Glad not for the first time that he left most of his property back on his home planet, Xander clutched his single bag in a vise grip after it thumped against his hip yet again. The cool wet air, though close in temperature to what he was used to, was too damp for his liking. Too much water softened the gel that his rudely orange hair was spiked up with, and he looked stupid with drooping spikes. Flicking one spike with his finger to test it, he decided that if his hair got too moist to stand up, he would slick it back.
Glancing to the left, he realized that the pretty dame next to him was giving him the eye. His instincts rapidly switched into �suave-and-sexy-mode�, and he gave the girl his best flirting grin. �Why, hello there beautiful, what planet might you be from? From the hair, I�d guess� Lanoae?� Receiving a giggle confirmed his guess that wasn�t really a guess. Lanoae was the only known planet where people dyed their hair purple. �I�m a Jarktan myself. The name�s Xander Cypher, from Jarktu B. And I am most honored to be in the present company of such a radiant, lovely girl.�
Another giggle, louder this time. His moves were definitely making their impression. �And are you to be a student at the Academy? You certainly must be gifted if you are. I bet you�re a very talented lady, am I right?� More giggles, and the doll was struggling to not snort in her laughter. �I bet you are. I myself only barely got in by the sole of my shoes.� Play on the modesty that girls like, while at the same time hinting that he must be intelligent to have made it in at all. Yes, he was smooth incarnate.
�And what field might you be going into? Linguistics? Art? Music? Something exciting and sure to make you famous and longed for by all the handsome men?� Genuine laughter now, and the breathtaking beauty was squeezing her eyes shut to keep from being hysterical. �I�m guessing you find me amusing, yes? What is so humorous, lovely? You can tell me, I can keep a secret.�
The gorgeous goddess, struggling to speak between her laughs, gasped in a voice in slightly too low a pitch, �I�m a guy, you moron.�
After an embarrassing long pause, punctuated by snorts and giggles from the indigo-haired fellow, Xander daintily picked his jaw up off the ground, politely apologized, and made a mental note to check for gender next time.
By the end of the ride, Xander had decided to swear off all girls with hair of a primary color.