The Barrow-Downs' Third Birthday Party and Downie Awards

[The X Phial]

From her perch on the wall TheXPhly watched the party begin to wind down. The youngsters seemed to have drunk themselves into a stupor and even the most dazling outfits were beginning to fade under the weight of three days of dancing, eating, and drinking. The only exception to this seemed to be Lush who glowed like an anime glitter girl. X had no idea what anime was, but the comparison seemed somehow to fit.

Not for the first time, X was happy to have been mostly overlooked in the revelry. For one thing, with all of the huge people around she felt none too safe in the limelight. In fact, the froggish essence of a Rimbaud hovered nearby, threatening at any moment to arrive and strike. The final reason was that she was sure she wasn't cannon. Actually, she was one of the forbidden half breeds. Her father was a halfabee known as Eric and despite her best efforts she couldn't shake the hotizontal stripes of her heritage. Thankfully the lovely green outfit covered her stingish tendencies.

Looking over at Mer she commented, "I think they might actually get to the Downies soon."