Quelymerith insisted on being hand-fed, rather than just gorging herself with her own forepaws and muzzle like the bulk of the other hatchlings were doing. Jackie didn't mind one bit, crooning affectionate nonsense softly to her new bond, who crooned back with fond amusement between bites.

::I'm not a baby, Jackie,:: she said once, trying to sound reasonable and embarrassed-- which she was-- rather than pleased and flattered-- which she also was. Of course, she sounded like all of it, because that's what mental speech was like, especially between dragon and rider.

"Of course you're a baby," Jackie answered firmly. "You just hatched, after all. Now hush and eat and let me gush, just this once." Quely-- or Meri, or Merith, or however she ended up shortening that lovely name of hers-- thrummed at her and opened her toothy mouth to accept another lump of red meat. There would be plenty of time to be serious and respectful later; right now, Jackie wanted to gush, and gosh-darnit, she was going to gush! She had every reason to, after all: she'd bonded the most beautiful, proud, and intelligent dragon in the bunch, earning an honor and happiness for doing nothing more than being in the right place at the right time.

::Oh, you did more than that,:: Quelymerith commented, swallowing down another bite.

"Oh? And what might that be?" Jackie asked, scratching a moment around the base of her horns. The dragonet thrummed again, leaning into the touch a moment before demanding food again with that wordless, jaw-gaped expression.

::You were you, and you were perfect,:: Quelymerith said with an unshakable certainty that was nearly as embarrassing and pleasing to Jackie as Jackie's baby-talk had been to the dragon, giving her next bite a token chew before gulping it down very nearly whole. ::And that is quite enough. Another piece, please?::

Jackie obliged willingly, ready for more gushing-- she didn't have many opportunities for acting like a girl with a baby, after all, and she wasn't about to miss out on it-- but turned her head to follow the chewing-- this time she did actually chew-- Quelymerith's gaze. Jumping the last two steps down from the bleachers and making his way through the much sparser crowd along the hatching bay's actual floor, his little terisae pet Patus clinging to his shoulder like usual, came Damien, wearing a proud little smile and focused on her and Quely.

::That one,:: the dragon stated with pleasure.

"What?"

::That's the one I wanted to meet. I saw him in your head. Is he nice?::

"Oh, yes, of course he is."

::He smells funny. More meat, please? I really am very hungry, you know!::

Jackie broke into laughter again, tossing another hunk of meat down the hungry hatchling's throat. "Something funny?" Damien asked, finally making it to them.

"No, nothing," Jackie managed, gulping back more laughter. Damien? Smelling funny?

::Well, he does! He doesn't smell like you do, or like I do, or anything. More dry and crackly, kind of. It's hard to explain.::

Not wanting to embarrass Damien immediately with an explanation, and give him a bad impression of her bond to boot, Jackie just gave the gold a quelling look, which she returned with a lofty stare, then smiled at Damien. "This is Quelymerith. Or Quely, or Meri, or Merith, or Goldy-- she said she didn't care what I called her, as long as I kept her," she added with a grin.

::That's not true! I don't want to be called Goldy! At least make it part of my name!:: The vocal squawk she gave made her feelings on the matter obvious even to Damien. Smothering more giggles, Jackie gave her horn-bases another scratch, then beamed at Damien.

"It's a pleasure, Quelymerith," he said with a smile. "I'm Damien, Jackie's guardian."

::Oh, but he looks so young to be your guardian! And certainly too handsome! He can't just be that, can he?::

This is going to take some work, Jackie thought, choking back another laugh. Trying to ignore, or at least not react to, Quely's comments when they would be better not translated for Damien's benefit would take a lot of getting used to. "Well, he's my friend, too," she told the dragonet, somehow making it sound like just an addition to Damien's statement rather than an answer to her amusing question, then said for Damien's benefit, "She says it's a pleasure, too."

::I did not. Though it is a pleasure. I just hadn't gotten to that part yet. Tell him I think he's lovely::

"Okay, now I know something is funny," Damien said dryly, still smiling, as Jackie clapped her hands over her mouth to keep from laughing out loud. 

"Just Quely!" she exclaimed, giving her dragon's head a playful shove. "She's being horribly silly."

Again, the dragon squawked, eyes flashing with a little red and violet, in a pout. ::I am not! It's only the truth! He is!::

"What's she saying?" Damien asked, seemingly curious despite himself. Patus had climbed down his arm, settled in the crook of his elbow and stretching down to sniff at the strange, shiny creature.

"You don't want to know, honestly," Jackie assured him. He would probably just get embarrassed. He arched a brow at her, and she grinned, but before he could press the issue, she asked Quelymerith, "So are you done yet, or you still hungry?"

::I think I'm done... but I would love a bath!:: Quely exclaimed, looking hopeful, all annoyance and pouting forgotten at the prospect of feeling clean for the first time in her life.

"Quely wants a bath," Jackie told Damien. "Want to come? I won't let her splash you too much," she added.

"Well, if you promise," Damien agreed, smiling.

::As if I'd splash him on purpose!:: Quely exclaimed, rising, shaking herself lightly, and then sidling over to crowd Jackie against Damien. Both laughed, and Damien offered her his arm politely-- the one Patus wasn't clinging to, of course-- while Quely thrummed contentedly and led the way out.

Chapter Three

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