It was no surprise that the twins would be absolutely ecstatic for their birthday. Nobody was sure if embarrassment was something they were capable of feeling and, although they were naturally shy people, this all seemed so exciting for them.

They decided it would be best to go about their usual business, instead of pestering the others, so the few days leading up to their birthday were filled with scrapbooking, reading and other things. It wasn't a surprise to them when Seven announced she'd be leaving for a few days, along with Nine and Five. The twins grinned knowingly to one another, but decided to act a bit naive in front of the others.

They merely nodded, and gave Seven a bone-crushing hug before she set off, before returning to their own business. As the trio left, the others began to go their own ways as well. One decided to head to his room, with Two following beside him. Three shot Four a grimace, to which Four laughed silently. That part of the library was definitely out of bounds now.

Eight had disappeared as well and the twins assumed that Six had scampered after him, but no. Instead, he was lingering beside them, looking like he was struggling to articulate. The pair waited patiently for him to string his words together.

"Do you have any books about art?" He asked, finally. The twins smiled simultaneously. They expected he'd ask sooner or later, so they had stacked all their art related books in one corner for him. They led him over to the far corner and gestured to the teetering stack of books before them. Six looked somewhat satisfied, but he still looked rather unsure. Was he looking for something specific?

Three had apparently thought the same thing, because when Four turned to face her, she was brandishing a piece of paper. Six made a noise of surprise when Three took his index finger to scribble a sentence on the paper. Poor Six wasn't entirely adept when it came to social matters. Body language was totally foreign to him and he wasn't great at, what people call, putting two and two together, which meant you generally had to spell things out for him to understand.

(Similarly, it was just as difficult to understand Six a good portion of the time unless he spelt out just what he was trying to say.)

- Are you looking for something specific?-

Six stared at the paper for longer than necessary, before opening his mouth.

"I...don't know. I'm looking for something, and it's- Well it's for something and I don't know what I'm looking for, but I'll know when I see it."

The twins just stared at him. Three resisted the urge to facepalm massively, so she forced a smile and kind of...shrugged. Four hadn't a clue either, so they were stuck in some sort of stalemate. Neither had a clue just what Six had said, and they knew even if he'd repeated himself, they still wouldn't understand. Nonetheless, they offered to help him look through the collection of books.

Six seemed amazed by how broad the topic of art really was. There were books on things from clay to mask making and typography. Six had temporarily forgotten that he was looking for something until the twins reminded him.

When Six tried to explain again, he tried to make gestures to emphasise his point, but that only made the twins more confused. How Six's brain worked was a complete mystery; it was almost fascinating. He seemed to be muttering to himself as he sifted through the books, putting them into separate piles that only made sense to him.

It wasn't too long before Six began reading further into one of the books. His face showed interest and satisfaction; he nodded to himself. It appeared as if he'd found what he was looking for. The twins approached him from either side and peered over his shoulder.

"I found it. This will work." He said, simply. He flipped over the cover to show the twins. It was a paperback book titled 'The Art of Origami'. The twins shot questioning looks at each other; why did he need a book about paper folding? Maybe he was just broadening his horizons. It seemed like a plausible explanation.

Six picked up the book with ease and hoisted it up onto his back, before scampering off; probably to join Eight somewhere. He shouted a 'thank you' over his shoulder, leaving the twins sat amongst a pile of books. The twins looked down at the separate piles and, no matter how they looked at it, there was no correlation between any of them. What was he thinking?

As much as they loved things to be organised, they decided to leave those piles, in case Six came back. Even though thousands of curious questions filled their minds about the origami book, they decided to shrug it off for now.


"Do you even know what we're looking for?"

Five was trailing behind Seven and Nine, timidly. Sure, he knew that they had set out to look for a present for the twins, but what were they even looking for? Seven had previously said as much as the twins would appreciate books, she wanted to get them something a bit more special.

"I don't know, to be honest, but I'm sure we'll find something." Seven muttered, as she scanned the area. They had already visited several shops and found absolutely nothing that could be a suitable gift. He was beginning to give up hope. As much as he loved the twins, he wasn't sure if they'd be able to find anything for them aside from books.

He crept up to Seven and put his hand on her shoulder. "Seven, why don't we have a look for some books anyway? If we find something special, then we find something. If not, we still have something to give them, right?" He couldn't help but feel a twinge of guilt. Seven adored the twins like they were her own children, so naturally she wanted the best for them. Not being able to do that was obviously upsetting for her.

"I guess..." She sighed. "I know there's a bookshop further to the north. I've never taken them there, so we might find something they don't have." She said, smiling weakly. Nine took the chance to sidle up beside her. "What about if you took them there for a trip as a birthday present? I'm sure they'd love it." He suggested, and Five nodded in agreement.

"I suppose that might work. But then they'd want to take it all back to the library." She laughed. "Or at the very most, they'd want to relocate there." The trio laughed together and Seven felt a little more at ease. Even if she couldn't give them something special, it was the thought that counted right?


Meanwhile, the twins were discussing the entire arrangement amongst themselves, chattering and flickering wildly.

*What do you think they'll do?*

*They'll get us a present like One and Two, most likely.*

*Books?*

*Naturally.*

They laughed silently.


The bookshop was huge; Five and Nine stared in awe of this giant building. How had Seven never thought to bring the twins here? They'd love it for sure! Although, it was quite a trek away but for the twins, it would be totally worth it.

They all hopped through a gaping hole in the glass door and began to search the place for something to take back. They could probably carry three books between them, four if Five was feeling particularly strong that day. They'd have to choose wisely, it seemed.

Seven froze suddenly, and indicated for the two boys to keep quiet. 'What is it?' Nine mouthed in confusion. She crept a little further and Nine could see there was a set of stairs that led downwards, instead of upwards. Was there something down there? He couldn't tell.

She gestured for Five to join her. "Can you see anything down there?" She whispered, and Five raised his crossbow. He'd installed a kind of scope onto the top, which improved his range and his aim dramatically. He looked through the scope and began scanning the area downstairs thoroughly. There weren't any visibly large beasts, which was always a good sign, but it didn't mean they were totally safe.

He was about to shake his head, before he stopped short. "I think I see something." He mumbled, trying to get a closer look. Seven perked up and brandished her spear, as Nine clutched his lightstaff instinctively. "What is it?"

"I...can't really tell. I can see something moving down there but it's small. I think it's a machine." He said, he looked up at Seven. "It's not doing anything; we're not in immediate danger. Should I shoot it anyway?" He asked. Seven contemplated this for a second, before nodded. "Better safe than sorry, right?"

He nodded and hesitantly took aim. He didn't like senseless violence but she had a point. He peered down the scope with his optic and took aim but right as his finger pulled down on the trigger, the beast sidestepped. He gasped slightly, which pushed his aim off ever so slightly. The harpoon shot through a hefty piece of rubble with surprising force, alarming the small beast. Five backed away, trembling.

The beast skittered across the floor and bolted in the opposite direction, seemingly out of sight. Seven was about to head down there herself, but Nine pulled her back. "There's no point. If it comes back again, then we'll deal with it. For now, let's just limit our search to this floor, okay?"

Seven back away hesitantly, before following the two males. Five was visibly distressed by his mistake, as Nine patted his shoulder. "Don't worry so much." He murmured, and Five nodded silently.

They split up and began searching the bookstore thoroughly. Nine headed off to the fiction section, Seven to the non-fiction section and Five wandered off to the children's section. Even though the twins weren't exactly children (despite their more than childish behaviour) he'd thought they'd appreciate a sweet storybook.

Even though Nine shouted that he'd found something, he didn't bother to go over. He was sure they could do without him for a while. It was strange, he'd known the twins for a very long time but he had no idea what kind of a book they'd like. He'd found a fairytale book which seemed to be the best option so far. They were fond of classic stories and this seemed perfect.

There was another book he'd found, which was a collection of stories and poems by a famous author. He didn't know who they were, but he was sure the twins would know. Which one would he choose? They were both hefty books so bringing them both back wasn't an option.

He settled for the collection of stories and poems, as he placed the fairytale book back on the shelf. As he was about to leave, heavy book in tow, he spotted a small book that had fallen down the side of the shelf. It was small, square and rather thin. Definitely a child's book. He fished it out, out of mere curiosity, and found himself staring at what could be the most perfect gift for the twins.

"You guys! I found something!" He yelled, before trotting over to meet them as fast as he could. He almost tripped over as he ran and Nine and Seven looked up at him with confusion. When he stopped, he dropped the book onto the floor and brandished the smaller book he had found.

"I found this book for the twins but when I was coming back, I found this. It's perfect!" He held up the book and was overjoyed when Seven's optics lit up. She grinned widely and took the book. "This is perfect!" She laughed.


The twins were beginning to miss Seven now. They'd spent the day wandering all over the place. Six had locked himself in his room with Eight, for reasons the twins didn't really want to know. They'd messed around with One's piano until he'd caught them and yelled at them. They'd spent time playing chess with Two, but they couldn't deny they were getting lonely without Seven.

That's why when they heard the sounds of the trio's arrival, they bolted towards the door, only to be dragged back by Eight. They looked up at him, both pouting. "Sorry," He apologised, but didn't really seem all that sorry, "I gotta keep you back here for now. Seven'll come see you later, yeah?"

They were visibly disgruntled by this, as they stormed back off into the hall. Eight did feel sorry for them, but it was worth it. They knew that Seven had brought them back something for their birthday, so obviously she didn't want them finding out until tomorrow, but they had missed her and frankly, her return was as good as any present right now.

They sulked behind a hefty stack of books towards the far end of the hall. It's what they did when they weren't in the mood to see anybody; it was like their own little hidey spot.

They were determined to be miserable the rest of the day now. They'd waited so long for Seven to come back and they wouldn't even get to see her. Deep down, they knew they were overreacting, but it was completely necessary in this case. They were miserable and they'd be purposely sulky for the rest of the day.

That was the last thought in their head when Seven poked her head over the stack of books with a big smile. "Missed me, you two?" She asked, and the twins gaped. It took them half a second before they tackled her with all of their strength which, when combined, was surprisingly overwhelming.

She laughed loudly as they collapsed to the floor, hugging her tightly. She pressed a kiss to both of their foreheads and ruffled their hoods. "I missed you too guys. What did you do while I was gone?"

They proceeded to show her all of the scrapbooking they'd done in the meantime. Even though she had a hard time getting her head around the more informative pieces, she was proud of them nonetheless. "You've been busy then." She chuckled as she took one twin under each arm. "But you have to do me a favour tonight."

They perked up, listening to her intently. "You two, have to go to bed a little bit early tonight. That means no staying up until stupid o' clock in the morning, you hear?" She chided them. They didn't look exactly pleased by this demand. She smiled softly.

"It's your birthday tomorrow, don't forget. The sooner you go to sleep, the quicker it'll come. We can do whatever you like, alright? I'm just gonna be a little busy tonight." Their faces fell in a synchronised pout, but they understood. It was fair enough, after all, but Seven did feel a little bad. She'd just gotten back and she was already herding them to bed, but she knew it'd be worth it in the morning.

Even though they had gone to bed earlier that night, they were having troubles sleeping. Despite being annoyed about having to go to bed, that was all replaced with excitement for the day to come.


*I'm not sure I can sleep.* Three flickered, and Four laughed silently.

*Do you want me to knock you out?*

*That would hurt!*

*I'm not sure you'd feel it...*

*What about you? You're having just as much trouble as I am.*

*We could do that thing they did in Eight's fighting book*

*A double knockout?*

*Yeah!*

They ended up punching each other in the face.

It didn't work.


When Three finally awoke, it took her three seconds to come to her senses. She hurriedly shook her twin awake and flickered and chattered excitedly. They got out of bed and crept towards the door, peering down the corridor. Four was surprised when Three pulled her attention to the floor.

Right on the floor, outside their room, was a small paper animal. Upon closer inspection, it was a rabbit. They gingerly picked up the small paper animal and marvelled at how well made it was. It was adorable! So this was what Six had been making the day before. Looking down the corridor, they could see a trail of paper animals of different shapes and sizes.

By the time they reached the end of the corridor, right outside Seven's room, they had collected a paper rabbit, a fox, a snake, a cat, a beetle, a spider and a bat. Three was cradling them all in her arms, careful not to squish or fold them, while Four carefully pushed the door open.

"Happy Birthday."

Seven, Five, Six, Two and Nine were standing around a hefty stack of something wrapped in paper, all with wide smiles. The twins beamed and scampered towards them. It was impossible for Three to hug Seven holding all the animals so she had to put them down in the corner where they wouldn't be stepped on, before hurtling towards her and almost knocking her off her feet.

"I told you it would be worth it. C'mon, open your presents."

Their attention was turned to what was obviously a stack of books wrapped in wrapping paper. On top of the stack was another origami figure, but it was a lot more intricate than the animals.

It was a paper figure of the two of them, with optics, numbers and stripes drawn on. Neither of them wanted to touch it for fear of breaking it, but they gingerly lifted it off and set it down with the animals, before thanking Six. Six shifted his feet, smiling shyly. He had scraps of paper stuck to his fabric and the twins had to stifle their laughter. They didn't think he was aware of the paper stuck to his back, but they had to wonder just what was he doing to get paper stuck on his back of all places? (Unless Eight had got bored and began sticking things to the smaller stitchpunk, which was a plausible explanation.)

They teared the paper off together and pulled the books out. There was a collection of stories and poems, a fictional story about a girl and a cat, and a book about...tanks?

They shot Nine a questioning look and he shrugged lamely. "You didn't have anything about tanks in your collection." He said, as if that was a perfectly reasonable explanation. The twins rolled their optics, but accepted the gifts graciously, vowing the read them as soon as possible.

"There's one more." Seven piped up, before brandishing a small square of wrapping paper. It looked like a book, but it was much smaller and thinner than the others. The twins looked at each other, very curious as to what this might be. When they ripped off the wrapping paper, they stopped short and stared at the book.

A fond grin broke out on their faces. If they were capable of crying, they probably wouldn't teared up on the spot. Instead, they held the book close and silently thanked Seven.

The book was titled, 'Little Miss Twins', by Roger Hargreaves.

It would no doubt be the best book in their collection.


mmm nostalgia. also, nine is awful at choosing presents.

(I take requests by the way, so feel free to drop me a message. If you want to talk about 9, drop me a message as well :D)