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redwinterroses · 3 months

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There’s a cherry tree in the middle of the redwood forest.

False isn’t sure what to make of that. She shifts her grip on the staff in her hand, its pale glow reflecting faintly off the fresh snow. She’s come out here for resources—the vault altar is demanding logs, and these giant trees are an easy source—but the incongruous sight of an enormous, blossoming cherry tree sending pink petals wafting on the frozen wind…

She wonders if this is what fish feel like, when they see a lure.

“Hello?” she calls, her voice echoing off the trees. The world stands in permanent semi-twilight here, and the deeper shadows hide the mobs that will venture out come nightfall. A sneak of creepers is bedded down in a sweetberry bramble just on the other side of the clearing, and False tenses when the lead boar lifts his head, but he apparently doesn’t deem her worth stalking so early in the day.

There is no other reaction to her call.

False is of half a mind just to head back home and farm her own dang trees. It’s not like the vaultar is picky about the kinds of logs—she could just as easily grow up a bunch of birch and throw those in there. But that will take so much longer… not to mention she’s not sure if there are even enough saplings in her storage.

She unhooks her enchantment-glittered axe from her belt and pauses to mentally poke at her mana reserves. Plenty high. Whatever’s lingering near this tree, it can hardly be worse than what she deals with on the daily in the vaults. Overworld dangers are barely a challenge anymore.

The logic of that doesn’t change the uneasy feeling that buzzes over her skin though.

Venturing further into the clearing. False’s gaze traces up the trunk of the cherry tree, following its branches to where they terminate in lush bursts of pink and white blooms. A sweet smell drifts on the wind. She wrinkles her nose, reminded of compost piles and fermented spiders’ eyes.

The tree’s branches stretch long and low—a canopy of their own, heavy with flowers and dark, glossy leaves. The space underneath is filled with falling flowers and a fog of pollen, the air moisture-thick like a lush cave.

Lifting one hand, False catches a falling petal on her fingertip.

It sizzles as it touches her skin, stinging and buzzing like live redstone.

She hisses through her teeth, shaking her hand and letting the petal fall to the forest floor. “What the heck?”

Another petal tumbles past her face, and she watches it with narrowed eyes—right until it fizzles out of existence a few pixels above the forest floor.

“Glitch,” she mutters. “That’s… not good.”

Iskall needs to know about this—it could be a bug from one of the new updates, or it could be something deeper in the code, but either way: this glitched tree is a problem. She’s probably lucky it just stung her.

She reaches for her communicator, raising it to take a pic of the cherry tree.

“Oh, hi there, False!”

False yelps, spinning around with her axe ready to swing.

Gem is standing behind her, a wreath of cherry blossoms tangled in her hair and antlers, leaning casually on a tall staff of blooming cherry wood. Her smile is wide, and sap flows over her fingers, pale golden, dripping down her arms to leave dark spots on the faded denim of her overalls.

“Gem!” False lowers her axe. “Oh my gosh, you scared me. I didn’t know you were doing Vault Hunters.”

“Hm?” Gem raises one eyebrow, and for a moment her eyes flicker to red and then purple before settling back on green. “Oh—I’m not doing Vault Hunters, False.” Her voice is amused, almost chiding.

“Oh.” False feels unexpectedly small—which is impressive, considering she’s nearly half a block taller than Gem.

More of the glitched petals fall, resting on Gem’s hair and slowly melting into it like snowflakes. The brief moment of relief when False had seen Gem’s familiar grin is fading into something like the sensation of freefall.

“What’cha up to?” Gem asks, and her face blinks from one expression to the next like a bad video message. Her clothes are blue—no, green—no, bloodstained and grey—no, blue. They’ve always been blue.

False takes a step back.

“Uh, not much…” she glances up at the redwoods. “Just doing some… resource gathering. You know.”

“Cool!” Gem giggles, and stands up straight. False tenses, but Gem only spins around her staff and waves a hand at the glitched tree. “I didn’t realize this was an occupied server—are there many people here?”

There’s a buzzing in False’s skull, and she blinks rapidly. A muscle twitches under her eye.

“Um…”

“I guess it doesn’t really matter.” Gem lifts one hand and grabs one of the lowest branches of the cherry tree. She really should not have been able to reach that.

Swinging herself up with the lithe, effortless strength of a cat, she perches on the limb and stares down at False. The grin is gone from her face now, and she looks down at False with bright eyes.

“Etho’s not here, is he?”

False opens her mouth to answer, the words yes, of course he is, I can take you to him heavy on her lips… And with effort, she swallows them back.

They taste of sweet rot.

“Why... why doesn’t what matter?” she asks instead.

Gem stares at her for a long moment, expressionless. The flowers woven through her antlers are growing of their own accord, twining up to caress their brethren in the branches overhead.

Then she smiles broadly, flashing teeth that nearly glow white in the dappled shadows. “Oh!” she exclaims. “No reason! I’m only passing through, is all.”

“You’re not… you’re not sticking around?” False tries—and mostly fails—to sound disappointed.

“Naaaaah…” Gem stands and walks along the branch, as secure and balanced as if it were a stone floor. The flowers in her hair flow along behind her, sliding from the branches and falling like a cape down her back. “Worldhopping is easy. Staying in one spot is way harder.”

False watches the flowers move and swirl, their smooth, strange motion ensnaring her attention. The buzzing is back, too. Like bees, drunk on honey and sleepy in their hive.

“World hopping…?” she manages. “With admin commands?”

Gem’s laugh is as brilliant as a knife and as sharp as a spark. “False!” she crows. “You say the funniest things.”

False laughs. It seems appropriate. She isn’t sure why.

“Anyway,” Gem continues, fading into one patch of blossoms and reappearing on the other side of it. Her eyes are sprays of cherry flowers now. Her antlers are branches. “Anyway, cherry trees are all the same. They make it easy to get around.”

“That…” doesn’t make sense, False wants to say. But her lips are heavy, and coated in sticky sap. Maybe it doesn’t really matter.

“Oops! Behind you, False!”

Gem’s chirped warning is flaked in glee, and False turns around, as slow as if her feet are buried in soul sand.

The creepers she had seen—the entire sneak—are standing behind her, pink flowers blooming from their eyes.

“Oh no.”

The boar’s blinded head snaps toward her voice, hissing. He starts to aggro, bioluminescent streaks flashing from his snout to flanks in increasingly-swift pulses of light.

“See ya in season ten, False!” Gem cries out cheerfully.

The axe drops from False’s nerveless fingers, trailing strings of sap. She smells the inescapable stench of burning gunpowder, overlaid with rot.

“...Dangit.”

[FalseSymmetry was blown up by a creeper]

~*~

Jerking upright in her own bed, False swipes wildly at her face, trying to smear away tree sap that isn’t there.

“What the heck, Gem?” she exclaims at her empty base. Her voice falls flat, swallowed up by the sky that surrounds her builds. The clock above her head ticks impatiently, and she huffs in frustration, pushing up out of her bed. All her tools, gone—her levels, gone... and after all that she still needs those logs for the vault.

Grumbling, she starts pulling backup gear from various chests, trying to cobble together something that can get her back to the redwood grove before her items despawn—assuming they hadn’t all been obliterated by a second or third creeper explosion. She glances at the vaulter, and freezes.

It’s been completed. The crystal floats gently atop the stone pedestal, gleaming with an inner light.

And, tumbled at the base of the vaulter—abandoned, more than was needed to fill the crystal’s requirements:

Half a stack of cherry logs.

#falsesymmetry #geminitay #red said eldritch gem rights #let her be cheerful and scary too she deserves it #also there needs to be more Vault Hunter fic in the world. and more False content.#this was inspired by a post of some enormous redwood trees I saw the other day with teeny tiny people at the base of them #along with Gem's tree building -- the cherry trees in her hardcore and s9 builds #and the headcanon from hc8 and empires that she's a worldhopper #anyway this is the first thing I've really written in (over?) a year so... I'm quite happy about it.#might polish and put it on AO3 later but for now it's just for the hellsite <3 #redwinterwrites #oh also excuse for creeper/minecraft worldbuilding yaaay XD

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nahoney22 · 4 months

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Underneath the Mistletoe

All Bad Batch Boys X F!Reader

How you had your first kiss under some Mistletoe with your favourite Bad Batcher.

warnings: none, fluff. Mistletoe kiss, non established relationship, female reader. It’s self indulgent icl. Queued post.

authors note: Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all! 🎄

Echo 🎄

The day had been long and you just could not wait to hop into your bunk, pull your blanket up to your nose and drift off to sleep. However, Omega's festivities in the Marauder had disrupted your plans. Returning from the market on the planet, she had unleashed a whirlwind of decorations, adorning the ship's interiors in a chaotic array rather than neatly hanging them. "Omega," you sighed, exasperated and pinching the bridge of your nose.

“Everything alright?” Echo had approached you from behind, looking over your shoulder at the mess before you both and you turn to him with a tight smile. “I see...”

“She’s been busy.”

"Busy making a mess," he chuckled. He swiftly joined your cleanup efforts, maneuvering through strewn tinsel and rogue baubles.

Ten minutes or so later, a relieved sigh escaped as you surveyed the tidied surroundings. "I think that's everything."

"Yeah," Echo agreed, scanning the area before his gaze lifted. "Actually, not everything."

Following his gaze upward, you noticed it too. "Oh, Mistletoe," you remarked casually, its presence dangling between the two of you. However, realisation struck a beat later, and a flustered flutter danced within you. "OH. I, uh, I should not be standing underneath it with you," you laughed nervously.

He arched a brow, puzzled at your reaction. "Why? What's Mistletoe?"

"You don't know what it is?" you exclaimed with surprise.

"Should I?" Echo's innocent inquiry showed genuine curiosity, a look that you couldn't help but find endearing.

"Well, Echo," you began, fidgeting slightly in your place, "traditionally, you're supposed to kiss me now."

His eyes widened slowly, and a discernible gulp echoed in the room. "Why?"

Shrugging lightly, you explained, "It's a tradition. I don't know the deeper meaning behind it, but when two people are under mistletoe, they're supposed to kiss."

"Oh, well, okay."

You paused, struck by his response. "Huh?"

"Huh?" Echo repeats quickly, nervously rubbing the back of his neck.

This was interesting.

Raising an eyebrow, you pointed out, "You said 'well okay,' implying you were wanting to kiss me."

He froze for a moment before clearing his throat. "I don’t see why not… nobody's here, and, uh, you look pretty tonight."

You chuckled softly at his comment although you were just in your usual attire. "Okay," you said slowly, catching him off guard by taking a small step toward him. "Kiss me, then."

Without needing a second prompt, he leaned in, capturing your lips in a swift yet tender kiss. A breathless sigh escaped your lips as you melted into the unexpected warmth of the moment. The suddenness of it all left you surprised, but perhaps this time, you wouldn’t reprimand Omega for her messy antics; just this once.

Wrecker 🎁

Walking alongside Wrecker after a successful supply run, idle chatter filled the air as you both strolled beneath a festively decorated arch. Among the decorations, your attention snagged on a particular item.

"Look, Wrecker, Mistletoe," you pointed out.

"What's tha'?" Wrecker queried, stepping closer and standing directly beneath it. You held back, smiling as you prepared to enlighten him.

"Whenever two people are under it, you have to kiss, or you get bad luck," you explained, meeting his gaze with a playful grin.

"Oh, really?" Wrecker smirked mischievously, advancing towards you. Swiftly, before you could react, he hoisted you up, initiating an impromptu playful scuffle. Laughter rang out as he teased and taunted, attempting to maneuver you under the Mistletoe while onlookers passed by.

"Stop, Wrecker!" you pleaded amidst fits of laughter, struggling as he continued his playful pursuit, egging you on to kiss some of the people walking past. “You will get a kiss!”

Finally relenting, he released you, and you led him to believe the playful antics had reached their conclusion. Seizing the moment, as his back turned, you attempted to nudge him under the Mistletoe, expecting him to move. However, he remained rooted, not budging an inch.

He turned around with a cheeky grin, teasing, "Try again, little one." Bracing yourself, you nudged him with determination, but unexpectedly, both of you stumbled back, caught off guard.

In a stroke of luck, he caught you before you hit the ground, both of you chuckling as he steadied you. "You alrigh’?"

"Yeah," you replied with a smile. However, as you looked up at him, your eyes naturally fell upon the mistletoe positioned above his head, also looming over you. "Oh… Wrecker?"

"What- oh," he followed your gaze upward, and a sudden hush descended upon both of you.

Despite his hold on you, something in his gaze drew you in. "Don't suppose ya believe in that bad luck thing?" His voice was notably softer now.

"No... not really," you admitted.

"Still," he murmured, taking a small step closer to you, "better not risk it, right?"

"Right."

Then, his lips met yours in a gentle, unhurried kiss, igniting a sudden rush in your heart at the unexpected yet tender moment.

Hunter 🎉

"I appreciate your help with this, I'm not really adept at this kind of decorating," Hunter confessed sheepishly as he delicately arranged some vibrant red tinsel along the control panel.

"No worries," you responded with a warm smile, "I can already picture Omega's face when she sees this!"

"Wrecker too, I'm sure," Hunter added with a matching grin, gladly assisting you by holding a box of decorations while you organized their placements.

Returning to the box after a moment, you paused, catching Hunter's attention. "I think that's everything."

Agreeing with a nod, Hunter noticed something remaining in the box—a decoration that caused a flicker of concern on his face. "Hey, what about this one?"

You recognised what he was referring to—the mistletoe you'd intentionally left behind, following the tradition it held. But Hunter seemed oblivious to its significance. "Yeah, that's mistletoe, Hunter."

"And why can't we hang it up?" Hunter asked, confusion furrowing his brow.

"Because, according to tradition, you're supposed to kiss someone under it," you chuckled, enjoying his befuddlement.

Placing the box down, Hunter inspected the mistletoe curiously. "It doesn't say that anywhere on it."

With an amused roll of your eyes, you took a playful step toward him. "Nope, it doesn't, but it's just an old tradition. A bit silly, really."

Then, the atmosphere crackled with unspoken tension as Hunter gazed at you, a sudden surge of courage propelling him forward. He'd harbored these feelings for a long time, and an intuition of his senses around you suggested that perhaps you shared similar feelings.

"Well, I see no harm in hanging it..." he declared, stepping closer until his chest almost grazed yours, putting the mistletoe on the vent just above your heads, "right here."

Your eyes widened at the subtle yet unmistakable implication, a warm rush enveloping your body. "No...me neither," you found yourself whispering, his presence clouding your senses.

Without hesitation, he closed the distance, leaning in to capture your lips with his in a passionate, lingering kiss that left you both breathless.

As he pulls away, he smiles softly and tilts his head to the side. “I think I might have to take it down,”

You raise a brow, confused, “why?”

“Let’s just say I don’t want my brothers kissing my girl.”

Tech 🎄

“And what can you tell me about the properties of this plant right here?”

You found yourself on Felucia, dragged along by Tech for a resource-gathering mission. Initially, his impromptu botany lesson didn't bother you, but as he meticulously stopped to inspect every single flora, it became a bit tiresome.

"I don’t know, Tech," you grumbled, dragging your feet before stopping next to him to examine a simple, unassuming bush. "Is it a Buxus sempervirens or whatever?"

"Every plant has its distinct classification," he responded pointedly, "and no. There is also no plant called ‘whatever’. It’s Chamaecyparis. Did you know they can grow up to an impressive 70 feet in the wild?"

"Ah, no, I didn’t," you muttered, stifling a yawn that didn't escape his notice.

"Am I boring you?" he inquired, catching your weariness.

You felt a pang of guilt and shook your head, attributing your exhaustion to recent blasterfire and sleep deprivation. "No, sorry. Just feeling a little tired today."

He acknowledged your response, checking his device. "If my calculations are accurate, which they usually are, the ship is just southwest of here. About four klicks to walk."

"Okay, do we have everything we need before we head back?" You took a swig from your canteen, offering it to Tech, who politely declined.

"Yes, the petals we gathered from the flower are what we need for Cid’s client." As you both resumed walking, Tech made an intrigued sound and veered off from the direction of the ship.

"Tech?" You stopped and watched him curiously.

"Just a moment. I'm uncertain about the identification of this particular plant," he explained, engrossed in his investigation.

It was rare to see Tech not recognise something and so your intrigue piqued also but as you approached, you stopped just a foot away and look up at the evergreen shrub with recognisable white berriess. “That’s Mistletoe.”

Holding his scanner up to the tree, Tech turned his head in your direction. "I have not encountered this before. Do you have more information to share?"

"The berries are poisonous, so it's best not to consume them," you began, stifling a soft giggle. "Its scientific name is Viscum album and it's commonly used as decoration during winter festivities."

Impressed by your knowledge, Tech checked his scanner and found your information accurate, prompting you to continue. "You mentioned they're used for decoration?"

"Yeah," you replied, taking a small step back. "There's a tradition that if two people are under it, they're supposed to kiss. Otherwise, they'll receive bad luck." Folding your arms, you awkwardly explained the quirky custom.

Tech paused, studying the berries above him and then shifting his gaze to you. "Ah, I see. That explains why you took a step back." He adjusted his goggles and you couldn’t help but wonder if you detected a flicker of disappointment in his tone.

The air seemed to crackle with nervous energy as you shuffled on your heels, uncertain where the conversation was heading. Before you could find the words, Tech took the lead.

"If you were under this with me, I would have given you a kiss," he stated simply, a hint of confidence flickering in his demeanor, though it waned as your eyes widened at his bold declaration. "Due to it being bad luck, is all."

A smile played on your lips, and you moved a step closer to him, prompting a response. "I thought you didn’t believe in luck."

"I do not," he affirmed. "But I am rarely a man of chance either." Your heart raced as you closed the distance, standing under the mistletoe with him. "But I'd like to take the chance of kissing you right now."

Your hands found their way around his shoulders, fingers gently lacing around his neck, signaling your willingness to lean in closer. "Take the chance, then."

Tech smiled at your boldness, meeting you halfway as his lips met yours. There was a hint of hesitation at first, but as his arms enveloped you, he proved to be an unexpectedly excellent kisser.

Crosshair 🎁

In the midst of the ship's rare tranquility, you had decided to immere yourself in a thorough cleaning session.

Lingering traces of the festivities still loitered about—the occasional stray golden and green tinsel strands and dust of artificial snow, remnants of Omega's discovery of snow in a canister.

As beads of sweat gathered on your brow, you took a moment to survey your cleaning efforts, admiring the progress made. However, your contentment was interrupted by the sight of Crosshair's gear scattered haphazardly in a corner.

Upon closer inspection, it was clear that the usual meticulous upkeep of his equipment had been neglected. Finding no harm in lending a helping hand, you grabbed a crate and seated yourself upon it and dedicated yourself to tidying up his gear.

“What are you doing Missy?”

Crosshair's voice jolted you from your concentration, and you couldn't help but flinch at the sudden sound of his low, raspy tone. Alone with him, you always found yourself a tad flustered in his captivating presence.

"Kriff, you scared me," you breathed out, a nervous smile gracing your lips as he leaned against the wall, towering above you. "I noticed your gear lying here and thought I'd give it a clean. Is that okay?"

"Suppose so," he responded, folding his arms across his chest and fixing his gaze on you. "But why?"

You shrugged, trying to hide your nervousness. "Just saw it lying there and thought it needed a bit of sprucing up." Finishing cleaning one of his pauldrons, you handed him the rag, and he inspected it with a stoic yet impressed expression.

"Are you saying I'm not looking after my stuff properly?" His question made your stomach drop, feeling a hint of nervousness at his insinuation.

"W-Well, no, but—" you stammered, caught off guard.

"Relax," he smirked, setting down his armor piece and gently tilting your chin up to meet his gaze. "I was just teasing."

Caught in a trance by Crosshair's touch, you found yourself utterly captivated, your eyes widened like saucers as you gazed up at him. Oddly enough, you realised that Crosshair seemed to engage with you more than with his brothers or Omega. The thought crossed your mind that he might, just might, be flirting with you.

"Oh, I see," you whispered, feeling the weight of his gaze as he searched your eyes. His demeanor shifted slightly as he cleared his throat and stepped back.

"You did a good job cleaning up in here and with my armor,” he comments.

And admist the serene moment after Crosshair's compliment, you teasingly asked for a "thank you," prompting a rare chuckle from him.

"Maybe," he replied but then moved his finger so it’s pointing upwards. "But you left something."

Puzzled, you followed his gesture and noticed the decoration still hanging—a mistletoe. Maintaining composure, you felt Crosshair's proximity grow, sensing a shift in his demeanor.

"So tell me, did you leave it up there on purpose?" His question held a hint of curiosity.

Seizing the unusual openness from Crosshair, you matched his tone, placing your hands on the crate beside you, meeting his gaze invitingly. "And if I did?" you playfully challenged.

Surprised by your boldness, Crosshair eventually smirked. "I think it means you and I should have a little kiss. Don’t you?"

"Don’t have to ask me twice."

Suddenly, Crosshair drew you up from your seat, drawing you close. His lips met yours in a passionate embrace, a shared kiss under the mistletoe deepening the moment. The unexpected yet cherished encounter left a thrilling yet serene ambiance within the ship, both of you momentarily caught in the lingering sensation of the kiss.

That was better than any other ‘thank you’.

Masterlist 🎄

Tags: @id-rather-be-a-druid @the-bad-batch-baroness s @photogirl894 @whore4rex @imperialclaw801 @temple-elder @mysticalgalaxysalad @imalovernotahater @tech-aficionado @grizabellasolo @therealnekomari @tech-depression-inventory @brynhildrmimi @greaser-wolf @tinyreadersmur @seriowan @kaminocasey @marvel-starwars-nerd @ladytano420 @ladyzirkonia @raevulsix @mssbridgerton @andyoufollowyourheart @littlefeatherr @kaitou2417 @eyecandyeoz @captxin-rex @jesseeka @ashotofspotchka @theroguesully @ladykatakuri @jambolska-grozdova @arctrooper69 @padawancat97 @either-madness-or-brilliance @staycalmandhugaclone @ko-neko-san @echos-girlfriend @fiveshelmet t @dangraccoon @plushymiku-blog @chrissywakingup @pb-jellybeans @nunanuggets @sleepycreativewriter @erellenora @zippingstars87

#was gonna post this on Christmas Eve but I think we all need some festive cheer #tech bad batch #wrecker bad batch #Hunter bad batch #echo bad batch #crosshair bad batch #clone wars #bad batch HC’s #the bad batch

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