And suddenly has a clear sense that if she pulls like this in her mind, she can be there.

...what.

<That feels a whole damned lot more tangible than your usual isekai daydreams,> Hailey notes.

<Oooh! Exciting! Maybe a whole new world,> Ruby cheers.

No one objects, so...

Sable pulls at the mental cord.

"Huh." Sable accepts the offered hand and gets up. "I did not expect flopping on my couch wishing to be elsewhere to actually work this time."

<What.> Hailey's shock resounds through their mind. That... doesn't happen. Every previous isekai daydream has been obviously a daydream, 'cause they're aphantasic as fuck. <What.>

"Let me just bring you to the arrivals lounge and we can talk a little and I'll give you the introductory brochure." 

Clematis leads the way into a room with a pair of large pieces of furniture that look like crosses between a couch and a bed, a rack of pamphlets and papers, and a lap desk. 

"Let me see, Earth, Earth..."

She picks up a pamphlet and passes it to Sable. It has a large image of a peach-like fruit on the front cover.

Welcome to Balacia (Earth Edition) is the title.

Interesting. The furniture definitely looks like it's made to be fucked on. She sits down and starts reading.

Welcome to Balacia!

Balacia is the local name for the continent you know as North America. On this planet, which is named Forest, there is a variety of fruit known as a persine (similar to an earth peach), that has been known since antiquity with natural contraceptive and STD-eliminating qualities. As a result, Balacia (the country) is a much more sexually free nation than the United States of your world. 

While you are making your transition to Balacia, you will be temporarily staying in government-run housing, and provided a cultural interpreter (who will have been present at your summoning), a stipend, and access to support services to aid with the trauma and cultural baggage of your home world. In time, you are expected to acculturate to Balacia and live an independent life as an ordinary citizen; however, an acculturation period of up to three years is provided for by the program.

You may encounter fellow refugees in your government housing. Please be kind and recall that everyone here has been displaced and has their own cultural baggage from their former world.

If you should wish to return home, return transit may be arranged after a period of one week.

Brief Cultural Notes:

— Sexuality is a neutral topic in Balacia, and offers of sex or sexual services are not unusual. Please do not feel obligated to engage in any sexual activity that is proposed to you; it is always polite to turn down an offer. 

— By Earth standards, the majority of people on Forest are polyamorous. It is not standard to expect sexual exclusivity in Balacia even if you are dating someone seriously. 

— You may also observe sexual activity in some public places. This is entirely normal in Balacia. However, do not assume that any arbitrary public place is acceptable for sex! You may be subject to fines for any damage or mess you create. Ask your interpreter if you are in doubt.

— Many people will introduce themselves to you with a title before their names in casual contexts. The majority of these titles represent their pleat or ruche, which are difficult-to-translate concepts. When you wish to interact socially outside government housing, ask your cultural interpreter for details on how to properly introduce yourself. 

— Balacian cuisine is more sour and sweet than the western cuisine you are likely familiar with from earth, and uses persines (which are an abundant and highly nutritious staple crop) heavily. Talk to your interpreter if you have issues with this cuisine; more earthlike dishes can be provided during your transition period by request. 

We hope you have a pleasurable and enjoyable life here in our great nation!

She stares at the pamphlet for a long moment.

<I suppose they would have been selecting for people who didn't like the sex-negativity of their homeworld when targeting isekais,> Maya suggests. <I think I am going to like it here.>

Ruby just blushes.

Neo snickers a bit.

Hailey shakes her head internally. <Unexpected or not, we're here. They seem to have a decent system going, and it makes sense that the persine will have a big cultural impact. Orient?>

"What's the local time," Sable asks, looking up at Clematis, "and what would you recommend doing first?"

"It's 11:30 in the morning, currently."

Clematis taps her fingers together. "If you have any prescriptions you take regularly you should interface with the on-site pharmacy and doctor; there are bureaucratic processes to satisfy with getting you an official legal identity, naturally, but I think the highest priority is simply getting settled in your local apartment and getting the essentials of life together. After that, it would be a good idea to speak with some fellow refugees who are a little more experienced with the culture. There's a courtyard bistro at the government housing where you could meet and try some local cuisine."

Well. This will be informative. "I do need to talk with the doctor. I'm on an ongoing prescription for feminizing hormones and a testosterone blocker. After that, I'd love to see the apartment and try the bistro."

"Ah, you are — what do they call it in North America again — transgendered? I apologize, I know it's a delicate subject where you come from. Here we would simply say you pleat femininely..." 

She tilts her head. "It's still somewhat uncommon in our world to pleat differently than your birth sex, but it's not subject to the same kind of... controversy... that it is in your world. For example, most people will gracefully accept singular they." 

"Well that's an improvement. It was far more of a fight than it should've been to get gender-confirming treatment, where I came from. Had to move to a different state before I felt safe doing it."

She hums thoughtfully. "So it sounds like pleat sort of straddles gender and like... social role? Or something like that?"

"Something like that. Let me give you an example. I go by Mentera Clematis. "Mentera" is my pleat title, and in your language it would mean "one who teaches" or "instructor". This is distinct from my job title of "cultural liason." If I were to leave this job, I would still be Mentera Clematis, because I... see myself that way, feel that teaching is core to my identity. The shades of meaning you might catch are... 'dominant', 'caring', 'tender', and you could expect me to be sexually and emotionally compatible with others who have the corresponding pleat of "Pupilla", which means 'learner', 'trainee', 'apprentice', with shades of submission and eagerness-to-learn. Presently I am in extended relationships with a Physic, a Pupilla, and a Voluptaten. I'm — it's not quite marriage as you would understand it, but it's close enough to be useful — married to the Voluptaten. All of them pleat femininely."

She nods. "Okay, that kinda makes sense. Is there a big dictionary of titles to read through?"

"Not formally, but I'll see if I can scare something up! Different dating sites etcetera have different lists, often with a write-in option — I'll see if I can snag copies of the main sites' lists. Pleat and ruche cover the categories your world knows as dynamic, species, and... calling, I guess you could say. Anything that's a deeply held part of identity that affects how you interface with others. They're centrally sexual but don't necessarily have to be."

"Interesting. I think I like it."

<Scared to ask about plurality?>, Hailey teases.

Well, yes, she is. She thinks they're going to like it here, and they weren't going to be able to stay stealth about being trans forever, especially given they needed prescriptions.

<It may still be worth a shot,> Maya suggests, her tone soothing.

Maybe, but... not yet.

"I'd really appreciate those lists, if you can find them. I guess the next stop is the doctor?"

Clematis nods. "Seems so! I'll escort you. It's just across the courtyard to the housing."

She leads Sable out another door and into an interior courtyard, which has a few maple trees in it in full green leaf, along with an unfamiliar one with curving, sweeping branches. It could be spring? Summer? Early fall? It's warm enough to be any of those. The building they came from is in a familiar style, not too dissimilar from home; mostly brick and cinderblock, not hugely attractive, but then it is a government building. Across the courtyard there's a high-rise with many small balconies, almost certainly an apartment building. 

Clematis lets Sable into the ground floor of the apartment building with a key from her pocket. Inside is a small potted garden in the center of a lobby; a bistro with wide booths made to lounge in is on one side of the lobby, while the other side seems to be a pharmacy and convenience store. There's a girl with pink hair sitting and eating alone at the bistro, and clerks behind the counters in simple uniforms at both. 

"This'll be your home base until you can find an apartment in the city," Clematis says. "The doctor's office is attached to the pharmacy, so we'll be heading there first. If you wanted to stop by the convenience store or the bistro first to familiarize yourself a little or eat a meal, that's fine by me too. I'm your personal aide and I'm on the clock until five P.M, so we don't need to rush." 

"Goodness, I get to monopolize your time until your shift ends. That's some personal attention. I think I'll feel more comfortable if I've got the hormones sorted, so probably that first, just to get that off my mind."

She smiles softly at Clematis and starts toward the pharmacy.

"Alright, then!" 

Clematis comes up to the counter at the pharmacy and nods to the clerk on duty. "Morning, Docila." 

"Morning, Mentera." The woman behind the counter nods to Clematis and then to Sable. "Another new client, hm? Nice to meet you."

"Docila, this is — wait, I literally haven't asked your name. Sorry, I was a bit caught up in the job!" She laughs a litttle and rubs the back of her neck. "In any case, my client needs the latest in feminizing care. You're up to the task?" 

"For pleat accomodation I don't even need to call the doctor out of their office. I'll prescribe the usual slate." She turns away and starts filling out forms.

"Thank you."

She turns back to Sable. "So what is your name?"

"Sable. I suppose I should ask how names even work here, there's no reason to assume y'all use the same pattern of given name then family name that I'm used to."