"It seems K'da temperature tolerance is similar to that of humans," Faris tells her, wondering just how cold this place might get. "Sharing body heat with a host is our typical way to endure the cold," he adds with a K'da smile. "Clothing is a new experience for me, though not entirely displeasing."

"Four months for the gestation only," he clarifies, since she sounds surprised. "Once the cubs arrive, they do not leave their guardian hosts' skin for an additional two or three months, except to eat."

He is, of course, entirely oblivious to Caspar's discomfort with the topic. It is a natural thing, and nothing to be ashamed of. All species must reproduce to create the next generation, in one way or another. "The Shontine coordinate also, though the cycle is longer. Shontine cubs must gestate for eleven Earth months, and are not independent of their mothers until fifteen years of age. They are also prone to having two cubs at a time, while K'da only have one."