Need help with my demonic species

In my story I have humans and demons. The demons come in a variety of species. One of them has now gotten a little tricky. This is what I’ve got.

The species have only one sex. They are mammals, but despite being all the same gender they do not need outside help to reproduce. The reason is that every one of them is technically both female and male. If you take a couple from this species both of them are biologically able to both be the “mother” and the “father”. They even have a custom regarding this fact. Being a fantasy and magic being the very building blocks of the world it is an overlapping fact that during pregnancies the individuals's magic weaken. This species has a sparring ritual that determine who will be the one to give birth – the loser of the match, since that individual has been proven to be the weaker of the two.

Here is my problem. In the previous drafts I have this species all look male (if you saw a picture of how I see them you’d never guess that the character later will give birth) and even refer to themselves as such. But now I have started to think that maybe that isn’t the “right” answer.

Shall I keep the old way or should I change how this species refer to themselves, and how others refer to them? And what could be the best option to change it to?

 

My demons are fallen angels and look like giant anthropomorphic parakeets when they're off duty in Hell (they have to wear traditional scaly suits during the workday). But it relates as parakeets are not, to human eyes, sexually dimorphic. Their reproductive bits are concealed pretty well by feathers and I think stay retracted within their bodies except when mating. It's apparently pretty easy to mistake males for females and vice versa without a DNA test or egg-laying to make sure, so your demons could have similar anatomical features.

Also, if during the pregnancy the newly designated "female" becomes weaker she might go into some sort of isolation or protective stage where she isn't out and about as much? Do they pair bond at all, or is it simply "Wham, bam, looks like you're the designated ma'am in this encounter"?

 

Regarding their appearance the species is humanoid. The flames that makes up their hair make it impossible to take them for humans, though, along with the fact that they can manifest wings at will. But considering the fact that they are all the same sex there is no way at all to tell one from the other because there are no “one and the other”.

This particular species doesn’t go into hiding during pregnancies, I have another that does, though. They do pair up, not only having occasional encounters to keep the species going.

 

Since it is the universal fact in my world that during pregnancies the one going through it (be it human or demon, doesn’t matter) have their magic temporarily weakening it makes sense to this species that the one having the weakest magic from the get go gives birth so that their chances in case they are attacked during these times are higher. And no, weaker magic DEFINITELY does not equal weaker sex. A woman who has strong magic in my story can be (and in some cases are) more powerful than men despite having it weaken due to pregnancy.

Being a woman myself I feel lite disapointed? that you think I'd go that route...

 

No, this is good. I try to avoid pitfalls as much as I can, and sometimes we don’t see them until someone else points them out.

 

Wow, I didn't realise until now how fascinating this gendre/reproduction is. I actually made a study of the anatomy for a dual reproductive, and sexual system. I also conceived (pun intended) a mating 'ritual' for its use.
The battle is the 'mating dance' and intercourse. It is physical and magical wrestling of dominance in which the moment of submission contracts the vaginal/utero-receptive state, and the moment of dominance engorges the penetrating appendage and releases the fertilizing element. Neither is prescient of the outcome until the convulsing orgasm consumes them in carnal bliss. In the interim, there would be massive sexual tension.
It would be interesting if peace/battle brought on this state - much drama in that decision or choice. It is always choice, for if the struggle is against the will of the other (rape), the genitals do not manifest and the tension creates a battle to the death. A war would begin with pairs sexually arousing one another to incite killing frenzy. Yeow!
I'll never get to explore this unless I start writing fantasy, which is unlikely. Have fun!

 

I have read and reread your post, multiple times in fact. You lost me. I honestly do not get what you are trying to say. I do get the picture you are drawing, I just don’t understand what the point you are making is. Perhaps that was the point?

 

Have them be sequential hermaphrodites. This is actually common in fishes. They are born male and will change to female as needed based on the environment. Have the species change after the contest where it is determined if they will be the 'mother'. If part of the social custom is that well pregnant they go into seclusion, it would explain why no one has seen a female of the species. This would also explain why they refer to themselves as male-they are when most people see them.

Also, I would think from a survival of the species point, it would make more sense for the winner of the fight to be the one to bear the children. Stronger mother means higher chance of them not dying during childbirth, but that's just a personal opinion nitpick so feel free to disregard.

 

14 hours?! I had a co-worker once that said her mom was in labour with her for three days...72 hours!!! I said she got an early start on giving her mom gray hairs....ha.

And, yes, I will never understand why females have traditionally been called the "weaker sex." I don't think any male human would be capable of giving birth. We'd likely collapse from the pain of the experience.

Scott

 

With regards to the original post, this sounds fanasticating and I'd love to read the finished work!

Scott

 

Not a bad idea. I can even imagine other species joking about their females being utterly hideous to look at and that’s why they hide from everyone. However, I also find it unlikely I’ll go that route. The reason for that is that one member of this species, a main character even, is in a relationship with a human male later in the series. Even though some fun moments could come from it, it just doesn’t fit my vision. I happen to love that couple.

 

Or have it that well pregnant they emit a strong odor that even others of their kind find offensive

 

*shrugs*

It was a duality thing. Neither knows who will conceive until almost the last moment, and a powerful moment it is, my young padawan.