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To start lighter, because of this omegas and alpha’s phenomenons often smell like specific flowers and plants.

But most notably, omegas have adapted to have anthers. Anthers being the pollen-producing reproductive organ of flowering plants. Their anthers are stored on the side of their neck, where the base of the nexk meets their shoulder, this is the place an alpha would mark, as opposed to in many omegaverse media, it being the back of the neck. These anthers regularly produce pollen under the omega's skin, starting production once the omega reaches puberty. Accumulation of the pollen after some years can make that portion of an omega's body swell, so omega's usually discover before their first heat (occurs at eighteen) that they are an omega via this sign.

Of course, this built up pollen has to go somewhere. If not, omegas can get very sick and are often hospitalized after a year or more without release. In a hospital setting they essentially preform surgery to remove the excess pollen. Very expensive procedure. Even more expensive one, some omegas opt to have their anthers removed all together.

To avoid letting it build up, the natural way to get this release is by having an alpha bite the area. Their teeth are specially adapted to do it without any real harm to an omega aside from occasional scarring.

When an omega does go into heat, there are two universally accepted ways to end it. One being waiting it out, but this is extremely exhausting as the omega would have to be in heat for multiple days. The other being: Getting knotted by an alpha.

I think it’s easiest to explain by walking through how knotting + release would work in this AU. An alpha either in rut or not, penetrates an omega. They would bite into the omega’s anthers, releasing all the pent up pollen. When an alpha inhales this pollen, their own internal pistel (female plant reproduction part-) would trigger them to physically knot the omega. That knot would effectively end the omega’s heat and end/differ the alphas’s rut till another three months.

Traditionally, alphas do knot an omega by having sex during a rut. Essentially the rut is the CAUSE of the knot. But, in my AU, an alpha can experience a rut BUT an alpha cannot knot an omega without inhaling pollen. Also means that alphas, even those not engaged in sex, can knot just from inhalation of any omega’s pollen and omegas [typically] can only end a heat short by receiving the knot itself in combination with a shift or full released of their pollen. Pollen also triggers an orgasm for an alpha before the knot. And, essentially, alphas and omegas need each other. Typically, neither can end their own heat cycle unless they have sex with one another.

Unlike in plants, the pollen itself doesn't serve in reproduction directly. It’s more of an adaptation to encourage bonded pairs and increase the likelihood of pregnancy. The pollen itself affects omega’s most strongly. They feel very euphoric and happy after. Also the urge to have children heightens so often they will begin talking more about wanting children and such.

As traditional, being knotted means the alpha uhhh stays inside for a period of time so it’s basically like holding an alpha hostage while their partner is abnormally affectionate/giggly/in good spirits. Of course that encourages alphas to want to knot their lovers. Additionally, omegas become extremely clingy with the alpha that released them for the next 24 hours. It’s socially acceptable for alphas and omegas to call out of work and college for this period of time to stay together. When they are apart during this period, omegas can suffer truly awful emotional and physical effects. Many describe it like the worse sort of heart break or like they are physically dying.

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Ok let’s dive a little deeper.

The typical societal implications of the omegaverse apply. Omegas are often looked down on and stereotyped. They have less opportunities whether financial, education-wise, etc. They are expected to marry alphas and have children with them and that’s about fuck all. Omegas are often assaulted during their heats and blamed for it.

If you are an omega born into a poorer family… you are often screwed. It’s pretty much life or death to make sure you are regularly getting a release because god forbid you end up in the hospital and can’t afford that shit. Omegas will turn to really drastic measures when they can’t find consistent alpha partners. Many engage in risky sexual behaviors to have that met. Others will attempt to mimic an alpha’s teeth on that spot with whatever like using knives or nails to try to pierce their skin similarly. Some get desperate enough to try to remove their anthers themselves. It’s not uncommon to hear of omegas dying from under the table abortions and anther work.

BUT there are some measures omega can take to prevent pollen production and their heat cycles. There are blockers they can take, though INCREDIBLY expensive. If you can’t afford them because of family, many omegas enter into arranged relationships with financially well off alphas as soon as they more clearly present as an omega. Essentially they promise to be faithful to an alpha and eventually marry and an alpha promises to foot the bill for these blockers and to financially maintain good living conditions for the omega.

But to qualify for an alpha who has this kind of money can be really rare. They are almost always looking for an omega who is at minimum white- (this does take place in the 1960…!) and is expected to maintain a certain level of purity: Not being seen in public during a heat, not have an visible marks/scars over their anthers either from another alpha or their own attempts, be a virgin aside from the alpha.

Paul and Darry have been in this arrangement for years leading up to the beginning of my story. Paul also has this arrangement with multiple omegas, so it’s expected he will eventually wed one, and abandon the others, but it’s a situation where “shit what can you do”. It’s not like Darry is a virgin anymore so he’s kinda just holding on hoping Paul will ultimately pick him or if he must be discarded, at least he was able to have access to blockers for as long as he wouldn’t be able to otherwise.

Also circling back to alphas and what their rut is like. They also have the choice of engaging in sex to have a knot or waiting it out. This leads many alphas to have safety measures in place like locking themselves in their home/room (which omegas often do the same). They too have blockers available… but it’s rare alphas take them. It’s severely understudied when it’s assumed most alphas wouldn’t be bothered to pay for them anyways. Much of the public feels that if an alpha in rut rapes an omega, it’s all the omegas fault… so many alphas that do hold no remorse or care to prevent it by taking any blockers which are significantly cheaper :( There is also a black market for omega pollen. So some alphas shell out to keep some on hand to smell and knot without the need for sex and whatnot.

Also while racism, misogyny, classism, trans/trans a/o/b phobia, and fem/omegaphobia ??? run rampant… homophobia does not. As a society they don’t really have much of any distinction between gay/straight. Essentially a man being an omega cancels out it being controversial to be with an alpha man. Omega/omega and alpha/alpha pairings face much much MUCH more pushback. For example, Paul’s parents wouldn’t mind at all the gender of the person Paul marries, as long as it’s an omega. Not even an alpha woman who can still have children would be appropriate.

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Ok, let’s get more character specific in more of a quick bonus round ig cause oh my god I need to stfu.

Kathy is an omega and Two-Bit’s ex. He has effectively fucked her over. She no longer meet the purity requirements to be desirable by an alpha worth something after dating him. He promised he would marry her and that’s the only reason she began dating him. Two-Bit doesn’t fully understand just how horrendous a fate this is to her. It’s just like “whatever. I didn’t want to marry you. We broke up. Get over it.”

Tim is still leader of his gang and an omega. Best believe he has earned that. He’s been through some severely traumatic shit. He is about as bottom of the food chain as you can get. Only worse if he was a woman too. He’s both a person of color, scarred all over his neck and face, far from virginal/pure. The only alphas he *choses* to deal with are consistently just really awful hookups but he doesn’t have very many options with his lack of resources and status

Buck is a beta. Doesn’t really get all the nuances of things. He’s just along for the ride as someone Darry calls when he’s in heat to try and help it pass less miserably when Paul wouldn’t be able to tell they’d slept together because of his lack of pheromones and ability to knot Darry

Two-Bit is an alpha. A rather bumbling and feeling imposter syndrome of one. He wishes he was a beta to Darry and other omega’s great annoyance because he should be lucky to be one. The work itself is Darbit centered but like there isn’t a whole like to say on Two-Bit in particular

Paul is your typical well to do alpha. He is in college and upon graduation is expected to marry an omega settle down blah blah. BORING WHO CARES

John (My oc!) is present! He is a very reluctant alpha. He is a very interesting character… He is an alpha but does shell out for blockers. Effectively presenting as a beta. I shant give his extra little interesting secret but well it will be revealed in the first chapter or maybe prologue. He also has abnormal preferences on bed compared to most alphas uhhh anyways-

Darry is the main character and all. He does still roof houses to Paul’s great disapproval. Paul is very paranoid that being in such an alpha dominated field, Darry might be raped during a heat… or cheat as Paul would consider it 🫩 He wants to go to college and can afford it between his own job and his allowance from Paul, but Paul won’t permit him to.

As far as canon compliance, basically yeah. He is still his brother’s legal guardian. Parents still dead the works. Also no one in the gang but Two-Bit has any assignment cause I’m just not doing that I’m just not-