Six, despite being as oblivious as he is, was rather excited for his birthday. He didn't outwardly show it, but he found himself thinking about the upcoming date. He hadn't told anyone, but in his mind, he pictured playing a big group game with the others. It seemed kind of silly and part of him knew it would get shot down by One, but hey, it was nice to dream.

He wondered what the group would collectively give him for his birthday. After attending a few present hunting sessions for previous birthdays, he'd found the routine to become rather predictable.

They were going to get him art supplies.

Now 90% of that assumption was pure common sense; he was the artist, so why not art supplies? He didn't have a problem with it, it was nice that they took the time and all, not to mention he did need new art supplies, but it was all too predictable.

He wasn't as sentimental as Five, surprisingly enough. He could say 'it's the thought that counts' as much as he liked, but it didn't mean he meant it. Yeah, it was nice to be thought of at least one day of the year, especially when you'd been disregarded as mentally and emotionally unstable, but it didn't mean as much as he'd like.

Nonetheless, getting art supplies wasn't bad. It wasn't like they could gift him something amazing like Five's optic or find something special like the twins book. When you got down to it, they didn't know Six as much as he liked. That wasn't to say they weren't getting to know him now; Six was becoming included in more and more activities with the others and strengthening his bonds with the others, but something told him they didn't have the right impression of him.

It was obvious he was the 'crazy' one of the group and, although he couldn't deny he was eccentric, he hated it.

He wasn't crazy. He knew he wasn't crazy but if he ever said that aloud, it'd just be denial. Nobody would pay attention to that and he'd carry on being the crazy one, but he was tired of being the crazy one. He had problems getting his words out, he wasn't speaking in goddamn riddles. It wasn't that hard to understand. If they saw the things he saw, they wouldn't be so verbally gifted then.

What ticked him off even more, was the fact he was 'stereotypically crazy'.

He had dreams, not hallucinations. He didn't see fantastical things in his day to day life. He didn't hear voices in his head or feel things on his body. It was all contained in his dreams, but nobody seemed to understand that. Why didn't they understand that?

As for his dreams, he didn't even see that much. He just saw glimpses and snippets of what was to come. He didn't have much in the ways of common sense, he had to admit, which was why his dreams confused him further. Anybody else would've been able to put two and two together if they saw what he saw, and instantly understand, but he couldn't. What was the point of having an incredible 'gift' if he couldn't understand it?!

That's why he found himself becoming increasingly annoyed at the group. He didn't show it obviously, but the feeling was there. He wanted to say something but again, his lack of verbal skills prevented him from doing so. It felt like the group had completely misinterpreted his true personality.


He sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

He was lying flat on his back in his room, arms and legs out, with a mopey expression. He was excited for his birthday; he still was, but the fact that he still felt like a stranger to his family bugged him.

He was surprised when he heard the door open. He assumed it was Eight, but was even more surprised when the face of One came into view. He bolted upright and looked up at the oldest stitchpunk with alarm. One seemed to back away, an uneasy look plastered on his face.

"What?" Six asked, bluntly. One paused, before taking a seat on his bed.

"I'm well aware that you all like to go on great adventures in an attempt to find a suitable present, but it can't be much of a surprise for you. What do you want for your birthday?"

The question took Six off guard completely. He thought he'd done something wrong; usually when One was involved, it meant he'd caused trouble or disruption, but here he was, asking him what he wanted. Six tilted his head in confusion, and One huffed.

"Even an idiot would know we'd get you art tools as a present, but that seems too predictable. I'm a little sick of everybody sneaking around, trying to find something. I don't see why they couldn't just ask you outright." He said, flatly. Six almost smiled.

Six was initially afraid of One, especially toward the beginning. He was deemed crazy right off the bat and it was evident One didn't take kindly to strange, eccentric people. (Although it was hilariously ironic that he'd practically hooked up with Two, considering Two was the most eccentric person out there). One liked control of things and having somebody as strange and unpredictable as Six completely ruined the order of things. Six actually understood this, and had found him particularly less threatening (especially after Nine stood up to him).

What was even stranger is that Six could see similarities between himself and the leader. One was generally the 'stubborn old man' of the group, often causing conflicts between him and Seven, but after watching him from the confines of his corner, he began to piece things together.

He had a generally odd way of thinking, similar to Six. There were things he plain didn't understand. Now that was usually narrowed down to his old man personality, but in actuality, he genuinely didn't understand certain things, especially when it pertained to people.

The entire birthday thing was a prime example. He said it was silly and unnecessary, but only because he didn't want to admit that he didn't understand. Why would you celebrate the day a person was born? Why would you give them gifts? Why is there always a single day in the year that revolves around one person? No matter how much he pondered it, he just couldn't understand it.

A lot of things One called silly and unnecessary were generally things he had a hard time understanding, even with Two's explanations. He decided it was easier to shrug it off and go along with it, whether he understood or not. Six felt like he could relate with that, which made the leader significantly less scary.

He'd never admit it out loud, but he was sure One probably had strange thinking like him. He was a control freak, no doubt about it, but there were other things. He'd talk to himself a lot, he'd held strong attachments to inanimate objects and absolutely hated change. On the other hand, he also envied One. Mainly because he could speak his mind so freely and without verbal barriers, even if his opinions were generally unpopular.

Six thought deeply. He'd internally ranted about the situation, but he hadn't a clue what he really wanted. He shrugged, indifferently. One sighed, clearly agitated.

"At this rate, you won't be getting anything." He muttered, and Six found himself growing annoyed. He didn't need physical things. He was offended that One made a threat that implied him to be shallow. Well...maybe craving physical items wasn't 'shallow' as such, but it still felt that way to Six.

One was slightly taken aback by Six's sudden glare. He shuffled around and turned his back to the leader, "I don't care. Get me whatever you want." He muttered, hoping the leader would give up and go away.

"What's gotten into you? Did Eight steal something of yours again?" He asked. He, too, was becoming increasingly irritated, but Six couldn't care less. "You're acting strange." He commented, after receiving nothing but silence in response.

"I'm not acting strange." Six mumbled. "I've always been like this. You haven't noticed." He said. One rubbed his temples and sighed. "I'm not in the mood for riddles, Six." He began, tiredly, before Six cut him off.

"I'm not being all...I'm not. Ugh!" He was obviously failing to get his words out right and instead, smacked the floor in a bout of frustration. One jumped, slightly. This wasn't like him at all. Just what was wrong with him? Getting mad at him would upset Six even more and he couldn't be dealing with that. When One opened his mouth again, he tried a softer tone.

"Take your time." He said, simply, and Six froze.

Nobody had said that before. Back when he had to explain himself, he was always put under a time limit by either the dire situation or the lack of patience of his friends. But here was One, of all people, telling him to take his time talking, and all his thoughts rushed from his mind. Where was he supposed to begin.

"I'm not crazy." He began, frowning. One looked as if he were to roll his optics. Six looked up. "I'm not. I'm not saying it because I know I'm not. I'm saying it because I know I'm not."

One stared at him, quizzically, before closing his eyes. Six cringed; he'd messed up with his words again. How'd he mess up so spectacularly. Surprisingly enough, One had taken it upon himself to translate his words.

"So...you're not saying your crazy because you're in denial. You genuinely belie- know you aren't crazy." He cleared his throat and Six shrugged off his slight mistake. He nodded, slowly, after thinking through what the leader had just said. He was right.

"I don't see things." He said, plainly. One raised an eyebrow. "I thought you could see the future or something of the like." He said, sitting back. Six looked somewhat uneasy.

"I don't see things or hear things when I'm awake. I'm not special during the day. I see things in my dreams, but it's just small things. They confuse me, so when people want me to explain, I can't." He said, quietly. One seemed...intrigued, by this fact. "I always assumed you were some kind of schizophrenic." He said, and Six found himself respecting his brutal honesty.

"I'm not. I just see little bits of the future in my dreams." He said, with a smile. He didn't mess up. He said it right, but One still looked puzzled. "What was the reasoning behind your countless drawings of the...talisman?" He asked. Six shrugged.

"I only ever had the dream once, but I know it was really important. The old man I met told me about the source and I just couldn't remember what he said. I was trying to remember." He said, crossing his legs and rocking back and forth in a playful manner. One nodded in understanding. It made sense to him.

"I'm not crazy." Six said again. "I just can't talk good. I can't talk like you or Two. I know what I wanna say but I just...can't say it." He sounded sad now; his head dropped slightly. One stared at him.

"That...makes sense." He said, plainly. "I always thought you were just mentally insane, but I don't think I had any proof. It was just what everybody else thought. I suppose it must be frustrating for you." He said, with a ghost of a smile. Six nodded, enthusiastically.

"People don't know me as much as I want them to." Six said. He seemed significantly happier now, having gotten a good fraction of his thoughts off his chest. One shot him a look that indicated him to continue. This was...becoming easier.

"I'm not crazy. I think normally, like the rest of you. I just can't say it...but that means that there's stuff that I don't tell you. Like when you're being stupid." The words seemed to fly out of his mouth without a second thought, and One was finding this interesting. Given the chance to speak, Six would probably be the kind of person to say something outrageous, and One found that thought amusing. The way a person speaks can give another person a real insight into who they are.

"I have bad opinions of you guys too. I just don't voice them. If I said anything, you'd just think I was being crazy. You'd never take me seriously." He pouted, and One smirked. "Is that so? Why don't you test a few out? Tell me what you really think of me." He smiled. Six swallowed. He really didn't want to, especially not to One, but on the other hand, it'd be a chance to be able to say whatever he felt without any consequences. Hopefully.

Well, here goes nothing.

"You're a neurotypical, self-centered asshole."

One practically gaped, and Six almost laughed. He would've, but he knew was was going to be in big trouble for this.

He was shocked when One merely chuckled. "I'm sure you're not the only one who thinks that. You've got the courage to say it to my face, though." He said. Six shuffled, uncomfortably. "I don't...think that of you anymore though." One raised his eyebrows in interest.

"You're just a little odd, like me. You don't understand things. You don't understand how people work, like me! You just don't want to say it aloud. You don't want to look like an idiot for not getting something."

One was staring at him, his eyes narrowed. Six felt like calling him an asshole to his face was better than that mess that just erupted from his mouth. One merely shrugged. "This isn't about me." He said, "This is about you. Why not give me another opinion of somebody else."

How was he so good as switching topics fluidly?

"Um..." Six trailed, now feeling uneasy. "Just say the first thing that comes to your mind." One said, crossing his legs. "When you think of all of us, what do you think?" Six cleared his throat. Here goes...

"You're kind of an ass, but you're not exactly normal. Two is nice but he's weird and he probably doesn't know as much as he thinks he does. Three and Four are smart and shy but they can be really annoying and 'know-it-all'. Five is too sweet for his own good, but he hasn't got much of a backbone and he's really clingy. Seven always has to be right and yeah, she's strong, but she can't admit when she's wrong. Eight's an idiot, but he's more observant than people give him credit for and Nine's a total idiot who jumps into things without thinking."

Six let out a deep breath, and waited for a response.

One actually laughed aloud at this.

"I see you're not as nice as everybody thinks you are. I always wondered if you had some kind of dark side." Six smiled a little bit. "People think I'm a person I'm not. I don't like it but...I guess I can't stop it." His smiled dropped. "That's what I want for my birthday. I want people to see who I really am inside. Not some crazy weirdo who's sweet and endearing. Just...me."

"And you have that."

Six looked up, with confusion. One smiled down at him.

"I know who you are. Yes, it's not everybody, but it's a start. Besides, people are more perceptive than they let on. I think you'll find that they know you better than you think." He informed, and Six contemplated this. "You're...right. I guess. Um..." He looked up shyly.

"Thank you for listening to me."

"That's alright."


"Happy Birthday Six!"

Six beamed, shyly clenching onto his key. He looked down at the striped wrapping paper. It was a nice added touch.

"Open it Six!"

Six immediately tore off the shiny paper and smiled fondly.

Art supplies.

Two rested a hand on his shoulder, looking slightly sheepish. "I know it's not much. You probably knew what we were going to get you, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless." Six found himself grinning. "It's okay. I like it." He said.

"We weren't sure what to get you..." Five piped up. "We really couldn't think of anything, even when One went to ask you." One looked slightly disgruntled by the mention, and Six stifled laughter. "It's okay." He assured the one eyed stitchpunk. "But I wanna play a game later." He said, and Five nodded. "That's easy enough."

One sighed. "Don't include me. I'll just watch." He said, waving his hand dismissively. Two sighed and several groans could be heard.

"You're playing." Six told him, firmly. One looked up, a hint of a smirk on his face. "I really don't think I am. Perhaps I can...oversee the game or whatever." He said, but Six remained firm.

"Stop being stupid. You're playing with us. Otherwise, I'll paint on your face!" He threatened, brandishing a small pot of paint. He seemed to recoil after he said that, immediately regretting speaking his mind, but the others seemed to find it funny.. They gave a chorus of laughter and One seemed to pout, but deep down, he was smiling. Six looked around at the faces of his family and beamed.


I don't really like this, but I like the idea of Six not having the stereotypical crazy personality. I feel like it gives him more depth. The same could be said for One as well. As roundabout as this is, I like the concept Feel free to request!