Today has been my birthday. It’s been fun and a little tiring, but now I’m ready to relax. I lie back on my bed and start to think about the events of today: I turned thirteen around a quarter past four in the morning and woke up at seven. After sluggishly and hazily awakening I wandered down-stairs to eat breakfast as I normally would; I had yet to recall it was my birthday. The next thing I knew – before I could have made it to the kitchen – my brother stealthily wrapped his arms about me. As if on cue the rest of my family and some friends showed themselves to me with swift movement and a unison shout: “Surprise!”
	A surprise it was. Many times prior they’d attempted to surprise me, though each time I’d managed to notice something awry. It appeared that they’d found my weakness, though. They struck in the morning, startled me well, and set a smile on my face that hasn’t yet left.
	I love spending time with others like I did today, although there is a downfall: my mannerisms and my speaking are unusual and that doesn’t go unnoticed. I’m never sure whether I have said or done something inappropriate, either. Luckily, all seems to be in order today.
	As I’m not quite yet tired I sit at the edge of my bed to look into the mirror. Staring at me in return on a pink, single-person bed is a hybrid creature known to me as an Occoon. She is half otter and half raccoon, which makes her easily noticeable amongst other children. Her hair falls to her shoulder-blades with its colour mostly a deep black inherited from her father. Some of the hair is not its natural colour though; it is bleached to create the appearance of large, white stripes. She chose to do this yesterday in order to compliment her tail that I now see flick behind her. Said tail is light grey and encircled by seven black rings along its length. Distinct white fur climbs from her dark brown nose, splits in twain at her brow and cascades to her cheeks whence it protrudes outwards as fluff. A circle of white fur also covers her stomach, though her purple plaid pyjamas hide this as I see her. The remaining fur is of a brown like earth, and covers her body from head to toe. I flick my ears gently to watch hers do the same; this girl who looks at me, and at whom I in my turn look, is I: Danielle Öttgen.