Ellie was quite calm and careful as she handled dinner in the apartment she presently had. It was technically the same one she'd had when she first came to Animalia as part of a student program. However, as her graduation at WSA approached, she'd grown to like much about America and to some degree didn't want to go back, particularly as at that time Putin had begun poisoning and arresting his latest round of political opponents. That in turn lead to her going through the immigration process in order to remain in the US after graduation, and she was lucky enough to get it. Since then, the apartment was hers and her success at Animalia's track and field events provided enough "prize" money to keep the apartment and she liked it. Though the movement in the corner of her eye of a male White Rhinoceros Animalian gave her a private reminder on how some things might be changing there.
"I'm not sure I made a good impression," Rod said slowly as he watched Ellie shuffle things around to get dinner ready and thinking back on the meeting with her parents. It was something that had stuck in his mind since then and was even there during their adventure on Halloween, though that had raised other questions in the back of Rod's mind.
"My family was always fairly traditional," Ellie answered, "girls dated and married boys and had children. Understanding things like homosexuality was never there for them. And my mother was always the more protective one, given how I was treated."
"They hate gays?" Rod asked.
"No," Ellie answered, "it's more that they don't know or understand them and just looked the other way. Often because the government created trouble that even others ran into. Father was a low-level patrol officer in St. Petersburg and some of Moscows decisions often had local officers pulled in odd directions or having to contest unnecessary overreach. He was often busy dealing with all that to pay attention to things that went on with homosexuals. Mother, I don't think ever knowingly ran into any."
Ellie noted Rod's grey ears flick with some degree of cheer, but she also had the sense that he had some unease and uncertainty. Some of her mother's questioning whether or not Rod was her boyfriend was bound to do that, given the nature of her "relationship" with Rod. Her interactions with him had started more as a means to help him adjust to the more "animal" instinct that in Animalians lead to those that were homosexual Humans to become Bisexual Animalians. Things started rough, as Rod was essentially high on testosterone coming from his own conversion and dealing with the fact that the US government at that time wasn't exactly "friendly" in a way that would make them comfortable. But things had definitely changed since then, and it made for a lot of progress, which made Ellie smile a bit as she thought back on it...
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
"You don't support Putin?" Rod panted after going through various laps around the track at what had been Lyre High's sports fields.
Animalians had a largely unfair advantage with most sports, which in turn lead to their competitions being more between Animalians and something that mirrored the Olympics in many ways. It then allowed for the new Lyre/Animalia school district to keep and maintain the sports facilities, which now allowed for things like track, golf, and other sports that didn't require large teams or could have individual contestants and could be shared with inter-Animalian competitions during the summer and their versions of the Olympics. Ellie had met Rod as part of her own training for that and got a bit of an aggressive response to her over her obvious Russian accent.
Privately, Ellie enjoyed the check that sent him flying and then putting him through his paces in laps, hurdles, and even some of her own specialty events, the throwing events for that. It got both exercise and ultimately also showed Rod that he wasn't the biggest or best Rhino in Animalia. He shrunk back a little bit, but she did have to commend him for putting the effort into the training. It was like the shock value did a lot to change at least his immediate perception of things. Ellie hoped that would at least provide a starting point for Rod to adjust to both his new instincts as a male White Rhino Animalian and potentially adjust to feelings that he'd never felt as a Human.
"Of course not," Ellie answered as she watched Rod's nostrils flare as he breathed, "just because he is President does not mean he is loved. And in many ways, he's also too wedded to old ways and old decisions that often made me a target for bullies in Russia because of how I was built and not being "perfectly built" and to other political messages that seem to favor his own power in ways that would not be out of place in the Soviet Union or the Tsarist empire it replaced. And while he has supporters, the image that all Russians are supporters is more a result of state-run propaganda."
"But wouldn't you have needed support just to leave?" Rod asked and backed off when Ellie dug her toes into the ground.
"Permission is one thing for my entry on a student visa," Ellie answered with narrowed eyes, "my decision to remain in the US and become a US citizen is my own. For, for all America's problems... it is Kilometers better than Putin's autocracy. Here, you have the freedom to tell the US government what you think of their attempts to criminalize your sexuality and use Animalia as a means to "cure" it. You would not get that in Russia."
"And you're not here to make me straight?" Rod asked, with his own eyes narrowing.
"I'm here to help you adjust and make your own choices," Ellie answered, "I will not force myself on you."
"Good," Rod nodded.
"Yes," Ellie agreed, "now enough rest and we resume workout."
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From there, Ellie and Rod often met at least once a week to discuss things and allow Ellie to provide her own measure of coaching to make sure that Rod kept his own aggression in check. It worked well enough that Ellie was able to provide ideas on how to work on that aggression and that included getting permission to go out onto grounds east of Lyre where there was some open and rocky land that would give Rod some means to exercise it without being in a gross mismatch, often because many of the other White Rhino Animalians were often busy with Rhino Guard work and training, and the other megafauna Animalians in Lyre/Animalia didn't always want to be working with one they found aggressive.
The idea was to be able to throw some of the rocks on the ground at the larger rocks that were also there. Ellie saw it as a means of stress relief and found that the landowner was reasonable enough to even hang around with it. He'd even help keep score on how many rocks thrown were shattered and which ones just bounced. The various actions and declarations, that all seemed to want to use Animalia as a cure for homosexuality seemed to be the driving force for a lot of Rod's frustration, and while he'd seemed to get used to or accepted Ellie's heritage more, being rejected for who he was didn't help.
"That one bounced," the landowner said as a rock that was larger than a softball bounced off of a target boulder about forty yards from them.
"Damn it!" Rod cursed in frustration, "I want a do over."
"No, the rules are that each gets a turn," the landowner answered, "bounced rocks can only be retrieved AFTER all rocks have been thrown."
Rod grumbled as Ellie picked up her rock to throw, and it was of comparable size to the one that Rod had just thrown. She gripped it and aimed it at the large boulder that effectively was their target.
"So... what was it that's got you so flustered?" Ellie asked, figuring that it was going to be something some politician said for reporters or something else, and that was always rough. However, Rod had managed to get a date or two with a Dog Animalian named "Marty," though beyond that Ellie didn't know much about him.
"Marty broke up with me," Rod answered with a snort and eyeing Ellie's firm biceps as she tossed the rock.
"You didn't get aggressive with him, did you?" Ellie asked.
"Only AFTER he broke it off!" Rod snorted as Ellie's rock bounced off the boulder, signaling it was Rod's turn again, "I've worked hard to be on my best behavior and not be rough with him. I've been as soft as I can be. I've let him take the lead on dates."
"And you liked this feller?" the landowner asked.
"Yeah," Rod answered, "Marty was fun and was willing to go along with some of my workout sessions. But as I started to think we could take the next step... he said I was too big for him."
"Well, you are a Rhinoceros Animalian and I believe you said he was a Beagle Animalian," Ellie answered, "you will have a lot more muscle mass than Marty."
"Yeah," Rod admitted as he picked up his next wrong and gripped it firmly, "but I'm in control of myself. I wasn't going to be rough with him... and it wasn't even all that sexual. If I'm too big to "fit" with him... there is always something that could be done to fix things... but he got panicked and broke it off."
Rod then threw his next rock, and it squarely hit the boulder and Rod thought it splintered into little pieces, but only got a bounce ruling from the landowner.
"It's not FAIR!" Rod then bellowed out as he threw his arms up, "all the male Rhino Animalians are straight and aren't interested in me... They probably all love you, Ellie, but... they aren't into me, and the only man that hasn't run away over stories on my temper or whatever runs away because he things I'm too big for him."
"Life isn't always fair," Ellie commented, "for the other males... they also seem particularly tied to their duty and haven't shown much interest in me, either."
"A beautiful female White Rhino who is strong enough to take on those bigger than her?" Rod blinked in surprise, both at the comment and at his response, "why would a straight male not find you beautiful."
Ellie was a bit surprised on Rod describing her as beautiful. She liked to think of herself in that way after her conversion but didn't want to boast on it. And in the course of her meetings with Rod, while there were times when his eyes might follow a female Animalian that walked by, he hadn't shown much that would indicate he has been drawn by those feelings. It had left her more helping him plan those dates with Marty and how to act on them. She found herself blushing a bit, but she wasn't quite sure on how to respond. As the program that had her mentoring Rod was not to be a dating service but to help him acclimate to Animalia and figure out how to adapt to any new instincts as they developed.
"As you said... it isn't fair," Ellie commented, "but then, I'm also enjoying the training for the various events Animalia holds for sports and all that. And it's more that the Rhino Guard members are more dedicated to their duty more than anything else."
"Well, they do themselves a disservice," Rod answered, "putting up with me shows up a lot of your strengths... a shame I couldn't put your help to better use."
"You'll be fine," Ellie encouraged, "just keep working on deep breaths, being calm, and pacing yourself. Maybe Marty just wasn't the right guy for you. Or... if you wish, maybe you could find a female Animalian if you so wish. Those base urges are there."
"Bah," Rod answered and took his next turn tossing a rock in a tone that Ellie took as disbelieving.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Ellie and Rod kept up that work, and to a degree that included some search for dates for Rod and helping him work with his temper. Rod had made a lot of progress with the latter and Ellie took a fair amount of pride in helping with that. Though, as Animalia went through the problems of Covid in 2020 and early 2021 and then with other issues, Ellie also found herself having more interest in Rod forming beyond coach and counselor. To a degree, the attraction wasn't bad, but Ellie also knew that her job in this was more to help him adjust to things and make his choice. She didn't want to come off as forcing things on Rod, though as she settled in for a dinner one evening, something happened that would take things to the next step as there was a knock on her door. She answered it to find Rod standing there with a couple of travel orders in his hands.
"Rod?" Ellie asked, "we aren't scheduled for a meeting today..."
"I know," Rod said slowly, "but... there have been some things on my mind, and I need to talk with you. I brought dinner to make things easier."
Ellie noted the carry out trays and could smell the food in them. She stepped back and gave a wave of her hand to usher Rod in. She noted him give a nervous smile as he came through the door. He came in and stood by until Ellie could lead him from the small entryway and to the small dining area. She noted a small look of surprise on him to see that she was already working on dinner.
"I see I've interrupted something," Rod said slowly.
"It's okay," Ellie answered, "I can put things away, and you've already put a lot of effort into this. And I am scheduled to help you get used to things... and help you adjust as needed."
"And you're not waiting for someone?" Rod asked, his voice sounding nervous to Ellie.
"Not really," Ellie admitted, "the Rhino Guard members remain committed to their jobs and don't seem interested in me..."
"They're either dumb or blind then," Rod spoke, "as you are quite beautiful... and that's part of the problem."
"It is a problem that I am beautiful?" Ellie asked, tempted to toss the food he'd brought at him, but it smelled too good. She also noted that he nervously backed off from that statement while opening the takeout tray.
"Not for you," Rod answered, "but more for me... you should know that I was gay when I converted."
"Yes," Ellie answered, "and I was assigned to help you adjust and adapt to anything that you might find pulling away from what you want, in addition to giving you the freedom to make your choices."
"And you've done a great job at that," Rod answered, "but in a way... it's brought out other changes in me. That... well... it's made me interested in more than just friendship. You're beautiful and friendly... and while... I would want to find a male to date, there's a real part of me that would want more than just conversation and is attracted to you... and I don't know what to do about that. I mean... there's times where we've had our meetings and training sessions, and it's like the thing I want most is to take you to bed, but that'd be rude and it'd feel like I'm betraying myself..."
"If it's what you want, you wouldn't be betraying yourself," Ellie spoke, "and to a degree... that's also part of what I'm here for. And you are a fairly handsome male, which surprises me that as you've overcome your temper and some of the hyper-masculinity after conversion... one would think that you would have won a solid lover... either an Animalian or a Human that would convert to become an Animalian."
Rod smiled weakly and the two settled more into dinner that evening.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From there, things progressed rather well, at least when it came to sex from time to time. Ellie and Rod were able to get some satisfaction, though they had to be careful when the White Rhino had its breeding season. Privately, Ellie liked it, but she also knew that it was more casual sex between them for the moment while they had a stronger friendship that was also growing. There might be some moments where there could be real romance between her and Rod, but she wasn't going to push things.
"You couldn't show them that there are more than just "tradition" when it comes to sexuality?" Rod asked as he looked over Ellie as she worked on dinner, "I mean... I don't want them to think us to be making mistakes."
"We aren't," Ellie assured him, "if you really wanted to take things toward a real bond-mate relationship, a part of me wouldn't mind, as you've grown a lot since we first met. But a lot of my responsibility is to help you be confident in YOUR choices."
"To a degree..." Rod said slowly, "a part of me wouldn't mind. I mean... the more we've met, hung out, and talked... the more you've changed me for the better."
"Well... that is good to hear," Ellie gave a small smile.
"And if things go even further... or even if we stay just friends," Rob then continued, "I would like to at least earn your parents' trust. That I'm not abusing you."
"You aren't," Ellie assured him, "your decisions are your own."