There's a knock on the door, and a chaperone peers in, "Time for bed, kids," she says. "Mika, back to your room," she adds, once she realizes he's not assigned this one. 

Mika pouts, but nods, pausing to hug Tepam and Teo before running off through the door between their rooms. 

The next day the chaperones wake them at 8:00 for breakfast at the buffet, followed by a visit to the botanical gardens near the science center they'd visited the day before.

The gardens are enormous, and organized to appear almost-wild to an untrained eye. There's an artificial waterfall near the entrance, from which point streams snake out through the building, lending the soothing sound of running water to the otherwise quiet room. 

Sefoni is much more excited about this trip than she was about the last one, though she's barely paying their guide any attention as she's so busy examining the plantlife itself. Eventually, the chaperones set them loose to wander around by themselves, though they warn the kids to stay on the paths. She excitedly pulls Ita along to see some things which remind her of the magical flora they have in their own greenhouse.

The flowers are very nice looking! But Lesi's not really sure what the point of this trip is other than that. She finds a nice sunny spot near the waterfall to sit and read on her everything instead.

Ooh, Ita even points out two plants that have a symbiotic relationship, and are similar to two alchemical ones. That's interesting.

It is! She points out some other similar plants as they walk through the gardens.

...And then, as they walk past the water lilies, she points out another familiar thing.

"Is that...?" 

The familiar thing person glances up from his clipboard as they near, offering them a polite, if slightly awkward, smile, before going back to his work. 

Ita squints. "Oh, yeah, but with normal- clothes." She hastily changes to not say 'skin and hair'. "And working with plants too."

"...Should we go tell one of the grown-ups?" 

"Maybe? I can... keep an eye on him and you call someone?"

Nodnod, "Okay." She glances in his direction once more, and then runs off back towards the entrance, hoping to find some adults from the island there.

And Ita... approaches the person. She is not sure if she should be looking at him directly or not. So she alternates between staring at the plants and at him. And thinking that she is probably coming off as the least bright sort of purple.

Sefoni can find Patiri on a bench while taking pictures.

About the fourth time she looks up at him, she finds him looking back, a somewhat amused look on his face, "Need something, kid?" 

Sefoni, meanwhile, tentatively hovers in front of Patiri, waiting for her to finish taking the latest picture before speaking up. 

"S'cuse me, Miss Patiri?"

"Yes, Sefoni? Do you need anything?"

"Uh... yeah, could you wait... and tell me what are you doing?"

"...Alright, I can do that." And he'll show her his clipboard and the instrument he's using to check various factors around each plant in the area. She can try it, if she wants, this button here measures humidity...

She steps up real close and leans in to whisper, "I think we found an alt," she says, "Come see?"

Patiri leans and whispers back. "Sure? Who is the alt?"

Ita pays attention. "What's your name?"

"Uh, Aton Aradir. What about you?"

"He looks like Erandur, from Milliways. The person who gave us all the plants? And he works here, I think. So..." 

"Thank me to him, sweetie."

"Ita! I am from the Deosikuri School group."