"Rain?" Ninety-Nine blinked.
In the shimmering, mathematical world of Numberland, the Numberblocks were getting ready for the annual "Grand Pattern Parade." Each Numberblock would show off a unique way to arrange their blocks.
"Nice!" said Twenty-Two, who was 2x11. "But a bit… boxy."
"You’re the biggest Numberblock that is one less than a hundred!" Seven said. "When you’re around, One Hundred feels complete. But also… you can make rain!"
He made the tens form a staircase: 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90. And the nine leftover ones? He sprinkled them like droplets over the staircase.
Numberblock Ninety-Nine was nervous. He was a tall, two-digit block, colored a deep, thoughtful indigo with nine rows of eleven blocks, arranged as a perfect 9x11 rectangle. He watched as smaller blocks like Seven twirled into a hexagon, and Twelve bustled into three different rectangles (3x4, 2x6, and 1x12) in a flash.