/Author's Note: Today's drabble challenge comes from Singkatsu, as always, who wanted to see an altercation between Luna and Mira. I jumped on the opportunity, since it was basically an opportunity to use Luna as a mouthpiece to vent my frustrations at Mira and her complete and utter lack of ability when it comes to refining my Wonderfuls in Animal Parade. If you've ever been similarly frustrated, I hope this is cathartic for you! End Author's Note/


Business Ethics

Bounding down the stairs of Sonata Tailors, pink hair bouncing in freshly styled curls, Luna made a bee-line for the door. She had a date, and with each knock, her heart skipped a beat. The door opened to the stunning summer day beyond, and framed in the sunlight was the man she had been dreaming of all morning.

"Here are the earrings you ordered. Thank you for ordering from Mira's Accessories."

Luna grabbed the box from the delivery boy's hands and whirled it around. "Yeeeeees! Julius, you are a life saver. I've got a date with a certain Mayor-To-Be with very refined tastes. These'll be perfect."

"It's just Gill," Julius rolled his eyes, a hand on his hip, "That sweater-vest he always wears isn't doing him any favours; and have you seen the length of those socks—"

Then, Luna was shrieking.

"This is the fourth time! THE FOURTH TIME!"

She stomped over to Julius, the box strewn across the dining table. Her fists were clenched, blood trickling between her fingers.

"Luna, your hands –"

She uncurled her digits to reveal a pair of glass earrings, crushed into tiny, crystalline pieces by the sheer force of her palm.

"You NEED to do something about this, Julius. I gave her an aquamarine. I needed aquamarine earrings for my outfit! Glass is not aquamarine!"

"Well, you could pass it off as-"

"Glass! Is! Not! Aquamarine!" Feet were stamped for emphasis. Luna shook the blood and the remains of Mira's handiwork from her hands.

Luna's sister had appeared behind her after hearing the tantrum. "Sis, she just lost her husband… It's no surprise that her work might, well, suffer." Said Candace.

Luna blew a raspberry. "It's been like, two months! My Goddess, get over it already!" She pointed a finger staunchly in between Julius' eyes, "And you! Go back there and get her to do her job! This was supposed to be THE date! Just because she lost her husband doesn't mean the rest of us have to be deprived!"

"That's a little harsh, sister," quipped Julius, amused nonetheless. "I've tried talking to her myself, but she's still grieving; I suggested taking a break from the business all together, but it's all she's got."

The petite tailor rolled up the sleeves of her cardigan. "Then someone has to go give her a lesson in business ethics."

"And that someone will be…?"

But Luna had already stormed out of her house, leaving Julius and Candace to exchange knowing looks.

# # #

"If there is one thing I cannot stand, lady, it's a woman who can't do her job!" The vitriol poured out of Luna's mouth as the elderly jeweler stood – significantly taller than her assailant – and silently took the abuse. "I get it; you're mourning, you loved your husband, he completed you, blah, blah, blah. Right. But you know what? The rest of the world keeps on moving, even when all you want to do is stand still. One time, fine. Two times, okay! Three times is pushing it. But four?!"

"I do apologize, Luna," Mira replied, unflinchingly, her eyes showing the kind of listlessness that Luna suspected could only belong to a woman who was dead on the inside. "It was unprofessional of me, but I had another request requiring aquamarine – and one from the mayor's son, himself. I couldn't turn down a high profile job like that."

"That – You're damn right, it's unprofessional!" spluttered Luna, aghast, "What kind of sycophantic business is this?! Just because – because some pompous, pretentious, puffed up daddy's boy asked you to- "

Said pompous, pretentious, puffed up daddy's boy cleared his throat, standing in the doorway of Mira's Accessories. He jingled a pair of heart-shaped aquamarine earrings in his hand, and wore an irritatingly handsome smirk on his face. "Surprise?"

"…Oh, you bastard."

Luna would kiss that irritating smirk off his face, first chance she got.