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#companion enlistment
shellbells-things · 1 month
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Ok y’all. So, JK posted on Weverse, and while most normal people found this comforting, the 🤡 Cult used it to stir up controversy, because of course they did. But when you peel back all of their rantings, all you’ll really see is their desperation. Because the military is actually a pretty simple construct. They are mission driven and everything that occurs is in service of that mission. The silliness that the cult is trying to pedal is just that…silly.
But just for fun, let’s talk about it.
Every military unit (throughout the world) has a main mission. In the case of the unit Jimin and Jungkook are in, it appears that the main mission is to be ready at a moments notice to protect the border between North and South Korea. As you can imagine, there are many jobs that are necessary for maintaining mission readiness. The facility has to be cleaned and maintained, the supplies must be organized and ready for use, soldiers must be trained in the use of artillery, battle plans must be made, soldiers must be fed and medically cared for…and on and on. Due to the nature of enlistment, these jobs must be vacated and refilled often because soldiers come and go. When Jikook arrived at their unit, there were probably a limited number of open jobs and they most likely got to pick things that interested them from the existing openings. We don’t know FOR SURE, but rumor has it that JK was assigned to be “kitchen police” and Jimin is said to have something to do with calculations needed for munition deployment. Both of these things seem to lean into their personal strengths, which is great! But individual daily duties aside, they are both still together in the same unit and both have the same main mission: to protect the border. Everything they do is in service of this mission.
HOWEVER…Nothing about these rumored jobs/duties changes ANYTHING about their companion enlistment status. The entire purpose of the companion enlistment is to ensure that the two who chose this route will not be separated. They will remain in the same unit, work in the same unit, hang out and sleep in the same living quarters, etc. There have been several personal accounts from companion enlistment soldiers and every single one of them confirmed that they lived together, worked together (different duties, same unit), and hung out together for the entire enlistment period. The point is, companion enlistees are there for each other. If one is having a tough time, the other is within arms reach for support. So believe me when I say this… the military is NOT going to separate Jikook when they went to all of that trouble to be together in the first place. The military WANTS them to support each other. Their happiness and mental well being are critical for mission success. Period.
Here are a couple of posts that expand on these thoughts:
https://x.com/jk_jm_59_60/status/1769019525821808862?s=61
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https://x.com/lilsunnymimi/status/1769396796844097803?s=61
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https://x.com/jikook_here/status/1734554688937460080?s=61
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Bottom Line. Jimin and Jungkook WILL be together for the remainder of their enlistment, because they made the decision to go in together. I am certain some of their “advisors” cautioned them against this, knowing that certain folks (🤡 Cult, Solos, crazy people…) would stir up trouble. But they clearly didn’t care. It was important enough to them to stick to their guns and do what they knew they needed.
💜Jikook
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myobsessionsspace · 1 month
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Maybe I will sound stupid, because I'm not on Twitter, but why are they all saying that Jungkook works in the kitchen? I mean, I wouldn't judge any type of work especially since I've worked in a school kitchen myself when I was pretty young, but I'm just not understanding. Is it because he said he was cooking good rice in his Weverse message? I am so lost.
Hello lovely,
First of all, you do not sound stupid! You sound like you’ve done very well in protecting your peace, curating your social network spaces and consuming content from the right places.
You sound like someone who has experienced enough life and people to not be judgemental and is just genuinely perplexed by people’s online behaviours.
Jungkook hasn’t explicitly said he’s Kitchen Police but deducing from the available positions in the 5th division, where news sources reported them as going, it’s the safest assumption. There have been a number of people who looked into the units that fall under the artillery brigade and had spoken before about them, unfortunately I couldn't find reputable sources to link for you, sorry.
The big deal for certain subsections is what it means for them and their wars with other subsections in the fandom, Jungkook maybe not being in the same role as Jimin. The big deal for certain people is Jungkook maybe not doing a role that lives up to the fantasies and image they have for him.
The big deal sadly isn't the main thing that should be the priority Jungkook and Jimin’s well-being.
Jungkook’s update and the information readers can glean from it ,as to how he spends his days and who he spends his days with, aren’t about what it means for Jungkook or even Jimin, it’s about what it means for the online users and their interests.
For the majority though, those that actually genuinely care about BTS and the members and genuinely want to hear of good news, it good news, a welcome update, him cooking, cleaning or whatever.
It was the fact that he communicated with ARMY, updated ARMY and is seemingly doing well. The majority were genuinely happy.
It’s ok to be lost in what’s being argued about when it’s ridiculous anyway.
Knowing from updates from them, that they are doing well is enough.
No one is more the authority on Jimin and Jungkook than Jimin and Jungkook. Not dedicated accounts, no long threads, no insider stories etc.
Staying with official information from reputable sources helps the most.
News sources and Big Hit have confirmed Jimin and Jungkook to be using 동반 입대로 Companion Enlistment and Jimin has confirmed Jungkook to be doing well by his side and that he, Jimin is also doing well.
The rest is all noise.
💜
Official Information
Big Hit told ARMY:
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News outlets told readers:
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Source: Naver News
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Source: Official Site for Rep. of Korea (I lost the link sorry! I will update when I find it)
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Source
UPDATES Directly from Jungkook:
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UPDATES Directly from Jimin:
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nikonladyz4 · 4 months
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Jimin and Jungkook Companion Enlistment Animation
Jimin and Jungkook military companion program.
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lq-jikook · 5 months
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jimin and jungkook applying as companions makes me so soft 🥹🥹
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justporo · 4 months
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Headcanons for the companions reuiniting after a few months
Ok, but imagine Astarion and Tav invite their friends over for a reunion during winter time!
Obviously it's Tav's idea and Astarion isn't into it at first but he thinks it's kinda cute how into it Tav is
Gale is enlisted as sous-chef, he doesn't have a choice
The wizard also spices up things decor wise with some magic, Shadowheart also helps make look everything incredible
Tav and Gale make all the dishes, heaps of them, loads - no one will go home without having gained at least three pounds of weight; Astarion picks out wine and drinks
And when everyone arrives it's just a whoooole big cheerful mess: hugs, smooches, screaming, excited hopping up and down (and obligatory snarls and hisses from some because it's just a lot of love going around)
The house is full of laughter and talk the whole night
Karlach hangs out under mistletoe for a suspicious amount of time to give little pecks to everyone excitedly
Halsin has brought individually whittled ducks for everyone - Lae'zel claims she hates hers but then she's seen carefully turning it around in her hands the whole night
Jaheira, Wyll and Astarion get into a fierce discussion of Baldurian politics over several bottles of wine - by the end they're in a screaming match (affectionately) and Jaheira ends it by dragging on pointy ears and horns using her mom voice on Wyll and Astarion
Shadowheart tells the others how she's overcome her former beliefs and how she made a new life for herself causing the whole party to fall silent for a moment, even some tears might be shed; "Have you all gotten soft in the last months? Ugh!" Shadowheart says and with that the spell is broken, although she still gets a lot of hugs and told how proud everyone is (she claims she hates it, but everyone sees the light blush and the telltale shining wet eyes)
Gale brought Tara and her and Scratch hang out in front of the fireplace, maybe even Boo
At one point Jaheira and Halsin join them in cat wildshape - then Boo has to watch himself while being playfully chased around by the cats and the tressym - Minsc meanwhile completely loses it while he chomps away on more food
Lae'zel shows off her knife skills by artfully seperating whatever meat dish is set in front of her from the bones
Later Halsin and everyone else who wants to join sneak out the backdoor to the small garden for a little smoking session - even Wyll joins and they all come back with some giddy chuckles
Maybe all of them play like charades at the end: Astarion is amazingly good at it (because let's face it he's so dramatic usually he's good at portraying things) - you and him are just a dreamteam, Karlach is just super excited, Lae'zel doesn't get it at first but then is overly competitive, Minsc doesn't fully understand what's going on but he's just vibing, Wyll overcomplicates everything while Shadowheart keeps rolling her eyes and sighing in annoyance, Halsin and Jaheira just keep watching while chatting and having more drinks, Gale screams the loudest with suggestions that are oddly specific and not even close to what's the solution
The little townhouse in Baldur's Gate is filled with love, light and laughter through the whole night - promises to repeat this have already been made
Tag list: @spacebarbarianweird @sunfire-ancunin @tragedybunny @dependsonthedream @tallymonster @magazzne @micropoe10 @aoirohi @my-bunny-prince @lumienyx @fayeriess @azukiel @hereliesblackdragon
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kirain · 3 months
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I decided to make adult designs and "where are they now" stories for all the child tieflings who are confirmed to survive to Act 3.
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Unbeknownst to her, Arabella was a latent sorcerer with a natural connection to the Weave. Her powers likely would've manifested at puberty, but touching the idol of Silvanus imbued her with wild druid magic, multiclassing her prematurely. This caused an internal struggle between the two powers, which threatened to rip her and anyone around her apart. Fortunately, with Withers' guidance, she set out to follow the Weave and found balance in her new, strange abilities. For years she traveled Faerûn alone, honing her skills and making peace with her past. Eventually, she became known as the "Wondering Storm", so attuned to nature some would mistake her for Silvanus' Chosen. Those who crossed her, however, would swear she was Jergal's Chosen; able to end a life with a single stare. Though not unkind, Arabella became feared by many for her stoic personality, mysterious presence, and peculiar command of the Weave. It seemed that wherever she was needed, she would inexplicably be.
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Though Raphael went silent, Mol continued to enjoy, and perhaps abuse, the gifts from her patron. With the Absolute defeated, she quickly clawed her way up the ranks of the Guild, eventually becoming a pseudo ward to Nine-Fingers Keene. For years she would sharpen her skills, mentored by Keene and her most trusted associates, until she challenged the notorious crime lord to a duel for leadership. Much to her surprise, Keene lost, and was therefore forced to relinquish command to the young tiefling. Seeing the move as a betrayal, however, the Guild's loyalty was split, causing the criminal powerhouse to fracture. This led to a dark time for the Guild, with many in Baldur's Gate referring to it as the "Outlaw Civil War". Much blood was shed during this conflict, but eventually Mol turned the tides in her favour, running Keene and those still loyal to her out of the city. She would go on to rebuild the Guild in her image, successfully and more fearsome than ever; though, when she approached her old colleagues with an invitation to join, they all declined.
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Once he managed to enter the city, Mattis tried to find his companions from the Grove, but he ultimately turned his sights to conning rich families with "panaceas from the hells". For a while, he flourished under this racket, until his scheme was exposed by jealous competition. This led to him being violently assaulted by angry customers, nearly ending his life—he only survived by rolling into a rapid canal. After being saved by a kind, impoverished couple who fished him out of the water, he spent nearly three months confined to a bed. His recovery was slow and agonizing, but hardly discouraging. Instead of succumbing to his misery, he took the time to plot his revenge. With the couple's help, he learned the laws of the land and revived his strength. Then, when able, he cut his hair, disguised his face, spied on the man who wronged him, and subsequently tricked him into signing his business over to the couple. Together, they turned the questionable business into something respectable. Mostly. Mattis' silver tongue finally became an asset, rather than a survival tactic, though he was never above a good swindle.
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Ide and Umi took up arms during the Absolute's attack on the city, each of them basking in the action. Realising that Umi had developed an insatiable bloodlust, and itching for more battles herself, Ide suggested they enlist into the army. Though technically too young, the new General—appointed by High Duke Ravengard after the fall of the Absolute—accepted them as apprentices until they came of age.
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Though their time with the Flaming Fist was imperative to their training and survival, they found the rules and hypocrisy of the troop disheartening, and even more so when the General died. Eventually they deserted, leaving Baldur's Gate entirely and starting a small band of vigilantes. To some, they were a menace. To others, they became heroes of the Sword Coast. No matter the case, Ide and Umi were inseparable, never seen apart.
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Inspired by his saviours, Mirkon continued to write stories about his time in the Grove and his rescue from the harpies. He never found his parents, but he refused to live in the slum's orphanage. Life was hard for the young tiefling, often forcing him to grovel for food and coin. On the worst days, he found comfort turning his stories into songs, which he slowly morphed into a semi-profitable street act. This eventually caught the attention of Alfira, who one day happened to be passing by. Recognising his talent, and overjoyed to be reunited, she took him in and taught him how to play the violin. Together, they created a lucrative show that expanded well beyond the Elfsong Tavern, which aided Alfira in opening her dream college. She and Lakrissa would soon adopt Mirkon, and he would later become one of the most beloved and celebrated instructors at the college.
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Though working as a hawker for the Baldur's Mouth kept Silfy fed and relatively sheltered, she grew listless. Dealing with rude and racist customers hardened her enough to snap back, resulting in her termination. With nowhere to go, she found herself wandering into Ramazith's Tower, where she implored Rolan for a job. Feeling for her plight, Rolan put her to work stocking shelves and filling orders. It wasn't exciting work, but she was safe and satisfied, until one day a customer's tome exploded, causing a flurry of rainbow flames that whirled into the shape of a unicorn. This event, though frightening, would inspire Silfy to start reading the books in the shop, with the help of Tolna and Rolan. To everyone's surprise, she proved to have an impressive aptitude for magic, and she soon found herself enthralled. Within just a few years, Silfy would be accepted into Blackstaff Academy, where she would excel in her studies and catch the eye of the great Vajra Safahr. She would offer Silfy a position in the school, as well as a mentorship, but Silfy would politely decline, graduate, and return to Bauldr's Gate. Her true home.
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A Village Raising (1) | Yandere Platonic Twisted Wonderland
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“(Y/n) do you know why I called you in here today?”
“...no.”
You knew why you were here that’s why you wouldn’t look up from your sparkly loafers Vil had gifted you. You knew after that look Deuce gave you when Grim told him your secret that you’d get in trouble. 
Crowley rubbed at his chin in frustration, debating if he should summon the entire staff for a manner such as this. Or perhaps enlist the assistance of the fae in Diasomnia but that came with its own problems. Particularly the problem of their recurring petition for guardianship; saying that they were more fit guardians for you. 
“(Y/n), do you remember the fire faeries that keep the school warm in the winter?”
A smile spread on your face as you recalled giving the sticks to the warm faeries.
“Mmmmh!”
“Well there are many other types of faeries that like to live near the school. Like forest faeries, water faeries…princess faeries.”
He watched as your chubby hands wrung together behind your back. Rocking on your feet while looking side to side.
“...Yeah?”
“Yes. And did you know that the faeries will get really upset if their princess is stolen?”
An obviously guilty pout made its way to your face as you sucked on the inside of your cheek. 
“...I didn’t know that…”
“Yes…they cry and then they’ll start attacking students…so if you do see the princess fairy you’ll bring her to me first okay?”
“...But shouldn’t I give her to the faeries? Why you?”
“Just bring her to me, okay (Y/n)?”
“O-okay.”
“You can leave now.”
He cringed at your immediate departure, not oblivious to the hug he would have usually gotten. Resigning to sadly watch as you trotting out of the office on little legs to your monster companion. 
“That kid’s going to be the death of me.”
___________________________________________
“So how’d it go mini-henchman?”
You crossed your arms and puffed your cheeks.
“Horrible! And it's all your fault!”
“Nyeh?! How’s it my fault that you’re keeping-”
Grim was stopped by your pudgy hands on his snout as you looked suspiciously around the courtyard.
“Shhhh don’t tell anyone else! Meeeek!” 
You pulled your hand away wiping the slobber on your uniform as the monster cat stepped away. Pouting with his head away from you, he flicked his tail disapprovingly.
“Nyah! Release me!”
Glaring at him, you turned your head away as you marched to Ramshackle. Grim let his eye follow you before scampering to meet your steps, looking apologetic as you continued to ignore him. 
“Y-you’re not going to keep it are you?”
Continuing to ignore him you dramatically turned your head away, blindly walking until you bumped into somebody’s legs. Wobbling a little a pair of hands kept you steady to look up at your obstacle. Towering and, for many, intimidating was Malleus Draconia or to you and Yuuka: 
“Tsuno-taro?”
“Horns? Here? In the daytime? That’s awfully weird for you.”
“Hello, little one. For your information, Grim, I do exist outside of the night. I am no vampire.”
“Nyeh!? Coulda fooled me.”
“Tsuno-taro!  You have to let me go I have something to do!” 
Emerald eyes glinted with amusement as he lifted you up into his embrace. 
“Oh, you do now?”
“Yes. So you have to let me go.”
“How about I walk you there, I doubt you’ll feel comfortable walking in those.”
“Mmmm okay.” 
Leaning into his hold you relaxed against his shoulder, yawning as quietly as you could. Noticing, the dragon couldn’t help chuckling to himself.
“Are you perhaps tired little one?”
Snapping up you gave him a stern look, scrunching your face up. 
“No.”
“No? Not even a little bit?”
“Not even a little bit!”
“Ah, I see. Then it won’t mean anything if I–”
The prince brought a finger up to the bridge of your little nose bringing it down slowly, repeating the action a few times. Entranced by the way you leaned into his touch and closed your eyes in tandem, he fought the urge to keep tease you more. He only stopped when your hands swatted at him and slapped your own cheeks.
“No! No! I am’nt tired!”
Malleus let out a rumbling laugh which had you puffing your cheeks once more. 
“I am not. If I was tired I wouldn’t be going to play right now.”
“You are? What will you play?”
“It’s w-ah uh a secret! Yeah, it's a secret so I can’t tell you.”
“Oh?”
“Nope. So don’t bother asking me! Oh or uh-Grim either.”
The monster snorted running ahead to no doubt raid the fridge while Yuu was distracted with their guest. Malleus on the other hand was reluctantly setting you down, further intrigued by this secret of yours.
“Are you sure this secret is safe to play with all by yourself?” 
“Yup! I promised Yuu I wouldn’t interrupt your date this time.”
“Date? I was under the impression this was just ‘a hang out’.” You gave a sly smile as you put your hand on your hips. 
“Mmmh-mmmh that’s what you say now. But on the wedding day, I’ll say this is it.” 
Without another word you skipped into the forest, giggling to yourself as you imagined how cool you’d look on their wedding day. Malleus watched you leave turning to Yuu who was wrestling the cat-monster near the open door. 
“Be back before dinner!”
“Okay!” 
Malleus turned sending another glance over his shoulder. Perhaps you’d need someone to watch over you. Someone so innocent and small couldn’t possibly be expected not to attract unwanted attention. 
___________________________________________
 An orange hue decorated the leaves around you as you crawled into your special place. Going deeper into the dark cave you went into the darkness knowing full-well of the light emitted at the end of it.
“Hello, Sparkle-Fairy!” 
Just as you left her the princess fairy you had dubbed Sparkle-fairy was reclining on the makeshift abode you had made. With only the clear glass bowl you borrowed from Trey completing your ensemble. 
You kneeled down, scooting close as rested your head on your arms no doubt caked with mud and dirt. You tilted your head watching as the fairy did the same before turning away from you. Crowley’s words rang in your head and you did what Yuu had told you to do when you messed up. 
“I sorry for keeping you like this…” The fairy perked up. “I just wanted to be friends.”
You removed the glass from around the makeshift enclosure expecting to see the glowing creature fly right away. But instead, the fairy hovered moving closer to your face. The tinkling sound of the fairy’s native tongue rang in your ears, keeping your attention from the other tinkling voices entering the cave. 
“I don’t know what you’re saying…but I’d love to see your home!”
The princess fairy twinkled happily before blowing a glittery dust in your face. You sneezed and rubbed your nose before involuntarily yawning again. 
Of course with as small and as young as you are it’d take a small amount of fairy dust to put you to sleep. Making you perfectly pliable for what the fairies planned to do. Already snoozing, the fairies would have no trouble carrying off on their princess’ orders. That is if it weren’t for Malleus’ trusted guardian. 
“Now now where are you running off to with our little pup?”
Meat Cleaver in hand the retired general was smiling without reaching his eyes. He hoped that with his weapon unsheathed the fairies would have released you in an instant but it seems the princess was insistent on taking you. Who could blame them? A kiddie as sweet as you would have been a lovely find but he wouldn’t let his pup be taken from him.
Some chopped wings should be a good warning. 
He did just that and they settled you on the ground before his feet, twinkling apologizes all the while. In an instant, they were on their way carrying their injured companion along with them. Lilia smiled at your sleeping form cradling you despite your dirt-covered state, he couldn’t help but smirk at the distant glow of green. 
Young fae nowadays don’t seem to know not to mess with a dragon’s treasure. Let alone Night Raven’s as a whole.
“Yahoo, guess who fell fast asleep while making mud pies?”
“Aww thank goodness. It got so dark out I was so worried if it weren’t for you guys—”
“All in a day's work, prefect.”
“Yes, it was no trouble.”
Ah, Malleus has returned. And so soon. He figured he must have been merciful. Or maybe unusually giving.
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“So these are the fairies who tried to take them?”
“Master Malleus said so! You dare doubt him?!”
“Of course not I just figured the lizard would be so worked up he wouldn’t leave any for the rest of us.”
“You were lucky his mood has been immaculate since he’s fulfilling an invitation from the Ramshackle Prefect.”
“Whatever. Now should we pluck their wings or break their legs.”
“Only this once I’ll be following your lead.”
“Hmm alright then, Eyebrows. Let’s get to work.”
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buckarooranch · 8 months
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Greetings, everyone!
Thank you for being patient while we we're busy creating some awesome new content. 🥰 We are thrilled to introduce our latest creation: an exquisite English Tack set, featuring a custom Saddle, Saddlepad, and Legwraps. This set boasts a wide array of color options, including 25 custom saddle swatches, 8 saddlepad swatches, and 8 legwrap swatches. 🐴🎨
What makes this release even more special is our delightful collaboration with our cherished patron, @sartoestatestables. ❤ The inspiration for these designs was drawn from the lovely images she shared with us. To bring this vision to life, we enlisted the help of Ana Sofia and her lovely horse, Arwen, who ofcourse were the perfect models to showcase this tack set. 🤩
In celebration of this significant milestone and as a token of our appreciation for your support, we've decided to make this tack set available to the public right away. 🎉 We eagerly anticipate seeing your elegant equine companions, so please don't hesitate to tag us in your posts. The beautiful English bridle we used for the pictures is from Sass and Freckles again, they will match up with the saddles aswell! 😍
Details:
- 25 custom saddle (mesh) & swatches, 8 saddlepad swatches, and 8 legwrap swatches.
-You can download the set separately.
-Don't reupload or claim as your own
The Saddle, Saddlepad and Legwraps are for elder/adult horses.
This set requires the Horse Ranch DLC.
🌻 ~ Howdy
(The in-game pictures have no effect added to them. Only a Depth of Field to blur the background)
Pictures of some of the possible sets:
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Patreon (Free!) | Website
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shellbells-things · 5 months
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Well, no fanfare to speak of, just a couple of black cars driving through the gate. And…it’s done. Jikook are officially off the radar.
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(Edited: photo added)
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I’m so relieved they will be together. I always hoped for this, though I never imagined it would be so “loud”. They literally moved heaven and earth to be together and I’m just so happy it worked out for them. I am going to miss them terribly….but will be waiting (not so) patiently for their return.
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andy-wm · 1 month
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What we know now, after they have started MS
This is a short post, because life is a lot right now and i have very little emotional energy. But this felt important, so here I am.
Tonight I revisited an older post and realised I'd never completed the thought process i began there...
When Jimin released his solo album, FACE, I wrote this analysis post.
Part of that analysis talked about my impression of JK's backing vocals on Letter.
We had seen Jimin's Production Diary, and based on the clip of JK in the recording studio I thought he didn't know he would be asked to sing backing vocals.
Here's a screen grab of that post:
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After watching the docuseries, BTS Monuments: Beyond The Star, we know that was correct...
It was a surprise to him when Jimin asked him.
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In fact both aspects of that prediction were right, he didn't know about the song at all.
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I have two questions:
Why would Jimin have kept the song a secret from JK?
And
Why wouldn't Jimin himself ask Jungkook to sing it? Why get PDogg to ask him? Jimin was RIGHT THERE.
Actually, make that three questions.
Why did Jimin scurry away as soon as JK asked to listen to the song?
Jimin earnestly said, "I made a fan song", while holding Jungkook's face in his hands.
That's such an intimate gesture, by the way. If my Best Friend held my face that way while they told me they'd done something, I'd take it to mean that the something was significant for/about me.
Jungkook asked to listen to the song, and Jimin... vanished. He retreated to the sofa to sit out of Jungkook's line of sight.
He's suddenly shy? Shy of Jungkook's reaction?? Wierd, but ok...
Unless the song is REALLY significant to JK....
In short, yes, it is REALLY significant. We already kinda guessed that right? But now, in light of their situation, it's more significant...
So, Jungkook recorded his part of the song.
Lets think about the lyrics...
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Bear in mind this was written and recorded long before they had confirmation that their application for companion enlistment was successful...
These lyrics are even more significant in that context.
Plus
This is the part of the song that's in banmal. The switch from polite to familiar signals a change in the relationship, (I wrote about that in a previous post) and since Jimin always talks to ARMY politely, we can asume this part of the the song (at least) is directed at... someone else 👀
"We dont know what the future holds, don't worry I'll stay by your side."
Now consider that Jimin has written these words for not only himself to sing. He's asking Jungkook to sing them with him.
He's asking Jungkook to sing this love song with him.
With no hesitation, Jungkook says yes. He does the recording there and then.
And when JK is finished recording...
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He tells Jimin that the song is really nice. Immediately, Jimin is a limpet. He's all over Junkgook like he's made of Velcro. A stark contrast to his earier behaviour when his vulnerability made him scurry away.
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Jimin jokes that Junkgook should record a message for ARMY and Pdogg calls him out on that lie. Of course JK refuses. "It's your song." he tells Jimin.
Jimin is pushing his luck here, first asking JK to record a message, and then asking him to claim ownership (or share responsibility) for the song.
Jk has no trouble saying no to that.
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It seems like more than a meaningless joke to me. One of those suggestions alone might be, but both? It left me wondering if Jimin suddenly felt scared that he was revealing too much with the song?
I'm kinda impressed that JK, for all his love and support, wasn't prepared to rescue Jimin from his choices. He simply, but gently, said no. It tells me a lot about their relationship.
It also tells me a lot about both JK's honestly and his belief in Jimin.
eta, I was tired and once my thought bubble popped i just hit 'post' and fell asleep. But it's exactly a year since Jimin released FACE and i think it's a pretty cool coincidence that i came back to this randomly on this day.
Happy FACE day, ARMYs. 💛💜
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camelidae · 7 months
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Self-indulgent art dump for my characters, Imbi and Etta, from my dnd group’s long-running campaign – after nearly two years of playing, my paladin has finally gotten her little bear companion back to her original form! A half-orc tiefling that also happens to be the reincarnation of a heroic coatl and the new hope for a sadly corrupted church – which was a lot to fit into one design :p
I wanted to play a character with memory loss, so I left a lot up to the DM to decide and surprise me with, but this was my original pitch for the characters:
Imbi was a paladin tasked with escorting the young embodiment of… some god or goddess (…their name is just… right on the tip of their tongue…) to someplace really, extremely, very important (which, annoyingly they can’t quite put their finger on either), but unfortunately was not as good at their job as one would hope to be, and was killed (whoops) when their party was attacked by….oh boy, someone really bad, probably?…who also succeeded in their plot to kill the little god (oh jeez, double whoops).
Fortunately, being divine, the little god was able to reincarnate into the nearest available baby (a cute lil bear cub) and Imbi’s ghost, feeling just super bad about the whole thing, enlisted the help of a very sympathetic colony of bees that happened to be on the scene, and became a hive being so they could continue to take care of their little charge, who they named Etta. Now they’re trying to finish the job they started and escort her to….hnng, it was somewhere really important, wasn’t it? It’ll definitely come to them soon! Resurrecting into a swarm of bees had a somewhat negative effect on Imbi’s memory, but the bees are really working hard to get it all back together.
Anyway, until Imbi can unscramble their brain and remember which god it is they’re currently potty training, and who it was who killed them, and where they were supposed to be going, and in fact who they were in the first place, it’s probably just better they keep a low profile.
(sincerely, bless you if you read all that - I know dnd characters are rarely interesting to anyone not in the campaign |D)
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nikonladyz4 · 5 months
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‘Enlisting together’ BTS Jimin and Jungkook, why did they choose the cold and difficult front line? [TEN People]
Entered 2023.12.12. 8:01 PM
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Reporter Kim Ji-won
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Jimin and Jungkook of the group BTS enlisted together as active-duty soldiers in the army today (12th). The two entered the frontline Army 5th Infantry Division recruit training center (Key Recruit Training Center).
Jimin and Jungkook will undergo basic military training for 5 weeks starting today. Afterwards, he will be assigned to his unit as an active duty soldier in the army. The two also revealed their short haircuts through BTS' social account.The Army 5th Infantry Division Recruit Training Center is located in Yeoncheon, Gyeonggi Province. The reason Jimin and Jungkook were assigned here is because they were 'joined enlistment'.
Companion enlistment is a system in which a close friend, brother, relative, or colleague enlists, undergoes training together, and is assigned to a unit in the same living area, allowing them to serve until they are discharged. It was designed to help people quickly adapt to military life and to increase their motivation to serve.
It is known that if you enlist together, you will usually go to the 'front line'. Strictly speaking, the area of ​​service is not necessarily the front line. Accompanying enlisted soldiers will be assigned to units located in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions. Since most of the units in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions are located in the front lines, they usually end up in the front lines. Therefore, Jimin and Jungkook will also be deployed to their units in the Gyeonggi and Gangwon regions after basic military training.
Since Jimin and Jungkook enlisted together, they will be assigned to the same unit and belong to the same company. If a dormitory is operated in a dormitory, there is a possibility that you will be staying in the same dormitory. Before enlisting in the military, Jimin said through the fan community Weverse, "Enlisting with Jungkook gives me a lot of determination."
The Army's 5th Infantry Division Recruit Training Center, where Jimin and Jungkook are enrolled, is also where Jin, the eldest brother of BTS, is currently serving as an assistant instructor. Accordingly, interest was also focused on the possibility that Jin, a teaching assistant and sergeant, and Jimin and Jungkook, trainees, could meet. According to military officials, Jin is in charge of a teaching assistant at another company, so Jimin and Jungkook will not meet while receiving education and training, but they can meet during personal maintenance hours on the weekends. It is possible for Assistant Jin to take trainees Jimin and Jungkook to the PX, a store in the military.
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All seven members of BTS now have military status. The day before, RM and V began military service. Prior to this, Jin was the first to enlist in December of last year. Afterwards, J-Hope enlisted on active duty in April of this year and is currently a corporal. Suga has been serving as a social worker since last September. Jin was promoted early due to his excellent military performance.
Jin, J-Hope, and Suga also took time off to see V and RM off on their enlistment day. The day before enlistment, Jimin and Jungkook were also there. Jin also left a message on his social account, saying, "Don't get hurt and travel carefully. My babies."
From accompanying enlistment to ‘senior’ members accompanying the ‘successor’ members. Even while carrying out their national defense duties, BTS' loyalty and friendship still shine.
Jimin and Jungkook, the last of the members to begin military service, are expected to be discharged in June 2025. It is expected that we will be able to see BTS in its entirety in the second half of 2025.
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia reporter [email protected]
Jiwon Kim
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qierxing · 9 months
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hnnnngh animal hybrids getting me so…..yan hybrid heartslabyul time
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Riddle is a pampered little kitty, who always knows he's the best of the best! He's got the pedigree to back him up on it too. there's a strict routine he follows down to the letter-wake up, groom himself neatly, eat a balanced breakfast, spend time observing for intruders-it's all rather tiring, but he sticks to it like no other. if his carefully set up routine is offset, expect some major temper tantrums incoming. still, he is a cat, and as such he'll still adamantly stick to your side for cuddles and petting. once you see him sleepy eyed and pouty lipped, perhaps you can forgive him for his stringent attitude other times. But you know he only does all these tiresome things to make sure you pay attention to him, and him only, right? best make sure you don’t indulge in bad habits, lest you end up on the wrong side of his claws. If you won’t look at him, then he’ll make you look at him.
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a faithful companion is what Trey is, as being a dog hybrid, especially of the Newfoundland breed, means his loyalty and ability to care for others is second to none. He's extremely good natured and so patient, even with the rowdy younger ones. you have to remind him to not hover over the others too much, lest he stretch himself too far or his mother henning ends up controlling. It's already happened to you so far, even though you'd argue that's what you're supposed to be doing for him. his instinct to protect must be ingrained deeply, for why does it seem like he's always trailing after you nagging? it's one thing to look out for you, it's completely another thing to run his paws down your body for injuries. maybe you should enlist in some retraining advice…otherwise you might end up pinned to your bed with a possessive hound rutting into you.
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a sly little thing, that Cater. Foxes are mischievous by nature, and he is no different. always pulling you to his side for surprise selfies or stealing your ribbon to tie up his own hair, he sure knows how to keep you on your toes. that said, he's still a lovable guy, just not very…honest. Is that another inherent trait? You often ask him where he’s been most of the day and he answers with a vague “just hanging around with other people!”(even though you swear you saw a flash of red orange fur out of the corner of your eye when you went shopping), or when you ask if he’s seen your favorite shirt, only to catch him red handed with it in the laundry. Still, it’s not like he’s weird or mean, it’s just that he needs a firm hand when going too far. And when it gets to the point where you’re having to confiscate his phone for having numerous photos of you, you’ll have to do something real quick or else you might end up flashing more than just underwear in those snaps.
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you swear that Ace is a rascal, a rascal! Do all weasel hybrids act like this? one moment you're minding your own business and the next you're having to stop him from consuming your entire snack supply from the pantry. he's always managing to get himself in trouble that it has to be a talent at this point. Some days, you have to seriously consider whether you regret bringing him in from the shelter. Although, maybe that’s too harsh. When he’s not hellbent annoying the soul out of you, he entertains you with tricks up his sleeves, always smugly smiling whenever you compliment his skills. He has his soft moments. but sometimes he gets too mean–always snarling at your other friends or insulting you to the point of tears or frustration. Just when you think about returning him to another handler who could take care of such a rowdy guy, he always manages to come pleading and begging for your forgiveness and then your heart is too nice to not forgive him in the end. this game of tug of war can’t be good for you, but you don’t know that Ace is too well versed in playing hot and cold, and if it means you’ll be isolated from one more rival that isn’t him, then he’ll gladly play this game of breaking your heart.
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your heart melts when you look at Deuce. you found the raccoon hybrid shivering in the snowy cold and brought him inside immediately. He’s a little roughed up but with a lot of warm food and being dried by a fluffy towel, he’s practically sparkling with a cool beauty that can’t be seen anywhere. You calm him down from his fretting and over time, he grows rather attached to your side. always insisting on doing your share of the work, claiming it’s to repay you for all you’ve done for him. It’s a little worrying though. Raccoons are mostly solitary creatures, but Deuce has told you he’s been separated from his mother, and you wish to help him reunite with his family. But why is it that he’s not in any hurry to leave? Is he afraid? surely not, as you’ve seen him send intimidating guys twice his size packing from his fighting skills. It’s a secret, but Deuce has been chickening out on proposing to you. he’s been wanting to introduce someone to his mother for a while and put her worries to rest, but every time he’s faced with your smiling face he always ends up red faced and silent. Just give him a couple more days to drum up his courage! once he returns triumphantly with you swollen with his cubs by his side, he’ll be able to rest easy.
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justporo · 7 months
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Astarion doesn't know how to cook, but wants to make Tav a romantic dinner. He enlists the help of Gale and regrets it near instantly. Do with this what you like :3
My dear mushy, this is a wonderful prompt, so thank you so much for that. (I loved that it had me write another one of the companions!)
It is in fact so wonderful that it will turn into a short little two-part thingy (because it makes sense in my head and also I can split up the parts, so I can go to bed now, hihi)
So, have: Gale and Astarion pissing each other off in this part and find out if Tav actually does get her romantic dinner in the second part of:
A Night of... Shattered Glass and the Smell of Burning?
“Dinner? Oh Astarion, all these months on the road and all this time since we’ve come to Baldur’s Gate. And you only ask me now?”
“Not with you, you idiot, with Tav!”
Astarion was standing in the wizard’s study – in the place Gale had obtained after your joint adventure to stay a while longer in the city. The wizard was sitting behind his massive desk, Tara on his lap who purred excessively because of all the head scratches she received. And in front of the desk stood Astarion, arms crossed over his chest and an displeased expression on his face. His body was halfway turned towards the door as if he wanted to be ready to leave the room and this place – forever – whenever the need arose.
Gale grinned at the vampire’s uneasiness but didn’t say anything to soothe his former companion – he was relishing the moment way too much for that. So he opted to just stare at the elf and make him suffer a little while longer.
Astarion sighed in defeat and pinched the bridge of his nose with thumb and index finger before he let them stretch out, pressing into his closed eyes. “Gale, don’t make me regret I’ve come here, please”, Astarion pressed out from behind gritted teeth.
Tara stretched out on Gale’s lap, yawned deeply and jumped off her owner’s lap to saunter around the desk. Gale let her, keeping his gaze on the vampire: “No really, you have to give me at least this one moment in return, Astarion, just one teeny tiny moment of you coming to me for help. You’ve actually grown so much over just such a short span…”
Astarion zoned out while the wizard rambled on trying to have his superior moment of being sarcastic and sassy – Gods, it had been a horrible idea to come here. He felt the wizard’s cat stroke around his legs then, rubbing her head against his shins and looking up at him expectantly.
So, he bowed down to lift her up and started to pet her to which Tara responded with arching her back into the vampire’s careful touch and starting to purr loudly. At that a smile crept onto Astarion’s face. He’d always liked cats – fierce and beautiful creatures.
“…and I feel so honoured that you would ask me out of all people, Astarion – really!”, ended the wizard his sarcastic speech and was finally silent. Astarion rolled his eyes: “Now go and write it all into your journal and draw pink glittery hearts around it while kicking your little feet. Are you done now?” Gale lifted one finger and narrowed his eyes with raised eyebrows: “Allow me one more question.” Astarion groaned. “Does Tav know?”, the wizard asked.
“No”, hissed the vampire in response and stared angrily at Gale “and if you’re going to tell her, I am going to rip your godsdamned throat out.” Gale reacted with lifting his hands defensively: “Alright okay, I’m done. Your secret’s safe with me.”
Some of the tension left Astarion’s body. “So will you help me or not?”, he asked while focusing on the cat in his arms instead of the person he was asking something off – openly committing to wanting help, talking about a weakness – and may it be something as inconsequential as this – was not something he had learned awfully well to accept; perhaps he never really would.
Gale’s gaze softened a little and he stood up from behind the desk to walk around it and leaning against it in a relaxed pose. He crossed his arms over his chest: “So… come again, what exactly is it exactly that you’re planning?”
Finally, Astarion lifted his gaze to look at the wizard. His eyes was full of suspicion after Gale had at first opted to tease him about a genuine demand. And it had already cost him an enormous amount of pride to swallow to actually come over and voice his request for help. The wizard sighed: “Okay listen, I’m sorry, I was a dick about this – it’s just… I wouldn’t have expected this from you, is all…”
Astarion didn’t say anything in response, his reluctancy had not yet left him. And so an awkward kind of silence stretched between the two men – unable or unwilling to be more open and sincere; at least for the time being.
“Listen”, Gale started again “I’ll help you, I promise. But you have to tell me what you want to do or else I don’t know how.”
Astarion looked down again at the purring cat in his arms. After a few heartbeats he sighed and said: “In a few weeks, it will be six months since… Tav and I are official. And I thought after all the peril she, I mean we all, but she especially has been put through and after everything she’s done for me…” The vampire’s words trailed off and he threw Gale a glance. There were no more words needed in this instance, Gale had been there beside him and Tav when they had walked into Cazador Szarr’s lair.
The wizard felt his throat close up at the memory – as much in dread, as he remembered, as in compassion for his… friend.
“So”, Gale coughed and readjusted his position against his giant wooden desk, before he went on in a more animated manner, “you thought a nice romantic dinner would be a nice opportunity to show her a little bit of your gratefulness and also celebrate your love.” “I see we are finally on the same page, my wizard partner in crime”, Astarion replied then cheerfully – thankful for the change in mood.
“And the problem is that it’s been a while, naturally, since you had the pleasure in the kitchen”, Gale went on. Astarion cleared his throat: “To be honest, even before… let’s just say food had just always come on a plate.”
“Hah, and now it always comes from a neck, right?”, Gale tried to crack a joke and failed miserably. The vampire looked ready to leave once more: “Please leave the jokes to me, Gale. Else I’m leaving – and taking the cat.”
Gale let his head fall back until he was facing the ceiling. “This won’t be easy”, he whispered under his breath. Then he lifted his hands as he let himself look at the vampire once more that had started cooing at Tara in his arms – making little kissy faces at the cat that was stretching out one of his paws as if in a gentle caress of the elf’s face.
“Let’s just get to the point. What did you have in mind then?”, said the wizard and made a few steps towards Astarion how was now stroking Tara’s face with a single finger as if she was a baby. Only when Gale was almost in front of him did he notice that the wizard had asked him another question.
The vampire gave another sigh and then shortly bent down to set down the animal which protested softly but then just kept stroking around his legs. “I thought you could teach me some stuff. Show me to make some dishes so I can prepare the dinner for Tav myself…” “Yes okay, but what does she like – I mean, back on the road we all made do with what we could get our hands on, but if you want to surprise her with something shouldn’t it be something to impress her?”, Gale interrupted, immediately getting into planning mode. His head was already turning on how to get organised and starting. “Well, Gale, from what I’ve heard the last time you wanted to impress a woman it didn’t go all too well, didn’t it? Maybe tone it down a little”, the vampire bit out. But a sparkle had entered his red eyes, nonetheless, at the thought of actually pulling this surprise off.
Gale though was back at looking at the ceiling, cursing whatever had put this flatulated vampire in his path. “Alright”, Gale sighed, “first thing we have to settle is that we can’t go for each other’s throats all the time – VERBALLY, verbally”, he exclaimed with raised eyebrows and pointed a finger at Astarion when the vampire had started smirking at him in a kind of way.
“I didn’t start – at least this time”, the vampire shot back. “Astarion”, Gale drawled annoyedly in a tone that might’ve been used many a time towards his cat – which did actually look up at her owner and cocked her head at him.
“Fine”, Astarion agreed in the same tone. “So, let’s figure out the desired menu first, shall we?”, Gale said to put them back on track. “What’s Tav’s favourite food, what dishes does she like – sweet, savoury?”
Do that Astarion put a hand to his chin and started to think. His brows furrowed and his gaze was suddenly miles away: “Her favourite thing are strawberries by far, but that does only work for dessert. Maybe with something chocolate-y, she really does have a knack for sweet stuff.” At that point Gale opened his mouth to crack another joke but shut it immediately when he realised how genuine Astarion had become all of a sudden.”
“She likes hearty foods – nothing needlessly complicated or pretentious. And she always goes on about how she’d love to have more fish but that it’s so complicated to prepare sometimes, hmm.” Astarion was still lost in his thoughts and kept rambling on about every last detail he could remember about what might work and what they had to avoid.
Gale’s face split into a huge, warm grin, bewildered by Astarion and how much he knew about these small little details about his soulmate and how much genuine care and love shone in his eyes as he kept talking about her.
Gale put out his hand to lay on Astarion’s shoulder who was still somewhere else, still talking. At the light gesture the elf flinched and shock filled his eyes for a short moment before he realised is was only the wizard. “Second rule, don’t just touch me”, he hissed at the man who was still smiling warmly at his friend behaving like a feral street cat.
“Agreed. Let’s just get to work, Astarion. I’ll make a chef out of you in no time. Let’s go.” And with these final words Gale went off towards his kitchen.
Astarion expressed his doubts in the wizard’s self-impression but followed closely behind.
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bradshawssugarbaby · 3 months
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Beer Never Broke My Heart - Jake Seresin x Reader
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A/N: another country music inspired TGM oneshot because why not. Beer Never Broke My Heart by Luke Combs is a fave and it's been stuck in my head all day so, here we go.
Pairing: Jake Seresin x reader
warnings/content: fluff, a little angst if you squint I guess? Bob and Bradley playing cupid. Jake's a commitment-phobe.
word count: 2.8k
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The stories about Jake Seresin’s Fourth of July parties were the thing of legends. At least, that’s what your childhood best friend, Bob Floyd told you. Growing up together in the quaint corners of Kentucky, your friendship persisted even after Bob enlisted in the Navy, bridging the geographical gaps that separated you. Upon encountering Jake, Bob wasted no time in regaling you with tales of the charismatic, albeit arrogant and cocky, pilot he had befriended—someone he cheekily deemed "perfectly your type." With a mischievous grin, Bob couldn't resist teasing you about your penchant for less-than-stellar romantic choices. However, as Bob grew closer to Jake, his jests evolved into genuine affection, a burgeoning belief that perhaps you and Jake were destined for each other. Your recent trip to San Diego had you attending Bradley Bradshaw's birthday bash at Bob's insistence, albeit with the conspicuous absence of Jake. Despite assurances from Jake himself that he wouldn't miss it, he was reportedly detained by a rigorous training exercise on base, but Bob hadn’t been buying it.
"Has Jake ever mentioned having a significant other, like, ever?" Bob quizzically posed one evening at the Hard Deck, the favored haunt for Navy personnel and their circles.
Bob's squadron pondered, their heads shaking in unison while exchanging contemplative glances. A few scanned the ceiling, delving into their memory banks to recall any fleeting encounters where Jake might have been accompanied by a woman for more than just a passing night.
"Bradley, Javy, you guys practically grew up with him. Have either of you ever seen him with a girl for longer than a one-night fling?" Bob chuckled, arching an inquisitive brow.
Bradley and Javy exchanged a silent glance, both shaking their heads softly. Bradley took a sip of his beer, placing the bottle down with a soft laugh, as if a distant recollection had suddenly surfaced.
"I take that back, I do remember this one girl. What was her name... Heather, Jessica, something like that. This was way back when I first met him, over a decade ago. Jake would've been, what, 21 tops? He was ready to tie the knot with her—or so we all thought. Then she decided she couldn't handle dating someone always on the go, and it broke poor Jake's heart. After that, he seemed to reckon he had something to prove, which might explain why he can be such an insufferable dick most of the time now."
Bob raised a knowing eyebrow, nodding thoughtfully. A smirk crept onto his face as he glanced around at his companions, then back at you.
"Jake's got cold feet when it comes to commitment. That's why he skipped out!” 
“Nothing gets past you, does it, Bobby?” Bradley grinned, shaking his head as he sipped his beer again.
“Look, I think we need to just bring you to his annual Fourth of July party. He’ll love you when he meets you. He’s just scared of the idea,” Bob nodded as he turned to you, grinning. 
“Guys, if Jake doesn’t want to meet me, it’s ok. I’m not offended. If he’s a commitment-phobe, I’m probably good just…not meeting the guy,” You shrugged as you sipped your cocktail, laughing softly. “Besides, Bobby, you’re the one who said he was perfectly my type because he’s an asshole. I mean, maybe I should change my type.”
“Nah, Jake’s not a bad guy,” Bradley shook his head quickly, an awkward chuckle escaping his lips. “He’s just not a smart guy, at least not when it comes to social settings. Trust me, he’ll be fine. We just won’t tell him you’re coming.”
A few nights later, you and Bob rolled up to Jake's party, the warm summer air buzzing with excitement. You sported a laid-back ensemble: denim shorts hugging your curves and a tie-dyed halter top in patriotic hues of red, blue, and white, exuding a festive vibe. Your sunglasses rested atop your head, adding a touch of effortless coolness to your look.
As you stepped into the backyard, the scene unfolded before you: Bradley and Jake engaged in their customary banter, beers in hand, the ambiance alive with their friendly squabble.
"I'm telling you, the Astros are taking it all this year," Jake asserted confidently.
Bradley scoffed, retorting, "And I'm telling you, they'll crash and burn like they always do, Bagman."
Bob chimed in with a chuckle, playfully interrupting their debate. Adjusting his glasses with a grin, he shot Bradley a teasing glance.
"Are we interrupting something here?" Bob quipped, his tone lighthearted as he ushered you forward.
Bradley's smile widened as he greeted you warmly, introducing you to Jake, who turned to you with a suave grin, his eyes sparkling with charm. 
As you laid eyes on Jake for the first time, a rush of sensations flooded through you. Standing tall with a commanding presence, his tanned skin glowed under the party lights, accentuating the golden hue of his tousled blonde hair. His bright sea-green eyes, vibrant and captivating, seemed to hold the entire universe within them, drawing you in with their magnetic gaze.
A charming grin played upon his lips, exuding confidence and warmth, while his strong southern accent, dripping with Texan pride, resonated through the air like a familiar melody. Your heart skipped a beat as you took in his rugged yet effortlessly handsome features, feeling a flutter of anticipation mingled with a hint of nervous excitement. In that moment, it was as if time stood still, and all you could do was offer a tentative smile in return, your emotions swirling in a whirlwind of curiosity and intrigue at the enigmatic man before you.
As you stood before him, captivated by his presence, Jake extended a hand with a confident smile. 
"Well, hi there," he drawled in his rich southern accent, his voice smooth as honey. 
"Lieutenant Commander Jake Seresin, US Naval Air Force." he said, his bright green eyes twinkling with charm, emphasizing his title as he shot Bradley a competitive smirk. You knew Bradley was a Lieutenant, and you knew from what Bob had told you that the Jake and Bradley bickered over Jake’s newly-appointed higher rank. 
"Pleasure to meet you," you replied, your voice betraying a hint of admiration for the accomplished officer standing before you.
With a nod of acknowledgment, Jake's grin widened, his eyes sparkling with a mixture of confidence and charm. "Likewise," he responded warmly, his grip on your hand lingering just a fraction longer than necessary, sending a jolt of excitement coursing through you.
His handshake was firm yet gentle, sending a tingle of electricity through your fingertips as you exchanged introductions. In that moment, his genuine warmth and charisma enveloped you, leaving you eager to uncover more about the man behind the captivating facade.
As the conversation flowed, you found yourself drawn further into Jake's magnetic presence, each moment spent in his company deepening your intrigue and desire to unravel the layers of the enigmatic man before you. Jake excused himself politely after a few minutes of lively conversation, and you watched on with a dreamy-eyed expression on your face as he slipped away into the party to converse with someone else. Out the corner of your eye, you noticed Bob and Bradley exchange knowing grins as they observed what was unfolding. 
The night carried on, and you headed into the house to find your way to the bathroom. Closing the sliding patio door behind you, your eyes scanned over the house, taking in the crisp, white walls adorned with different pieces of country-themed decor, as if Jake was trying to bring as much of Texas into his Californian home as he could. A simple cactus sat on the coffee table, a Stetson hanging on the wall, next to a vintage rodeo poster, framed and on display. The decor was somewhere between vintage Americana and a country bar, but it seemed so perfectly Jake. At least, from everything you’d been told about him, and from your five minute exchange with him earlier.
As you headed down the hallway to find the bathroom, passing by the entryway to the kitchen, you could hear muffled voices, deep in discussion. You paused for a moment as you recognized both voices. One was unmistakeably Bradley, his Virginian lilt echoing slightly out of the kitchen. The other, an equally deep and recognizable southern drawl, one you’d only just heard a short while ago, but equally ingrained in your mind. 
“Listen, Bradley, I’m sure she’s a great girl. Bob wouldn’t have brought her if she wasn’t. I’m just not interested,” Jake protested, and you felt your heart sink slightly as you heard the words that weren’t intended for you.
“Jake, it was 11 years ago, man. Don’t you ever think about what it’d be like to meet someone? Settle down? Have a kid?”
“No,” Jake replied stubbornly.
“Now you’re just being a jackass,” Bradley sighed, and you could just envision the disapproving glance and head shake that Jake was on the receiving end of right now, “You can’t just keep having drunk one night stands, dude. You’re gonna wake up one day and realize you basically pissed your whole life away. The Navy’s not gonna be there forever. One day you’re gonna have to retire.”
“And I’ll retire happily. On a ranch somewhere in Texas.”
“Alone.”
“I’ll buy a dog if you’re that fucking concerned about me being lonely, Bradshaw,” Jake spat back angrily.
“What if she’s not like what’s-her-face?”
“Chelsea. And it doesn’t matter.”
“It does matter. You’re pissing away a chance with a really nice girl because of what, your pride? Your ego? You’re afraid to get hurt? You’re gonna end up drunk and alone.”
“Beer never broke my heart. Women have.”
“Oh come off it, Bagman. You were 21. You’re how old now?”
“Thirty five.”
“Exactly. Almost fifteen years ago. Give yourself a chance to be happy.”
As you listened in on Jake and Bradley's conversation, hidden from view in the hallway, a sudden tickle in your nose sent an urgent signal. You pressed a finger beneath your nostrils, desperately attempting to stifle the impending sneeze. However, despite your valiant efforts, a soft, involuntary sound escaped into the air, betraying your presence to the two men engrossed in discussion.
The gentle echo of your sneeze disrupted the flow of their conversation, prompting both Jake and Bradley to turn their heads in unison, their brows furrowing in mild surprise. Caught off guard by your sudden interruption, they exchanged a quick glance before Jake's gaze settled on the source of the noise.
You stood frozen in the hallway, cheeks flushing with embarrassment as you met Jake's curious stare. In that fleeting moment, you felt like an intruder, an eavesdropper stumbling upon a conversation meant to remain private. Yet, despite the awkwardness of the situation, a part of you couldn't help but wonder if this unexpected encounter might offer insight into Jake's guarded heart and the walls he had built to protect himself from the ghosts of past heartbreaks.
“Sorry, I uh, I was just looking for the bathroom,” you blushed, nodding your head quickly as you smoothed a hand over your hair.
“Down the hall, second door on the left,” Jake nodded once, remaining awkwardly guarded as he spoke. 
“Wait, wait, wait,” Bradley held his hand out, shaking his head, “I promised Bob I’d sort this out and I’m damn well gonna do it.”
As Bradley stepped forward, determination etched into his features, you couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and apprehension. His insistence on addressing the situation piqued your interest, but you also couldn't shake the unease of being caught in the middle of a potentially sensitive conversation.
Jake glanced at Bradley with a hint of skepticism, his guarded demeanor softening slightly as he awaited Bradley's next words.
"Look, Jake," Bradley began, his tone earnest yet firm, "I know you've been hesitant about getting involved. But trust me, she's not like anyone you've ever met before."
You blinked in surprise at Bradley's unexpected endorsement, feeling a rush of gratitude toward your friend for advocating on your behalf. Bradley gave you both a knowing look before nodding once again and heading out of the room to give you both time alone. Jake shifted awkwardly on his feet, avoiding your gaze.
Jake's expression softened, a flicker of vulnerability flashing in his eyes as he absorbed Bradley's words. After a moment of contemplative silence, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with uncertainty.
“I’m sorry,” Jake nodded slowly, looking up at the ceiling before glancing over at you. “Bob and Bradley have been so bent on getting us together. I guess I’m just hung up on some shit from fifteen years ago. An ex-girlfriend told me she didn’t want to live the whole military spouse life after I had an accident in training. I never got over it. Had a ring for her and everything. Was gonna have the whole 2.5 kids and a dog and a white picket fence thing going on. Then she decided she couldn’t be a military spouse, and I decided I couldn’t give up what I’d been working on achieving, so I let her leave.”
“You haven’t dated in fifteen years?”
Jake's lips curved into a rueful smile, tinged with a hint of self-deprecation.
“Not really, I mean, I’ve been with girls, but not seriously.” 
Your laughter rang out, tinged with discomfort as you shook your head in incredulity. "And here I thought my dating history was a train wreck," you confessed, a nervous chuckle punctuating your words. "Bob likes to rib me about it, but I have a knack for attracting men allergic to commitment, unless it's to Sunday night football and beers with the boys."
Jake's laughter echoed yours, a genuine warmth infusing his expression as he nodded in understanding. 
"Now it all makes sense," he remarked, a glint of realization illuminating his features. "Bob kept insisting you were my type, and I couldn't figure out how he knew."
You frowned in confusion. "I'm lost."
"I tend to gravitate toward women who epitomize everything I'm not," Jake explained, a note of introspection coloring his words. "The ones wanting marriage, stability—all the things I shy away from. It's why I've avoided serious relationships. I thrive on being the best, but in that arena, I’m like…a football team short of a quarterback."
“I mean, you could. You just have to want it.”
“Part of me does.”
“But?”
Jake lets out a heavy sigh, shaking his head remorsefully as he looks down. He leans his body against the counter, shrugging his shoulders before speaking.
“But, I’m 35. I guess I could retire from service if the right girl came along. I just…it’s all I know. I know I’m a good pilot, ya know? I don’t know how I am at this boyfriend shit. “
His eyes met yours, earnest and vulnerable, as he confessed, "I mean, sure, I wanna be the kind of man who can sweep a woman off her feet, who knows how to cherish her and make her feel like she's the center of the universe. But truth be told, I ain't got a clue how to do that. I'm afraid I'll crash and burn before I even get off the ground.”
Jake frowned at the can of beer in his hand, shaking his head with a hearty chuckle.
“I’ve had too many of these, I don’t normally share my life story. Not with pretty girls at least.”
“Well,” you responded, pulling up a bar stool beside him before resting your elbows on the counter, holding your head in your hands as you looked at him, “I’m listening.”
"You know," he mused with a wry chuckle, "I never thought I'd feel betrayed by a cold beer, but here I am, questioning my trust in beer of all things." He shook his head, a hint of amusement tugging at the corners of his lips. "Seems I've stumbled into uncharted territory here, darlin’.”
As Jake's laughter subsided, a lull settled over the conversation, punctuated only by the distant hum of conversation and the clinking of glasses in the background. You sensed a shift in the atmosphere, a moment bursting with unspoken thoughts and emotions.
"Maybe it's time to navigate these unfamiliar waters together," you suggested softly, breaking the silence with a tentative smile. 
"We can figure it out as we go, right?"
Jake's gaze softened, a flicker of gratitude shining in his eyes as he met your gaze. "I'd like that," he admitted, his voice tinged with sincerity.
 "It might be a bumpy ride, but, I reckon this time I might stand a chance of finding my bearings."
And in that moment, as the weight of his words hung in the air between you, you felt a spark of hope ignite within your heart—a flicker of possibility for something beautiful to bloom amidst the uncertainties of the journey ahead.
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