Chapter Text
A/B/O Dynamics:
Two primary sexes: Male and female, Three Primary secondary genders: Alpha, Beta and Omega
*note: these are just physical sex characteristics, not identities
Presentation:
Tends to occur between the ages of fourteen and eighteen. Secondary genders can be determined before presentation; however, it is illegal in most places to do so. As a traditionally taboo practice, an invasion of the child's privacy and a risk to the child's well-being. Although much like our world, superstitions have come into play on how to predict a child's presentation before it occurs. The likelihood of certain secondary genders can also be predicted based on the genetics of their parents (Carriers of dominant vs recessive alleles).
Betas:
Considered "The norm", it makes up roughly 75+ percent of the population. Basic male and female anatomy. Betas are able to pick up on pheromones and have very mild scents of their own; however, they don't have the same physical reactions to them as Alphas and Omegas. Betas don't have any heats or ruts and tend to be mostly unaffected by those of others; this can, however, vary person by person. Betas can have "mates", but are usually other betas; beta omega and beta alphas tend to be more uncommon pairings. This is due to the lack of mating scent glands (Located on the nape of the neck), and the resulting inability to be claimed or claim. (They can still be in very healthy and happy relationships with alphas and omegas, tho. Just might have some more obstacles)
Alphas:
Extremely less common than betas (approx. 15% of the population). More commonly found in males due to the anatomical and hormonal compatibilities; however, female alphas are possible, just even more or less common (≤20% of all alphas). Usually have strong senses of smell, especially tuned for pheromones because of the importance they carry in healthy Alpha-omega, alpha-alpha relationships (Familial, platonic and romantic). They have sharp canines, longer/larger and slightly pointier than betas. These are used during marking, and traditionally, the longer and sharper the teeth are, the deeper the mating bite would go. Although it doesn't really change anything, when someone is marked, they are marked, regardless of the depth. It is believed that one of the many signs of strength and fertility is having larger, sharper canines.
Now, I feel like I don't need to explain male, alpha sex organs (You probs know what's going on), but female alphas are a little special. A female alpha's phallus works in the same fashion; however, it is retractable, hidden inside an extra (Slot?) part of the vagina. Female alphas still have working ovaries and a uterus, but tend to be less fertile when it comes to getting impregnated themselves. (Much fewer ovum). This also leads to slightly lower sperm counts than those of male alphas, yet still much higher than those of betas.
Omegas:
Even more rare than Alphas (≤10% of the population). More commonly found in females due to the anatomical and hormonal compatibilities; however, male omegas are possible, extremely uncommon (≤7% of all omegas, out of a population of 8.2 billion, that is roughly only 5.6 million people. In context, a person, on average, will only ever meet 80 thousand people in their entire life, this makes the chance of meeting someone in a 0.07th percentile effectively zero, maybe one or two depending on a persons social circles) Its easier to add testes to a woman then adding all the anatomy required to rear a child to a man, lol.
Because of the extraordinary scarcity of male omegas, they are commonly considered enigmas, something that the average person is highly unlikely to encounter in their lifetime. This makes them a prized item in certain circles. Male omegas still have testes and a penis, although their sperm counts are practically non-existent. This means it is very unlikely to get pregnant from a male omega. Male omegas have a uterus and ovaries, with extremely high ovum levels. Due to the higher possibilities of miscarriage, evolution has adapted them to have a much greater chance of getting pregnant in the first place, a way to counteract the lower successful full-term childbearing rate. Male omegas are able to breastfeed, although they don't tend to have much localized breast tissue, unlike female omegas, who are prone to high levels of breast tissue and the common milk oversupply that comes with it. All omegas are able to breastfeed, regardless of whether or not the pup is theirs; however, there are certain requirements for this to occur. When in large, close-knit groups of omegas, if one has a child, more than just the mother tends to start producing milk. Although in modern ages, communal child-rearing is much less common.
All omegas have slightly sharper incisors than both betas and alphas, as well as sharp, pointed canines. While yes, the canines are used during marking, the overall extra serrated-ness of an omega's teeth is for protection. A defence evolved to help protect themselves and their young. Omegas have much larger mating glands than alphas, and tend to have extremely good senses of hearing. And when it comes to fertility, it is traditionally thought that omegas with larger scent glands and potent but light, pleasing pheromones are better.
Heredity:
Much like our world, the presentation of secondary genders is based on heredity. BB-Beta is the most common and dominant over both other genes. aA-Alpha being recessive, yet dominant over oo-Omega. Two parents may carry the alleles for the alpha and/or omega phenotypes, and have the possibility of an alpha or omega child, even though they themselves are beta.
ex: beta mother, BB-oo alleles + beta father, BB-aA alleles. = BB-BB, BB-oo, BB-aA, aA-oo possible outcomes
They will only ever be able to have either a beta child or an alpha child. (25% chance alpha, 75% chance beta in a perfect world). This is because the Alpha gene is recessive to the Beta gene, but dominant to the Omega gene, which means every possibility overpowers the chance of having an omega child. However, if both parents carried the recessive omega gene, then there would be a 25% chance of having an omega child. The same goes for two alphas having a child; they would most likely have another alpha offspring (These are called true alphas), but if they both carried the oo allele, then the possibility of an omega child occurs.
This means that, unless there is a mutation somewhere in the genetic code, there is zero chance of two alpha, two omega or alpha-omega parents having a beta child.
Following this amazing math, the population percentage of the secondary genders isn't perfect, but hey, for the plot, right?
In this Au, there are such things as "true alphas" and "true omegas". For the most part, it is just a fancy way of saying both of your parents were of the same secondary gender. To be a 'True Alpha' is thought to be extremely auspicious. It is thought that true alphas are more intelligent, stronger, more fertile and likely to go further in life. True alphas are usually found in positions of power due to certain physical attributes and personality descriptors that they tend to carry, although this might also be due to behavioural conformation effects, confirmation bias, if you might.
The opposite can be said about 'True omegas'. Omegas, to begin with, are already thought to be less than alphas or betas, but true omegas are even worse off. Because of the extremely low chances of two omegas getting together and actually managing to conceive, true omegas are thought to be unnatural. They have stronger, potent scents then other omegas, and have much stronger, potent scents. The stronger potent scents lead to affecting alphas more when in heat, and sometimes even betas, despite their lacking scent receptors. Because of the stigma surrounding being a true omega, the actual fertility benefits of being one are usually ignored in favour of hating them.
On the opposite ends, there are recessive omegas (Recessive alphas aren't possible because of Mendel's law). These are omegas borne specifically to two alpha parents (recessive oo and aA genes from two beta parents are common enough that it isn't that impressive). The probability of two alphas getting together, rare as it is, having a child, even more rare, and then both carrying the recessive genes required to have an omega offspring, these 'recessive omegas' are extremely uncommon to say the least. Opinions on recessive omegas differ quite a bit depending on the societal expectation and whether or not the auspiciousness of being borne of two alpha parents as an omega outweighs the bad luck of not presenting as a true alpha. This is partially due to the lower fertility when it comes to getting pregnant; however, higher rates of impregnating others in the case of male omegas.
Dominant vs Inop-constant
Finally, there is the classification of dominant vs inop-constant. The vast majority of the population is classified as inop-constan largely because it is impossible to be dominant in the phenotypical sense as a beta. This is because, in this AU, to be classified as dominant is a genetic mutation of a usually silent gene correlated specifically to the alleles responsible for oo and aA genetic expression. It was a mutation that followed the original genetic divergence of alphas and omegas. The theorized rise in expression of this new mutation is thought to be somewhere between five and twenty thousand years after the first classifiably modern alphas and omegas. The dominant classifying population is only 15% or so of all alphas and omegas combined(In total, only about 3.75% of the world's entire population), being less common in omegas than alphas, but only in a 40vs60% difference
To be Dominant presenting is a largely physical attribution. Much like true alphas and omegas, it leads to stronger scents, but instead of heightened fertility, it is lowered. Noticeably so. Instead, people with a dominant classification tend to have larger builds, more sustainable metabolic rates and heightened senses such as smell, hearing, sight and taste. These characteristics tend to affect omegas far more than alphas, to the point where it can sometimes be difficult to tell an omega is an omega from looks and base scents alone. It is theorized that this was a mutation triggered by environmental pressures of the ancient world, and while it slightly lowers the rates of reproduction, it greatly increases the likelihood of the organism's survival. You can't reproduce if you're dead! There appears to be a correlation between pheromone compatibility and two people being dominant; however, it has yet to be proven. This means that when someone is dominant, they tend to mate with others who are classified the same.
Mating Cycles (Ruts and heats):
Heats:
A four to seven-day period roughly every three to four months, where omegas are at their most fertile. During this phase of their hormonal cycles, they behave similarly to a cat in 'heat', hence the namesake. In the weeks spent up to this portion, they experience extremely similar hormonal fluctuations as female betas. However, these cycles last 3-3.5 times as long. Because of these prolonged hormonal phases, an omega's uterus has lots of time to build up a strong, healthy uterine lining. This is especially needed since omegas, during ovulation, will more often than not release more than one ova and need to be able to sustain the embryos after fertilization. The release of multiple ova leads to higher rates of twins or triplets in omegas. This is further increased if either side of the family has a history of multiple pups per pregnancy.
When the time for their heats finally comes around, the first sign is called a 'pre-heat'. This part of the estrus cycle tends to last between 4-8 days, increasing in intensity as the 'full-heat' approaches. This intensity presents as omegas becoming more reactive and an increase in libido, as some like to describe, overly emotional. This change occurs due to the high levels of testosterone in their systems and can interfere with a person's ability to regulate their emotions properly. The heightened levels of testosterone lay the base for estradiol to come in and play its final part in commencing the heat. The high levels of this ovarian steroid remain raised until the end of heat, when they slowly drop off. After the peak of a heat, testosterone levels remain raised, but not as high as they were during the preheat. During this time, if no eggs have been fertilized, then the uterine lining is reabsorbed. This process of reabsorption can be physically exhausting to an omega and requires lots of rest and nutrition to be done properly.
Ruts:
For a span of 7-12 days on average biannually, alphas are at their most fertile. During this phase of their cycle, they tend to behave similarly to a buck in 'rut', hence the namesake. Excluding the Rut portion of their hormonal cycles, the hormonal fluctuations remain practically the same as a male beta. However, instead of how the hormonal cycles of male betas follow a distinct, repetitive and daily pattern, testosterone levels in alphas will steadily increase until the peak of their rut.
During their rut, there is a period of up to five days, similar to omegas, where their rut hasn't quite started, but they are showing signs. During this time, the endocrine system sends signals to the testes to commence the overproduction of sperm. While they can still ejaculate during this period, the sperm count is significantly lower than before because the body is in the process of storing as much sperm as possible. This part of an alpha's cycle can be exhausting and requires good rest and lots of nutrients to maintain health. After the rut, testosterone levels will drop significantly, indicating the restart of their cycle. This drop can also lead to fatigue, but it isn't a long-term aftereffect.
***Pregnancy- For a mated alpha-omega pair, when pregnancy occurs, these cycles are forgone until around the nine-month mark after the pup's birth. This is due to the levels of progesterone in mothers and heightened levels of estrogen in sires. This pause in mating cycles has a lot to do with scenting and the influence it has on the endocrine system. Especially when it comes to alphas. The effect of their mate's scent during pregnancy and breastfeeding encourages their hormonal regulatory system to release more estrogen than they normally would.
For omega-omega and alpha-alpha pairs, this evolutionary adaptation isn't nearly as effective, but can still be somewhat present in the forms of dulling or suppressing heat and rut after birth. (Note that regardless of the secondary genders of a mated pair, no cycles will occur during pregnancy, especially not for omegas or female alphas.)