Tread Lightly, This May Confuse You

So, yeah.

I'm going to start on writing PROLOGUE: Pt. 4 (hopefully soon).

While I'm getting my bearings again, why not enjoy this fun little thing my mind devised that may or May not be relevant to a story or story arc I may or may not write.

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Let's start out by saying that this "headcanon" (for lack of better descriptor) is confusing enough in the form I'm going to present it in; DON'T TRY TO PLOT IT OUT IF YOU VALUE YOUR GREYMATTER!

We will be looking at changeling reproduction and mating (not like that, you pervert).

Let's first assume that, similar to the bee, they are able to reproduce incestually without fear of any negative genetic defect.

Second, let's assume that they have eight different "genders" (half of which are similar to the other half):

q::hermaphroditic basic (queen)
Q::hermaphroditic advanced (queen elite)
m::masculine basic (male)
M::masculine advanced (male elite)
f::feminine basic (female)
F::feminine advanced (female elite)
n::genderless basic (drone*placeholder term)
N::genderless advanced (drone elite)

Are you still with me? Well, we're continuing regardless.

Thirdly, let's assume that the queen elite is able to reproduce sexually without mating.

Without further ado, let's get started.

(Written as "fertilizer"+"fertilized">"offspring")

1. Q>m
2. m+Q>f
3. Q+f>q
4. m+f>n
5. Q+q>M *q becomes Q
6. m+q>F
7. q+Q>M
8. q+f>q
9. q+q>M
10. Q+Q>M
11. Q+F>q
12. m+F>N
13. q+F>q
14. M+Q>F
15. M+f>N
16. M+q>F
17. M+F>N

Now, the above only refers to ways of reproduction. The next part only makes the above more confusing.

Let's assume that, instead of just love, Changelings are able to metabolize all emotions. Because of this, they have a special, pouch-like organ that replaces their digestive track.

This organ, when used for reproduction, is capable of carrying a mass amount of zygotes (fertilized eggs) as a means of both incubating and protecting the developing offspring.

This organ is not needed for reproduction since a female, female elite, queen, and/or queen elite are/is still capable of carrying unborn offspring in their womb(s).

Since all Changelings have this organ, all Changelings are capable of being "with child", and, as such, parental ownership may go to whosoever carries the child, meaning that couples who are otherwise unable to produce children, are still able to have children.

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There you all have it, confusing headcanon.