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

`` Well, what do *you* think it means?'' Elias asked her sister. She caught the delicate trinkets that lined the shelf above her as they toppled and fell one by one. 
 
 `` That you're annoying and you break things?'' Her sister replied with a laugh. `` I do not!'' Elias barked just before one piece managed to evade her fingers and smash on the floor. Her sister snorted and left the room. Elias looked up at the shelf and found herself staring into the round shining eyes of her new pet. 
 
 - 
 
 `` There's all sorts of things it could mean.'' Her mother said, `` Your pet is a representation of you. And your life-long friend and partner.'' 
 
 `` Yeah, mom, I sat through that class same as everyone.'' Elias shook her head, `` Dogs are loyal and brave. Cats are clever, Birds are free spirited, et cetera. What's a *dragon* supposed to be? Scary? Hot-headed?'' 
 
 She stood up suddenly and rushed over to where her pet was attempting to set the curtains on fire, `` No no no! None of that in the house, buddy!'' The dragon made a soft noise of surprise and fluttered it's wings - a move that sent its still-tiny body upwards. In a moment of panic, it grabbed at the curtains and Elias winced to hear them tear apart beneath its claws. `` NOT THE CURTAINS! I'LL HAVE TO PAY FOR THOSE, YOU LITTLE-'' 
 
 She glanced back at her mother to see the woman smirking at her. `` *I am not scary or hot-headed! *'' 
 
 Her mother smiled then, `` I did n't say a word.'' 
 
 Elias worked to untangle the shredded curtains from its claws and her mother spoke up, `` You know... there's a lot of theory that pets are the ones that actually chose the humans.'' 
 
 `` Wonder what that says about *you*.'' Elias muttered to the squirming infant. 
 
 - 
 
'It's going to get big.' She knew. Big as a car. She would n't even have to get a car, plenty of people who had large enough pets simply took them to work. 
 
 *Flying to work. * That'd be cool. 
 
 She would n't have to be afraid - not of *anyone*. Everyone knew she was the one and only person with a dragon and everyone knew that pets died just hours after their human did. It was guaranteed that no one would steal a pet. 
 
 She'd have to do research. What do full-grown dragons eat? Princesses? Those were all in other countries. Cows? Plenty of those in this State. 
 How much does a cow cost? Is it one cow a day or...? Would she have to start a dairy farm just to break even? 
 
 `` You're going to be a lot of trouble, little one.'' She sighed as the tiny dragon yawned. It belched then and exhaled a puff of smoke. Then it crawled into her lap and Elias grit her teeth at the needle-sharp claws poking her until it curled up and yawned once more. 
 
 It blinked up at her sleepily. 
 
 `` I think I'll call you Smaug. He was a lonely dragon, too. But... I promise, I'll do everything I can to make sure you do n't ever regret picking me.'' 
 
 Smaug farted and Elias made a face, `` Yeeeaah, he was kind of jerk, too.'' She paused, `` Wait, what's that say about me?''
