LYCIRE SWAN

After a lengthy discussion about what a quid, and furthermore, a squid was, I managed to worm a few hesitant, shielded answers out of the strange girl. As soon as I had seen her stumble into the park I happened to be occupying, I knew she wasn't 'normal'. Sure, the lack of corneas in her eyes and the fact that her hair was changing colour were big tip-offs, but apart from that, I could sense in her auma that she was strange. My kind of 'strange'. She didn't appear to be an ordinary drunk, drugged or insane young adult, but a truly confused, lost woman, who clearly didn't belong in the setting she found herself in now. Normally, I wouldn't care. I'd have a bit of fun, playing with her mind, and then i'd leave her. But she intruiged me, and I had a strong sense of curiosity to find out what it was about her that made me look twice.

She kept eyeing me up and down, as if expecting me to grow another limb. It was beginning to bug me. Sure, I was as different as her in this void, but did she have to make it so obvious?

"Would you quit it?" I said.

She looked sheepish. Her hair fluttered between pink and black. It could have been explained away by a flash of sunlight, if we weren't in the shade of a big skyscraper.

"Sorry, just trying to figure you out. I'm..."

She seemed hesitant to explain her thoughts.

"Relax, I've got to be home for Christmas, but till December, I'm all ears."

Not that I celebrate Christmas, or have to be home for it.

Meanwhile, the girl had started ranting.

"What is Dess-ember? And ChissMuss? And I have a name!!" She said, her hair changing to a pale red.

"Really? Where I come from, most people find their names written under rocks!" I emphasied heavily, sarcastically straining my whole sentence.

"Woah! that's so cool!" Her mood had changed completely. Her hair now shiny black. I was going to have to start writing these down. Her face lit up. She was a capricious little thing.

But it seemed that sarcasm was a foreign language to her.

"Eh, it'd be cooler if it were true! Oh, and never mind about December and Christmas. Anyway, what is this aforementioned name?"

She paused for a second, frowning, her hair colour draining to a pasty purple, an internal debate that would've taken me the time to blink raged in her head.

"My name is Nil. Nil Be- Blackstone. What's yours?"

"Nil Beblackstone? Or Nil Blackstone?"

"Blackstone."

"Gee, you tend to trip over your tongue, don't you? Anyway, my name is Elizabeth Swan."

I internally cringed. This would be an interesting test as to whether she was actually from this time or not. Upon closer inspection, Nil looked like something out of a tribal play or movie. She wore a tunic made from deer hide, she carried a medicine pouch on a cord that protruded from one pocket and had tattoos on all her covered skin, and under her eyes.

If she laughed or scorned at my name, then she'd seen the same movie as Bo. He was in hysterics when he heard my name. Apparently I shared my name with a strappy damsel from a film about pirates.

I watched Nil with subtlety, and waited for any hint of recognition of the name. It paid to be careful in todays society. The lengths some people, hunters in particular, would go to to get their job done. Such as dressing up as a lost crazy girl, seeking help.

"Elizabeth? Swan?"

I knew it.

"What a funny name!" I did a double take.

"What?"

The girl smiled at me, an incredulous look on her face.

"It's a funny name. Elizabeth!" She said my name in a mocking tone.

I frowned at her. What was so odd about my name?

"You can talk Nil. Nillian Berbabwa!"

"What did you call me?"

"Nillian Berbabwa."

Nil's hair flushed red to green, then back to black again.

In a more controlled voice, she said
"My name is Nil. Just Nil. Not Nillian. Not Nilly either. Just NIL." She glared at me, trying to be menacing. It wasn't too effective.

"Ooh, scary. I'm shaking in my little boots. Tell you what though. Don't call me Beth and we've got a deal."

"Why not? Beth is so... Normal..."

"Let's just stick with our different peceptions of normal? Hmm? My name's Elizabeth, or Liz, if you prefer, and your name, apparently, is Nil. And so it shall stay, unless

I'm in a bad mood. Fine and dandy with you?"

"Uh....."

"Great, we're in buissness."

I turned and began to walk away, expecting that the looming city would frighten her into following me. I wasn't entirely sure of where we were going, but we couldn't stay there.

"So.... where are we going?"

Right on cue. As i had expected, she loped up beside me within seconds. I maintained my brisk but calm walk.

"That way."