Nesting Omega

𑁍Long post incoming. This got way too long.

I have a lot of thoughts about scents in the omegaverse, but we'll start here. Specifically, with descriptions for scents in the omegaverse. Bc like a scent sweetening isn't indicative of heat by itself, but a cloying scent is, if that makes sense.

Sweetening; happens when you're in a good mood, or something particularly good is happening to you. You'll find it used a lot when people are getting scented by their packmates.

Souring; the opposite. A spoiled or rotten smell depending on scent. Someone with a coconut or milky smell might land more on the spoiled side, while someone with a woody or floral smell might end up on the rotten side.

so like, you could reasonably be romantically attracted to femme alphas and betas, but sexually attracted to alphas of any gender presentation

Sue me, I want romance 😂

Obviously, omegaverse is a fun sandbox to play in and it’s okay to play however you want and explore the themes that you want to. Equally, it’s okay to filter out the stuff you don’t like when looking for fic to read. I know I’m always making sure to exclude non-con and dub-con!

I also know that I have never really liked this ultra passive type of portrayal of omegas where they don’t really get a say in who their mate is. It just squicks me out.

I like when the individuals like/love each other, so that the mating during heat is more of a fulfillment of the relationship. I also personally love portrayals of strong omegas who draw a line in the sand when it comes to their mate and they’re like: “Grrrr! Back off, they’re mine!”

I think it's the omegaverse equivalent to a group of straight men talking to their soon to be married friend (or mated, in the case of a/b/o) and saying anything along the lines of "getting your balls chopped" or "getting a ball and chain".

It's like "finally mating that omega, huh ? Finally got your knot tied ?"

"yeah, heard you're going to tie the knot soon, say goodbye to your freedom !"

"never thought I'd see the day you got your knot down and tied, tell your omega I said good luck !"

I think this term is used most often toward a/o couples, specifically because of the discrimination towards omegas, but it's also used a lot towards female betas as well. This term could maybe be used in a better context when the other side of the relationship is using it, bc it'd be closer to what the phrase actually means I think.

So in omega verse if scent/smell is super important and the place you love in is usually very heavy smelling of that scent, how does apartments, rental homes, and hotels work??

Think about it, your scent is ALL over the apartment and your planning on moving to a new one soon. Is it your landlords job to unscent the place? You can't really do it because you'll just make in scentier. If an alpha or Omega wants to movie into your apartment, they DEF don't want it smelling like some random.

In most omegaverse stories, betas can scent so would that mean that landlords/hotel cleaning staff/renters are pretty much exclusively alphas and omegas? Or do you think they have a scent cleaning service that will do it for you?

But then again, landlords don't care so maybe they just leave it for the tenant to find out?

Oh my gosh! My first question! Hello anon! Thank you so very much for asking me this question!

I have to admit, I don’t commonly read historically based omegaverse fics… or write them. Or even read historical fiction in general except Jane Austen’s works and A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

However, despite this, I do have some ideas!

I imagine many different aspects depend upon how far back in pre-modern you want to go, as well as the culture. Here’s some necessities or common practices that I imagine would have been go-to things that individuals going through their heat or rut (or their families) would have relied upon.

Tea

Tea was commonly used for many different purposes. Much like in the modern era, there are teas that were meant for calming, for helping one go to sleep, etc.. Except, in the pre-modern era, teas were also used to help with suppressing heats and ruts as well as the symptoms of heats and ruts. They weren’t foolproof, but they helped to ease things a little.

Opioids

These were once very popular as a way to sedate an individual who was in their cycle. Basically, the thought process was that it would calm down the individual and they wouldn’t feel the need to indulge upon their baser instincts in order to get through their heat or rut. This option was really only available to the wealthy, as they were the only ones who could afford it.

Beta Servants/Slaves/Maids/Butlers/etc.

This one depends entirely upon one’s world building and what you want. I suppose that could go for any of these really…

Anyway!

Beta labor within those social and economic classes that could afford to have them were invaluable to those suffering through their cycles. Betas, being less reactive towards the high levels of pheromones being produced, would often be in charge of helping to care for omegas and alphas during their cycle in a capacity much more closely than other designated servants. Some of the ways they helped was to change and wash their nest or bed sheets, provide them with new nesting material or sheets, bringing them food and beverages that were freshly made in the kitchens by staff, and also by guarding the outside of their room to protect their virginity (depending on if purity culture is something you want to explore) or just keep them safe.

Family/Friends/Pack

For those who don’t have the luxury of any kind of servant, family or friends or pack (or all of the above) would help take care of an individual during their cycle. This support system would be more strained, but effective. They would help ensure that the individual would get whatever they needed to be able to get through and survive their cycle, as well as making sure that they maintained some semblance of good hygiene.

Depending on how far back in “pre-modern” you want to go, family/pack would also take care of hunting and gathering food and water to help ensure members of the family/pack experiencing their cycle would be well-nourished.

Traditional Medicine

(Also known as Indigenous Medicine or Folk Medicine)

These are medicinal practices which don’t necessarily have any scientific backing, but seem to work (either having a placebo effect or just actually working). These practices will, of course, vary depending upon county, race, ethnicity, nationality, etc. I’m not going to list every possible kind of traditional medicine and traditional medical practice because that would make for too long a list and I have homework and finals to work on.

Please make sure to do your research and plenty of it!

Perfume

Perfume was often utilized more as both a deterrent and a masking agent to prevent those going through their cycles from receiving unwanted attention due to the heightened pheromones they release during this time. These perfumes tend to be quite strong and are used liberally to ensure they are the strongest odor in the vicinity.

And that’s it I’m afraid. I’m sorry there’s not a lot here, but I hope this helps you out in some way! Thank you so again so very much for asking and I hope this doesn’t prevent you from wanting to ask me anything in the future. 😅

I’ve seen some people confuse nesting material and items that are either necessities or just good to have during a heat or rut, so I figured it was worth making a post about it to help understand the difference before launching into a list of necessities!

Heat necessities might be things like a heating pad, toys, or a nearby mini-fridge stocked with electrolyte rich drinks, water, etc.

Nesting material is anything that an individual uses to build their nest. Think of a bed and all the things that may be on it.

One would not find a mini-fridge in a nest. Next to, yes, but not in. Unless your world has a bed where the headboard has a built-in mini-fridge in it or something. Though I can’t imagine one would want to hear the rattle of stuff inside while their world and the bed are being rocked. But hey! Who am I to judge?

With that out of the way, let’s go ahead and start in on a list of necessities!

Mini-Fridge

For those able to afford this luxury, it is a good thing to have located near the nest. These are often kept fully stocked with bottled water or electrolyte-rich drinks. Think Gatorade, Powerade, and other sports drinks that are intended to help replenish fluids, carbohydrates, and electrolytes that are lost during strenuous activity.

Some may also keep smoothies in these as a quick means of getting food into their system without actually having to get out of the nest or get far from it.

Pre-Made Food

Before a heat or rut, many individuals will prepare food to eat ahead of time. These foods are typically ones that are easy/low effort to eat or perhaps reheat to eat (or don’t require reheating).

These foods vary widely depending on the individual’s personal preferences, income level, disability (if they have one), ethnicity, religion, nationality, dietary restrictions, etc.

Most will aim to get a balanced diet so as to get as much nutrition and energy out of their meal to meet the demands of their body during their cycle. However, pickier individuals or those who struggle with feeling hungry during lulls in their cycle may stick to a tried and true comfort food that they know they’ll want to eat and turn to other means to make up for what those foods lack.

Vitamin Supplements

For those who know for a fact that they will not get all the nutrients they need from the food they will eat during their heat, they will likely take some vitamin supplements that are specifically engineered for their designation and cycle to ensure that they get all the vitamins and minerals that they need.

Spare Nesting Material

Spare, clean, dry nesting material to replace anything that gets dirty. You can use my nesting material lists [Part 1, Part 2] for ideas as to what these items are, or come up with your own!

Mating Gland Protection

A must-have for anyone not looking to get mated during their cycle. Mating gland protection takes many different forms, some prominent ones are:

Collars are a popular option because they are difficult to remove during heat/rut, are impossible to bite through or break, and are re-usable. These are often made of leather, or some other sturdy material. Some double as fashion statements.

Patches are essentially like large band-aids/adhesive bandage/plasters that are to be placed over one’s mating gland and stays there. These typically have a coating that tastes bitter and repulses anyone wanting to bite. In addition, these often contain medicinal compounds in the padded portion that shuts off the gland for a few days. These often have to be replaced, though they don’t have to be as the medicated ones’ effects will typically last for the duration of the cycle, though many reapply to be safe.

Topical creams work much like medicated adhesive bandages, often containing something that causes it to have a bitter taste and also temporarily shuts down the gland to prevent it from raising up to be bitten.

Mouth guards and canine caps are worn by both parties and come in a variety of materials and fashionable colors/varieties, though many prefer to wear ones that conceal the fact that they’re wearing them. Mouth guards and canine caps both work by blunting the teeth so that they are incapable of piercing glands. Think of them like the nail/claw caps that go on cats’ claws to prevent them from destroying furniture and hurting people, but for teeth.

Toys

For those going through their cycle alone, or with a partner who does not have the biological equipment to satisfy or safely accommodate one’s biological needs. Or maybe for a kinky fun time. The possibilities are endless.

Heating Pad, Hot Water Bottles, Warmed Stuffed Toys

These are mostly utilized by omegas if they happen to experience abdominal cramps. Much like menstruating humans, these items can help with alleviating the pain to some degree.

A list of things I imagine are part of “nesting material.” Nesting material, for me (and perhaps many others) tend to evoke thoughts of soft materials, warmth, items that bring comfort, and just a general cozy vibe.

Extremely soft, fluffy blankets

Think plush, fleece, 100% polyester faux fur, minky, etc. throw blankets. These are top-layer materials as they’re super soft against the skin. Plush throw blankets are also sometimes used to cover the omega during lulls in their heat when they’re sleeping as these are thinner/less warm than a comforter or duvet but are perfect for keeping them warm enough without getting uncomfortable.

These blankets will often have scents that the omega likes or makes them feel safe/comfortable on them. They may be scented by family, pack, or their mate(s).

Pillows

Often used to create the wall(s) of a nest or just line one side (where their head will be). Pillows will vary in both size, type, and softness depending upon what the omega may need them for in the process of nest making. Any pillows that would be in contact with skin in the nest will often have pillowcases or shams on them that are made of the same soft and fluffy material as the top layer blankets. If such pillowcases or shams are not available, a blanket will be used to cover them in order to ensure softness.

It is not uncommon to see omegas utilize pillow-like plushies in their nests (think PillowPets and Squishmallows), especially if they are young omegas or neurodivergent omegas.

Couch Cushions

Some omegas will use couch cushions when in a pinch for any myriad of reasons. Either as walls for their nest or to make the base of the nest. These are fairly uncommon nesting materials and are typically only used if an omega has a sudden heat in a place they are either unfamiliar with or otherwise do not feel comfortable making a nest in a bedroom (ex. A new friend’s home, an AirBnB, etc.)

Comforters & Duvets

These are often used to make up the base of the nest for those that are not made on a bed or mattress. Outside of winter and very cold climates, these are never used to cover up and keep warm during sleep.

These are typically the fluffiest and most pillowy comforters and duvets that the omega has available and they are often set aside explicitly for nesting purposes.

Slick & Water Resistant Mattress Protectors

A must-have for anyone. These are easiest to find for nests which are made on beds, these go over the mattress before putting on the fitted sheet to help protect the mattress from absorbing all the bodily fluids that come as a result of being in or sharing one’s cycle. These tend to be harder to find for hand-made nests as it is impossible for manufacturers to make them the right size for these nests. Crafty omegas (or loved ones who know how big the omega makes their nests) might make some by purchasing several packs of those made for beds and cutting off the fitted parts and then stitching them together to make a suitable size for the omega to use like a blanket to drape over the base of the nest before putting on their top layer of blankets.

There are many different kinds and in many different colors and fabrics. They might also vary in how much body fluid they can take. More expensive ones are able to last for an entire heat before needing to be changed. These are most commonly found in hotels that cater to those going through their cycles.

Typically/Ideally, omegas (and/or their partner(s)) will change these every day (along with their blankets) for good hygiene and mental health.

All Other Bed Sheets

Fitted sheets and top sheets are typically found mostly on bed-based nests. For these types of nests, these sheets are typically made of fabrics that the omega finds to be soft to the touch as well.

Outside of use for bed-based nests, top sheets are usually found on any nest type as a lightweight blanket to cover a sleeping omega and their partner(s) for warmth that won’t cause them to get too hot.

Flannel sheets are more commonly used during winter or in cold climates, but some omegas enjoy their softness and warmth all-year round.

Clothes

Clothes are a common nesting material and omegas frequently seek out clothes that are soft and also contain scents that are of comfort to them. Many omegas will, during the lead up to their heat, ask family, pack, and their partner(s) for scented articles of clothing. These clothing items are typically clean, old clothes that don’t fit the individuals any more (or that they don’t want anymore) and would have gone to be donated. The omega selects what they want and the owner will scent the item for them.

During the nest building process, an omega will place the clothes out of the way where bodily fluids can’t get to them. Sometimes, they use them as pillow covers if they don’t have soft enough pillowcases or shams and don’t want to give up a blanket that could be used to remake the nest to cover the pillows. Some adult omegas use a particularly important article of clothing in place of a stuffed toy and will hug it to them while sleeping. This might be a piece of clothing that still has the scent of a beloved one who passed away or belongs to their mate(s) and has the strongest scent of them available.

If, during their heat, these clothing items are moved from where they were safely kept and do become dirty, it is considered good manners to clean the item and either keep it or donate it yourself.

Plushies/Stuffies/Stuffed Animals/Cuddly Toys

You get what I mean. Plushies are most often seen in the nests of young omegas and neurodivergent omegas. They are typically more rare in “neurotypical” adult omega nests, as they often worry about their partner(s) potentially judging them negatively or (in the case of alpha partners) be “jealous” while in rut and will either fling them out of the nest or bite/rip them. Alphas biting/ripping stuffed toys is not a common issue, but it is one that is seen as a giant red flag as it is evidence that they do not respect an omega and their things.

Plush toys are not necessarily nesting material in the typical sense as they are not often used to actually build the nest (unless the omega is utilizing pillow-like plushies such as PillowPets or Squishmallows). However, they are considered by the omegas who use them to be the final touch to their nest, the cherry on top, if you will. A familiar comfort to help them through an extremely uncomfortable, painful, frustrating time. Beloved plushies that an omega has had for years are often center-stage and kept closest to them within the nest. Unmated omegas may engage in grooming behaviors with their plushies as a way to self-soothe, but this behavior is also considered a sign that the omega has been in contact with a highly compatible partner/their true mate.

Many plushies used in nests bear an emotional connection to the omega owner and they are often either heavily scented by the owner or, in some cases, be scented by the individual who had given the plush to the omega. This could be done by providing just the clothes belonging to the plush to the individual to scent or the whole plush.

Manufactured Nests

These are considered nesting material in the sense that these are nests made by corporations for those who may be too busy or do not have the spoons to make their own nest completely from scratch (or maybe they just don’t want to or want something to help give them an easy head-start).

For young omegas, parents/guardians may buy them Squishmallow nests, these are essentially human-sized versions of their pet beds. These are nice starter nests to help young omegas to learn how to line and make their own nests. These nests are good for every young designation though as a training tool to help them learn how to help an omegas make their nest.

Though the company does make these in sizes big enough for adults to use, they are extremely expensive.

For adults, one can get manufactured nests from places like Pottery Barn, Walmart, Target, and Amazon. Manufactured nests purchased through Amazon run the risk of having others’ scents on them and is a common complaint in the review sections. On the upside, this can be combated by using a scent neutralizing spray to thoroughly douse the nest and then let it air dry before scenting it.

There is still a stigma around adults utilizing manufactured nests, with many in the older generation viewing the use of them as laziness and/or a sign that the omega doesn’t care enough about their partner(s) to put the effort in to making a nest from scratch. They are wrong, of course.

Nest is best, no nest is not.

Warning: this post explores ideas of gender dysphoria and (mostly) internalized transphobia. Half of it is fictional and a/b/o centered, but still rooted in reality. It's not too bad or graphic, but explicitly there.

- Being transdyamic in omegaverse, but instead of like THE ones you see (ato,ota, bto, bta) it's exploring more possible secondary gender idenities.

C'mon guys, get creative!

Where's the adynamic rep? dynamicfluid? demi-alpha/demi-beta/demi-omega

and more!

If these are things that exist in OUR world that we experience with our two sexes, I imagine the people with a second set of three others would too!

Oh! Oh! Oh! What about the possibilities of a character struggling with both? Primary and Secondary Gender issues!!! Which like- it cannot be that uncommon.

Like, imagine, transfem transomega character struggling to feel valid because what if one way or another they're being problematic chasing gender euphoria by embracing themselves and presenting with stereotypical femininity. What if they're sterotyping real girls? What if they're being dynamicist by making themselves feel good by presenting an omega as a feminine and submissive? OR a transfem alpha character struggling to feel feminine enough while still staying comfortable as an alpha? An Omega Transmasc denying themselves their omega needs, trying to perform stereotypical masculinity.

Transalpha Women struggling to recover from internalized misogyny and letting themselves be who they are as an alpha

Dynamicfluid people never feeling valid or comfortable in their own skin because no matter what they do, something feels off.

Adyamic people dealing with the constant "that's not a real thing" and having to explain over and over that they're not abusing suppressants and their long-term scentblocker is totally safe.

etc etc.

Speaking of long term scentblockers!!! What does medical transition work for a/b/o worlds look like?

Presentation blockers as puberty blockers basically

PRT?? Pheromone replacement therapy

Long term scentblockers work kinda like an IUD

Surgeries like scent gland cauterization for Adyamic folk.

This next one is not even necessarily trans specific, but...

suppressants! I know a lot of fics present long term use as dangerous for the drama of it all but... logically speaking, they've probably devolped supressants safe to use long term.

ESPECIALLY if we're in a world that parallels our own much closer. I know damn well alphas and omegas aren't getting PTO for their heats/ruts.

NON—MATING．   ➷

pt: non-mating. end pt.

⚘   ⌣   definition．

 a flag for those of any dynamic who do not want to / cannot for some reason mate. this may be because they're aromantic , asexual , aplatonic , etc. , they simply don't want to , or for whatever reason given!

pt: definition, a flag for those of any dynamic who do not want to/cannot for some reason mate. this may be because they're aromantic, asexual, aplatonic, etc., they simply don't want to, or for whatever reason given! end pt.

COINER．  the sweetest boy & the prince draped in roses．  ➷

⚘   ⌣   no + mating．

TAGS．  @radiomogai @omegai @omegarchive @misceverchive @seapupz @angeltism @jigumis @zoeynovie @crossstains @chivalrynt @wailingclowns．  ➷

Legally:

In my verse packs are considered more a social thing than a legal thing. Though there would be some legal things involved. Such as sharing finances; (similarly to marriage) pack members would have shared finances and get “pack benefit” checks. Used primarily for time taken off work for reproduction cycles. Sadly an incentive for lone omegas to join a pack. Beyond finances pack members would get a say in medical care if one is unable to make their own decisions. As well as being legal guardians of any pack children.

A pack cannot exceed 21 members. This rule was set in place after someone tried to register their cult as a pack .

Legally you aren’t allowed to be a member of more than one pack. With the only exception being work packs. Packs formed most commonly with high stress jobs; firefighters, doctors, dispatchers, etc. Though can be formed by any group of coworkers. Designed to help people do better at their jobs as well as strengthen bonds between coworkers. A work pack head isn’t allowed to fire a pack member without explicit admission from every other member.

Socially:

Members of a certain pack will usually wear the same type of bracelet. Most commonly metal engraved with a pack saying or emergency contact number.

In high school kids are assigned to fake packs (and use friendship bracelets) to help learn about pack dynamics. Once in a while these fake packs be becoming real packs after the kids graduate.

Traditional

Originally packs were often generations of families living together. The pack head would fall to the oldest alpha. Who would have finally say on everything. Including potential mates of other pack members. Leaving your pack (other than for mating) was unheard of.

Other packs of these times were entire villages of people which were even more hierarchy based. There’d be one alpha pack head but alphas would be a step above betas and omegas.

Modern

As times went on pack structures changed. For an awhile you weren’t allowed to legally form a pack without at least one alpha as pack head but now-days the role of pack head could be filled by anyone. This started a trend of what are called “mono-packs” packs where all the members are only one dynamic.

All beta packs being the most common as betas are generally better at conflict resolution and can better understand each other’s sensory issues concerning smell.

All alpha packs are seen by social standards as impossible due to alpha‘s aggressive nature but they do exist. These packs take more communication than most though.

All omega packs in some circles are called “alpha slander” but their formation rarely to do with alphas and more to do with the shared experience of heats. Omegas are more naturally caring and help each other through heats (not in the sexual way at least most of the time).

Usually a persons first pack is their family followed often by a frat/sorority. Some people don’t have a pack at all though this often frowned upon. 

Any gender can get pregnant; it's a normal fact of life everyone is familiar with. That's a huge appeal of the fantasy. A setting where on a huge societal level no one makes immediate assumptions about reproduction based on gender.

Ugh, I love this idea so much. The ingenuity of Omegaverse medicine. Lol.