It is a normal for sure, not even close to a Pastel.
As for the coloring not having anything to do with being a Het, I have to disagree with that. I have heard people say that Het Hypo Mojaves have a certain look to them, when compared to normal Mojaves. I have heard some people say that certain Hets may look different than normals for other simple recessives. My own experience with this happened this year. I produced several Ember Balls, with one being neon in color compared to the others. They all are Possible Het Hypos, so, is this neon colored one THE het out of the group? Not sure, but I do not think I would discount the fact that some Hets might exhibit a slight color varience when compared to normal siblings.
Dave