Oh, the scene with Ansar - I forgot about that happening *derp. I imagined that would be just a respect thing for any gender selection that the dads would do for their kid - error on the side of it being a bit personal. (Poor Oswin indeed; he's had it rough so far and it's not over, lol).
I think the world of interactive fiction has historically leaned more feminine, but we're seeing a trend - however gradual - that is leaning away from that. Perhaps not masculine, but maybe more a-gendered approach (though admittedly, I tend to have some trouble distinguishing sometimes and it's possible I interpret that because I really want to see it that way, lol). Not sure, but I do wonder if that stems from Otomes popularizing it in some way? The stereotypical never really worked for me either, and I want to always keep that in mind as I write. People should be able to just be, and that's what I hope to emulate in the worlds I create.
Thank you for sharing a part of yourself with me. I appreciate you reading and taking the time to give me thoughtful insights to broaden my scope for how I write this. ^_^