As I promised a while ago:
So, I've read some platonic Omegaverse stories and damn, that shit can be so fluffy and I'm always down for some fluff 🤩
Characters being happy and cute and everyone joining the cuddling session and I just fell in love 😂
And I also read some Dragon!AUs and I thought, why not both? Both were a different fandom and yeah, I think Maribat needs an AU with dragons and platonic ABO dynamics.
There's a lot of worldbuilding, the story idea, if you want to skip there, starts after **********
So, the different dynamics have nothing to do with reproduction, they are more like a biological manifestation (hormones etc.) of the social role they lean towards. A group of dragons in which these dynamics come into play is called a Pride (yeah, I like "a Pride of dragons", I think it has a ring to it 😁). Humans don't have a dynamic, only dragons or part-dragons do. Part-dragons are called serpent (if the mother was a human and they were born in their human form) or drake (if the mother was a dragon and they hatched).
Alphas are competitive and often trying to show off. They thrive on conflict (doesn't have to be a serious one) and competition.
Betas draw their strengths from solitude and themselves. They avoid conflicts or act as mediators, partly because their chances are the worst if they actually get caught up in a conflict, but they are also the most peace-loving dragons.
Omegas thrive on having an active social circle, the bigger the better. They draw their strength from their love for others. Usually they are calm and don't get themselves involved in arguments, but if their Pride is endangered, they can be lethal. A pissed off omega is nothing anyone would ever want to face.
Dragons are usually born as an egg and hatch after a few months. Baby dragons are called hatchlings (even serpents who are born in their human form), in their early teens they present as their dynamic and are then called dragonlings. Since dragons live a lot longer than humans they are only considered adult dragons (by other dragons) in their mid-twenties to early-thirties. Trying to seriously court before then will not be received well by a dragonling's Pride.
If two eggs are laid in a clutch, fraternal twins end up being omega and alpha, identical twins are usually both betas.
There are no "rules" for who is in charge of a Pride, but omegas often have an easier time, since their social skills are higher.
Every dynamic goes through a hormonal cycle every few months but how they experience it differs from person to person. Some want to cuddle, some need warmth, some only eat raw meat during their cycle. But the most comfortable way to spend the cycle is usually in one's own nest with a few Pride mates close by to offer cuddles, comfort, someone to talk to or to fetch something they need.
The laws differ between countries, but since humans haven't had the wish to fight a dragon since the middle ages and especially the older, famous Prides did their best to present dragons as harmless if not provoked (and they also had the money and influence to steer public opinion in that direction), the laws aren't too restrictive in most places. In places like Gotham, which has a very long history influenced by dragons and was co-founded by dragons, hence all the gargoyles, they are actually pretty lax. And in France for example there are several dragon protection laws in place.
So, I think this is enough about worldbuilding. Here comes the story idea (but if you feel inspired by the world building, go ahead, have fun and tag me, so I can have fun as well 😅):
The Dupain-Chengs were a young couple of bakers who barely had anything to do with dragons until one day when they were just about to close their bakery there was a woman rushing in.
She asked them to take care of the egg she held in her arms, saying that she had to fear that the egg's grandfather would cast the egg out or mistreat the little hatchling.
Since the young couple were good people and wouldn't want a baby, dragon or human, to be treated badly, they agreed and the woman gave them a big shawl made of shedded dragon skin. The old skin of the egg's mother, the woman explained. They would need the shawl to prove they didn't steal the egg.
The next day they went to the authorities and explained what happened. Usually an abandoned egg would be given to another Pride who was willing to raise another hatchling, especially the older prides were always eager to add fresh blood. But since they had the shawl, they could prove that the egg's mother had chosen them and therefore they were allowed to keep the egg, if they would comply with the statutory requirements. These included classes about parenting a hatchling, social structures between dragons, dragon biology and more like this, as well as at least one adult dragon (or serpent/drake) who was willing to support them (that's how they met Nadja, a beta who felt a bit lonely, since her Pride wasn't from Paris, and was happy to help). The requirements also said that at least after her presentation she would have to be enrolled in a school with at least 30% dragonlings.
Since the Francois-Dupont schools were highly recommended integrated schools (schools with a special focus on dragonlings and human-dragon-relationships), they sent their hatchling, they called her Marinette, there.
Marinette presented as an omega during the summer break. Her parents tried hard and did a good job, but there were still some things they couldn't teach her, so she turned to Nadja and to doing her own research. She started to babysit Manon, because it gave her another dragon in her social circle and when she went through her cycle the first time, she realized there were things her parents just couldn't understand: As an omega her need for a big social circle wasn't satisfied with her parents allowing her to sleep in their bedroom during her cycle. And they wouldn't allow her friends Nino and Kim, two dragons from her class she befriended, to stay in her nest with her. As humans they only saw it as two teenage boys sleeping in the same bed as their teenage daughter.
That's why Marinette started to do her own research, so she could better understand her instincts. This was why her teacher, Madame Bustier, a human, didn't really recognize the formerly meek and quiet girl after the break. Marinette grew and didn't accept getting pushed around anymore. Not by her teacher, with whom she had a very serious talk outside, and not by Chloe, an alpha drake.
Since Marinette feels more comfortable in her skin (or shall I say scales?), she gets more confident and her natural leader qualities easily put her in the spot of the Pride's Head or Prima of the school's Pride. For most students the Pride of Francois Dupont is not their primary Pride (that would be their family), but since the school is meant as an integrated school there are also many students like Marinette or Chloe, who don't have a suitable primary Pride available.
One of these students is Adrien, a beta drake, who has to attend the school now, since his mother disappeared.
Adrien at first only knows Chloe and she also scares everyone else away. Chloe is his friend, but he really would like to formally be accepted into the Pride, but that can't happen, if Chloe scares everyone away and he can't even talk to his classmates.
That's the way it goes for a week until the Prima, an omega dragon he feels pretty intimidated by, snaps and drags Chloe off to an unknown location. Another beta dragon introduces himself as Nino, assures him that he doesn't have to worry about Chloe, because Marinette, the Prima, would never harm any of them and invites him to hang out.
Adrien slowly befriends his classmates after that. Chloe gives him more space and seems to keep closer to Marinette. He still feels intimidated, until she gifts him a scarf for his birthday. That's the first time he sees her self-conscious as she explains that she sewed a few of her scales from one of her shedded skins on the edges, because she read that they are needed to create an official acceptance present for a new Pride member. It's actually a tradition old established Prides follow, but since Marinette found out about it in her research, she thinks it's normal and she likes the idea, that her Pride members have something that smells like her.
Since Adrien's mother was the only dragon he had in France and the rest of his Pride lives in the UK (Amelie, Felix, maternal grandparents, his uncle before he died), Marinette as his new Prima has some legal leverage over Gabriel, who as a human is considered a less important bond. Adrien still lives with Gabriel, since he assured Marinette that he doesn't want to leave his father all alone, but Marinette put her foot down about his schedule, so he has less modeling gigs and only the extra curriculars he likes, like fencing. Adrien is still a bit intimidated, but he also adores her, because not many people are willing to butt heads with his dad and come out on top.
They are still Ladybug and Chat Noir, by the way, but since they hide being dragons when they transform it only changes the dynamic a bit, so they feel a lot more like siblings and best friends with no romantic interest.
Marinette also still attracts the attention of Jagged Stone, who is an alpha dragon and excited to hear, that his kids Juleka (alpha serpent) and Luka (omega serpent) are already friends with his new favourite designer.
Kagami and her mother are both alphas and when Kagami joins the fencing team Adrien recognizes another lonely kid when he sees one, so he asks Marinette to watch the fencing class the next time and introduces Kagami to her.
Kagami has only her mother from her Pride in Paris and since they are both alphas, she enjoys spending time with Adrien and Marinette. They have a calming effect on her and she is happier. At first her mother tries to forbid Kagami from spending time with them, she only accepts them, when Adrien and Marinette convince her to send Kagami to their school (it may have also helped that Marinette "casually" mentioned how close she is with Nadja).
Amelie and Felix end up coming to Paris, because they want to take Adrien back to London, but there they meet Marinette and Amelie, a beta dragon, is so endeared by her, she decides to stay in Paris and send Felix to the same school to get to know Marinette. Felix can't understand what his aunt, a beta dragon, like his mother, from an old Pride, saw in his uncle, a human designer with dubious talents (as Felix says).
Felix is an alpha dragonling, so it's not a surprise that he likes to show off his skills as an actor and a magician. And how smart he is, obviously. When his cycle arrives after he joined the class he butts heads with the other alphas of the school's Pride, especially Chloe, Kim, Alix and Kagami, since he's around them more.
The last addition to the class is Lila, who spends her first day lying about being an omega. It turns out there were only 3 dragons at her last boarding school and die other two were beta twins several classes above her and her classmates seemed to like her more as an omega than an alpha. Her mother is human and her father a drake, which makes her a serpent and she still can't transform into her dragon form. That's why her dragon grandparents finally relented and allowed her mother to have her with her.
Since this version of Marinette is much mote confident she doesn't let this lying grow and points to the information about Lila on file and after getting to the root of the problem, they assure her that she is just as welcome as an alpha.
Just like Chloe, Lila turns out to be a bit clingy and asks Marinette to stay with her during her cycle.
The school actually has a so called nesting room where the dragon and part-dragon students can hang out and build their nests. Human students need to be invited, which doesn't happen often, because humans don't have the instincts to nest and for most of them it's boring or childish, since it's basically hanging out in a pillow fort, sleeping and cuddling for most of the time.
On the other side of the Atlantic Ocean Damian Wayne (alpha dragon) has found his place in his father's Pride. He learns from his father Bruce Wayne (omega dragon, Primus of the Wayne Pride) and his siblings Richard Grayson (alpha dragon), Cassandra Cain (beta dragon), Jason Todd (omega serpent), Timothy Drake (omega dragon, but with more beta mannerisms than other omegas, because his parents needed him to be a beta like they were) and Duke Thomas (human meta) and everyone else in his extended family.
During patrol one night his mother lures him away to ask him if he is happy. When he says yes, she tells him she will do something, so his grandfather will leave him alone for good, although she couldn't say that about Ra's obsession with Tim, since that obsession might become worse.
He reports the incident and they realize that there could be only one explanation: Damian has a twin sister and his mother is going to get her, to present her to his grandfather. Since Damian knows that his grandfather is displeased by his presenting as an alpha, since an omega would have better skills as the leader of the league, and that's one of the reasons Ra's preferred Tim, he knows that his grandfather had no idea about his granddaughter. Otherwise he would already train her. This also means his mother must have made sure, she was well hidden, she might not even know herself where she was.
Of course they will move heaven and earth to find their lost little sister and protect her from the league. They just wish that stupid magical terrorist in Paris could have waited until they found her and made sure she is safe.
