#and like i can't afford to get a bunch of nice “mens” clothes

[funkle420]

why's it so hard to find resources for trans men who want to sound like a bitchy gay man? i already know how to talk like a macho man and it sounds completely unnatural coming from my cute ass! i need to sound like the faggot i am without getting misgendered!!!

[grovekeepers]

robin <3 i'd love to hear about robins own, personal views on his sex and gender, please!

Thanks for the ask, Fray!! (answering it gives me something to do while i wait for the electricity to come back on!)

I'm putting this under a cut, because I've been typing for a while now and I feel like this'll be a long one. I will add that I'm briefly mentioning an eating disorder under the cut, in case you or anyone else wants to back out of reading that.

For the longest time Robin didn't really have any views on his sex or gender. He had a lot going on as a neurodivergent kid/teen due to poverty and, well, the repressed queerness; was just out there functioning/surviving somehow and was in general just pretty miserable all around, so any discomfort about his gender identity/expression was just part of a big heap of everyday sensory overload. There really wasn't time for him to focus on or take a closer look at himself much, and besides, he wouldn't have known the terms needed to put it into words.

He developed a bunch of unhealthy coping mechanisms about All Of That (drugs, sex, an eating disorder, ...) and really spiralled for a while until he met this man called Murdoc, who sort of became a mentor to him, and set him straight again.

And if Murdoc's one thing, it's perceptive.

So while Robin and him travelled together for a while, he provided him with the space he needed to just take a breather for once. Maybe express himself for once. And the option to talk about his feelings instead of having to bottle them up. And most importantly, since his wife Cynthia is a trans woman, he taught him the terms he needed to put all that dysphoria related turmoil he had going on into words.

So really, up until that point Robin hadn't thought about it much. Not thinking about it meant not having to deal with it, he was just hoping all those weird feelings, whatever they are, would go away one day. But of course they wouldn't have if he'd just continued to keep on going like that.

Now that he'd talked those feelings through with someone and then went on to change up his gender presentation, though, things got a hell of a lot easier. Murdoc used the right pronouns for him, called him by the name they'd chosen together (one of his favorite wildshapes to use to spy on people is an odd looking robin, and they both decided it's a nice fit), and after a while of that, Robin began to cook up medicine (cough, testosterone) that would change his body.

And all of a sudden he just felt GOOD about himself for once. His body wasn't just existing to carry him through the days anymore, instead he actively liked looking at it. His voice didn't hurt his ears anymore, it just sounded right. There was growth and hair in the right places and muscles where there used to be softness that he'd previously tried to get rid of by starving himself down to the bones.

See, and only then is when he started to really develop views on his gender and sex.

He is and always was, by all definitions of the word, a bisexual man, even when he was still blocking out the thought and just hoping for the dysphoria to go away on its own. Gender non-conforming (if he can wear them in a masculine way, he still wears many of his old clothes because he can't afford new ones for example, and he's insanely fond of jewelry, be that piercings, earrings, rings, bracelets, ankle bracelets, waist chains, etc) and somewhat gentler than other men he's gotten to know so far, sure, but really not all that different. Transitioning, to him, was like a lifeline he didn't know he needed extended to him, but now that he's gotten a hold of it, he wouldn't ever let it go.

Masculinity can be expressed in very many ways, and his way of expressing it is being forceful like rumbling thunder and strong like a centuries old oak that you can shelter underneath. He'll bear the brunt of the storm for you and keep you safe. And when it's over, and you open your eyes, rather than the lashing rain, you'll see the beauty of the sun's first rays shining through the greenest leaves you've ever seen, while their warmth caresses you.

(One thing I'll say (and it is really just more of a game-related issue) is that his in-game model looks pretty unchanged in terms of testosterone changes even after all the mods I installed to get him a little closer looking to himself. It does unfortunately have a lot of people jumping to the conclusion that he's some flavor of non-binary or futch/butch (and leaving comments that make ME dysphoric at the end of the day lmfao), when in reality, looking at him would not really differentiate him from a cis man and I'm simply limited by the game. There is no room to doubt his gender if going off "traditional" (binary) characteristics. He does bind his chest sometimes, and he usually wears his clothes in a way that covers/hides the shape of what's underneath. Funny enough, I am currently working on a painting of him and I'm kinda hyped about the absolute physical likeness I'm achieving with it, so I'm adding a little WIP!!)

[cinnamonest]

Could you perhaps share your thoughts on how le yandere genshin boys would handle falling in love with just...an absolute *slob* of a girl? Some tiny skinny ratty little thing with small tits, unbrushed hair, zero sex appeal, and the worst shrimp like posture known to man. She stays holed up in her dark musty room all day if she can afford it, more or less festering like a worm, and probably eats the most trashy snack like foods. Maybe she even drools and maybe even lisps and she's about as strong and athletic and charismatic as a half rotten toothpick. In short just...the absolute bottom of the barrel lmao.

Just find it hilarious to imagine these egotistical self absorbed men falling for the most mangy little pissant out of their proverbial female line up. I'm sure it actually ticks a *lot* them off, knowing they *should* be picking better, though honestly I feel like many would also develop an 'I can fix her' complex or revel in the fact that she's so undesirable and thus, insecure, they can use her as a constant source of ego boosting-juice lol

Reminds me of Tomoko! I loved Watamote when it came out... it’s wild, I just realized it came out literally 9 years ago, it felt like a lot less long ago than that to me 😅

Anyhow, it's a given that the savior complex duo of Diluc and Zhongli would be all over that. It's like an alarm bell, a bunch of red arrows pointing to you reading "fix this!!" in their heads. Convince themselves that you're going to be so much happier in the environment and lifestyle that he'll set up for you... to be fair, this is one of the rare occasions in which that might not be entirely incorrect, since actually getting some sunlight would be genuinely good for you...

Zhongli in particular is big on fixing bad habits. Infantilizing as he always is, sigh. Absolutely no junk food allowed, would probably restrict your sugar intake, makes sure you drink lots of water. You're going to damage your spine if you sit like that, human bodies are so fragile... here, you can sit on his lap, that way he can sort of keep an arm around your waist so you don't slouch. Makes sure you get proper sleep, sets a bedtime for you even and will enforce it when necessary (and yes, you will be punished in some way if he comes in and finds you're still up doing something while laying in bed when he told you to sleep). That being said, to some extent he also enables your other behaviors that don't actually affect your health, such as seclusion and lack of significant activity. Can't have you actually being productive now, if that happened you might actually start to feel talented or capable, self-sufficient even, and may challenge your (to him) obvious need to be taken care of and inability to do so yourself.

Diluc has less reign over your eating habits (he barely makes food anyway, maids are there for a reason), and doesn't really know enough about health to be particularly concerned about it (not that he doesn't care, just doesn't realize how bad for you a lot of your habits are), but he does have a public image to maintain to all the estate visitors. It reflects badly on him if his wife (yes you're not legally married, it doesn't matter, they don't need to know that, it's not his fault Mondstadt has these stupid "consent" requirements so hush) isn't looking like the perfect image you should. So, whether you like it or not, you'll need to start dressing in the nice flowy clothes he got you, fix your hair (don't worry, the maids can do it for you if you can't, but you have to let them), and fix that thousand-yard stare of sleep deprivation and learn how to put on a nice smile and sweet, energetic voice. You'll do it for his sake, right?

Xingqiu more or less has the same thing going on. It's unsightly for you to not be perfectly presentable to the family and others... he'll have to get servants to fix that. But don't worry, much like with the winery maids, you don't have to lift a finger, the servants will take care of literally everything if you just sit there, they'll even dress you. They also have a private physician who can arrange a meal plan for you, make sure you're being properly fed. But as for speaking, no worries. Unlike with Diluc and needing you to be very polite and sweet (albeit still soft-spoken), Liyue culture is a little different -- you're expected to be completely silent unless spoken to, and even then, he will do most talking for you. So, no need to worry about being introverted or unable to speak in a way that sounds sophisticated, as long as you can sit quietly with your hands in your lap and look at the ground, you'll be set.

Venti would like to correct your eating and posture habits, but, ah... he's not really in a place to talk when his diet prioritizes alcohol over food, and slouches a lot when drunk. Still, he can force you to eat an apple every now and then to ensure you get your fruit intake. He's more concerned about the seclusion. Totally not good for you, you know! You need to come out here in the sunshine and fresh air with him. Honestly, he does think you'll be happier, but part of it is because he himself gets depressed pretty quickly if forced into a dark solitary room, and he wants to spend time with you, so, it's easier to force you to come out with him. Don't worry about any social inability though... he doesn't mind, and you don't need to speak to anyone besides him.

And then there is Xiao. Ideal. Perfect, even. You already sit around in the dark and never leave your room or socialize? Huh. Then, you won't even have to adjust to life with him. Excellent. All it will basically be is a room change. He doesn't really think to correct your posture, he has horrid posture too to be honest, always hunched over when sitting up in high places. You being weak is a plus too. That much easier to hold you down, maneuver you how he wants etc. And hopefully, you'll be content with his... limited diet. Unfortunately, he comes to learn the hard way that you will actually suffer negative health effects if you don't have at least some balance in your diet, so he'll just get Smiley Yanxiao to make whatever they have at the inn and bring it back to you.