K: Kismet
S: Scientist/Scholar
S: Hello madam, could you spare a few moments of your time for a curious xenobiologist? I came across an academic journal the other day which claimed to be a compendium of everything we know about Dragonflies currently. And seeing as your species are such newly discovered Mamono I hoped you could answer a few questions?
K: Of course. Our species has actually existed for millions of years -the Empress’ age-, but has been discovered only rather recently because we live in an environment that’s so dense with trees.
S: Oh. Is Kismet your real name?
K: *laughs* Ah, no. My real name is very long and difficult to pronounce for humans, I can tell you that my first name is Libellula and my surname is Drakontia, but I have many middle names. Kismet is actually my stage name for when I sing. I do concerts and often collaborate with Sirens to keep the Lush Islands people entertained. And I also just like singing and dancing. People say I’m a pop idol, but I’ve sang rock and I’m currently delighting in other more experimental genres.
S: Delightful. How do you feel being the first dragonfly and how did you come to be the first?
K: I was born the very same day the Empress was. I was a human, but I don’t remember much about my past life, but at some point the Demon Lord found me and brought me to her Demon Realm to be a playmate for her daughter. This caused my initial transformation into a Lesser Succubus, but as soon as the Empress touched me, I felt a shockwave going through my entire body and her unique Demonic Energy caused me to turn into the very first Dragonfly and without needing a Lamia companion because, well, the Empress has a... peculiar appearance (foreshadowing foreshadowing). We remained companions.
S: Ah lovely. I didn’t know your story. Hmm what else? Well I have read that your kind 'possess two horns resembling big mandibles' Do these horns resemble different types of mandibles depending on the individual? That is to say could I find a Dragonfly with horns which resemble Beetle like mandibles, or Ant like ones?
K: Each Dragonfly has her own set of mandibles. Our horns are like fingerprints for humans, and we even use them to communicate by flashing them according to our version of the morse code, as they are lined with photocytes that allow for intermittent biolumescence, although this feature has been around for only a few years. Dragonflies that are born now possess them already, but the older Dragonflies, including me, needed the Empress to grant them. I think it would be possible for a Dragonfly to be born with horns resembling those of beetles or giant ants, but they would be very rare. There is also a mutation that makes a Dragonfly grow two or more sets of horns, but these individuals often get them surgically removed.
S: Fascinating. I also read that your kind enjoy dancing and singing. But what I found particularly interesting was that you have an 'odd fascination with eyes, and can spend several minutes staring at strangers' Do your kind possess a courtship dance to allure and mesmerise the eyes of men in any way? And that could account with your kind's love of eyes?
K: That is all true. Staring at strangers, however, is actually a natural instinct of ours, we can’t help it. Our kind uses the clearness of eyes to determine the general health of an individual. This is a way of finding a fitting partner. We do possess traditional courting dances, but the younger generations aren’t willing to learn them as they require gracefulness and perfect coordination, so Dragonflies that are capable of performing them are becoming increasingly rare.
S: Do you mind telling me what Lamia are you affiliated to?
K: You see, it’s quite complicated. As for my first pact, I tried bonding with an Echidna, but after a few years, she went her own way to find a dungeon to inhabit and have a family in. My main one is currently an Apophis named Void. However, high-ranking Dragonflies can afford to have multiple pacts with different types of Lamias and can even mentor the younger ones!
Void has two twin daughters named Salaxaura and Zelephine, the latter being a Bunyip, and I’m busy teaching them Inma values. And a few centuries ago, I even found a newborn Basilisk i named Laurolive who was abandoned by her mother. I raised her as if she was my child, and when she grew up to be an adult I left because I didn’t want her to be influenced in bonding with me. Making a pact with a Lamia you’re not compatible with can prove to be exhausting for both parties.
S: I don't mean to monopolise your time. So allow me to ask one last question before I leave. Your exoskeletons are said to be the source of your formidable strength. But as we sit here I cannot see any such exoskeleton. Am I correct in thinking the exoskeleton is made of Demonic Energy, and therefore invisible to all but your Husband and other Mamono? And forgive my curiosity. But since Demonic Energy is unique to an individual does that mean your exoskeletons come in a variety of shapes and colours?
K: Oh. That’s because a Dragonfly takes a lot of time to fully develop. Even if I am the oldest of them and have been around since the Empress first opened her eyes, I have yet to create an exoskeleton in many areas of my body. Since we need shed Lamia skin to properly form it and I’ve been focusing on converting human women into Lamias, I don’t have any left to strengthen my natural armor.
I do have it on my arms and legs, you can’t see it as I’m wearing high boots and opera gloves. Although the exoskeleton is fully removable, it is very physical and only in a small percentage composed by Demonic Energy, the rest is ultra-resistant keratin. And yes, that small Demonic Energy percentage is what determines the armor’s color and the vibrancy of it. That explains why Damselflies, our magic-focused cousins, have even more vibrant colors than us. In addition to that, the youngest Dragonflies retain the fuzzy covering of a Lesser Succubus under the armor they develop. This tends to disappear as they age and reinforce their exoskeleton. We call them “larjuvæ”. The actual shape and pattern of the armor is determined by genetics and is usually passed from mother to daughter, but it can skip a few generations so that the resulting Dragonfly has a unique form that is then passed onto her descendants. The birth of a Dragonfly that has never seen before a pattern is always celebrated officially in a custom called “ᚾᛖᚹ ᛒᛚᚢᛖ ᛗᛟᛟᚾ“, which translates to “New Blue Moon” to express how rare they are. There is a belief that these individuals are extremely powerful and need a rite so that their powers are creative instead of destructive.
Sorry for not including more, but Kismet will still answer any questions in the comments! I also accept suggestions on her colors!