Random thought of the day: In omegaverse, bonding can substitute marriage and get all the same perks. However, people can also bond and marry or just marry. It’s personal choice.

Claim marks (bonds) are a sense of pride and status in omegaverse. The more claim marks a person has, the more loved and cared for they are. People with no claim marks are often looked down on OR others are extremely protective of them because they have no one to protect and care for them. Some people will even try to claim them out of pity, desire, or want of power.

Bonding

Bonds are links connecting one individual to another. They often take place as a physical claim on the body that results in a mental link between two people where the two people connected can feel each other’s emotions.

A person can shield their own bonds, which means they can temporarily block their emotions from going in and out of bonds. All physical claims take place on scent glands.

There are 5 different types of bonds/claims:

Parental

From parent to pup. The parties involved do not need to be biologically related. Involves physical claims on the back of the pup’s neck. These claims traditionally happen when the pup is a few weeks to a few months old. However, more recently, parents wait until their pup is old enough to consent (age 10) to give them the bond. Parental bonds are not easy to break and only break due to extreme abuse or neglect. These bonds do not fade over time and remain strong unless broken. A person usually does not have more than 2 parental bonds at the same time, but of course this does not apply to everyone.

Romantic

From partner to partner. Involves physical claims on the neck/upper collarbone. The bond ceremony often, but not always, takes place during a shared mating cycle after courting. A person can have more than one romantic bond. A romantic bond tends to fade after 3 years, so it must be reinforced. The more often partners reinforces their bond, the stronger the bond will become and the slower it will fade. Only one partner must receive the physical claim, however the claim is strongest when both partners have a physical claim from each other. The breaking of romantic bonds before they fade is dangerous, and can result in extreme illness, unhealthy mating cycles, or even death in some rare cases.

Platonic

From platonic loved one to platonic loved one. Involves physical claims on the wrists. Can happen at any point and does not have a traditional ceremony. Unlike other bonds, platonic bonds must be wanted mutually by both parties in order to properly establish the bond. Platonic bonds fade as the relationship weakens. Platonic bonds break relatively easily and are not dangerous to break, however, depending on how quick they are broken and how one-sided the break is, an individual can get a minor sickness or feel empty for a period of time.

Sexual

From sexual partner to sexual partner. Involves physical claims on the inner thighs. Can happen at any point and does not have a traditional ceremony. Sexual bonds are the easiest bonds to break and naturally break after 3 days to a week. Must be reinforced often if partners want the bond to stick. Sexual bonds often happen between partners who want an increased level of sexual intimacy in their relationship or more pleasurable, shared intimacy. Also often happen between hookups and one night stands. Are the least “serious” of the bonds.

Pack

From pack member to pack member. Are the only bonds that do not need physical claims. Form after time, a close relationship, or sharing bonds with people in the pack. Larger packs have become experts on how to trigger pack bonds between people and even offer counseling for new and struggling packs. One pack bond often, but not always, establishes a bond from one individual to the entire rest of the pack. Since pack bonds take special circumstances to establish, they are not easily broken. Like parental bonds, they break due to extreme abuse, neglect, or a weakened, practically nonexistent relationship. If a pack member needs to break the bonds immediately for whatever reason, they will feel extreme sickness and often enter a dangerous mating cycle where they need to be cared for.