Nature for Everyone Paths are a pride of the municipalities maintaining them: not-too-steep ramps, helicopter rescue clearings, unobtrusive shelters, inviting ablution blocks and binoculars to get a better view in scenic areas are just some of the amenities they wish to offer. And in caves like these, mini-museums, free maps, art murals and protection from rain are just some of the nice things they can have. The one in this cave, Corner M3K9 Cave, has a cozy and messy mix of all these things, meant to look like a child having just played with them for anyone walking past it.
"There's a lakefront, a creche with some very fun kids, the local Perpetual Revue, the forest with all the Nature for Everyone Paths, and there's a place where you can get a look at what the inside of the hospital where I work looks like! I think that's sort of fun."
"It's a place that's good for kids to stay! They have big, fun playgrounds, and lots of places to read and learn and help people, and adults if they need any help for anything! Oh, and it's not the hospital itself you're seeing, for bacteria reasons. It's right next door, though."
"You'd have to take the subway I think, but it won't take long to get there. No need to wait?"
Cynthia walks ahead of him, calling the elevator and sending the two of them downwards rapidly. The subway entrance is only a block or so away from their building, and a train has practically arrived by the time they've reached the platform. Inside, the seats are made from a very nice-feeling cool mesh material, reminiscent of an office chair.
If there are people around, Kellen will try not to stare at things too obviously, although he’s curious and amazed by most of what he sees. He follows Cynthia closely, not wanting to get lost.
It doesn't take long before they reach their first spot: a playground, full of climbing walls, surrounded by a ring of tall buildings designed to look like charming and friendly wood houses when seen from ground level. Both boys and girls are wearing skirts, climbing or fighting with foam swords or talking together around their books.
Kellen looks all around, absorbing all the details he can. Skirts are less common and still a bit gendered in his home dimension, and the buildings aren’t usually quite so tall, but he’s most curious about the swordfighting.
“Many children…”, he mimics the duels, lacking the right word.
"Duels like that are really intense, and you get tempted to really give it your all. It's great! It's also about being able to keep each other safe, often. So you can fight off anyone trying to hurt you or your friends and protect them."
“Is it much necessary?”, although even if they aren’t, he can see the fun in it! It might be an interesting thing to learn but he’ll try to improve with the language first.
"We try to make everything helping! Helping is a big part of our lives. I'm helping patients, and doctors. And when I go home, someone is helping me with food and cleaning. And if you get pregnant or have children, there are many people helping you and children! Helping is a great thing and we love it."
Kellen nods again, smiling. It’s a bit surprising that it works for a whole society but it’s a very nice surprise. And now this makes him wonder whether they have money… has he seen a word for that?
Ohh, yeah, that one was a bit hard to understand at first because it looks different than his world’s money. He’s still curious as to how it fits together with the niceness!
He’ll have to be a bit blunt asking because it’s hard to use more complex structures but here goes his attempt, “You have that and money too?”
"Yes, money makes... improving things easier. We actually take money very seriously and care a very, very large amount about it. Caring is helping! And money makes caring... better?"
“I don’t understand”, he replies, and he isn’t sure if that’s because he’s lacking precise vocabulary or because of the underlying ideas.
"No, it's that... nice people can be wrong. And money can... show them how and stop them being wrong?" (Drat! She has no idea of how to explain this with a limited vocabulary)
“Do you have not-nice people?”, that’s hard to belive but it is a different world, “and I don’t think I have the right words to understand why you use money”