Summer of Bad Batch 2024

Toothpicks

Week 4 Main Prompt: Cadets

Enjoy!!

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Hunter noticed things most others didn't. He prided himself on seeing the little things about his brothers, their little quirks or likes and dislikes. Like how Wrecker had a tendency to bounce in his seat or the way Tech adjusted his goggles every time he confidently stated facts. With Crosshair, Hunter noticed he tended to worry at his lip when he was sniping. It wasn't anything bad, but Hunter noticed.

The way it became a habit.

So much so, that Wrecker started noticing. Then Tech.

Which lead to them sitting on Hunter's bunk, huddled in a 'meeting' while Crosshair was at the range. A meeting of the cadets, if you will.

"It could be a residual habit from his decanting. Thumb sucking, while common in babies, can become a problem when done past the young age." Tech explained, scooting back against the wall into the corner at the end of the bed and extended his arms, datapad screen glowing, to show Hunter the diagrams he found.

"But Cross doesn't suck his thumb anymore. We're big kids now!" Wrecker said, climbing over to look nonetheless.

"I am aware." Tech pulled his datapad back towards his face, pulling up more diagrams and articles. "However, he continued to do it longer than us. I am only stating a probable cause. Another possible cause is stress."

"Stress?" Hunter questioned. "Why would Crosshair be stressed?"

"We have had an influx in our regimes. He's been training harder to keep up and it's possible his habit is a result of relieving that pressure." Tech explained, showing Hunter the screen, multiple diagrams and articles overlapped with one another. How Tech ever read it normally was beyond him.

"What about somethin' to chew on? Like that weird rubber thing that the older clones had? The one with the crazy bubble." Wrecker suggested. He used his hands to show a large bubble in front of his face, making it much larger than what it logically was.

"That could work." Hunter thought a moment. "But doesn't the flavor go away quick? That isn't a good long time solution."

"Astute observation." Tech said, flopping to the side, propping his datapad in front of him. "Lollipops are an alternative, sweet candy on the end of a stick. Studies show people like them because of the taste but also to chew on."

"But it's still a temporary fix. We can't easily get lollipops on Kamino. We can barely get a semi-sweet 'dessert' after dinner." Hunter reasoned. He, too, flopped to the side and rolled onto his pillow, hugging the plush to his chest. Wrecker, who wanted to dramatically flop like his brothers, laid back in the space between Hunter and Tech, lightly bouncing the bed.

It was several minutes of silence, barring the soft tapping of Tech fingers on his datapad, before Hunter had an idea.

"You said people like lollipops because they can chew on the stick, right?" he asked, sitting up, pillow still clutched tightly to his chest.

"Yes. Often, it's a fix for oral stimming though the cavities that can result aren't very beneficial." Tech explained, not looking up from his datapad.

"What about the little toothpicks they put on our trays?" Hunter suggested.

"That..." Tech looked about to brush the suggestion off before he thought a moment. "That might work. I did read an article about snipers chewing on toothpicks but I only skimmed that one."

"Ha, Cross'll like that." Wrecker laughed, sitting up. "He's always tryin' to be like professional snipers."

"But how would we get a supply of them?" Tech asked, "We only get two each, eight total, per day. The way he's been biting at his lip, I'd assume he'd need more than that, even if we gave him ours."

Hunter just smirked at his little brothers. "I have an idea."

~~

"How the kriff did you three get this many toothpicks?" Crosshair asked, completely baffled. On his bed laid not just a few but several small boxes of toothpicks. Each box had '100 ct' printed on the front. That was easily over a thousand.

"The mess is not as securely guarded as it should be." Tech said, holding up his datapad like it was a pair of keys to the front door, which, in all likelihood, was probably what he used to get in.

"Okay, but why?"

"You know how professional snipers chew on toothpicks and do the cool 'Ima flick it from one side of my mouth to the other, I'm so cool.' thing?" Wrecker asked, exaggerating his gestures and mimicking Crosshair's slithery tone. The sniper, who was not impressed, crossed his arms and raised a brow. "You can be like them now!" Wrecker finished.

Hunter could see the look of apprehension on Crosshair's face and he worried maybe this wasn't such a good idea. Some leader he was going to be, he couldn't even help his youngest brother. The look was replaced by a brief flash of gratitude before he quickly spun around back to the toothpicks on his bunk. He shook one of the boxes, a small toothpick rolling onto his hand. He placed it between his teeth.

"Tastes like wood." Crosshair said, flicking the toothpick from side to side, getting a feel for the motion. It didn't take too long for him to figure out a fluid motion, lightly biting down on the wood.

"So, you like it?" Tech asked, eyes shining behind his too big goggles. Crosshair looked at him, then Wrecker, and finally Hunter. He shrugged, in a way that was so Crosshair-like that Hunter smiled.

"Yeah, I guess."

Translation: I love it, thanks.

Though, Crosshair would never say it in those words. His actions, however, spoke millions. A trait that only grew as they got older.

Hunter loved noticing his brother's quirks. Wrecker's maniacal sounding laugh while barreled down droids, Tech's tendency to state things as if they were obvious to others, and Crosshair flicking his toothpicks at regs with precise aim.

He never wanted them to change. Their little quirks made them, them. And he wouldn't have it any other way.