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[color=DA7EE0]"A fine suggestion, Sasha!"[/color] Melody answered with enthusiasm.  [color=DA7EE0]"It will do us no good to stand and grumble, yes?  And I do believe I spotted a river when I was..."[/color]  She glanced at Cameron and blushed slightly.  [color=DA7EE0]"...arriving.  Though I confess it may simply have been a trick of the shadows.  I am far from the outdoorsy sort."[/color]  Given her designer clothes, carefully styled hair, and steady makeup, even a blind person might have drawn that conclusion, though Melody herself seemed somewhat oblivious to how obvious she was.  Still, her smile was genuine.  [color=DA7EE0]"Who should take the lead?  Perhaps you, Isaac?"[/color]  Thank goodness for these glasses.  With all the excitement happening, she doubted she'd have been able to maintain anyone's names otherwise.  And it wouldn't do for her to be rude, even in these strange circumstances.

Once the group got underway, whichever way they were going, she began to look around in earnest, eyes wide behind her HUD lenses as her head turned this way and that.  [color=DA7EE0]"But my, what an incredible forest this is,"[/color] she commented, reaching up to prod at low-hanging branches and bending to more closely observe the various leaves on the ground.  She had little experience in the outdoors, but biology had been a long-standing part of her studies at home.  And as the group walked on, that biology knowledge had its first chance to shine.  [color=DA7EE0]"Hm?"[/color]  She looked down closer at the ground, then turned her head way up toward the trees... causing her to bump right into Yui.  [color=DA7EE0]"Ah!  Please forgive me!"[/color]  She bowed her head in apology.  [color=DA7EE0]"I simply...  Well, look up, if you will."[/color]

Whether anyone did or not, Melody pointed up toward the various trees above them.  [color=DA7EE0]"Look there.  Do you see those leaves?  The various shapes and sizes of them all?  That's most unnatural!"[/color]  She pointed to one tree in particular.  [color=DA7EE0]"That tree, for example!  See how many different kinds of leaves are on it?  Most trees have only a single type, with distinctive shapes and sizes.  Yet these trees each seem to be growing multiple varieties of leaves!  Might these trees be part of some cross-pollination experiment?"[/color]  It seemed like a stretch, even to her; who would dedicate the resources to an entire [i]forest[/i] of experimental trees?  It almost looked like the trees themselves had no idea what leaves they ought to grow!