The Artist’s Crush

The Afterglow of Pink-Purple

14 August 2300 — Pioneer-12, Culture Ring Design Cabin

Anaïs did not sleep the full four hours. After three hours and twenty-seven minutes she opened her eyes — not because of an alarm, but because the gown was still glowing somewhere inside her mind and she could not make it stop. She sits before the material table, another cup of black coffee beside her, when the low-temperature protection case opens and Evie returns with the fitting layer.

Anaïs sees the color at once: pink-purple, very faint, like the last note of a piece of music still hanging in the air after everyone has stopped playing. The silver-white fitting gown rests quietly inside the case, a little gentle pink-purple light still remaining at the waist. Anaïs knows exactly what it means. It is not performance lighting. It is the Resonance Gown recording what happened after Evie left the design cabin — emotions the fabric translated into color while she was gone.

Neither of them speaks about it directly. Evie stands by the door holding the case. Anaïs looks at the glow for a long time. Then she asks if Evie is all right. Evie says yes. Anaïs does not press further. Some things do not need to be named to be real.

Before leaving, Evie turns back from the door. “Anaïs.” “Yes?” Evie’s voice is soft. “If I am afraid that day, will you be there?” Anaïs looks at her. This time she does not hide the answer behind a joke. “Yes.” Evie nods. “Then that is good.”

After Evie goes, Anaïs returns to the material table. She opens the design draft and writes one new note: Performance Date: 10 February 2301. Mission: Let her not shine alone. Then she turns off the light. This time, she truly goes to sleep.