Fever Hedgie’s Shorts and Drabbles – mostly original

[Hedgehog]

This will become a collection of shorter pieces with my original characters. Descriptions of them will be in spoiler tags for those who are interested. There will also be some Dragon Age drabbles in the future, because I just love the whole world of this game and a lot of its characters.

Not Tonight

--------------------------------------------------
Original story
Characters: Joseph and Virginia
Gender of the sneezer: male
 

Spoiler

Joseph Dicalussi – age 32, opera singer and part-time professor for music and composition; Italian roots; sings baritone and plays five instruments; medium height, slim, fine brown chin-long hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin; he’s divorced and has a four years old son (who lives with his mother). Joseph is charming, likes to flirt, but is very faithful in a relationship

Virginia Urban – age 44; opera singer; colleague and ex-lover (six years ago) of Joseph’s; sings contralto; long ash-blond hair – tinted to hide the first grey streaks, a fine bright face that looks much younger than her age; corpulent but still very feminine; she was never married, but has an adult daughter. Virginia is friendly and very caring.

(This takes place one day after this story.)

-----------------------------------------------------

"Hewtshou… Harewtshou… goddamb… Hewtshou…"

“Joseph?” Virginia raised her head from the sheets of music she was just looking at then went over to the door to look around in the hall behind the stage. “Joseph, is that you?” She found the young singer not far from the back entrance of the opera house. He was wiping his nose with a white handkerchief, his eyes were watery, his face pale.

“Good afternoon, Virginia,” he said in a faint, hoarse voice.

“Gosh, Joseph!” the ash-blond woman said concerned and moved her round body over to her former lover. Her steps were always light and swift in spite of her corpulence. “You look horrible and you sound even worse… What are you doing here?” She took one of his hands – it felt like an ice block.

“Final rehearsal…” Joseph shrugged. He coughed against the back of his hand and sniffed wetly.

Virginia laughed in her warm, melodious manner. “But Joseph, darling… you cannot participate in the rehearsal. And neither can you sing at tonight’s performance. Not… like this…”

The brown-haired baritone sighed. “But it… hrnxt…” he stifled into his handkerchief, the tickle remained, his breath was hitching and his eyes, watering again. “It would be… heee… heee… heRAPTHOU…” His body was bent over from the force of the sneeze and he was shivering.

Virginia frowned compassionately. She grabbed one of his arms with her left hand, laid her right forearm on his back and guided him carefully into her dressing room where she sat him down on a chair. “I know…” she said lowly while crouching down in front of him. “It would be the first time ever that you’d miss a New Year’s concert. But there’s always a first time. And look at yourself, dear, you can’t sing tonight. Your voice sounds scratchy – to say the least… you can’t stop sneezing; and I’m quite sure you have a fever.” She put the back of her hand to his forehead and nodded. “Oh yes… a fever… and not a low one…”

Joseph groaned. He softly blew his nose and looked like he was close to tears. “Virginia… I’m so sorry. I don’t even know how this could happen…” He coughed and rubbed his aching throat with the fingers of his right hand.

The blond contralto chuckled melodiously. “Ah really… you don’t know? So… did you stay at home yesterday as I’d advised you? A little bird told me you were at Jenna’s party last night.”

Joseph gave Virginia a death glare. Who could have told her… He hid his nose behind his big handkerchief. “Hmtsh…” he stifled. “I was really careful,” he croaked sheepishly wiping his nose again. “Spoke little, was sitting most of the time, drank only half a glass… And who would stay alone at home on New Year’s Eve?” His usually sonorous voice cracked and failed with the last word.

The woman smiled cordially and took Joseph’s warm face between her hands. “Perhaps a singer with a cold who wants to take care of his voice?” she asked, then sighed. “Joseph… you are 32, but sometimes you behave like a stubborn toddler.” When she saw that he was starting to answer something, she laid her right forefinger on his hot and dry lips. “Shhh… stop speaking now. Go home, drink lots of tea and rest. Tomorrow I will come over and look after you. And don’t dare to be out of your bed then!”

Joseph grinned. “Yes, mummy.” He rasped lowly behind her finger.

Virginia thrust her right fist jokingly into her former lover’s side. “And never call me ‘mum’ again.”

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

Ok yes totally shipping these two XD. I LOVE when characters cameo in other stories. And can I say Hell Yes for an older female!!! Poor Joseph I hope he feels better.

[Hedgehog]

Ok yes totally shipping these two XD. I LOVE when characters cameo in other stories. And can I say Hell Yes for an older female!!! Poor Joseph I hope he feels better.

Not sure about that. I'm afraid I like torturing him too much. I know I'm bad. Thank you for your comment!

[Sitruuna]

*fans self*

Oh

Opera singers + colds? Yes pls

I really like the characters (...and should go read your other stories) and the interaction between them and the scenario and

Well

Everything?

I'm also glad to see characters who are in their 30s and 40s.

But hnnng that cold

Delicious

[Hedgehog]

Thank you for your nice comment, dear Sitruuna. I'm glad you like my characters and the drabble.

Here's a new one.

Creative Mood

Original story
Characters: Joseph and Virginia
Gender of the sneezer: male

Joseph Dicalussi – age 32, opera singer and professor for music and composition; Italian roots; sings baritone and plays five instruments; medium height, slim, fine brown chin-long hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin; he’s divorced and has a four years old son (who lives with his mother). Joseph is charming, likes to flirt, but is very faithful in a relationship
Virginia Urban – age 44; opera singer; colleague and ex-lover (six years ago) of Joseph’s; sings contralto; long ash-blond hair – tinted to hide the first grey streaks, a fine bright face that looks much younger than her age; corpulent but still very feminine; she was never married, but has an adult daughter. Virginia is friendly and very caring.

(This happens one day after “Not Tonight”)

Virginia climbed the stairs to Joseph’s studio, her cheeks red and stinging from the freezing air outside. She listened to the sound of his piano. A sweet little melody, she wasn’t familiar with. He wasn’t just playing, he was composing something. The music stopped when she ringed his bell. Some noises, the sound of some terrible coughs, then the door opened and the brown-haired baritone beamed at her from very glassy eyes.

“Virginia dear… Nice to see you…” he croaked. “Come in!” He turned away from her to cough throatily into his elbow. Ouch! His voice was nearly not existent anymore. The dark-blond singer entered closing the door behind her and looked worriedly at her former lover. He wore a sweater, a cardigan and a scarf around his neck. His face was pale with flushed cheeks. If anything, he looked even worse than the day before. And his voice… his beautiful voice was completely ruined.

The contralto sighed while putting her coat off and hanging it at the hall stand. “I heard you playing, Joseph. I really hoped to find you in your bed. You don’t look good…”

The young singer grabbed both arms of his former lover with his clammy hands. The woman wore grey trousers and a long dark-red pullover. The soft fabric flattered her round feminine features. His burning eyes showed the flash of excitement. “I have an i… hhh… hnnnnn… hrrrrETSHOU… reTSHOU…” He sneezed into his left shoulder, his full body shaking and shivering. It sounded painful but he didn’t seem to care and just went on croaking with his non-existing voice. “An idea, Virgie… Must play it… must write it down… before it slips my mind… before I forget…”

He let her go and rumbled through his living room, his moves clearly unsteady. Virginia kept standing by the door, leaning against its frame and let her gaze roam around with a shake of her head. His flat had never been very tidy, but now it was clearly in a mess – water bottles, half-filled cups of tea, cold meds, tissues everywhere and in between hastily written sheets of music. Concerned, she went over to Joseph, grabbed him by his shoulders, turned him around and put her hand to his forehead. She arched her eyebrows. “We must take your temperature, darling, you’re burning.”

The sick man coughed into his elbow and shook his head. “Let me write it down first.” he wheezed. She had to read his lips to understand.

Virginia sighing gave up and let him do what he wanted - knowing, she wouldn’t be able to stop his determination and neither did she really want to do so. She started to gather and order all the other sheets of music in the room, lowly humming the melodies she found on them. “Wait…” she stopped short. “It’s a duet about two lonely hearts sharing their colds on a New Year’s Eve?”

Joseph nodded agitatedly. “And I… huuuuu…. hhh…. haREPTShouuu…” he rubbed his red nose and sniffed while he continued to croak… “I wrote it in contralto and baritone, so we can sing it together.” He coughed and Virginia cringed at the sound of it.

“Darling, you will never be able to sing this when you don’t start taking care of yourself…“, she spoke, then bit her lower lip. She shouldn’t ask him. Really not. It was better if he finally stopped talking anyway. But somehow, she couldn’t hold back the question. “Who… did you meet there?”

“Oh…” Joseph chuckled which triggered another cough. “There was a sweet little girl with a bad cold. She was sitting in a corner far away from everyone…” The man wheezed and coughed again, grabbed at his throat – his face contorted in pain, but he still went on… “from everyone else… She looked so sad and lonely. So, I decided to talk to her a bit – to cheer her up and maybe give her some… hhhhh…. hktsh… hmptshee…” He sniffed and rubbed his nose with a tissue, his body was shaking, but he still wanted to finish his sentence… “some comfort from the fact…” He was interrupted by another bad coughing fit. “that she wasn’t the only one who struggled with a cold during that special night.”

He had finally finished. His poor voice had long given up and Virginia could only lip-read and guess. She wanted to interrupt him, wanted but couldn’t. The woman swallowed the faint bite of jealousy she always felt when Joseph spoke about other women. It was silly. Their affair had ended long ago and she had been the one who had finished it. She took a deep breath. “Have you accomplished what you wanted?” He nodded. “Well, then it’s my turn now…” She guided him to his sofa, made some place for him so he could sit down and gave him a blanket.

“Here, drink something,” Virginia said, reaching him a glass of water. “And then take this…” She took a package out of her pocket and put a drop into his hand. “The best lozenges I know if someone has trouble with their voice…”

She sighing sat down next to the sick baritone. “Joseph… are you crazy or just stupid? No, don’t answer that… This duet… it is wonderful. Maybe the best thing you’ve ever written. But honestly… you went to this party with a cold and have no better idea than impose yourself to something even worse?”

Joseph shook his head. “Virgie, we didn’t kiss, we just talked…”

“Stop speaking!” the woman said with a stern look. “Did she sneeze? Did she cough? Did you touch her?”

He dropped his gaze and this was the only answer she needed. “Joseph, you know how that works with infections? You learn it during basic school.” she winked at him, smiling compassionately. “Make yourself comfortable, I’ll be right back…”

The long-haired contralto went to his kitchen and cleaned his stove so she could heat up the pot with chicken soup she brought for him. Meanwhile, she searched his cabinet for his thermometer. When she came back to his sofa, the sick singer was just dozing away. Virginia crouched down in front of him stroking his hot cheek tenderly until he opened his eyes. ”Darling, we must take your temperature,” she said lowly. He nodded, opening his lips and she shoved the device under his tongue. The woman kept sitting beside him, holding one of his hands until the thermometer beeped. She read the result while Joseph let out a cough he had to hold back for a while - 39.4*…

“Time to call Dr. Wittmann,” Virginia breathed and took her phone.

“It’s Saturday,” Joseph croaked, rubbing his aching temples with his fingers.

“Indeed, it’s Saturday evening, but you know, we can all him anytime in an emergency. And a singer with laryngitis and a fever of 39.4 is one.”

“How do you know…”

“Shh…” she interrupted him. “You should really take care of your voice, darling.” she said laying her cool hand on his hot forehead. “And believe me… I don’t need a medical exam for this diagnosis.” She looked at her phone and dialed a number.
______________
*39.4°C *~ 103°F

[Sitruuna]

...it's really hot when the temperature is in celcius ok

Aside from that srcdjdjdxjzbnnng omg

Nom

Poor guy and his abused voice

(I'm sorry I haven't answered to your pm btw ._.)

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

She listened to the sound of his piano. A sweet little melody, she wasn’t familiar with. He wasn’t just playing, he was composing something.

He wore a sweater, a cardigan and a scarf around his neck. His face was pale with flushed cheeks.

he rubbed his red nose and sniffed

Kaze can't come to the phone right now as she's dead from how Joseph has hit like every fetish she has...

[Hedgehog]

@Sitruuna and kaze - you two are too good to me. Thank you so much for your nice comments! They mean a lot to me. I always think, my preferences are so crazy that I write my stories mostly for myself.

(I'm also still a bit unsure about writing in a foreign language and never know if I use the correct words/prepositions aso... )

[Sitruuna]

@Sitruuna and kaze - you two are too good to me. Thank you so much for your nice comments! They mean a lot to me. I always think, my preferences are so crazy that I write my stories mostly for myself.

(I'm also still a bit unsure about writing in a foreign language and never know if I use the correct words/prepositions aso... )

I, too, often feel my preferences are weird when I think about scenarios but you know what? It's all right : D we are all weird and reading your stories is a great pleasure (and I like many of the things you like so I'm not going to complain xD).

And don't worry about the language ok

[AnteatersOnParade]

How well you know me Hedgehog, how well you know me.

Bravo! These were so great. Like your other fic, I love the character dynamic here as well. I especially love the dueling tensions that you can feel during the progression of the two; you have an amazing tension building due to the escalation of the sickness, and another tension building due to the close-contact / highly-emotional situation that the two characters find themselves in. I like how it's slowly making them realize that they need to 'call the question' so-to-speak, in their relationship. That is, basically decide if they still have feelings for one another or resign to the fact that they will both inevitably end up seeing other people.

I also love the reigning theme of powerlessness - both due to the physical weakness brought on by illness kind of paralleled with that sort of powerlessness a true artist has over his craft and his muses. It was fun to see art prevail while sickness struggled to usurp that position.

Loving your stuff, thanks for sharing!

[Hedgehog]

AnteatersOnParade - thank you for this is a very thoughtful comment! The tension between them...Actually, their affair was year's ago and Virginia had ended it back then. In the meantime, Joseph was married with another woman, got a son with that woman and is divorced now. So yes - they 'see other people' - but there still is something between them, isn't there? I'm glad you could find it in my stories. You are an attentive reader.

Vulnerability and helplessness in connection with sickness and fever is the main part of what I really like. So, you'll find that quite often in my stories. Also - the "sick artist" has always been interesting for me. That's why Thomas Mann is my favorite writer - he had seen a connection between art and sickness the way that - in his opinion, a healthy person can't have an artistic disposition and a real talent would also have to be deadly ill. I don't see it the same way, but I've always found the thought fascinating and already devoured his stories and books when I was a child.

I've been writing on another part for a while. Job-related stress and familistic problems have been prolonging the writing process (although it will be a short piece as the others...); so I'm not sure when I'll be able to publish it.

[Hedgehog]

Another part of the story. Very low fetish count here, as I wanted to tell more about Joseph and Virginia' characters and manners this time.

Silencio, Part I

Original story
Characters: Joseph and Virginia
Gender of the sneezer: female

Joseph Dicalussi – age 32, opera singer and professor for music and composition; Italian roots; sings baritone and plays five instruments; medium height, slim, fine brown chin-long hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin; he’s divorced and has a four years old son (who lives with his mother). Joseph is charming, likes to flirt, but is very faithful in a relationship

Virginia Urban – age 44; opera singer; colleague and ex-lover (six years ago) of Joseph’s; sings contralto; long ash-blond hair – tinted to hide the first grey streaks, a fine bright face that looks much younger than her age; corpulent but still very feminine; she was never married, but has an adult daughter. Virginia is friendly and very caring.

It had been one week since Virginia had visited Joseph in his studio; and she came back to him almost every day – whenever her schedule of performances, rehearsals and other duties allowed it. It seemed like the baritone was over the worst now – the fever had broken, most of the other symptoms of his bad cold had abated. Only his voice was still quite weak and hoarse. He’d got a strict speaking-ban by Dr. Wittmann.

The opera had to cancel all his performances until the mid of January – much to Joseph’s dismay. He hoped he would at least be fit enough for the second part of the New Year’s concerts which would start in one and a half weeks.

The brown-haired singer looked into the big, framed mirror in his living room. He was sartorially dressed in a silver-grey suit and a dark-grey silk shirt. Tie and vest were a bit brighter again – matching the suit. His black shoes shone in the dim light. Smiling, he took his long, dark winter coat and a red scarf. If he couldn’t perform, he at least wanted to see and listen… he missed the music very much.

The baritone took a taxi to the opera building. He couldn’t drive himself as he was still under strong medication. Actually, he was still confined to bed. But he had started to feel really cooped up after such a long time of his sickness. They arrived and Joseph entered the building where he knew every brick. His eyes gleamed and his heart raced as everything here breathed and smelled like music. The colleagues he met greeted him joyfully; but they also told him he should “take care” of his voice when he hoarsely greeted them back.

From his place in the third row, he had a perfect view on the stage. The New Year’s program was a quite popular one – the best singers of the ensemble performed famous operatic arias. The baritone flinched every time it would have been his turn in the program. Two different singers had stepped in for him, as nobody else in this house had his vocal range and could sing his full repertoire. And well – they were good friends and passable singers, but as he’d always been a perfectionist, he found a lot of “mistakes” or at least things he would have done differently in their performances.

This all didn’t matter anymore when Virginia entered the stage. This woman was such an impressive view. She wore high heels and with those, she was surely 1.85 meters* tall. Her dark-blond hair was artfully pinned up and extended with several switches. She wore a sweeping long robe from green and cream silk. Joseph thought that she looked like an antique goddess. The audience welcomed the popular contralto with an enthusiastic applause. But when she started singing, everyone around got silent.

Joseph closed his eyes; and from her first tone until her last, he was diving completely into her wonderful warm voice that he’d always loved so much. The last song she sang was “Lascia ch'io pianga” from Händel’s opera “Rinaldo”. Many famous opera singers from all over the world regularly sang that popular aria which was originally written for a soprano voice. In Joseph’s opinion they were all powerless against Virginia’s expressive interpretation of the piece.

After the program, the baritone didn’t waste a second before he ran behind the stage to congratulate the musicians – and most of all Virginia – to their wonderful performance. On the other side of the curtains, the applause after the third encore was still surging.

He found her in the restroom on a chair, surrounded by some other singers. There was some quiet talk, but Virginia didn’t participate. He saw how she opened her mouth a bit, her dainty nostrils flared, her eyes flew shut; the contralto brought her hands with a white, embroidered handkerchief to her face and caught an almost silent sneeze in the fine fabric.

Joseph frowned and quickly went over to the singer. “Virginia!” Oh no… why was his voice still sounding so awfully hoarse? He just couldn’t need that now… “I wanted to congratulate you to your wonderful performance. But… are you unwell, my dear?” His brown eyes looked worried. Next to him was a chuckle. The black-haired tenor Paul laid a hand on Joseph’s shoulder. “You know her, my friend; she never speaks when she has a cold.”

Indeed, he knew her. And he knew when she was furious. Virginia’s eyes had widened the moment he spoke the first word. She was looking at him with a gaze that could cut steel. After gently sniffing and wiping her nose with the handkerchief, she stood up, grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and practically dragged him to her dress room, pushed him inside and closed the door behind them. Outside one could hear the laughter of Paul and other singers. “You heard his voice and you saw her face – she will kill him,” someone said laughing.

Virginia pointed at a chair where he should sit down and he obeyed sighing. She sat down herself in another chair dabbing her slightly pink nose carefully with her handkerchief. Joseph looked embarrassed. Was it his fault that she’d got ill? She had been a lot around him during the last days… “Virginia, I’m sorry if…” The woman cut him off with another furious gaze and gesture. She pulled a paper-notebook out of her cardigan pocket and started to scribble something inside it with a pencil. As soon as she’d finished, she handed him the book and the pencil. The baritone knew her handwriting – it was far from a typical woman’s script as it was not round, but snappy, straight and sweeping; still, it was very well readable. “I’m angry at you for coming; and even angrier for speaking. You are still on bed rest and speaking ban. I will change my clothes and then go home. You can help me if you like. If you want to answer, take the notebook – don’t speak.”

Joseph took the pencil and answered writing. In between, he looked up, because Virginia sniffed and wiped her nose again. He felt sick to his stomach. “Virginia, if it was my fault that you got ill, I apologize. And about being here… I really needed to hear your voice again. It’s been so long…” His handwriting was slovenly and hardly readable. But he knew that she was able to decipher it. A warm smile scurried over her face before she answered writing. “But I would sing for you anytime, my dear. You just need to ask.”

____________

*(1,85m ~ 6.1ft)

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

God I adore these two. Their relationship is so mature, they care deeply for each other but aren't together you don't see that very often.

I love the use of the notepad and Virginia being upset with poor Joseph.

[tma]

Awwwww!!!

I LOVE these :wub:

So many things with these "snapshots" that push buttons of kahfkahfkha!! Ages, the music aspect And his sound.... just... gah....

Am loving these so much.

[Sitruuna]

“You heard his voice and you saw her face – she will kill him,” someone said laughing.

I don't really know what else to say without repeating myself too much n_n'''

Awesome ficlet.

[Hedgehog]

Thank you all three so much for your wonderful comments. They leave a warm feeling in my tired heart.

Lots of stress; but I will continue one day.

[Hedgehog]

Well - it lasted a while, but here I'm back with a very short drabble that also finishes the Joseph-and-Virginia-story for now. Hope you like it.

Silencio II

Original story
Characters: Joseph and Virginia
Gender of the sneezer: female

Joseph Dicalussi – age 32, opera singer and part-time professor for music and composition; Italian roots; sings baritone and plays five instruments; medium height, slim, fine brown chin-long hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin; he’s divorced and has a four years old son (who lives with his mother). Joseph is charming, likes to flirt, but is very faithful in a relationship

Virginia Urban – age 44; opera singer; colleague and ex-lover (six years ago) of Joseph’s; sings contralto; long ash-blond hair – tinted to hide the first grey streaks, a fine bright face that looks much younger than her age; corpulent but still very feminine; she was never married, but has an adult daughter. Virginia is friendly and very caring.

Two days later, Virginai had to admit that – despite all her efforts - her cold had worsened. She felt sore and tired; her head ached. And she was glad to have a tissue box within reach, because... hntshee… tshee… hptshee…her sneezes came in rapid rows, making her nose run and her eyes watering. A small shiver was running down her spine. She took a tissue to wipe and clean her nose, coughing lightly. The tender skin around her nostrils was red and already a bit chapped from wiping it so much during the last days.

The singer still took care she didn’t speak. She also never cleared her throat because she knew that was like ramming the vocal chords with a truck; and she sincerely hoped, the cold wouldn’t move to her chest.

Her doorbell was ringing and Virginia stood ups, smiling. She guessed who would visit her and was affirmed when she saw Joseph’s friendly face behind a big bouquet of flowers. There was a card on it with the inscription: “I have a surprise for you…”

Virginia waved the other singer inside, closed the door and went to her kitchen to get a vase for the flowers. hektshee… heptshee… she sneezed on her way bending over and shivering slightly again.

“God bless you, Virginia,” Joseph said in his sonorous and clear baritone voice. Virginia stopped dead and needed a second before she turned on her heels and looked at him from wide and a bit glassy eyes. So, this was his surprise – his voice was back! The woman smiled, threw her arms around Joseph’s neck – one hand still holding the bouquet – and kissed the other singer’s cheek. So happy she was about hearing his wonderful voice again.

Joseph cheerfully stroked Virginia’s cheek, then frowned and touched her forehead. “Virgie, I think you have a bit of a fever,” he said worried. “Let’s get you back to your bed, alright?”

The woman nodded but still went on to the kitchen to fill a vase with water and put the bouquet inside. heekshe… heptshee… she sneezed again, sniffed and carefully wiped her nose. Joseph stroked her shoulder, took the vase in one hand and guided the sick singer with the other to her bedroom. “You know what?” he said on a sudden impulse. “I know, you never speak with a cold to save your voice… but somehow I’ve always wanted to know how you would sound in those moments.”

“And why would you want to know that?” Virginia asked, inwardly cringing about the sound of her own voice. Joseph was noticeable shocked. He looked at the contralto in a mixture of surprise and concern. She really sounded very sick – hoarse, congested and weak. Her usually so beautiful voice was nearly not recognizable anymore – it was much deeper now and sounded fragile like shattered glass. “Wow, Virgie, sorry for asking you… Come, lay down now.” He helped her into her bed and tucked a blanket around her. Smiling at him gratefully, she took her notebook and scribbled something on it; then reached it over to the man who was crouching next to her bed. “Thank you, Jo. Can you sing something for me?” he could read on the slip.

The baritone smiled. “Of course, my dear,” he whispered brushing a strand of hair from her warm forehead. He sat down on the edge of her bed and started to sing the aria "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein" for her – one of her favourite songs. She smiled and listened to his voice that she’d missed so much. The warmth of the bed, his tender hands, his smooth voice that he kept low on purpose were easing the pain and congestion in her head. The fatigue finally overwhelmed her. With his last tone she fell into a deep slumber.

“Sleep well, Virgie,” Joseph whispered, still a little smile on his face and one last time stroked her cheek before he went up and looked at his watch. No need to hurry – he would still be in time for his rehearsal. When everything went fine, he would have his first performance for almost a month the next evening. Beaming in anticipation, Joseph silently left Virginia’s flat and ran down the stairs.

For those who don’t know the aria and want to have in impression of it – here is an interpretation by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau - who is still the best baritone ever for me. I hope he rests in peace and sings for the angels now… --> "Mache dich, mein Herze, rein"

[James (ellamalaka)]

I'm a big opera fan. I've always wanted to see an understudy perform because the Diva had lost her voice...

[Hedgehog]

I've always wanted to see an understudy perform because the Diva had lost her voice...

Your wish - my command...

Puppy License

Original story

Characters: Agatha, Joseph and Virginia

Gender of the sneezer: female (only in the last part)

This one is for James.

Joseph Dicalussi – age 32, opera singer and part-time professor for music and composition; Italian roots; sings baritone and plays five instruments; medium height, slim, fine brown chin-long hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin; he’s divorced and has a four years old son (who lives with his mother). Joseph is charming, likes to flirt, but is very faithful in a relationship

Virginia Urban – age 44; opera singer; colleague and ex-lover (six years ago) of Joseph’s; sings contralto; long ash-blond hair – tinted to hide the first grey streaks, a fine bright face that looks much younger than her age; corpulent but still very feminine; she was never married, but has an adult daughter. Virginia is friendly and very caring.

Agatha Bergau – age 24; opera singer (soprano) just graduated from the University of Arts in Berlin, she was one of Joseph’s students there; medium height, skinny, thin red-blond hair, very fair skin with lots of red freckles, water-blue eyes

"No, no, I can't... I really can't do that," the thin, red-blond woman shook her head furiously; some tears emerged from her anxious eyes. Her meagre body was bent forward and shaking slightly, her hands clenched to half-fists.

Joseph went over to the young woman, taking her ice-cold hands into his own, warm ones and gave her a reassuring gaze from his friendly brown eyes. "But of course you can do that, Agatha. You are a brilliant singer; you were my student – so I should know. And you've already sung this role in a performance last year."

"That was different. It was at the university, not here..." Agatha looked down on her feet, her breath calming a bit. She remembered all the times she had sat in the audience and had admired the presence and voice of the very woman she... she of all people... should substitute now.

The baritone pressed the young woman's hands more firmly. "Agatha," he said sternly. "You can do that and you will do that... I'll help you through it, alright?" he added in a softer voice with a friendly smile and let one of her hands go, holding the other only slightly now. He nodded to the old vocal coach at the piano who had already rolled her eyes about Agatha's childish behavior but started playing again now.

"Là ci darem la mano, là mi dirai di sì. Vedi, non è lontano; partiam, ben mio, da qui..." Joseph sang his part of the duet in perfection and carefully pressed Agatha's hand when her part started, singing along her lines lowly in his falsetto voice. "Vorrei e non vorrei, mi trema un poco il cor. Felice, è ver, sarei, ma può burlarmi ancor." Agatha sang along, her voice firm and safe. She smiled, almost laughed about Joseph's falsetto. "Vieni, mio bel diletto!" Joseph sang his part and pressed her hand again. "Mi fa pietà Masetto." Agatha sang confidently and without the help of Joseph's falsetto this time. For the rest of the duet, she didn't need his help anymore. When the two had finished, their colleagues applauded. Agatha blushed. Perhaps, she could really manage that...

_______________

The opera was nearly sold out the next night. Some of the audience murmured in disappointment when they heard Virginia Urban wouldn't sing Zerlina this time after they already needed a replacement for Joseph as Don Giovanni during the last few weeks.

"At least, Joseph Dicalussi will sing tonight," someone said and some others chatted about the rumor that Urban and Dicalussi would be together again.

"Or do you think it's just a coincidence that he was sick at first and now she is?"

Most of the audience was curious to hear and see the young Agatha Bergau as substitute for the great Virginia Urban.

“I’ve heard she’s very talented.”

“That’s what I heard, too. And she’s a soprano.”

“But Joseph and Virginia have always been so gorgeous together.”

It had been Joseph’s idea to set Agatha as understudy for the role of Zerlina. He knew about her talent; but – more importantly – he knew Virginia’s complicated character. She had always been very censorious – both to herself and to all singers of her own generation. She would have pulled every one of them to pieces for the smallest mistake; and she probably couldn’t rest and recover then. It was different with the very young singers though – she was milder, more lenient towards them; she just saw them with more motherly eyes and not with those of a rival.

__________________________

Virginia was sitting on her living room sofa, wrapped into a thick blanket. Tea, a tissue box, water and meds were standing on her coffee table; her TV showed the live broadcast of “Don Giovanni” from their opera house. The singer muffled a cough into her fist and quickly took some tissues out of the box when she felt a tickle in her nose. HEWTSH… THEW… HERFTSHEW… She released a row of harsh, wet sneezes into the wad of tissues and softly blew her red-rimmed nose thereafter. After throwing the used tissues into the trash bin that she had situated next to the sofa, the singer sniffed a bit. She had tested her voice in the morning – she still sounded awful. At least, Dr. Wittmann could convince her that it was only a viral infection, so she didn’t need antibiotics, only bedrest and lots of fluids. He said it would still last some days more for her to recover from her bad cold.

Attentively the sick opera singer listened to the first act of the opera; her heart blossoming every time Joseph sang. And seeing how the young Agatha scintillated in her roll – as Zerlina, made her cry with joy. The young soprano almost always struck the right note; and her moves appeared so graceful and natural. Of course – she herself would do better. But well – she had the advantage of longstanding experience. For a debut – this was really good.

In the break between the acts; between several sips of tea and blowing her nose; the contralto sent a message on her phone to her young colleague – praising her performance with kind words.

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

I adore the name Agatha. I'd be nervous too tho for me it'd be more standing near Joseph...

I wish I had a better request but I just want to see sick!Joseph again.

Also Gabriel might need to drag Liam to the opera...kicking and screaming XD

[Hedgehog]

I adore the name Agatha. I'd be nervous too tho for me it'd be more standing near Joseph...

I wish I had a better request but I just want to see sick!Joseph again.

Also Gabriel might need to drag Liam to the opera...kicking and screaming XD

Maybe they could even visit Berlin for whatever reason? *lol*

There will be a sick Joseph again, although I can't say when exactly. Thank you!

(Btw - there is a reason, Agatha isn't so very nervous about Joseph's presence. )

[Hedgehog]

It was worth it

------------------------------------------
Original story
Characters: Joseph and Virginia
Gender of the sneezer: male

Joseph Dicalussi – age 32, opera singer and part-time professor for music and composition; Italian roots; sings baritone and plays five instruments; medium height, slim, fine brown chin-long hair, dark brown eyes, tanned skin; he’s divorced and has a four years old son (who lives with his mother). Joseph is charming, likes to flirt, but is very faithful in a relationship

Virginia Urban – age 44; opera singer; colleague and ex-lover (six years ago) of Joseph’s; sings contralto; long ash-blond hair – tinted to hide the first grey streaks, a fine bright face that looks much younger than her age; corpulent but still very feminine; she was never married, but has an adult daughter. Virginia is friendly and very caring.

For kaze and everyone who wants to know how Joseph got his cold in the first place... This is also dedicated to the members of the Mainzer Staatstheater and their wonderful action against the xenophobic Pegida-demonstrations in their city (for which they got a complaint against "disorderly conduct" – yes, honestly…). Here, you have an impression of their project (and the weather on that very day ^^)
-----------------------------------------------

It was an annoyance. For several months now, the Pegida-demonstrators came together every Monday on the place in front of their opera house. Why here of all places? There is nothing as cosmopolitan and international as the opera! The musicians of their company came from thirty different countries and the only language they all had in common was the music itself.

"We must do something against that madness," Virginia said, shaking her head. Other musicians nodded in agreement. Someone had brought the topic up, out of nowhere. Now, they all talked about it during a break in their rehearsals.

"Hm... I think I've got an idea..." Joseph said, his brown eyes gleaming.

The last Monday in December was a cold and rainy day. Joseph was exhausted after a long weekend with four performances and a sick son to take care of. In addition he’d felt a bit run down since the morning and had had a ticklish throat since noon. He hoped he wasn’t coming down with something as there would be some important performances over New Year and the following weekend.

The daily rehearsals in their opera started at four in the afternoon. At this time, the place in front of their building was still filled with the students of the near university. But two hours later, a rostrum and some technic was constructed for the speakers and the theatre company started with their own preparations – they carried big loudspeakers and lighting systems. Soon, the place filled with demonstrators carrying anti-immigrant slogans and the speakers spread their poison into stupid heads.

This was the moment, they all stepped out on the balcony and on the steps of the perron in front of the entrance – out into the pouring rain and the storm – all singers of the company - and started to sing “Freude schöner Götterfunken” with all the power of their lovely educated voices, standing hand in hand. The stars of the group formed the first row – Peter, Joseph and Virginia among them. Joseph sang at the top of his voice. “Wir betreten feuertrunken…” He was drenched from the rain and freezing from the cold air. But they all were; and nobody yielded as the demonstrators started to hiss and throw things at them. “Deine Zauber binden wieder…” The speakers reacted on them, ridiculed the opera singers and also told them that their action would be illegal as they ‘disturbed an officially announced demonstration’. But the singers didn’t stop. “Alle Menschen werden Brüder, wo dein sanfter Flügel weilt.“

The next morning, Joseph woke up with a headache from hell, a swollen throat and a slight fever. He could still sing in the rehearsal that afternoon and also perform in the evening, but he was utterly exhausted and speaking was difficult.

HREWTSHOU… he sneezed for what felt like the thousand’s time that day and rubbed his slightly pink nose.

“Seems like you’ve caught a really bad cold in the rain last night,” Virginia said, compassionately rubbing his back.

“Might be,” Joseph shrugged and sniffed. His voice already sounded a bit hoarse and congested. “But it was worth it. And I would do it again and again.”

[Kaze Wo Hiku]

HNNNNG HEDGIE I LOVE IT!!

I know it's cliche as hell but I LOVE when people get sick from being in the rain/cold, thank you!!!

[Subtly Clashing Wishes]

These are marvelous. I know nothing about opera, but the use of characters that are opera singers I think is inspired. Of course any little upper respiratory infection has major impact on their work. That just adds an extra layer of anxiety and/or anticipation to each fic. Nicely done.

[Hedgehog]

The next drabble goes back to the first time Jo and Virgie met - their first date. No sneezing this time. (Written as answer to a request on tumblr)

Warning - vomiting in the last part of the story!

Original Characters:

Joseph Dicalussi – age 25 – opera singer (baritone) graduated last summer from the University of Arts; medium height, slim, fine brown chin-long hair, dark brown eyes

Virginia Urban – age 36 – opera singer (contralto), very popular ‘star of the ensemble’; long ash-blond hair, a fine bright face that looks much younger than her age; tall for a woman (taller than Jo by a finger's breadth), corpulent but still very feminine; she was never married, but has a 12-year-old daughter

---

~ Could it be love? ~

What did he want from her?

Joseph had been trying to flirt with her from the first day on he had belonged to their opera ensemble. All his compliments, questions and smiles… It’s not that she wouldn’t like the young man with his soft brown hair, the tanned skin and his dreamy, dark eyes. He was intelligent, humorous, very talented; he had the most wonderful baritone voice but – he had just graduated and was twelve years younger than her. Alright – eleven and a half given her birthday was in May and his in November, but still…

They were friends. The two loved to sing and play together; they could talk about everything and had a lot of fun.

“Virgie, your performance tonight was delicious. I love the way you use the resonance of your body to raise the impact of your voice,” Joseph purred and let his gaze run up and down her prominent curves.

Virginia blushed. “Oh Jo, why do you keep doing this. I don’t get it…”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean your flirting, making approaches… You are… so young… I’m twelve years older than you.”

“So what?” He shrugged. “Our birth date is nothing we can change, right? And as far as I know, the father of your daughter is twenty years older than you?”

Virginia chuckled melodiously. “But Joseph, that’s something completely else…”

“Is it?” He arched his brows. “Why is that different, Virgie?”

The contralto opened her lips for an answer. But when she couldn’t find an argument without the stereotypes about the ‘ideal age of a man and a woman in a relationship’, she closed them again. Honestly – she was just afraid what other people would think or say seeing them together – the musicians, the audience, the media… But, maybe, his point wasn’t so wrong after all?

…

Joseph smiled. No objections? This could be the opportunity he’d waited for for months.

“Give me a chance, Virgie.” He took her soft white hand into his brown ones, stroking its fine-pored back of it with his thumb. “You love the theatre? You love ‘la cuisine francaise’?  In two days is Valentine’s day; and I have organized the perfect date for us. What do you think?”

She looked adorable when she blushed. Not only her fine, bright cheeks, also her delicate nose shone in a powdery pink. “Alright,” she agreed. “Let’s give it a try.”

…

The Valentine’s Day was a Tuesday. They had a rehearsal in the morning; but no performance in the evening. Virginia seemed unusually quiet that day. Was she nervous about their date? Or beset by doubts?

“Are you okay, Virgie?” Joseph asked her. “Do you still want us to date tonight?”

“But of course, Joseph. I’m looking forward to it.” But her smile appeared tired.

Six hours later, he ringed at her door; dressed in a fine suit and coat; a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

Virginia opened and gosh, she looked beautiful! She wore a long blue silk-dress, a blue, waisted coat; a fine white scarf around her neck matching white gloves and boots. She had her long, wavy ash-blond hair open. It looked so nice how it fell over her shoulders. Still, her smile looked still tired when she welcomed him with a small kiss on each cheek; and was she pale? Hard to tell as her skin was so bright anyway and she wore make-up, too. Joseph was a bit worried but hoped, she was just nervous about their first date.

“Shall we?” He reached her his hand and guided her to the taxi that took them to the theatre.

Virginia appeared uneasy in her seat. It seemed, she couldn’t really concentrate on the performance; and Joseph could see how her hand went to her belly several times.

He laid a hand on her knee. “Virgie, are you okay?” he asked worried.

Spoiler

(warning: vomiting in the followings paragraphs.)

 

The blond woman shook her head. She put a hand on her mouth, the other still on her stomach. “Excuse me…” she pressed out between her teeth, then urgently ran out of the room.

Joseph was startled. He stood up and went behind her. The foyer was empty. Following the signs, he found the way to the restrooms. Nervously, he waited in front of the door until Virginia came out – looking ashen and miserable.

“Oh dear, Virgie!” He took the trembling woman into his arms and felt her forehead gently. It was burning, her skin felt clammy. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked worried.

Some tears were running down those ashen cheeks. “So sorry… I hoped… You’ve made such an effort and…” Holding her hand to her mouth again, she ran back into the restroom another time.

Joseph stood there, worried and feeling helpless. He ordered a taxi; and when Virginia came out of the restroom again, he helped her home safely. Luckily, she did not have to vomit in the car, but she looked miserable. He held her, rubbed her shaking arms, and caressed her hot face.

When they arrived at her house, she wanted to say goodbye for the evening.

“That’s absolutely out of question, Virginia! I’ll stay with you.”

And so, he did. He helped her to the bedroom, helped her out of her clothes, held her head when she had to vomit again, prepared a tea for her, a warm-water-bottle for her poor aching belly, a cool cloth for her fevered head.

“I don’t know how I can ever make that up to you,” Virgie whispered totally exhausted when her stomach had finally calmed down for a while and she drifted away to sleep.

The opportunity came soon enough. Because, two days later, our poor Joseph came down with the same bug. And when she soothed his aching belly, when she held his fevered head; when she cleaned vomit from the floor as it overcame him too fast for the run to the toilet, then she felt, it was love. She loved this man; and he loved her. They belonged together. And whatever other people thought or said… Well – let them talk.