Ok guys, I MIGHT start a new story, so if I don't post for a while, it's because I'm writing a new story. Also, please please please leave reviews on what you think I should add in the upcoming chapters! I'm having to free-write them, and I'm not sure if you guys are impressed with what's going on - so I need your reviews to make it better. Also, if you think you're review won't get noticed, then don't worry, because no one reviews my stories lol. And, it would be rude if I ignored any comment at all. So if you have an idea for where this story is going, let me know! Now, have fun reading this chapter on my favorite dragon, mixed with my OC that I'm especially fond of!
Qibli
His legs bounced up and down.
Wow, day one, and already someone unconscious. He was waiting outside the nurses' office, Winter on his right and Kinkajou on his left. Her dress had returned to a cream color, but her hair was still ghostly white.
"Qibli?" Kinkajou suddenly asked. He turned to look at her, confused.
"I-Is she gonna be ok?" Her face was pale, and he felt bad for her. She had no idea what was going on - neither did he, to be fair, but he was at least semi-accustomed to it. People passed out all the time in the Scorpion Den district.
This… this was different though. As far as he could tell, she hadn't been cut by a knife and fell because of blood loss, nor had someone hit her on the back of the head with a sturdy book. Or their fist.
"Yeah…" he said slowly. He didn't want to lie, but he felt it was needed for this Rain. He glanced at Winter, who, like Qibli, had his legs bouncing. His head was down, his fists clasped together between his knees.
"Yeah," he said more certainly, trying not to let his voice waver with the lie. "I'm sure she was just overwhelmed, and she'll come out any time." As if on cue, the nurses' door popped open. Moon walked out, one hand rubbing her arm sheepishly.
"S-Sorry," she mumbled. A million thoughts came to Qibli.
Is she ok? Why did she just pass out - for no reason? Was she overwhelmed by college? Will she pass out again? What did the nurses do to her? Is she on dorm-arrest?
Moon tilted and clutched the doorframe, as if she had a headache. Both Qibli and Winter sprang up, but she gingerly smiled and waved them off.
Qibli sat down slowly, but Winter just hrmfed and walked off towards the dorm. Kinkajou cried out, her hair shifting to a pink then settling down to a light brown; streaks of pink still in it, sprinkled randomly.
"Moon! Are you ok?!" She ran up and hugged the girl - poor Moon.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine… just a bit of a headache." She slipped from the girl's grasp and turned to Qibli, including him in her words.
Kinkajou was standing next to her, worry etched on her face along with relief. Moon awkwardly shifted feet, and looked at Qibli in the eyes.
"S-Sorry for that. I-I don't usually do that… the headaches are normally it. Through h-high school, no one really paid attention b-because we didn't have rooms, or roommates. S-Sorry," she apologized again.
Qibli was still mystified, and he felt that he might have the liberty to ask one question.
"Why did you just pass out, just like that?" He snapped his fingers to emphasize his point. She visibly winced, and Qibli wished he could take it back.
"I mean," he kicked at the floor with his cheap sneakers, suddenly uncomfortable. "You don't have to tell us…" She looked at him, eyebrows furrowed.
He was shocked. Did she know that he had taken an immediate liking to her? How would she know?
Then, he realized it was because he had said she didn't have to tell him. His eyes locked on the floor. He never passed up information. Never. It was just too valuable.
Rule number seven in the Scorpion Den District - If you pass up information, you're a dead man. And now, he might as well have been dead. He forced himself to not blurt he was curious why. No one passed out for no reason. It could be sickness, pressure, a multitude of things, but never for no reason.
"T-Thanks," Moon said quietly. "But I-I guess you have the right to know, considering you c-c-carried me all the way h-here." Qibli pushed all of the blood in him to his feet, refusing to blush.
True, Winter had gotten there faster, but he was in so much shock he didn't have time catch her. Qibli had rushed up and caught her two inches from the floor. Too close. Much too close. He was jolted back when Moon started to explain.
"I have these headaches sometimes, and I get really…" she paused, the continued as if she was reluctant. "Vivid, pictures or images. They come and go, but I've never passed out before…."
Qibli had to give it to her. She was a good excuse maker. But as a former thief, he could tell the best lie from a mile away. Thorn; the current Sand Queen; had found him useful for this.
He had lied so many times, it was easy for him to know when someone else was lying. A quick flicker of the eye, a swift lick of the lips, a tiny shift, even a direct gaze to the ground, could give it all away.
And Moon was staring at the ground as if it was forcing her to look at it.
"'Kay," was all Qibli said. Moon cast a quilty glance at him. Kinkajou didn't notice, and she hurriedly put her words in.
"Aw, Moon, have you ever tried some aspirin?" Qibli heard Moon snort, but Kinkajou didn't. She was just too innocent to notice these things.
"Yes, I have. It, as well as any other kind of medicine, doesn't help. Neither does sleep, food, messages, anything. It's just the way I am." Kinkajou's dress turned a drab grey before switching to a bright yellow.
"I know! Have either of you heard of the cafe on campus?" Qibli hadn't known there was one on campus, but he guessed it would be more practical. That must have been the one Onyx mentioned when he heard her talking with her buddies.
"Yeah, I have." Rule number four in Scorpion Den District; to admit you don't know something, or aren't sure of something, is suicide. So Qibli made no move to say he hadn't know it had been on campus.
"Well," Kinkajou said, her hair changing from caramel to bright, explosive blue.
Qibli partially shut his eyes, trying not to go blind.
"We could go over there, get some snacks and drinks, and come back, and just hang! It's first day on campus, and we need to get to know one another!" Qibli thought it was smart; he could get to know Moon; and the rest of his dorm-mates, he thought quickly.
Moon seemed to blush at the ground, and for the first time, Qibli noticed that the speckles in her eyes were a startling silver - no, he had known that.
What he hadn't realized: all the other Nights had dark brown eyes, no silver. Never had he seen one with silver in their eyes. It was odd, he thought.
He noticed Kinkajou looking at him expectantly, and went back to the topic.
"Sounds like a good idea, I can go get Winter from wherever he went."
Quickly, Moon, who didn't want to be left out, said quietly, "I'll help. Qibli, could you check the welcoming room, and I'll check the dorm? If one of us find him, we can text the other."
She pulled out her phone, and Qibli did too. It was stupid: no offense to Moon, but he already knew Winter had gone to the dorm. That's where all his stuff was, and it would give him space to clear his head.
They swapped numbers, and then split up. Kinkajou went with Moon to the dorms, so Qibli went to the welcoming room by himself.
When he got there, it was full of students. He could make out Tsunami at the welcoming desk, and Clay making his way to the cafeteria. Sunny was greeting people throughout the room, and Qibli dodged her by going over to the entrance doors.
He went outside, and saw a small fountain. He sat on the rim, sharp eyes looking for Winter; but he already knew he wouldn't be here. So he mostly watched people talking, holding his phone, waiting for Moon to text him that she found him.
Three minutes later, Qibli felt his phone vibrate. He swiped the screen and typed in the password - amber - which was so random no one would guess it. He saw the text message from Moon.
Found him. A new dragon dropped by - a Sky. Her name is Carnelian, I think. She's a bit… well, let's just say we walked in while she was getting ready to throw a knife at Winter's face. I don't think she's coming with us to the cafe. I asked Starflight (we dropped by the library) and we should have Turtle coming by any minute. That's our Sea dorm-mate.
Wow, Moon sure knew how to type a long text. Qibli kept reading.
Kinkajou gave me directions to text you, and also her number.
The number was first, so Qibli quickly added it to his contacts. The directions came after.
Go out of the greeting room, take a left, go straight for a while, and make sure to watch your right side. She said it's hard to miss - a large green cup is on the top. It's called Lime Cafe; I'll find Turtle and make my way over there.
Qibli quickly messaged back. He wasn't one for long, complicated stuff, so his text was easy and casual.
K
He stared at the screen for a while, wondering if he should add something else.
After a few minutes, he just hit the send button, and watched it pop up on the screen. It was pathetic, now that he read it.
She went through all that time to write that text, and all he said back was - K.
Wow, he really needed some advice. Lucky for him, he had brought with him a friend. None of the others needed to know; they might think he liked Coati more than them. Which, being truthful, Coati was a life friend, and he had just met these guys.
Still, he didn't want them to get the wrong impression. Quickly, he pulled back up his text messages.
Hey Coa can i drop by ur place? wont take long promise. just a friend to friend conversation.
Yes, Qibli knew it was short. He knew it made him look like a 3rd grader who didn't know how to properly write. But, Coati didn't mind, and Qibli really didn't like long texts.
Well, actually, he didn't mind other people's long texts, but he didn't like writing them. Coati messaged back almost immediately.
Ya bro. Drop by whenever. Rush much? You usually aren't so 3rd grade. Jk, idec. If it's a girl man, get da f over here. If it's not, take your time. Cuz I probably won't care if it's not about one.
Qibli almost laughed. That was Coati for you.
Obsessed with girls, but also friends problems. He would pick out a girl from fifty feet, wink at Qibli, and Qibli won't even have time to snort before Coati was over there, flirting with her.
Qibli hadn't had a crush before so he was mostly cool with it. Ok, ok, he had had one in the fourth grade.
And that was actually when Coati and Qibli had been friends. It all came back to him now, which brought a quirking smile to his tanned face.
Qibli was sitting at his desk, filling out his test, and casting the occasional glance at Taipan.
He saw another dragon staring at her, and he glared at him. It was a dragon in his class named Coati, which, although Qibli would never admit it, was a pretty cool name.
The teacher rapped his ruler on his desk, making everyone look up at him.
Taipan looked up, but first glanced at Coati, and she barely masked a smile. Qibli melted.
He had had a crush on her all year now, and it was nearing the end. Glaring at Coati, he made a slicing motion on his own neck.
Coati winked at him, and mouthed, Alley, class, out. Qibli had lessened his gaze, and nodded slightly.
Soon, the bell rang, and Qibli went behind the school into the alley where all the older kids hung out. Today, no one was there, and Qibli was surprised. There was always someone here, selling something.
Those things ranged from cigarettes to girls' gym clothes dragons had stolen. Weird, and yet the guys would pay a lot for some of them.
Qibli shrugged, and leaned casually against the wall. He regularly checked his old, scratched up watch.
He would stay until 3:08, no longer. He was afraid some of the guys would show up, and he would have to escape; or fight.
Truthfully, fighting was fun, but escape was easier. He started to plan out multiple ways to escape when Coati rounded the corner.
"Hey Qibli," Coati had said. Qibli had looked him up and down, looking for any hint of weapons or anything else.
When Qibli saw he checked out, no slight bulges, no fidgety actions, no flickering eyes, he calmed down.
"Hi Coati." It was normal for them to know each other's names even if they hadn't met each other before. Rumors flew like flies in the Scorpion District.
"So, I saw you eyeing Taipan today," was how Coati started the conversation. Qibli knew that denying it would get him nowhere. So, he stuck with what he thought would get the best reaction from Coati.
"Yeah, I was." Coati smirked.
"Well then, you're in luck." Qibli had popped an eyebrow up.
"And how might you assist me?" Coati's smirk grew.
"I know a few things, picked up here and there. For instance, she likes Gymnocalycium cactus, her favorite color is pink, and she wears a something blue every day to remind her of a brother she lost in a war."
Qibli tried not to look impressed. That was some serious information gathering.
Qibli knew he had to play hard to catch. "I don't know. Why would you help me?"
Coati's smirk changed into a grin, and he put an arm over Qibli's shoulder.
"Because, you're meeting the number one matchmaker of this school. It's in my Code of Conduct."
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out two sheets of crumpled, old paper. He let Qibli have a look at them.
My Code of Conduct
If a guy or girl needs my assistance getting with their crush, I have to promise to help them out for at least until they have told their crush they like them. Until that is done, I cannot stop helping. If I have a case, then I cannot accept another one, UNLESS it's my friend.
Page two said,
List of a few rules
No interacting with them while they're on a date (unless it is absolutely necessary)
One has to tell the other they like them, or else the case is not rested
Have fun Coati! It's a matchmaking business. What can go wrong?
Qibli laughed, and Coati grinned wide.
"Yes, I have a current case, but we're bros, right?" Qibli grinned, and accepted the fist bump Coati attempted.
"You bet we are."
Qibli had told Taipan he liked her within the next week, but she had her eyes on a guy named Rattle.
Qibli had honestly shrugged and said, "Ok," and walked off.
Him and Coati stayed friends, and were still friends today. And that was how they became friends, because Coati was a matchmaker, and Qibli was a client.
Before Qibli let his conscience get to him, he pulled out his phone and texted Moon.
Hey, I'm going to drop by at a friends before I go to the cafe. That cool?
Her response was almost immediate.
Fine by me, Kinkajou looks a bit crestfallen, although for some reason Winter looks like it's his birthday. See you soon.
Ha, lucky Winter. It was definitely his birthday: Qibli was getting the best matchmaker in town on his side.
Have fun at the cafe Winter; let it be the last time you ever have fun, Qibli thought smugly. He started off towards the outskirts of town; running, because otherwise, he wouldn't make it to the cafe at all.
Ok guys, this up to you! Should I make Coati a chapter, or do another one from Qibli's POV, or, let the meeting remain mysterious? I need ideas guys! And, if no one reviews, I'll leave it blank, and you'll never know what went down at Coati's house. If you guys have question about anything from this chapter (The cactus plant mentioned, or even Coati's name idea) you can PM me, or add it in a review. Thank you guys, you're the best! Have a good afternoon!