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Happy birthday to two of my deer.

Now I run out the door to work.

---

"Birthday?"

The day seemed to start normally enough. Sun barely in the sky, yet the ninja had already been awake and ready to head out the door for some knife-throwing. Tundra didn't know how he did it -- "The magic of coffee," Kinsha had told him once, but he really didn't believe that. -- since he could barely drag himself out of bed that early. Coffee did help though.

It seemed Suiren had taken advantage of the ninja's early rising habit to inform him of the day's plans without the other overhearing.

She nodded. "Yep. His and Richter's -- they're twins, remember? He doesn't usually say anything about it, like he wants me to forget," she added at his continued confusion.

He blinked. "I see." What else could he say to that?

"But that's not going to happen," she continued. "He may act like he doesn't want any big plans, but he really does like the day being acknowledged. Of course, I won't throw a big party." She snorted. "Don't need to scare him away."

Or me, Tundra thought.

"Anyway...I'm going to the store for cake ingredients -- the amount of chocolate this thing will have is almost frightening..." He blinked at the muttered add-on, wondering if he should be scared too. "I'll be back in a little while. Oh, and it's supposed to be a surprise, so don't say anything about it," she said with an index finger at her lips in the "keep it quiet" gesture. He nodded at this of course. She may have warmed up to him and he hardly ever saw the poker face directed at him anymore, but that didn't mean he wanted to risk facing her "wrath". She nodded as well. "Cool. By the way, Richter's going to be stopping by soon to drag Kinsha out for ice cream. It's sort of a 'family tradition' she started a few years back. Also gives me a chance to get the cake ready. She knows about it, too, so she's going to try to keep him out for a few hours."

With that, Suiren nodded her goodbye and headed out the door.

The ninja came back in not long after Tundra had downed half of his mug of coffee. "Sui say where she was going?"

He tried not to sputter into his life brew. "Uh, no, not really." Yea, that's believable...

Kinsha looked at him funny. "Ok..." Obviously, he'd caught the lie, but before he could interrogate further, the back door flew open, admitting a familiar energetic redhead. Tundra never failed to jump at her dramatic entrance.

At least he was wearing a shirt this time -- he had been unnerved at how she'd stared upon noticing him after bursting through the back door. Exact reason he made sure to toss on a T-shirt every morning now.

"Yo, Kinshi, you ready to go?" Richter was as...enthusiastic as when he'd met her, and just as brightly-colored. Today's shirt was a bright yellow, matched by a hair tie holding her hair in a high ponytail.

Kinsha didn't seem surprised by her sudden appearance, merely rolling his eyes good-naturedly. "I will be after I get into some normal clothes. Be back in a bit." With that, he walked off, not wanting to look like a ninja while walking the streets (and not trying to sneak).

"Right, right." She mock-saluted him as he headed off, before finally seeming to notice the reindeer's presence. "Oh. Hi again...Tundra, right?" He nodded, only having talked to her a few times. "Kinshi's been staying in line, right? Not spying on others too much? Oh, today is our birthday by the way. Did you know that? Mine and Kinshi's I mean. Let's see, that makes us...9 now I believe. Same as Toukan -- until his birthday comes around again of course. Sui thinks we're more like early 20's human-wise though, so we say we're 22 -- but I guess we'll start saying 23 now. Be strange to tell random people we're 9, wouldn't it?" She giggled, probably at the reactions that would get.

Tundra blinked, wondering how she said so much so fast without taking that many breaths.

Salvation arrived in the form of Kinsha reappearing, de-"ninja'd" in a T-shirt and blue jeans. (Though Tundra was sure he always had a throwing knife tucked away somewhere.) "Rich', stop talking Tundra's ear off. ("I wasn't talking his ear off!") Besides, I thought you wanted to get ice cream."

"...oh yea!" She snatched the ninja's hand at that, practically dragging him after her.

Tundra blinked after them, a bit scared by her apparent strength. Heck, Kinsha had looked surprised, barely remembering to throw a, "I guess I'll see you later then," his way before he was pulled out the door.

...

Tundra returned to his coffee.

---

"Hmmm...not bad. Looks almost like a professional did it."

"Maybe it's beginner's luck?"

"Nah, looks too good for that. I think maybe you've found your calling."

Tundra tried not to blush at that.

When he realized he had no clue what he would do for the twins' birthday -- how would he get a gift? -- he had volunteered to help Suiren out with the cake.

And it turned out better than expected.

...she was right about the amount of chocolate too.

"Were dealing with a chocoholic and a sweet tooth," she had told him flatly at the surprised look he'd given the ingredients. "And then there's Richter..."

He wasn't sure if that last part was said as a joke or not. She'd said it with her poker face in place.

He didn't ask.

Later, when the ninja and the "hyper one" as he'd started mentally referring to Richter as had returned, he'd slipped away hoping to be unnoticed since he didn't want to be around when more people would show up. Suiren had said family would probably stop by soon. She didn't say anything to this, thankfully.

"Whoa, where'd this cake come from?!"

He lingered for a moment to listen.

"Tundra and I made it," he heard Suiren explain. "He did a great job decorating it, didn't he?"

He felt a sense of pride at that.

"Yea...it's awesome..."

He slipped into his room to be anti-social until there would be no more guests.

And to hide the blush Kinsha's comment had caused.