"Well, I can tell you my favorite yoga class, and there's a really great dance class I went to. They're both really good at introducing new people activities, so you're gonna fit right in."

"Sounds great, thank you!"

Helena hands over the info about the yoga class and the dance class she was thinking of introducing Sable to, before starting on her walk home. Both are a fair distance away, although the lightning-quick subway means that it won't take long to get to them.

Oh, are those happening now/shortly? She'll go change into her normal clothes again while debating which to check out first.

There are 3 hours, just about, until the yoga class, and 5 hours until the dance class. Sable will absolutely have time enough to do both of them.

Wow, okay. Things are just always happening here, aren't they? She'll head toward yoga, then find lunch somewhere nearby. Burger with waffle fries sounds good today.

Things are always happening, because thomassian cities all have high populations, making it possible to always find someone who's exactly who you're looking for. Riding the subway to outside the studio where the yoga class will take place doesn't take much time at all. Neither does finding a comfortable cafe to sit down and enjoy a delicious burger, sent her way through the ubiquitous delivery bots.

Soon enough, after enjoying some deliciousness and reading things on her phone for a bit — during the gap she realizes she needs her athleticwear and zips home for yoga pants and such — she finds herself walking into the yoga studio right on time.

Like yoga classes tend to be, the women notably outnumber the men. The instructor is dressed in all-white, impressing everyone with her ability to roll her shoulders and place both of her arms well behind her head. The first exercise is simply to sit down and attempt to reach your feet with your hands, stretching your thighs. The soft and smooth yoga pants don't get in the way even slightly.

She would've been scared to do this, back on Earth. But it's easy here. Huh.

Streeeetch.

Following this, there are exercises focusing on mobility in your shoulders: having them both behind your back, one with your hand trying to reach down, the other with your hand trying to reach up, moving them across each other. The mirrors against the wall makes it easy for Sable to check her form, and see how everyone else is doing, and the stretching is more satisfying and more pleasant than she'd expect.

This is great. She's definitely coming back next week, she thinks.

It's a very quiet and intense session; people don't converse, only focus on the activity. The next exercise is another trying to improve your flexibility in your thighs: you stand with your legs forming a 45 degree angle, bending over and attempting to touch your foot on the foremost leg using your hand. It proves a fairly intense stretch, as a matter of fact.

Oooh. That's satisfying. One hell of a stretch.

Next, following a succession of similar, intense exercises, the whole session is capped off by everyone leaning into the mat-like floor and trying to move their hands as far away from their heads as they manage, stretching both the arms and the back. After a few minutes, the instructor at the head of class instructs everyone to stand up again, swinging their arms around to release any tension. She nods at everyone appreciatively, hoping to end the session on a positive note with some approving feedback.

Yeah, Sable would say she feels pretty positively about this. She's definitely coming back. Gosh. Yoga was pretty great. Pity she never would've felt safe trying it sooner. 

But she's surrounded by lovely people and doing wonderful things. Let's not dwell, eh?

The instructor looks around, trying to see if anyone looks or confused or has any questions, trying to make it clear that she's receptive and happy to answer any questions. After answering a few quick questions, she notices Sable's momentary reaction, and walks over to her. "You look like you were really concentrating on something, there. Was there something you were wondering about?"

Oh. Someone caught that. "Um. I was thinking a bit about why I never felt safe trying this before. And then trying not to dwell on that, to avoid bringing down the mood, because this session was really great."

"It sounds like the sort of thing that'd get in the way, and make the session less great, to me. Do you want to talk about it? I think that thinking about that kind of thing can probably cause some issues elsewhere. Why would you not feel safe trying this, you think? Are you worried about injuries from working out too hard?"

Oh of course they think that. "Um. No. I... moved here from somewhere much worse, where it wasn't safe to be transgender. Many people in the country I came from shunned and shamed trans people, or even physically hurt them. Especially if they tried to participate in feminine-biased activities, like yoga. Still haven't gotten over having lived there for so long."

"Where? I wouldn't expect any part of thomassia to be like that, or that people wouldn't move from there the instant they had the opportunity. But I can see how that'd be traumatizing. Do you want to... practice feeling safe? As silly as that sounds coming out of my mouth..."

"I... This will sound very weird, but it wasn't on thomassia. I didn't know thomassia existed until two days ago. And I think I've been underestimating how hurt my old world left me." She breathes slowly, trying not to let her voice shake too much.

"Hurt, in which ways, do you think?"