Cbarton
2nd Level Yellow Feather
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- Jan 8, 2003
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After much too long a hiatus, here is a new story by me, showing that I still know how to use the pointed end of the quill....
Dedicated to Iluv2btickled, the inspiration of this ticklish tale....
The room was hushed, but an excited buzz floated over all inside. The chance of a lifetime was waiting for one of the 6 ladies waiting there. The world famous crossover classical group “Blessed” was searching for a new cellist. The original member, Chee-Lin Fegenbush, had been injured in a severe automobile accident 2 months before, and would not be able to perform, let alone tour for a year or more. Hank Beregstrom, the producer, had quickly did some research and found the best 6 female cellists in the world to audition for the all-female quartet. Jamie Mills (first violin), Vanessa (know to fans as just “Ness”) Jenkins (second violin), and Tara Fugate (viola) had been an active part of the auditioning process. Now all six ladies waited as the final part of the audition was to commence.
Jessica Baker was one of the six. She originally had not been considered for the job, but when one of the other candidates declined the audition, she was next on the list and jumped at the opportunity. Her background was not as prim and pampered as the rest, having to work hard to get accepted into college as a musician, almost the musical equivalent of a ‘walk-on” on the basketball team. It hadn’t taken long for the professors to see the latent talent and hone it to a fine edge. She was at least 4-5 years younger than the rest, but used that as motivation and quickly rose on the chart during the auditioning process. First were the prepared pieces, then sight reading a new piece for the group to see how quickly they could adapt. Next, all got to sit in with the other three of the group and perform numbers off one of Blessed’s albums. Jessica had been a fan of the group since their first release, “Octavia” and already knew every piece by heart just from listening to them. The group was impressed.
Now it was the final day. It was about 10 AM when the three ladies, the producer, and some other studio musicians arrived. They sat at the table on the far end of the room. Hank stood up and addressed the six musicians
“You have all done well. We feel that any one of you will serve this ensemble well. As you know, our concerts include dance movements by the musicians and others, as well as other activities on stage.” They all nodded in agreement. One piece, “Swans” was a modernized version of pieces from Swan Lake that included a ballet troop on stage as they played. He continued, “Because of all this, whoever is our new cellist will need to be able to concentrate on her playing in spite of any and all distractions. The final test will see if you can perform under extreme duress and distraction. We will call you in one at a time, starting with our number one candidate. If she is successful, the job will be offered to her and the rest of you will be sent off with our condolences and thanks for your hard work. If she fails, the second name on our list will come in. We will go through the list until one of you succeeds or all fails. If all fail, we will begin a new search for musicians. You are all bound by your audition contract not to tell anyone what happens during these auditions. If you do, you will be blacklisted with other conductors and recording labels, and will not receive payment for your time here. With that said, we will begin…”
Jessica’s pulse began to race. Hank was known for being hard-nosed and getting what he wanted. His reputation was world renowned. She knew no one dared cross him. She knew she had surprised many with her skills, but had she moved up enough to be first? Surely, who ever was called first should win the job very easily, she felt. She looked around the room. Many of them were dressed to kill, mini-skirts and tops to try to match some of the sexy styles the quartet were known to wear on stage. She was in a simple black tank-style top that fitted her well and showed a fashionable ¾-1 inch of tummy. Her white slacks were well fitting, but not too tight, allowing her to move and play well, the length giving a ‘calm-digger’ look. She waited breathlessly as Hank held up his clipboard.
“The first name on the list is…Tamara Fugate.” All the air left everyone’s lungs as they all looked at her. She played like a demon, and looked like a fashion model. Many felt that she had been the frontrunner from day 1, and her playing had proved it. She boldly strutted to the table, and the all of the group, except one, led her to the studio room where all the performing had been done. Charlie, the security guard, stayed at the table. He made sure no one else tried to get to the other room and see what was happening inside. The remaining five milled around, congratulating each other on getting so close but knowing they would not get the coveted position.
Just ten minutes later, they were amazed to see Hank come through the door again, disappointment on his face. “Tamara has failed the final audition test. Therefore, you are all still in the running. Please, take your seats…” Jaime, Ness and Tara entered next, smiling as they entered, almost as if they had enjoyed whatever had happened to cause Tamara to fail. “Therefore, just like in the beauty pageants, since the winner failed to make it through, the first runner up will get the opportunity. That person is…..Denise Blake.”
Denise screamed as her name was called. She had been a ballerina as a child, but a bad ankle ended her career earl and she concentrated on music instead. Surely she had the stage presence to make it, Jessica thought. The elated musician quickly grabbed her instrument and entered the studio room. Charlie closed the door with a loud slam. Jessica walked up to him. “Do you know what exactly is happening in there?” she inquired
“All I know is that the room is soundproofed and I’m to keep you all out here until they call for you.” At that, the door swung open again, a disgusted look on Hank’s face. “Well, this test seems to be much harder than we imagined. We need our second runner up” As he spoke, a chill of dread went down Jessica’s back. Those two had stage experience galore. If they had failed, what about the rest?
Hank started to look at the list. “Next is….Jessica Baker”
Her heart nearly stopped as he read her name. She reached for her instrument carefully. Two others had failed this, what made her think she could pass? She hesitated, and then decided that nothing would stop this dream from becoming a reality. She followed Hank into the room. She saw all three ladies standing there, smiles on their faces. “Pull out your cello and have a seat please,” Jessica did so and waited for her next set of instructions.
“All we want you to do is play a piece for us. We assume you are familiar with the Elgar solo?” Of course she was. One of the first solo pieces any cellist learned to play was the Elgar cello solo. “I can play it in my sleep, in fact sometimes I have...” she joked.
“Good. All you have to do is play it without stopping while we do what we can to interfere with you. We will not hurt or injure in any way. But, you will be touched, since there will be dancers with you and making contact with you in stage. You are allowed one ‘stop’ or break in the flow of the piece. Any more than that and you forfeit. Understood?”
She nodded her ascent. It couldn’t be that bad. She had played in the middle of pillow fights around her and such. What could they possibly do that would prevent her from playing? “Ok, when do I begin?”
“We will start when you do…” With that, she started the piece. Two measures into it, she heard an air horn blast in her left ear, thanks to Ness. She was startled but saw it coming and never missed a beat. Cymbals crashed next to her now, but not fazing her. She kept playing….usually she closed her eyes when she played this piece, but didn’t dare. If they meant to spook her, she planned to be ready for it. They did some shouting and shoved their faces in her view, but she was used to this from her brothers and her roommates. “If this is all it is, this will be easy,” she thought to herself as she reached the halfway point of the piece.
Jessica yelped suddenly and tilted to one side. Tara and just poked her between the ribs on the left side. Jessica’s ticklish reaction did not go unnoticed by Ness and Jaime. Ness circled to the right, and Jamie from behind. In a concerted attack, Ness went for the right ribs as Tara hit the left side again. They went up and down in opposite directions from each other. The piece required her arms to be out at this point, she Jessica gritted her teeth and tried to make it though. She was extremely ticklish on her sides, but wouldn’t give them the pleasure of making her stop and laugh. If she did, she would not even be able to continue.
Jamie now slowly began to reach from behind and stroke Jessica’s armpits. She cringed at the new sensation. The maddening feel of the fingers on her was horrid. She was three-quarters through. She had to keep going, her career depended on it. The sweat on her brow now spread all over her body, as it became more and more difficult to play as their fingers played her. It was soon apparent to Hank that the girls seemed to be really enjoying this. Their smiles were the biggest they had been since Chee-Lin’s accident, and they were going to town on poor Jessica. He knew she wouldn’t last much longer.
Jessica closed her eyes and played hard now. She did her best to dodge their fingers, but they were too quick for her. Besides, the solo required her first concentration. Her hands shook as she tried to resist the urge to hit them with the bow. Her other hand trembled as they moved on the strings. At last, the giggles started to leak out as she could not hold it much longer. “Only a few more bars….have to make it….almost there….I’m so close” Her laughing was pouring out now, making it hard to play. The girls did not let up, but tickled her even harder….Tara and Ness taking turns to stroke across her belly as well, with marked results. Jessica shifted in her chair trying to avoid it, but it made playing more difficult. She was on the last few measures. She had to finish it out. She bit on her tongue to try and mask the sensations. It barely helped.
She hit the last note, then flung the bow to her right and rolled off the chair, laughing hard now. She tried to block their hands, but there were too many. The song was done, but they kept it up! Finally, Jessica reached out and grabbed Ness’s foot, clad with only a sandal. She knocked it off and tickled back. Ness shrieked and curled up. The other two winked and went after Ness now. Jessica waited and caught her breath. The girls stopped with Ness after a few minutes and stood up.
Hank then walked slowly towards her, hand out. Jessica took it and then shook it firmly. “Congratulations. You passed the test. Welcome to “Blessed!” The other three embraced her as they offered her congratulations as well. Jessica’s mind was in a whirl. She won the audition…she won the audition….she won the audition…..
. The last two years had been busy. The recording sessions and world tours kept Jessica on the move constantly. Chee-Lin had decided not to return to the group, so Jessica became a permanent member of the quartet. The popularity of the band had never been higher. Hank felt as if he’d hit the mother lode with Jessica. All four got along great. He was always hearing laughing and giggling when he walked by their dressing rooms, so he knew they must be enjoying themselves…………
Dedicated to Iluv2btickled, the inspiration of this ticklish tale....
The ‘ Blessed’ Audition
The room was hushed, but an excited buzz floated over all inside. The chance of a lifetime was waiting for one of the 6 ladies waiting there. The world famous crossover classical group “Blessed” was searching for a new cellist. The original member, Chee-Lin Fegenbush, had been injured in a severe automobile accident 2 months before, and would not be able to perform, let alone tour for a year or more. Hank Beregstrom, the producer, had quickly did some research and found the best 6 female cellists in the world to audition for the all-female quartet. Jamie Mills (first violin), Vanessa (know to fans as just “Ness”) Jenkins (second violin), and Tara Fugate (viola) had been an active part of the auditioning process. Now all six ladies waited as the final part of the audition was to commence.
Jessica Baker was one of the six. She originally had not been considered for the job, but when one of the other candidates declined the audition, she was next on the list and jumped at the opportunity. Her background was not as prim and pampered as the rest, having to work hard to get accepted into college as a musician, almost the musical equivalent of a ‘walk-on” on the basketball team. It hadn’t taken long for the professors to see the latent talent and hone it to a fine edge. She was at least 4-5 years younger than the rest, but used that as motivation and quickly rose on the chart during the auditioning process. First were the prepared pieces, then sight reading a new piece for the group to see how quickly they could adapt. Next, all got to sit in with the other three of the group and perform numbers off one of Blessed’s albums. Jessica had been a fan of the group since their first release, “Octavia” and already knew every piece by heart just from listening to them. The group was impressed.
Now it was the final day. It was about 10 AM when the three ladies, the producer, and some other studio musicians arrived. They sat at the table on the far end of the room. Hank stood up and addressed the six musicians
“You have all done well. We feel that any one of you will serve this ensemble well. As you know, our concerts include dance movements by the musicians and others, as well as other activities on stage.” They all nodded in agreement. One piece, “Swans” was a modernized version of pieces from Swan Lake that included a ballet troop on stage as they played. He continued, “Because of all this, whoever is our new cellist will need to be able to concentrate on her playing in spite of any and all distractions. The final test will see if you can perform under extreme duress and distraction. We will call you in one at a time, starting with our number one candidate. If she is successful, the job will be offered to her and the rest of you will be sent off with our condolences and thanks for your hard work. If she fails, the second name on our list will come in. We will go through the list until one of you succeeds or all fails. If all fail, we will begin a new search for musicians. You are all bound by your audition contract not to tell anyone what happens during these auditions. If you do, you will be blacklisted with other conductors and recording labels, and will not receive payment for your time here. With that said, we will begin…”
Jessica’s pulse began to race. Hank was known for being hard-nosed and getting what he wanted. His reputation was world renowned. She knew no one dared cross him. She knew she had surprised many with her skills, but had she moved up enough to be first? Surely, who ever was called first should win the job very easily, she felt. She looked around the room. Many of them were dressed to kill, mini-skirts and tops to try to match some of the sexy styles the quartet were known to wear on stage. She was in a simple black tank-style top that fitted her well and showed a fashionable ¾-1 inch of tummy. Her white slacks were well fitting, but not too tight, allowing her to move and play well, the length giving a ‘calm-digger’ look. She waited breathlessly as Hank held up his clipboard.
“The first name on the list is…Tamara Fugate.” All the air left everyone’s lungs as they all looked at her. She played like a demon, and looked like a fashion model. Many felt that she had been the frontrunner from day 1, and her playing had proved it. She boldly strutted to the table, and the all of the group, except one, led her to the studio room where all the performing had been done. Charlie, the security guard, stayed at the table. He made sure no one else tried to get to the other room and see what was happening inside. The remaining five milled around, congratulating each other on getting so close but knowing they would not get the coveted position.
Just ten minutes later, they were amazed to see Hank come through the door again, disappointment on his face. “Tamara has failed the final audition test. Therefore, you are all still in the running. Please, take your seats…” Jaime, Ness and Tara entered next, smiling as they entered, almost as if they had enjoyed whatever had happened to cause Tamara to fail. “Therefore, just like in the beauty pageants, since the winner failed to make it through, the first runner up will get the opportunity. That person is…..Denise Blake.”
Denise screamed as her name was called. She had been a ballerina as a child, but a bad ankle ended her career earl and she concentrated on music instead. Surely she had the stage presence to make it, Jessica thought. The elated musician quickly grabbed her instrument and entered the studio room. Charlie closed the door with a loud slam. Jessica walked up to him. “Do you know what exactly is happening in there?” she inquired
“All I know is that the room is soundproofed and I’m to keep you all out here until they call for you.” At that, the door swung open again, a disgusted look on Hank’s face. “Well, this test seems to be much harder than we imagined. We need our second runner up” As he spoke, a chill of dread went down Jessica’s back. Those two had stage experience galore. If they had failed, what about the rest?
Hank started to look at the list. “Next is….Jessica Baker”
Her heart nearly stopped as he read her name. She reached for her instrument carefully. Two others had failed this, what made her think she could pass? She hesitated, and then decided that nothing would stop this dream from becoming a reality. She followed Hank into the room. She saw all three ladies standing there, smiles on their faces. “Pull out your cello and have a seat please,” Jessica did so and waited for her next set of instructions.
“All we want you to do is play a piece for us. We assume you are familiar with the Elgar solo?” Of course she was. One of the first solo pieces any cellist learned to play was the Elgar cello solo. “I can play it in my sleep, in fact sometimes I have...” she joked.
“Good. All you have to do is play it without stopping while we do what we can to interfere with you. We will not hurt or injure in any way. But, you will be touched, since there will be dancers with you and making contact with you in stage. You are allowed one ‘stop’ or break in the flow of the piece. Any more than that and you forfeit. Understood?”
She nodded her ascent. It couldn’t be that bad. She had played in the middle of pillow fights around her and such. What could they possibly do that would prevent her from playing? “Ok, when do I begin?”
“We will start when you do…” With that, she started the piece. Two measures into it, she heard an air horn blast in her left ear, thanks to Ness. She was startled but saw it coming and never missed a beat. Cymbals crashed next to her now, but not fazing her. She kept playing….usually she closed her eyes when she played this piece, but didn’t dare. If they meant to spook her, she planned to be ready for it. They did some shouting and shoved their faces in her view, but she was used to this from her brothers and her roommates. “If this is all it is, this will be easy,” she thought to herself as she reached the halfway point of the piece.
Jessica yelped suddenly and tilted to one side. Tara and just poked her between the ribs on the left side. Jessica’s ticklish reaction did not go unnoticed by Ness and Jaime. Ness circled to the right, and Jamie from behind. In a concerted attack, Ness went for the right ribs as Tara hit the left side again. They went up and down in opposite directions from each other. The piece required her arms to be out at this point, she Jessica gritted her teeth and tried to make it though. She was extremely ticklish on her sides, but wouldn’t give them the pleasure of making her stop and laugh. If she did, she would not even be able to continue.
Jamie now slowly began to reach from behind and stroke Jessica’s armpits. She cringed at the new sensation. The maddening feel of the fingers on her was horrid. She was three-quarters through. She had to keep going, her career depended on it. The sweat on her brow now spread all over her body, as it became more and more difficult to play as their fingers played her. It was soon apparent to Hank that the girls seemed to be really enjoying this. Their smiles were the biggest they had been since Chee-Lin’s accident, and they were going to town on poor Jessica. He knew she wouldn’t last much longer.
Jessica closed her eyes and played hard now. She did her best to dodge their fingers, but they were too quick for her. Besides, the solo required her first concentration. Her hands shook as she tried to resist the urge to hit them with the bow. Her other hand trembled as they moved on the strings. At last, the giggles started to leak out as she could not hold it much longer. “Only a few more bars….have to make it….almost there….I’m so close” Her laughing was pouring out now, making it hard to play. The girls did not let up, but tickled her even harder….Tara and Ness taking turns to stroke across her belly as well, with marked results. Jessica shifted in her chair trying to avoid it, but it made playing more difficult. She was on the last few measures. She had to finish it out. She bit on her tongue to try and mask the sensations. It barely helped.
She hit the last note, then flung the bow to her right and rolled off the chair, laughing hard now. She tried to block their hands, but there were too many. The song was done, but they kept it up! Finally, Jessica reached out and grabbed Ness’s foot, clad with only a sandal. She knocked it off and tickled back. Ness shrieked and curled up. The other two winked and went after Ness now. Jessica waited and caught her breath. The girls stopped with Ness after a few minutes and stood up.
Hank then walked slowly towards her, hand out. Jessica took it and then shook it firmly. “Congratulations. You passed the test. Welcome to “Blessed!” The other three embraced her as they offered her congratulations as well. Jessica’s mind was in a whirl. She won the audition…she won the audition….she won the audition…..
. The last two years had been busy. The recording sessions and world tours kept Jessica on the move constantly. Chee-Lin had decided not to return to the group, so Jessica became a permanent member of the quartet. The popularity of the band had never been higher. Hank felt as if he’d hit the mother lode with Jessica. All four got along great. He was always hearing laughing and giggling when he walked by their dressing rooms, so he knew they must be enjoying themselves…………
