideas keeps me from going out and acting upon them…usually.
7) And being the multi-talented fellow you are, you also rank among the TMF's most elite original artists. One of the most prominent features in your artistic creations are the amazingly wicked and sadistic bondage contraptions your lee's continue to find themselves strapped into. How do you come up with some of these ingenious mechanisms? Have you ever considered building one in real life? Which of your inventions is your favorite?
Boy, you’re getting good at cramming several questions into one! That’s ok. My artwork is very special to me, and it purges those things left in my mind after I’m done writing. It wasn’t long after I started creating my art that I realized I’d be specializing in “device” bondage. Even for CGI, my work is rather different. There are guys who can use these tools and create images that are so life-like that it’s hard to tell the difference. Restif is a good example. He’s a freakin’ genius with Poser and the other tools that help create these kinds of images. When it comes to photo-realism, he is hands-down the best I’ve seen. Period. I have consciously tried to avoid too much realism in my own works. I know it sounds like a contradiction, but I strive to make my Poser art less real. For one, it is very easy to simply “use the tools” and wind up looking like everyone else. I want my work to be recognizable as my own. But, more importantly, the whole point of fantasy art, for me, is for it be just that…fantasy. If it gets too real, I lose the illusion of fantasy. I consider myself to be basically a comic artist who uses unorthodox tools. I render flatter, I use deeper and sometimes unrealistic shadows and concentrate on color. Color is a powerful tool, especially when dealing with vibrant fantasies. I use more color than would realistically be there, and often “theme” my sets around a specific color scheme, using it as a mood in and of itself.
That approach fits into my love of devices. My work is outlandish fantasy and completely unrealistic. I’ll be honest, when it comes to the way I treat my cyber-girls, I’m a complete sadist. The devices I create are experiments in acceptable reality. How far can I push the human body before it crosses the line into being completely awkward or unbelievable to look at? How I come up with them varies. Sometimes I’ll have something specific in mind. More often than not, however, I’ll actually start by finding a restricting or exposing position for one of the girls, and then say “Ok, build something to keep her like that!” After awhile, it’s almost become a competition with myself, seeing if I can top the last thing I did.
Building one for real? Hmmm…probably not possible. The truly outlandish devices I’ve created would most likely really hurt someone in real life. Not to mention the fact that, even if I could do it and make it work acceptably, it would be prohibitively expensive. I mean, come on…have you seen some of these things? In my real life, it’s more about the bondage itself, as an art. One of my ex-girlfriends and I used to have a game called “Tie Me To That.” She’d pick something around the house and challenge me to bondagize her to it for an effective session. There are a couple devices from my artwork that are basically variants on stuff I have done or things I’ve used, but in my artwork, they are much prettier and effective. And finally, my favorite? Hard to pick one, as the position I like a ‘lee in changes with my mood, but I’d have to say that there’s a special place in my heart for The Immobilizer. It was the first one that I really spent a lot of time on, and by its design can be altered, so it’s always growing and changing slightly. It’s an adaptable little piece of female restraint, and it’s been good to me. In fact, it’s going to be showing up in a rather unexpected place sometime soon….
8) Naughty or nice, sweet or spice, how does Dave like his lee? Silly little rhyme aside, do you prefer a lee who gives herself completely and quietly to you for your tormenting pleasure, or do you prefer a victim who pushes your buttons as well as the limits every step of the way? Why is the one more entertaining than the other for you?
You know, whenever I do these interviews, I prepare myself for the fact that people are not going to make a choice I’ve given them, and fall back on “It depends,” or “Oh, I could go either way.” So, you go ahead and choose the one question that I have to respond with “It depends, I could go either way!” Thanks a lot! Ok, seriously. This is a good question, and I’ve given it some thought and by the end of this question, I’ll try to make a cohesive answer. Generally speaking, I tend to go with what a ‘lee gives me. The last thing I want in a mutual tickling session is to try and make someone something she’s not. I’m not talking about role-playing here, we all play make-believe from time to time, and I love it. I’m talking about the basic personality that makes a person who they are. If the ‘lee I’m with is in reality shy and demure, it’s not going to “feel” right if I make her talk back to me or get mouthy. Again, I’m not talking about accepted role-playing where both people are in agreement that they’re playing. The aforementioned shy and demure girl offers me the tools to have a session of dominance and obedience play, of “Yes, Master” and “Oh, pleeeeease don’t!” and have it feel natural. On the other hand, I can easily switch to interrogation mode for a stronger-willed ‘lee. It’s not a cop-out, but it really does depend on the mood and the girl. My fetish is multi-faceted. Just like the way I write stories about a number of different scenarios and genres, my real-life involvement with my fetish opens a vast number of doors to me.
But, to make an attempt to honestly answer this question, let’s say I had to pick one type of ‘lee. I would probably have to go with the more submissive. I am a Dominant. Always have been and always will be. But it’s more than just that. Not only the need to Dominate, but the need to care for. A Submissive under my control is not only my “toy”, so to speak, but also my resposnsibility. Deep bonds of love, affection and mutual pleasure can be forged in that unlikely dynamic. I’m also a bondage lover and a reaction-junkie. Now, I don’t mean a ‘lee who will demurely accept everything. I mean a true submissive who can be scared, apprehensive or tormented and still submit. There is a specific dynamic to the Dom/Sub relationship and I love a woman who can fit into that. You can beg for it to stop and still be submissive. Of course, I’m not talking about abusing a Sub or treating her badly. I love Submissives and respect what they stand for and everything that they are. Now, like I said, I still like a session with another power-junkie to keep me on my toes (and me at hers…) and would never shy away from that, but if I had to pick a type…well, there you are. The bottom line is, no matter what type she is, she has to be into bondage to at least some of the extent that I am. I hate sloppy bondage and wussy ties and any woman who’s in a tickling session with me should be aware that the blindfold and gag is probably going to come out eventually…
9) Having been blessed with the incredible experience of not only meeting you in person, but jointly attending a gathering with you, I simply must pose this next question. The sounds and statements that could be heard rolling from the lips of your 'victims' during the event were among the most entertaining and wildly impressive reactions any of us had heard at that time. Care to touch on what they were and exactly how you achieved them? What is the funniest or most memorable reaction a lee has ever had while under your skilled fingertips?
Wasn’t it two gatherings that we were at together? Ah, how time flies. I have to honestly admit to not being able to remember a specific statement or shriek or beg or what-have-you. I remember the experiences, of course, and I’ll take your word on others’ reactions to the sounds I helped create. I do remember coming out of a private room a few times to a few odd looks. All I can say is that I can be…intense. And not just physically. Like I said before, I’m a reaction-junkie, and the empathic sensitivities I mentioned earlier feed into that. It’s a give-and-take game of playing with someone’s head. You can play someone’s body like a violin (which I like to do), but you have to have the mind involved as well. A lot. I like to keep a ‘lee on the edge, constantly feeling new things, but not hitting the “high mark” for some time. I go through a sort of mapping process, cataloging sensitive areas, and the differences in reactions. It’s hard to describe, but everyone reacts differently, and it’s a new challenge to stay a step ahead of your “victim” each time. What you probably heard was the end result of a long session of teasing, finally honing in on the “kill spot” while continuing the psychological torment.
As for the second part of your question, I had to think back a bit. I’d have to say the “funniest” reaction I’ve ever had was a young lady who, for some reason, took over my part of the verbal teasing when the tickling hit an intense point. There she is, tied to the bed, getting tickled within an inch of her sanity, and she’s the one who starts saying things like “Tickle, tickle!” and the like, as if she were in her own world. I’m not a hundred percent sure what that was about, but she was very much into tickling as a fetish and it probably worked for her. It did wonders for me, I can say that. It was actually quite an amazing thing to be a part of, getting someone into that kind of zone. The “most memorable” reaction had to be with an ex of mine, during a far heavier bondage and tickling session. This was someone who loved to be tied up and the bondage was intense, complete with blindfold and gag. We were utilizing forced orgasms as well, and the session hit a point where the tickling was driving home at a particularly sensitive spot and she was, well….vibrating. She was literally screaming into the gag! I’d heard of that before, but at that point hadn’t ever really made it happen for that long a time. I kept asking if she wanted me to stop, and she just kept shaking her head No and mumbling “Tickle Me” through the gag. That was a very memorable night. I guess another “funny” one would be making a ‘lee sing (or try to sing) “I’m a Little Teapot”, just to see if I could do it. It was one of those “Poor Little Girl” sessions with a normally tough chick. I was laughing my ass off. Yeah, I know…I can be a prick. But a loveable one.
10) And lastly, but CERTAINLY not least, the proverbial 10th question that has become a regular feature of these interview segments: If you could invite any three people from past or present over to your house for dinner and conversation, who would they be and why?
I’ve thought long and hard about this one. There are so many people that I’ve drawn one form or another of inspiration from that it would be hard to narrow it down to three. So, I’m going to cheat here and list four. Not because I can pull rank in my own feature, but because whenever I’ve thought about this question when asking it of others, there are exactly four who always come to my own mind. There are people whose achievements I’ve admired, those who had a spirit of personality or drive that I long to emulate and those that I just thought were cool. So, I picked the three that have most directly influenced the person I am today…and one who thankfully hasn’t.
The first one was rather easy. Drummer and lyricist Neil Peart of the Canadian progressive rock group Rush would top the list. He’s easily the greatest living percussionist in the world right now, but moreso has written the lyrics for the band that has moved and enthralled me so much over the last three decades. He is a genius student of poetry and wordsmithing who has literally given birth to many of the ideals that I hold dear. Rather than taking sides on many of the things that some “political” bands write songs about, Neil’s approach has always been “here’s what I see, here’s how I see it affecting us and now you can make up your own mind about it.” And on more mundane matters, he has a way of putting our day-to-day concerns into perspective. His lyrics about the individual standing against the crowd, the affect of religion and other controlling belief sets on humanity and the larger view of things that we tend to take specific sides on still fascinate me to this day. Many of his songs are actually short stories or novellas and although it sounds strange considering the context in which he writes, I consider Peart to be my favorite writer. It seems that every time I’ve had difficult periods in my life, there would be Rush lyrics available that specifically addressed it. I can honestly say that Rush, and Peart in particular, have gotten me through some tough times. To be able to pick that brain and hold palaver with a like-minded free-thinker would be an honor indeed.
The next person will probably surprise you, considering the diatribe I espoused regarding my religious views. My second dream guest would be Jesus Christ. Not Jesus the God, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Member of the Holy Trinity or even (as Sam Kinison once said ) Jesus the Miracle Caterer. I’m talking about Jesus the man. The teacher, the prophet, the historical figure. I would love to sit and talk and hear what he had to say from his own lips and not edited through centuries of personal and political agenda. Regardless of what I’ve already said about religion, I still consider Jesus to be arguably the most important and influential single figure in all of human history. There is so much I’d like to know that I don’t think a single dinnertime conversation could do it. What was he really trying to accomplish? What happened during the missing years from when he was twelve to when he was thirty and why are we prevented from knowing about it? How far off the mark are we, and how would he now feel about what’s become of the world in his name? I’m not sure I could even formulate all that I’d want to say, so I won’t go on any longer here about why this would be important to me. Suffice it to say that it would be a multi-coursed meal by the time the conversation was finished.
On the far end of that spectrum would be someone very few would want sitting at their table. Adolf Hitler. I have always believed that one cannot avoid evil without fully understanding it. The things we do or think that can be called “evil” are present in us all. I would love to talk with this man to see exactly what it takes for those things to become dominant. And you know, maybe “evil” isn’t the right word, which is another reason I’d invite him. True evil, as far as I would define it, is probably a mental defect of some sort. The sort of ideology that Hitler adhered to is born out of cohesive thought, a serious belief system. Most people who are thought of as evil are devoted to their ideas and consider them completely right. Very few actually set out to “just be bad.” I would like to just find out “What were you thinking?”, “How did you honestly think this would help the species?” and the like. I simply think it would be fascinating to be present to that deep a conviction, that prominent an ideology. People often shield themselves from evil, but then they are its easiest prey. To become a fully rounded person, I believe we need to understand all possible aspects of our humanity, even the extremes that we bury deeply. Please keep in mind that I don’t say any of this out of any sense of admiration for the deeds he was responsible for. There’s just a part of me that needs to know how that aspect of humanity can come to the forefront in an individual.
The final person would be Benjamin Franklin. In a time when extraordinary men were called upon to do extraordinary things, Franklin transcended a solitary purpose. Inventor, activist, philosopher, diplomat, publisher…he proved that a man has much to give and should never be satisfied with previous accomplishments. He was one of those rare individuals who explored every aspect of himself and what he had to offer a brave, new world. So many people from that particular era are known for specific things, whereas Benjamin Franklin gave the world everything he had, and always searched for more. Being a sort of multi-faceted person myself, I can relate to that. For much of my life, I thought of myself as rather unguided, not being able to really hone in on one thing that I’d like to leave the world with. It is because of men like Benjamin Franklin that I feel comfortable now following the shiny object across the sky and seeing where it takes me.
**********************************************************
I can not thank Dave enough for not only placing himself in the hot seat and gracefully accepting the wide array of questions put before him, but also for allowing me to come along with him for the ride. I was tickled pink (literally!) to conduct this interview, and I sincerely hope the rest of you enjoy reading his amazing, intelligent, and utterly entertaining responses.
Thank you, Dave, for so profoundly opening your heart and mind for our reading enjoyment. I'm so incredibly proud to call you a friend.
Click Here for Previous TQWD Interviews!
Many of you are already acquainted with the delightful "10 Questions with Dave" series that has been a running feature here at the forum for going on two years now. It's a great way to get to know selected members in ways beyond what you'd usually expect in a normal conversation. The only downside to this fun and informative discourse is that one of the forums most entertaining, intelligent, and interesting members has thus far been exempt from being interviewed. Of course I refer to none other than Dave2112 himself. So as a special one time edition, the beloved "10 Questions with Dave" feature will become "10 Questions with Mimi" as I put the famed moderator in his very own hot seat. Also, as a special bonus, several of the questions I will present to him in this interview were submitted by fellow forum members. I would like to thank them for their participation!
Without further ado, I present to you - Dave2112: The Interview!
**********************************************************
1) It's no secret to anyone around here that you are a huge Star Wars fan. And as a fan, you speak of the force and the dark side in Jedi terminology. What are your real life beliefs about spirituality and the world around us? Do you agree with the basic Jedi concepts of the force, etc.?
Wow, quite a topic to jump right into. This actually covers a major spiritual shift in my life that’s been going on for a few years that has really changed me. I’ll try and get to the point, as I could literally go on for pages on this topic. My beliefs about spirituality and whatever “Force” may lie within us or the natural world that surrounds us are far different than my views on religion. I consider them mutually exclusive. I have absolutely no room in my life for religion. All religions, as far as I am concerned, are nothing more than cults. They prey on our doubts and weaknesses while promising vast rewards for our obedience and utter damnation should we disobey. It’s all about control and always has been. (Of course there’s money as well, those who use these tactics to get us to give them our stuff, but that’s not exclusive to religion alone…just very predominant in religion.) Islam, the Catholic Church, Judaism, the Evangelicals…hell, even the Scientologists now…it’s a way to get a large group of people to conform to the controls of a small number who claim higher understanding or station. Being utterly unable to prove or disprove any of it, people wind up basically scared, threatened or even brainwashed into servitude. All in the name of God, Allah or some other figure that the responsibility gets thrown onto, so that those who are attempting this control do not have to take that responsibility themselves. Also, it’s a very convenient action/reward system. When something good happens it was “God”, when something bad happens, it was you. But, fear not, God’s chosen representatives are here to show you exactly what you need to make the good stuff happen. Just believe everything we say, accept our self-serving interpretations of everything and don’t do any investigating of your own, that’s a “lack of faith.” In other words, don’t use the gift we claim God gave you, he just meant it all as a test to see if you’d be obedient to a few of us. Oh, and give us a bunch of your stuff while you’re at it. That’ll make God happy. Load of shit. It’s a holdover from the times when we explained everything around us with superstitions. Thousands of years ago when Man first looked at the stars and asked “What?” or “How?” or “Why?”, the reasons we could grasp ranged from holes in the nighttime sky cover to distant beings and the like. We spent literally thousands of years using superstition to explain the natural world and maybe the last five or six hundred actually trying to scientifically explain things. Of course we are going to have vestigal patterns of ancient beliefs and the feelings that come with them; guilt, fear and the need to be led. Like leftover instincts. The problem is, those that do not wish to give up mass control are holding us back from advancing, just as they’ve always tried to do in the past, from censorship to book burnings to the murder of the scientific community and other “heretics” to the brainwashing practice of self-detonation we see today.
So, you might be thinking, “Ok, Dave’s an Atheist.” Far from it. Actually, I am a very spiritual person who looks beyond the ordinary to explain the things that are larger than we can easily grasp. I do believe in “God”, just not in the way that most people accept. I believe in a higher power, a greater intelligence and a superior providence…however, I make no claims to understand exactly what it is. I don’t believe that any of us truly do or are even ready to at this point in our development as a species. The Universe is a vast construct full of forces that one cannot even begin to fully comprehend. Gravity, nucleic bond, solar fusion, strings…all of it began somewhere and something is in control of it. If there is a “God” in the sense that most people think of, he/she/them/it must be of a nature, unbelievably powerful and completely alien in nature, not even dreamed of by any theologian that has ever existed. And I doubt that this being is the slightest bit concerned what we eat on a day of the week that we’ve made up, or about our mating habits or how we share our possessions. And there is not one person on the face of the Earth that can lay claim to being a bridge to that power, one that deserves our obedience.
So, how does all of this fit into my views of “The Force” as you’ve chosen to frame this question? Whatever this ultimate power or intelligence is, I do believe that it infuses us all in one way or another. Our responsibilities are to each other, and the blame for failure in that quest is ours alone. If we were created for a purpose (and I do believe we were, just in a far broader sense and over a longer period of time than most believe), then it is up to us to fulfill that destiny. And we have the tools. This “Force” can guide us, give us strength, allow us to heal…or it can allow us to kill and dominate. I believe that our very consciousness, our sentience is, in and of itself, the “Force” of life and existence. We do not yet fully understand it, but it is ours alone and is something of vast power and significance. No matter how scientific we are, the actual state of being sentient and self-aware simply cannot be explained without leaving room for a higher origin. What that origin is, we may never know. But, I can assure you, we will never find out as long as we continue to be fed fairy tales and turn the responsibility for our own existence over to those who seek nothing more than mass control and the maintaining of the status quo. Perhaps someday, when we do fully understand what we are and where we come from, the potential in us will be unlocked and something akin to “The Force” as you’ve used it for this question will be part and parcel of our everyday lives, enlightened and as one species living together and inheriting the universe.
2) Still on the topic of Star Wars, did you dress as a Jedi while attending the premier of any of the Star Wars prequels (If you did, then please tell me you didn't dress as Yoda whilst out shopping for action figures)?
Actually, no. I never dressed as a Jedi for any of the films. However, when my friends and I went to see The Phantom Menace, we did get dressed up, and I was Han Solo. White shirt, black vest, red-striped pants and boots, blaster…the whole nine yards. Strangely, prior to the prequels, I was more of a Solo fan until the background of the Jedi and the Force was brought to the forefront. I still consider Han to be the most important figure in the saga, in a way. The one with the least power brought about the most unexpected and important results. I have, however, done the Jedi thing for other functions. I’ve been to a couple of SW conventions and it’s always my Halloween costume du jour. On top of that, I have to admit to another manifestation of Star Wars geekdom. As some of you know, I’ve trained for years in several Japanese swordfighting arts. A close friend of mine is also a student and a Star Wars fan. Summer nights around a fire in my backyard often find us sparring with each other, although we substitute our Katana blades for fully functional replica lightsabers! It’s a hell of a show for our friends around the fire who are usually waxing herbal.
3) One of your most endearing qualities is your incredibly warm and compassionate nature....including your extreme love for animals. You have quite an extensive furry family of your own that shares your homestead with you. Can you tell us about them all? How many pets do you have? What are their breeds and names? And were you just a born animal lover, or did some event in your life open your heart to our darling fellow creatures?
I’m not really sure why, but I’ve always had a very close, almost empathic bond with animals. I have a very sensitive level of empathy with humans, being able to sense emotions in a way I can’t really explain, but with animals, it’s even more profound. Ever since childhood, I could walk into a room and become instant friends with any animals around. I was always the one kid on the block that the “mean dog” didn’t growl at, or the untamed horse didn’t get agitated around. I’ve always felt that as the dominant, sentient species on the planet, we have a responsibility to the creatures that we share it with. Yes, there are animals that serve our needs for food, labor and other provisions. I’ve never been one to try and stop that. It’s the natural order of things. However, I draw the line on things we use animals for outside of the necessities…fur for “trophy clothing”, beauty product testing and the like.
As far as the animals I have now, I’m holding steady at 12 cats, down from a high mark of 19 at one point. There’s Missy who’s about to turn 21, she was an adoption from a friend who could no longer keep her. She lives in my bedroom by herself as she needs to be isolated. She’s very happy alone. I’m amazed that she’s still kicking! She’s showing signs of advanced age, but still has her “cattitude” and might easily see 25. Then there’s Patches and Weed (female calico and male blond) who are the last of the original litters I had 11 years ago. I have two Maine Coon brothers (Cheech and Chong) that I took from my uncle’s litter. There’s Screech and Nala (male white Angora and female white-grey “Husky” looking mix) and two jet black brothers from a pet-store litter, Solo and Boo. Let’s see…there’s Gabby, who was an adoption. She’s a female grey tiger who lives on top of my entertainment center. She’s feisty, but a big chicken-shit. And of course, my favorites and closest cat-buddies, Monkey and Meatball. Monkey is a very small but fearless grey-and white who I took from an elderly woman who bottle-fed him. I wasn’t sure he was going to make it, but I took him in and he has thrived. No fear at all and he sticks with me wherever I go. Meatball is also a grey-and white (more grey than white) and is huge. I think he’s around twenty some-odd pounds. He was a feral kitten, born outside and brought to me by a family friend who found him. He spent the first part of his stay with me in my bedroom until he was healthier and bonded to me closer than any cat I’ve ever had. He’s huge, warm and utterly devoted to me. He’s also appointed himself the household peace-keeper and enforcer. When the other cats start to get into any sort of tiff, he just meanders over and gets between them until they go away. Never causes any trouble of his own…just plays cop for everyone else. Sleeps with me when he can, uses his paws to “pet” my face and a few other eerily human-like interactions with me as his owner and pet human. He also thinks he’s a dog.
Speaking of dogs, I have three. Murphy is a 12-year-old Bassett Hound that I adopted from a friend of an old boss. There’s Deion, who’s what they call a Dobeweiller…Dad was a Rottweiller and Mom was a Doberman. I rescued him from a date with a euthanasia needle. He’s a big dog without a mean bone in his body. He’s around ten and still thinks he’s a puppy. Then of course, there’s my latest addition, Chewie. He’s the first animal I have that was a planned purchase. After all the rescues and such, I wanted a small house dog that I picked out myself and could raise from puppyhood. He’s an Affenpinscher and has quickly become my best friend in the world. I mentioned that Meatball thinks he’s a dog…well…Chewie is starting to think he’s a cat and the two of them meet in the middle somewhere. They are best friends and play with each other, sleep together and share the dog’s toys. Once, I even caught Meatball sitting down like a dog, gnawing on Chewie’s bone, which he doesn’t share with anyone else. Chewie falls asleep on his back, and Meatball’s stretched across his belly, sound asleep!
I also have a Red-Eared Slider (turtle) and a few assorted small things that come and go. I’m always gaining new things like hamsters, lizards and other small things as the mood strikes or desperate “friends” find me to ask how much room is left on the Ark. I had a couple of ferrets up until last year, but I’m currently staying out of the ferret thing for now. Wow…that answer took awhile! Hope I didn’t bore anyone with it.
4) Those around the forum who have been here for a few years have undoubtedly seen our yearly NFL face-off over our fanship of the rival teams, the Minnesota Vikings and the Green Bay Packers. Considering you live over on the East Coast, how is it you came to be a Vikings fan? Did you live in Minnesota at one time? Was the loyalty to the team passed down to you from an older family member? What teams would feature in your dream Superbowl game?
Actually, my love of the Vikings had a very unprofessional origin. It was the 1976 Super Bowl between the Raiders and the Vikings. One of my younger uncles was a huge fan of Fran Tarkenton and I was allowed to hang out with him and his friends for the game. I was almost 9 and to be quite honest, I just thought the Vikings’ uniforms were cool! So, I rooted for the Vikings, they lost, and I’ve spent the last 31 years waiting for them to get back! That’s how it started, but it didn’t take long for me to learn the players and the history of the team and it simply evolved into my current die-hard love for my team. I can’t say who would be in my Dream game for the Super Bowl, so I’ll just say that it would be the Vikings against a team the Vikings could beat! It would be interesting to see a Vikings/Bills game, so that at least one of them would break their current streak of four Super Bowl losses…
5) Now, onto the questions regarding why we are here in the first place: The TMF. How did you come upon the forum so many years ago? Were you already a part of the online tickling community before its conception, or did you make your appearance as the TMF came to life? And finally, as a moderator you are very even handed and intelligent. Your replies are very diplomatic even when dealing with out of control members. How do you maintain such an impressive level of civility at all times? What is your take on the bullies that pass themselves off as moderators on the various types of discussion forums that are floating around the net?
Hmm, a lot wrapped into that question. Let me start at the beginning. I was not a part of any online tickling community prior to the TMF. Like so many of us who were around my age when the Internet became a household item, I discovered the community quite by accident. I knew there were others into what I was into, but didn’t know the scope of it until we all started talking together. I don’t think any of us really knew the scope of our community until then. However, I was a part of the BDSM community before my online experiences began. I attended many gatherings when I lived in L.A. and was always involved in one way or another with like-minded folks regarding bondage and the like, even from the very beginnings of my sexual awakening, maybe even before that. I think it’s always been there. The online tickling community has only reinforced and expanded upon that, refining it, if you will. How I came upon the TMF itself was, as I mentioned, an act of providence. I’d only had my first home computer for a few months when I was deeply into collecting all of the info I could find on tickling. Somewhere on the Net (I cannot remember where), I came across Ozzy’s “Yenny” character and followed the searches where they led me for more info on this darling two-dimensional creation. Eventually, it led me to the initial incarnation of the Tickling Media Forum and the rest, as they say, is history. So, in a way, I can thank Ozzy for my introduction to the TMF.
About my Moderation techniques and such. Hmmm, where to start. Ok, dealing with tough members. From the first day of my job as a Moderator around here, I have considered myself a “members advocate”. Kind of a liason between the users of the site, the members of the community and the Staff of the TMF. The Internet is a strange thing, one still in its relative infancy. There’s a whole new set of rules, a completely new social etiquette that most of us are still learning and developing as we go. Mistakes will be made. Communication without the necessity of personally present interaction is still against our nature. Yes, there are people who are simply taking advantage of that and just like to cause trouble or stir reaction for whatever reason they have. Those folks I do feel a need to take a heavier hand with for the benefit of us all. But, more often than not, it’s simply a matter of things getting lost in the translation. People not understanding one another. Especially in a community like ours, people coming here new aren’t used to the societal “rules” we’ve come to slowly accept. And it’s easy to lash out, become antagonistic or defensive, or leave altogether if acceptance doesn’t come quickly. This medium has trained us to expect almost instant results of one form or another. I feel we need to understand that. The benefits of someone fitting in through guidance and understanding are immense. As leaders of a sort, we Moderators have a responsibility to help members fit in and find what they are looking for. I don’t feel that the heavy-handed, control-freak nature of some Moderators on other boards works here…or really even works where it’s used. It’s a power trip that some fall into. Like the saying goes, power corrupts. Even though it’s a small amount of power, the corruption still happens. Think about it. Even though you are a Moderator on some message board or website, you’re still being heard by potentially thousands of people, if not more. The temptation to use that unchecked ability to enforce your views is often overwhelming. We have a responsibility to keep that power in check, and over the course of the last several years, I hope that I’ve been able to stay true to that responsibility. I try. I fail at times, but we all do. The point is to learn from it and become a better leader. Because, let’s face it…we are leaders in a sense. It’s a new sense, one that is going to change the face of our civilization eventually, but the common person can influence many these days, and we have to take that seriously.
6) You are one of the forums most gifted story writers. Your archive is full of delicious tales of torment that makes lee's shiver in their shoes and ler's snicker with devious delight. Where do you draw inspiration from when writing your stories? How much of their content stems from reality? Or from fantasy?
When I write a piece of fiction involving the tickling fetish, it usually comes from something deep inside that I need to get out. There are some very deep, dark and scary places in my mind. My approach to tickling fiction is basically the same as any other fiction. I need to write a story, not just a descriptive of some tickling action. People often make the mistake of thinking that just because they’re writing fetish fiction, that the fetish has to be the only thing in it, or even the most important. Yes, there are times when I simply get an image in my head of some outlandish tickling scenario and I want to bring it to the page. But usually, I want to layer that within an actual story. Tickling fiction, like any other fiction, needs to have a beginning, a middle and an end. It needs to have characters with specific motivations, cause and effect, reason. Even fantasy needs to make sense. I see a lot of stories that are variants on “Two people were in a room together, and one of them started tickling the other one.” Why? How? To what end?
Many of the inspirations I’ve had have actually been story seeds, ideas for another kind of writing…and it just happened to fit as a fetish story. Sometimes the tickling itself is just another tool to help the story along. I like to write about people. If those people have some reason to be tickling each other, I need to make my reader believe it. I’ve seen some tickling stories that are very descriptive, with a lot of talent given to the act itself…but with nothing else. Tickling can be thrown into fantasy, horror, romance…there are no limits. So, basically, anything that can be written about can have tickling in it. Some of my personal favorite stories that I’ve written have not been the traditional “tickling story” type. A piece like “Mind Over Matter” could easily be an Outer Limits episode. “The Torturer’s Apprentice” is a story that could see a character like Snake Plisskin walk out of it, it’s so steeped in post-apocolyptic archetypes. Basically, rather than starting with a good tickling scene and asking “How can I flesh this out?”, I usually start with a specific tale or literary genre, create the world and the characters and ask “Ok, how can I fit tickling into this?” Crime drama, sci-fi, horror…it’s all fair game. As far as personal influences on my work, I’m sure they’re there. I’ve had a lot of very nice sessions with a lot of people over the years and the specifics are bound to leak into the descriptives of the tickling itself, but the actual stories are usually just creations of my dark subconscious. There are occasions where it’s far more mundane, where I will see an incredibly attractive and sexy girl on TV and start thinking “How dare you be all the way over there and not tied up, right in front of me? I’ll get you for that!” And then I do horrible things to her in a story to purge that feeling. And, luckily for the desperately ticklish young ladies of this world, purging some of these ideas keeps me from going out and acting upon them…usually.
7) And being the multi-talented fellow you are, you also rank among the TMF's most elite original artists. One of the most prominent features in your artistic creations are the amazingly wicked and sadistic bondage contraptions your lee's continue to find themselves strapped into. How do you come up with some of these ingenious mechanisms? Have you ever considered building one in real life? Which of your inventions is your favorite?
Boy, you’re getting good at cramming several questions into one! That’s ok. My artwork is very special to me, and it purges those things left in my mind after I’m done writing. It wasn’t long after I started creating my art that I realized I’d be specializing in “device” bondage. Even for CGI, my work is rather different. There are guys who can use these tools and create images that are so life-like that it’s hard to tell the difference. Restif is a good example. He’s a freakin’ genius with Poser and the other tools that help create these kinds of images. When it comes to photo-realism, he is hands-down the best I’ve seen. Period. I have consciously tried to avoid too much realism in my own works. I know it sounds like a contradiction, but I strive to make my Poser art less real. For one, it is very easy to simply “use the tools” and wind up looking like everyone else. I want my work to be recognizable as my own. But, more importantly, the whole point of fantasy art, for me, is for it be just that…fantasy. If it gets too real, I lose the illusion of fantasy. I consider myself to be basically a comic artist who uses unorthodox tools. I render flatter, I use deeper and sometimes unrealistic shadows and concentrate on color. Color is a powerful tool, especially when dealing with vibrant fantasies. I use more color than would realistically be there, and often “theme” my sets around a specific color scheme, using it as a mood in and of itself.
That approach fits into my love of devices. My work is outlandish fantasy and completely unrealistic. I’ll be honest, when it comes to the way I treat my cyber-girls, I’m a complete sadist. The devices I create are experiments in acceptable reality. How far can I push the human body before it crosses the line into being completely awkward or unbelievable to look at? How I come up with them varies. Sometimes I’ll have something specific in mind. More often than not, however, I’ll actually start by finding a restricting or exposing position for one of the girls, and then say “Ok, build something to keep her like that!” After awhile, it’s almost become a competition with myself, seeing if I can top the last thing I did.
Building one for real? Hmmm…probably not possible. The truly outlandish devices I’ve created would most likely really hurt someone in real life. Not to mention the fact that, even if I could do it and make it work acceptably, it would be prohibitively expensive. I mean, come on…have you seen some of these things? In my real life, it’s more about the bondage itself, as an art. One of my ex-girlfriends and I used to have a game called “Tie Me To That.” She’d pick something around the house and challenge me to bondagize her to it for an effective session. There are a couple devices from my artwork that are basically variants on stuff I have done or things I’ve used, but in my artwork, they are much prettier and effective. And finally, my favorite? Hard to pick one, as the position I like a ‘lee in changes with my mood, but I’d have to say that there’s a special place in my heart for The Immobilizer. It was the first one that I really spent a lot of time on, and by its design can be altered, so it’s always growing and changing slightly. It’s an adaptable little piece of female restraint, and it’s been good to me. In fact, it’s going to be showing up in a rather unexpected place sometime soon….
8) Naughty or nice, sweet or spice, how does Dave like his lee? Silly little rhyme aside, do you prefer a lee who gives herself completely and quietly to you for your tormenting pleasure, or do you prefer a victim who pushes your buttons as well as the limits every step of the way? Why is the one more entertaining than the other for you?
You know, whenever I do these interviews, I prepare myself for the fact that people are not going to make a choice I’ve given them, and fall back on “It depends,” or “Oh, I could go either way.” So, you go ahead and choose the one question that I have to respond with “It depends, I could go either way!” Thanks a lot! Ok, seriously. This is a good question, and I’ve given it some thought and by the end of this question, I’ll try to make a cohesive answer. Generally speaking, I tend to go with what a ‘lee gives me. The last thing I want in a mutual tickling session is to try and make someone something she’s not. I’m not talking about role-playing here, we all play make-believe from time to time, and I love it. I’m talking about the basic personality that makes a person who they are. If the ‘lee I’m with is in reality shy and demure, it’s not going to “feel” right if I make her talk back to me or get mouthy. Again, I’m not talking about accepted role-playing where both people are in agreement that they’re playing. The aforementioned shy and demure girl offers me the tools to have a session of dominance and obedience play, of “Yes, Master” and “Oh, pleeeeease don’t!” and have it feel natural. On the other hand, I can easily switch to interrogation mode for a stronger-willed ‘lee. It’s not a cop-out, but it really does depend on the mood and the girl. My fetish is multi-faceted. Just like the way I write stories about a number of different scenarios and genres, my real-life involvement with my fetish opens a vast number of doors to me.
But, to make an attempt to honestly answer this question, let’s say I had to pick one type of ‘lee. I would probably have to go with the more submissive. I am a Dominant. Always have been and always will be. But it’s more than just that. Not only the need to Dominate, but the need to care for. A Submissive under my control is not only my “toy”, so to speak, but also my resposnsibility. Deep bonds of love, affection and mutual pleasure can be forged in that unlikely dynamic. I’m also a bondage lover and a reaction-junkie. Now, I don’t mean a ‘lee who will demurely accept everything. I mean a true submissive who can be scared, apprehensive or tormented and still submit. There is a specific dynamic to the Dom/Sub relationship and I love a woman who can fit into that. You can beg for it to stop and still be submissive. Of course, I’m not talking about abusing a Sub or treating her badly. I love Submissives and respect what they stand for and everything that they are. Now, like I said, I still like a session with another power-junkie to keep me on my toes (and me at hers…) and would never shy away from that, but if I had to pick a type…well, there you are. The bottom line is, no matter what type she is, she has to be into bondage to at least some of the extent that I am. I hate sloppy bondage and wussy ties and any woman who’s in a tickling session with me should be aware that the blindfold and gag is probably going to come out eventually…
9) Having been blessed with the incredible experience of not only meeting you in person, but jointly attending a gathering with you, I simply must pose this next question. The sounds and statements that could be heard rolling from the lips of your 'victims' during the event were among the most entertaining and wildly impressive reactions any of us had heard at that time. Care to touch on what they were and exactly how you achieved them? What is the funniest or most memorable reaction a lee has ever had while under your skilled fingertips?
Wasn’t it two gatherings that we were at together? Ah, how time flies. I have to honestly admit to not being able to remember a specific statement or shriek or beg or what-have-you. I remember the experiences, of course, and I’ll take your word on others’ reactions to the sounds I helped create. I do remember coming out of a private room a few times to a few odd looks. All I can say is that I can be…intense. And not just physically. Like I said before, I’m a reaction-junkie, and the empathic sensitivities I mentioned earlier feed into that. It’s a give-and-take game of playing with someone’s head. You can play someone’s body like a violin (which I like to do), but you have to have the mind involved as well. A lot. I like to keep a ‘lee on the edge, constantly feeling new things, but not hitting the “high mark” for some time. I go through a sort of mapping process, cataloging sensitive areas, and the differences in reactions. It’s hard to describe, but everyone reacts differently, and it’s a new challenge to stay a step ahead of your “victim” each time. What you probably heard was the end result of a long session of teasing, finally honing in on the “kill spot” while continuing the psychological torment.
As for the second part of your question, I had to think back a bit. I’d have to say the “funniest” reaction I’ve ever had was a young lady who, for some reason, took over my part of the verbal teasing when the tickling hit an intense point. There she is, tied to the bed, getting tickled within an inch of her sanity, and she’s the one who starts saying things like “Tickle, tickle!” and the like, as if she were in her own world. I’m not a hundred percent sure what that was about, but she was very much into tickling as a fetish and it probably worked for her. It did wonders for me, I can say that. It was actually quite an amazing thing to be a part of, getting someone into that kind of zone. The “most memorable” reaction had to be with an ex of mine, during a far heavier bondage and tickling session. This was someone who loved to be tied up and the bondage was intense, complete with blindfold and gag. We were utilizing forced orgasms as well, and the session hit a point where the tickling was driving home at a particularly sensitive spot and she was, well….vibrating. She was literally screaming into the gag! I’d heard of that before, but at that point hadn’t ever really made it happen for that long a time. I kept asking if she wanted me to stop, and she just kept shaking her head No and mumbling “Tickle Me” through the gag. That was a very memorable night. I guess another “funny” one would be making a ‘lee sing (or try to sing) “I’m a Little Teapot”, just to see if I could do it. It was one of those “Poor Little Girl” sessions with a normally tough chick. I was laughing my ass off. Yeah, I know…I can be a prick. But a loveable one.
10) And lastly, but CERTAINLY not least, the proverbial 10th question that has become a regular feature of these interview segments: If you could invite any three people from past or present over to your house for dinner and conversation, who would they be and why?
I’ve thought long and hard about this one. There are so many people that I’ve drawn one form or another of inspiration from that it would be hard to narrow it down to three. So, I’m going to cheat here and list four. Not because I can pull rank in my own feature, but because whenever I’ve thought about this question when asking it of others, there are exactly four who always come to my own mind. There are people whose achievements I’ve admired, those who had a spirit of personality or drive that I long to emulate and those that I just thought were cool. So, I picked the three that have most directly influenced the person I am today…and one who thankfully hasn’t.
The first one was rather easy. Drummer and lyricist Neil Peart of the Canadian progressive rock group Rush would top the list. He’s easily the greatest living percussionist in the world right now, but moreso has written the lyrics for the band that has moved and enthralled me so much over the last three decades. He is a genius student of poetry and wordsmithing who has literally given birth to many of the ideals that I hold dear. Rather than taking sides on many of the things that some “political” bands write songs about, Neil’s approach has always been “here’s what I see, here’s how I see it affecting us and now you can make up your own mind about it.” And on more mundane matters, he has a way of putting our day-to-day concerns into perspective. His lyrics about the individual standing against the crowd, the affect of religion and other controlling belief sets on humanity and the larger view of things that we tend to take specific sides on still fascinate me to this day. Many of his songs are actually short stories or novellas and although it sounds strange considering the context in which he writes, I consider Peart to be my favorite writer. It seems that every time I’ve had difficult periods in my life, there would be Rush lyrics available that specifically addressed it. I can honestly say that Rush, and Peart in particular, have gotten me through some tough times. To be able to pick that brain and hold palaver with a like-minded free-thinker would be an honor indeed.
The next person will probably surprise you, considering the diatribe I espoused regarding my religious views. My second dream guest would be Jesus Christ. Not Jesus the God, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the Member of the Holy Trinity or even (as Sam Kinison once said ) Jesus the Miracle Caterer. I’m talking about Jesus the man. The teacher, the prophet, the historical figure. I would love to sit and talk and hear what he had to say from his own lips and not edited through centuries of personal and political agenda. Regardless of what I’ve already said about religion, I still consider Jesus to be arguably the most important and influential single figure in all of human history. There is so much I’d like to know that I don’t think a single dinnertime conversation could do it. What was he really trying to accomplish? What happened during the missing years from when he was twelve to when he was thirty and why are we prevented from knowing about it? How far off the mark are we, and how would he now feel about what’s become of the world in his name? I’m not sure I could even formulate all that I’d want to say, so I won’t go on any longer here about why this would be important to me. Suffice it to say that it would be a multi-coursed meal by the time the conversation was finished.
On the far end of that spectrum would be someone very few would want sitting at their table. Adolf Hitler. I have always believed that one cannot avoid evil without fully understanding it. The things we do or think that can be called “evil” are present in us all. I would love to talk with this man to see exactly what it takes for those things to become dominant. And you know, maybe “evil” isn’t the right word, which is another reason I’d invite him. True evil, as far as I would define it, is probably a mental defect of some sort. The sort of ideology that Hitler adhered to is born out of cohesive thought, a serious belief system. Most people who are thought of as evil are devoted to their ideas and consider them completely right. Very few actually set out to “just be bad.” I would like to just find out “What were you thinking?”, “How did you honestly think this would help the species?” and the like. I simply think it would be fascinating to be present to that deep a conviction, that prominent an ideology. People often shield themselves from evil, but then they are its easiest prey. To become a fully rounded person, I believe we need to understand all possible aspects of our humanity, even the extremes that we bury deeply. Please keep in mind that I don’t say any of this out of any sense of admiration for the deeds he was responsible for. There’s just a part of me that needs to know how that aspect of humanity can come to the forefront in an individual.
The final person would be Benjamin Franklin. In a time when extraordinary men were called upon to do extraordinary things, Franklin transcended a solitary purpose. Inventor, activist, philosopher, diplomat, publisher…he proved that a man has much to give and should never be satisfied with previous accomplishments. He was one of those rare individuals who explored every aspect of himself and what he had to offer a brave, new world. So many people from that particular era are known for specific things, whereas Benjamin Franklin gave the world everything he had, and always searched for more. Being a sort of multi-faceted person myself, I can relate to that. For much of my life, I thought of myself as rather unguided, not being able to really hone in on one thing that I’d like to leave the world with. It is because of men like Benjamin Franklin that I feel comfortable now following the shiny object across the sky and seeing where it takes me.
**********************************************************
I can not thank Dave enough for not only placing himself in the hot seat and gracefully accepting the wide array of questions put before him, but also for allowing me to come along with him for the ride. I was tickled pink (literally!) to conduct this interview, and I sincerely hope the rest of you enjoy reading his amazing, intelligent, and utterly entertaining responses.
Thank you, Dave, for so profoundly opening your heart and mind for our reading enjoyment. I'm so incredibly proud to call you a friend.
Click Here for Previous TQWD Interviews!
made the experience even better....
