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bakerstreet2023-01-15 07:13 pm
sockland) wrote in bakerstreet2023-01-15 07:13 pm
(no subject)
In our world, sexual roles are commonly defined by genders -- male or female or other, by sexualities -- gay or straight, bi or asexual or in-between. But what if they were defined by something else entirely?
Alpha/Beta/Omegaverse is a fusion of fanfiction tropes and animalistic behavior. In this world, sexual roles are divided into three categories: the Alphas (the dominant, the protective and the aggressive), the Betas (ordinary humans) and the Omegas (submissive, fertile and able to carry children).
RESOURCES:CONTENT WARNING: Below the cut contains descriptions of animalistic sexual behavior as applied to humans, situations of dubious consent, explicit situations, mpreg, and scenarios of societal oppression. Click with caution!
Fanlore on the Alpha/Beta/Omegaverse
Alphas, Betas and Omegas: A primer.
ROLES:
1 - The Alpha.
* Stereotypically type A personalities.
* Anatomically: Males have a penis; females may have a penis in addition to a vagina.
* Alphas knot their mates, meaning that the base of the penis swells and locks them inside their mate while they produce copious amounts of semen in an effort to breed.
* Strong sense of smell.
* Near an Omega in heat, they experience a compulsion to mate that is almost impossible to overcome.
* Alphas may go into rut, which is their equivalent of Omega heat, and drives them to mate.
2 - The Beta.
* Ordinary human being.
* Lack of altered genitalia.
* Can mate to anyone.
* Might be able to smell hormones of Omegas and Alphas, but will not be overwhelmingly affected by them.
3 - The Omega.
* Stereotypically submissive, quiet, intelligent and less physically able.
* Female anatomy is similar to Betas; males are self-lubricating and may have either an external or internal vaginal setup.
* Regularly go into heat, which involves being overcome by the urge to mate. They are unable to consent while in heat.
* May be made compliant by a bite to the neck. However, that may also induce a mating bond.
* Often regarded as second-class citizens or prizes to be won.
SITUATIONS:
1 - Bonding - Love at first sight. You've spotted your soulmate. You can smell them, you can feel them, you know that they'll be with you until the end of your days. Unless there's something between the two of you. It could be age - maybe one of you has to wait until the other has reached maturity. It could be that the bond is one-sided, and the other has yet to fall in love. It could be an unwanted bond, or society could have divided you into different places. Is your love strong enough to conquer?
2 - Heat/Rut - The need is coming on you strong. Everyone for a half-mile around can smell it. Better find someone to ride it out with, or hole yourself up in a room with a few bottles of water and a durable sex toy. And you'd better hope that there isn't someone out there who will take advantage of your pliable state. Best case scenario, there might be a Beta who can take care of you, or fend off anyone too predatory.
3 - Pregnancy - Whether through a heat or not, you're pregnant. Congratulations - or condolences. Is it time to start a family, or time to start panicking?
4 - Suppressants - You're using suppressants to keep yourself on an even hormone cycle, skipping heats, or maybe pretending to pass as a different class of society. After all, Omegas might want to be in the military, where they're not usually allowed - or an Alpha might want to take a job in a university or as a nurse. Shouldn't they be allowed to, if their hormones are suppressed? Just hope that you don't miss a dose.
5 - Mistaken Identity - That friend that you always thought was an Alpha, or an Omega, or a neutral Beta, turns out to be something entirely different, and your world is turned absolutely upside down. Does it challenge your preconceptions? Or does it just ruin the balance between you two?
6 - Unlikely Pairs - After all, there's no actual reason that Alphas have to mate with Omegas. Maybe two Omegas can satisfy each other. Or two Alphas. Or your intended mate could easily be a Beta. Maybe this is just about breaking out of your pre-established role and becoming something new.
7 - Manifestation - In some cases, an individual may not know they are Omega, Beta or Alpha until their first heat/rut/manifestation, usually happening in early teen years. It may take you by surprise; it may be a blessing, or may be a deep disappointment.
8 - Other - Adventures in getting jobs, making families, fighting bad guys, and anything else you can come up with!
Let me know if you'd like me to change anything
Including Kalim, who he's made a concerted effort to leave a good impression on; in fact, he feels as though it's somehow become more of a priority for him than it once was of late to earn Kalim's favor. True, in purely practical terms it's to Azul's advantage to cozy up; getting on the Scarabia Housewarden's good side, and by extension that of the Asim family, could prove very useful for his future goals.
...But is this a little too cozy? Sharing a tent Azul thought he'd have all for himself with Kalim? How could Azul have expected that the Pop Music Club would've had a spare member who needed the spot, and for it to be him?
Of course, they're also the only two in their respective clubs who haven't manifested yet, so perhaps he should've anticipated something like this could be possible.
It's been entirely uneventful and they've just engaged in some casual, friendly conversation about the day while preparing their sleeping bags, yet Azul feels strangely...on edge about the situation even if this is a golden opportunity on paper, the back of his neck prickling with heat. There's a faint scent of something sweet that he can barely detect; perhaps some pollen from the flowers they collected earlier rubbed off on his clothes. ]
...But yes, it's fortunate both our clubs were able to gain the badges we needed to pass. I don't know about you, but it's been an exhausting effort, so perhaps we should turn in and rest?
[ He sits up on his knees and unzips his jacket to slip it off, leaving him in a form-fitting, long-sleeved black t-shirt. The removal of the layer doesn't do much to cool him down, and that makes him tsk. ]
Really, is it always this warm in the evenings here? I would've expected it to be cooler at this time of year.
Perfect!
Sometimes in life, you just have to roll with the punches. Find the silver lining. Make lemonade from lemons. To that end, in Kalim's eyes, this has all just been a fun group camping trip with some of his best friends. (He has many best friends, whether they know it or not, whether they like it or not, and Azul is now counted among them.) So, exhausting? Effort? Maybe. But this is the real, gritty camping experience he wanted ever since his parents bought him that mountain, so he can only see it as a win.
(And it's succeed, or transfer to a sports club, so what's the more reasonable choice here? They have to put in the effort. Or else!)
Still, sleep sounds fantastic. Kalim's already cozied in, yawning delicately, and far too tired to remember the suppressants that may as well be dead weight at the bottom of his pack. Jamil has to nag him to excess at the best of times, and all for good reason. It's easier to let everyone think he hasn't presented yet; just play the long game until it's reasonable to pretend he's a beta later. Because an omega, as the heir to the Asim empire? There are too many reasons to keep that from getting out, so Kalim has to be responsible about this, but--
But there's no Jamil here to remind him. No phone alarm either. Just the great outdoors, and Kalim, who is definitely not an omega, and Azul, who--
Is-- looking uncommonly good in that tight shirt, for some reason... ]
Is it warm? This isn't so bad! [ Kalim sits up, and -- forward as usual -- reaches up to press the inside of his wrist against Azul's forehead. ] You feel a little warm, actually! Do you have a fever?
no subject
I-I'm not certain. I don't feel ill, but...
[ But he definitely feels odd. Every intake of air draws in that addictive scent and with it his body grows hotter each time it fills his lungs, a strangely pleasant sort of tension coiling up low in his stomach.
Azul's always recognized Kalim is handsome, but he feels somehow transfixed when looking down upon Kalim's face sidelit by their camping lantern, by curious red eyes that he doesn't remember being this pretty before, or the surprised little O-shape of Kalim's lips that makes them seem so soft and inviting.
Surely someone as sharp as him should be able to easily put these signs together and realize what's happening, but his brain's going fuzzy and it's difficult to think of anything else than heat and scent and skin and a mouth that's rapidly growing dry. Instead of figuring out this puzzle his mind suggests that getting closer to that nice smell is a much better idea, and so he places a hand on the ground and leans in closer to Kalim, drawing in shaky breaths that ruffle Kalim's hair. ]
You...are you, ah, wearing some sort of fragrance? It's somewhat...distracting.
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[ Rest? That's what Kalim was about to suggest, and then Azul is suddenly close. Incredibly close. His breath falls over Kalim's hair, begging an involuntary shudder, and the question of fragrance hits him like a freight train when he finally remembers. He's going on two missed doses of suppressants and scent blockers. And all he can manage, while he leans away slightly, is a bout of nervous laughter. ]
Haha, no! Just me. Jamil wouldn't pack any of my perfume. He said it would attract bears.
[ Rather, Kalim despaired over Jamil's insistence that he leave his perfume at the dorm, Kalim invented a reason for why he shouldn't bring it, and Jamil agreed with a sigh. Any port in a storm, whether or not said port is built upon any basis of reality.
There's only so much space in this tent. Even when Kalim leans away, Azul is still close, still breathing him in. And Kalim has never been good at controlling his pheromone bleed -- impulsive as he is -- so the proximity has his scent practically flooding out their tent. Not to mention the way his heart jumps into his throat.
Does Azul know? How are his senses so sharp? Is this a merman thing? Or is he...? ]
What does it smell like? Do-- Umm. Do you like it?
no subject
[ Azul's entirely undeterred by Kalim pulling back, instead shifting forward again. Kalim's asking for an evaluation so he has to get a good sense of this alluring scent; what better way to do that than to nuzzle Kalim's hair? ]
It's quite...nice. Floral and sweet. I, ah, do like it, very much.
[ There's something nagging at him, a list of symptoms surfacing from rote memory only to slip beneath the waves before he can fully grasp its meaning: body temperature elevation, heightened olfactory senses, impaired higher cognition, perspiration, pheromone hyper-production, continuous arousal. It's important, he knows it is, and if he could just concentrate enough to put it all together...
But Azul's distracted by feeling far too hot and the growing discomfort of clothes constraining him, particularly below his waist; he tugs restlessly at the hem of his shirt, pulling it up enough to exposing a sliver of stomach. Sweat starts to well up thanks to this blazing heat gripping him, and with it comes his first release of pheromones. He may not really register his own scent due to being too focused on the other fragrance capturing his attention, but Kalim will surely detect it when they're this close. It's something spicy and musky and complex, with a surprising tang of the sea that exposes Azul's true nature as merfolk.
Unusual note aside, it's not the smell of an omega. ]
Kalim, don't you...notice it too?
no subject
[ Yes. He notices. Azul's scent curls through him, twists him, holds him captive. It isn't heavy, isn't oppressive, but it curls around him. Entangles. Winds through every spare fiber, until Kalim couldn't move away if he tried. Or if he even wanted to.
No, instead? Instead, his thighs part. Barely, and unbidden, but his legs fall open around Azul nevertheless. This should feel dangerous, shouldn't it? The realization dawns -- ever so faintly -- that Azul is also not what he seems in this regard. And while that should feel terrifying, Kalim just--
It feels right. Even with reality tugging faintly at his awareness, Kalim can't help bending to the notion that this is exactly what should be happening between them. It feels right. And that comes with its own brand of pragmatic anxiety (thank you, Jamil Viper), which primarily boils down to-- ]
You can't tell anyone.
[ Because surely, as bright as Azul is, he must know by now. He must be able to trace that intoxicating scent to its source, and ferret out the root of its implications. The truth of Kalim's nature, and how much trouble it could cause if it became public knowledge. ]
Promise me, please. You can't tell anyone.
no subject
And that he's just stumbled upon the keys to a kingdom. How much would the knowledge that the heir of the Asim family is actually a secret omega be worth, even just in terms of leverage alone, never mind material wealth? The sheer potential of the information that's been dropped into his hands staggers.
Azul pulls back slightly so he can see Kalim's face again, and considers just how deeply he could exploit this weakness he's uncovered when their eyes meet and he can read that gentle plea and acceptance in Kalim's expression. His attention travels down Kalim's body and he notices how Kalim's thighs have parted for him and how Kalim's scent remains so phenomenally alluring rather than carrying any hint of fear, and how he could take advantage of this newfound knowledge and...how he could...he could...he... ]
...I promise. I'll protect your secret.
[ He could make Kalim his, except Kalim already is. So much else clicks into place with that conclusion; the lingering of his attention whenever Kalim is near, the persistent urge to keep close he's felt all day, the restlessness over the prospect of sharing this confined space.
Their foreheads brush together, and it draws a soft sigh out of him and softer words, following the need for warmth and touch with a caress of Kalim's cheek. ]
I'll protect you.
[ No one will harm Kalim, no one will exploit this potential weakness, because Azul will keep his Kalim safe. If anyone endangers Kalim he'll drag Kalim down into the depths with him to someplace dark and secret and secure where his prize will be treasured, cradled sweetly in octopus limbs that will just as readily tear any threats apart. ]
no subject
[ It's an extravagant promise, one that has Kalim's head swimming the moment it's uttered. If anyone could protect him, it would be Azul. There's an imperative certainty in that notion, and Kalim can't quite put his finger on why, but the seed of it has lived within him for ages now. Quietly flourishing beneath careful hands until it sweetly bloomed into this. And this, oh-- There aren't words for something like this.
Their foreheads press together, and Kalim's scent pitches so warm, so inviting; summer sun and scintillating spice, beckoning in that barest bit of space between them. Then Azul's hand on his cheek, and Kalim's breath catches in his throat. It hitches tight, strangled by anticipation, waiting for that touch to stray farther and claim all this immaculate skin that's rightfully belonged to Azul from the very start.
But it doesn't. Kalim's gaze is searing, all molten garnet gone needy from the proximity, and still Azul's hands don't wander. They should be all over him. They should be pulling and invading and taking, and Kalim's buckling so readily to Azul, he can't begin to fathom why he's been kept waiting like this. So his head tips -- back, to the side -- throat long and exposed while his face flushes deep. ]
Can't protect me, if you won't take me.