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Description
Omegaverse (aka Alpha/Beta/Omega or A/B/O) feels like the sort of thing that could appeal to me, but it just...doesn't quite hit the mark, with all the fun stuff you could do with it attached to the worst aspects of old, dubious slash fics cranked up to eleven. Still, I guess trying to put a less grody spin on it could be an entertaining challenge...

Like in the typical A/B/O setup, there's three strains of human: alphas, betas, and omegas. Alphas tend to have enhanced strength/speed and the ability to receive psychic suggestions from omegas, who in turn possess low-level "esper" abilities and, in rare cases, healing powers. Betas are ordinary humans, though some seem to have an odd effect on alphas, and stand apart by their lack of natural arm/leg markings.

Many areas on Earth and Mars are divided into tribes that are protected by bonded alpha/omega pairs; how many pairs to a tribe generally depends on the latter's size, with two or three being the most common. Once their bond is formally recognized, the pair is expected to put loyalty to the tribe above all else.

Unfortunately, despite being vital to a tribe's safety, attitudes towards alphas and omegas range from unflattering to poor; alphas are often seen as brainless attack dogs who only think about killing whatever they're pointed at and banging their omegas, while omegas often aren't even thought of as having a full set of human rights, just things to be passed around between alphas and betas. Some places do try to buck these retrograde trends, but Tharsis isn't one of them.

Vince in this scenario is an alpha who's gone a bit longer without finding an omega partner than is typical; between languishing in a commune full of meatheads and not being able to hold down any jobs besides on-site computer repair, life is not looking up for him. At least, not until his old school buddy Dante Spada turns up on his doorstep one day, hoping to reconnect. In time, the two have their major bonding moment (marked, as is normal for alphas/omegas with compatible orientations, with passionate love-making); later, they work together to take down some criminal types, thus catching the attention of beta tribe leader Bernhard Strauss. They're introduced to the other recently-bonded pair, Enzo and Tycho, and given the rundown of what's expected of them now.

Something that neither Vince nor Dante were fully aware of until this point were all the byzantine rules regarding alpha/omega pairs; the most alarming rule decrees that alphas and omegas are barred from romantic love, as that erodes tribal loyalty. But, no one's gonna pry into their personal lives, so as long as they put on a convincing show, they can get around that, right?..

Not only do the two get caught out, but one night Vince very loudly breaks another cardinal rule (misbehaving omegas must be "disciplined"). He and Dante are brought to Strauss again, who's far too eager to start doling out punishments; if Vince wouldn't do the job himself, perhaps Strauss can force his hand. Vince would rather die than commit such a heinous act, especially against his beloved Dante; while Strauss is distracted, he takes Dante and flees the compound. The pair end up killing several people in self-defense, marking them for death, and they've got no choice but to keep running all the way into the Martian desert; if they can cross it, they'll hopefully be home free.

Strauss, most displeased over not getting to punish Vince and Dante, sets Tycho up to break several omega-specific rules and takes it out on him. Enzo rescues her omega partner and follows the other pair into the desert, believing that if they hadn't screwed up, then Tycho wouldn't have been put through hell. This leaves the tribe without any alpha/omega pairs--but they do still have an abundance of pissed-off alphas and vindictive betas...

--

tl;dr kinda like Poor Man's The Sentinel. There's still a lot of boning involved, as that's kind of inextricable from the concept, but no knotting or other transplanted-werewolf-kink stuff; I'm also thinking of not including pheromones either, as sex pollen tropes in general don't do it for me (especially the strain that temporarily overrides one's personality with "horndog"; as an asexual person, that's like eight different kinds of "BLEEEAGH"). At the very least, any drive between a bonded alpha and omega to bone more often than either would normally has to do with their psychic link.

Alphas probably aren't all naturally aggressive, just taught to be that way by a society that, at its core, only values them for the violence they can dish out; likewise, many omegas aren't particularly docile outside of combat (exhibit A: Tycho). And male-bodied omegas possibly aren't monoecious here, as I usually restrict that to non-humans like merfolk (and "getting chased through the desert by murderous assholes" is trouble enough for the protagonists).

Description
Omegaverse (aka Alpha/Beta/Omega or A/B/O) feels like the sort of thing that could appeal to me, but it just...doesn't quite hit the mark, with all the fun stuff you could do with it attached to the worst aspects of old, dubious slash fics cranked up to eleven. Still, I guess trying to put a less grody spin on it could be an entertaining challenge...

Like in the typical A/B/O setup, there's three strains of human: alphas, betas, and omegas. Alphas tend to have enhanced strength/speed and the ability to receive psychic suggestions from omegas, who in turn possess low-level "esper" abilities and, in rare cases, healing powers. Betas are ordinary humans, though some seem to have an odd effect on alphas, and stand apart by their lack of natural arm/leg markings.

Many areas on Earth and Mars are divided into tribes that are protected by bonded alpha/omega pairs; how many pairs to a tribe generally depends on the latter's size, with two or three being the most common. Once their bond is formally recognized, the pair is expected to put loyalty to the tribe above all else.

Unfortunately, despite being vital to a tribe's safety, attitudes towards alphas and omegas range from unflattering to poor; alphas are often seen as brainless attack dogs who only think about killing whatever they're pointed at and banging their omegas, while omegas often aren't even thought of as having a full set of human rights, just things to be passed around between alphas and betas. Some places do try to buck these retrograde trends, but Tharsis isn't one of them.

Vince in this scenario is an alpha who's gone a bit longer without finding an omega partner than is typical; between languishing in a commune full of meatheads and not being able to hold down any jobs besides on-site computer repair, life is not looking up for him. At least, not until his old school buddy Dante Spada turns up on his doorstep one day, hoping to reconnect. In time, the two have their major bonding moment (marked, as is normal for alphas/omegas with compatible orientations, with passionate love-making); later, they work together to take down some criminal types, thus catching the attention of beta tribe leader Bernhard Strauss. They're introduced to the other recently-bonded pair, Enzo and Tycho, and given the rundown of what's expected of them now.

Something that neither Vince nor Dante were fully aware of until this point were all the byzantine rules regarding alpha/omega pairs; the most alarming rule decrees that alphas and omegas are barred from romantic love, as that erodes tribal loyalty. But, no one's gonna pry into their personal lives, so as long as they put on a convincing show, they can get around that, right?..

Not only do the two get caught out, but one night Vince very loudly breaks another cardinal rule (misbehaving omegas must be "disciplined"). He and Dante are brought to Strauss again, who's far too eager to start doling out punishments; if Vince wouldn't do the job himself, perhaps Strauss can force his hand. Vince would rather die than commit such a heinous act, especially against his beloved Dante; while Strauss is distracted, he takes Dante and flees the compound. The pair end up killing several people in self-defense, marking them for death, and they've got no choice but to keep running all the way into the Martian desert; if they can cross it, they'll hopefully be home free.

Strauss, most displeased over not getting to punish Vince and Dante, sets Tycho up to break several omega-specific rules and takes it out on him. Enzo rescues her omega partner and follows the other pair into the desert, believing that if they hadn't screwed up, then Tycho wouldn't have been put through hell. This leaves the tribe without any alpha/omega pairs--but they do still have an abundance of pissed-off alphas and vindictive betas...

--

tl;dr kinda like Poor Man's The Sentinel. There's still a lot of boning involved, as that's kind of inextricable from the concept, but no knotting or other transplanted-werewolf-kink stuff; I'm also thinking of not including pheromones either, as sex pollen tropes in general don't do it for me (especially the strain that temporarily overrides one's personality with "horndog"; as an asexual person, that's like eight different kinds of "BLEEEAGH"). At the very least, any drive between a bonded alpha and omega to bone more often than either would normally has to do with their psychic link.

Alphas probably aren't all naturally aggressive, just taught to be that way by a society that, at its core, only values them for the violence they can dish out; likewise, many omegas aren't particularly docile outside of combat (exhibit A: Tycho). And male-bodied omegas possibly aren't monoecious here, as I usually restrict that to non-humans like merfolk (and "getting chased through the desert by murderous assholes" is trouble enough for the protagonists).