The next day, Diana and I explored the city looking for... well, I wasn't exactly sure what. I just knew Diana wanted to learn more about the outside world.
"So, what are we looking for again?" I asked.
"The 'Natural Studies Club'," Diana replied, though her voice sounded strained. "It's... it's..." She bit her lip. "It's scary."
"Scary?"
"Yes!" Diana turned to me. "It's a place where you learn about nature, but also, like... learn to love nature."
I blinked slowly. "Right, right. In this world, nature is the bad guy."
We continued down the carpeted streets of Ingenuity, passing groups of people chatting animatedly. That was another thing I'd noticed about this place: everyone acted like they were on a permanent vacation with friends. There was absolutely no sign of that empty, dead-eyed gaze of a worker commuting for their nine-to-five.
"Oh, god, we're here." Diana grabbed my wrist, her grip suddenly vice-like.
I followed her gaze. The building looked like... a daycare? Yeah, it definitely gave off daycare vibes. The exterior walls were covered in bright, cheerful murals of flowers, trees, and wild beasts. They were all stylized and painted to look friendly and approachable, exactly like you'd see at a kindergarten.
And next to me, Diana was scared shitless.
"You okay?" I asked gently. "Look, if you're having second thoughts..."
"I'm going to become a Trailblazer, Viel..." Diana muttered, almost to herself. "I can't... I have to get over my fear of nature. I'm going to meet the Fae, and as much as my instincts tell me to run, I can't raise my sword against them."
With that, we stepped toward the doors of the Natural Studies Club. Diana clung to my arm the entire way, using my metallic chassis as a literal anchor.
I pushed the door open, revealing a large, beautiful room designed to feel like an outdoor glade. The carpet mimicked the texture of soft grass, a small, babbling pond sat in the corner, and plush toys of various animals—snakes, unicorns, birds, and fish—were scattered about.
"Welcome to the Natural Studies Club, Lighthouse District Branch! How can I help you?" a voice chirped. The speaker was a woman dressed in a beautiful gown stylized to look like layered flower petals, with a delicate floral hairpin resting in her long, lustrous brown hair. Her eyes were dark, yet incredibly warm.
"Oh, hey." I glanced at Diana, who was already trying to hide behind me. "Yeah, so, this is Diana. She wants to be a Trailblazer, but... she's deathly afraid of nature."
The woman nodded in understanding. "Ah, yes. Trailblazers." She walked around the counter and approached us. Diana shrank back a little, instinctively trying to make herself smaller. "What is your name, dear?"
"Diana... Diana Raga..."
The woman smiled. "That is a lovely name." She turned her warm gaze to me. "And you are?"
"Viel. Viel Paradox."
The woman placed a hand over her heart. "My name is Guanyin," she said, offering a short bow. "What about you, Viel? Are you here to learn about nature as well?"
I blinked. "I mean, I guess? I'm already cool with nature, though. I'm a robot programmed to like it."
CATEGORICAL IMPERATIVE VIOLATION
Oh, come on, Kant! I can't even tell a white lie to gloss over the complicated stuff?
"Okay, not exactly programmed to like nature," I quickly corrected myself. "More like... a side effect of my programming is that I can appreciate it. Flowers are cool. Yeah, that."
Guanyin beamed. "My, how lucky." She turned back to Diana. "See? Your friend here is perfectly fine. Liking nature does not make you weird or strange." The woman gestured for us to follow. "Come, let's head inside and meet the others."
We followed Guanyin deeper into the club. The space was peaceful and active all at once. Some people were quietly chatting, others were reading, and a few were painting. One or two noticed us and offered a polite, welcoming wave.
"So, what exactly do you guys do here?" I asked Guanyin.
"The same things you do anywhere else," Guanyin said, leading us to an empty table. "Drawing, writing, sculpting..." She smiled warmly as we took our seats. "Only here, we encourage you to bring nature into your artwork."
I turned to Diana. "Well? Doesn't sound too bad, right?"
Diana took a shaky breath. "Yes, I suppose..." Her eyes darted nervously around the room, flitting from the floral murals to the faux house plants. "Yes... it's fine." She turned to Guanyin. "I... I like drawing."
Guanyin smiled and clasped her hands together. "Of course!" She stood up, walked over to a nearby cabinet, and returned with a fresh sheet of paper and a mechanical pencil. "Here you are," she said, setting them down in front of Diana. "Now, draw whatever you like about nature."
While Diana started sketching, I took my time observing the club. The members spanned all ages, from small children all the way up to older adults.
"So..." I paused, trying to figure out how to ask the question without sounding weird. "What kind of people usually come here? Trailblazers? Nature lovers?"
Guanyin nodded. "That is a wonderful question." She gestured around the room. "Everyone is welcome here. Those who wish to become Trailblazers often visit to overcome their fear of nature, but there are also children and young adults who come simply to find like-minded people."
I nodded slowly. "So... some people are just born without a fear of nature? Or are at least curious about it?"
"Precisely. And here, we provide a safe space for them to express themselves."
I turned back to Diana. She was almost finished with her drawing, and...
And... she was drawing, well... something with a terrifying amount of tentacles and giant fangs, actively swallowing a ship. Basically, Cthulhu. And something told me Diana was drawing from memory, not imagination.
"The Leviathans," Guanyin murmured, a hint of somber reverence in her voice. "My... have you been to the City of Love?"
"I... I was born there," Diana replied softly.
Guanyin nodded in understanding. "Yes, of course. It is entirely understandable that you would find nature horrifying. The Leviathans, the Storm... they turn your city into prey, forever fleeing from the strong." Her gaze softened with pity. "You have lived your entire life on the run from nature. That fear is ingrained deep within you."
Diana nodded slowly. "Yes... I... I hate it. I hate nature. It took everything from me."
Wow. The City of Love sounds absolutely terrifying.
"Hmm... then you have nothing to fear here," Guanyin reassured her. "The City of Ingenuity is built on solid ground, and the surrounding wilderness is under the rule of the Sovereign, Syaro Mahakala. They are not the same entities that cause the Storm."
Guanyin slipped the dark drawing away and handed Diana a fresh piece of paper. "Here. Now, try drawing something natural that is... dry. Something far from the ocean."
With a hesitant nod, Diana continued drawing. This time, she sketched a simple tree.
"By the way, do caretakers ever bring children here?" I asked Guanyin suddenly.
"Only for introductions," Guanyin replied. "A caretaker will bring their children here at least once to introduce them to this alternative view of nature. Those who wish to learn more and join us are free to return on their own accord."
Guanyin gestured toward a man across the room who was delicately tinkering with some clockwork. "Take Lauron, for example. He is a glassblower and a practicing clockwork engineer. He has been coming here since he was a child. He loved nature so much, and kept sneaking out to come back here, that his caretaker practically asked me to help raise him."
Interesting...
With that, we spent the next few hours just talking and drawing. Guanyin offered me some paper as well, but I refused. Fuck it, I wasn't built for that—drawing, I mean.