#Collegiate a cappella

[blacksapphicguide]

Pitch Perfect (movie)

2012 movie. Streaming on Netflix and Apple TV. Drama, comedy.

Plot points:

College

Collegiate a cappella

Friendship drama

Competition

Taking risks

Teamwork

Diverse characters

Predatory lesbian trope

Normalized fatphobia (://TW)

Off-screen relationship (ex-relationship pre-movie)

Black lesbian (tertiary).

Black sapphic characters:

Cynthia-Rose (Ester Dean)

Connections:

Cynthia-Rose x Denise (interracial lesbian: black x white)

Sex & Nudity - Moderate

Characters noticeably implied naked in the shower.

Mention of frequent engagement in sex

Sexual innuendos

Jokes about character's breasts

Performance with hands running down groin and thighs

Suggestive dancing for a performance

Performing sex-centric songs: Like a Virgin, S&M, Let's Talk About Sex, etc.

Shirtless men

Cleavage shown

Character in tight, exposing swim trunks

Characters kiss

Violence & Gore - Mild

Character says 'go kill yourself'

Threat of choking another character

Fistfight

Vomiting (character is prone to projectile vomiting)

Conversations about defecation

Profanity - Mild

Censored but obvious profanities

Use of 'fuck, shit, ass', etc.

Name calling 'bitch, nerds, lame, step-monster', etc.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking - Mild

Social drinking

Wine used as an initiation ritual

One acapella group implied to be under the influence

Drug references both casually and inside insults

Frightening & Intense Scenes - Moderate

Misogynistic comments

Trophy smashes a glass window

Family arguments

Character constantly whispers strange statements

Homophobic comments made against a lesbian character

Bullying

Fatphobic comments, normalized

Predatory lesbian comments

[inner-space-oddity]

Ya boi (me) is about to be in the IRL Pitch Perfect competition semifinals for the third year in a row this weekend

[wordpress-blaze-238095257]

Sourdough French Toast with Strawberry Compote: Your New Brunch Obsession!

Weekend brunch should be warm, cozy, and just a little bit extra—without the stress. That’s exactly what this sourdough French toast with whipped cream and chunky strawberry compote is all about. It takes simple, end-of-week ingredients and turns them into something so dreamy you’ll feel like you’re sitting in a sun-drenched café.

This is French toast for the people who say they don’t even like French toast. Why? Because it’s not mushy. It’s not boring. It’s sourdough—crispy-edged, custardy-centered, and full of flavor. Add a warm fruit compote made from strawberries that were seconds away from compost, a swirl of whipped cream, and you’ve got brunch magic.

Whether you’re meal-prepping for the weekend or looking to rescue those almost-too-old fridge ingredients, this recipe is here for you. Let’s dive in.

🥖 Why We’re Obsessed with Sourdough for French Toast

If regular sandwich bread French toast leaves you underwhelmed, this is your glow-up moment. Sourdough is the unsung hero of the brunch world. It has just enough structure to soak up the custard without collapsing. Its crust gets golden and crisp, while the inside turns soft—but not soggy. Plus, the subtle tanginess of sourdough balances beautifully with sweet toppings.

It’s also the best way to give that end-of-week sourdough loaf a second life. Even dry or slightly stale slices work better than fresh bread here. Actually... they work best.

If your sourdough is still too fresh, just toast it lightly or let it sit out for 30 minutes before dipping.

🛒 Ingredient Lineup (You Likely Have These Already!)

This recipe makes enough for 2–3 servings but scales easily for a crowd.

For the French toast:

4 slices sourdough bread (stale or day-old is ideal)

4 large eggs

1 cup almond milk (or oat, dairy, or your fave alternative)

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

For the quick strawberry compote:

1 cup strawberries (fresh or overripe)

1–2 tbsp honey or maple syrup (adjust to taste)

1 tsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

For the whipped cream topping:

1/2 cup cold heavy cream

1 tsp powdered sugar (optional)

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

This is a great moment to use what you’ve got. Got only two eggs? Halve it. No almond milk? Any milk will do. That’s the beauty of this recipe—it’s flexible, forgiving, and full of flavor no matter what.

🍓 What’s a Compote, Anyway?

Think of compote as the rustic, no-fuss cousin of jam. It’s quick, chunky, and meant to be enjoyed warm. While jam is thickened with pectin and usually packed with sugar, compote lets the fruit do the talking. You cook it just long enough for the juices to thicken slightly and the fruit to soften—but never so long that it disappears into jelly.

Our version is made from strawberries that were this close to going bad in the fridge. We simmer them with a bit of honey, some lemon juice to brighten things up, and vanilla for warmth. The result? A spoonable topping that’s glossy, sweet, and packed with juicy berry bits.

You can swap in nearly any fruit you’ve got hanging around—raspberries, blueberries, peaches, nectarines, even plums or apples. As long as they’re soft enough to break down a bit with heat, you’re golden.

👩‍🍳 Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Make the Strawberry Compote

Add your strawberries, honey, lemon juice, and vanilla to a small saucepan. Bring everything to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Let it cook for about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries soften and start to break down.

You can mash them slightly with a spoon or leave them a little chunky—your call! We love leaving some whole pieces for texture. Once it’s thickened slightly, take it off the heat and let it cool. It will continue to set as it cools.

Pro tip: Leftover compote? Spoon it over oatmeal, swirl it into yogurt, or add it to chia pudding.

Step 2: Whip the Cream

If you’re making fresh whipped cream, this is your moment. Add cold heavy cream to a mixing bowl (metal works best), along with the vanilla and powdered sugar. Whip it until soft peaks form. You can use a hand mixer, stand mixer, or even a whisk if you’ve got the arm strength and some time.

Place it in the fridge to chill until you’re ready to serve. Bonus: it keeps well for a day or two in a sealed container.

Step 3: Prepare the French Toast Custard

In a wide, shallow bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, vanilla, and salt. The salt helps balance the sweetness and enhances the flavors.

Dip each slice of sourdough into the custard, letting it soak for about 10 to 15 seconds per side. You want the bread to feel saturated but not falling apart.

If your slices are extra thick or extra dry, give them a few more seconds—but don’t overdo it, or you’ll lose that perfect texture we’re going for.

Step 4: Cook the French Toast

Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium-low heat. If needed, add a little butter or neutral oil to prevent sticking.

Place your custard-soaked slices in the pan and cook for 3–4 minutes on each side until golden brown and lightly puffed. If you're making a bigger batch, keep the finished slices warm on a baking sheet in the oven at 200°F while you finish the rest.

🥞 Let’s Build Your Brunch Plate

Once all your components are ready, it’s go-time.

Plate your golden sourdough slices, spoon on a generous amount of the warm strawberry compote, and top it all off with a dollop (or mountain) of whipped cream. If you’re feeling fancy, dust with powdered sugar or add a drizzle of maple syrup for that extra brunch sparkle ✨

You can also add sliced fresh fruit, toasted almonds, or even a drizzle of nut butter if you want to level it up.

Serving suggestion: this pairs beautifully with coffee, a mimosa, or some sparkling water with lemon and mint.

💡 Why You’ll Make This Again (and Again)

It uses up what you’ve already got: stale sourdough, end-of-week eggs, and soft fruit.

It’s flexible, adaptable, and dairy-free optional.

It’s golden and crispy, not mushy or soggy like regular French toast.

It looks beautiful and tastes even better.

It feels like a weekend treat—but it’s easy enough to make on a weekday too.

This is one of those recipes that makes you feel like you’ve got your life together, even when you’re scraping the bottom of the fridge.

🔁 Tips, Tricks, and Swaps

Fresh bread? Let it sit out or lightly toast it before soaking.

No almond milk? Any milk works—dairy, oat, soy, coconut, whatever you’ve got.

No strawberries? Use blueberries, blackberries, or chopped apples or plums.

Dairy-free? Sub in plant-based milk and coconut whipped cream.

Gluten-free? Use your favorite gluten-free sourdough or rustic loaf.

Want to feed a crowd? Turn this recipe into a baked French toast casserole. Just double the custard, slice up your bread, and layer it all in a buttered baking dish. Bake at 350°F for 35–40 minutes until golden and puffed.

📌 A French Toast FAQ

Can I make French toast with fresh bread? Yes, but let it dry out a bit first. A slightly stale loaf will soak up the custard without falling apart. You can also toast fresh slices lightly to mimic that dryness.

Can I make the compote ahead of time? Absolutely! It keeps well in the fridge for up to 5 days in a sealed container. Just reheat gently before serving.

Is this recipe freezer-friendly? Totally! Cook the French toast, let it cool completely, and freeze between parchment layers. Reheat in a toaster or oven. The compote can also be frozen in small portions.

What’s the best pan to use? A non-stick skillet or well-seasoned cast iron pan works best for that crisp, golden finish.

Where can I find more Brunch Recipe ideas? If you're looking for easy but elevated brunch and breakfast ideas check them out here!

💌 Now It’s Your Turn!

Tried it? Made it your own? We seriously want to see your creations! Tag @TastyCue on Instagram or drop a comment below to tell us what fruit you used or how you switched it up.

And if cozy, low-waste brunches are your jam (pun intended), don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter. We’ve got plenty more where this came from—think comfort food, fridge rescues, and delicious recipes that make the most of what you’ve already got. 🥰

Much love,

Sidney and Thomas

Source: Sourdough French Toast with Strawberry Compote: Your New Brunch Obsession!

[luxpenumbra]

and iii put it in my pocket put it in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket put it in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket put it in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket put it in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket put it in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket put it in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket put it in my pocket in my back pocket put it in my pocket in my pocket in my back pocket

(and i read it when im aloneee)

[wordsalso]

A different cover of Rina Sawayama's XS has appeared on the 2022, 2023, and 2024 editions of The Best of Collegiate A Cappella. I can't tell if this is a pun about excess, if nobody at Varsity Vocals noticed, or it just so happens 3 different college groups recorded the same song and it truly was one of the best submissions each year.

That being said, I hope someone is working on a 2025 submission.

[chirpingchorus]

Silently kind of freaking out just a little. My a cappella group is having its first retreat of the semester this weekend and I'm leaving in a couple hours. We're going to get our bigs and everything. (Bigs are a sorority thing where they match you up with an older member. Because this is kind of like a sorority where you sing most of the time.) Most of the girls have been nice to me since I joined, but I don't quite fit in with the group (they are normal college girls and I am a troll with a Tumblr addiction).

I just don't have good experiences hanging out with larger groups of people for very long, especially sleepovers/retreat-like-things! Hopefully it will go well. My biggest fear at this point is just that none of the three girls I selected to be my big want me because everyone in the group secretly hates me. (Which wouldn't be COMPLETELY unfounded, for reasons I won't go into right now.) So yeah. We will see how it goes. Maybe I'll liveblog the weekend for my future reference, and to help any of my followers who need to know the inner workings of collegiate a cappella groups.

I'm going to finish my FMA 03 rewatch with the last three episodes to calm myself down a bit. Nothing to warm the soul like [insert 13 spoilers]!

[pargolettasworld]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8_Eak45ADk

So collegiate a cappella may or may not be your thing.  And choral arrangements of Ladino songs may or may not be your thing.  But if either or both of those are in fact your thing, this is a really lovely performance.  “Puncha Puncha” is one of the many Ladino songs about the pain of love, and you can kind of imagine someone’s old abuelita in Sarajevo or Izmir singing this while doing chores around the house or while stuffing kibbeh or something.  It’s likely that the text is several hundred years older than the melody, of course, but that kind of layering is part of what gives Ladino song a feeling of being lived-in and loved.

[jules-has-notes]

2018 VoicePlay fall activities — maintenance, music, and merriment

Heading into the end of the year, VoicePlay gradually ramped up their schedule until they were running at a decent clip for the holiday season.

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Say cheese!

It had been nearly two years since they'd taken their previous set of promo photos, and enough had changed — Earl's lush beard, Geoff's longer hair — that the boys decided it was time for some new ones.

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On the following Saturday, J.None and his Paradigm pals teamed up with the Push Love Productions folks (including a future familiar face) for a "Come Out with Pride" event at Lake Eola Park. They performed both before and after the parade.

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The next week the SoJam A Cappella Festival released a promo video for their upcoming event featuring VoicePlay.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by SoJam A Cappella Festival (@sojamfestival)

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Over the weekend, J.None performed at a "night of spoken word and comedy" for the Pipol Angels Foundation, which provides funding for arts and education both locally and overseas. (Previous projects had provided new backpacks and school uniforms to students in the Orlando area, and helped a school in Trinidad build an additional classroom for its growing student population.)

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pipiol Angels Foundation Inc. (@pipiolangelsfoundation)

J.None rehearsing "No Role Modelz" by J. Cole with the band a few days before the fundraiser

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Ready for their close-ups

A few days after that, VoicePlay convened at a local studio to film their laid back video for "Thinkin Bout You".

When you show up for book club, but a slow jam breaks out.

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As the end of the month approached, Layne and Tony gathered a cadre of lovely ladies for the first episode of their new Princess Academy series.

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Sing for me!

The first weekend of November took VoicePlay to North Carolina for the SoJam A Cappella Festival. The attendees consisted of high school and collegiate groups, including two young groups from Winter Park, and three groups from the University of Central Florida (Layne and Eli's alma mater) who swept the top spots in the competition portion.

The guys spent Saturday afternoon leading a workshop on the business of singing for a living, and a masterclass for some of the competitors. Then they headlined the evening concert, with local openers Transit Vocal Band.

In addition to performing and doing educational outreach, VoicePlay also got to see some old friends. Alfredo Austin from The Exchange was doing coaching sessions. Max Herskovitz, who had subbed for Layne several times, was leading workshops for the kids. Singer and sound engineer Tony Huerta was running the show in his role as CASA president.

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When they got back home, the boys headed to the studio for their next music video, a dramatic medley of Queen songs.

Then they spent a couple weeks finishing off projects in progress, working on upcoming ones, and polishing their setlist for their Warm Up holiday tour.

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Holiday ro-o-o-o-oad

Since the Disney World residency for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party had passed to their pals in The Edge Effect, VoicePlay was free to embark on a slightly more relaxed holiday tour for the final month of the year. They traded a location close to home and four sets per night for just nine longer shows at a variety of venues across the country.

The first leg of their travels was a jaunt out west to Alto, New Mexico (via El Paso, Texas). As the name of the town suggests, it's quite high in the mountains, which can present a challenge when your job involves moving lots of air in and out of your lungs. Earl noted on Twitter that "7200ft above sea level was a real thing!"

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When they got home, they continued the holiday spirit by filming their video for "This Christmas". It was the last remaining track on the "Warm Up" EP to get the visual treatment.

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The next weekend the tour continued with a loop through the Midwest. The boys started in Findlay, Ohio, scooted up to Traverse City, Michigan, then hopped over to Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

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Back at home, they got into a bit of a pickle for a festive Mission Impossible tie-in video. (Luckily, they didn't get blown up this time.)

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The following week's tour dates were slightly more spread out. Saturday took the guys to Kilmarnock, Virginia. The next day, they scooted down to Newnan, Georgia, where they got to see their artist pal Leon King, who had drawn their adorable avatars for the pre-show spiel.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Leon King 🦁 (@leekiings)

meet and greet in Newnan, GA — photos by Dawn Ortiz

Then they took a leisurely drive up to Waleska, Georgia before heading home. (Eli made some similarly hatted friends on the flight.)

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Once they were back in Florida, they headed over to Kissimmee for a show at the Gaylord Palms resort. Because they were so close to home, some of their families came along.

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They capped off their travels with a quick trip to a suburb of Chicago.

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And to all a good night

Once they were finished spreading holiday cheer to others, the guys took some time at home with their own loved ones.

Then Earl got a head start on his New Year's resolutions by hitting the gym for a leg day workout.

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With a couple weeks to rest, the guys prepared to hit the ground running in the new year. But that's a tale for another post.

[pitchperfect-4]

Pitch Perfect 4: When Will the sequel to the movie be released?

The film was created by Kay Cannon and is based on the popular non-fiction book Pitch Perfect: The Quest for Collegiate a Cappella Glory by Mickey Rapkin. Pitch Perfect was released in 2012 and became an instant hit.

After the movie premiere in the cinema, fans were enthralled by the musical drama created by Kay Cannon. The film was released in three parts over time, and now, everyone eagerly awaits Pitch Perfect 4.

The last blockbuster movie released four years ago is still a big hit. Musical college drama first released its part in the past decade, and it has been almost a decade since this musical movie became a blockbuster hit Pitch Perfect 4.

The film is a hit with both the audience and critics. All these factors make people wonder if the movie will have a fourth part. This article is for those who are eagerly awaiting the fourth part. Read this article until the end for all the latest information about the movie.

Does Pitch Perfect Season 4 get renewed or not?

Pitch Perfect is the story of an all-girl college group chasing their dream of winning a national championship. The other film stars are Anna Kendrick, Rebel Wilson, Adam DeVine, and Brittany Snow.

The first part was released over a decade before, and it gained massive popularity with the public. The film's potential was realized over time, and two sequels were released.

The fans began to question whether or not there would be a fourth part. The official statement about the future has made them challenge the possibility, even though the ending was satisfactory.

The cast has hinted at Pitch Perfect 4 on several occasions. In an interview, Anna Kendrick confirmed that she would return in the fourth installment if one were to happen. She expressed her desire to appear in the film.

The showrunners are yet to confirm if there will be a Pitch Perfect 4. Fans have speculated about the show and the storyline of the girls who left the previous time on a sour note.

Fans are still eager to know more about these girls' lives after nearly four years of the famous Musical comedy film.

When Wilson appeared on the famous Ellen DeGeneres Show and was asked if she would be in another film, Wilson replied, "I can't tell you anything officially, Ellen."

She continued, "But all the girls love each other."

The movie series is likely to return.

When will Pitch Perfect season 4 be released?

Fans of the film series are speculating about the release date of the fourth season. The cast of Pitch Perfect uploaded a new photo on Instagram. They seemed to be enthralled by it. It's a good idea to keep an eye out for the fourth movie, but is this confirmed?

As of yet, there has been no official announcement on the subject. Officials have yet to confirm if there will be a second season of the film series.

Rebel Wilson shared a photo that included Brittany Snow and Anna Camp. The picture may seem simple to an average person, but Pitch Perfect fans have a different opinion. All the actresses holding their hands in fours is a great way to get people thinking about "Pitch Perfect 4".

Officers have yet to announce any official remake. The cast, on the other hand, was shady. We will let you know as soon as we have the answers.

The next part of the movie will happen either in 2023 or 2024.

Pitch Perfect 4 Cast - Who will return?

There is still no information on the cast for the fourth season. The Pitch Perfect television series tells the story of four young girls and their struggles. Anna Kendrick plays Beca in the series; Rebel Wilson is Fat Amy, Brittany Snow is Chloe, and Anna Camp is Aubrey. Hailee Steinfeld is Emily, Hana-Mae Lee, Lilly, and Ester Dean are Cynthia.

There is the film may bring new Bellas to the public. There is currently no confirmation on the cast. We will keep you informed as soon as we have more information.

Pitch Perfect 4, Plot: What will it be about?

After three years, Bellas is seen leaving. We found out that we could win a place with DJ Khaled.

DJ Khaled, however, was not pleased with Bellas. He wanted Beca there. We can see that the story ended perfectly for every character. Fans were happy to hear that the third part of this movie brought a satisfying conclusion for each character.

The fourth film part has a lot of twists and turns. It has to go around the world. There is still no official confirmation of what will happen in the next part, but we know it will be new.

Anna Camp revealed her next film idea in an interview. She told Collider she wanted to act in retirement homes until they were old.

She added: "Does Fat Amy Have Kids?" Fat Amy and Bumper are a couple? What would it be like to discover what happened to these characters in five years?

Does the movie have an official trailer?

There is a high chance that the fourth reason will happen. However, those eagerly awaiting the latest Pitch Perfect Season 4 updates must wait. Watch the trailer of the third part to find out all the latest updates.

The conclusion of the article is:

The movie pitch perfect has not been updated yet for Season 4. There is no official announcement from the producers regarding the renewal of this movie. Without an official statement, a release date cannot be confirmed.

[blacksapphicguide]

Pitch Perfect 2 (movie)

2015 film. Drama, Comedy.

Plot points:

Competition

College

Collegiate a cappella

Friendship drama

Dedication to a group and responsibilities

Creative independence

A cappella competition

Teamwork

Black sapphic characters:

Cynthia-Rose (Ester Dean)

Connections:

N/A

Sex & Nudity - Mild

Wardrobe malfunction on stage.

Mention of the wardrobe malfunction exposure: no panties.

Sexual innuendo: oral sex, BDSM

Mention of sexual engagement with Filipino lady-boys

Close up shots of cleavage

Couples kissing and making out

Violence & Gore - Very Mild

Character falling down stairs

Character sliding into a wall

Profanity - Mild

Use of the words bitch, shit, ass, etc.

Middle finger flipping.

Alcohol, Drugs & Smoking - Mild

College party

Social drinking

Frightening & Intense Scenes - None

[unikittybigbrightworldau]

There are some details I forgot to mention in my earlier post about this, so let’s do this one more time.

Once again, everything I say about the Unikingdom and Frowntown is from my headcanons!

The Unikingdom and Frowntown

Not only do the Unikingdom and Frowntown have marching bands and color guards, but they also have their own drumcorps circuit.

There’s band class, school marching bands, and school color guards in their middle schools, high schools and colleges.

Some schools also have jazz bands.

Cheerleading and Ragtag show us that they have cheerleaders who cheer at sports games, and cheerleading competitions.

The Unikingdom and Frowntown also have cheerleading teams in their schools, and competitions for school cheerleaders.

They also have choirs. The choir members sing standing on choral risers like they do in my area.

There are choirs in their schools, and they also do choir competitions. Some schools also have show choirs.

Unikingdomans also like to dance, but I think we knew that already.

Just like with their cheerleading teams, Unikingdom and Frowntown have competitive dance teams.

There are also dance teams in their schools, and their schools might even have dance classes.

Frowntown is less likely to have choir and dance in their schools because, in a place as dreary as Frowntown, I don't think they sing and dance as often.

There is theater in both lands.

The Unikingdom has its own equivalents of Broadway and off-Broadway, called Hugway and off-Hugway.

There are theater classes and drama clubs for theater kids in the Unikingdom and Frowntown’s schools. They even have their own equivalent of the International Thespian Society.

Colleges in the Unikingdom have collegiate a cappella groups. Frowntown does too; they’re just less likely to.

Ice Cream Land

Ice Cream Land teaches both music AND instruments simultaneously. In music class there, kids learn music theory and the like with a piano. But, a student can learn with another instrument if they so choose.

The Ice Cream Bowl Palace Guard, ICL’s military, has its own military bands. But, that sort of music isn’t really played in their schools. (Or, maybe it is. It all depends on whether or not they have school marching bands in other countries. Is it just a US thing?)

Puppetry is the most popular performing art in Ice Cream Land. It’s to the point where they put puppet models of people on their graves when they die. There are many famous puppeteers in Ice Cream Land that entertain kids, adults and senior citizens.

There are entire classes in Ice Cream Land’s schools for puppetry. They can even major in it in Ice Cream Land’s universities.

There’s a kingdom-wide organization for student puppeteers called the Young Puppeteers’ Society.

There are even puppetry competitions, both for students and for adult puppeteers.

Swan Lake

Dance is the universal language of Swan Lake. It’s everywhere. Literally. That’s what Swan Lake is at its core.

They have dance in their schools, they have dance festivals, they have competitive dance, they dance on a daily basis.

It’s to the extent that dance has influence on their fashion, gestures, etiquette and education.

Swan Lake is specifically based upon ballet, since it’s named after a famous ballet and all.

There are lots of ballet companies in Swan Lake, and companies for other dances, too.

There are also lots of concert ensembles that play the music at every dance production, not just the ballet ones.

Secondary schools and universities in Swan Lake also have dance companies and concert ensembles.

Swanna’s dad was part of the concert ensemble at his secondary school.

Other styles of dance popular in Swan Lake include ballroom dancing and contemporary dance. These dances are also taught in schools.

Swan Lake has the concept of a military, so they have a military band and drill team. It was formed by the Swan Ministry (Swan Lake’s government), and its members are picked by them. (Whether or not they have stuff like this in their schools depends on if they have school bands, drill teams, color guard, etc. in other countries.)

Theater is also pretty well-known, but it’s nowhere near as popular as dance.

Marevi

Marevians love music and see it as a way of spreading life essence, so the arts in their culture are pretty music-centric.

Their most popular performing art is Marevian opera.

Marevian operas tell stories about Marevi’s history, its geography, its legends/folklore, and its people with makeup, music and singing.

Students can train to be opera performers at Marevi’s performing arts schools.

Marevians don’t have the concept of a military, and the swordspeople there aren’t one. So, they play their music with orchestras.

They also play music with traditional Marevian music bands, which consist of ocean drums, marimbas, conch horns, harp guitars, and upright string instruments.

More often than not, they combine the traditional band with the orchestra.

Performing arts schools in Marevi teach every section separately: brasses, woodwinds, strings, percussion, traditional instruments, and also conductor training.

The other things that they have in their performing arts schools vary by school.

Marevian choirs work differently from ones in the Unikingdom and Frowntown. The singers sit down at desks or on chairs instead of standing. The director is called the maestro, and they sing with them. There are lots of call-and-response parts between the maestro and the other singers, and they do lots of arm movements during their songs.

Other popular performing arts in Marevi, which they teach at their schools, include acting, spoken word, and stand-up comedy.

They even have their own cultural dances, such as the Dance of the Waving Coral Fan and the Dance of the Sunbringer. They are also taught.

Unlike other lands, Marevi and Botania’s performing arts don’t compete. The only competition you’ll find there are their sports teams.

Marevians put MUCH emphasis on supporting local entertainment.

Botania

Botanians don’t have a military either, and the Bramble Wall/Storm of Sands/Mountain Cliff isn’t one. So, they also play music with orchestras, similarly to Marevi.

They also have traditional Botanian music bands called fairy bands. They are mostly made up of woodwinds, including tin whistles and bamboo flutes.

Like Marevi, they also teach their orchestras separately in their performing arts schools: the brasses, winds, strings, percussion, traditional fairy band, and conductor’s training.

Botania often mixes their orchestras with fairy bands, and even a circus calliope. When there’s a calliope there, they put it with the woodwinds or fairy band.

Circus acts are Botania’s most popular performing art, and there are many circuses that travel around the land.

In Botania’s performing arts schools, you can train to be a circus performer. There are many acts you can do, like acrobatics, trapeze, tightrope walking, hooping, spinning plates, motordrome, equestrian vaulting, juggling, clowning, etc. You can also train to be a ringmaster.

When it’s a holiday, such as the Eternal Bloom festival, the circus students parade down the roads.

Circuses have influenced Botanians to the point where they sometimes hire a funeral clown to celebrate a deceased person’s life with the guests.

The other arts they have in their schools varies by school.

Another popular/well-known performing art in Botania is dancing. They are known for group dances that emulate flowers in a garden, falling raindrops, or strong gusts of wind. These dances are also taught.

Botanians consider popular music concerts to be a performing art. In performing arts school, students can learn to start a pop group or rock band. They have an entire class for that.

The pop/rock bands formed by students is what Botanians think about when they think of a school band.

Elegancia

Elegancia’s most popular performing art is theater. Their island is home to one of the oldest theaters in the world!

They put on all kinds of plays, like dramas, comedies, tragedies, musical plays, and histories.

Like the Unikingdom, they also have their own equivalent of Broadway/West End, called Spessartine Square (or simply Spessartine).

Students can study theater in Elegancia’s schools and universities, with classes for acting, stage design, theater history and playwriting. They can also study it with a private tutor.

Elegancia’s order of knights has very fine military bands. Their drumline especially is absolutely KILLER. There are marching bands in their universities based on the knights.

Charm Valley

Illusion magic is thought to be show magic, so people in Charm Valley think of illusionists and prestidigitation when they think of performances.

There are small bands that play at gatherings and important events, and to introduce the leader when he arrives. They are made up of a long vertical woodwind, a lute, a tambourine, and some drums.

Charm Valley has old-fashioned schoolhouses as their education, which aren’t exactly known for having programs outside of the lectures.

In the schoolhouses, kids learn basic life skills and general information about the world around them. This includes exposing them to every subject, from math to music and everything in between.

There are ways for Charm Valley kids to learn more about the arts after they get their first look at it. It’s completely possible. They can read about the arts in books or have someone teach them.

What types of performing arts are popular in your setting?

[fermatanowhere-blog1]

First video from our Fermata Fest set! “How to be a Heartbreaker” by Marina and The Diamonds 💎

[justsomebechloe]

This. This is why I love this fandom. We just got a full psych breakdown on a fictional character from a musical comedy about collegiate a cappella. The people in this community give such life and depth to all of these characters in a way that Universal could never even begin to imagine.

This, right here, is why I love you awesome nerds.

question for the bechloe fandom: why do you think beca never explicitly realized she was in love with chloe? was she really just oblivious

[pargolettasworld]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ksHvYJuHhu4

Because we could all use some Jewish joy in our lives!  Whatever you may feel about college a cappella groups, one thing you cannot deny is that they are joy incarnate.  Weird joy, cringe joy, just plain fun joy -- whatever you feel, their stock in trade is musical joy.

Especially when they’re singing this arrangement of Noam Katz’s LaYehudim.  The text is from Esther, and all it says is that the Jews are going to have joy, light, gladness, honor, and that we should all experience the same things.  I am totally, one hundred percent behind this sentiment, with all the joy of a collegiate a cappella group.

[jules-has-notes]

2018 VoicePlay spring roundup — friends, families, fun, and fear

A busy winter for the VoicePlay boys rolled into a slightly more relaxed spring. Between various road trips and recording sessions, they made sure to spend some time with loved ones and savor their accomplisments.

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They started the season by celebrating another milestone on their YouTube page.

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3, 2, 1, Let's jam!

The boys kicked off their spring travels with a trip to northwest Arkansas for the VoiceJam A Cappella Festival. In between two days of workshops for high school, collegiate, and community groups, they headlined a concert on Friday night.

In addition to reuniting with Deke Sharon once again, they also got to see their friend Chris Diaz from The Exchange, who was the director of the only high school group selected for the festival's competition that year.

While they were there, J.None was presented with a card containing messages collected from fans around the world to celebrate him officially joining the group.

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After the festival, the guys had a couple days at home to work on other projects. If you've ever wondered how Layne comes up with his various percussion noises and deft beats, sometimes they happen just to pass the time while he's commuting.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Layne Stein (@laynestein)

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Hey, lady!

For the second week of April, the guys met up with Rachel Potter to perform at a series of private events, including a corporate gig in Hartford, CT. Since VoicePlay already had six collaborations with Rachel in their catalogue, and several more with other ladies whose parts she could learn, they had the makings of quite a setlist for those shows.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Layne Stein (@laynestein)

Five years after they released their "Trouble mashup" video and he's still got it down.

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Chickens and bergens and bugs, oh my!

During their next few days at home, they packed in some family-friendly fun. First, the Castelluccis hosted William's first birthday party, complete with a barnyard petting zoo.

A few days later, the boys met up at a local studio to film their next music video for a song about perseverance from the Trolls movie.

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Round and round

Then it was time for a swing through the mid-Atlantic states. They started in central Pennsylvania, dipped down to Washington, DC, then hustled back up to Long Island, NY.

Port Washington, NY show — photos by Winifred Boyd

[This video was originally posted to the venue's Facebook page.]

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Later, dudes!

The last weekend of April marked Earl's final performance as Crush the turtle in the live Finding Nemo show at Disney World. To celebrate the occasion, Layne and Cyndi took Doris to see the show in the morning, then the four of them spent the afternoon at the Animal Kingdom.

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A couple days later, VoicePlay scooped up Max Herskovitz to fill in for Layne on a quick cruise to the Bahamas.

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Come play with us

While the others were away, Layne and Tony worked on a couple of upcoming PattyCake videos featuring superheroes, getting one ready to release and the next ready to film. Once their buddies were back on dry land, they lured J.None into their "Unexpected Musicals" series with the role of Black Panther and a tasty rap verse in their MCU video.

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The day after that, VoicePlay gathered up some family members and headed to a nearby farm to film the video for their cover of Johnny Cash's "Daddy Sang Bass".

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Side quests

The next week, J.None popped up to Tennessee for a couple days of concentrated vocal coaching (and a little sightseeing). It's important to keep honing and expanding your skills, particularly in creative fields.

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On the following weekend, family and friends gathered to celebrate Doris Stein's second birthday party. They had a fiesta theme, and a bounce house that was a big hit with the kid of honor.

Layne, Cyndi, and the girls had also created another family music video for the occasion, this time to "BFF" from the SpongeBob musical, which they'd seen on Broadway while they were in New York for the Total Vocal concert.

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A few days later, VoicePlay teamed up with one of J.None's other groups, Paradigm Party Band, and a few kids of their acquaintence to perform at a private event.

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Teamwork makes the dream work

The next week, the boys returned to the studio to film their next "Aca Top 10" countdown featuring the songs of Disney sidekicks.

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They finished off their video filming for the spring with a location shoot at an abandoned sawmill, where they created their own scene from an action movie, complete with a Panic! at the Disco medley as a soundtrack.

[chloebeale]

honestly i couldn’t think of a caption, so there’s a little bechloe drabble under the cut instead. feel free to enjoy the gif set with or without!

(approx. 1k words)

***

Sure, maybe the Bellas are three time collegiate a cappella champions with a surprising amount of glory and notoriety to their name—the a cappella world is...weirdly way more expansive than Beca would’ve ever imagined—and sure, maybe they have found themselves invited to entertain the troops during the USO tour alongside other (way more legit) groups (no, bands. Legit bands.), but even now, even after touching down in their first destination of Cádiz, Beca still...doesn’t really get the hype.

Performing with the Bellas is fun, they really are her family at this point, and Beca enjoys singing alongside each and every one of them, but she really doesn’t understand how this level of acknowledgment has happened—or why in the hell they have the a cappella world’s most annoying podcasters following them across a freaking ocean to keep up with their lives as if they are literal celebrities or something.

Still, over the years, as irritating as they may be, John and Gail have become something of a staple in the Bellas’ lives, two people Beca has kind of just given up on trying to avoid—after being followed to work every morning, it becomes difficult to really give a damn anymore, anyway. They are technically not harming anybody, so it is easier at this point to just do what they ask, which is how Beca now finds herself seated in front of their camera, brows lifting in response to the two excited faces beaming back at her from behind their equipment.

“So, Beca,” Gail begins enthusiastically, “What do you hope to gain from this tour?”

It is a simple question, in reality a pretty broad one, too, but Beca cannot help but find herself momentarily stumped for a response. Honestly, after spontaneously quitting her job and essentially finding herself kind of stuck, she really does not have any expectations. This tour had simply been a distraction for her, something for her to do so as not to find herself crawling back to the office and begging the BFD higher ups to take her back… She cannot very well say that, though. Can she?

Evidently noting a lack of input, Gail adds helpfully, “Any dreams? Fears?”

“Fears,” John echoes. “Of course you have fears, women are scared of everything.”

Although Beca only responds with a neatly arched brow, she notes the immediate look of disdain to pull itself across Gail’s features in response to her co-host. “Uh, I don’t know,” Beca says flatly, “I’m not scared of anything.”

“Really?” John questions curiously, mouth twisting into something of a knowing smirk as he exchanges a brief glance with the blonde seated beside him. Beca can see the same look drawing itself onto her face, too, and finds herself entirely confused. “Not even bear traps?”

The way Beca’s short, black polished nails clamp onto the arm of her seat is something she rectifies quickly, and silently prays has gone unnoticed by the two eager sets of eyes piercing into her from behind the camera. What do bear traps have to do with this, anyway? It is not like they are at Aubrey’s campsite from Hell anymore, after all.

“Bear traps?” Beca echoes with as much nonchalance to both her voice and expression as she can manage. She quickly clears her throat. “No, they’re whatever.”

In response, John and Gail only continue to watch her expectantly, and the amusement painting itself onto John’s weathered face tells her he knows something she doesn’t. Sure, these two show up everywhere, but Beca knows for a fact that they had not been at the retreat, and despite the fact that she’d never explicitly said so, she has always been under the assumption that there is a mutual agreement among the Bellas to never bring up that particular incident again—ever. To anyone.

Beca’s eyes narrow in on his expression, before adding in that same nonchalant tone, “I mean, I don’t, like, love them, but I’m not,” she air-quotes the next word, “scared of them.”

By now, Gail’s subtle smirk has settled into something of an almost sinisterly kind smile, though John looks just as outwardly smug as he had done before. “That’s not what a little red birdy told us,” he muses proudly, and Beca’s nostrils instantly proceed to flare.

A little birdy.

A little red birdy. Fucking Chloe.

“Chloe, yeah?” She says in a blank tone, lips pursing in defeated thought. She stares upward in a half eye roll, head shaking disapprovingly. “Dude, I swear, if she wasn’t my girlfriend…”

The good thing about a John and Gail interview is that the Bellas are under no actual obligation to see it through, so with a scoff and another more obvious roll of her eyes, Beca pushes herself up from the seat, deciding that their pointless interview is effectively over.

While Gail attempts to reel her back in, John says in an amused tone, “Watch where you’re going, little woman. You might run into a… Bear trap!”

The only reason Beca jumps in response is because of his increasing volume and emphasis, not because she cannot even hear the very term since the unfortunate incident at the retreat, duh. Without looking back to even glare in response to the loud, obnoxious laughter echoing from the hosts, Beca grumbles petulantly and tugs open the door, closing it loudly behind her.

“Hey!” Chloe’s voice is the next thing Beca hears, head lifting to take in the sight of those vibrant eyes shining excitedly. Beca only glares in response, though Chloe doesn’t seem to notice. She simply rocks on her heels, meeting Beca with natural Chloe Beale enthusiasm. “That was fast. Their questions are kind of weird, huh?”

Rather than respond to the question, Beca approaches her girlfriend with folded arms, the look of helplessness on her face entirely unintentional. “Dude, you told them about the retreat?” Chloe only stares at her curiously, so Beca adds in a lower tone, “You know… the bear trap thing.”

Chloe’s lips pull inward then, and Beca cannot tell whether she is trying to bite back a grin or if she looks kind of...embarrassed? She does note that no verbal response comes, though, and that serves as confirmation for Beca to release an annoyed groan, shoulders slumping defeatedly.

“I thought we were never bringing that up again?” she half-whines, hand rising to brush her fingers through her straightened hair. As it falls, her palm easily covers her eyes, and Beca releases a long sigh through her nostrils.

Familiar fingers wrap comfortingly around her wrist, and Beca’s lids flutter open to watch Chloe’s apologetic expression as she gently pulls her hand away from her face. She is kind of annoyed, obviously, but as her gaze meets that overwhelmingly calming blue, fingers parting to make room for Chloe’s to naturally slot between them, her own expression melts into something a little less angry, a little more calm.

“I’m sorry,” Chloe pouts, thumb brushing instinctively over the back of Beca’s knuckles. “It just slipped out.”

Despite the look of disdain Beca had been wearing only moments before, there is just something about that look on Chloe’s face, that adorable, apologetic wide-eyed stare that causes Beca to easily melt, for her shoulders to relax and her defenses to fall. Chloe has always had that kind of spell on her, truth be told.

It makes it hard to stay mad at her for long, no matter the circumstance.

She stares for only a moment longer, before easily relenting with a small puff of air through her nostrils. “Whatever.” She doesn’t even know why she does it, but Beca finds herself lifting their connected hands toward her mouth, lips brushing reassuringly over the back of Chloe’s fingers. “Just...don’t tell anybody else, yeah?”

The guilt written all over Chloe’s face begins to melt away at that, and is instead overtaken by a small, soothing smile. She uses the grip she has on Beca’s hand to easily tug her closer, and Beca does not resist as Chloe’s lips, familiar like home, push a delicate peck to her own. “Okay,” Chloe nods, gently nudging the tip of her nose to Beca’s. “Deal.”

[cycwrites]

WIP Things aka Unofficial Fic Tease

In order to remind myself that I’ve left all of you hanging for the rest of my trilogy rewrite, I thought I would post my unbeta’d, unedited, good with the bad chapter 1 for the second movie. I also have hope that it will make me feel guilty for taking so damn long and get back to it. Especially since I’ve basically closed myself off from writing (and the muses) and I’m trying to pry the doors back open because I really do miss sharing my stories with you guys.

I wrote this well over a year ago, along with a 2nd chapter that deals with the Dean’s office, and really just hope you like it. 

--------

About Damn Time 

Chapter One: So That Happened

Word Count: 2600 -------- ~B~

At the end of Beca’s junior year, two things of note happened.

First: Chloe, once again, made the decision to stay with Beca and the Bellas and failed Russian Lit for the third time.  Beca had tried to talk her out of it, torn between wanting Chloe to move forward in her life beyond Barden and guilt that she was relieved they wouldn’t have to figure out how to work a long distance relationship. She wasn’t ready to try that and couldn’t imagine leading the group without her.  But Chloe had insisted this was where she’d wanted to be and she didn’t feel like she was missing out on anything.

Second: The Bellas were asked to perform at President Obama’s 50th birthday celebration at the Kennedy Center on August 8th.

Beca had laughed when the call had come through the never used landline at the Bella house.

“Good afternoon, this is Mack Johnson and I’m calling on behalf of the White House…”

“Yeah right. Nice try, Jesse.” She hung up and pulled out her cell phone as she walked into the kitchen. Pausing by the counter she typed out a quick message to him.

Beca: I’ve gotta give you points for originality though. You almost sounded like an actual adult.

She poured herself a glass of lemonade before he answered.

Jesse: I’m going to take that as a compliment and ignore the wound to my manly pride, but I have no idea what you’re talking about.

Beca: Whatever you say, ‘Mack.’ If you’d said you were calling from anywhere but the White House I might’ve let you keep talking.

Instead of answering via text, Jesse called her.

“Are you day drinking, Mitchell?” Jesse clucked his tongue. “Without your lesbro? I’m hurt, Becaw.”

“I was going to ask you the same thing.” Beca lifted her glass and took a sip. “What inspired your call today?”

“Uh, your cryptic and confusing texts to me, of course.” Jesse chuckled. “Want to clue me in?”

Beca sighed. “Man you’re committed to this.”

“To what?”

Beca set her glass on the counter. “Fine – you just called me and –” She jumped as the phone in the living room rang for only the second time in her years at Barden. “Pretended… to be… from the White House.”

“I thought you said you weren’t drinking?” Jesse laughed but it sounded distant as Beca watched Chloe answer the phone.

Her girlfriend’s blue eyes went wide and locked on Beca’s as she said, “I’m sorry, did you say you’re calling from the White House?”

“Jesse?” Beca said absently.

“Yes, Beca?” His voice took on an echo as all the blood drained from her face.

“I gotta go pass out now.” She swallowed dryly. “I’ll call you later.”

“Beca wa-”

Beca had remained frozen in the kitchen while Chloe became more and more animated, frantically scribbling down notes on the notepad sitting beside the phone, though her voice was carefully calm and collected. Then she’d run into the kitchen, screaming and jumping in excitement and talking faster than Beca’s shocked mind could process. Drawn by the commotion like a frat boy to a kegger, the rest of the girls soon joined the chaos while Beca still stood frozen by the counter as they swirled around her.

The school had allowed them to stay on campus through the summer so they could discuss songs and choreography. The time had been a whirlwind of security checks and practice and everything they planned needed to be vetted by the performance organizers. Of course, since they’d come to the Bellas after their third ICCA win in a row, there weren’t any real problems.

Until the night of the performance when one set of tangled silks and a desire for no panty lines wrecked everything.

No pun intended.

~B~ Sunday, August 24th, 2014

Beca lay on their bed and stared at the ceiling, listening to Chloe pace beside her.

“I’ve ruined everything.” Pace to the head of the bed. “Destroyed our reputation.” Pace back to the foot. “Made the Bellas a joke.”

Beca sighed and pushed herself up on her elbows. “Chloe. It’s a capella. It’s already a jo-” She stopped as Chloe spun to face her, outraged. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it.” Beca tried a smile. “I was just trying to lighten the mood.” She let it slip when Chloe just stared at her and Beca dropped back down to gaze at the ceiling. “Won’t make that mistake again.”

“I’m the one who gave Amy the green-light to do ‘Wrecking Ball.’” Chloe resumed pacing.

“Because, despite most of her claims, she actually had done some training on the silks before coming to the states.” Beca countered, as she had for the past three weeks. “She was good on them and never once in our rehearsals did she get tangled up.”

“But-”

“No.” Beca cut her off and sat up, pulling her legs up to sit cross legged and face her. “We all agreed to let her do it. It was a group vote.” She softened her voice and held out her hand. “This isn’t all on you, Chlo.”

With a sigh, Chloe took her hand and let herself be tugged onto the bed. Beca stretched back out and Chloe settled against her side. “It feels like it.”

“That’s because you’re the one who looks out for us.” Beca gently rubbed her back. “No one could’ve predicted this, love.”

“No…” Chloe said grudgingly. “But…”

Beca cut her off again. “There’s no buts.”

“Except Amy’s.” Chloe huffed, tension that had begun to fade making her stiffen up again in Beca’s arms. “All over the news.” She groaned. “Why didn’t I just use the cloth I was freaking holding to cover her up?”

“Same reason I didn’t,” Beca said reasonably, having heard a version of this several times before. “My mind went blank and I couldn’t move. I just… kept waiting to wake up.”

“Same.” Chloe pressed her nose to Beca’s shoulder. “I still am. This is such a nightmare.”

“She feels bad.” Beca offered. “It was her idea to do that press conference.” She winced as Chloe snorted.

“Yeah, where she then tried to show her ‘silk burn’ to the entire world.” Chloe sat up and pushed herself off the bed. “Again.” She resumed pacing and Beca’s mind hunted around for anything she could say to defuse things.

“At least we saved Aubrey’s college legacy from Pukegate?” Even as the words were out of her mouth Beca knew they were stupid and wrong.

“And ruined ours with Muffgate.” Chloe snarled.

“I wish I could find the asshole that came up with that. Bet it was those podcast people and of course everyone else jumped on it.” Beca made a face. “It was an accident and eventually there will be another crisis for them to focus on.” She slid over to the edge of the bed and swung her legs over. “It won’t be forever, Chlo.”

Pace, turn. “But tomorrow we go see the Dean.” Pace, turn. “With those podcast people who are apparently actually part of the Collegiate A Cappella Association.”

“They’re still weird and he’s an ass.” Beca stood up and stretched as she heard the door open at the bottom of the stairs. “Think you’ll be able to enjoy yourself at dinner tonight?”

Chloe stopped by the small table they inherited from Aubrey and took a deep breath. “Of course. It’s Amy’s birthday. I’m not going to ruin it for her.” She flashed Beca a small grin, the first in an hour. “Why do you think I’m up here instead of downstairs?”

“Speaking of,” a new voice said from the stairs. “There’s maybe… A situation.” Jessica smiled apologetically when they both looked at her as she reached the top.

Beca sighed. “Of course there is.”

“Do I even want to know?” Chloe pinched the bridge of her nose.

“Probably not, but Stacie sent me to get you.”

“Coward,” Beca muttered. “She knows I can’t hit you because you’re too nice.” She took a deep breath. “Okay, quick like ripping off a band-aid.”

“Amy’s sitting on the couch. With a towel on her lap.” Jessica hesitated.

“That’s… Why is that a big deal?” Chloe asked, confused.

“She’s… commando. Because of her silk burn.” The blonde’s shoulders bounced once but she didn’t say anything else.

“I swear to fucking god I’m going to glue underwear on her,” Chloe muttered under her breath.

Beca was struck by a horrible thought. “Is she sitting on another towel?”

“We were afraid she’d show us if we asked.” Jessica looked at Beca. “That’s when Stacie sent me to get you.”

“Why do I have to do it?” Beca knew she was whining but couldn’t help it.

“Because you’re the captain.” Jessica shrugged again. “You can threaten her with cardio if she tries to flash us again.”

“Yeah but Amy doesn’t always listen to me and I don’t want to have flashbacks.” Beca reluctantly headed for the stairs as Jessica started back down.

“Birthday or not…” Chloe muttered as she followed.

“I’m sure Lilly has a hot glue gun you can use,” Beca mused, not surprised to find Ashley hanging out in the hallway when they left the attic.

“Don’t tempt me.” Chloe didn’t say anything else the entire trip down the stairs.

Beca rounded the corner, passing Jessica and Ashley who had stopped in the entry and came to a halt herself, Chloe running into her back.

All she could see was the back of Amy’s head but she appeared to be looking straight at Lilly who sat cross-legged on the ottoman and staring back.

“Do I even want to know?” Beca turned her head toward Jessica but didn’t take her eyes off the scene.

“I didn’t ask that either,” came the whispered reply.

Beca took a bracing breath then walked into the living room. Despite the reassurance that the covering towel existed, Beca didn’t relax until she saw it for herself. It was nothing personal against Amy, but Beca just didn’t want to see any of the Bellas naked, Chloe being the obvious exception. You never knew when the visual would pop back in your head and Amy had already shown up enough in the past few weeks to last a lifetime.

“Amy.” Beca looked up at a sound from the kitchen and saw Stacie leaning in the doorway with Cynthia Rose and Flo sitting at the center island.

“Captain.” Amy didn’t turn her head or avert her gaze.

“Are you guys in a staring contest?” Beca frowned, looking between the two women. “And if so why?”

“I don’t know,” Amy lifted one shoulder. “All I know is she hasn’t blinked since she sat down and why take the risk of losing.”

Beca felt her eyes twitch at the thought. “Jesus, please cut it out before my eyes start watering.” She stepped between them and Amy closed her eyes in relief.

“Thanks, Shawshank. That was starting to burn.” She started to lift one corner of the towel to wipe her eyes and Beca threw out her hand.

“Nope. That stays there.” Chloe said it before Beca could.

“Please tell me you’re sitting on another towel.” Beca sighed and ran her hand through her hair.

“Of course I am!” Amy actually looked indignant. “I’m not a heathen, Beca.” She rolled her eyes. “The pants I want to wear to dinner are tight, so I’m giving my bits time to breathe first.”

“Now that’s in my head.” Cynthia Rose muttered from the kitchen.

“That’s in all our heads,” Ashley said from the doorway behind them.

“You could always wear that blue skirt,” Chloe offered diplomatically. “That way you’re not uncomfortable for your birthday dinner.”

“I do look hot in that.” Amy thought about it while the rest of them made sounds of agreement. “Alright, you’ve swayed me. And as it’s almost that time, guess I’ll go upstairs and change.” She started to stand as Beca moved back then paused. “If you’d all turn around and give me some privacy while I wrap?”

Beca rolled her eyes as she turned to face the front window that, thankfully, had the curtains drawn. “That’s what you get for being half naked in the public areas of the house.”

“I got bored in my room.” Beca heard Amy stand up and the rustle of fabric. “Alright, I’m decent.”

“Hey!”

Beca jumped at the unexpected shout and looked over her shoulder. Stacie had come out of the kitchen and was pointing at the couch.

“That’s my favorite towel!” Outage filled her face. “I was looking for that for over a week!”

“It’s also the softest towel in the house.” Amy said as she picked it up, tucking the other firmly around her waist. “It’s the only thing that doesn’t hurt when I’m sitting.”

A choked sound from behind her brought Beca’s eyes back around to Chloe, who was biting the inside of her cheek and trying not to giggle. “I’m sure she’ll wash it before she gives it back.”

Beca tried to choke back her laugh and ended up sounding like a pug with a cold as she snickered into her hand.

“I think…” Stacie sighed. “Happy Birthday, Amy. It’s all yours.”

“You sure, Stretch?” Amy threw the towel in question over her shoulder. “I don’t think I’ll need it for much longer.”

“Yup.” Stacie nodded emphatically. “I’ll go get another one this weekend.”

“Thanks, Stacie.” Amy smiled at her before her lips twisted slightly. “Sorry I didn’t ask first.”

“’S okay.” Stacie shrugged. “Now go get changed so we can celebrate your day.”

“Are you allowed to give me orders on my birthday?” Amy mused as she headed for the stairs.

“Probably not,” Beca said. “But I’ll probably do it anyway.”

“Bossy.” Chloe whispered behind her and Beca flashed her a grin.

“Alright.” Beca clapped her hands once. “Show’s over, let’s go get our party outfits on and get some grub. We’ve got a Bella to celebrate.”

Stacie walked past her, shaking her head. “Bossy.”

Beca let her head fall back as she stared at the ceiling. “I can’t with you two.”

“What?” Stacie paused in the door to the entry. “Did we do the thing again?”

“Yup.” Chloe pushed Beca toward the stairs. “I called her that thirty seconds ago.” She high fived Stacie over Beca’s shoulder when the tall woman grinned and held out her hand.

“Score one for us.” Stacie laughed and started up the stairs.

“I hate you guys.” Beca said weakly as she followed.

“Liar,” Chloe laughed and ran her hand down Beca’s back.

“Maybe.” Beca let Chloe go before her.

“Definitely.”

“Yeah yeah,” Beca waved her up the stairs, unable to help admiring the way Chloe’s muscles flexed as she moved. “But seriously, my stomach just woke up and if I don’t feed it soon it’s going to take over the world.”

“Aye aye, Captain.” Stacie saluted as she stepped into her room.

“Smartass,” Beca threw back.

“And you love it.” Stacie closed the door with a laugh.

“Stop flirting with Stacie and let’s go change before you get hangry.” Chloe took her hand and tugged on it.

“She wishes,” Beca muttered but followed Chloe up to their room, ignoring the ‘Often’ that came from Stacie’s room behind them.

‘She’s got bat hearing, I swear.’ Beca thought to herself as she went to the closet to get her outfit for the night.

Tomorrow was still looming over them, but Beca pushed it all away, determined to think about Amy and the Bellas for the rest of the night.

It was one mistake and they’d just won three years in a row. Surely they weren’t in that much trouble.

Right?