It had taken little discussion with Shandura to decide on how to name the hatchlings; after all, she didn't have a last name, aside from the typical "Bonder" that many bonder daemons liked to take, so, by default, they would simply take Ontellonji's last name. "Mother should be proud of how many descendents she's going to have," Ontellonji had snickered, when he thought of it. "If she doesn't have a heart attack over it!"

Of course, Demulcei didn't have a heart attack; she was as alive and in-charge as ever, though she did seem a little stunned every time she came by to see how her grandchildren's eggs were doing. At least she had long ago stopped growling every time she was reminded of the offspring resulting from Frada Meredia's meddling. It had taken a while.

Well, before the eggs hatched, Ontellonji knew one of the two who he'd be adopting: sweet little Ramana Jariane, who was one of those who had telepathy and so could speak with him whenever she liked, even though he hadn't a trace of it. He had settled on adopting two, at last; it had only taken him until three days before the hatching due date! He'd finally had to resort to asking for his "other sister" Hambia's help with finances to make sure he could afford it, first. Both of the flitter eggs would go to the children, of course, as there was no way he could keep track of a flitter in the air-hockey playing space and, given what he knew of flitters in general, it would be impossible to keep it out of the three-dimensional "field".

Once that had been decided, there hadn't been a lot to do. He'd taken care of arrangements for them, like assuring they had room and board at the school, and classes as soon as they grew old enough and interested enough. He'd taken care of arrangements for him, such as finalizing his contract with the Firebolts. He'd made sure not to neglect friends, family, and temporary mate, he watched over the eggs, and he waited.

Ramana had been the first to say she'd love to be his little girl in more than just name. She had a sweet personality, reminding him of Pebai without the boundless energy. Though he had very little idea what she looked like-- though from what she told him, he did at least know that she was as serpentine as her mother, coiled up in her egg like a little winged snake-- he knew that her personality hadn't come from his or Shandura's. Not entirely, anyway. He expected, in fact, that Frux would have loved to raise someone like her, rather than someone like her father!

As for the second kit he would enroll in the school, and who would call him "Daddy" for longer than it took to hatch and find a bond or another "father" to foster out with, well, either they weren't telling or they hadn't decided yet. That was all right, though; Ontellonji could wait. It wasn't as if they were all disappearing immediately. Those who had to bond naturally would do so-- though Ontellonji didn't think any in this batch did, given neither of the parents were bonded-- and the rest would be given rooms and allowed to choose friends as they came around. Ontellonji just hoped whoever decided they liked their father didn't take too long to do so: he was supposed to start with the Firebolts two weeks after the hatching date!

The hatching itself happened right on schedule, ten minutes past the tenth hour of the day, and to Ontellonji's pleasure, Pebai showed up to keep him company and watch the hatching. More to his surprise, Frux also came, and sat on his other side without saying a word. In a rare moment of affection for his foster father-- brought on, probably, by the idea that he was a father, now-- he even wrapped his wing around him in a bear hug. Frux patted his shoulder, then made a strangled, "I can't breathe!" sound that had Ontellonji snickering and removing the wing. Pebai was less easily squishable.

The hatching didn't take very long. Ramana was one of the first to break shell and she half-stumbled, half-slithered across the sun-warmed sand-- the rooms set aside for clutches, though within the complex, had their roofs removed so the natural sun could warm the eggs-- right to his paws. She was, he proudly noted, a stunning shade of gold, with vibrantly blue wings, red-gold hair and tufting, and a single, black nub of a horn sticking up from the fuzz of her hair. Her eyes were as blue as his, and she was so tiny!

::Hi, Daddy!:: she chirped at him happily, apparently heedless of how sticky she was with all the goo from inside her egg.

Ontellonji ignored it, too, scooping her up and tossing her onto his shoulder in a typically father-like sort of hug. She squealed, laughed, and clung there. "Hey, baby," he answered her, grinning and letting her climb onto both shoulders and perch there, tail draped over one side.

::You're so much bigger than I imagined!:: she giggled at him.

"Well, you're smaller!" he countered. "Hey, Ramana, wanna meet my family? Or part of it, anyway."

::Oh, yes! Are you part of his family? You don't look like it.::

Frux chuckled, softening, like he always did, in the presence of a child. "I adopted him, so no, I'm not technically related to him. My name is Frux."

::Ooooh, I remember you! Daddy told me you like kids.::

"I do," Frux agreed, nodding.

"And this's my little sis, Pebai," Ontellonji added, and Ramana slithered around on his shoulders so she could look the other direction without his neck or wing being in the way.

"Hi," Pebai giggled.

::Hi!:: Ramana replied.

Introductions made for one kit, Ontellonji looked around for a second, but couldn't see a second making its way to him. Those who hadn't bonded were already bunching around Demulcei, ready to get breakfast and settle in until they found who they liked best. He frowned a bit, then shook his head: he still had two weeks, and if need be, Frux was an amnimancer, reluctant or not, so he could keep the second flitter egg quiet until he found who it would belong to.

"Hey," he said, twisting his neck around to nudge his little girl's sticky, folded wings. "I've got somethin' for you, when we've got you fed and cleaned up."

::You do?:: she asked, turning big, blue eyes on him.

He licked her cheek-- which turned into more like the whole side of her neck, face, and then her ear, she was so small at hatching-- and chuckled when she made a face at him and rubbed at her neck with one little paw. "It's in my room. Come on, let's get you something to eat."

::Okay. Then I can see my present?::

"If you're very, very good."

::Daddyyyyyy!::

"Of course you can," he laughed, and started walking her across the room.

::Daddy, will I ever get to talk like you?::

"Well, since I can, I don't see why not. We'll work on teaching ya, how'd you like that?"

::Okay!::

Pebai and Frux hung back, talking between themselves, as Ontellonji and his daughter headed out into the living room sort of thing attached to the egg-room, which had been converted for the occasion into a buffet line. The room was crowded with people-- some of them shape-shifted dragons-- a couple non-shifted dragons-- like the proud mother, Shandura-- and a small hoard of hungry hatchlings.

::Hey, daddy-o!:: Shandura called when she caught sight of him. ::Weren't you after two?::

He just shrugged his wings, not wanting to shout across the room. She just grinned, and pointed at Demulcei. ::Go see the nice lady who whelped you. She'll set you straight.::

::I can wait to eat for a couple minutes, Daddy,:: Ramana added.

Curious, and now with "permission", Ontellonji hunted out his human-shifted mother and headed for her. "Hello, Mother."

She grinned at him. "Hello, son. I'm really too young to be a grandmother, you know," she pointed out, something of a joke between them by now, as she'd seemed to say that every time she came to visit the eggs and see how they, and he, were doing.

"Too late, now," he replied. "Shandura said you wanted to see me?"

"Not me," Demulcei admitted, and pointed downwards, at a kit coiled behind her feet, only now poking a head around to make its presence known.

"Ah," Ontellonji said, and grinned.