I’ve been trying to determine what makes a slave. After reading an article on the differences between a submissive and a slave it occurred to me that the author of the article had hit it right on the head. (http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/950077/bdsm_101_difference_between_a_submissive.html?cat=38). It is the mere difference between what is negotiated when. For a slave all terms and conditions are determined and negotiated before the time they accept their collar. For the subi it is negotiated each time the subi plays and the subi does have control of a portion of her life. A subi is not 24/7 but only for the agreed on time.
The reason I use the term subi because being submissive doesn’t automatically make someone part of the BDSM or Ds lifestyle just like being dominant doesn’t make a person a Dom or Master. Submissive is a description of a person disposition and of their placement in the BDSM lifestyle but it is worth separating the two.

