Mr Mew has made a mistake,

Friends of his refused to partake,

Hearing that has made his heart ache,

Would you please give him a small break?

Chapter 03 - Moonlight Gracing

This was a classic kabe-don , wasn't it?

In other circumstances, Shiki might blush because something like this seemed so cliche. Too cliche to happen to her. Not to say that she wanted it to happen but if it did she was hoping it'd be in a less intimidating setting. Like when two characters were flirting in one of Nagi's games, for example.

Crescent Nex was definitely not trying to do that with her, in any case.

"I said, that you're being pretty heartless," she said, as firmly as she could, making sure to maintain eye contact. "You know, as someone who is using CAT's spray cans."

If the reason he got so close was so that he could freeze her under his icy glare because it was working.

Staying still probably gave off the impression that she was unphased by their proximity but, honestly speaking, her legs probably wouldn't move right now anyway.

"Why would you think they're CAT's?"

"I've got a keen eye, you know." At least her mouth didn't have a problem continuing to move. "People online that say you draw inspiration from CAT always comment on how the colours look similar. But I looked at the photos from your work and CAT's and I thought they looked way too similar. Like you guys used the same exact paint. I'm confident about my eyes but that could still just be a coincidence 'Course I had your can, since you know, you chucked it at me."

"And?" His hand pushed harder against the door she was backed up against as if he thought she would try and escape before finishing.

Fueled by the fact that he was actively trying to get info from her, she wasted no time.

"And since CAT was someone who collaborated, though they never showed their face either, they made some posts when they made an exclusive deal with Monsana. Your cans looked like theirs, besides the 'Nex' on them. I had to scroll through tons of ad posts on CAT's and Monsana's pages but I found one that explicitly stated that the cans were custom-made to a specific size for CAT and could not be bought in-store. I got out my measuring tape and your can's the exact same size. You gotta be close if you're getting CAT's these when they're only meant for one person."

Shiki really thought she outdid herself considering she only took a few hours between heading home and coming here. She did have a lot of help. From home, she messaged Nagi to see if she had the time to check other sites to make sure there weren't cans out there that were this exact size - or volume, more specifically. Nagi, being someone who could be even more meticulous than her boss, got Shiki to read out some of the back of the can which still had some details like the matt finish, the acrylic lacquer base, the valve system and the stock-cap type. She also read several other things that didn't mean much to her but Nagi found them useful in confirming that these had to be the same type as the ones in CAT's deal.

She considered explaining all that detail too since she wanted Crescent Nex to know that she wasn't just bluffing.

By the way that he dropped his hand from the wall and took a step back, however, it seemed clear that he didn't need more convincing.

"..."

Swallow and Dragon had both been listening intently to Shiki's explanation.

"Have you considered opening a detective agency?" asked Swallow, looking very impressed. "Like, you totally went Conan on us."

She tried to play it cool by shrugging but the fact was it took every single last bit of Shiki's brainpower to find this connection when rummaging back through her research. She wanted to give credit to luck if anything. That or her stubbornness. Perhaps, both.

"So, is that really true, leader? Are those CAT's cans? I kinda wanna know now too."

"Wait," said Shiki, "you guys didn't know?"

"First I've heard of it," said Swallow.

"Same here." Dragon nodded.

The three of them stared at Crescent Nex, with building expectations.

"...It's true."

Despite having the evidence for it and knowing it had to be the case, it still caught Shiki by surprise to have him admit it out loud, sounding so resigned to it.

"Even so," Crescent Nex, continued. "It's also true that I don't know where they are or how to contact them."

"You don't?"

"No."

It would be strange, to tell the truth about the cans but to lie about this…wouldn't it?

"You're right, I'm trying to protect CAT but not their whereabouts. I'm trying to protect their legacy."

"Their legacy…" Shiki repeated the words slowly, feeling the weight with which he spoke them.

"It's not about their physical legacy. Not the mural or any other of his art. I know how much CAT fought to give graffiti a better reputation and to make it so there were places for us to create our art. There's a difference between graffiti crews and gang graffiti. The latter group was what always first came to mind most and people used to only really think of it as something that the yakuza used to mark territory, even if it was never true. Nowadays things are different, thanks to CAT. But if something happens to you, especially with how public that doodle of yours went...I'm not sure if CAT's legacy will remain intact."

"Oh…"

She had felt somewhat vindicated that she was somewhat right about the leader's ulterior reason for giving her protection, yet now she also felt even more regret in having her drunken drawing done.

Through all her searching she knew that while the Twisters gained a lot huge following. There were several graffiti crews that were becoming well-known too. Reception towards their popularity had been, for the most part, positive. People were a lot more open, in this modern age, to things that had the image of being 'rough' like graffiti or tattoos or just an urban style. However, there was also a large number of people who were still dismissive or even against such things, not understanding that they were expressions of art.

She came across a few petitions to remove street art and revoke the free spaces allocated to it.

"And if CAT's work is undone that would affect other graffiti artists too…" Shiki sounded out. "If..if that's the case then…"

There were so many artists out there besides the Twisters…if Shiki were going to jeopardise the reputation of the rest of them too by not taking their protection, then she had to do it.

"Then I've got no choice. I'll accept the Twister's offer."

"What, you're not going to ask for the collaboration condition again?"

"I - I was going to." That was her last hand played but Shiki felt like she should have folded. "If you're close to CAT, close enough for them to be sharing their tools with you and for your works to be inspired by them, then I thought that reminding you how they work with 'outsiders' too might work."

She tugged at the bottom of her hoodie as she thought about what it would be like if creating clothes became something widely unreputable. "I won't demand it, now though. Even with CAT's legacy aside, I don't like the idea of being the cause of endangering the reputation of other crews out there."

"..."

Another silence fell between all present. Swallow and Dragon seemed to be waiting for Crescent Nex to say something, though she did think she saw an almost imperceptible nod from Swallow. She couldn't be sure, though.

Finally, the leader spoke, "When you're the only one in potential danger, you were fine with asserting yourself to get your way. But you're saying that you'll accept our protection without the collaboration because you're worried about all the other crews. That doesn't sound like any way to live to me."

"Hey -"

" - But," he cut her off, "if you're willing to listen to our reasons and drop it after pestering us constantly, then I can see that you're probably not going to run your mouth about," his eyes shifted to the can in her hands, "that connection I have with CAT."

"I won't, I promise."

She couldn't read whether he believed her completely but she thought he seemed a lot less apprehensive than he had before. Though, he still seemed to have a bone to pick with her.

"Good," said Crescent Nex. "And just so you can get this through your thick skull, you really should think twice next time about using your safety as a bargaining chip. Your pet project isn't worth that."

She scoffed at the insult. "Excuse you. I like the Twisters' graffiti a lot. It was and still is worth it and I was willing to stick my neck out for it. But would be pointless if I risked all of your necks for it too."

Crescent Nex crossed his arms again. "...It's stupid."

"Is not. And does it matter, I took it back, didn't I?"

"Yeah, you did. It's leaving a bad taste in my mouth."

"What -"

"'Cause you're not wrong, about CAT…" It sounded like Crescent Nex was having a hard time saying this, almost like he was forcing out the words. The leader of the Twisters regarded both Swallow and then Dragon. "You have a point. They weren't against working with outsiders. It was the opposite even, they'd probably rush to work with someone as crazy as you. And they'd probably want to let the other Twisters weigh in on your proposal if it were up to them so…" He sighed. "I'll make the final call but I'll at least, hear out the other Twisters' opinions on this"

"H- huh - so you mean - "

"Swallow, make sure she gets home without issue," he said, cutting her words off once again.

The abrupt manner in which he addressed Swallow seemed to catch her off-guard, as she skipped giving any sort of remark and moved straight to open the door behind Shiki. She caught Swallow exchanging a puzzled look with Dragon.

Then she found herself being tugged through the door by her arm. Tug was a bit of an understatement, the other girl was stronger than she looked because Shiki almost lost her footing.

She opened her mouth again but she couldn't find the words she wanted to say in time. One final look into Crescent's eyes, no longer glaring, before she was practically dragged out of the building.

xxxxx

Her head was still trying to comprehend the reversal in Crescent Nex's decision to shut her idea down completely.

There was a quick 'let's go before he changes his mind about that' before Swallow asked for her address. If Shiki was not so thrown off, she would have voiced her surprise at the fact that Swallow threw a helmet her way and made her get on a motorbike. Shiki had never gotten on one before but she did as instructed and held on to Swallow's waist as they zoomed through the night. It did occur to Shiki that this was her first time riding one but the wind blowing past her face made it very difficult for her to start yelling from how fast they were going or to have any sort of conversation at all.

When they arrived, Shiki disembarked the motorbike as fast as she could. Thank gods she kept her bag safe from falling through that trip. She didn't feel sick per se but she did feel slightly disorientated by the experience.

She gathered her wits enough to thank Swallow for the ride.

"All part of the deal," said Swallow. "For the record, if we're talking about your safety, I'm with Nex. It was funny seeing you try and get the collab out of it but sis, you should take the help if you need it."

"I guess in hindsight if he hadn't stopped me after I said all that and I just went home by myself, I would've been pretty scared." She was so confident that her key item plan would work that she didn't think of what could have happened if she did head home on her own. "You think someone really would've jumped me?"

"Not tonight, I don't think they would've tracked you down just yet," Swallow said, through a grim smile. "But someone may eventually find out what you look like. Word travels fast round our part."

Shiki didn't like the sound of that.

Her face must have given her away because Swallow continued, "Don't worry, they won't try and get near you with our protection. Most of the trash who'd try and intimidate you are more like wannabe punks who are more bark than bite. People who'd join crews just cause it's a 'cool' thing to do right now. They'd back off if they saw you with a Twister."

There was an assuredness to Swallow's words that put Shiki a bit more at ease.

"They'd be more from crews than actual gangs then?" When Crescent Nex had mentioned them, Shiki had recalled reading an article about the old common uses for graffiti, among the more underground scenes.

"For sure. Like, an actual yakuza member doesn't care much about the CAT mural and Udagawa. That's not their territory," said Swallow. "Any crew with a leader that wants their members to, ya know, keep all their bones unbroken would be pretty clear on which areas to keep to. 'Sides unlike the mural wall, a drunk wouldn't be able to get through to the gang's tag areas without being confronted first."

"Got it…so even you guys keep clear of them."

Swallow put her helmet back on, saying, "As much as we'd like to."

Shiki realised she still had the helmet in her hands. "Hey, do you not want this back?"

"Nah," said Swallow, as she started revving her bike up. Looking at it now, the black motorcycle looked like it was too big for someone of Swallow's size to ride. Yet somehow it suited her. "You might need it again. Laters."

The Twister left and Shiki headed into her building.

Ding! The sound of the elevator felt so welcoming and she felt so grateful to be back after such a long day.

There was a very soft click as she opened the door back to her and Eri's shared apartment. The lights had been left on but it was quiet. Shiki spotted the shoes that Eri had on earlier so her best friend was home but most likely asleep. It would probably be best to give her the full update tomorrow morning, anyway.

She switched off the living room lights and returned to her room. Shiki laid her bag on her table, taking out the special 'key' item that was still in there. It really did work wonders for her. Though things hadn't gone exactly to plan, what with this street code ordeal.

Shiki opted for a quick shower, making sure to tiptoe there to avoid making too much noise. The steam from the hot water was very calming to her. It was still a mystery to her how she convinced Crescent Nex to put the discussion back on the table, just as she was accepting that she'd have to give in. She felt her need for the details washing away too. She bought herself more time so she could always just ask him now if she had to.

Drying her hair was effortless due to her short hair but she always liked to let the final bit of it dry naturally. In the meanwhile, she felt inspired again.

She let herself dream a little as she took out her drawing pad. Flipping past a few scrapped and unfinished designs, she landed on a fresh page. Most of those figures had been female figures since that was the majority of Gatto Nero's demographic but she had a number of male figures too, especially after her initial interest in the Twisters began.

Having such a close and prolonged encounter with them made her want to discard all those previous attempts.

Swallow was someone that needed bolder designs than what she had initially played with and yet it needed a touch of care to it, which was a difficult thing to convey. Dragon was a bit more difficult, he hadn't spoken to her as much as his fellow Twisters but she could tell she was missing something, though she didn't know what yet.

And then there was Crescent Nex.

Her hands moved without her needing to prompt them to.

It didn't always come to her naturally. Often, she had to spend ages and ages trying to think of even one good idea. Granted, she was at a point where she was more often satisfied with the outcome of her lengthy process than not, but that was always a potential blocker whenever they had deadlines approaching.

With him, however, despite how much of an unknown quantity he was, she could just picture what would suit him. It couldn't be anything flimsy. The material had to be something long-lasting. He was tall, as she had noticed on their first meeting, and she thought something longer might suit him.

She had taken a glance at the hand that had been right by her head earlier today. His wrists had been almost shockingly thin, almost as thin as hers. Long sleeves were the way to go for him.

Imagining colours for him was a bit more difficult. His clothes were dark and that suited him. His hair was stuffed mostly under his hood but she thought she could tell that they were a brighter colour. Maybe blond?

His eyes were clear to see, though.

They were the sort of blue that kept one captive. They certainly were a contributing factor to her stillness when she had been cornered by him. Even when they locked eyes as she left with Swallow, his eyes reflected the moonlight gracing them with its presence. She had not been aware of how late it had gotten until that moment.

Shiki's hand paused mid-sketch, as she blinked and became cognizant of her work.

She had drawn Crescent Nex's eyes onto the figure. They were even slanted into a glare.

That wasn't supposed to happen on a fashion sketch…

Erasing it was probably the right course of action.

Leaving it be, however, was what she did as she tucked herself in for the night.

She deserved a little sign of her small victory today.

A/N: Tadaaa! Back again with the Cres N. I was going to write 'finally wrote a short chapter for this fic like intended!'. It is shorter than I originally planned for what was going to happen, and I think the next parts make more sense to save for the next chapter, but it's still almost 3K so still longer than I thought it would be.

Am currently watching a k-drama called Crash Course in Romance. I was thinking 'would the reputation be damaged if it does happen' and was reminded because of the show that 'ay we fictional and we can exaggerate'. That and if I think about the 'scandals' that do blow up irl I think it's only a bit of a stretch.

I'm the type to post before fully checking it through so will probably end up making some edits but overall I'm happy with how this came out, especially since I got stuck for a bit for the first part.

Anyway, thanks for reading and hope you enjoyed it!

- Dina (22/02/2023)