OOFURI omegaverse AU
This started as just some a/b/o art for abemiha and hanataji, ended up turning it into a whole AU and needed to figure out the team's second gender.
(β is for still unrepresented at the start of the manga)
My pairing for this AU are: AbeMiha (occasionally switches) HanaTaji OdaKano HaruAki (*see extra note later)
(also HamaIzu and MizuShino, but I don't think about them as much sorry).
More lore under cut
=AbeMiha=
They don't get together until university, even though they've been stuck to each other since the first year, really. Everyone's reaction to learning they bonded is "FIANLLY, took long enough". No one is surprised.
University classmates assumed they were a pair even before they bonded because of how close and glued at the hip they are (and well, just how they are in general, ya know)
Their dynamic is also often mixed up due to how their personalities dont fit what society expects of an alpha/omega.
=HanaTaji=
They started dating in the summer between their second and third years (After Tajima finally got through Hanai's thick skull that he doesn't care that he's a beta).
They keep it a secret, despite there being no rule against dating. It is a bit of an open secret, seeing how most of their teammates either already knew or suspected it.
No one is surprised when they admit it after graduation.
=OdaKano=
Oda takes a liking to Kano immediately and, not quite subtly, tries getting close to him to try and court him later on. It takes until the middle of their second year for Kano to really realise it.
Like Hanai, it takes some reassurance that no, Oda doesn't care about the nice omegas in school; he wants Kano.
Their club forbids romance, so they keep it under wraps even if some of their closest teammates have suspicions (like Hatake).
=HaruAki=
I think these two would only get together once they graduated, too. It doesn't really surprise anyone, though, seeing how they've always been around each other.
I think Akimaru might be the first one to fall, but assumed Haruna would never feel the same.
Collars aren't a mandatory thing to wear, aside from some events where they're deemed for everyone's safety.
It is a little more expected for omega to wear them most of the time, while alpha tends not to really do so.
When collars are mandatory, it is rarely for alpha, but for omega.
Some more modern schools have taken to requesting all students to wear collars, regardless of dynamic.
=Abe=
He hates having to wear a collar and only wears it when an event requires him to wear it. And even then, he'll make it known that it's a bother to his being.
He owns one of the less restrictive kind.
=Mihashi=
Mihoshi tried instating rules about collars, but they didn't stick around for long after too much pushback. Mihashi still owns it and wears it when they are mandatory.
=Tajima=
His middle school had the mandatory collar rules and it just became a habit for him to wear one all the time. He doesn't care much about it and sometimes even forgets he's wearing it.
=Izumi=
He started wearing collars pretty much the moment he presented, mostly encouraged by his family. He doesn't care much for it. He owns the type of collar that also helps block his scent.
Scent patches are, much like collars, up to the person. Although it is much more common to see it being mandatory/required for some events and places.
It is considered more considerate to wear patched especially in days leading to a rut/heat and when coming out of it. Or when someone has an especially strong scent that tends to overwhelm others.
People who don't really wear them will often do so when playing sports. It helps regulate their scent, but also doesn't give away how you feel as much.
(realise it's not quite escalating this time, but both Abe and Tajima wear them leading to and after heats).
=Mihashi=
He uses patches to an extreme extent, often using the stronger type that is used for sports. He feels self-conscious about his scent and still remembers people constantly commenting about it, not being nice because of his anxiety souring it.
It's to a point where it causes him issues, where changing the patches too often causes irritation that he doesn't quite let heal before slapping a new one on.
=============== extra notes
Akimaru: wasn't sure which dynamic to give him. Didn't necessarily want to make him an omega, because I think catcher would be more often alpha or beta. didn't want them to completely mirror abe and mihashi too lol. did hesitate to make him an alpha before settling on a beta (can anyone tell I do enjoy non-trad a/b/o pairings).
Shinooka: legit hesitated making her an omega, but settled on a beta (unsure if I won't switch it later one, I dunno).
more lore I thought of:
-There are omega-only and alpha-only leagues, but they are typically much less popular (alpha-only more so). These are usually mixed-gender, with only a focus on dynamics.
-While not like that everywhere, it is much more likely to see an alpha being the team captain than any other dynamic. Some more old-fashioned schools will only pick them for captain. It is very rare to see an omega team captain in a mixed team.
-Omega being the starting catcher is not typical on a team, usually picking an alpha or beta that can hold out better when guarding the home plate. It also lessens cases of intimidation at the plate (with scent and pheromones).
[y'all feel free to ask more about the AU or leave ask about it, i'll happily yap about it. I do plan on posting some thread about it on twt, will try posting here too]
Edit: Character scent over here
