Planet Mauve

The ship arrives at Nuh's home planet after a few hours.

It is a beautiful mix of light and dark purples, with blotches of blues and whites.

The ship enters the atmosphere, and you see that the sky is a light violet, the clouds are blue, and the grass and leaves are white.

A river and a small town are below you.

"Let's set down by the river, we don't want anyone seeing the ship."

The ship lands, and Nuh turns off all the computers. She then gets dressed into shorter shorts and a smaller shirt.

"Nuh," you ask as you look at how snuggly the shorts hug her hips, "why the change in wardrobe?"

"During this time, this part of my planet should be in the Summer Season, so it is likely to be very warm."

The four of you step outside, and you understand. The white grass is dry, and the blue clouds above are smaller and fewer than you had thought. And though Tamaranians can withstand extreme hot and cold, you do feel the dry heat of the air hanging around you.

However, Nuh embraces it, converting the heat into her own energy.

"Come on," Nuh says cheerfully, "I'm familiar with this place, so I can show you around!"

The four of you head along the river bed upstream. In this heat, the river is shallow, just enough water for the Mauvian fish to swim in.

"So, Nuh," Blackfire begins to ask, "what was it that made you leave here?"

"Oh," Nuh responds, "it's a little silly, but if you want to know... It was because of the boys here."

"What did they do?" Flashfire asks.

"Nothing like breaking my heart," Nuh replies. "But with my generation, there are fewer boys than girls."

"So you left because you couldn't get one?" Blackfire asks.

"Well, that's part of it," Nuh answers. "It was the fact that the majority of them thought we should have to compete to prove ourselves worthy."

Flashfire and Blackfire blurt out disapproving sounds.

"Compete how?" you ask.

"It was all about who could keep them warmest during Winters," Nuh answers. "Which also translated to who was more willing to snuggle up and offer their bodies."

Again, Flashfire and Blackfire let out more disapproving sounds.

"During Winters," Nuh begins, "it is customary for us to get in groups and stay in doors with people around our own age, as a form of socializing as well as surviving. This last Winter, I was among a group consisting of my friend, Yoh, a third girl, and only one boy."

She pauses, reluctant to remember.

"What?" Flashfire asks gently. "What happened?"

"Well, we had to snuggle up to keep warm, and to therefore keep each other's energies up. The girl I didn't know sat on his right, holding his arm and shoulder, and I did the same on his left. Yoh took the middle."

She pauses again.

"The boy really liked Yoh, because of her light blue eyes and lavendar skin."

"Wait, what's the difference?" you ask. "Don't you have that color of skin?"

"No," Nuh replies. "Mine is more of a traditional violet, a bit darker in its shade than Yoh's. But that was what the boy happened to like. He started nuzzling her neck, and touching her all over. Yoh liked the physical attention, but I didn't on basis of principle. I feared that one Winter I could be stuck with just one boy all alone and end up having to choose between staying warm and alive or keeping myself from being touched inappropriately."

Blackfire comforts her, and gives you a glare. Both of you remember how you were when the two of you were in that escape pod.