Brianna tries the yellow berries first!

(This chapter originally by "MightyHalberd")

While you fumble around with the pad to find the notes function, Brianna looks between the vine and the berry bushes, then pulls a face before moving to the berries. "I think I'll do the slurry later," she admits, taking a set of clippers and carefully removing some of the yellow berries from the bush. "Reminds me too much of the nutrient paste I had growing up."

"I thought you grew up on a farm world," you say as the notes function finally pops up.

"Yeah. Jan Beta was great for growing Hypathean Cotton or Nanoweed Fibers. Not so great for growing anything actually edible. A lot of times we just had mash what little we had into a paste."

"That barely even sounds edible."

"You're telling me!" the botanist laughs. "I was so starved for the taste of actual food that when I left for college I put on almost a hundred pounds by the time I got my degree. All the guys on campus were calling me 'Burly Bria' by senior year."

"M-must have been awful," you stammer out, hoping she doesn't notice you turning red at the thought of 'Burly Bria'.

"Eh, you get over it. I'm just glad I lost all that flab by the time I signed up here," she shrugs. "Anyway, enough chatter, let's test these things."

"Right."You ready the tablet as Bria turns around to face you, a handful of plump yellow berries sitting on her palm. Weighing them in her hand briefly, she carefully picks one berry up and pops it between her lips. Her eyebrows rise as she closes her mouth around the berry and starts chewing.

"Huh...Very odd flavor. Spicy, but sweet."

"Non-toxic I hope," you say, making note of the flavoring.

"So far, so good," she replies, finishing up her chewing before swallowing the berry. "I....aaaagh my stomach!" You let out a shriek of terror and rush forward as Brianna suddenly doubles over in agony, her hands wrapped around her abdomen.

"Oh God, just lie down, I'll run and get a doctor!" you say, rushing over to help her to the desk. As you get closer though, she lifts her head up to look at you, desperately trying not to grin. Your face flushes in embarrassment as she starts giggling.

"I'm SO sorry," she says through her giggles. "I couldn't resist."

"Oh har har, really funny," you say sarcastically.

"Shoulda seen the look on your...*buurp*."

This time it's Brianna's turn to flush as she claps a hand over her mouth. You raise an eyebrow at her.

"Ate too fast?" you ask her smugly.

"I...I had a heavy breakfast," Brianna said stubbornly. "Ugh...well, joking aside, I guess the berries don't do anything adverse. How anti-climactic."

"At least they taste good?"

"Yeah I guess," Brianna admits, popping another one into her mouth and holding out her hand with the rest of the berries. "Hey since they aren't dangerous, you want to have these? Got two left, they're pretty tasty."