For some of us, enslavement is the ultimate homo-erotic fantasy and
the mass abductions carried out by 'MOSLA' and their associates
(reviewed in Part
1 of this series) make entertaining reading, although the
industrial scale of their (illegal) operations would be (thankfully)
almost impossible in the modern world of surveillance and social
connection. However in the Rodeo and Stud Hunting stories, reviewed
in Part
5, Amalaric seems to take for granted the existence a legal
framework for enslavement, allowing for public exhibition, sale and even
the freeing of some deserving captives without any consequences. In
the '1001 Nights' series and other stories he develops this idea into
an entire, alternative social and labour system where no man is safe.
701
Joe Connolly's First Day
We
visited this fictional realm previously in the discussion of Image
418 in Part
4b, which showed Rod Lancaster undressing at a processing centre
for new slaves, having been selected as one of the 'winners' of the
official, Government Enslavement Lottery.
Joe Connelly (above) suffers a similar fate in his story except that
in his part of the Union new slaves are dis-robed before they even
leave home to be taken to the processing centre. Joey is reduced to
total nudity on his parent's front lawn, in front of all the
neighbours.
The lottery system of selection described by Amalaric is totally
random and indiscriminate, not unlike compulsory Military Service in
many respects, except that the enslavement is permanent and founded
on an altogether different concept of discipline and obedience. The
economic and social rationale for it (oh yes, there is one!) is
fleshed out in both Rod Lancaster's story (see 123rd
of '1001 Nights') and Joe Connelly's (link below). Rod's
story covers the reception process and the legalities that flow from
his change of status, Joey's focusses on the 'pick-up' and the
grading system for slaves.
Joey's removal from home provokes both sympathy and pride amongst the
on-lookers. Sympathy for the upending of his life and the humiliation
of being publicly deprived of clothes, but pride in his manly bearing
through the ordeal, not least because being reduced to total nudity
means he has been assigned to the most select slave classification of
all, the top 10% who can be sold with a 'No Limitations On Use'
clause in their papers. Joey only learns that is to be his fate
himself when he's ordered to remove his underpants. He and his
acquaintances know that life with that elevated status will be far
from easy but, perversely, it's seen by his fellow citizens as a
recognition of very special qualities and that commands their
respect. In due course it will also guarantee a substantial premium
on his price at auction.
Alone in his bare cell (above) Joe has a brief moment to weep for the
life he has lost and the trials that lie ahead for him.
The
24th
of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker
702. Intensive Training
It's not easy for parents to relinquish their off-spring to this
system, but even if it's not demanded of them by the law, financial
circumstances sometimes dictate that prized family assets must be
surrendered to pay the bills. Here a father bids farewell to a son
who recently celebrated the age of majority only to discover his
adulthood had long been mortgaged to a loan company.
One of the first surprises for Rod Lancaster at his induction
ceremony (see 'The
123rd of '1001 Nights') was the introductory whipping, a process
which is automatically inflicted on all newbies regardless of whether
they've done anything to deserve it. This lad will soon
encounter this quaint custom too. In fact he faces weeks of
intensive training and firm discipline intended to prepare him for
the rest of his life as a slave and to reconcile him to that fate.
This image shows the catacomb-like depths of a slave training
facility where the young man is already being taught to pay attention
and be obedient. He wears only the traditional white underwear he
arrived in, signifying a status where there are legal limitations on
how he can be used and treated. However he has also discovered that
this 'safe' style of dress (featuring a delightful ball-bulge in this
classic, Amalaric, underwear image) is capable of attracting attentions of a sort
he'd never even thought about before. Especially when his hands
aren't free. His father here seems to be belatedly giving advice on
such matters. The oriental lantern and monolithic wall in the
background ominously link the scene to the most ancient and exotic of
secret rites.
From
The
195th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker
703
Drug Dealer Auctioned Off
As well as the individuals chosen through the Lottery, serious
criminals and wrong-doers soon become a natural shoo-in for the
'slave experience' as well. Few upright citizens would quarrel with
the sentence of 'a lifetime of servitude' imposed on this convicted
Drug Dealer from LA. Chained naked to a post on the auction block he
can look forward to a simpler life, dedicated to repaying his debt to
society in a more useful, albeit less than comfortable, role.
704
Ricky Castor, Reckless Driver, up for Auction
On the other hand, eyebrows were raised (and other parts too) when
Ricky Castor came up for sale at the same auction. He'd been given
the same punishment after running over the Mayor's puppy in his car.
But at least he was allocated to the lowest grade of slavery,
restricted to forced labour with limited punishment options. He's
even allowed to keep his jeans on (most of the time). His disbelief
and dismay at the harsh sentence was understandable, but it did no
harm to the price he realised.
It's usual for for men being sold to mount the rostrum bare chested
(like Toby
in Part 4, image 409). But it's also common for them to be
stripped naked in the course of the bidding (as in image 703 above)
in order to achieve the best price. Some men will strip themselves on
demand, but Ricky had to be cajoled into providing a Stage 7 display
(704, above) for the bidders and he baulked at the full Monty. The
handlers quickly stepped in, restrained him to a post and removed his
clothes for him, much to the crowds delight.
(The auction dress code for 'The Slave Emporium' is discussed in The
38th
of 1001 Nights )
Ricky
and the Drug Dealer were just two of the 30 or so men who went under
the hammer in The
245th
of 1001 nights at Aquadude Bunker. Their notes illustrate the
wide variety of offences and misfortunes that can bring men to the
auction block. They ranging from illegal immigration to child support
defaults and more are being added all the time, so beware!
Notice
that the artist here uses an identical image for the auctioneer of
both sales, it's just a role and the men will scarcely notice him
anyway in their anxiety to find out where the process is taking them.
705
Wayward Slave Learns Discipline
For some men this auction is not to be their last, but is just a
stepping stone to their ultimate destination. Promising individuals
may be purchased by an intermediary who will seek to add value by
developing their 'kerb appeal' with exercise and hard work and by
taming wayward spirits for owners who want productive workers not
entertaining challenges. As you might expect resentment,
rebelliousness and bad attitude amongst compulsorily indentured men
is not unusual, but it's likely to rebound on the perpetrator by
attracting the sort of buyer who will happily teach them the meaning
of discipline.
This X-spread punishment has an air of improvisation and haste about
it that seems to be reflected in the slave's confused wriggling. The
restraint arrangement lacks the formality and gravitas of Amalaric's
favoured, weighty X-frame but there are practical advantages in terms
of accessibility. The extreme spread is a testing stretch for the
captive and imposes an awkwardness on him which piles humiliation on
top of the inflicted pain. It has the ring of a punishment for an
immature action.
From
The
194th
of 1001 Nights at Aquadud
Bunker
706
Retribution In 5 Movements
When it comes to sheer simplicity, this hands-above-the-head
restraint outdoes even the X-spread. It also suggests a serious intent to
punish, rather than simply rebuke. That's borne out in the extract
below. We do not know the nature of this man's infraction but he
will certainly be learning not to do it again in future. Judging by
the streams of perspiration trickling down his body, he already is.
Amalaric tells us: “Strung up stark naked under the bright
lights, the prisoner was whipped steadily for twenty-
minutes...(then) after a forty-five minute period of reflection and
recuperation, the second of the five flogging sessions would then
proceed”.
The
concept of a break for rest is a sensible practice since, as the
author points out in the 262nd
Night, flogging is quite strenuous activity for
both parties and the opportunity for them both to think about where
the punishment and their relationship are going is not without
merit. This man can rarely have looked more desirable to his master
than he does here and there's a hardening hint that the experience is
not without compensations for him too.
From The
208th
of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker
707.
The Beast Tamed
Of course there are men who cannot be induced to obey simply by
violence and the paradox of erotic enslavement is that few 'owners'
want a man reduced to a totally emasculated subservience. They would
rather he retains his essential maleness but accepts that, like it or
not, it is now his lot in life to obey his master - in whichever form
of service is required of him.
'The Beast' in this image is a man who was 'acquired' in a hunting
expedition rather than by formal legal process and his rage at that
is understandable and uncontrollable. Bringing such a fearsome man to
accept repeated punishment, let alone intimate handling is a tall
order but it could bode ill for his future if he stays angry.
Fortunately for him, Amalaric conjures up a sort of 'Man Whisperer'
with mysterious powers to calm and tame recalcitrant stallions where
conventional training has failed. With patience and skilled handling
even the most spirited of beasts can be tamed and this image records
the magical breakthrough moment where 'The Beast' freely submits to
another man's touch in a decidedly ticklish area.
However there's still some way to go, he's not got his jeans off yet!
From
The
226th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker
708.
Lot 101 Reality Dawns
In time the reality of permanent enslavement will dawn on a captive -
that there's no escape from the manacles and discipline. This man's
emergence from darkness into light in this rather beautiful picture
seems to represent that realisation.
This man's adjustment was doubly difficult, since surprising as it
might seem, he didn't measure up to MOSLA's lofty product standards.
Rejection is a blow to anybody's pride but it's potentially a
blessing in disguise if it means he lands a less 'exacting' position.
For whatever reason he was off-loaded to a less discriminating
establishment, 'Cost Cutters' where men are simply priced for sale by
the kilo, surely the ultimate insult. It's hard to imagine this man
being dismissed so casually but someone may have got a bargain out of
it and as you know bargains make us feel good and that surely can't
do his future prospects any harm if he's clever about it.
The
101st of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker
709.
Personal Examination
At MOSLA, as sale day approaches, Platinum Clients are given access
to the conditioned bucks to examine them. Men who have painfully
reconciled themselves to serving a lifetime of hard, physical labour
and have trained hard in preparation for that manly destiny, may
discover at this point that their dedication has unwittingly forged
qualities of a different sort, ones that are desirable in their own
right. Those fanciful rumours of more intimate services being exacted
from them may turn out to be true after all.
The
simple act of transferring this image from a 'Gigolo' porn movie to
the darkness of the MOSLA dungeons illustrates that the boundary
between rent boys and slaves is a fragile one.
The
155th
of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker
710
On The Block
On sale day, lesser mortals get a chance to view and assess the
offerings close up and it's not hard to examine the excitement that
would be generated by being allowed to be in the close proximity of
large quantities of succulent male flesh, deliberately presented in
the most appealing way and trained to serve. Even the Auctioneer (see
image 703) has descended from his rostrum to get a better look and
assist the potential buyers in their appraisal of the product (see
link below).
Nor is it hard to understand the discomfort of the offerings
themselves as the weird and wonderful, the wealthy and wishful
encircle them and visually devour them. It would be only natural to
close your eyes and wish you were somewhere else, but soon enough one
of these men will become your owner and master and then you will have
to look him in the eye.
More at 'On
The Block' at Aquadude Bunker which has several more images.
711
Tighty Whitey Night
In this arena, there's more to marketing than simply butching up the
goods, gimmicks also have their place although resorting to such
practices is hardly flattering to the natural attributes of the men
who go up for sale. However, 'Tighty Whitey' auction nights have been
a great success at 'The Slave Emporium', a phenomenon which probably
needs no explanation. The rule is that underpants are removed only
after the fall of the hammer and there's a strict 'no returns' policy
too. So buyers have to decide whether that bulge is authentic and
does the restraint of that man imply there's still some spirit in
him, some aggression demanding to be tamed - or is it simply a sales
ploy to excite them? That is the gamble they must take.
In
this image Amalaric uses a different, suaver-looking auctioneer whom
you might imagine could draw higher values from the punters. Like his
colleague in previous pictures, he too is re-cycled in other images
pretty much without change (as is the room). If the slave's unique
identities have ceased to matter in this nightmare, their 'purveyors'
are even more anonymous.
The
133rd of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker
712
2-for-1 Sale
The gimmick of a 'two for
the price of one' sale is a nice idea particularly with men like this involved. It
wouldn't really work in the context of an auction where it's the
bidders who set the price. However, it's not unusual in auctions to
offer one of a group of similar items on it's own, with the winning
bidder for that one having the option of buying the others at the
same price. It's a clever way of levelling up prices but would
potentially generate a cruel situation if, for example, these men are
inseparable buddies or brothers. If the winning bidder rejects the
option to buy number 2, he'll be sold to a different buyer at a
different, probably lower price.
Amalaric
says that every effort is made to send slaves to the auction block in
prime condition, well groomed and oiled. These men make that point
very well and buyers can expect them to be fitter and healthier than
most men their age. The industrial setting here subtly spices their
unique appeal, it's very clever marketing! Fortified by the presence
of a buddy, you sense they must feel a sense of pride in the
admiration that comes their way on the block, even revelling in
mutual nudity. It's a brief moment of genuine glory before they move
on to a lifetime of humbling labour under the threat of the lash.
The
different auctioneer and surroundings here help to add to the
impression of streams of men going under the hammer one after
another on an industrial scale. At the same time the auctioneer's
barely changing poses indicate that it's a routine, repetitive job to
him and the individuals who go through his hands (as if!) mean no
more to him than the commission earned on their sale price.
Amalaric's
frivolous fantasy is full of uncomfortable truths.
There's a delicious
companion piece for this image in '2
for 1 sale' at Aquadude Bunker
713
Customisation
At the conclusion of the auction, the newly sold slaves will meet
their new owners for the first time. It's common in this world
for the sellers to offer customisation services such as tattoos,
piercing, circumcision or branding, whether as permanent evidence of
ownership or simply for decorative or practical purposes. Even
gelding may be sought for particular usages (if the slave's category
permits it). These practices represent a measure of the commitment of
the buyer to his purchases, but it's a painful gesture and one they
probably won't appreciate very much.
You may recognise the man on the right, previously seen skulking
about in the Rodeo scenes in Part
5. I suspect he's not the actual
purchaser here but simply the man who does the honours with the
irons, which at least reassures the anxious slave that he's dealing
with a professional.
It's fun trying to spot where Amalaric sources his images, this one's easier than some (answer at the end)
From 'Customisation'
at Aquadude Bunker
Related posts: 'The
Fifth of 1001 Nights' , 'Seventieth
of 1001 Nights' and 'Peasant
Rebel' all at Aquadude Bunker. Also 'Backyard
Branding' at Telemachus, plus Garage Sale (link below)
714 Waiting His Turn
This buyer has also made a double purchase, but not in the pressured,
hurly burly of the auction room but directly from the Slave Emporium
showroom, where there is no competition and less risk of getting
carried away. Of course it's usually pricier and one is more
susceptible to the sales assistant's cajoling, which in this case was
fired up when he found he had a first time buyer on his hands.
It was relatively easy to sell him some customisation choices from
the catalogue, not least because he was keen to observe the process
himself. It's recommended that buyers introduce themselves to their
purchases and establish their authority from the outset by
administering a initial token punishment in situ. As a first timer he
was also offered a demonstration of the latest training aids and
practical instruction in using them for creative discipline.
Since this man has purchased two men, each must witness the other
being put through this intense acquisition ritual and it's hard to
know which situation might be worse:- not knowing what is coming or
watching it and then getting the same yourself. In the image, No 2
turns away, unable to look and doing his best to maintain a manly
demeanour as the procedure drags painfully on.
From
'Waiting
His Turn' at Telemachus
715. The Stud Depot
Where there's a buck to be made you can be sure that some cut-price,
glossy superstore will muscle in on the action and it has to be
admitted that there are synergies with the DIY business of supplying
tools for doing work, although having a slave is the exact opposite
of DIY if you think about it.
Introducing Amalaric's Stud Depot where trained workmen are sold
alongside the tools of their trade and as you probably know there's
always a good selection of useful hardware accessories available too,
chains, ropes and fixings to make your new acquisition feel at home.
I have no doubt that if this was available as a legal route to
acquiring a pliable (Todd-like!) workman it would be raging success.
From 'Home
Depot' at Aquadude Bunker
716.
Garage Sale 2 (at Telemachus)
This beautifully simple
picture is based on a fantastic, unintended consequence which flows
as inevitably as night follows day from the premise of a world in
which men can be sold like chattels. Where such a market exists,
there will always be shady characters who will move to exploit the
demand it creates, but without following the legal channels and
regulations supposed to control the business. We've seen how MOSLA
operates on a fantastic scale on the edges of the legal market but
this takes us into the very extreme, yet most domestic of black
market operations, public and yet clandestine - selling slaves, no
questions asked, in a Garage Sale.
Jeb, the subject of this
story, was previously served up to us as the dishy Ryan in the story
of 'Bobby' (Part
3). Indeed it's not too hard to imagine this tragic episode
following on from that memorable comeuppance as Ryan seeks to drown
his sorrows. However, it's actually Jeb in the official storyline who
finds himself at a loose end one evening and wanders into a sleazy
bar he's not visited before. There he falls in with group of rogues
who spike his drink and cart him off in their van. After a difficult
night of softening up, he ends up hungover and hanging
from the rafters of their garage with a price tag in his ear, like a
pig. The clue is in the title if you know Amalaric's work
“Jeb’s
blue eyes widened in sudden comprehension as the garage door opened
to full sunlight and the first of the day’s early bargain hunters.”
This image is populated by
a number of Amalaric's stock characters we've seen before - the
burly, slave-master type at the back and a selection of typical
buyers, ranging from the urbane to the slightly weird. I particularly
like the way that the seated man is looking up at Jeb with a mixture
of lust and genuine admiration. Such is the paradoxical status of a
slave, unenviable but worthy of respect (a bit like a refuse
operative). Regardless of that, other men's plans for Jeb seem to
have been foiled by an unseen, more generous purchaser who's in the
process of removing him to his new home. Of course, Jeb is really a
fake as slaves go, he doesn't have the right papers, although the
official-looking brand he's been given (did I mention that?) will
fool some of the people. But as long as he's kept secure and away
from prying eyes it doesn't make much difference what papers he's
got.
See Garage
Sale at Telemachus
Same story, different,
less-boyish stud in The
196th of 1001 Nights at Aquadude Bunker
Of course, it wasn't like
this in the old days.....
717 Somewhere South of
Marrakech
For some the 'old days'
never went away. Here the artist visualises a bustling, traditional,
slave 'market place' with an assortment of characters on offer. I
wonder if any of these have been illicitly shipped out to take
advantage of the less regulated environment of the Middle East, or
were they sourced locally?
The secret of collage is
selecting good quality ingredients and most Amalaric images have at
least one stunning representative of manhood, this one has several.
Some stand around waiting to be sold, others are restrained, perhaps
out of necessity or simply to allow unhindered inspections. The
bandaged knee of the chap in the background is an unexpectedly frank
presentation technique, no doubt the trader has a tale to tell about
it, perhaps he's an Olympic athlete ('ex-' I should say).
Rebellious spirit is not
necessarily a deterrent to buyers and the man in the frame, may have
been chosen to be a demonstration 'piece' for exactly that reason.
Somewhat surprisingly 'try before you buy' is integral element of the
slave trading fantasy, the whip lays ready just in front of him.
At the right a soldier
keeps order and I dare say offers protection from those who would
steal the trader's wares. He gives the proceedings a stamp of
respectability, or at least official recognition and his presence
will have extinguished a few lingering hopes of rescue. The captive
in underwear may be one of those, he thoughtfully eyes the weighty
manacles that symbolise his future – or is he wondering why
everybody else is naked?
From 'The
Souk At Marrakech” at Telemachus
Amalaric's cumulative detailing of the customs and regulations of his Sci-Fi,
modern slave system builds across many separate pieces into an
impressively complete edifice (somewhat like the erotic, naked body
building world created in the IFNB
blog does). Punishment episodes form a major part of these
writings and of the experiences of the unfortunates caught up in them
but there's a lot of pleasure to be had in simply getting to grips
with how the complex jigsaw all fits together. It's intended as
erotic entertainment but it also gives us surprising insights into
how slavery works (from both side's points of view) and why we are
drawn to it.
Next
Time – A Slave's Life
Read this series from Part 1
Quiz answer: 'Customisation' is derived from a 'Russian Captured Guys' image
