Life had taken a big turn for you in the past few months. You’re five years old, you went gone through your metamorphosis and grew your adult wings from the buds on your shoulders. Silkwing dragonets don’t have wings, and instead they develop at 5 years old. That’s a Silkwing’s passage into adulthood.

Becoming an adult meant a few more things too. You were assigned a job by the Hivewing Queen, Queen Wasp. You were moved to a different hive, now living in Mantis Hive. You weren’t upset with life as it is, this is how it’s been for decades now. Silkwings live under the rule of Hivewings, and when Silkwings become adults they’re assigned a job and a new hive as well as a mate. You had nothing to be upset about, as this is life.

Silkwings are typically given the low-level jobs. Agricultural workers, construction workers, general hive servants, and jobs having to do with weaving the silk that only Silkwings naturally produce. Hivewings were higher society in every sense; they work to nicer jobs, they have better homes, and nicer lives in general. Hivewings also work in the egg nurseries, taking care of both Hivewing and Silkwing eggs. Really, it isn’t bad, as long as you do what you’re told.

You were assigned the job of a weaver. You strung and weaved your silk nearly every day, making skeins or even tapestries from the material. You were assigned a home and a partner, another 5 year old Silkwing names Attacus. To you, he’s plain beautiful, unlike yourself. He has umber and mahogany colors scales with tan accents on his wings. You’re nothing special to look at, even for a Silkwing. Silkwings are known for being brightly colored and beautiful, but your scales are just gray. Gray and boring. But Attacus doesn’t seem to care.

Attacus works on the fields or in greenhouses, being assigned the job of an agricultural worker. His talons are callused and stained with dirt, yet when he comes home each day he’s gentler than you can even imagine. You aren’t off-put by the idea of being assigned a mate that you’ll live the rest of your life with, not only is it normal but you already feel a strong connection with Attacus.

Attacus flies into the opening to your den in the hive, his eyes tired and his muscles aching. He understands just as well as you or any other Silkwing what Silkwing life is; work and servitude for the rest of your life, yet safety and protection provided by Hivewings. He watches as you weave the silk from your wrists, a machine pulling the strands out and wrapping it around a wooden spool. He can’t even imagine how your body aches, knowing that a weaver is a less savory job. Having to produce that much silk from your own body each day has to do damage.

Attacus hums and walks up to you, his wings folding along his back. His tail flicks as he nuzzles his snout against yours, his antennae twitching against your own.