Larry, a book store manager from San Francisco, is an extreme introvert who prefers quiet evenings in his apartment alone reading and playing his recorder.

However, Larry (not his real name) has another life. He occasionally likes to explore a darker side of his introversion with the help of a dominatrix, Mistress Shtum.

“It took a long time for me to admit,” says Larry, “that there’s another side to me who enjoys being punished for being quiet. I experimented with other dominatrices, most of who were truly annoyed by my silent nature. They usually offered to punish me free of charge. Mistress Shtum understands me and my limits. As strange as it sounds, she’s the only person I feel safe with while being hogtied for not making eye contact.”

Mistress Shtum (her real name) specializes in introverted submissive fetishes. She says her introverted clients have particularly vivid fantasies. It can be anything being ordered to attend an Up With People concert wearing women’s underwear, to being strapped in a barber’s chair while talking on the phone for hours with a distant relative.

“I help my slaves explore their fears and desires. Ordering someone to hand out their business cards at a networking conference may sound cruel, but they trust me. I never have them engage in small talk with a regional sales manager without first agreeing to a safe word.”

“This lifestyle isn’t for all introverts,” says Larry. “There was a time in my life when the thought of being handcuffed to a talkative former cheerleader while trying to read a book would’ve repulsed me. I now understand there’s nothing more liberating than being totally humiliated and degraded – as long as it’s followed with lots of some quiet time.”