(Nsfw) Spring Fever, Loretober Day Five!

Harpies are inspired by avians, so of course I wanted them to have a mating season where their hormones change to ignite a strong urge to reproduce. For harpies who regularly migrate, their mating season begins once they return to their northern homes after winter passes and they feel safe enough to settle in. Harpies who live near the warm equator year-round can have fluctuating times when their fever begins, but for most, early-late spring is considered the optimal range, hence it's name "spring fever".

How do harpies feel during Spring Fever?

When a harpy first experiences the hormonal change, it’s quite uncomfortable and overbearing. Their bodies heat up, they struggle staying still since nothing feels quite comfortable, and they tend to feel a conflicting bursts of energy and lethargicness. Females may feel increased aggression/ agitation while males occasionally (and embarrassingly) leak seed and hide away to clean themselves.

There are staunch societal norms within harpy communities that young adult harpies are not to be taken advantage of during their fevers. The first one every harpy experiences must be spent alone. No exceptions. This teaches young harpies that (although their body tries to tell them otherwise) they will not die if they do not mate and that assaulting another harpy, even while in desperate fever, is a completely unjustified criminal act. 

Proper adults feel the hormones affect them stronger than most while middle aged/elder harpies’ fevers are much duller, their sex drives weakening with age. Harpies with many children, especially young ones, may also experience significantly duller fevers.

How long does it last?

Typically a few weeks. The first few days/first week of heat are usually tolerable enough to continue life as usual. The second week tends to be the most intense, with harpies rarely leaving their nest. Then the rest of the fever is similar to the first week and tends to end sooner for opposite sex couples who are calmed by the early signs of gestation.
There are some magical plants that are rumored to shorten the length, intensity, or fertility of a harpy's fever, but these remedies usually have varying results/side effects.

What if a harpy doesn’t have a life mate?

Harpies that do not have mates either decide to go through their fever alone, have an occasional one night stand, or take on a fever friend. Typically of the same sex, “fever friends” are long term sexual partners who help each other through their spring fevers. These relationships are preferred over one night stands since they help to prevent the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases and provide additional comfort and support through an intense few weeks. Though it is possible for fever friends to later become mates, it is much more common for them to remain completely romantically platonic towards each other and cordially part ways until the next spring comes around.
Fun fact: The harpy Kree was in love with before Clara was his fever friend.