Mr Mew looks up at the Moon,

Wonders why she looks oh so Blue.

'I am going to visit Ms. Moon.'

Would you like to come along too?

Chapter 01 - Once in a Blue Moon

Shiki was about to be kidnapped.

Fine, maybe that was an exaggeration but she wasn't feeling confident that her surroundings guaranteed her safety.

She was sitting on a plastic stool that felt like it was on its last legs, paired with just as flimsy a table. With the state of her seat, she couldn't even squirm in it properly. There was nothing wrong with drinks after work but this wasn't how she usually spent her Thursday nights. She was never this deep into the backstreets of the city. Alone, especially.

Heavy laughter broke out from the table next to her; it was a group of businessmen, already looking like they had their fill of drinks. Droplets of beer spilt from their glasses onto their clothes. Shiki had to avert her eyes. The men had taken off their suit jackets and folded them away but they were still in the danger zone for getting stained. Even while only partially visible, Shiki could tell that their jackets were high-end and she shuddered to think of their cleaning costs.

While she had been observing the table beside her, the waiter came around to her and asked if she wanted to order anything. A glass of water was all that Shiki asked for.

She didn't want to get anything else until the person she was waiting on arrived. If they ever turned up, that was.

Pulling out her phone from her bag, she checked the time. Her contact was twenty minutes late. Since Shiki didn't normally do this she didn't know if twenty minutes was industry-standard late or was actually late. The person she was meeting up with probably didn't follow 'standards'.

If Shiki was about to be stood up, she was going to give Fret a piece of her mind.

Fortunately, just as she was thinking that a hooded figure plopped down in front of her.

The first thing Shiki noticed was that the hoodie this person had adorned was from Gatto Nero - Shiki's own clothing brand.

"Gotta start off with an apology. For the delay, I mean," they said, looking up to meet Shiki's eyes. "You're Shiki Misaki, right?"

"Yep, and you're …" Shiki's mind raced through the profiles and notes that she had taken over the past two weeks and pulled up a name, "...Swallow, aren't you?"

"That's me." Her expression gave away her surprise. "Thought I told that idiot not to mention who he was linking you up with."

Shiki laughed. "He held back! I was shocked too. But no, it wasn't Fret. I've looked you guys up a bit."

"Done your research, huh? Know all about the Twisters now?"

"I did my best," said Shiki. "I have to say it was a bit of a challenge, though. Everyone knows about the Twisters but there's not a lot of info about you guys aside from the basics."

Like most people that resided in Tokyo, the Wicked Twisters was something she couldn't escape.

Ever since there was a new policy laid out by the local government allocating more legal walls for graffiti, there had been a rise of graffiti crews popping up left, right and centre. Out of all of them, however, one crew had stand-out works that captured the hearts of both art enthusiasts and people simply walking down the street. The Wicked Twisters was that crew and they had dominated the street-art scene for the last three years.

Their art was well-known and there were thousands of people who had snapped photos of themselves in front of it.

Shiki wasn't one to ignore trends, including ones that weren't directly related to fashion. The more she scoured through the pictures of the expressive works, the more intrigued with them she became. Visiting the sites of their artwork only further concreted her interests.

While there were limitless photos of their work, there wasn't anything official that you could buy from them. People who had tried to sell rip-offs of their art were quickly shut down since the crew had many defenders. They didn't seem interested in putting their art anywhere but on walls.

Not until now, was Shiki's hope.

"We keep things under wraps for good reason," said Swallow. "Even though I'm friends with Fret, he doesn't know everything about us either. We're very careful about who we let into our world. Even in meeting up with you, I had my doubts. Again, sorry for the wait, had to make sure you weren't just someone looking for some news."

"You mean, you made me wait, on purpose?!"

"Kinda."

Great, so she had to wait here sitting awkwardly and not ordering anything proper just so this girl could suss her out?

Shiki opened her mouth to reprimand her for it but she stopped herself.

Opportunities like this only came around once in a blue moon.

No other brand had ever done any sort of dealings with the Twisters before.

The fact that Fret started bragging about being friends with some of them just as Shiki's interest in the group was piquing was a miracle coincidence in itself.

Since she already looked like she was going to say something, Shiki ended up waving down the waiter. Shiki stuck with water, wanting her mind to be clear when she was talking but Swallow ordered herself a beer. Same brand as the men at the table beside them, it just so happened.

Swallow looked both older and younger than Shiki at the same time but this pretty much confirmed that she was at least twenty. Her painted red lips and dark makeup were perfectly in place, creating a more mature look but her face's features themselves were youthful. The cat ears of her hood did make her lean on the younger side but Shiki was already aware that that particular piece of clothing did have that effect since she created it with that in mind.

"So, what's your deal?" Swallow asked once the orders were taken. "Why do you want to work with us so bad? Fret was basically on his knees begging me to let him set this up. Said his bosses were grilling him about it." She smirked. "Not to say I blame you for that, he shouldn't have opened his big mouth about us in the first place."

"We were definitely, persuasive," Shiki recalled. They didn't exactly shake him down for it but Shiki was sure to have pictures that she had taken of the Twister murals herself in the work group chat. 'Dream collab' had been dropped into that chat several times. "You probably heard a bit about it from Fret himself but I've really admired the work you guys do. It's nothing you haven't heard since you guys have tons of adoring fans, I'm sure, but something about your group's art has really got my gears going.

"The more I saw your group's work, the more ideas just kept flowing into my brain. I've filled sketchbooks with ideas for a potential collaboration line. It was a more personal interest, at first. But sometimes, ideas don't just want to live in your head, you know?"

The waiter came back with their drinks super-quick, which was the norm for these types of places. Swallow took a sip of hers, motioning for Shiki to go on.

"So, we talked a bit about the idea of it. We've done collaborations before for new clothing lines but this has usually been with other more established designer brands. I can't complain about the way things are heading with Gatto Nero, we're definitely doing better and better each year. But I definitely think we can do more, creatively. And I think the Wicked Twisters could help us do that."

Placing the drink back down, Swallow leaned her face on her hand. Oof, was that a smirk? "You're not the usual sales rep, are you?"

"Huh? Well, no I'm not but how - ?"

"Sounds to me like you really want to work with us. Which I super, like, appreciate, but sounds like you showed all the cards in your hands," she said. "I dunno anything about business but I'm pretty sure you're supposed to tell us why we should work for you."

…Damn it.

Had she messed up?

"Look," said Shiki, trying to mask how caught off-guard she was, "Fret said that his contact only wanted to meet one of us, right?"

"Right."

"I'd usually send our sales rep to contact the other parties' managers. That's how most collaborations work in the industry, designers aren't usually the ones to talk directly, at least not at first instance. You guys don't have a manager as far as I'm aware. So I was sure I'd be talking to a Twister, though I didn't know which one until you arrived." She made it a point to drink a sip of her water. One sip…two sip…Once enough of a pause had carried over she firmly planted her drink back down on the table. "It was my idea, so my responsibility. How could I not be the one to come and meet you?"

The few moments that trickled by as Swallow seemed to consider her words felt like an eternity, however after a few seconds, she raised her head from her palm. "You're not as meek as you look. I didn't know what to think when Fret suggested this but you seem to get it. Didn't want to work with some pompous elite that thinks our art is beneath them but you've shown up and went for it."

Shiki didn't show it but she was grateful that she decided to dress inconspicuously based on the location, which seemed to be the right choice. "So, are you willing to collaborate with us?"

"I'm not sure yet but I'm definitely listening," said Swallow. "Big question from me first, though. You said that the Twisters have styles that you like. But we've all got different styles, you know? If you had to pick, which one's your favourite? And don't go saying you love all of them, that's a cheap answer."

"Well, Swallow, your work is definitely up there for me," Shiki began.

It was true, Swallow's pieces were slightly darker and spoke words beyond their images. Dragon's were a little more understated, each piece contradictory to the next. The more bombastic pieces from Beat were always eye-catching too. They would all look amazing on clothes, especially in collaboration with Gatto Nero's modern style.

If Shiki was being truly honest, though, there was only one real answer. "But I'd say my favourite style comes from Crescent Nex."

Crescent Nex works were something that she couldn't quite comprehend. Her sketches had consisted of potential clothing for each Twister, except for him. His work was something that no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn't even begin to sketch for.

"Ooh…the big guns, huh?"

"He's the one I'd want to work with, the most," she said, as sincerely as she could.

Swallow's smirk turned into what Shiki thought was a more genuine smile. "A pretty bold request. I respect that."

The Twister downed the rest of the drink.

"All right, I can't stay long because I have to go but you've given me something to think about. You got a business card or something?"

She hurriedly pulled one out from her purse, mind racing. The other young woman pocketed the card, without looking at it.

Did…did Shiki do it?

Swallow stuck out her hand, as she continued, "I think I've got to bring this back with the rest of the group before we confirm it. But yeah, I know I'd be happy to work with you."

She did it.

She couldn't hide the smile growing. She was totally going to order a celebratory drink once Swallow left, she thought, as she reached out to reciprocate the handshake.

Slam!

The noisy outdoor restaurant went very quiet.

She found her hand hanging midair as Swallow had retracted hers immediately. Her eyes lowered to where a red can had been put down forcefully next to where their hands had been.

'NEX' were the three letters that she could make out between the thin fingers grasped around the can.

It was him.

The Crescent Nex.

"Dragon said you'd be here." The words came from behind a black mask, covering the lower half of the man's face.

They were clearly addressed to Swallow, who got up immediately. "So?" Her tone was immediately defensive. "I'm not late for the raid."

His blue eyes flickered to Shiki. "No, but you were talking to an outsider about us." It was a statement, not a question.

Shiki hadn't thought of 'outsider' as an unordinary word but the contempt in the man's voice pricked her skin.

"That's…" Swallow fell quiet.

"Let's go."

Swallow rose to her feet.

The restaurant had begun its chatter again; there was nothing that was going to stop people's merry drinking more than momentarily.

The man nodded his head at Shiki.

"You too."

Apparently, there was something that would prevent her merry drinking from even starting.

She questioned her sanity in following two strangers away from a large, public, outdoor restaurant but they didn't stop too far off from there. They only moved to the next alley down. Empty enough for them to be clear or eavesdroppers but not so far that she couldn't still hear the loud laughter coming from the restaurant if she strained her ears.

Swallow had muttered a low 'it'll be fine', as they walked, which helped. If anything, Shiki did have her emergency alarm on her and she had her hand in her pocket on it the whole time.

The hooded girl leant against the wall, allowing Crescent Nex to pace a few steps ahead of them before rounding back. Shiki would say she was about average height and Nex didn't seem extraordinarily tall either. Yet it still felt like he towered over her as he stopped in front of her.

"You. Start talking. Who are you?"

"I'm Shiki Misaki," she said, trying to keep the trepidation out of her voice. "I'm one of the founders and designers of Gatto Nero."

"Which is?"

"It's one of the hottest brands around, Nex," Swallow chipped in. Her arms were crossed and Shiki had to wonder if her calmness was feigned. Surely, no one could act normal when faced with this kind of presence.

Then again, Crescent Nex had come to get Swallow and Shiki was the unexpected third party to this.

"It's no wonder you haven't heard of us," Shiki said, trying anything to break the ice. "You've got your own clothes that scream 'you' on, after all."

While the lightning was a bit dim, she could make out ripped jeans, stained with the paint that Crescent Nex was sure to be using all the time. It seemed like he was unbothered by them and most likely even wanted them there.

This was all speculation, though. The man was instantly as difficult to read as his artwork. The mask didn't help but she had the feeling that even if she could see his whole face, she wouldn't understand how to react. He didn't sound angry, not like when he had spoken the word 'outsider'. He didn't sound like a ray of sunshine either.

He also seemed like he had no problem with simply ignoring the last thing she said. "'Hottest brand'? So just another one of the ten-four townies trying to make a quick buck off of us?"

"Quick buck?" she repeated, taken completely aback.

"Yeah? Why else would you want to work with the Wicked Twisters?"

"It's not about the money, I can tell you that," Shiki said, trying her best to keep her composure. "I've spoken to Swallow already but as a designer, the Twisters' work has inspired me. I want to create something together."

"The Twisters don't work with outsiders." There, it was that word again. Just as heavy as the last time he said it.

"I know that you guys haven't worked with others before. But I can assure you that I have both of our groups' interests at heart." She tried to convince him as best as she could. He was meeting her eyes but she couldn't see any change in them. "Swallow says that she's willing to hear us out. Do you think you could do the same?"

"No." Crescent Nex stood his ground. "As I've said, we don't work with outsiders. That goes for all of the Twisters. Including Swallow."

"Now, wait a minute," she said. "Are you just going to decide by yourself, just like that?"

"What of it?"

"I mean, if Swallow is happy to even discuss it, I don't know…can't you ask the other Twisters if they're interested rather than writing this off so quickly?" Shiki did not work up the courage to come out here alone just for her efforts to be discarded this easily.

"This is not up for discussion."

There was a finality to it. Not just in his tone but by how neutral his posture was. This didn't bother him anymore. She guessed that perhaps he had been on edge when he didn't know what they were discussing. But a collaboration seemed to be something completely out of his radar, such a non-threat that it was not worth getting worked up about.

"Swallow?" Shiki turned to the other Twister, for any shred of hope for this conversation to continue.

The other girl was frowning but she shook her head. "What Nex says, goes. I'll say that this kills my mood too, if that helps, Misaki." She tugged at her hoodie. "Was hopin' to score some more GN merch, myself. I'm a bit of a fan even if our bossman here doesn't know you guys."

"Didn't mention that before," said Shiki, even though she had her suspicions based on her clothes.

"You showed your cards but doesn't mean I had to."

Swallow had her there.

"Beat and Dragon are already at Nakameguro," said Nex. He had checked his phone, revealing that he had checked out of their conversation already. "We should get going, too."

He turned his back to Shiki, Swallow muttering a 'sorry' before following him.

That was it…huh?

She could only stand still.

If Shiki really thought about it. There were probably hundreds about hundreds of brands, not just clothing brands that wanted to feature or collaborate with the Wicked Twisters. What were the chances that the one that she founded, of all of them, was going to be the one who succeeded in getting one? Gatto Nero - which, in comparison, was still a fledgeling brand.

There was something to be proud of. Managing to secure this meeting was one of them. She met two Twisters in one night, whereas many people could hardly say that they'd met one.

If she walked into the office tomorrow and said that the collaboration wasn't happening, the worst she would get was an 'unlucky'. No one would blame her for it.

She ran after them.

"Hey!"

No one but herself.

The two of them turned around at her call.

"Just humour me for a sec, kay?" she said, pushing her glasses up, as they slipped when she ran. "Give me a good reason why you don't want to collaborate with us."

"And why would I need to do that?" said Nex.

"You don't. But I won't be satisfied until I know why." Shiki pointed to Swallow's hoodie. "I made that, you know. Designed it myself. Stitched it myself. There was something within me that drove me to create that. I'll admit, I don't understand your world. I'm an 'outsider' to graffiti and your crew. But I was inspired by your work, either way. Yours in particular, Crescent Nex." She lowered her hand. "So artist to artist, just give me a good reason why you won't work with us." She bowed her head, too. "Then, I'll leave."

For a moment, she thought he wasn't going to answer her. The silence stretched long enough for her to think that.

"I think…" he started, "that the permanence of art takes away from it. When people have your art for too long, they tarnish it. Graffiti is not a constant. It's meant to shift, to change. It lives in the moment. That's the best way to enjoy it." Those words of his rang a bell for Shiki, though she couldn't quite place it right then.

He put a hand on the wall and it was only then that Shiki realised that there was graffiti even here, in this small nondescript alleyway. "That's why we only work on walls. You can't taint what will be replaced."

Crescent Nex actually gave her a serious answer.

"That's…a sad way to think about it," Shiki said, the words coming out of her mouth before she could stop them. "To always be thinking about how your art can be ruined. I want to make clothes that will last someone as long as possible. To keep them happy as long as possible. Even if the clothes get torn or dirtied, everything becomes a part of the piece's journey." She took a deep breath. "But I guess we just see things differently."

Another silence sunk between them.

She didn't completely understand his mentality. But she understood that he meant what he said.

"So…uh…Nex, we gonna make a move, or what?" Swallow cut in, rubbing her elbow.

"Yeah."

It was really done this time…

"Hey, you. Heads up."

She looked up at his voice just in time to catch the incoming object. She fumbled with it before it was steady in her hands. The spray can…? "What…?"

He offered no explanation, as he and Swallow disappeared down the opposite end of the alley.

Shiki clutched the can tightly.

She had failed.

Rejection wasn't something new to Shiki.

The collaborations that Gatto Nero had put out were only a third of the potential deals that had been lined up over these few years. She couldn't count the number of reasons that deals hadn't gone through. A mismatch of budget - yeah, fine! Resistance to working with a fairly new company - okay, she got it! Ghosting their emails completely - ouch, but also understandable.

So why did this feel a lot more personal.

She downed the glass of beer that she had ordered upon returning to the place she and Swallow had met up at.

There were a lot fewer patrons about but the businessmen who had been next to her were still going strong. Except that it wasn't the table 'next to her' anymore.

Rather, it was the table she was sitting at.

"I understand, young lady," said the bespectacled man. "Sometimes when your work is close to your heart, even the most routine of deals falling through seems like the end of the world."

"I think you're right, Mr. Hashimoto."

That glass of beer hadn't been her first of the night and it probably wasn't her last. She wasn't quite sure if she'd already been here for an hour but it was long enough to get the names of the men she was at the table with.

"We went through a lot of those, back in the day, didn't we Arakawa?" said Hashimoto, to his companion. "I think failure before starting can be even harsher than after you first succeed."

"Truer words have never been spoken," said Arakawa, with a long sigh. "After success, you can't help but want to watch your products grow and grow. They become like a child to you."

"Still, we have to compete with all these mobile games nowadays, huh?" Hashimoto said. "It's been a tough year."

"Sure has…"

They went on reminiscing about their own failures and Shiki tuned it out, as she made her way through another drink, albeit a bit more slowly.

The two had a point.

Gatto Nero did feel like that to her. Something she nurtured and cherished from the very beginning. From her days with Eri in high school dreaming and dreaming about it. The long hours they put in, both with creating ideas and at the part-time jobs they had to take just to get the funds they needed to start it.

This collaboration would have been the perfect next step for them.

And with how much she had been enraptured by the Wicked Twister's work, she couldn't help but mourn the possibilities.

She took another chug.

Taking the red spray can into her hands again, she shook it and glared.

"Some consolation you are."

Many people would jump for joy to have these in their hands but she didn't want a token. She wanted to have another word with Crescent Nex. Another chance to show him what she really wanted out of this deal.

Yeah, that, she wanted something like that!

Something like the mural that she was facing.

She wanted that to be on her clothes. Not just on her clothes though. She didn't want something that they had already made. She wanted them to make something. Wicked Twisters and Gatto Nero.

Together.

"Together!" She yelled.

Wait a minute, when had she got here?

Shiki was sure she had been sitting down and drinking…

Urgh.

Her head hurt…

Whatever.

Oh was that why her legs hurt too? She must have walked all the way here…

All the way to Udagawa.

Probably.

This was where Crescent Nex's stupid mural was at, wasn't it?

No, not that one, that was CAT's.

CAT's one had been there for years.

Years?

Grr.

Nex said graffiti wasn't permanent! So what was that!?

It was this one right here, the one next to CAT's.

Ohh that's why 'live in the moment' sounded familiar.

Silly, CAT said 'enjoy the moment.'

Totally different!

Where was Nex's art -

Oh right, there.

The smaller one was Crescent Nex's.

Stupid Nex.

She took out her travelling mask and put it on.

"Graffiti is not a constant!"

That's what Nex sounded like.

It was pretty good, huh?

Her impersonation, was great, wasn't it?

Maybe she would go into comedy instead.

She shook the spray can.

Shhh!

Why were spray cans so loud, it hurt her ears.

Ooh, but what was she going to draw?

Oh was that a cat near her leg?

It was a cute little black cat!

So cute!

Hiss!

Nevermind, nevermind.

Not cute!

It had pretty yellow eyes.

Like the moon in front of her.

But look, she was turning this pretty moon into a pretty cat.

Cute!

Forget a comedian, maybe she could be a graffiti artist too.

Nex was right, out with the old, in with the new.

Oh, blehh…

Okay, her stomach hurt too now.

Urgh…Shiki needed to lie down…

Humming was the last thing that she wanted to hear in the morning.

"Eri, could you please keep it down?" she said, pulling her blanket up over her head. "My head hurts."

"I can imagine. Wild night out, then, Shiki?"

"No," she said, curtly.

"I don't know," her best friend said in a sing-song manner. "You don't usually crash at the office without a deadline."

…

"At the office!?" She pulled her blanket down and opened her eyes.

Shoot, Eri was spot on.

They were at Gatto Nero's office space and the sun was shining through the windows. Worst still, it wasn't just Eri who had arrived. Nagi was already typing away at her desk and Mina's bag was here, meaning she probably went to get the usual coffee round for everyone.

This was so embarrassing.

They didn't really have a strict workplace here but Shiki didn't think it was appropriate to turn up a mess at the office. She didn't want to look in a mirror, for fear of seeing how her hair must look. She was notorious for extremely wild bedhead.

"So, either that talk with Fret's Twister friend went extremely well or extremely bad," said Eri, who passed her a glass of water. "Care to fill us in on what went down? I really can't tell which way it went since this hasn't happened before."

Oh no.

The events from last night hit her like a truck.

Every single exchange she had between Swallow and Crescent Nex was as clear as the water Eri had given her.

She had absolutely no recollection about what happened after, that though.

She must have gone back to drink, though, otherwise, she wouldn't be feeling this bad…She couldn't even remember if she was drinking alone or not.

She really hoped she hadn't just been drowning in her sorrows by herself.

Before she could respond, the door to the office swung open. "Gooood morning, beautiful people!"

In walked in Fret, the youngest of their co-workers, looking like he was in the best mood ever. Which didn't seem fair when Shiki was feeling so terrible. Especially since it was because of people Fret introduced to her.

Well, no, that wouldn't be fair to him. She was the one who wanted to meet them.

In fact, she thought maybe she should apologise to him. She hoped her persistence wouldn't cause any friction between him and Swallow.

"You're looking at #1 trending today," he declared, proudly.

"Trending in what?" Eri asked.

"Man, ya know how I have to pass through Udagawa on the way to work? I was paying my respects to CAT, the greatest of all time, as usual." He whipped out his phone. "Then saw this? I musta been the first to see it. Posted it on chirper and it's gone viral."

Eri giggled. "That sure is something. Er, Shiki, you okay?"

No, she was not okay.

The space next to CAT's mural was, as Nex had said last night, always changing.

Most people who dared to change it were usually people with an ounce of talent for graffiti.

Shiki was not one of those people.

Especially not in the drunken that she must have been in.

A messy, jagged outline was sprayed with red atop of Crescent Nex's newest moon variation. She remember, from her research, that it had only gone up last week. Sure, he talked a big game about non-permanence but he probably didn't mean he wanted people to scribble over his art as if she was a kindergartner going at a piece of paper with a crayon.

Fret, completely ignorant of Shiki's turmoil, scrolled through his feed. "People are tryin' to guess what it is. I think it's a bear, what about you guys?"

"It's a cat." Her whisper was deathly quiet.

"A cat?" Eri put a hand on her shoulder. "Shiki are you okay, you don't look so good?"

"Hmm," said Fret, tilting his head. "A cat…huh, how would you figure that?"

Shiki pulled out the purse that she had gone to sleep still wearing. She tapped on it.

"It's…a cat." She stared up blankly at her colleagues. "I'm one hundred per cent positive about it."

The tap tap of the keyboard stopped as even Nagi came to realise what Shiki was insinuating.

"No, you didn't," Fret said. There was a notification ping on his phone. A second later, he said in a louder voice, "Oh, man, you did! " He held out his phone to her, covering his eyes.

Shiki read the text, dread filling her with each word.

'Hey, idiot. Tell your boss, Misaki, that our leader wants to set up another meeting with her.'

She groaned, then covered her head with her blanket once again, this time not caring that there were others around her.

This was certainly one way for her to get their collab discussion going again.

Just, not the way that she expected.

Her arms bumped into the can that she had apparently cosily slept next to the night before.

The 'NEX' across it taunted her.

Her head still pounded.

Her legs were still sore.

But…technically…she hadn't completely failed, had she?

She went from most likely never talking to the crew again to being asked to see them.

She bolted back up, much to the surprise of Eri and Fret.

"Alright. I want you to send this message back," she began, feeling something light up within her.

Had to live in the moment to enjoy it, right?

A/N: Tadaa! My entry for Neshiki Week Day 7! Free day!

I have major covid right now so finishing this up pretty much took me out. BUT I DID IT. I'm on time in my timezone. A win.

I made it through with the power of friendship and also stubbornness. 'Cause while this is for neshiki week, I'd like to dedicate this to Mandi, Alto, Kazea and Aya~ It's been crazy this year. I'm pretty sure I missed doing something for each of your birthdays but I really wanted to dedicate this one because I'm really proud of it and probably am going to have fun writing the rest of this. Thanks again for going through another neshiki day with me. The stubbornness bit is that it doesn't really matter if I didn't make it but like Shiki -clench fist- I could not give up.

A big, humongous thank you to Luna who I commissioned to do art for this piece. I feel like it was another big factor that motivated me throughout planning this fic. Just look at her design, the beauty! I thought I would treat myself and this will probably help me get through finishing the future chaps as well. I'll link the art on my profile once it's up! The profile I haven't updated in ages...haha...

I should actually talk about the fic now huh...what can I say, I love the Crescent Nex design and I think Shiki being an established designer and Neku being an established mysterious graffiti artist is cool. I mean, Nex. Totally meant, Nex. Neku who?

You're probably going to get an insufferable amount of moon-related sayings or even jokes as titles so I'd apologise in advance but actually, I enjoy it.

(For my regulars...guys I didn't use xxxxx for my line breaks this time...end of an era? Beginning of an era?)

Thanks for reading!

- Dina 22/12/22