Ankyra Sound Mystification

are you male or female?
no one had ever asked him that before. male, he guessed, but he didn't know it was in question at all. now he felt odd; self-conscious and a little offended. it wasn't that he minded the idea of being seen as female. it didn't really matter to him either way. but he was male, and he felt like that should have been obvious, the way it was with everyone else. maybe she was just trying to be mean?
masquerade only echoed his confusion back at him. his ears went flat. it seemed like she really couldn't tell, and that was somehow more disheartening than thinking she was being cruel.
male, he said finally, but he was uncertain now. does it matter? well, it kind of did, but right now he very much didn't want it to.