The lovely Mistress Matisse and I have this little game we play whenever we happen to bump into each other at an event. We call it the “Where is Monk bruised today” game. You see, after reading this posting, she is just fascinated with the welts on my body. Either that or she just likes it when I take off my shirt in public. With a big, evil smile she asked about each mark. Where I got it, from a lover or from a piece of armor.

So after one such show and tell session at a wetspot event she asks, “So how did you get involved with the steel community”

“Steel Community?!”

Now that took me back at first. In the kink world, we refer to ourselves as the “leather community”. Folks go so far as to call their extended kink tribe/family/poly group their “leather family”. Could you call my armor wearing actor friends the “Steel Community”?

Of course it makes sense as I sit here in my living room looking at toy bag and armor bag strewn out in front of me. The toy bag, with its incriminating evidence from lat night’s adventure in hedonism with S, and my armor case’s open and ready today’s rehearsal. Both communities have sanctioned events were members of the community gather; the kinksters have conventions like BONDCON or Kinkfest. The steel folks have ren fairs. Both refer with to outsiders to the community with a bit of distain. Kinksters call them “Vanilla”, Rensters call them “The Danes” (as in mundane). Both worlds encourage the use of costumes, alter egos, and props. Both also require a lot of expensive toys, special skills, and the constant drive to improve those skills.

Oh and both leave such interesting welts…. Which can make for some great conversation.

Now please excuse me, I need recoil my rope and then fix a hole in my chain mail.