Japan/Japanese-based omegaverse headcanons. I accept headcanons/questions/requests, just send an ask or submission! | these are works of fiction | この著作物はフィックションであります
I imagine that omega men don't thicken their voices like alpha and beta men (thanks to the estrogen in the body). Although I don't know how thick an alpha man's voice can become. It makes me have a little trouble imagining what their voice would be like, I think from high to low-pitched (it's kind of hard to find real-life examples).
pitch of voices is largely determined by the shape of the vocal tract, actually, so adult men usually have a low pitched voice with larger vocal folds and larynxes, adult women usually have a high pitched voice with smaller vocal folds and larynxes. Children have even smaller ones, so their voices are also high pitched. large vocal tracts also give a lower timbre in men.
so it’s actually more about the person’s overall size than hormones.
hey hey! Could you do a headcanon about a yakuza alpha that’s ruthless, but meets a sweet omega that makes their knees wobble?
This alpha is highly aggressive to anyone from their yakuza life who tries to pry into their personal life (not wanting the omega they like to know about the ruthless side of them).
The alpha definitely panics a lot inside if they display their usual ruthless behavior around the omega (as in, getting instantly pissed if someone rudely bumps into the omega), and only calms down when the omega finds it endearing.
In their everyday life, the alpha always has other people trying to please them/not get on their bad side, but with this omega, the tables have turned and they find that they’ll do anything to make the omega happy. It’s not an unpleasant change.
The alpha lies very easily about their actual job, but as time goes on feels increasingly guilty for hiding the truth from the omega.
The omega definitely knows the alpha has things they don’t want to share, but doesn’t want to pressure them into revealing it until they’re ready.
If/when the omega does find out about the alpha’s yakuza activities, the alpha just runs and hides for a while, afraid to know the omega’s reaction.
bonus points for the omega assuring and accepting the alpha, and the alpha realizing the reason they were always so ruthless was partially because they could never fully trust anyone.
the alpha is still not someone to be messed with, but their subordinates are quite glad for their bosses’s new s/o that has made them soften a bit, or at least be more forgiving/understanding
hi, uhm sorry for this ask but i have been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now and i can't really figure it out so i'd like you to share your opinion. how do blowjobs work when it comes to alphas?? it confuses me since they have a knot
these are works of fiction | この著作物はフィックションであります
I would think it’s possible, as long as both parties are aware enough to back off as the knot is forming and not push the one giving the blowjob into taking it. That…could be a potential medical and health hazard. I’m not sure if it would cut off their air supply, but at the very least it could very well cause a panic attack (+ hyperventilation) or for them to choke on their own spit/vomit.
I have a story idea, and I want to know if you have any headcanon for it. An Alpha and their bonded mate have a bad fight, the beta/omega disappears after it while pregnant with the alpha's pups which they have. They then return to their alpha 3 years later with the Alpha's pups but during the time the beta/omega was gone for and raising the pups a random Alpha took advantage of them and now they're carrying another alpha's pups. How would their alpha react? And how would they treat the pups?
these are works of fiction | この著作物はフィックションであります
I’m not sure how much help my input would be after all this time (I’m really sorry for disappearing for so long!), but it seems like an interesting story you’ve got in the works!
I think, as long as the omega does not display outward signs of aggression/not wanting their bonded alpha to stay the hell away, the bonded alpha would be drawn to try and comfort and help their omega/beta in any way possible. Unless the omega/beta was in extreme distress at the time they met again, I would think the bonded alpha could overcome their instinct to crowd their mate and make a rational decision as to what can help them best (maybe call upon family or friends who can help, if the mate is really uncomfortable with their bonded alpha being in their life again).
As for pups: 1) I think the alpha would really want to support their pups, even if it’s not in person, even if it’s just financially or something, they’d want to take on as much of that role as they can, just out of instinct to provide for their family if nothing else, 2) towards the other alpha’s pups, they might feel extra protective/angry on behalf of their mate for what happened, but also a lot of that outward anger that seems directed at others could be a reflection of the alpha’s own anger towards themselves for not being there for their mate.
Of course, it is all up to you in the end! These are just some of my thoughts on what could happen in that situation.
thanks for creating this blog. I was talking to my friend about the lack of omegaverse's that happen in other places, other cultures, ethnicities. This is life.
I have no idea when this ask was sent, but thank you so much for reading! I am glad that my little research and ramblings interested you!
Can you tell me about the appearance of Japanese alphas? You know, the little Asian stereotype (eye-turning emoji).
these are works of fiction | この著作物はフィックションであります
Do you mean, how us Asians tend to be on the short side? xD I happen to be very short compared to a lot of people I know in the States, but I’m about the average height for women in Asia *shrug*.
The majority of Japanese alphas (and betas and omegas) tend to be shorter than their, say, Scandinavian counterparts. So this difference can be really apparent when working overseas. Within their own country, though, there are some naturally tall alphas and shorter alphas. It is common for very tall Japanese alphas to be teased by their peers, however, for being so uncommonly tall. Same goes for betas and omegas who are taller than the average in Japan, actually. I’ve also heard that Japanese houses are really not made for people 6 feet and taller, lol.
Japanese alphas come in all sorts of body types, just like anyone else. It probably would be a stereotype that they be on the short and slim side, though (so, compared more to betas in the west, or if being particularly nasty, they could be compared to omegas). With that could come all of the negative connotations that tend to get pinned to Asian males - namely, that they are more on the passive side or perhaps good mediators, but not good leaders (comparing them to betas).
Ahh I really disappeared from this blog for this long, huh...I might hop back on soon, I’ve been missing this community for quite a while now. I’ll answer the approximately 7 asks in my inbox soon, at the very least.
Are you familiar with any m/f omegaverse in Japanese that were published before 2016?
as in IN Japanese, the language?
no, but I don’t really seek out stories to read in Japanese unless I receive a good recommendation or find it through another source (such as a novel version of a game). My reading ability isn’t that fast or good for me to skim.
however, omegaverse is....relatively new over there I think? And it has probably stayed mostly in the BL community, I would imagine.
I did a quick search in google and I’m pretty sure it’s mostly m/m.
If you want to look into it yourself, the term for omegaverse in Japanese is オメガバース.
Omegas from Hokkaido (the northernmost island) and the Tohoku region nest regularly in the winter months. It became an ingrained survival instinct over many centuries since it is so cold up there and the snow so deep. They may be seen as more physically affectionate than their southern counterparts for this reason.
Omegas from the central and southern parts of the country don’t usually nest unless pregnant, sick, or traumatized for reasons I’ve detailed on the blog before: it’s hot, humid, and long term nests are just asking for gross mold build up.
A cute, tooth-rottingly cute family fluff fic that I’m just writing bits of when I need some light-hearted adorable omegaverse in my life. Not very long, sort of aimless, and later parts will probably feature an unnecessary amount of detail about food preparation.
Series Summary: Aihara Jun’ya is an omega who runs a children’s home with his mate, Kouji, and their son, Ryuuya. Seven children of different dynamics and backgrounds are under their care and an eighth is about to join the fold. Their days are filled with both happy and sorrowful moments, but supporting them all are the meals that Jun’ya prepares with love.
When a child cries, it is naturally the omega who wakes first.
The sharp, fresh chill of autumn burns Jun’ya’s nose a little as he lifts his head, gazing about the cluttered room cast in an indigo hue. His eyes flirt over to the window left open a crack and sleepily tries to remember why they opened it in the first place. Shivering, he turns his head to the tightly shut door and the distant wailing from behind it.
The cries itch at his nerves in a way that demands urgency and protectiveness, but the warmth of his mate’s tight embrace and his familiar musky scent is almost too precious to part with on a cold morning like this one. Jun’ya takes a deep breath, the cold air rushing into his lungs waking him up a bit more. He yawns and recalls sluggishly that they left it open for this very reason. Kouji is even worse at waking up than Jun’ya.
Finally feeling that urgency down to even his bones, Jun’ya pushes the blankets aside reluctantly and shifts Kouji’s heavy arm off his side.
“Jun?” Kouji murmurs, stirring only slightly.
“Aki-kun is having a nightmare again,” Jun’ya replies softly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as he wriggles out of his alpha’s grip. Kouji grabs hold of his shirt as he tries to sit up. Pushing his hand away with a frustrated smile, Jun’ya says, “Come on, let go. Don’t be such a child.”
“No, no, I’ll go,” Kouji says. He heaves himself up with a deep groan and tosses the blanket back over Jun’ya. He then reaches over and ruffles Jun’ya’s hair a bit, laughing breathlessly at his attempts to roll out of the way. “Go back to sleep for a little while longer.”
To Jun’ya’s amazement, Kouji actually manages to drag himself out of the futon and slip out the door. The sound of him lumbering down the hallway grows fainter. Jun’ya listens until the crying stops, then rolls over onto the warm patch where his mate was just sleeping. The pillow smells of him. Inhaling, Jun’ya can almost fall back asleep. It’s tempting. Akira has been having nightmares again, after a few peaceful months without them. They take turns comforting him when he wakes up, but it’s wearing everyone thin. The other kids don’t say anything, but they lose sleep over it, too.
Jun’ya opens his eyes. The room is still dyed indigo, the air cold and dry. He can hear the trees shuffling in the wind.
“Oh, well…” he mumbles to himself, burrowing into the warmth of the blankets for a few more seconds before pushing them aside and getting up.
The sky is still dark and hazy when Jun’ya shuffles into the kitchen wrapped in a sweater. He flicks the lights on and winces as the area is flooded with light. The dishes from last night’s dinner are scattered all over the counters, crowing the place. The plates and utensils are all mismatched, but the disorder is cozy in a way. Jun’ya grew up with a lot of siblings, unlike Kouji, so the clutter feels familiar and welcoming.
Jun’ya isn’t very fond of coffee, but Kouji drinks it like tea. He sets the coffee to drip while he quietly puts the dishes away, pausing over the utensils as he remembers what they discussed last night in the study. Ten sets will soon become eleven. Smiling to himself, he moves about the kitchen in a mindless sort of daze.
Kouji finally walks into the kitchen with a huge yawn, stretching his strong arms above his head. Jun’ya presses his cup of coffee into his hands and nuzzles his mate’s collarbone before pulling away to get started on preparing lunch and breakfast. Kouji stops him to give his head a brief kiss before moving to the refrigerator where various notes and reminders are posted.
“Aki-kun stopped asking for you,” Kouji reports mildly. Jun’ya glances over his shoulder as he puts the dishes away and brings down eight bento boxes. “He fell back asleep a little easier this time.”
Jun’ya smiles. “I’m glad to hear that.”
In the beginning, Akira only wanted Jun’ya and threw a tantrum when Kouji or even Ryuuya tried to soothe him back to sleep. It seemed that an omega’s scent was the only thing capable of calming his nightmares. Eventually, Ryuuya suggested that Kouji wear some of Jun’ya’s clothes and acclimate Akira to his presence that way. It was a relief that it worked because by that time, Jun’ya had been at the end of his patience after nearly three months with very little sleep and a clingy three-year-old who cried every single time Jun’ya’s mate tried to get near.
“I’ve got to go finalize the details down at the office,” Kouji says
I may finally be writing a story to suit my murderer!omega needs with his equally murder happy alpha. “ *sob* why is my omega more bloodthirsty and creative than me. must step up my game.”
I mean, they have a decent reason to be all...stabby. but still. murder is bad.
they’re side characters but...pretty important ones.
I don’t know why I didn’t think of this before lol
these are works of fiction | この著作物はフィックションであります
Japanese omegas might not nest often, but they do love stuffed animals/plushies. The softer the better, but the cute factor is also really important. They’ll decorate their beds with it, forming a quasi-nest out of stuffed animals. It can get a little overwhelming. They like curling up amongst all of them and burrowing their heads between the soft fluff.
Furthermore, a lot of them like to gift one to a significant other they really like. So you’ll see some alphas with a single cute bunny plushie on their bed lol. Or another omega will just add it to their collection. Betas really cherish them the most though, sometimes they’ll put them on a shelf instead of the bed.
wow tumblr just deleted this whole damn post when it was a draft argh.
anyway, this is a project I’ve been working on the past few days (the reason I asked about the alpha senior/kouhai thing). I’ve been really into cnovels lately, so I decided to write an omegaverse fic in the xianxia genre (basically a fantasy/ancient China/magic genre) because the writing style is really relaxing.
I’m not posting it on ao3 yet because I’m not sure if I’m keeping this plot -.- (I rewrote this twice already but I really suck at making good plots so...).
Anyways, summary! I did end up going with alpha/alpha for this pairing, though you don’t meet the younger one until the second chapter...
Summary: Before Mu ZhiLin became an infamous cultivator of the demonic arts and one of the few alphas to bond with a spirit beast, he was a fugitive hiding behind the Feng Xuanya Sect’s reputation. ‘A fragile, timid alpha who spent his days cultivating with his spirit beast in isolation’ – no one would ever respect, let alone connect, him to the haughty alpha he was in the past.
All except for a certain junior brother who followed this ‘shy, sickly alpha’ with the persistence of a chick attached to a mother hen. Mu ZhiLin’s stressful days filled with blood, sweat, and tears began the moment that ‘chick’ started following his every move. Little did Mu ZhiLin know, this adorable boy would someday grow into a mate willing to blacken his own heart for him, climbing to the top for his completely unreliable senior brother…
Quick Glossary:
Cultivator: basically, magic martial artists who aim for immortality
Sect: an organization of cultivators
The brother and sister terms: all of the practitioners are treated as ‘family’ in speech terms, so they call each other brother and sister even though they aren’t related by blood. I could have kept it in Chinese, but that would have been really confusing to remember, so.
1, The Alpha of Yi Tuan Valley
Alphas were a minority in the Feng Xuanya Sect; they were said to be even rarer than phoenix feathers. The sect’s omegas clambered over each other to catch the favor of these alphas – or, rather, to gain the opportunity to dote upon them like a beloved child or pet. This strange reversal of roles was immediately clear when taking into account that nearly all of Feng Xuanya’s betas and omegas surpassed their alphas in cultivation, merits, and reputation in general. There was not even a single alpha elder compared to the councils full of the dominant dynamic in other sects.
The reason for this oddity was none other than the sect’s specialty, its enviable cultivation style that brought the Feng Xuanya Sect its prestige and power. Out of every major and minor sect in Xian Ning, Feng Xuanya was the only one with a cultivation style centered around spirit beasts.
Every sect sent teams out to hunt spirit beasts for precious materials, experience, and building a shining reputation in the eyes of normal civilians. Only the Feng Xuanya Sect could bond with those spirit beasts to bolster one’s cultivation and repertoire in battle. The thousands of years that the Feng Xuanya Sect dominated the Tian Xian region, infamous for its dangerous mountain range, was testament to the value of this skill.
However, only betas and omegas had any hopes of bonding with a spirit beast, next to none of which would tolerate or submit to an alpha’s dominance by throwing away their own pride. To call Feng Xuanya a paradise of untouchable omega beauties was not wrong, but a rather silly sort of joke. None could reach the sect without an invitation, because the mountains of the Tian Xian region were filled with a multitude of high-level spirit beasts. Even advanced cultivators would be eaten to bits if they dared to cross them.
Thus, the state of the Feng Xuanya Sect’s affairs was always a little muddled and filled with conjecture and rumors. Only major events like conferences and examinations reached the ears of the people. So, when interesting information managed to escape, however small, people paid rapt attention.
This year, there was one particular rumor that took the cultivation world by storm, drowning out all other gossip.
The rumor: a young alpha had managed to bond with a spirit beast.
It was an incredibly auspicious and magnificent spirit beast, too. The alpha was under the age of eighteen. He had joined the sect as a formal disciple but a mere four months ago, nearly half a year before the next recruitment examinations.
The waves of denial that roared through the cultivation world were truly impressive. Some accused the sect of lying to bolster their reputation. However silly it sounded, it was not any sillier than the idea of an alpha bonding with a spirit beast of any sort. Even the weakest spirit beasts would rather be crushed beneath a tyrannical foot than bond with an alpha!
Or so people thought.
Feng Xuanya was a large sect spread across a sizable area of the Tian Xian region’s most prominent mountain range. It was impossible to be fully aware of every little matter, but in a matter of a week or two, nearly everyone knew that the Yi Tuan Valley Master had accepted a new disciple out of season, and this disciple had an impressive spirit beast.
Spirit beasts, naturally, attracted the Feng Xuanya Sect’s disciples more than the people bonded to them. Who cared about the thirteenth disciple of such-and-such peak who was a beta, when the spirit beast was a magnificent ice-winged hawk?
This time, the news that an alpha was the bonded cultivator spread even faster than wildfire. Half of the people who heard it could not believe it at first, until Yi Tuan Valley’s eldest disciple finally confirmed their newest disciple’s dynamic.
However, this alpha was supposedly quite frail in health and temperament, perhaps the only reason a spirit beast would chose him. He never left Yi Tuan Valley and cultivated in isolation with his spirit beast. Hardly anyone outside of Yi Tuan Valley knew his name, only that he was the ‘youngest junior brother and nothing more.
Ah, this ‘youngest junior brother’ really wanted to cry bitter tears every time he heard from his eldest senior sister that yet another stranger sent their condolences.
“She said, ‘Quickly improve your cultivation so your health will be good enough to come meet everyone and show off your spirit beast!’ You are quite the popular one, aren’t you, youngest junior brother?”
Mu ZhiLin wanted to roar, ‘I’m not so ‘frail’ you have to keep sending gifts and condolences! I'm not dying, either!’
However, Mu ZhiLin could never express these thoughts.
He had to keep his head bowed, expression full of shy and awkward smiles no matter how much he wished to bite his own tongue off from the sheer humiliation. If he wanted to live, no one could recognize him. If there was even an inkling of doubt in someone’s mind, not even the sect master herself could save him. They had given him a safe place to live and cultivate, even a new identity, but the rest was up to him.
Life in the Feng Xuanya Sect was quiet. It provided its disciples the means, but there was little guidance unless one encountered a bottleneck lasting an unreasonable amount of time. A third of its members were omegas taught from birth to be dependent on others, so there was really not much else they could do to reverse those teachings other than to show them the reality of this harsh world.
It was the perfect environment for a fugitive like Mu ZhiLin, who kept to himself and his spirit beast as much as possible. He did have to make an appearance every now and again, but he really had no reason to complain. It was a small sacrifice in exchange for safety…
Oh, to hell with it. He had every reason to complain.
The fact that he was currently drenched in yan du xian soup that had been boiling for hours and had yet to cool even a bit was his reason to complain. For a second, he forgot about the persona he had been half-heartedly building up for the last four months. The shaking of his shoulders was his attempt to restrain himself from grabbing that ladle and hitting the condescending guy laughing at him until he bled.
“Really, I’m so sorry. Don’t be mad at your senior brother, it was a genuine accident!”
He could hear the mirth in this ‘senior brother’s’ voice. No one in the room was fooled, but unfortunately, their eldest senior sister was not among them. If she was, he doubted that Linghu Qiu would so brazenly say such things as he half-heartedly tried to ‘wipe’ him down with a cloth.
Mu ZhiLin flinched as the cloth came at his face, landing with a particularly wet slap on his cheek. His skin tingled with little starbursts of pain here and there, nothing too bad at his level of cultivation, but he also smelled like salted pork now.
“Hey, don’t be so stiff, youngest junior brother! Didn’t senior brother Linghu say he was sorry? It’s not good to be this inflexible.”
Mu ZhiLin reached out to grab the cloth, turning away hastily so no one would be able to see the dark look in his eyes. Linghu Qiu wrapped his arm around Mu ZhiLin’s dry shoulders and smiled as he herded him away from the banquet hall. Although they were about the same age and cultivation level, ‘Mu ZhiLin’ was supposed to be a bit weaker. Not to mention, he was too timid to defend himself from his senior brothers even if he knew he was being bullied.
This was the perfect cover identity, but it was perhaps a little tooperfect.
“Come, come, I’ll bring you to the well. Don’t give me such a dark expression, you probably don’t even know where it is since you so rarely decide to grace us with your presence.” The sarcasm in his voice was thick, irritating Mu ZhiLin to no end. He bit his tongue viciously to stop himself from shoving this clingy, malicious beta away and stalk off to change by himself.
Linghu Qiu was not taller than him, but a height difference would never deter him. He carried himself with the bearing of a young master, similar to Mu ZhiLin in the past. As a beta, his scent was neutral and flat like the earth, but his attitude was almost identical to an alpha’s.
Mu ZhiLin dug his heels in before they reached the well, a jolt of unease striking him in the chest.
“Thank you for showing me the way, senior brother Linghu,” Mu ZhiLin said, careful to sound appropriately soft-spoken and reluctant to speak. He maneuvered out of Linghu Qiu’s grasp and walked over to the other side of the well to draw water up. When he saw that his senior brother had yet to leave, standing there with an unreadable expression, Mu ZhiLin paused. “I’ll be fine. I know it was an accident, you can go back now.”
Even if he was playing a part, Mu ZhiLin could only take so much of this ridiculous behavior. Sure, he played tricks on his junior brothers and sisters in his old sect. He even made them so angry that they ran off in tears sometimes, but he never meant to be malicious and never went out of his way to make their lives miserable. He was still an alpha, so being talked down to, lied to, and expected to be grateful was just behind his capabilities.
Linghu Qiu hid his sneer very well. He was the second son of a prestigious cultivator family and could not hold a candle to his older alpha sister, but he was far from incompetent in cultivation or putting on a good show. If not for his bullying, Mu ZhiLin might have even asked for some pointers or sparred with him.
“Don’t be so stubborn! It’s my duty as your senior brother to help you and this was my mistake to begin with, here.” Mu ZhiLin backed away, but Linghu Qiu caught his sleeve.
He had a bad feeling about this.
“No, really, it’s okay–”
He tripped.
No, hewastripped. By Linghu Qiu. He felt the pressure at the back of his knee, and before he knew it, he was on the ground. One arm was suspended by Linghu Qiu’s grip on his sleeve. The other had been unable to swing out to catch himself in time since that grip threw his balance off.
“Oh! Are you alright? You’re so clumsy, junior brother Mu.” Linghu Qiu laughed, releasing his sleeve only to try to ‘help’ him up.
Mu ZhiLin bit down a growl and scrambled to his feet, using some of his naturally superior strength as an alpha to shove past the beta in his way. Before he could hear the next words out of his lips, he broke into a run.
Not bothering to put any spiritual energy into it, Mu ZhiLin ran at a leisurely pace once he was certain that Linghu Qiu had given up and returned to the banquet hall.
Although he was certain that this matter would give him headaches in the future, at the moment he could care less about it. He was wet, cold, covered in dirt, and two seconds from punching his senior brother in the face back there.
By the time he reached the end of the valley, past the houses and fields growing spirit plants, the training halls and their master’s small personal library, his temper had cooled off in the chilly winter air. If he returned after changing his clothes, he could still avert some of his future troubles. He truly did not want to give Linghu Qiu another reason to hate his existence.
With that plan in mind, he slipped into the woodshed and immediately peeled his clothes off. Staring in disgust at the wet fabric, he realized that he would still smell of salted pork if he only swapped out his clothes. Mu ZhiLin groaned and grabbed a spare set of casual clothes before leaving, dressed only in his underclothes, for the river.
The river was more a stream than a proper river. It cut through the forest behind the fields in a simple, slightly curving line from the mountains and winded through to the lake in the neighboring peak’s territory.
Mu ZhiLin hurried to the bank of the stream, more than accustomed to finding his way in the dark. He first washed his outer garments, vigorously scrubbing until he was sure the smell and spices were gone. This was something he did normally, but normally, he was never filled with such resentment while doing it. A low growl issued from his throat as he lifted the clothes out of the water and did his best to examine them under the moonlight.
He tossed them across a large boulder nearby when he was satisfied. Before he had a chance to take his underclothes off, a shiver crawled down his spine.
Something was wrong. Mu ZhiLin stopped with his hands frozen over the belt at his waist. He reached out with his senses. At his level of cultivation, most of his senses were better than the average human’s. However, he heard, saw, and smelled nothing unusual.
No, this was a different sort of instinct.
He was currently unarmed. The only tools at his disposal were basic cultivation arts that did not require a weapon and thoseskills he learned months ago. He flexed his fingers. He had never tried them out in combat, so his success rate would be uncomfortably low. But if it was something his senses were unable to detect, it was unwise to run.
There was only one warning. A shift in the wind, a soft whistle, before Mu ZhiLin was dodging the massive form that burst out of the shadows of the trees.
He skidded to a halt, eyes wide and straining to make out the creature in front of him with curses running wild in his mind.
This was a troublesome spirit beast, easily a whole head or two taller than even the tallest alpha. Its fluffy appearance was deceiving, but it was a fierce guardian of mountainsides filled with high concentrations of spiritual energy. It moved in an eerie, swinging manner, as if swaying to the beat of a lively tune. It was far from fast, but those legs could take it as high as the treetops to catch its prey.
Mu ZhiLin let out a warning growl that felt and sounded fiercer than he felt. This was a high-level spirit beast with a surprisingly tough hide. Even if he had his sword, it was only a temporary one made from unremarkable metal and not something he could cut this creature’s skin with even if he had it in hand. Coating it in spiritual energy imbued with his element would do little, considering this beast’s base element overcame his own.
Mu ZhiLin had no choice but to trick it. He started running to the right, heart pounding wildly in his chest as the spirit beast bounded after him. The heavy form grew closer, closer – then Mu ZhiLin made a sharp turn, running directly behind it. As he ran, he tried to prepare the demonic art skill he had learned.
‘Cursed Blood of the Beloved’ – it had a truly cringe-worthy name, courtesy of that oddball who developed it on a distant mountaintop with all the righteous rage of a scorned lover. However, it was somewhat useful, if self-destructive. Mu ZhiLin could prepare the incantation quickly enough, but he hesitated before getting close enough to spill some of his blood on the creature.
The horned mountain lion was a spirit beast that craved pure spiritual energy. This mountain range was already saturated in it, but like all spirit beasts, it occasionally desired real meat and blood as opposed to intangible spiritual energy. He had heard of its picky tendencies, which caused many disciples across Xian Ning grief.
“To the horned mountain lion, cultivators with plenty of spiritual energy and yang or yin energy are the tastiest treat. They won’t go after anyone in the lower stages of qi refining and run away from nascent soul cultivators. So, my dearest little disciples, please try your best and don’t be afraid of escaping when you need to!”
Human bait was indeed the best method of attracting these creatures.
Mu ZhiLin clutched his left wrist to his chest. This could either work or he might end up in the stomach of this beast by the end of the night. Excellent.
He could feel it closing in, to the point its hot breath traveled down his neck.
“Shit!” he cursed, scrambling over a boulder that allowed him to put enough distance between them to prepare. He didn’t even have a proper weapon and could only rely on his own spiritual energy to cut into his skin.
He was just about to do it when he heard a distinctly furious roar. The horned mountain lion shook its fluffy mane out and huffed, a wary look in its large eyes. That roar shook the leaves in the trees and made a flock of sleeping birds scatter into the night. Glancing over his shoulder with one eye still on the horned mountain lion, Mu ZhiLin’s heart nearly stopped.
A lithe form jumped out of the shadows, cloudlike wings spread to their full length, quivering menacingly as teeth flashed in the weak moonlight. A pair of glowing golden eyes narrowed at the horned mountain lion.
“Caixia!” Mu ZhiLin called out, still shocked down to his bones. Not even paying attention to him, Caixia ran past, nearly knocking him to his knees. Just a few strides brought it in front of the horned mountain lion, snarling up into its face fearlessly.
The horned mountain lion pawed the earth.
Caixia let out a sharp howl that turned into a fierce growl.
Two seconds later, the horned mountain lion backed away. It hadn’t smelled another of these winged creatures around. However, it wasn’t willing to take chances with this particular spirit beast.
Mu ZhiLin watched it leave. Caixia did not relax until quite a few minutes had passed.
“You…came to save me.” Mu ZhiLin’s lips felt numb. Caixia had turned around and settled into a proud sitting position in front of him, head poised like a stone lion statue. “You really came to save me. I thought you–”
Caixia huffed. Mu ZhiLin broke into a smile, shaking his head all of a sudden. He moved forward and gave Caixia a pet without fear. He had already established with that infuriating alpha from his old sect that Caixia would never actually hurt him on purpose. It did give him perverse satisfaction to know that Caixia preferred him over that pure-hearted, always smiling and forgiving in the same breath alpha.
“Thank you,” Mu ZhiLin said sincerely.
Caixia blinked, bright eyes flashing as a growl rumbled out. Mu ZhiLin turned around to see two people descending to the ground from their flying swords. Although it was dark, he recognized eldest senior sister Yao Xinyu immediately. Her tall bearing, while not exuding an alpha’s dominance, was more than enough to send over half of the disciples in Yi Tuan Valley scrambling to appease her.
“Youngest junior brother!” Yao XinYu’s call of alarm did not stop her from warily glancing around the area as she slowly moved towards them. Mu ZhiLin held a hand out to tell Caixia to back down. “Youngest junior brother, what happened? Are you alright?”
Looking himself over, he was quite the sorry sight. Yao XinYu’s concern drifted over, making him rather embarrassed.
“I’m fine, eldest senior sister,” Mu ZhiLin said, bowing his head a bit to hide the shame lurking in his eyes. He was still in his underclothes, and dirty ones at that! “The spirit beast already fled.”
A low warning growl came from his side. Mu ZhiLin looked over, perplexed. Yao XinYu had visited him many times and Caixia always glanced at her with a look of boredom. Even when she manhandled Mu ZhiLin into having dinner with the other disciples, Caixia didn’t lift a wing to save him.
Mu ZhiLin glanced over at the other person who had accompanied Yao XinYu.
“Senior brother Luo?”
Luo WenQing was their master’s third direct disciple and a person of very few words. Mu ZhiLin was an alpha, so he could hardly find a beta intimidating, but Luo WenQing seemed to frighten many of the omegas in the sect. At least, the ones who came over for various reasons steered extremely clear of him and scurried away when he glanced at them. Luo WenQing, unlike a lot of betas, never lusted after omegas either.
“I will take care of it,” Luo WenQing said without context. Yao XinYu’s expression had darkened, her thin fingers gripping Mu ZhiLin’s shoulders rather tightly as she nodded. Luo WenQing headed in the direction opposite the forest – back to the valley proper.
“You really are alright?” Yao XinYu asked.
Mu ZhiLin nodded. “Where is senior brother going?”
Yao XinYu scoffed bitterly. She started to guide him back, her touch firm but not sinister like Linghu Qiu’s earlier. Caixia snorted, then retreated into the forest. Unlike Mu ZhiLin, Caixia was perfectly safe going in there.
“Junior sister Shi told us what happened earlier. Although I can do nothing about childish pranks, it’s unacceptable for a disciple to put another’s life in danger. Junior brother Luo is going to discipline him.”
“My life wasn’t in danger,” Mu ZhiLin said softly.
“You’re ‘only’ in the middle stages of qi refining,” Yao XinYu said with a pointed glare.
Of course, this was far from the truth. He had nearly reached the end of the qi refining stage and just about ready to break through to the formation foundation stage. They purposefully downplayed his abilities for his cover.
“Even if your life was not in danger,” Yao XinYu added in concession, “junior brother Linghu does not know that. He should have gone after you immediately, no matter his personal grudge against you. After all, with his experience he well knows that some spirit beasts prey on our weakened barrier and lone cultivators attract them in particular.”
Mu ZhiLin nodded. There was no winning against Yao XinYu. In addition, if not for Caixia, even his true strength would not have lasted against the horned mountain lion unless he used that demonic arts skill.
He shivered, body rapidly cooling now that his life was no longer in danger.
Yao XinYu cast him a gaze of pity.
“Why don’t you use the baths at the main compound this time? It won’t be good if you catch a cold right before the new year.”
One year passed easily and quietly.
The Feng Xuanya Sect was nowhere near his childhood home or previous sect. Combine that with Feng Xuanya’s isolationist ways and Mu ZhiLin never did end up hearing a single rumor about the talented Qiong Yuan Sect disciple who tragically lost his life on a training excursion. It was news that surely traveled all throughout the east: the precious alpha heir of the Liang clan gone in an instant – there was no one to blame and no one to cry to but the Heavens.
Hidden deep within the Feng Xuanya Sect’s mountains, Mu ZhiLin could almost forget his real surname was Liang entirely.
But perhaps because his mind was not truly at peace, he actually made next to no advancement in his cultivation despite meditating every single day. He became the laughingstock of Yi Tuan Valley, regarded as a dog that knew only one trick.
“Dong-shifu must have only taken you in because of that spirit beast of yours. How generous of her!”
“The sect’s omegas study diligently despite the disadvantages they have in life and truly make contributions, while you idle around with your spirit beast all day long. Are you not ashamed to call yourself an alpha?”
‘You have no idea,’ he cried bitterly in his heart several times while trying to ignore them. ‘You think I want this reputation?’
He thought they might tire of it after a year, but he seriously underestimated just how bored the disciples of Yi Tuan Valley were. Training, gossip, and bullying Mu ZhiLin were the only things they had to entertain themselves.
Thankfully, this year’s recruitment examinations were exciting enough to distract them. Gossip spread across the entire Feng Xuanya Sect from the lowest valley to the peaks of the surroundings mountains. Several hopeful prospects were entering the running for the Feng Xuanya Sect; new omegas and betas whose talents might be wasted elsewhere were always welcomed news.
As the youngest disciple, Mu ZhiLin had nothing to do with those exams. He spent the entire two weeks cultivating with Caixia, who had been rather restless as of late.
When everyone returned with a new disciple, Mu ZhiLin was less than pleased. His bottleneck showed no signs of relenting due to his half-hearted training in this past year. Caixia bit him yesterday on a whim, then darted into the forest and refused to answer his calls. And since his spirit beast was being unruly, Linghu Qiu decided it was best to load nearly all of the chores onto his shoulders to stay productive.
Thus, when their master returned with a new alpha – an alpha! – disciple and everyone turned their attention to the bright young boy, Mu ZhiLin took the opportunity to disappear.
At last, there were two alphas in Yi Tuan Valley. Now, hopefully, he could cultivate in peace while everyone fawned over the newest arrival.
This post is all about gift-giving, specifically omiyage!
お土産 (omiyage) are gifts given to family, friends, and co-workers upon returning from a trip. They’re like obligation souvenirs, but unlike souvenirs they’re intended to help you build relationships with the people in your life, so it’s a lot more important to Japanese culture.
(from Tofugu) The sentiment behind omiyage is similar to an apology, as in “I’m sorry I left. Please take this gift. Thanks for holding down the fort.”
Headcanons:
To go along with the quote, alphas tend to bring their mate (of any dynamic) little gifts when they have to be out of the house for long periods of time, like if they worked overtime.
A/A couples get into competitions easily, bringing back increasingly nicer things until one or both of them points out that they need to stop because it’s only making things awkward between them.
^Omiyage aren’t supposed to be expensive, which is why this is awkward.
Some newly mated alphas go overboard and bring little things back every day, but their mates usually break them of this habit because it’s embarrassing to receive so many gifts like that.
^Omiyage is not to be used as a courting ritual, which is why mates (or boy/girlfriends) of alphas get annoyed with the constant flood of gifts.
Plus, this is not really omiyage since you didn’t really go anywhere…poor alphas get carried away though.
Food is the go-to omiyage irl and in omegaverse. Everyone loves food. Local specialties are a must.
But you can bring back other items, too, for friends and family. (some say people in Japan like to receive the American Bath & Body Works products because they have way more scents than what’s available in Japan)
Buuut what’s even better is bringing back items with scents you know your loved ones/friends will like.
Since many have sensitive noses, a lot of non-food omiyage are specially packaged and designed to have a neutral scent. Specialty shops sell scented stuff, though.
