#it's a weird concept within the omegaverse universe

[artemis-red-hotd]

a lucemond a/b/o curse + arranged marriage concept

(mostly sfw. cw: loss of primary genders, loss of fertility, potential body dysphoria but non explicit)

A flip + exploration of the fics I've liked where someone from non-omegaverse finds themselves in omegaverse and suddenly presents & has to adapt to having an a/b/o gender. This is the reverse idea, where in an a/b/o universe, everyone loses their primary gender hormones and most people become an intersex beta essentially, with male/female reproductive capabilities becoming dominant. I had a world-building brainrot going but a chunk of it will be hand waved. ====

Westeros is in omegaverse. Lucemond have been married for a year and have been told to have a child to remove the still lingering tension between the two sides of the family due to the conflicted relationship between Lucerys and Aemond. It would be good for the realm if two of its princes' were not on the brink of murder at every turn. Queen Rhaenyra, as an alpha, took power mostly uncontested.

Then, one day, a magical curse sweeps over the land, and people lose their a/b/o gender. Those who were carrying a pregnancy make it to term, but have to watch the world change around them, knowing that a ticking clock will catch up to them once they give birth.

Lucerys and Aemond have been sharing the marriage bed, but have not had a child after a year as they have been taking moon tea in secret, not wanting to be parents so early into the marriage. But, following this curse upon the lands, they, and everyone else, finds themselves to be betas. Or something close.

Their mating bites no longer tingle, the heats and ruts no longer bond alpha and omega. Their primary gender hormones have stopped producing. There is no more slick to ease the way, and no more knots to keep mated pairs tightly bound together, murmuring to each other in the moonlight after their passions were consummated. The world shifts. Their second gender hormones kick in, bringing upon slight changes in their physiology. It is a struggle for all, but no one is going through it alone. The betas guide them through the change, being in the best position to lend their expertise.

It will take a while for people to understand that secondary genders now dominate and determine who can carry children. Female alphas find themselves unable to breed their female omega lovers. Male omegas find themselves able to impregnate others.

Lucerys and Aemond navigate this new world, in horror, knowing that a civil war between the Queen and Otto would be the last thing the realm needs right now, as Queen Rhaenyra’s reign goes on, formerly unquestioned as she was an alpha. What changes now that she's essentially a beta?

Since everyone is a beta, people thankfully look up to the Queen, as she goes through the same event as everyone else.

Lucerys, in secret, prays for his omega to return, so that his husband may feel the mating pull towards him again. So that he has a reason to spend the nights with him.

Aemond, in secret, misses the scenting most of all, misses the honey and ash scent of his omega. It's different, being around him, without their fated bond keeping them together. Sex doesn't feel the same. It requires lubrication now.

That is one industry that booms after this curse.

Its more than politics. They have mated. Quite happily, for the most part. They were compatible, as alpha and omega. Passionate.

But without their scents intermingling, without their bodies slotting together easily like puzzle pieces, without that mating bite chaining them to eachother, its just different.

They look at each other across the table, as they listen to their Queen talk about how things have changed across the Realm. The maesters have concluded that male pairs, regardless of their previous genders, cannot have children with each other. It is a shock to the system. No combination of former primary genders with the secondary male gender can have children?  How bizarre, to lose all of those pairing combinations. To have this one trait dominate.

Jace, a beta, is the only one unperturbed at the news. Aegon, his ex-omega, already has two children, so they may remain together for their family. Lucerys eyes his brother’s exhale of relief in jealousy, glancing across the table.

Aemond would surely want to be remarried to a female now, so that he may continue his line. It would make their alliance more tenuous, they were the biggest danger to the family, after all. Lucerys took his eye, earning his ire, and Aemond attacked him with Vhagar, killing Arrax. The pair was at each other's throats, unable to be in the same room together, before they were betrothed to marry to avoid war between their families.

But that was two years ago. Lucerys curses himself for taking moon tea in that first year now, before the thought of carrying Aemond’s child didn’t turn both of their stomachs in disgust. Things had been different, recently. But then the curse stole their alpha and omega.

But the Queen wants them both to be released from their forced marriage. They should have a chance at children, if they so wished, she says.

The Queen had never been opposed marriages between infertile pairs before the magic came of course. With so many combinations of genders, how could it matter, when the hormones and mating bites brought people together regardless?

Two beta males were always allowed to marry of course, though it was a rare match, almost unheard of. There weren't that many betas to begin with. Why marry if you have no inherent hormonal compatibility, no scents to attract each other, no mating bite pulling you together even against your will?

Marriage between female and male betas had been more common due to the chance of pregnancy. Lucerys had tried to imagine how different it must feel to be a beta. Definitely more free time, without the heats and ruts. But he enjoyed those moments of unending passion with his husband. Now, he knows.

What would be left, between them? Lucerys feels tears well in his eyes. He could still have children, if he remarried. As their alpha sire-… no. Their father. A strange thought. He could try. But he would have to separate from Aemond.

“No, sister,” says Aemond, cutting through the terse silence at the dining table. He hastily corrects himself. “Your Grace.”

“You do not wish to remarry, Aemond?” says Rhaenyra.

“What of the alliance, your Grace,” says Lucerys. He was never one to be quiet about politics, even with the omega hormones in his system, making him sweet and submissive to his alpha. Only for his alpha.

That was one of the biggest changes. He had argued with Aemond the night before, and they were not able to scent each other to calm down. They had slept in separate rooms instead. It had stung.

“I release you two from it. I trust our family has healed enough for this. That you are both wiser now. The realm does not need your marriage,” says the Queen. “Besides, keeping you together without the mating bond and the chance to sire children… it might make things worse.”

Lucerys swallows the lump in his throat, watching Aemond take in her words across from him, only an arm’s length away. He wants to grab him. Pull him close into a hold like a cage. Afraid, suddenly.

“It would set a bad precedent,” says Aemond carefully “to immediately disintegrate a marriage alliance just because our secondary genders have overtaken our primary ones. What of the stability of the realm? Of the lords? The curse might reverse itself yet. I believe it is best to keep our marriage alliance, as an example. When the realm is stable again, considerations may be made for future weddings.”

Lucerys exhales, in relief, watching Aemond’s eye as it stays fixed on his mother, not looking at him. The only tell is that Aemond’s hand is trembling, just a bit, on the table top. Lucerys feels his heart swell in hope.

“Lucerys,” says the Queen, eyeing her half brother in suspicion. “You should also have a chance to remarry and sire children if you so wish, as your secondary gender allows it. Your former alpha should not have the only say in the matter.”

Lucerys can feel Aemond’s eye, the one he had left him with, bore into the side of his neck, where his fading mating bites are imprinted. The hormonal possessiveness is taking longer to fade in the former alpha, it seems. Lucerys wonders why.

“What Aemond says is true. We need to set an example. Do you want all alphas to put away their omega spouses, when our society has afforded different roles to omegas and alphas their whole lives? Different expectations and opportunities? Even if you have fought against it, mother. It would be chaos. No, we must do this slowly. Aemond and I should remain married to show that stability and harmony can remain, even amongst former alpha and omega pairs,” says Luke.

Everyone at the table stares.

“We heard the shouting, last night,” says Jace, breaking the silence. “It generally devolves into mating, but this time wasn’t the case. We are worried that you two will kill each other some day. And we assumed you would prefer to separate, given the chance. You are both Targaryens. You may do as you wish.”

“I have made my wishes clear,” says Aemond, finality in his voice. He ignores the looks of disappointment from his mother and grand sire.

“And I, mine,” says Lucerys.

That is the end of it. Lucerys feels sick with relief, but he isn’t sure why.

He and Aemond's politics were in agreement. But Lucerys' motivations had been personal. He was no longer compatible with Aemond, in the way fated alpha and omega pairs were. Their pull was different. But…

But.

That night, they layed in their bedchambers, side by side, speaking softly to each other in the dark space between them, hands roaming over flesh, gently, as they had always done, back when they had to wait for Aemond’s knot to deflate.

Aemond presses his face into Lucerys’ chest, and Luke feels a tug on his heart, as if they were mated once again. But it wasn’t that same pull, it was a different one, present before but muted under the inferno of need that was their primary gender hormones.

Lucerys lets his fingers comb through Aemond’s hair, and whispers into the crook of his ear, telling him about the future they could still share together. A different one. They would have to adopt their children, but they could do that, they were not in line for the throne. Aemond tightens his hold around Lucerys’ waist, telling him that he would like that. He still wanted that one day. He just wanted Lucerys.

When they kiss in the darkness of the room that night, illuminated only by the soft moonlight dancing across their bare skin, they whisper reassuring words into the space between them. Some things were different. But they would make it work. They were meant to be together. They would fight for it, when the time came.

When their bodies meet and their hearts swell for each other, singing the same song that has always existed between them, they hear it clearly, even without the haze of heat or rut fueling the intimacy between them.

A song without words that they both know the melody of: no matter how much their world changes, in every universe, as long as its the two of them, some things will always be the same.

[tumblweeds-omegaverse]

assorted thoughts on omegaverses and identity

tl;dr - if queerness is what's outside of the norm, then who and what gets to be queer in omegaverse? that depends! on what? the universe itself. but also the wishes of the person writing it.

also, omegaverse as a trope has vague norms, things that are associated with it in general. (not rules but markers?) if the thing you're thinking of would surprise you if treated as "standard" in a random a/b/o fic or book, you can probably queer code it!

very long version below! seriously, this is long for what it is, and I probably could have written more if the original didn't get eaten by my phone last night. (thoughts may be jumbled or repeat, sorry)

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One of the most fun things about omegaverse, for me, has become how it throws things in a box and shakes em around.

What's it mean to be straight or gay in our world? Which group is someone referring to when they say, "I'm attracted to women" or "I'm primarily into men romantically?"

Yeah, I know what it means in general, but what does that specific person intend with those words? I do think there can be a difference.

Omegaverse can help with questioning my real assumptions by nudging me to ask, "What does this mean in this context?" For characters, for societies, and for worlds.

What happens when the signals of who "belongs" in each group change? What shifts when there are more variables?

What even is straight or gay in omegaverse? Depends.

◇

First up: what does it mean to be attracted to a dynamic within a certain verse? Before that can be get answered, there's another question: how do people know what dynamic someone else is?

Is it based on visuals? The body type or shape? What they wear? How they move? Coloration? Height or weight? Are these seen as generalities or treated like requirements? Could a character tell someone else was an alpha while they're blindfolded?

Is it based on olfactory info? Are there scents that signal it? Does it work within arm reach, inside a comfortable conversation range, from across a room, from the other side of a busy street? Is it the same as someone's scent? Are there pheromones involved? Could a character figure it out even through a bad head cold?

Is it based on sound? Are there noises that only one dynamic makes? Is there something about a voice that serves as a tell? Has the society set things up where certain phrasings or pronouns are associated with a dynamic? Would a person wearing headphones know despite the blockage?

Is it all of those things? None of them? A combo?

And then, which ones are associated with sexes instead of dynamics? Are the two similar or separated some way?

Why's it even matter?

◇

(disclaimer: this next bit is about people labeling themselves straight, gay, queer, etc. its identity markers, not behavior, that i'm talking about. i have thoughts about society labeling people in response to perceptions, too!)

Because, when people in our world say "I'm attracted to women," it's not like they mean every woman. But there's still a loose bundle of associated traits they're referring to. A capacity to maybe like some people out of a deeply diverse group. Things that, if they're missing or on another scale, the spark of attraction is less likely, maybe nearly impossible.

Before they can be attracted to a woman, they have a concept of which attractive people ping to them as women in the first place. Not in a demanding "you can't be a woman without this and this!" way, but in a "the traits I find attractive are things usually associated with people who are women" way. What are those traits, to that person?

(am I over analyzing this? yup! 🎊 i'm weird so it's fun!)

More importantly: if a person identifies as a specific thing, it's because it means something to them. There's some purpose it serves - either it adds to how they interact with others, or it helps clarify something about the self. In our world it's (hopefully!) impolite at best to tell somebody that they aren't who they say they are. Our labels hold meaning to us, and help us find commonality with others, and communicate which things we have words for.

(personal example: I haven't always used aroace as a term for myself. But my lived experience is definitely a closer fit to the aroace umbrella than the normative one. There could be someone very similar to me who puts a different word to their experiences, and that's fine. We would be focusing on different parts of our stories.)

◇

When it comes to labels as identity, within omegaverse, I think there's a number of directions it could go:

Attraction to sexes - male, female, etc

Attraction to dynamics - alpha, beta, omega, etc

Are there attractions present in the first place?

In general, I figure that the "main" labels say something about the attractions towards other dynamics. Just because of how important dynamics are treated in most things containing a/b/o tropes. Additional info comes in the form of labels within that umbrella.

◇

Looking at works tagged as omegaverse or a/b/o, there's some patterns, right?

Many relationships are alpha/omega, and the sexes of the people involved don't seem to change that.

In other words, it's less common to see a story where a male alpha is looked down on for pairing with a male omega. It's more common for there to be issues from other people if a male alpha is partnered with another alpha.

So, dynamic-based queerness is more impactful to the characters and/or the story. Queerness based on assigned sex may exist but might not be touched on. Things can vary based on verse, but it's what I've seen most.

That means that an alpha attracted to other alphas might identify as gay in order to signal that difference from the norm. Being into omegas as an alpha is normative, closer to what we see as straight, so anything that's not that? It's queer coded - if you want it to be.

Whether a male alpha who is interested in male omegas would identify as straight or not, is harder to put a finger on for me. It's part of why I think identity labels would say something about what the character finds meaningful.

This alpha could say they're straight if most of their attraction is toward traits connected to omegas. Or they could use gay if most attractions are towards masculine traits. Or it could be something else entirely!

(and this is all assuming that everybody is cis! adding trans characters, gender non conformity, identities outside of or beyond the binary? going into intersections between genders and dynamic and race and assigned sexes? shake that box even more! take nothing for granted! wheeee /excited)

◇

About umbrella labels and microlabels:

As a real world comparison, somebody can decide to say, "I'm asexual." That could be their one and only label - no talk on gender or sexes, no romantic attraction markers, just ace. There can also be somebody who says "I'm asexual" in one situation, but in another, they get specific. Demisexual homoromantic still isn't normative, and it's still ace, so they belong under that umbrella. So does someone who says "I'm aegosexual" and doesn't use the asexual label often. Each one is communicating something different, perhaps to various people at different times.

There's no reason why this couldn't be present in omegaverse, especially if there are six "common" options known to everyone.

◇

Where it gets really fun to roll this ball around in my head -

What if m/m and f/f are queer too but not in the same way?

Where do betas fall in all this?

Are there particular intersections that get specific types of stories told about them? How does that change the character's relation to their labels, both chosen ones and ones given to them?

For example: Do male alphas with male omega partners have a different experience than female alphas with female omega partners? What about m/m omega pairs versus m/m alpha pairs versus m/m beta pairs?

Is it possible in the verse to see two people and identify them wrong? If a character sees a masculine looking alpha with a masculine looking beta, are they going to act differently on finding out that one of the two is female? Which option gets the most backlash, if any, and what does that say about the view of masculine females of that dynamic and who they partner with?

Does a female omega who is attracted to betas and alphas identify as straight? Does that change based on the preferred sexes? Would this person identify based on interest or on what they're not attracted to?

Is it less normative for a beta to be attracted to other betas, or to alphas, or to omegas? Would a beta who only is interested in betas be gay or straight? Would they use straight and gay similarly to our world, or in some other way?

If a female beta is self-labeled as a lesbian, for her personally, who does that include? Female alphas? Male omegas? Only other female betas? Are female omegas included? What is she communicating through her label? What does that say about how people in her world view "same" and "different" attractions?

Do people label their sexual or romantic or other attractions the way we would at all? Or is it so different within their society that the terms don't map, and the info shared is about something else?

◇

So, that was a lot, with no answer besides "depends! lol". But because there's no ultimate rules of what makes a setting an omegaverse setting, that means you can design it however you like, and then create or borrow terms to fit!

I'm pretty sure I've seen posts of crafted terms for things like "attraction to alphas" or "omega attracted to omegas" so those could help. I think it's also possible to use some of the same logic behind queer microlabels and create your own!

For example, isoeidyllic could label "a person who is romantically attracted to the same dynamic." I literally just stole the "iso-" prefix from Greek and added it to the word for romance. An alternative could be equiromantic? With equiro as a shorthand. (not sure if that's a word in another language but probably good to check!)

Or you could keep it simple and do a4a, b4o, and similar for people without multi attractions. I don't see anything wrong with using pan, omni, poly, and other existing prefixes for people with multiple attractions either.

◇

I haven't made terms yet, but I'd like to. The issue for me is that they'd all be unique to their settings. I keep making each one juuuust different enough where the definitions wouldn't fit neatly...if "what or who is an alpha?" changes, then the labels used to describe attraction to an alpha would also be different, or at least, organized around different ideals, right?

Quick examples:

setting 1: alphas can be any sex or gender, dynamic is signified by scent cues and pheromones, attraction labels are used to signal what one isn't attracted to due to the number of combos. (12 in total)

setting 2: alphas are masculine coded but can be any gender, dynamic cues are scent oriented with build secondary, so attraction labels are used to signal what scent families one is attracted to.

setting 3: alphas are considered male no matter their gender expression because dynamic has taken the "role" of assigned sex at birth, dynamic cues are linked to visuals and scent about equally, labeling is based on behavior rather than on identity.

Whyyyy do I keep making it impossible to reuse my own work? Though that probably explains why I'm researching the speed of wagon travel and technology levels by century and various biomes and what scent families are and animal symbolism, instead of actually writing...or outlining...or finishing character notes...hahaha.

I mean, I'm having fun, but setting 1 has been going through various changes since October of 2023 and I certainly can't write my scenes where the cast bond at a festival if I haven't figured out how people celebrate yet, or what clothes they wear during which seasons, or what foods they eat on special occasions, right? I should at least know in a vague sense...right?

Right??? 😭

(help i am trapped in worldbuilder limbo /affectionate??)

also: all of this was sparked by somebody else's post that showed up on my dash with no notes and I didn't reblog because I was at work with too many thoughts and now I can't find it 🫠

[thecarnivorousmuffinmeta]

I am so sorry, but I truly must be the one to ask this. What do you think the Cullens and Volturi’s a/b/o alignments/secondary genders are within the omegaverse? How do you think venom effects heats/rut patterns? Is it that upon turning only males have them as they’re the only ones capable of reproducing via hybrid? (Lol not a fic writer just want to know your thoughts)

...

Anon.

Come on.

Bold of you.

But come on.

I also like how you're weasling out of writing your own fic to answer these questions. Really, anon, your guess is as good as mine here.

Do You Have an Answer, Muffin?

No.

And it's not because I'm weaseling out or because this is an entirely made-up fanfiction concept: it's because it is entirely dependent on the porn the author wishes to write.

But What Do You Mean?

A/B/O gender alignments in fics is entirely dependent on who the author wants to be on top. The ageless question in slash fanfics and the cause of many a heated internet debate. BUT WHO IS ON TOP?!!!! WHO IS THE SEME?!!!!

Authors want whoever they want "on top" and then we get alpha characteristics on top of other slashy slashness to justify why this character is totally for realz on top.

It has nothing to do with anything.

Just how the author wants the porn to go down and who they want to get pregnant.

I could try to guess based off of fandom tropes and fanon cliches except, if you take a gander at the Ao3 shipping stats, the canon heterosexual pairings in Twilight are in the lead. When we do expand outside of them it's to the very Cullen pairings of things like Jasper/Bella and if we're getting really spicy Alice/Bella or Rosalie/Bella. Now we could do the wild and bold move of having heterosexual/female slash pairings that are ALSO somehow how A/B/O but it's well known that A/B/O has its lifeblood in male slash.

So, we're looking at... Jakeward? Pretty much? In which case if we go with what fandoms usually do... Edward's the omega and having the baby due to being shorter and skinnier and prettier than Jacob.

Beyond that it'd be me pontificating on who wins the coin flip of A/B/O to get whatever gender they get. Or, I could be that ass and say "oh but they're all Beta, you see" as Beta is generally in omegaverse statistically more likely (except when it isn't for strange reasons and what even is beta for in those fics? Honestly)

But How Would You Do It?

If you're forcing me to be in some alternate Twilight universe where they're also omega...

Well, caveat, this depends on if I'm doing this for a fic or not which may change things in service of the greater plot. Yes, even in an A/B/O fic, people, three should be at least some semblance of a plot. Somewhere. Somehow.

I'd decide via coin flip who gets what. It's a random genetic thing where a vampire is more likely than not Beta with relatively few Alphas or Omegas. It has nothing to do with personality or sexuality, it's just a weird genetic coin toss that affects relatively few people.

In terms of the Omega pregnancy thing... well, this would dramatically change the world of Twilight. Either these children would be known about and be illegal for being immortal children or else it'd be very well known that Omega vampires can produce offspring. Omegas would be desperately sought after by covens wanting children or covens with Alphas who are gifted. And I imagine many more humans might be turned on the off chance that they could end up a highly valued Omega.

Regardless, the Renesmee debacle would likely not happen or not in the same manner as children are a known quantity in Twilight. Now, I'm sure they didn't expect human Bella to get pregnant via Edward (who is statistically likely to be Beta here) but life is full of little surprises like that, isn't it?

And much of the plot of Twilight would be spent in angst as no one could guarantee that Edward and Bella will be compatible sexually due to the random coin flip of A/B/O that occurs upon turning.

Bella, I'm sure, assures Edward that her love is so strong it doesn't matter. Now, this may work out and it may... not.

Otherwise in terms of heat/rut patterns...

Nope, I can't even pretend to care, man.

Followers, you get to decide, which porn floats your boat best.

[rosen-ritter]

Someone Was Changing from the Inside Out - Chapter 1 Notes

New chapter tonight means more notes about the previous chapter!

In this chapter, we meet grown-up Will as well as the FBI crew. In AU fanfic, the Hobbs case is pretty well-trod ground, and for good reason. It introduces our cast and kicks the series off with a bang. I’m trying to strike a good balance between canonical plot points that I want to work with and new material, all within a new daemon/omegaverse context. This is partially because I’ve just had some canon divergent ideas I wanted to explore and partially because I don’t really like borrowing show dialogue where I can help it. Just my personal taste. I’ve seen well-placed canon lines work really well in other fics.

These little changes will compound. There will be parts of this story that are radically different from canon, and I can’t wait to explore the possibilities. 

Irregular Daemons: 

It’s been a long time since I read His Dark Materials, but I don’t recall this being a concept within it. At least, it’s not a major one. In this story, most people have daemons that conform to the “typical” standards of that species. However, a minority of people have daemons that diverge from this in some way, be it by coloring, size, or - most commonly - same sex daemons. The percentage of the human population with same sex daemons is about 10%, roughly the same percentage of people who are left-handed. There has been some speculation from fans of His Dark Materials on if same sex daemons could represent someone who is gay, but I’m not a big fan of this idea. I think it’s kind of reductive. What about people who are attracted to more than one gender? What about asexual people? What about someone who identifies as straight years into adulthood until they realize - whoops - not so much? It raises more questions than it resolves.

I’ll be discussing the social ramifications of having an irregular daemon as we go on.

Dust and Rusakov Devices:

In His Dark Materials, “Dust” is a substance that occurs in every universe but which has different names (and perhaps different properties). In Lyra’s universe (the one with daemons), daemons are made of Dust and when they die, they seem to dissipate and fade away. In His Dark Materials, it is impossible for a person to survive without their daemon - they die instantly. Here, as mentioned in chapter 1, it is possible for a daemon to dissipate first, but it is exceptionally rare, horrific, and brief.

The word “Rusakov” also comes from His Dark Materials. He was a scientist who discovered a method for people to see Dust (which is otherwise invisible). 

We will learn a bit more about Dust and Rusakov devices as they pertain to crime-solving later on.

On Specific Daemons (important characters introduced in chapter 1):

Sabine 2, Grownup Boogaloo: As an adult, Will’s daemon takes the form of a panther chameleon. She is irregular, being undersized and capable of extreme color changing ability. Male panther chameleons are capable of truly stunning color displays and Sabine outclasses even those dudes. I chose a chameleon for several reasons, like his ability to blend in with the minds of people around him via his empathy and how he attempts to hide away and disguise himself/his true nature.

Themis: Jack’s daemon settled as one of the strongest breeds of dogs in the world, with a powerful, freaking ginormous body and an incredible amount of force to their bite. They’re bred to fight off bears, wolves, jackals, and even lions to protect their flocks. I thought this was a good fit for Jack, who is strong, dominant in his field, a true and dedicated public servant, and doesn’t easily let go once he gets his teeth in something. She is named for the Greek Titaness Themis, the personification of law and order. Pronunciation: rhymes with “premise”.

Hartwin: Beverley’s daemon is an American river otter. Playful, social, curious (maybe a little TOO curious), and energetic - a good fit for good old Bev. I considered both a cat and a fox for her, but ultimately the otter won out, partially because I decided someone else was going to be a cat. Unlike Will’s dad’s daemon, river otters don’t actually spend all or even MOST of their time in the water, so she avoids the physical downsides of having a waterlogged daemon. I imagine she keeps a kiddie pool in her house for Hartwin to splash around in. His name derives from ancient Germanic terms meaning “brave” and “friend”. Pronunciation: HART-veen.

Minerva: Jimmy Price’s daemon is a raccoon. I never even considered another type of daemon for Jimmy. They’re intelligent enough to be weird, big fans of trash, and overall felt like a great fit for Jimmy “Who’s Ready For An Obscure And Disgusting Animal Fact” Price. For the record, if I had a daemon, it would probably also be a raccoon ;) .She is named for the Roman goddess of wisdom, but I mostly just really liked the sound of it for his daemon. Pronunciation: mih-NER-vah

Líadan: Brian Zeller’s daemon is a red (or lesser) panda. I’ll be honest: a not-insignificant chunk of this decision is for the trash panda/red panda joke that I refused to cut, and I apologize for nothing. But the more research I did, the more things I saw about it to make it fit. Red pandas are territorial (Zeller being the most antagonistic/least welcoming when Will joins the team) and more defensive than their cute appearance lets on. But Zeller’s not a bad guy, ultimately, so I liked the contrast between a human who is kind of harsh to people he doesn’t trust but softer than you’d think, and a daemon type that is ruder than its outwardly insanely adorable appearance would imply. I bet they endure a lot of Aggretsuko jokes. Her name is Gaelic Irish for “grey woman”, and I mostly just liked how it sounded. Pronunciation: LEE-uh-din

[pack-the-pack]

But Why Omegaverse of All Things??!

Okay so, recently some minor conversation sparked because of one of my posts regarding omegaverse, and why is it a thing and why it’s so popular. I even talked briefly with one of the people curious about it. Therefore, I decided to give some insight and explanations(?) to maybe why this is the case, once and for all. Obviously, I can’t speak for anyone but myself, however I’ll take the liberty to make suppositions about what might have brought people to like it. So if you feel like you don’t agree with something or the reason behind why you’re into this flaming pile of trash with us is not explained here, feel free to add on to it. After all this is just my humble perspective.

{Where and When it started?}

Well Wikipedia says it all started around 2010 with the one, the only, the massive: Supernatural Fandom. But really this is kind of a trick question, cause Omegaverse didn’t “start” anywhere. Those who have been in the Star Trek fandom might recognise terms like “Pon Farr” and “mating bond”, and those have been around longer than the 2010′s. And these have a striking similarity (if not the same stuff) you might find in ABO works. There are ABO fics dated even before said dates, do it’s not a exactly a precise date we’re looking at here. So yeah, it doesn’t have a clear starting point, and with good reason. We can’t pinpoint it’s origins because ABO it’s a collective of various different aspects drawn from many different places at the same time. We don’t have any set rules to what is and what’s not Omegaverse. You have elements of lycanthropism, sex pollen, vampirism, wolf pack dynamics, mpreg, scenting, soul mating, knotting, etc. The whole shabam! But really no one agrees in anything. We all just have this abstract universal understanding of what Omegaverse is and what is not. The elements present can be tossed in and out without harming the concept in the slightest. It can have all or just a few elements mentioned above and it would be just as valid.

Granted, the “modern version” we know today become more popular and well stablished around 2014/2015 ‘til the current year. And why did this happen?

{Projection}

We are living in very turbulent times recently. Be it in the realm of politics or… yeah politics. But regardless it’s undeniable that some things are changing, be it for the worse or for the better on your perspective one thing is true and will always be: Once shit starts to hit the fan we like to sit in the corner for a while and project our feelings into something. Usually this outlet is fantasy and imagination, which leads to ABO… somehow. “Okay but why daheck Omegaverse of all things?” as the title of this post inquires. Cause let’s be honest, Omegaverse sure is weird. I think (and again this is just my OPINION) it’s because Omegaverse can get you out of the “normally perceived” human world and toss you into something that is different from your reality but still similar enough that you can project your thoughts into. And things don’t “change” in this world, is all kinda the same every time. Omegas are Omegas, Betas are Betas, and Alphas are Alphas. Regardless of gender, of class, of economics, of society, of anything. These things don’t change. And it might give us a false sense of security to look at a society and an entire world where things have a sense of certainty. Yah know… unlike real life.

{Simulation}

Trying to understand how the world works and why B is B and not C is what humans do best and what we have been doing for as long as we can remember. So when you say “Alphas are X, Y and Z” it stimulates your brain to go “but why daheckity heck is that?”, opening a whole new plethora of thoughts about how this fantastical world and the people in it works. This kinda intertwines with the projection part, cause ABO has the “animalistic” side of people presented way more forefront and highlighted than irl. But just like in ABO humans might be capable of rational thought but at the end of the day we’re just glorified animals with a big ol’ brain inside our bone-made-thought-cage known as a skull. Once you start to look at ABO in a “biological sense” some thoughts start to occur to you, such as: “Is this somehow applicable in my life?”, “do humans have similar biological drives like that?”, “Is this nurture or nature?”, “are we really more than animals?”, “how far does our biology interfere with society”, “is society molded around our biological needs or do our biological needs mold themselves around society?”, “how far can our brains interfere with our bodies and vice-versa”, etc.

Just like any other trope and fantastical concept Omegaverse can indeed offer you a valid platform to project and simulate things you might not understand about real life or even about yourself. It proves itself to be a really fun and entertaining process and it also has a plus for getting some biases that might interfere with your judgment out of the way thanks to its huge flexibility. Yes, I am indeed declaring that Omegaverse for all it’s quirkiness and weirdness is capable of provoking thought. You’re welcome, I regret nothing.

{World Building and The Whole DIY Aspect of It}

I think this one is the one that resonates with me the most out of all the reasons. For those who are into world building but aren’t very kin into having to start from the ground up or just aren’t very good at it… BOY Omegaverse has your back, son. Since everyone else kinda already did half the work for you all you gotta do is take the abstract core concept and go full Picasso on it. The liberty omegaverse gives you is unbelievable and the worlds you can build around it can range from small island to a whole galaxy system. Which is very rare for a fanfic/fanart trope. Cause the other most popular AUs are crowded in way more rules and stuff you gotta follow or else people start to poop their pants cause “the wands are made of dragon-heart-strings not scales YOU HEATHEN!”, But all joking and exaggerations aside ABO is really unique in this aspect. You can focus on the biology, fashion, architecture, culture, religion, history, art, music, entertainment, etc. All revolving around ABO. The ammount of things you can explore is simply insane. Crafting a society based around these three dynamics is beyond fun (and I know there are people who make more dynamics aside from these but I’ll stick with the basic ones). And having every person bring something new and crafted completely differently from what you have but having just the same core focus every time you click in a ABO work is really something special on it’s on.

I think D&D players might know this feeling all too well, cause although there are general concepts and stuff that don’t change, you’ll never have the same experience twice and everytime it’s a new different and exciting adventure in a whole new world to explore. ABO is kinda like that but with weird ass human-wolf people instead of classes :v 

{RPying and Making New Friends}

This one is not exactly my cup of tea but I’m aware that a lot of people stay in the ABO community for this reason. Since ABO has a lot of material to works with it can be a goldmine for people that are into RPying. Be it with friends or to meet new people, the ABO community is rarely judgemental and is open to pretty much everyone, so it can be lots of fun to incorporate all the aspects you love about ABO into some good time with nice people. I know that @omegaverse-seeker is one person’s blog you can go just to find other people willing to RP with you using Omegaverse. So if you’re interested go check it out. 

{Social Commentary}

If you follow me long enough you’ll know that BOY HOWDY do I hold some grudges against this one. But since it happens a lot I feel like it would be unfair for me to not comment on it. Many people use the whole ABO genre to build narratives and push some sort of agenda or just make a social commentary about the real world. And god knows how this drives me NUTS most part of the time, because Jesus is it done poorly 9 times out of 10. Even if it comes as totally annoying and breaks the immersion of things for most part, there are times in which is done well and results into some really interesting and thought provoking stories. Like I said before projection and simulation is a big part of this. So when someone manages to take something as broad as ABO and transform into something that will make you lay down your phone for a while to actually think about some aspects of your life and the lives around you it really is something. Obviously it ain’t gonna be A Clockwork Orange lvl kind of thought provoking. Let’s get real people we’re all just amateur students on the internet no need to overestimate things. But the potential is totally there. The genre allows for this kind of potential to exist. And given the talent, the time and the faith required Omegaverse can bring up some real intriguing questions about our lives and the society we live in.

{Coping Mechanisms}

This one might come off a little risky, cause god knows this site and the word “sensitive” go hand in hand with one another. But even if it sounds a little pretentious (like everything else in this list) I’ll say it either way. Some people might use ABO to cope with some things they are not entirely comfortable with (I’ll not enter into the whole transgender “issue” that is brought up every  time someone wants to talk about how terrible Omegaverse is, Okay? That’s a whole can of worms I’m just not willing to open here, and not today… or maybe ever. But I digress. Back to other forms of copying) Some people might use Omegaverse to cope with some aspects of themselves they are still trying to come into terms with. Since within Omegaverse there are three dynamics, each with two genders, and every single one of them with exceptions within exceptions this can be a good outlet for people who might not “fit in” with what they belive they should be. For example a boy who’s more feminine and not as physically strong as his peers might look at ABO and see all the Omegas and Betas and go like “Oh I’m not defective or not as good I’m just different”. Or a girl who’s too masculine and physically strong dispite being a girl (like myself) might look at ABO and go “Oh, I’m not out of place, I’m just more ‘Alpha’-like”. Or “I’m not average. I’m a Beta”, lol @betasverse is gonna kill me for this one. 

Generally I don’t encourage this form of coping mechanism, or any form of coping mechanisms by that matter. I personally think that you should face reality as it is and try not to run away from it using short cuts and made up explanations. But if this is what gave you the initial kick or what’s helping you in the process of coming into yourself all the power to you my dude. Just try not to get too lost in it okay?

{Kinks}

And last but not least, you might just be into this sort of stuff. A lot of ABO is not plot related AT ALL. It’s just pure porn without plot and the bliss of dirty-dirty kinks. And Hey what’s wrong with that? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ We all got something that turns us on. If yours is people in heat and the whole submissive-dominant, Mpreg or any other things going on in ABO, go ahead children. Have all the fun. And if someone tells you it’s wrong to “fetishize” this or that, just tell them to shove it up their butt. Cause this is a stupid word anyways and what you do in the privacy of your home with yourself or any other consenting person is nobody’s fucking business but your own. 

There’s also other things like family Dyncamics you’d like to see incorporated to your ship. Or you think some tropes within Omegaverse are cute and think it would suit your OTP very nicely, etc. But I think I tackled all the main ones already, and if we are to analyse every fucking reason we’ll be here forever. So there you go people. The answer for “but why Omegaverse of all things?”.  

If you’re curious about any of the things I said here and want to see them be put in practice I suggest looking up mine and all the other ABO content creators here on tumblr and on ao3. Here’s a master list you can use for the tumblr ones. And here some good ABO fics with interesting concepts as a starting point if you’re new to the whole thing (a fair warning tho, most of them are incomplete and in permanent hiatus).