still thinking on this thought, but here's an omegaverse concept:
in the modern day, bonding works kind of like a network.
omegas have the longest lasting ties, but are one-sided, sharing info from the omega to (one or more) others. betas can bond two-way to anyone, but need more upkeep. alphas can bond to multiple people over long distance, but the effects are less precise. this creates a verse where the most impactful bonds involve multiple people. especially multi-dynamic ones where people put in work to keep their connections clear and practice healthy communication.
scents give general info (tired, happy, angry, sad) and work on proximity. bonds add context and can work from a distance too. (tired and sore and accomplished? probably had a good workout but need to rest. tired and sore and feeling blah? possibly getting sick. tired and sore and discouraged? maybe a hard day at work, or a rough time with the kids, or a combo of things)
one of many results: no one would take a typical anime harem protag serious in this world. (same with a lot of romcom or sitcoms with loads of 'will they wont they' energy)
"you mean they did all that build up and it was only for a kiss? they've had 12 seasons already and he's not doing a damn thing to keep his other bonds up, they should have atrophied before the beach episode in season 3!" "does mc even have marks on anybody besides the main trio? i think not! in this essay i will-" "atp i wanna see the two omegas together, they obv wanna pair mc and the alpha li but don't have the guts to make a/a canon" "god this pack is so dysfunctional can these idiots smell anything??"
(thoughts on how this could work in historical?) ov below cause oops its already long)
mating bites were a thing traditionally done by omegas. the reason? greater safety and influence during a more dangerous time period.
pregnancy is risky and expensive when it comes to energy spent, right? so there were some advantages to having a bonded mate. the bond ensured that the mate would prioritize the omega's safety. (eg: making sure they aren't harmed during attacks from predators or caught up in natural threats) leading to strategies where a pack would travel with children and any pregnant omegas in the center of the group.
it might have also helped with tracking connections and genealogy? by default, any children born to a bonded pair were seen as theirs. or to put it another way, the bond lasted as long as it takes to bring offspring into the world and successfully raise them. and since the pair was focused on the survival of their family as a unit, neither of them would be spending time looking for other mates until the bond naturally "fell off" so to speak.
it also gave omegas a bigger role in mate choice and made them the foundation of pack building. in the time before people became agricultural, most larger groups would have probably been based around an omega parent, their parent's bonded mate, and a collection of siblings and other relations that hadn't dispersed into other territories.
the instincts tied to mating bites wouldn't have changed as fast as society has. so there'd be people who are surprised when, after years of thinking that bite marks are just an antiquated or symbolic pack bonding thing, they accept one from an omega partner.
harder for alphas to see omegas as weaker when the strains of daily life are echoing down the bond to them. they can feel their partner wanting to snap and glare in exhaustion, yet all they see on the outside is a smile and a gentle hand. they sense their partner fight against the urge to protect, just the same as they do, as their children take their first steps towards independence. when a headache looms after hours of toddler tantrums, or sensory overwhelm creeps up because the baby is clingy and only wants ommy today? it's not whining or embellished, it feels real as their own stresses, though felt at a remove.
it works the same way when omegas perform a mating bite on a beta, too. omegas are literally built different in this way. and while the bond will fade naturally if left alone, it can be reapplied, so it's completely possible for it to become a life long effect with enough repeats. keeping multiple going is possible too, it just takes planning.
I'm also considering that the reason why betas would be considered as unable to make or create bite marks is only because people weren't aware that they could. Actually, betas are the only ones who can create two way bonds, where both parties are equally aware of each other. Those nearly magical amounts of knowledge that some couples have in stories? That's not a couple, that's a trio, with an alpha to beta to omega bond.
See, an alpha/omega bond sends info from the omega to the alpha in this system, not the other way around. (scents were how everyone else could read each other's physical and emotional states, but the bond added detail and the ability to read things at a greater distance) The same applies to a beta/omega bond. Omegas could bond each other too, but making it a two way communication took more steps, and people likely assumed the effects were exaggerated.
But betas can bond to both if given a chance, and their bonds are two way bonds even if they don't receive a mark back. The intensity of the effect and the higher upkeep is the trade off. That is, before people started being able to travel quickly, any long absence from a beta partner would mean the bond started weakening during a journey. But in the modern day, where crossing oceans takes 12 hours on a plane and not months by ship? Betas can bond with anyone and not worry about their connections getting muted over time.
A stable pack with multiple betas is almost like a wireless network, but with people, and the betas are the signal boosters and relays that turn groups into webs where hunches can cross distances.
Alpha bonds were formed with multiple people in mind. It tended to have more to do with group cohesion ("what does the pack think about this?") instead of specific impressions of individuals ("what am I feeling about this?") If in the modern day, betas strengthen the signal and connect groups, alphas in the past were receiving info from various sources and processing it, almost like a router, but weren't always included in the generation of info if they didn't have good social skills.
(yeah I'm still working out bugs here and I'm running into the limits of this metaphor)
People of the same dynamic were always able to connect to one another, its just the social structures and expectations didn't exist in the same way. As a result, same dynamic romantic partnerships are seen as queer. (queer sexualities...not sure how that would work yet! as a label I mean, of course attractions would be a thing)
I just want to forget all the details and all the emotions and every single instance where I cared about someone who's gone
I want to cut my past off because it's a festering painful wound and it's not even that fucking bad nothing traumatic has ever happened to me I just fuck things up for myself and lose people or send them away
i just started my period at my aunts house....and i feel awkard over here as it is all the time but now....there is no way in hell im asking her for a pad...like no.....fock
