"So, my name's Thann. What's yours?"

"I'm Em."

"M, huh? Just the letter M?"

Yes, dingbat, my parents named me after the thirteenth letter of the alphabet. The spirit of the Grand High Priestess of Innana appeared in their poppy field and instructed them to do so.

"No, Em. As in Auntie Em."

"Oh, is that short for something?"

Yes, idiot, it is. That's the point.

"Yep."

"I'll tell you what my name's short for if you tell me what your is."

Sigh. I'm trying to avoid being called by what my abridgement is short for, thanks much. So much for recreation. And what makes you think I give a flying fudgebucket what your name's short for anyway, huh?

"Is it Mary? Margaret?"

Cher bloody Dieu... The conversation did not improve from there. The lad proceeded to tell a joke, I proceeded to decide not to humor him and choke out a snicker, and he proceeded to say something along the lines of, 'So, you're a pretty serious person, huh?"

Why, yes, that just might be it. That and you simply can't tell jokes. Dunce.

I'm considering just introducing myself as Ivy. I've never met another one, which is a good sign, and it's the name I use when I talk to myself anyway. (It's normal, I tell you.) Besides, there are only so many diminutives one can make of Emily. Em's one. Emmy I am firmly against, except in one special case. Milly is slighter better, but I'm not sure I want to be a Milly for the nest few years. Emma smacks of Brontes and Austens (not that Emily doesn't); enough said. My middle name isn't much help either, as it's even more common than it's predecessor. Would my parents had been a bit more original, or at least named me Caroline. They were so close, but then Medusa had to go and decide it was too alliterative and that people would confuse it with Carolyn. But I've never known a Caroline. Gnerf.

There's always my last name, if nothing else...

Adieu.