“Maji females don’t go into heat each moon cycle like human females do. We go into heat once every few years, the timeframe differs from female to female. For example, my muma’s uva contracted for the first time a moon cycle after her fortieth natal, and as she and my papa had already mated, they instantly shared furs to sate the uva. My eldest brother, Ryla, was conceived quickly and born two years later.”
I gestured for her to continue when she paused to see if I was keeping up.
“There is a seventeen-year age difference between Ryla, and my second eldest brother, Silis. Muma did not go into heat until fifteen years after she gave birth to Ryla, then she carried Silis for two years and gave birth to him when Ryla was seventeen years old. It is why the age gaps between Maji siblings are so odd because the uva contracts whenever it wants to. It is why we’re struggling with our population; a female cannot fall pregnant unless she is in heat and we cannot make the uva contract until it decides. That, and so many of our births over the last century have been more males than females.”
“Wow.”
“I agree,” she giggled at my shocked expression. “It is wow.”
“Why don’t you bleed though?” I quizzed.
“Maji females do not bleed because once the uva contracts and they go into heat, the pain causes them to search for a male to mate so they can conceive young. All Maji females’ mate around our fortieth year because the pain is strong. Once the uva contracts, it does not stop hurting until the female is pregnant so there is no unfertilised egg to bleed out, do you understand? The only time our females bleed is after birth.”
“And the uva of all Maji females’ contracts when they’re forty?”
“No, but that is the median age amongst females. I know a female whose uva did not contract until she was forty-four, but she was just a late bloomer. It is normally always around the fortieth natal when the first uva contraction occurs and we go into heat. If a uva never contracts, something is terribly wrong inside a female’s body because it means she will never carry young. Fortunately, such a thing has never happened to a Maji female in my lifetime.”
The reminder that Surkah still hadn’t hit her version of puberty amazed me once more. She was close to forty years of age, eighty years on Earth, but she looked like an eighteen-year-old girl. It amazed me how youthful the Maji remained throughout time.
“My father told me it was normal for girls to bleed when they entered puberty,” I said with a snort. “I remember the first time. I had just turned eleven when I bled for the first time, and I thought I was dying. I cried for days … I still sometimes cry when the bleeding occurs. I don’t know why, though; the tears just start and are hard to stop. It’s a messy time. Literally.”
Surkah giggled. “That is adorable.”
“It is now because I expect it,” I mused. “At the time, it was terrifying and so embarrassing because I was the only girl in my family.”
“Even though my muma and my aunt-in-mate are present in my life, I am always surrounded by males, so I understand what you mean.”
I smiled. “That’s why we get along so well, you … you just get me.”
“We’re sisters-in-mate,” Surkah said with pride. “We get each other.”
I smiled.
“So,” I said with a gesture towards the fabric. “How are we going to do this?”
“You are going to remove your clothing, and I will show you how to correctly wrap your ensemble.”
I was hesitant. “I’m a bit embarrassed.”
“Why?”
Heat creeped up my neck.
“Your brother is the only other being who has seen me naked, and I’m still embarrassed about that.”
“I saw you naked when I bathed and changed your clothing when you arrived aboard the Ebony.”
I rolled my eyes. “I was unconscious then. That’s different.”
Surkah giggled. “You Earthers are funny. A few of your females who I have examined had the same fear of being seen without clothing. They all did funny poses to hide their breasts and vagina.”
I glanced at her exposed skin. “I’m guessing Maji females don’t have a problem with nudity?”
“Not at all.” Surkah grinned. “We love being naked, it is why we wear revealing clothing, so we don’t feel constricted.”
I snorted. “I figured as much.”
“I can turn around if you wish?”
“It’s okay.” I shook my head. “I have to start getting used to your customs sooner rather than later.”
Though much later would help my sudden anxiety.
“I’m proud of you for taking this step,” Surkah praised.
My lips twitched. “Thanks.”
With flushed cheeks, I stripped out of my clothes as fast as I could to get it over and done with.
“This is mortifying,” I said as I stood naked as the day I was born.
Surkah chuckled as she gathered my Ebony clothing and moved it aside.
“Your body is like mine, just smaller, not as curvy and not grey. You’re hairless like our females, too.”
I resisted the urge to cover myself. “My father won credits from gambling when I was sixteen, and he got me laser hair removal. At that point in time, we were sleeping outdoors and couldn’t bathe very often. Not having to deal with excess body hair helped me. Other human women will have hair on different parts of their body unless they got it removed like me.”
“The more you speak of your papa, the more I adore him.”
I beamed. “He’d have loved you and the rest of the Maji. He was such a space freak.”
Surkah giggled. “Are you ready to get started?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” I looked down at my naked body. “This is so embarrassing.”
“You’ll move past it in time. Trust me.”
“I believe you,” I said as I left my hands hanging awkwardly at my sides. “So … what now?”
“Now I dress you since I’m confident you would tie the fabric in knots.”
I chuckled. “Go ahead.”
I tried to watch what piece of fabric went where, and how many times a certain section was wrapped around a limb, but I got confused and gave up early on. It took Surkah ten minutes until I was ready. She had to measure, cut away a lot of fabric, and sew new hems until it fit me perfectly.
“Where did you learn to sew like that, Surkah?” I asked in amazement. “You measured the fabric, cut it, and sewed it before I even knew what you were doing.”
Surkah blushed. “Muma taught me. We spend a lot of time together, and sewing is an activity that females enjoy. You get pretty good at something when you’ve been doing it for so long.”
I had no doubt.
“Could you maybe—only if you want to—teach me?” I asked, shyly. “I’d love to learn how to make my own clothing. I could barely sew on a patch while mending my clothing back on Earth. If I’m being honest, it was a real pain in the bum.”
Surkah smiled so wide that her bright eyes lit up with joy.
“I would love to teach you. It would be my pleasure.”
“Great.” I smiled back. “I’m looking forward to it.”