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tiny-maus-boots · 20 days

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Queen of Hearts pt 18

A/N: It's been awhile for this one. I was a little bit kinda sorta life threateningly sick so I had some time to complete this. Thank you as always to @chloes-yellow-cup and @kimmania for listening to the hcs that eventually become real stories. i love you awesome nerds.

18 Aggression Factor

“Jesus, this is a fucking nightmare.”

Aubrey nodded her agreement at the thought and leaned back in her seat. The leather creaked softly, the only counterpoint to Beca's soft comment. They had gone to the docks, and on the surface in the full light of day everything appeared on the up and up. But just a little digging after business hours had uncovered a nest of nastiness that she didn't yet know what to do with.

“We have to do something Aubrey. We can't just let all those women suffer. Some of them were just girls…”

Aubrey didn't say anything for a long time. She was sickened by what she and Beca had seen. But it all made sense now. Everything that Weston had been involved in was suddenly and disgustingly clear. Weston had been using his connections with the Russian mob to traffick women as play things for the rich and elite.

“We can free them all tonight. But then Roman and his crew close down shop here and open up somewhere else.”

“They're going to do that anyway now that they've killed Grant's kid. The kid was nothing to them or his father. By morning all those girls will be shipped and held somewhere else.”

And if Beca were to go to her superiors now she would sidelined by the wheels of bureaucracy before anyone could save those women. Her thumbs tapped lightly on the steering wheel as she turned the problem over in her head. She couldn't see any way to help the innocent victims immediately that would stop the operation entirely. She had to choose. Save who she could now or let them and countless others suffer until she and Beca could maybe find a way to dismantle an entire organization and see that justice was served to the people behind it all.

“All those rich pricks are going to get off scott free from this, aren't they?”

Detective Mitchell looked away and sighed deeply. It bothered her as much as it bothered Aubrey. When they had started this working arrangement it had been because Aubrey wanted someone on the Force that was in her pocket. In truth it could have been any cop, and quite a few that had less compunction about taking her money to look the other way. But she had needed Beca Mitchell in particular.

It had been late when Beca had pulled into the big bay doors of the abandoned warehouse. But dead of night seemed about right for whatever was about to happen. She pulled the rusted old Nova into a cleared space and got out of the car warily.

Happy and Lilly were stood menacingly and armed to either side of a seated figure lost half in shadow. Somehow Aubrey managed to be the most terrifying of them all, calmly waiting for Beca's arrival with the patience of a large predator. Smoke curled in a lazy tendril around Aubrey’s head and she casually dropped the butt of her cigarette to the floor and ground it out with her shoe as she rose.

“Did you bring him?”

“In the trunk. It'll be a miracle if he survived carbon monoxide poisoning back there. I think the catalytic converter fell off this bucket somewhere on Imperial.”

Aubrey nodded and Happy and Lilly moved to pull their guest out of the trunk of Beca’s unmarked police car. She put a hand into her suit jacket and pulled out an envelope of cash and tossed it to the Detective. Beca caught it and counted the cash half distracted by the none too gentle way her cargo was being dragged and strapped to a dusty work table.

“So look. I know the deal here. You make moves and I follow them. In the end I make some money and really shitty people get what they deserve. I'm oddly on-board with meting out punishment in non legal ways when its due. But this guy? He's nothing. Some B&E, some minor theft. A bar fight. On paper this guy is no one.”

And she had looked. Beca might be okay with playing things a little loose with the law for Aubrey but she wasn't going to do it blindly. She had pulled Mervin Evans’ jacket and read through his past charges before she picked him up and shoved him into her trunk. He wasn't a great guy but he wasn't horrible either.

The blonde glanced away from Mervin and pinned Beca with a cold stare. She wasn't afraid of Posen exactly, but she was a fan of exercising caution around an unpredictable variable. Asking too many questions could easily land her on the table next to Mervin.

“On paper you're an officer of the law and I'm a hardworking, law abiding, businesswoman.”

“Touche.”

Aubrey slid the suit jacket from her shoulders and hung it neatly from a hanger. There was a deliberateness about the way the other woman removed her cufflinks and watch and placed them in the pocket of her jacket. Beca swallowed hard when Aubrey rolled up the sleeves on her shirt and strode to the table with echoing steps.

“You can leave now, Detective. The kitchen is gonna get hot.”

Beca narrowed her eyes at the subtle challenge. Okay sure watching Aubrey tug on leather gloves before picking up a thin steel bar and hefting it lightly in hand was alarming. But if she left now without questioning this was she really the person she thought she was?

“You implying I can't hack the job?”

Aubrey chuckled softly and placed the bar on the table near Mervin's head. For the most part he had been sort of out of it, too many bumps in the road on the way over. He groaned and his head lolled to the side. He just stared at the bar for a moment in dazed confusion before recognition dawned on him and he started to struggle. Happy slapped him hard a few times to settle him and Beca shifted uncomfortably.

“I'm not implying anything. I'm out right telling you. You ain't got it, kid. Now beat it before you realize how dirty your hands really are.”

Whether she meant to or not Aubrey had issued a challenge that Beca couldn't ignore. She had to take a stand one way or the other. Even if it might get her killed.

“I need to know what he did, Posen. He's too small of a fish in our great big pond to deserve whatever it is you're planning.”

Aubrey picked up a torch striker and gave it an experimental squeeze to text the way it sparked. She nodded in approval before using it to point at a wide eyed and gagged Mervin.

“You're right. He's a little fish, but he's no Nemo. He's a remora.”

“Wait. Like those fish that eat shark leftovers or whatever? Where the fuck is this going?”

Aubrey lit the acetylene torch standing at the head of the table with the striker. Mervin jumped and tried to struggle but the straps around his body held him fast. She was methodical about the way she heated the end of the bar, leaving the fire on the tip until it glowed a white hot.

“Hm. Something like that. Remoras feed on shit. And this little shit eating fishie is feeding from a shark I don't want in my water.”

“I'm guessing we aren't talking a cute friendly reef shark.”

Aubrey inhaled deeply and closed her eyes for a moment. Beca was used to seeing the action and knew that the person she respected most was about to do something that she felt needed to be done. Aubrey was violent and practical to brutality but it was never without a reason. When she opened her eyes and looked at Beca there was a hollow void where most people had a soul.

“Someone is taking women from MY streets. Teenagers, Mitchell. Young women are being stolen and sold and this stronzo, this oh so little fish, is the one finding them for his master. And do you know what he does to them? He brands them so they know who they belong to. And now I'm going to mark him.”

Aubrey raised the brand and moved to bring it close to Mervin's arm. Only Beca's shaking hand on her wrist stopped her.

“Wait…wait…”

Whatever was going on in the Detective's head was a struggle Aubrey did not envy. Her job was simple. She did what she needed to and she didn't have to play by anyone's rules but her own. Mitchell on the other hand lived with a foot in two worlds, there were lines she couldn't cross with the same ease Aubrey did.

Lines she shouldn't cross because she had people in her life that would never understand. Detective Mitchell had a family. Brothers and sisters and two of the most loving people as parents that chose Beca and saved her from a life in the system. Aubrey had done her research on Beca long before she ever approached her. She knew all her triggers and all her secrets. She knew them all and played on them to get what she wanted. Just like she was playing on that now.

“Are you asking me to spare him? Do you think he spared those girls he stole and hurt? Do you think if I let him go now he'll stop and change his ways and never touch another person's daughter…or sister?”

The look in Beca's eyes was terrible to behold. A leviathan of disgusted rage rose in the deep blue depths and if Aubrey were being honest, she was proud to see it and bothered that she had to be the one to invoke it. Hate boiled beneath the surface when Beca gripped the brand in her own hand and pressed it down with a scream on Mervin's forehead.

Aubrey felt nothing as she watched him writhe and howl in pain behind his gag. She felt nothing when Mitchell flung the brand away and staggered drunkenly to the door outside to retch on the hard black macadam lot. She gave Mervin a disinterested look and nodded to Happy and Lilly to finish the work. They would without question or conscience and she appreciated that.

But it wasn't what she needed.

Aubrey stepped outside and knelt by Beca heaving on all fours. She reached out a tentative hand to rub the other woman's back soothingly and wasn't surprised to be shrugged off. She had pushed too far. Beca tried to scramble away, tears running down her face freely but Aubrey gathered her as easily as a child and held her while she struggled with what she had just done.

“I'm sorry Mitchell. Sorry I goaded you into it because I didn't like being questioned. Because I felt like a point needed to be made.”

“I'm gonna hork again.”

Aubrey eased away and let Beca rise on shaky feet. The way the Detective looked at her would haunt her at night when she was alone and the horrors of her life replayed themselves on repeat. Anyone else would have looked away from the accusation and revulsion. Aubrey stared back, evenly, accepting who and what she was now. She hadn’t always been this. Once it had affected her too.

“I threw up my first time too.”

“Jesus Christ, Posen. This work is fucking evil. The people that do this are fucking evil.”

You're fucking evil.

Beca didn't say it. She didn't have to. Aubrey rose and brushed the dirt off her neatly pressed slacks. Yes. She was. She nodded at the unspoken statement and smoothed her tie.

“I'm no saint, that's true.”

Something flickered in Beca’s eyes and she looked away from Aubrey. The blonde slid hands in her pockets and considered for a moment.

“I might be the devil.”

The detective turned to eye her quickly. Measuring her worth with a skill that only cops had.

“You're not the devil. You're fucking awful sometimes but you're not the devil Posen. You're trying to do a job with the only tools you have and its sick work but maybe some of it has to be done.”

“I'm a weapon, Detective. My purpose is pain and order and I am very good at it. Who I inflict pain on is how I sleep at night.”

Beca nodded and turned away to stare at the moon above. Her voice was raw and tight as she struggled to contain her emotions.

“Lesson learned. Don't question you if I don't want to become an unfeeling weapon.”

Aubrey hesitated and looked up to the moon as well. No one questioned her. Ever. Even before her father had passed and her work was new, no one had questioned the way she handled business. And perhaps that was why she was the monster she was today.

“I need you to keep questioning me, Mitchell. Even if I hate it.”

Beca glanced at her quickly again, eyes wide with surprise. Aubrey sighed deeply.

“There are lines even I shouldn't cross and I don't know if I recognize them anymore.”

“What are you asking here? You want me to be your Jiminy?”

Fatigue set in making her shoulders hunch with the weight of so many misdeeds. Seeing Detective Mitchell break down, seeing her feel something, had shown her how far removed she was from humanity. And it scared her.

“I don't flinch, Bec. Humans should flinch when they do terrible things. They should feel it in their soul. I feel nothing.”

“Jesus. You're really asking me to help you be human?”

Her lips quirked in a quick grin. If anyone could help her find her humanity again it was Beca Mitchell. Perhaps the only person alive not afraid to tell her to fuck off.

“I just want to be a real girl.”

“Great, fantastic, maybe you can start by taking a crack at that work life balance thing. Take a night off…and don't fucking call me.”

She had taken that advice to heart and gone to a poker game hosted by a friend. Aubrey smiled softly at the memory of spending four hours letting the most gorgeous creature she had ever seen win every single dollar she had brought and her heart to boot.

Beca had been right then and she was right now. Aubrey inhaled deeply knowing she was going to end Roman and his business but Weston's friends would still be safe to continue doing what they wanted. And she wouldn't be able to do a damn about it.

“I need to make an example of Ekzarova and make it very costly for his organization to run that line of business.”

“Too costly to be worth the effort.” Beca watched her careful nod of agreement before speaking again. “Richie Rich's friends are a lost cause aren't they?”

“For now. Yes. They have more money and resources than I do. So for now, until I can find out the right leverage on them, they skate on this.”

“We still have the proof on those drives.”

“If you thought that was enough to nail them for this you would have used it a long time ago. We both know it'll get buried and you'll find yourself out of a job.”

“And Alice?”

Alice Alice Alice. Aubrey hadn’t allowed herself to think about her ex girlfriend. She was afraid the rage would overwhelm her good sense and she would do something sloppy enough to get her caught.

“For her part in what happened to Happy? For putting her hands on Stacie…”

She gave Beca a look that didn't mask the well of darkness in her soul at the thought of ending Alice.

“She needs to be made an example of too or they'll send another just like her. But you know. Competent.”

“You asking me to cross lines Jiminy?”

“No I'm outright telling you we are going to cross lines. A lot of them.”

“Bec…”

“Don't Aubrey.”

“You're a cop.”

She felt it bore a mention. Beca was rapidly approaching a point where there would be no turning back. She had a life and family she could easily lose.

“For what though? Did cops stop my alcoholic father from beating my crackhead mother to death in front of my face? Did cops take me out of the foster system and put me in a safe home where I felt loved for the first time in my life? I'm sorry was it the cops that found the gang banger that murdered my older brother for trying to protect a store clerk? Are cops doing anything at all to protect any of these women? No. Man…fuck the police. They are part of a system of abuse and I'm done Aubrey. I'm fucking done. You know who was there to save me? People. Just fucking good people. And a goddamn murdering mobster might be the best one of them. So don't fucking tell me what I'm losing. The answer is nothing. I lose nothing but the shame of being part of the problem.”

“Okay.”

What else could she say? Aubrey reached out a balled fist and held it steady. Beca looked at her and bumped their knuckles together.

“I don't think I'll ever be a real girl if I lose myself in this, you know that right? What I'll have to do to end this whole thing…”

Beca's tone gentled and she looked at Aubrey with something the blonde had never seen in the Detective's eyes before. Pride.

“Aubrey, this only makes you that much more human and real.”

They sat there a minute longer while she let that sink in. Somehow, somewhere, she had changed. Because of Beca.

“So you gonna be my best man or what?”

Mitchell was right. Fuck the police. If they were going scorched earth then it wouldn't matter who stood by her at her wedding. And she really couldn't think of anyone she wanted more at her shoulder.

“Do I get to bang hot bridesmaids?”

“No guarantee but there is an open bar and a hot doctor among the guests.”

Beca sighed heavily as if she were making a huge sacrifice at not being able to sleep her way through the wedding party. But Aubrey could see she didn't really mean it.

“Yeah alright. I guess I can rock a suit for a day. Maybe I can pass out and Doc Beale can give me some mouth to mouth.”

Beca winked at her and slid out of the car with a chuckle. The door slammed, leaving her to sit in the quiet car park alone. She had a lot to prepare and she needed to do it quickly. But right now the only thing she could focus on was getting back to Stacie to find a little peace before she burned the world to the ground.

#beca mitchell #aubrey posen #staubrey #pitch perfect #pitch perfect au #tdc in a tps with bde #the debt collector series #maus writes

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titaniumbechloe · 29 days

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my top 15 ships if anyone cares:

1. Bechloe (duh)

(Pitch Perfect)

2. Romanogers

(Marvel Cinematic Universe)

3. Emisue🌋

(Dickinson)

4. Evelyncelia

(The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo)

5. Deckerstar

(Lucifer)

6. Mondler

(FRIENDS)

7. Calzona

(Grey’s Anatomy)

8. Marina (iconic scene below🙈)

(Station 19)

9. Petergwen

(The Amazing Spider-Man 1&2)

10. Violivia

(She’s The Man)

11. Merder (Grey’s Anatomy)

12. Staubrey (Pitch Perfect)

13. Roey (FRIENDS)

14. Merdison (Grey’s Anatomy)

15. Agentdiamond (D.E.B.S.)

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pitch-perfect-spookfest · 7 months

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PITCH PERFECT SPOOKFEST 2023 - PROMPT RELEASE

Here we are Spookateers, the official prompts for 2023 are here and we are so excited to announce them!! All your votes have been collated and counted, and these are the top eight prompts that you chose!

24/10: #ppsf23.1 - Cursed Places 25/10: #ppsf23.2 - Psychological Horror 26/10: #ppsf23.3 - Possession 27/10: #ppsf23.4 - Waking Nightmare 28/10: #ppsf23.5 - Came Back Wrong 29/10: #ppsf23.6 - Found Footage 30/10: #ppsf23.7 - Dystopian Horror 31/10: #ppsf23.8 - Unfinished Business

Pitch Perfect SpookFest will run from 24/10/23 to 31/10/23, don't forget to tag your amazing creations with the correct hashtag for each day when posting to Tumblr so that we can we find them, and above all don't forget to have fun when making them!!

We'll see you in a month for the first of our haunting days of SpookFest, but until then we'll be around if you have any questions or comments about the week!!

Happy creating!!! 🎃😈🧡

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gaytrashgoblin · 4 months

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The Unexpected

Merry Pitchmas @anotherbechloeshipper! Kind of wild that I've gotten you for this more than once now, but happy holidays Amy!!

The unexpected. That was, by its very nature, what Beca was never quite prepared for. She, in her late teens and now early 20s, outwardly portrayed herself as a pretty chill person- someone who rolls with the punches as easily as they breathe. But the truth is that Beca wants nothing more than to be prepared in any situation outside of music. She hates when things are out of her control, but she’s learning, more and more, that sometimes the unexpected can be better than any scenario she could have expected or even planned for.

After many months at Barden, nearing the holidays to be specific, she had not only joined an acapella group, like seriously?, but made rather close bonds with two of the members. Namely one of her captains, Chloe Beale, and perhaps the most unexpected one, fellow freshman Stacie Conrad. While Chloe had made it her mission to befriend her, Stacie had been more of a silently acquired friendship that neither of them outwardly spoke of. Over the course of about a month, Stacie and Beca both learned, slowly but surely, that they both, quite frequently, get told that they are not anything like what people expect of them based on their looks. The two grew quite close rather quickly, the friendship starting with knowing looks when someone made comments regarding them to outwardly defending each other to outsiders. This strange relationship, while unexpected, proved its worth in spades during all the nights spent together studying, venting, and sharing things about themselves that they haven’t with others.

Beca’s relationship with Chloe was different than the one she had with Stacie. There was a… tension between her and Chloe. Beca honestly didn’t want to admit to herself what the tension was, despite knowing very clearly what it was, before she accidentally mentioned it to Stacie one night and had to face the facts. She has a giant toner for Chloe. In turn, after seeing how uncomfortable the admission had made Beca, Stacie admitted to her own toner for none other than Chloe’s best friend, Aubrey Posen. Beca’s face had scrunched in distaste before relaxing, shrugging and saying “I mean, yeah I can see you two working,” and that was that.

Beca is snapped, literally, out of her musing by Aubrey’s hand in her face.

“Earth to ear monstrosities! Did you hear any of what I just said?”

“Ear monstrosities to ground control, what the hell do you want now?” Beca says, doing her best imitation of an astronaut, earning her a few laughs from the Bellas.

“Haha. Very funny. We were divvying up responsibilities for the Chrsitm-Apella party. The Trebles are hosting, so they are in charge of-” Beca mostly focuses on the conversation after Chloe winks at her, forcing her to focus on literally anything to try and stop her face from getting as red as Santa’s suit. She looks at her phone as she receives a notification and swears under her breath.

“Sorry to dip, but Luke is sick and asked me to run the station for the night.” She says as she gathers her stuff, leaving the auditorium after getting nods from Chloe and Aubrey. After they finish, Aubrey takes it upon herself to visit the station to let Beca know what she is responsible for in regards to the party, Stacie chasing after her.

“Hey, I’ll walk with you, I’m headed this way anyway,” Stacie says with a smile. They walk in comfortable silence until they reach the station. Aubrey glances around, not having been there before, while Stacie walks right in, greeting the girl at the front by name. Aubrey follows her with a slight frown.

“You know her?”

“Yeah, I come here and hang out with Bec pretty often, so,” Stacie responds.

“Oh,” Aubrey responds, a little cold. Before Stacie can comment, the two of them hear Jesse loudly talking to someone they can’t see.

“No, dude, it’s for sure gonna work! All I gotta do is get Beca under the mistletoe and kiss her, then she’ll totally fall for me,” he says, gesturing wildly. Aubrey glances at Stacie, as if waiting for a response. All Stacie does is huff a little laugh and shake her head.

“Are you not going to say anything to that?” Aubrey asks incredulously. Stacie raises an eyebrow.

“No? I know he doesn’t have a chance with her, no matter what he does. Actually, it might be funny if he tries that, Beca will probably punch him,” she says with another little laugh. Jesse continues lamenting to whoever he was talking to, and Aubrey stomps over.

“Hey! Have a little respect, would you? Even I know that Beca has rejected your advances before, no means no! Not to mention that she’s in a relationship!” She interjects at Jesse, startling him.

“Huh? You don’t know anything about it, Aubrey, she doesn’t even like you! And what do you mean relationship?”

“Her and Stacie!”

“What?!” Jesse yells and Stacie asks simultaneously.

“Ok, Aubrey has a point, Beca is absolutely not into you, but that’s not why. Beca and I are totally just friends,” she clarifies quickly.

“Wait, what? But, Chloe and I thought you were together, that’s why neither of us ever-” Aubrey cuts herself off suddenly. Stacie, sensing her embarrassment, pulls her away from Jesse to continue the conversation.

“That’s why you and Chloe never what?” She presses. Aubrey groans, putting her face in her hands.

“Well, I mean… we thought we were respecting your relationship by not… making a move on either of you…” she trails off, glancing at Stacie to gauge her reaction. Stacie grins salaciously.

“Oh? And who were you going to be making a move on?” Aubrey stutters, her face getting redder every second before muttering a ‘you,’ making Stacie’s grin grow. “Well, that works just fine for me. That gives me an idea, though.” Brushing some of Aubrey’s hair behind her ear, Stacie leans in close and whispers her plan. Aubrey, through her embarrassment, nods her agreement.

“Perfect. I’ll see you Friday, then, pretty girl,” Stacie says with a wink before turning to head toward the booth, Aubrey getting a breath of whatever shampoo Stacie uses as she goes, managing to turn and leave without falling over like a lovestruck teenager. Stacie, for her part, barges right into the booth and sits on the table, waiting for Beca to turn to her, as per their usual.

“Aubrey said you’re in charge of cups. Said ‘there’s no way she can fuck that up.’ But also, there’s this Italian place I’ve been meaning to try, so you’re coming with me Friday.”

“Alright, whatever,” Beca responds with an easy shrug, hanging out with Stacie isn’t unusual.

“And dress up a bit, its a little fancier than the usual places we go.” That makes Beca raise an eyebrow, to which Stacie just says to trust her. Again, Beca shrugs, then turns back to the task at hand.

Friday night, Beca finds herself outside Stacie’s dorm. Walking right in, Beca finds Stacie dressed to kill in a blue cocktail dress and black stilettos. Beca lets out a low whistle.

“Damn, Stace. Am I underdressed?” She asks, referring to her own button up and nice jeans with a pair of pumps. Stacie shakes her head.

“No, that should be good, you look hot.” Beca laughs as the two of them head out. They call an Uber and Stacie takes the opportunity to drop a bomb on Beca.

“So, we’re going on a double date,” she says casually. Beca’s head snaps over so fast her hair smacks Stacie.

“We’re what?!” She hisses, acutely aware of the fact that the driver is definitely listening to the gossip.

“I said what I said, Beca. We’re meeting some people there for a double date.” Beca’s eye twitches at how blase she is about this. “And before you ask, no, I won’t tell you who.” Both her eyes shut then as she lets out a long breath before resting her head against the back of the seat, fully resigned to her fate. Upon arriving at the restaurant, Beca trudges behind Stacie like a kid on the way to the doctor.

“Lighten up, would you,” Stacie says as she opens the door for them. Beca merely smiles sarcastically. “Hi, we’re meeting someone. The name should be Posen.” Beca’s head snaps up when Stacie tells the hostess that. Wait, Posen? That means that Aubrey is one of the people they’re meeting? Then… could the second person be-

“Hi, you look beautiful,” Stacie greets Aubrey when they get to the table. Beca’s brain short circuits when Stacie sits next to Aubrey, leaving her to sit next to Chloe, who looks like an actual angel in her green dress. Chloe is also stunned looking at Beca, but snaps out of it quicker to look over at Aubrey while Beca manages to sit.

“Bree! What is going on?”

“Well, funny story… When I went to the radio station to see Beca the other day, that obnoxious Treble was talking up a storm about how he was going to woo Beca, and I stormed over there to tell him how disrespectful it was of him to ignore Beca’s relationship like that…”

“My relationship?” Beca asks confusedly.

“Right, so, Chloe and I were under the impression that you and Stacie were together,” Aubrey clarifies before continuing her story. “Stacie reacted about the same as you, only, well, I may have said more than I intended to.”

“Wait, so you’re not together?” Chloe asks, gesturing between Stacie and Beca.

“Absolutely not. No offense, B. I’ve got my eye on someone else,” she says, winking at Aubrey, who promptly turns red.

“That means that it would be okay for me to ask you out on a date then, right?” Chloe asks, turning to look at Beca while biting her lip nervously.

“I- wha- you want to- I mean yeah,” Beca stutters, face now matching Aubrey’s.

“Virgins, the lot of you,” Stacie mutters under her breath, earning a gentle swat from Aurbrey. “I already told you it was a double date, Beca,” she says playfully.

“Just because you said so doesn’t mean that's what she wants,” Beca says quickly.

“It is,” Chloe says, grabbing Beca’s hand in her own. “What I want, I mean. I want it to be a date.”

“Me too,” she responds shyly, squeezing Chloe’s hand with a smile.

Once again, Beca has been presented with proof that your life, no matter how hard you may try, is never fully in your control, for everyone else is free to make their own decisions, which can throw a wrench in your plans. Whether for better or for worse. Though, it seems for Beca, all she’s been getting have been bonuses and upgrades. When she was shipped out to Georgia for school, she had planned on going one year and leaving, planned on spending as little time with her father as possible, planned on making absolutely no ties so that when the year was up she could reemerge from where she had firmly planted her head in the sand focused on her music. And yet, what she got was a renewed relation with her father, a group of girls that are quickly worming their way into her heart, a best friend who will be with her through thick and thin, and, apparently, love.

“Just because Chloe’s head over heels for you doesn’t mean you can change the setlist,” Aubrey says.

Well. Maybe not everything is unexpected.

#pitchmas 2023 #secret santa #bechloe #staubrey

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dittobtch · 4 months

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Pitch Perfect Fandom Stats

A visualization of how fics are tagged in the Pitch Perfect fandom on ao3.

Data from ao3 as at December 25, 2023 (Note 3).

Pitch Perfect Stats

Percentages are of the total number of fics in the Pitch Perfect fandom tag.

Total number of fics: 7,745

Specific Relationship Comparisons

Chloe/Beca: 5,153 fics

Stacie/Aubrey: 881 fics

Emily/Beca: 297 fics

The gray bar for Pitch Perfect is what that tag percentage is in the fandom as a whole.

Notes and Disclaimers

*Note 1: (Warnings) Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage, and Rape/ Non-Con were combined for visibility.

**Note 2: (Categories) F/F excluded for visibility. F/F percentage of the Pitch Perfect fandom tag was 92.8%.

Note 3: I don't use any programs to gather stats (I input data manually). So, some fics may have been deleted or created and backdated since. To minimize discrepancies, I tried to collect all the data in one sitting.

Note 4: I know tag wrangling is a thing however, I don't know much about it. That being said, I'm pretty sure that this data doesn't really take that into consideration.

Note 5: I am obviously an amateur (I failed my first year stats exam lol), so take that as you will.

Note 6: If you use this data for anything, please let me know and tag me in it. If you want the original excel file, just ask and I'll send it to you.

The Other Fandoms

Multi | The Wilds | Yellowjackets

#fandom stats #pitch perfect #bechloe #staubrey #bemily #ao3 #stats #self indulgence at its finest #meta-ish #ao3 2023 stats #my stats #btch talk

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godzillachloe · 4 months

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Merry Pitchmas @psychoteacher90!

Chloe's Secret Santa

Chloe starts receiving gifts from a secret Santa and Beca isn't sure how to feel about it as she slowly becomes more jealous of Chloe's new suitor.

This fic is Pitch Perfect 2 AU. Assume everything in PP1 and PP2 has already happened except graduation and Worlds. I know PP2 is technically supposed to take place over an entire year but in my head cannon the majority of the events happen in the first few months of their senior year.

Lots of Nostalgia in this for the first 2 Pitch perfect movies. So it may not feel too Christmassy

Special thanks to @143bc for helping with the idea for this story.

#bechloe #brittany snow #beca mitchell #chloe beale #emily junk #aubrey posen #stacie conrad #staubrey #merry pitchmas 2023 #Merry Pitcmas

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kris246 · 9 months

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Is Bechloe week happening?

I really want it too and will be sad if it doesn’t. I know the fandom is getting smaller and smaller but for the ones still here I think we should keep going.

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cycwrites · 4 months

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A (Few) Day(s) in the Life - Lingerie

A very overdue second chapter of random glimpses into the lives of my favorite girls.

This was meant to be a short, fade to black ficlet while I tried to remember how to do this words thing. Close enough.

Thank you to everyone who has ever left me a comment on AO3 (I owe so many responses over the last 3 years) or sent me a message on Tumblr, encouraging me to continue after all this time. I’m really hoping to finish a few things next year as I still owe everyone a Staubrey origin and cliffhanger reveal.

For @tiny-maus-boots and @kimmania. I honestly don’t know if I’d be here without your unending support and encouragement in life as well as writing.

And for Rylee, who somehow convinced-slash-hoodwinked me into thinking about the Mitchsen chapter, which in turn reminded me I needed to get this one done first.

Words: 3600ish (aka the 2nd shortest thing I've ever written.)

Rating: Mature/Explicit

Chapter 1 (and the whole Nowish Universe) on AO3

Master Post for Tumblr

And just because, the Spotify playlist that helped me write pretty much every Pitch story.

A Pitch Perfect Lifetime

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~S~

Wednesday, October 11th, 2017

“Is it dumb that I’m nervous?”

Stacie turned to look at Aubrey who very clearly was avoiding looking at her. Which meant she missed the loving smile that Stacie aimed her way.

“Bree.” Aubrey didn’t turn, merely slid another hanger to the side and intently looked at the clothing behind it, which was exactly the same style and color. “There is a list of things you are not, and dumb is definitely on it.” Stacie resumed going through the rack in front of her, deciding this was one of those times that Aubrey needed to pretend they weren’t having a discussion about whatever was bothering her. She knew they’d eventually get to the heart of it. “Were you nervous with Chloe?”

A pause. “No.” Another few seconds filled with the sounds of hangers sliding along metal racks. “Chloe is home.”

“Are you saying Beca’s less?” Stacie grinned even though they still weren’t looking at each other.

“I’m not even going to dignify that with an answer.” Very snooty, very amused but then a longer pause. “But my history with Beca is more…”

“Spicy?” Stacie looked over her shoulder and saw Aubrey’s beautiful smile in profile.

“I suppose that’s one way to put it,” Aubrey agreed wryly. “But that’s not quite what I meant.”

Stacie looked around them and lowered her voice even though there was no one else near them in the shop. “You guys have been alone before.”

“Not like this, no. Not since…” Aubrey’s voice was even quieter and Stacie had to strain a little to hear it. “You and or Chloe have always been in the house or within minutes of getting home.”

“Really?” Stacie turned and rested one elbow on the rack. “I’d have sworn…” She thought for a minute, watching Aubrey’s hands as they ran down lacy fabric. Their movements were graceful but precise. Controlled.

Chloe had a convention she wanted to attend the following week and it was Stacie’s turn to go with her, leaving Aubrey and Beca at home to hold down the fort. It was something they had done many times before, but it was the first time since beginning their new shared life together.

The nerves were making a kind of sense now, Stacie mused, reaching out to run her hand down Aubrey’s back before moving past her to another rack of lingerie. She didn’t know yet what exactly was going on in her beautiful wife’s head, but since Aubrey was at least dancing around the subject, it hopefully wouldn’t be too long before she could help work through it.

Briefly she wondered if Beca was nervous before deciding that of course she was. The two women were far more alike than either of them usually admitted to. In fact, she’d almost be willing to place a large sum of money that whatever was setting off Aubrey’s nerves was at least partially in Beca’s mind as well.

“Bree?” Stacie waited until Aubrey turned and held up a random negligee. “What about this one?”

“Hmm?” She turned, eyed it narrowly from top to bottom and pursed her lips before giving a single dismissive shake of her head “No.”

As she turned away, Stacie sighed and hung it back up before moving to stand next to Aubrey and flip through the same rack, though she wasn’t paying any attention to the clothing in front of them. “Are you turning your nose up at everything in every store we’ve stopped at today because you can’t find anything you think will make a good impression on the woman who already loves you?”

“I don’t know what you mean.” Another precise sliding of hangers from right to left.

“You’re using your high voice, Bree.” Stacie nudged her gently with her elbow. “The denial tone doesn’t work on me anymore.” She’d used to think it was just haughty and dismissive – and okay, sometimes it was – but now she knew that it usually hid uncertainty and a need to look in control when Aubrey felt anything but. “You could wear the Bella uniform and she’d still think you’re one of the three hottest women she’s ever seen. She’d be dying to rip it off you.”

Aubrey snorted. “That last is true – mostly because of the PTSD it would cause.”

“Ooh, yeah. That’s probably true.” She waited a moment, trying to figure out the best way to help. “It’s true though. She loves you and when I asked if you wanted to pick up matching lingerie, I didn’t mean to make you think you needed to dress up.”

“No, I know.” Aubrey glanced at her from the corner of her eye. “And I know I don’t, but…” She bit her lip in a very Chloe manner that made Stacie smile. “I want to make it special.”

“The fact that you exist makes every day special, love.” She leaned over and kissed Aubrey’s cheek. “For all of us. What’s really going on?”

With a sigh, Aubrey finally turned to face her, sheepishly meeting her eyes. “I have a lot to make up for.”

“What do you mean?” Stacie’s brow furrowed.

She wondered if there was something else she was missing, having obviously not realized that the two women had never been fully alone together before. Sure, she and Chloe hadn’t yet either – a circumstance they were happily changing next weekend as well – but that was more random luck than anything. She knew how they all felt, knew them better than herself some days, and it had never occurred to her that any of them would be hesitant. Not with how much they loved and trusted each other.

Then again, she reminded herself, they were only three months into their new phase of life. A fact that she found hard to accept since it felt like they had been together for years this way. Plus, Aubrey and Beca were built a little different. More prone to listen to their darker fears even knowing they shouldn’t. Not anymore. And now that Stacie was thinking about it that way, things started falling into place.

“I wasn’t nervous with Chloe because she’s been my home for years. But with Beca…” Aubrey continued, looking down and then back up through lowered brows. “I worry she… It’s just that, the first year I was so terrible.”

“Aubrey.” Stacie very much wanted to reach out and hold her but didn’t think it was the place even if it was the damn time. “You’re both so far past that –”

“Rationally I know that!” Aubrey raised her hands in frustration but kept her voice low. “Or tell myself I do.” She signed softly, shoulders slumping. “But does she know?”

It was said so plaintively that Stacie pulled her into a hug, potential audiences be damned. “Know what, love?”

“That she’s as necessary to my continued existence as you and Chloe.” Aubrey pressed her face into Stacie’s shoulder, the words muffled but the worry coming through loud and clear.

Stacie thought about the way Beca would sometimes watch Aubrey in their quiet moments – while one or the other was working quietly on a laptop on the couch; when Aubrey was taking pictures of her garden, trying out her artistic angles while sober – her eyes so filled with peace and love… Chloe had confided to Stacie that on at least one occasion she’d had to make up some excuse and leave the room because it had moved her to tears.

“Oh… I’m very certain she knows.” Stacie kissed the side of her head. “But I’m definitely behind Project Woo Her if that’s what you want. I will never say no to looking at all these sexy outfits and picturing you in them.” She leaned down and whispered in Aubrey’s ear. “And to imagine Beca slowly removing them from you.” There was nothing more beautiful in Stacie’s mind than the image of any of them being together.

With a laugh, Aubrey stepped back, her smile genuine and more than a touch wicked. “Don’t think you’re going wind me up and lure me into the dressing room, lover.”

Relieved at the teasing, Stacie lifted her chin at the challenge. “Don’t think I’m ever going to give up trying.” She turned Aubrey around and patted her on the ass. “Now, let’s find you something that’ll make Beca’s legs weak before you even lay one silken fingertip on her skin.” Aubrey flashed a wink over her shoulder and Stacie felt some of the tension drain from her. It was likely only temporary, but she’d just do her best to draw the rest of it out or, at the least, keep Aubrey distracted for the next week.

In part she supposed that’s why she had made the suggestion that they go shopping for the non-boring sleepwear that Beca said they should bring over. Both because she wanted to reaffirm, once again, that this was all okay and she was one million percent behind this amazing new life they were making as a foursome. But also, that she expected Aubrey and Beca to enjoy any and all of their moments alone just as Aubrey was encouraging Stacie to do with Chloe. Sure, it might be a little strange to just be two bodies instead of three or four, but they all knew each other inside and out – puns absolutely intended – and she couldn’t imagine it feeling awkward for any of them.

It certainly hadn’t phased Aubrey just a few weeks earlier when she and Chloe had finally realized what had been growing between them for years.

Then again, the rest of them didn’t have the contentious history that Beca and Aubrey did, and the last thing she wanted to do was dismiss Aubrey’s worries and make her feel worse about them. Maybe she’d just have to have a talk with Chloe to see if there was matching nerves and anxiety at the Beale-Mitchell household and see what they could do to help their partners relax. She smirked to herself as she continued that thought and realized that even if she and Chlo failed, once the other two were past the first few minutes they would help each other relax just fine. Repeatedly.

After a couple more minutes of perusing, holding up various outfits up to each other and dismissing them, Stacie pulled a white bustier and panty set and held them up. It was satin and lace, zipped down the center and it was solid with none of the peek-a-boo cutouts that she normally bought. Simple and yet it called to her to try it on.

“Hey Bree? I’m going to go try this one.”

“Oh?” Aubrey turned and Stacie held it behind her back. “Seriously?” She pouted and Stacie laughed.

“You’ll see soon enough.” The pout deepened and she relented. “I won’t make you wait until we’re home – you’ll get to decide if we buy it or not.”

“Oooh, I’m in charge today?” Aubrey’s eyebrows rose in delight.

“For now.” As Aubrey laughed behind her, Stacie made her way to the fitting rooms and found most of them unoccupied. Taking the one against the left wall, she locked the door behind her and quickly stripped, knowing that Aubrey would be drifting closer as she looked for the perfect outfit.

The straps over the shoulder were adjustable and fit comfortably and when she zipped the top closed, it wasn’t constrictive. The front of the bustier came down to points that would pair perfectly with nylons and garter straps if one were so inclined.

Each room had tri-fold mirror on one wall so shoppers could get a better idea of how everything looked from all angles and after a couple minutes of turning this way and that, Stacie decided she approved. She’d also decided that Aubrey would look utterly fucking delicious in this same outfit in black and definitely with nylons. Satisfied with how it fit her, she opened the door and found Aubrey only a little way away, holding up another bustier and panty set that was all silk, lace and almost matched the color of Chloe’s eyes.

“We’re definitely going to have to get that one for her,” Stacie said softly, leaning against the doorframe.

“Yeah?” Aubrey tilted her head as she eyed the outfit. “I think so too.” She finally turned her head and toward the dressing rooms. “I thi –” She stopped mid word, her eyes widening and her hands going slack, suddenly nerveless fingers losing their grip on the hanger and letting it fall to the ground, utterly forgotten.

It immediately brought to mind the night she’d proposed; Aubrey had reflexively dropped the rib that she’d been eating when Stacie had brought out the ring. It almost shamed her to admit it, but her ego purred under the immediate desire that lit Aubrey’s face, even as she marveled that this beautiful and complex woman was hers to love forever.

Then Aubrey was moving, a not-quite-casual swift power walk that bordered on a charge. Stacie was unprepared as her wife pushed her back into the fitting room, closing the door behind them. Stacie started laughing as Aubrey’s hands began to run over her hips and thighs; the amusement at the best reaction she had ever gotten in public from Aubrey filtering the slow building sizzle as the touches burned with serious intent.

“Bree?” The chuckles still bubbled up but they were followed quickly by the urge to moan as Aubrey’s fingertips dipped just under the edge of the panties and slid back and forth.

“Can you be quiet?” Aubrey’s lips were busy pressing kisses to her exposed upper chest and Stacie took an involuntary deep breath, lifting herself closer and it was Aubrey’s turn to chuckle against her skin.

“Me?” Stacie found herself in the unfamiliar position of having her mind short circuit and having to sprint to catch up with her normally restrained in public spouse. “You’re the loud one.”

Aubrey’s head snapped up, indignant. “I am not!” To her credit, it was whispered and not shouted like it usually was at home. The corner of her mouth twitched. “That’s Beca.” She slowly backed Stacie up until she was against the wall.

“Oh, right.” Stacie licked her lips as Aubrey’s hands resumed their wandering over her body. She flicked a look at the door and was grateful to see that even in her rush to get them in the room, Aubrey had locked it behind them. “You’re going to get us kicked out of here before we can buy these, aren’t you?”

“Not if we’re quiet.” She paused, just the slightest bit, giving Stacie the opportunity to stop things before they got too far.

As if.

“Well, I did say you’re in charge…”

With a familiar wicked glint in her eyes, Aubrey’s fingertips once again dipped under the edge of the panties but this time she pushed, her palms skimming down and taking the fabric with them until they fell to the floor. Her nails ran back up the outside of Stacie’s thighs and up her sides to trace the edge of the bustier, tickling as they barely grazed her skin. “God, you look amazing, Stacie.” She flattened her hands and ran them over Stacie’s breasts to her stomach, curving them around her ribs before retracing her steps. “You feel so good.”

It was unspoken that they would need to be quick as well as quiet. There had only been a handful of times that Stacie had been able to coax Aubrey into anything even half as risky and all of them had been at night and most with alcohol. She knew without being told that if she hadn’t come before Aubrey reached whatever timer she had going on in her head, Stacie would have to wait until they got home.

Aubrey’s fingers were on the zipper of the bustier and Stacie could tell she wanted to do it slow, teasingly, but they just didn’t have that sort of time. She pulled normally, as if this were any normal trying on of outfits, but the second Stacie’s breasts were free, her lips covered one nipple and sucked lightly.

Stacie’s head rebounded lightly off the wall as she jerked in pure reaction and she winced at the small thump, hoping it didn’t carry. She tried to say something, anything, to keep anyone from asking if she was okay, but even a simple “Oops” wouldn’t pass her lips when Aubrey’s hand slid down and cupped her center.

“I think that one looks great, Stace.” Aubrey’s voice was shockingly even for someone who’s lips brushed Stacie’s nipple as she spoke for the benefit of an audience that might not even exist. “Try the other one.” As if her middle finger wasn’t slightly stroking Stacie’s clit in all the right ways to make her whimper even though that was definitely not in today’s rules.

‘Let’s hear it for Posen control,’ she thought giddily, her legs parting to give Aubrey a little more room. But even as she really hoped Aubrey didn’t expect her to answer, she looked down and saw Aubrey’s eyebrow lift in challenge.

Goddamnit.

She licked lips suddenly gone dry and took a deep breath. “Sure, Bree.” She was rewarded by Aubrey’s mouth on her breast once more, tongue swirling to match the motions of her middle finger.

Stacie could already tell it wasn’t going to take long, the sheer fact of Aubrey – her unbelievably sexy but usually-proper-in-public wife – taking her in broad goddamned daylight, even if they were in a locked room, was enough to throw her halfway to orgasm; she could hear people talking in other rooms for fucks sake and Aubrey was still touching her and showing no signs of stopping.

With an ease brought about only by familiarity and deep trust, it didn’t take long for Aubrey to have Stacie wet and writhing against her. She swallowed the gasp as those long, skillful fingers filled her in a way guaranteed to reduce her to a trembling mess in their bed. Except she was plastered to a wall and had to lock her knees to keep herself upright as Aubrey took her in complete silence, their eyes locked together.

She would have thought it was the images of them in the mirrors that surrounded them that would have done it, but it was Aubrey’s gaze softening from wicked determination to sensual devotion – a distinction and emotion Stacie had never known before Aubrey – that pushed Stacie to the peak. She reached down with her hand and gripped Aubrey’s wrist, pulling up until Aubrey understood what she was after and thrust deep within, her palm tight to the curve of Stacie’s body; letting her set the pace and take what she needed. Her eyes closing involuntarily, Stacie rolled her hips, rising and falling, chasing her release until Aubrey leaned forward and raised ever so slightly on her tiptoes to whisper in Stacie’s ear.

“Come for me, mon Soleil.”

Her body surrendered instantaneously. She pulled harder on Aubrey’s wrist, her hips driving downward in rocking spasms as she rode Aubrey’s touch. Eventually her body slowed and she realized she had no idea how much time had gone by, though she was very aware she didn’t have enough time to sink into the blissful lassitude spreading through her muscles in the aftermath. They had to pull themselves together – or apart as the case may be – and clean up. There was also no way they were leaving without buying the garments that had been so gleefully stripped from her.

In several variations.

Leaning against the wall, she kept her eyes closed for another few moments, enjoying the languor before she had to hustle back into her clothes. Except she heard another zipper and looked around to find Aubrey digging into her purse one handed. She couldn’t help it; she started laughing as Aubrey pulled out a pack of wet wipes.

“Always prepared, aren’t you, love?” Just one of the legion of reasons she had fallen in love.

Despite the hint of rose in her cheeks, Aubrey handed over several. “Never know when they might come in handy.” In a lower aside, she half muttered, “Besides, it’s not like I’m going to go walking through the shop with you all over my hand.” A pause. “You’re definitely going to go pay and I’ll meet you in the car.”

Stacie merely smiled. “’Kay.”

It didn’t take long to clean themselves up and for Stacie to get dressed. When Aubrey left the room, power walking like a champ, Stacie took another moment to rearrange the outfit on the hanger and hopefully make it less obvious the room had been very occupied.

When she went back to the rack, she kept an unobtrusive eye on other shoppers but no one seemed to be paying any special attention to her. Deciding to stop worrying about it, she picked up the same outfit in black in Aubrey’s size, as well as a red outfit of similar design that caught her eye. It took only another moment to find the blue lingerie Aubrey had been holding and bring all four outfits up to the counter.

Finishing the transaction without the cashier giving her any sort of knowing look, she pushed her way through the door and out into the bright sun, wishing she’d brought her sunglasses with her. Lengthening her stride, she headed down the block to where they’d parked the car, anticipation singing through her veins like champagne. She couldn’t wait to get Aubrey home and in bed to return the gift she’d just been given…

And maybe later they’d invite Beca and Chloe over and see who was louder once and for all.

#aubrey posen #stacie conrad #chloe beale #beca mitchell #staubrey #bechloe #bellas squared #a shared lifetime #cyc writes #a few days #pitch perfect fanfic

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143bc · 3 months

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Incorrect BeChloe quotes

(Staubrey and BeChloe watching Family Feud)

Steve Harvey - name something you’ve tried to get you wife to wear in the bedroom.

Beca - (huffs and pouts)

Chloe - what? I’ve never said no to anything…

Beca - you wouldn’t wear the Wonder Woman costume and tie me up with your lariat

Chloe - (slaps her wife’s thigh) you’ve never asked…idiot!

Beca - (her mouth drops) fuck!

(Beca and Chloe run from the room)

Staubrey - (nod at each other)

Stacie - let’s go, Bree…we’re getting in on this! (And trail Beca&Chloe down the hall)

#beca mitchell #chloe beale #stacie conrad #aubrey posen #Bechloe #staubrey #incorrect bechloe quotes #real family feud questions

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phantoms-rain · 5 months

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Sometimes I look at all of my ships that I would literally die for and I’m like….lmao I really should just crawl in a storm drain and start handing out red balloons because what the fuck is wrong with me

#I live in rarepair HELL #I sit on a THRONE of rarepairs #sipping from a goblet of ‘never was’s #checkmating #blackhill #team bae #jemily #staubrey #rizzles #oh I’m sure there’s plenty more but THIS IS WHAT STANDS OUT RIGHT NOW

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ridiculously-over-obsessed · 6 months

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VHI 3.4 - SHE AIN'T ME

Rating: T Oneshot Pairings: Bechloe, Staubrey Summary: Emily, sick of the way her curse robs her of her life, decides to take matters into her own hands with disastorous consequences for all Pitch Perfect SpookFest 2023 - Day 5: Came Back Wrong

This is my favourite trope ever I won't lie 😭😭 here's hoping I do it justice 🤡 This is so late, I'm sorry for the delay 😭😭 I'm also not doing Found Footage because I both don't have the time and I'm not really feeling it for VHI, so hopefully another fic on Monday??

@pitch-perfect-spookfest

#pitch perfect #pitch perfect fanfic #pitch perfect edit #bechloe #beca mitchell #chloe beale #staubrey #stacie conrad #aubrey posen #moodboard: vhi #my fic #my edit #vampire au #Vampire Hunters Inc.#vh inc #vhi #series: vhi #vhi: volume 3 #ppsf23.5

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tiny-maus-boots · 9 months

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Down South pt 3

Stacie:

Stacie peeked around the back corner of their house and took note of where the remaining shooters were located. There weren’t that many but a few had taken cover behind still living tumbleweeds that ringed their courtyard. Without a good line of sight Aubrey would be hard pressed to pick them off. In the end each side would resort to potshots at the other until someone ran out of ammo or they lit the house and barn.

Well that sure as hell wasn’t going to happen on her watch. They had spent good long hours together, sweating and bleeding to build a home from nothing but dirt and clay. It was the proudest work she’d ever done and the most peace she had ever felt and she wasn’t willing to let anyone ruin it for her. For any of them. Stacie gave a soft bird whistle and smiled when a volley of shots rang out from the second floor. Just enough fire to give her cover as she scooted the exposed span from the house to the barn.

She ducked inside and closed the door behind her. Shouts from the bushes let her know they’d seen her and they were planning to flush her out. Stacie chuckled and rolled her eyes at the predictability.

“Men. Always in a rush to get ‘er done.”

The tall brunette ducked down behind a squat platform on wheels and pushed it forward to center it to the door. She stepped up behind it and yanked away the heavy canvas tarp covering her newest baby. Stacie’s fingers traced over the calligraphy lovingly etched on the side of one of the six barrels of her gatling gun.

Southern Hospitality.

Each piece was crafted by her own two hands with the help of the local blacksmith. It had taken her weeks just to figure out how to get the lock cylinder to work and truthfully she’d hadn’t had the chance to try her out. There was a very real possibility that it would blow up in her face from misfires when she turned the crank. And it was still the sexiest damn hardware she’d ever laid eyes on, making her hands itch with anticipation.

“Hello gorgeous.”

Rough voices barked out orders in short staccato bursts. It didn’t worry her none. Stacie whistled a tuneless melody as she lifted the hopper full of rounds and clicked it into place. The activity on the other side of the door became frenzied when the men had finally made their way past the barrage of bullets from the house.

“We know you’re in there, woman. Come without a fight and make this easy. Don’t make us have to hurt you.”

If she had a peso for every time she’d heard that. Stacie snagged a long stalk of hay from the abandoned pile and stuck it between her smiling lips. Well, they’d learn just like the others, she never went down without a fight.

“Well boys, if ya want me you’re gonna hafta just come and get me.”

The doors to the barn rattled ominously, a threat of what would come if they had to come in and get her. They would come in with guns drawn and ready, that was for sure. They might underestimate who exactly they were dealing with but not enough to be that careless and stupid. Stacie didn’t intend to give them a chance to shoot. The moment she saw the doors buckle and start to bow out she started to crank her girl up.

Her lips tugged back wider as her grin turned to a grimace from the loud crack of rapid fire shots blasting through the doors of the barn. Acrid smoke from the gunpowder stung her nostrils, the heat of combustion left her face feeling warm and raw like she’d been too close to a blacksmith’s forge.

Stacie kept cranking until the hopper was empty and the only sounds left were the echoing clacks of spinning barrels rotating through the locking gear. What was left of the lower half of one of the doors creaked in the breeze and promptly fell to the dirt. From where she stood she counted four sets of legs on the ground and none of them were moving.

Careful steps brought her around Southern Hospitality toward the doors. The woman cautiously pushed the door open and peeked out at the damage. They’d need to replace the doors before the cattle arrived, maybe a plank or two out of the front wall but the building stood strong. Stacie gave a testing kick to the foot of one of the men and nodded with satisfaction. Movement by the porch caught her eye and she drew her pistol without thought and fired.

He dropped to the ground with a groan and a curse. Gut shot. No bullet wound was a good one but a gut shot was the worst. The man raises his gun and fired back wildly, making her have to duck back into the barn for cover. Now she was pinned until he either bled out or one of the girls came downstairs to deal with him. She was guessing the latter would be happening very quickly.

It wasn’t long before she heard the soft fluttering chirp of their all clear call. Whatever end that man had met it ended silently and likely by one of Beca’s blades. Stacie pushed the door open wider and scanned the area. Nothing moved save for Beca wiping a knife on the shirt of the man on the porch. They shared a solemn nod as she closed the distance to the house.

“We get all of them?”

“Aubrey says yes.”

“Good enough. Who the hell are they?”

Beca knelt by the man and searched his vest pockets. She sighed and ripped off the badge pinned to his shirt to hold it up. Pinkerton National Detective Agency. Well shit. Stacie holstered her gun and kicked at the man’s leg just out of spite. They looked at each other over the Pinkerton’s body, each refusing to say the smartest course of action.

They could run. They should run.

But she just couldn’t bring herself to do it. Stacie couldn’t even bring herself to voice the idea that felt like admitting so much defeat. They broke eye contact when the front door swung open and Chloe and Aubrey shuffled out. Beca silently held out the badge to Chloe and stood back. The redhead shuddered and dropped the badge on the ground as if it burned.

Aubrey wrapped an arm around Chloe’s shoulders and nodded to the men laying scattered around their property with her chin. Her nose wrinkled daintily as she considered all their options. Stacie hoped the blonde wasn’t about to suggest a Christian burial for any of them. She was far past being done with breaking her back for a man. Any man.

“They’ll come looking when this lot doesn’t come back to the pueblo. If they come here they will burn it to the ground if we’re inside or not.”

Chloe shook off the memory that had prompted her statement and hooked her thumbs in her suspenders. If they ran now it wouldn’t matter, everything would still be destroyed. They’d lose everything but their lives and even that wasn’t guaranteed. Stacie tossed her long locks over her shoulder and looked up at the position of the sun. It would be dark soon enough and that would provide them a measure of cover.

“I don’t know about y’all but I’m all out of run. This is our home now, we built this, and I’ll be damned if I like some shiny metal scare me off our land.”

Aubrey gave her a long measuring look before nodding her agreement. Her soft voice carried the weight of all their thoughts.

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born…”

“And a time to die.”

They finished the verse solemnly. Stacie imagined those Pinkertons would agree. Right up until they realized they would be the ones doing the dying. Aubrey mumbled a soft prayer for them all and placed her hat on her head with firm conviction.

And so their time for peace was at an end, as they were certain to ride into a time of war. Stacie watched the light that had grown in Aubrey’s eyes dim with cold resignation. For now. For now they’d give up their peace. But Stacie would spend every minute until her last bringing that light back if she had to blow up every single Pinkerton that crossed the border.

#pitch perfect #pitch perfect au #stacie conrad #aubrey posen #chloe beale #beca mitchell #wild west series #staubrey #bechloe #bella squared maybe?#maus writes

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