I find sometimes its easier to have multiple ways of communicating that a submissive is approaching a threshold they have, either pain, or situational. It has been my experience that submissives can and very well do loose the ability to form speech coherently. So if the submissive comes to a point mentally that they muster the ability to form words, let alone loud enough for me to hear. Then I have already gone beyond what they were able to endure.

So I developed ways for them to communicate non-verbally. I find that a golf ball in the hand is more than enough to accomplish this task when the hands are not on the ground. The submissive simply lets go of the ball, and the scene is stopped until it can be determined if they are able or want to continue, or if they need the aftercare of stopping a scene with their signal. If in the prone position, then I have them extend the fingers arm straight from shoulder to wrist with the fingers spread. Watching for these signs helps me to gage if the submissive is approaching their threshold.

As far as being disappointed if a submissive uses the safe word. Yes, I am disappointed, but not in the submissive. I am disappointed in myself, as I pride myself on the ability to read the body language well enough to know if the sub is trying to communicate they want more, or to back off. The shoulders being the key.

I am never disappointed in a submissive who is able to express they have reached their ability to withstand whatever it happens to be that I am putting them through.