Hannah was seated on an outcropping a short distance away from the bonfire, talking with Laurie, a non-transgendered vixen who attended the group meetings to offer assistance and emotional support to those turned female. "It's like this," she said. "I've been a doe for about six months, so I'm used to being female. And I don't really have any plans to change back; I haven't told many people, but I'm going to try and secure a position here, living in the park and doing what I'm already doing. And so, as I'm looking at being my lovely doe self for the forseeable future, I've given some thought to getting into a relationship."
She sighed. "But the problem is that the majority of bucks I've met have been here for one thing only; it's the whole 'stags are potent' stereotype. And the few who haven't been total sleazes are too freaked out by the fact that I used to be a man to consider getting any closer than 'casual acquaintance.'"
"What about the other guys in the park?" Laurie asked.
Hannah sighed. "I thought of that, but...they just don't do anything for me. I mean, I can look at them and rate them on the attract-o-meter, but I'm not actually attracted to them."
"That seems a little silly."
"It does," Hannah agreed, "but it's true. Consider: have you checked out any non-foxes since you got here?"
"I never thought about it before," Laurie mused. "No, I don't think I have."
"There you go," Hannah replied. "So anyway, this new guy, Sam, showed up today. Not the handsomest buck in the park, but a good-looking guy nonetheless, and he's actually respectful of women. Which is because he used to be one, which means he's not totally freaked out by my switch."
"Well, then," Laurie smiled, "I'm failing to see the problem here. Sounds like you two match up pretty well."
"The problem," Hannah sighed, "is that despite my desire to pursue a relationship with a member of the opposite sex, I have absolutely no idea how to do it. I was enough of a klutz with the ladies; I'm totally clueless when it comes to chasing guys. And the last thing I want to do is scare him off with my clumsy advances."
Laurie laughed. "Well," she said, "you probably know better than I do what men want."
"Not really," Hannah sheepishly admitted. "When most of your day is spent behind a desk at a CAD program, your concept of the ideal girl gets warped pretty quickly."
"Let's see, then," Laurie said. "I guess the main thing is to always let him feel that he's in charge. That doesn't mean that you have to submit every decision to him for review, and the kind of guy you're looking for is going to find it a turnoff if you're unable to make decisions without, but never make him feel dominated. Men hate that. Make him feel appreciated, too, but don't pretend you like a gift or something if you don't; they can see right through that. And don't be afraid to make a move. My brother has told me that one of the main things he'd like in a woman is the ability to take some initiative in the relationship. Try and make him feel like the leader, even if you're making the first move, but make it clear that he's not getting stuck with the whole burden. I guess that's all the advice I have, for now."