Bumping into Mari

Your momentum sent you crashing sideways to the floor. Shifting to stand up, you saw that you'd collided with a Cuni who had vibrant yellow hair. The crash had knocked her backward, and she'd fallen onto her butt. As she tried to get up, you were shocked at the size of her swollen belly. If she was human, she would likely be near her due date.

"Oh, I'm so sorry! Are you and the baby OK?" you apologized, and then you helped her back to her feet.

She appeared a bit confused at first, but soon she replied, "Mari surprised, but not hurt." Then she pointed at her stomach and laughed slightly, "This not baby."

You had a sudden flashback to a time on Earth when you'd mistakenly asked a clerk when her baby was due, only to discover that she wasn't pregnant. She took it as a tremendous insult about her sizable belly fat. You wondered if this was a similar situation. At least the Cuni didn't seem upset about your comment. "We haven't formally met yet. My name is Sky. I'm a human."

"This Mari. Me Cuni" she said pointing at herself.

"I've only met a couple other Cunis so far," you confessed. "I don't know much about your species yet. I shouldn't have assumed you were pregnant."

Mari seemed amused at your admission. "Mari work in food processing. Mari carrying Feeler seeds," she explained, and then she placed both of her hands on her abdomen and began gently rubbing the sides of her distended belly.

Of course. As a result of harvesting seeds from the Feeler, some of the Cunis would end up carrying the implanted seeds until they were ripe. "This is a fortuitous meeting," you revealed. "I'm going to be helping nurse one of the Feelers back to health, and I'm supposed to help with pruning and harvesting the other one. Maybe you can give me some tips?"

"Mari can show Sky how to prune and harvest," she offered. "It easy, and fun!"