The little details

For me the little details in a scene are what it's all about and make a good scene great or unique. I try to make sure I include these details in my posts, not least because I don't want to forget them! But some details I'll never forget because they were so central to the scene, like the one below.

A few months back I was playing with my Scottish friend during one of his visits to Dublin. We were doing a school roleplay where I was a prefect sent to the Headmaster for being caught looking at inappropriate material on the school computers.

In some ways it was a very run of the mill school scenario. I was dressed neatly in one of my uniforms. He was the typical stern and imposing Headmaster. He lectured me gravely on my misconduct; I was suitably chastened and repentant. There was a caning bent over his desk, skirt up and knickers down. There was corner time. There was a letter home. All perfectly normal to any school scene.

But there were two things he included that really got to me. For my Scottish friend had been carefully noting things I had said in emails with the intent of introducing them in this scene. And they both happened in the opening 5 minutes.

First off I was lectured on my disgraceful behaviour. Nothing strange there. Until I was reminded of my standing in the school. A senior prefect, captain of the football and basketball teams, captain of the school quiz team and member of the debutantes committee. He read the list out and I had to confirm my position. As he knew well, each and every one was a position I held in my senior year at my own school. I was mortified that he remembered but even worse my instincts screamed at me to clear my name. I burned at the thought of ever having to be sent to my own Headmaster, that a good girl like me would ever have been caught misbehaving so badly.

After shaming me and making me squirm back to my own school days he then did something even worse, that brought me to the point of tears. He ordered me to remove my school tie. He told me I was in disgrace and wasn't allowed the honour of wearing the prefect's tie. I have never felt like safewording as much as I did then. Knowing I'd have to complete the scene without being fully armoured in proper uniform almost undone me.

If you know me at all, you'll know that the tie is my favourite part of my uniform. I don't feel complete without it and it has to be worn neatly at all times. For me a schoolgirl without her tie is a disgrace. I'd rather have been told to strip naked than give up that tie. But with shaking hands I removed it and gave it to him, keenly feeling the shame of having to do so. I silently applauded him at having so expertly derailed me and prayed the caning would soon start before I lost it completely.

Two little details that caused me to feel more infinitely ashamed and repentent than the serious caning that followed.