Unmarked Omegas had to wear pheromone isolators for three reasons. The first was to protect the pheromone glands at the back of their necks. An average Omega's pheromone gland was very sensitive.
If it was to be carelessly exposed, an Omega could risk losing them and doing away with their identity as an Omega. With a faulty gland, an Omega would say goodbye to their pheromones.
The second reason for wearing a pheromone isolator was to protect the glands from Alphas who would easily sense an Omega's pheromones and grow excited, leading them to do disrespectful things towards the unmarked Omega.
Most Alphas were scumbags. If they were to see an Omega leaving the back of their necks unprotected, they could mistake it for an invitation to mark them. Or to harass them, as the glands were a private organ in an Omega's body.
Exposing one's private organ could only mean one thing for an Alpha. They were interested in doing that.
The third reason for wearing pheromone isolators as an unmarked Omega was to help regulate pheromones. For a marked Omega, their heat cycles become stabilized and no one but their Alpha would be able to sense their pheromone.
But for an unmarked Omega, the pheromone isolator played the role of a mark for them. Even though wearing it felt uncomfortable to Omegas, its sole purpose was to help and protect them from the harsh world of Alphas.
It was no secret that Blue was not comfortable with his identity as a Dominant Omega. Blue wanted to be an Omega without the disadvantages of being 'dominant'.
He could do away with the intense heat cycles, do away with the high sensitivity to touch and pheromones, do away with fertility, and even do away with his pheromones.
This was the reason why he was trying to become a Recessive Omega by ill-treating himself.
"What is wrong with you, Blue?" Oliver asked him, aware of Blue's foolish plan that he had tried dissuading him from multiple times.
"Nothing is wrong with me," Blue responded with a sharp tone.
The veins on the side of Oliver's head popped with annoyance as he grabbed both of Blue's shoulders aggressively.
"Are you stupid or something? If you keep on living like this, you're gonna end up dead and not Recessive." Oliver said through gritted teeth.
However, Blue did not take his words seriously. He would be fine. Not wearing a pheromone isolator wasn't going to kill him.
Oliver could almost read Blue's mind because he said, "It's clear that you're not thinking straight. The party is going to be filled with Alphas yet you think you can waltz around without a pheromone isolator and come out safe? Do you know how many Alphas are going to be there without wearing pheromone blockers?"
Blue frowned.
"Oh, it's okay for Alphas to go to public places without wearing pheromone blockers, but for an Omega, it should be mandatory to put on pheromone isolators?" Blue almost exploded as he spoke.
Pheromone blockers were like perfumes. They annulled the scent of an Alpha's pheromones. But somehow, most Alphas didn't use them. This was because they didn't like their pheromones being coated and suffocated.
So they expected Omegas to block their own glands with isolators and hide their pheromones instead, even though it was as uncomfortable as putting on pheromone blockers.
Heck, pheromone blockers were just sprays. Pheromone isolators were plastic caps that would be pressed against the neck and remain there all day, making it hard to rotate the neck too much or partake in any vigorous activity.
How uncomfortable was wearing pheromone blockers in comparison to that!?
"Blue, I can understand how you feel—"
"Don't even complete that sentence," Blue raised a hand to stop Oliver, distancing himself from the other party. "You do not understand how I feel. Don't act like you can."
Seeing that if he continued to argue further with Blue, they could get into a serious fight, Oliver nodded his head and bit down on his tongue. Blue sighed at this and pushed his hair back.
"I know what I'm doing. I'll be fine." Blue's tone relaxed, and the tension in the air seemed to have reduced by a margin.
"If you say so." Oliver turned his head away from Blue. "Let's head over to the pool. I bet it's already packed by now."
A carefree smile made its way to Oliver's face and Blue felt at ease. He remembered why he was friends with Oliver. Oliver always knew never to cross the line and was easy to move on from things without making a fuss.
He was the perfect kind of person who could match Blue's own stubborn and unrelenting nature.
Both Blue and Oliver went over to the pool after that, and they found that it was truly already packed. Everyone had a drink in their hand and people were either dancing around the pool or inside of it, having fun.
Blue thought XX Hotel was really efficient and luxurious. Though the guests invited by Adam would be almost fifty, excluding the guests that would come invited by a friend from a friend, the large pool area was still able to accommodate them all.
It wasn't so packed that it'd be hard to walk from left to right. And the scenery was really aesthetic.
Just as Blue had that thought, he heard someone call out to him, saying, "Hey, Blue! Oliver! Come have shots with us!"
Blue looked ahead to see Adam surrounded by a group of people standing over a table with a row of shots arranged on top of it. Blue instantly got the urge to step on his own feet as he reminded himself inside his head:
"No drinks today. No drinks today. No drinks to-"
Blue hadn't even finished reciting his mantra in his head when he was pushed by something and ended up falling inside the pool, making a grand splash.
Author has something to say:
(Mini theater):
Blue: No drinks today. No drinks today. No drinks to-
Winter (pushes him into the pool): Whoops.