Commingling about St. Andrews' Cross

Mystrys Genevieve’s immaculate play-space is painted a bright, taxicab yellow. Rows of neatly hung torture implements line the walls. In one corner sits an art deco vanity (inherited from her grandmother) the mirror of which reflects in the corner opposite, a wrought iron animal cage and a leather, spanking bench. In fact, there are strategically placed mirrors on each wall, so that supplicants may view their plight from every angle. But, to borrow a phrase from HGTV, “the focal point” of the room is most definitely an imposing wooden contrivance painted black and suspended from the ceiling by ample chains.

Despite the obvious implications of its accoutrements, my first impression is that this is a very happy place—and oddly enough, it turns out to be true. The complex rituals of pain and humiliation carried out between these walls convey pleasure, satisfaction and release to both Mystrys Genevieve and the clients she entertains. In this final installment, it’s time to talk shop.


Tell me about this.

It’s called a St. Andrew’s Cross. I just love chains. It’s probably from watching way too many Conan the Barbarian movies as a child. One of my favorite things that turns me on is a guy in chains. So you tie them here (points to the chains) you can bring them up or down, or I can put in a leather sling. Any time somebody says, “I want inescapable bondage,” I have chains and padlocks.

Where did you get it?

I’m friends with the people who own Whipper Snappers in Atlanta. There was a dance club down there called The Chamber that had some fetish stuff in the back, and they’d do fetish shows occasionally. When The Chamber went out of business, they gifted it to Whipper Snappers, but they doesn’t have their own play space, so I bought it directly from them.

It was originally a hanging cross. It fit in here perfectly. I added a couple of pieces to it myself—me and my Skillsaw. (laughs) The support system is very strong, so I can do full suspension, if that’s what someone wants. I’ve got a metal bar for that, as well (shows me a metal rod that resembles a trapeze bar). I totally love equipment. I’m an equipment junkie. I’ve got equipment in the garage that we haven’t brought up here because it’s too heavy. I don’t have the means to convert the garage into a big play space, which I would love to do. I occasionally host private parties here for lifestyle and CAPEX events, and we do use the stuff in the garage for that, but as far as professionally, this is it.

I’ve got some equipment on loan to another dominant that I know in the lifestyle. I just didn’t have room for them here.

What’s out on loan?

I have a second standing cross and another spanking bench and a partial suspension piece called a “Mantis.” It’s hard to describe…it’s a modified piece of gym equipment with a steel bar.

Let’s talk hygiene.

I clean my equipment with a hospital cleanser from a local home medical supply store. Some things, such as ball gags, you can’t really clean because the leather is attached to the toy, and once someone gets bodily fluids on it, its pretty much theirs, so that is one item that I ask clients to provide for themselves—or I will go and buy one for their session and they will reimburse the cost. I keep all my old used hosiery, though, and that can be used for a very effective—and completely washable—gag.

I don’t engage in blood play with paying clients very often—although I do quite a bit of it from time to time with kinky friends—but I keep those toys separate, for obvious reasons.

Tell me about your wardrobe.

I’ve got a couple of latex outfits that are fun to wear, but you tend to sweat in them, so I only wear those on special occasions, like events. Or, once in a while, I’ll have a client request that I wear latex, so I will. I find it very sexy. I bought a latex dress last year at an event called the Fetish Flea, but when you’re wearing latex, it turns skin temperature. The dress is black, it’s completely opaque, but it was a cool summer night, and there was a breeze. It felt like I was naked. I asked my escort, “Are you sure nothing’s showing?” He said, “No, you look great.” I told him, “I feel distinctly like I am walking across this parking lot naked.”

The idea that you’re totally clothed, but you feel naked is very enticing.

It was fabulous. Very erotic. I highly recommend it…but I have a variety of fetish outfits. Typically speaking, if a most clients want a school teacher kind of look: the glasses, the hair up on top of your head, the short skirt, high heels and stern disposition. I do a lot of role-play, so I have the top part of a doctor’s outfit—I’m not a medical professional, but I fake one really well. (laughs) I just think about every episode of ER I’ve ever seen and try to rattle off a few medical terms: “Cerebellum! Stat!” I’ve got a Japanese kimono that I put together for a science fiction convention. I also do a lot of my own costuming.

So, you did well in Home Ec?

Actually, I did terrible in Home Ec, but my grandmother was a seamstress and I spent a lot of time on the floor, playing at her feet while she was making quilts. I think some of it must have rubbed off through osmosis. It’s only been within the past seven-eight years that I’ve started sewing seriously. I never do anything too complex. I still take my pants to be hemmed. (laughs) If it’s entirely practical, I’m not interested.

Recently I’ve started making pasties for Burlesque. (For the past nine months, Mystrys Genevieve has appeared as Meredith Sparkles in the Charlotte revue, Big Momma D’s House of Burlesque. I do my own costumes and I make my own fetish outfits, although PVC is a pain. It’s very difficult to work with. I make little bandeau tops and serviceable shorts, but that’s pretty much the extent of it.

I’ve also got leather pants and leather corsets. Leather fetish is another one that’s often requested. I don’t actually have any “earned leather”—that’s leather that’s been gifted to you. If I had a piece of that, it wouldn’t be something I’d wear [for my clients], that would only be worn for events.

Who are your clients—not specifically of course—but what kind of people do you see most often?

Your typical client for a pro dominatrix is going to be middle-aged, white, with a professional job. Somebody who can’t really risk going out to a club for fear of somebody finding out what they’re into. I have a few African American clients, and a few younger ones. But the younger ones…

One of the things a professional dominatrix does—and a lot of people in the lifestyle don’t get this or even think of this—there are lots of people in this world that are into kink and that need kink, need to play, that cannot go to the local club. The schoolteacher. The bank president. Not that I see any bank presidents. I’m not that high-profile. (laughs) They cannot risk somebody finding out who they are.

People don’t want to know that Mr. Smith who manages the boy’s basketball team at the high school is into having his ass smacked. So that would be the type of person who would seek out the services of a professional dominatrix, as opposed to somebody who is 22, and not really doing much of anything, working at the McDonald’s four days a week and living in his parents’ basement the rest of the time. He can afford to go to a club and risk the possibility that somebody’s going to recognize him.

What about ambience? Do you have any particular music you like to use for your sessions?

I have a couple of CDs that I like—stuff that you might not think of. I like Cirque de Soleil, and I’ve got Verekai over there. Right now, for my vanilla-scene, kind of anything goes, I’ve got Christina Aguilera. I’ve got Madonna’s Erotica. It’s an older CD of hers that wasn’t really on the charts. She did it back when she had the Sex book out. It’s great for scenes. And of course I’ve got the standard music as well.

As far as ambience, I can take the sidelights down. The mirrors are very important. There’s no point in this room that you can’t see yourself, sideways or from the front. I’ll pull the bench out in front of the mirror. It’s really cool when you’re spanking them from behind and they can look up and see what you’re doing. I’ve got a lot of wigs so I can dress the little boys up.

You dress them as well?

Cross-dressing is a huge fetish. Feminization is probably the most requested fetish that I get.

Do they supply the panties?

Well, if they’re going to leave with them, yes. I have several pieces for feminization including bras and panties. I’ve found some very pretty pieces in larger sizes at second hand shops. Every now and again, it’s fun to cut clothes off people with scissors or I knife, so I also go to yard sales and thrift stores with an eye toward disposable clothing. I try to get one-size-fits-all. I’ve got a few teddies that were made for larger women but they fit men.

The serious cross dressers have their own clothes and accessories. I even had one once who wanted to show up in a wedding gown! Usually people who come to me for cross-dressing feminization are novices. They don’t have a lot of expectations. You put them in a bra and panties and they’re good to go.