[ WP ] When everyone turns 18 , they receive a pet which is figurative of their personality . You 're the first person to receive a dragon ...

I creep out from my room the day I turn 18. Today I get an animal -- which one? I was banking on a cat. Warm, cuddly, sleepy. Seemed like a good fit! Plus it ( he? she? ) would be soft. I like soft, maybe my new pet would make a good stomach warmer. It better not shed all over my room, of course, and definitely not my bed! It would have to go if it dirtied my precious collection of literature, of course. I have them all carefully arranged and placed to minimize how much dust they're exposed to. 
 
 I walk outside into the hall, sure enough -- wait. There is no box. Panicked, I race upstairs --'' I do n't have a bo -- oh.'' In front of me is the box I've been looking for. The box comes up to my chest! It's gorgeous deep, blackened green embellished with silver and gold. I run a reverent finger along the edge closest to me. I'm keeping the box for sure. It's just so pretty. Maybe my pet can sleep in it when it's hot out. Maybe I could put more books in it! The thought of adding to my hoard excites me enough that I immediately begin opening the box. Out shoots a disgruntled whimper, like when I first see daylight. Maybe this pet and I have something in common, even though it's probably bigger than I expected. 
 
 
 Wait, that's not a cat. Hell, that's not a dog! It's scaley, but not a lizard. I stare in stupefied disbelief as a little dragon lets out irate noises at me and tries to protect its one book. 
 
 `` I have more books,'' I tell it bluntly. Its head perks up and its eyes brighten. I nod solemnly. The dragon comes out of the box. I grab a hold of it and lead my new pet back to my room. 
 
 `` That's the bookshelf,'' I say, pointing to an angled shelf next to my desk, under the blinded windows. `` That's the book chest,'' I say, pointing to the the trunk at the foot of my bed. `` There are more everywhere. Pick a place,'' I tell Gawain. He climbs into the foot space under my desk, taking his book with him. `` Ah, okay,'' I say, `` Remember: do n't sully the books down there!'' 
 
 
 Oh yes, we'll get along just fine.
