[mindtwisters]

Ind. Sel. Fret and Rindo from The World Ends With You: Neo Written by Mikey and Riksu respectively. Like or reblog if interested! Rindo: Rules / About Fret: Rules / About / Headcanons

[elestraawaits]

💀 an urgent text. (@mindtwisters)

Texting starters

(text) LORD FRET YOU MUST ANSWER THIS ASAP(text) I CANNOT LOCATE THE PASSWORD TO MY ELESTRA ACCOUNT

This may have been sent at three in the morning when she didn't just think to click the 'forgot your password?' link.

[mindtwisters]

Three in the morning? Who answers at three in the morning? ... Fret does. Though, he feels pretty groggy, he’ll lift up his phone to check it.  Text: [ u lost ur password?] Text: [does it not have smth to do with lord tomonami?]

[mindtwisters]

rinxdragon​:

“I’ve seen gamers do it on Youtube, so it’s actually possible.”  Sure, maybe the selection pool there is like, a handful of people, but the point still stands.

“We both know that Youtubers are immensely good for no reason. Not a fair comparison!”

[mindtwisters]

rinxdragon​:

“…”

“Alright, I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt.  Provided you successfully beat Rainbow Road without falling off the track whatsoever.”

“You know that’s impossible! Come onnnn, be reasonable!” 

[mindtwisters]

rinxdragon​:

“Mario Kart doesn’t require actual driving skills and is forgiving of wrecks and going off course.”

“Annnnd it’s super fun! I think it shows off my skill perfectly! I don’t crash in Mario Kart!” No, he falls off the stage a bunch. Not that he’ll admit that. 

[mindtwisters]

timetwisters​:

“If he’s that dumb? He can play without me.”

“C’mon! You’re killing me over here....! I promise it wouldn’t get THAT bad. What about I give you a test drive! After that, you can trust me, right Rindude?”

[mindtwisters]

@rinxdragon​

“Aww, come on, Rindude! It wouldn’t be that bad! You can trust me, I’ve played Mario Kart!”

[mindtwisters]

“Hey now! I don’t think I’d be THAT bad...!!” 

[hypegumi]

@mindtwisters || plotted starter || it’s raining ‘men

Her phone was still in good condition, much to Tsugumi’s relief. However, it was just limited to text messaging, but that was all she needed to reach out to Fret via the RNS installed in her phone.  Thanks to the establishment of it, she was still able to communicate with the others in the RG.

Fret mentioned something about getting ramen and, after a few more exchanges, Tsugumi received the address: a ramen shop located in Dogenzaka, not too far from their original meeting spot. Upon seeing Fret, she waved to him.

“Lovely to see you again,” she greeted with a smile the moment they could see each other. “I suppose this is where you come to get your daily dose of ramen.”

[mindtwisters]

Man, Rhyme’s work was still fantastic. Being able to break the UG from the RG was magical in itself. Fret looked down at his messages from Tsugumi as he stood outside of the shop. He seemed perked up, his indigo eyes rereading the messages they passed from one to another. He didn’t get to talk to her much during everything, so it was nice to catch up a bit.  His eyes caught her movement, and he raised a hand and waved back to her. Slipping his phone into his pocket, he gave her his signature smile. “Yeah! This is how we get some quality ‘men!” Regardless of how he said it, he’ll open the door with a hand. He’ll keep it open for her to walk inside.  “Though, there’s two different curry places here. It is *all* so good, too! Though, I kind of have a favorite.” 

[mindtwisters]

nothazukimikagi​:

Haz feigned dramatic interest by placing a hand on his chest, and shaking his head. That was, after all, the most tragic part of his act — he didn’t know what his friend liked either. That, thankfully, would not be a stumbling block for very long. There were a few abstract suggestions he could throw out that really fit the city, though those weren’t going to get them moving onto the next step.

“It’s tough to say,” he admitted. “He’s a mystery, honestly. He likes a little bit of everything… so it’s not an easy task. You can see why I’ve been having so much trouble thinking of something, right?”

With a smile, the elder boy tapped his forefinger up against his temple twice. Then, conspiratorially, he leaned in closer to Fret, keying the little man in on the scent of his cologne. Bergamot, peony, and damp concrete that undercut his sweetness with a distinct, bitter note. Too fitting, perhaps too subtle.

“Don’t worry. We’ll find something. You mentioned something about clothes,” Hazuki assured the boy, easing an arm around his slim shoulders. Hazuki was taller than Fret, but not by a longshot. Maybe a head, maybe a half. With his arm to guide the boy, Hazuki led the way back toward the building and steered his new pal toward the shopfront.

Perhaps it was a little too heavy handed to lead the way, but there were more than a few questions on his mind and more than a few that demanded response. What was it that drew people to Shibuya, that kept them there? In Shinjuku, those answers were simple. It was alive, once, with neon light and a vibrant night scene that kept strangers and stragglers coming back. There was always something new, there.

Here, it felt… too stifling. The surprises were gritty, sliced through by the constant screech of cars and the scent of freshly drying spray paint. The humans that ran Shibuya’s streets seemed so determine to ruin it that Hazuki couldn’t fathom any other reason to stay.

“By the way, thank you for lending me a hand — my name is Hazuki, but…”

He smiled, pulling Fret just a little closer.

“You should just call me Haz.”

After hearing his lost foreigner’s plight, Fret tilts his head and furrows his eyebrows. How was he supposed to find something for someone who didn’t know, nor even his actual friend knew? That almost seemed impossible. Fret ran a hand through his hair. “Woo, boy, you really are in the dark with this, aren’t you? A different city, a friend who doesn’t have a preference, and a tour guide that’s just as lost.” Fret laughed a little bit at his own stale joke, but truly, he wasn’t so sure how to help this guy he met on the street. A laugh at himself, the situation, and at the fact that he had no idea what to do. With Haz stepping closer, Fret’s laughter died down quickly. The weird cologne smell nearly made him flinch by itself. Who wants to smell like that? And on purpose? However, his thoughts on the man’s perfume choices were quickly wrapped up by the fact that there was an arm around him now. Now becoming the dragee instead of the dragger, Fret was even more confused. Didn’t this guy ask for his tour guiding assistance? Just what was he being dragged into? He stumbled a little forward at first as they walked closer to 104, his feet soon catching up to the new experience. Indigo eyes went wide, however, with mass confusion. Stranger danger warnings flashed in his mind at rapid pace. What turned into a kind gesture he thought was for someone in need was quickly becoming an ordeal he wasn’t quite expecting. “Haha, yeah...I’m Tosai Furesawa, but you can just call me Fret...!” Why did he just tell someone who he thought could drag him into a white van for candy his whole name? His voice kinda quavered a bit as he spoke, just a tad spooked.  “Yeah, this place has shops galore! Some of them have come and gone, but it’s always at the top of fashion!”  He puts up a hand, still trying to put up a front that this was totally not throwing him for a loop. “And if you have a good VIP status? You can get some sneaky deals from the back. But that’s kinda just the norm, you know?” This idle conversation was somewhat of a stall. Or, more accurately, a grasp at something normal in this interaction.  

That was grasping at straws, wasn’t it. 

[justmorerpmemes]

Send in ‘You’re still awake?‘ for your muse to find my muse in a state of sleep deprivation.

Send in “I don’t know how I’m still up.’ for the reverse.

[mindtwisters]

nothazukimikagi​:

“It’s good to know that there are still good people out there, no matter where you look,” Haz smiled, glad that the boy took his offer willingly. He never would have forced him, of course, but it would’ve been an annoyance to drift off into another timeline where he was more willing. More to the point, it wouldn’t have been the same, exact boy — just an echo, a twist of the real thing.

Tosai Furesawa’s time in Shibuya before his tenure in the game was an absolute unknown. It was up to Haz, now, to get to the bottom of what it was that made him so special to Rindo before their shared peril even began. Without uncovering that, the answers he needed would continue to elude him.

To get to the truth, however, he’d need to tell a few lies. That was standard enough operating procedure, though, not that “Fret” needed to know that.

“You see, I wanted to find something special to buy for a friend of mine. You could call it a gift. He’s very dear to me. I want to make sure that he gets something memorable.”

Haz slowly took his hands away from Fret, letting his fingers sink back into the confines of his jacket pocket. There was exactly one true part of his statement — procuring a gift would, he reasoned, be a good thing to do. The person he wanted it for was not his friend, however, and the gift being from Shibuya at all would likely bring him more of a grim foreboding than a sense of warm, healthy camaraderie.

That was the point, after all.

Smiling, though a little weaker than before, Haz considered what might make a good gift. Playing the part was important.

“I wanted something that screams Shibuya. Something special… but I’m not really sure where to look,” he continued. “It’s a little embarrassing, to be honest. I’ve never been so lost so close to home.”

The strength in his smile returned, then, catlike and playful.

“Got any ideas?”

At the first compliment, he put his hand on the back of his neck and sheepishly smiled. Heh, good people? Makes it sound like he was expecting the opposite...Well! Fret smiles cheerily at the stranger, though he felt awkward.  “Well, don’t sweat! I’m sure you’re just trying to figure out what to do in a busy city like this. So!” Fret clapped his hands, closing his eyes. “How can I help ya today?” He opened his eyes to hear his tourist’s request, leaning in a bit to be able to hear him from the hustle and bustle of the busy street all around them. Honking horns from a nearby, almost crash, people arguing on their cellphones, and pop-up shops trying to barter for a slightly fairer price. He wondered if he would be in time with his friend’s meet up...maybe if he made this fast, he too could join in on the curry dishes. Oooh! His mouth was already salivating... Wait! Fret, focus! Coming back to his senses, he catches what he says just in time.  “A gift, that ‘screams’ Shibuya? Well...the trends are always going up and down here. This place is a melting pot, after all! Buuuut...Gatto Nero is a local brand! And CAT used to be, too, but they hasn’t made a move in years at this point, but it wouldn’t be too impossible to find something of theirs......” He puts a hand on his chin, thinking...  “What’s your friend into? That might help narrow it down a little bit!”

[mindtwisters]

timetwisters​:

Right. He didn’t know. None of the others knew, and so… It fell to him to break the news. Well then, fearless leader, go on ahead. “Shoka, she’s…” What? Erased? Dead? Who knows. He shifts, staring down at his shoes. Just a few minutes ago, she’d been right here! Until some jerk just… Sent her away. Not like they could have won this stupid game without her! She deserved to be here.

All that said, this was supposed to be a good day. Finally, they’d managed to make today a good day. The reasonable part of him told him to stop being dumb. To take what he could get and walk away with his happy ending. But still, this wasn’t right either. 

Besides, he hadn’t been lying. His mother would never understand, and it’s not like anyone else would either. But… Fret wasn’t wrong. They’d be able to walk away with each other, and just deal. That should be good enough! Fret, Nagi, Neku, Beat… Even those other guys. Like Rhyme and Shiki. He was sure they’d all be there to welcome them home. So why couldn’t he just be happy?

Uh, maybe because this isn’t why I came back here?

While that was true, it didn’t really matter. The silence was becoming uncomfortable, Rindo trailing off into thought like he was oh so accustomed to doing. Ugh, what was he doing? No way he could let this stop him, right? Otherwise, what was it all for?

Right. So I’ve just gotta spit it out. That’s step one.

“Shoka’s not… Coming back with us.” His tone was flat and numb, and he didn’t life his eyes from the ground. The small part of his inner voice that always pointed out how dumb he looked couldn’t help but play back that smug little laugh he’d gotten accustomed to ever since his first week. Really? Choking here at the end? Just when things were looking good for you. Or… Something like that, Either way, he’d managed it. Six little words, but they burned his throat. He’d really messed this up, huh?

Fret watched his friend somewhat fall in demeanor as he choked out what he was trying to get across. When he first started, Fret watched his body language. It seemed, at least to himself, that it was pulling him apart. Guilt dripped from his form, and overthought radiated throughout him. Fret could see these things, and he was aware of them, but...touching back into his genuine side was... Difficult. With what happened a couple years back, with his friend...he hadn’t been open since that day. Sitting here next to his friend...he was trying so hard to figure out how he should tackle this. He had fought a long battle to teach himself how to keep these sorts of things at arms length, but now he had to unlearn it. For his friends, for Kanon, but also for himself. He was honestly getting frustrated that he had no route to really go with this! Even though a change like this is not supposed to happen overnight, he still wished it would have.   

Though, eventually, he heard Rindo’s strained words. Not coming back? To him, that made little sense. Why wouldn’t she be? The fact that Rindo was taking it so hard made him wonder... What was really going on? He had more questions than he had answers. “What do you mean, not coming back?” ...Was pushing for more bad? It’s not like he had a lot of information to go on. But...it was serious. He had to do something! But what could he do? ... He’ll scoot in a little closer, and put an arm a bit behind Rindo. He’ll keep that there. No need to give him a big squeeze yet, but it’ll be on standby.  “...Do you think you can talk about it?”

[mindtwisters]

nothazukimikagi​:

The world grew solid with a soft, rushing sound, and at once the scent of distant food and burning pavement collided with the scream of nearby cars. Then came the chatter of shoppers walking by, the ring of obnoxious ringtones, the call of far off salesmen and hawkers from Dogenzaka — then all of it banished, erased, wiped away by the crash of a body into his.

Hazuki turned just in time to spot a young man, perhaps fifteen or sixteen, fall to the pavement. The boy lunged for his phone just in time to keep it from following suit, his face wild and wide with surprise. Whether or not he was shocked to see his phone in one piece or shocked he’d run into someone at all, Haz couldn’t quite tell.

Were it not for the fact that the boy was so familiar, he might’ve kept glaring.

Instead, Haz reached out and took the boy’s hand, making a mental note to wash it later. Grasping tight, he took care to help the boy up onto his feet and made sure he was alright before letting go.

“Don’t fret,” Hazuki smiled, patting the back of the boy’s hand as he let it go. Tosai Furesawa was a ditzy, clumsy child. His failings weren’t to be mocked or scolded. It wasn’t like he could help his humanity — wolves were wolves, boys were boys, Fret was Fret, and Hazuki understood there must have been something about him worth turning back time for.

“Happens all the time,” he lied. “Distractions are everywhere these days.”

With that, Hazuki produced a simple, black phone from his pocket. It disappeared the second he stowed it away again, vanished off to some far away dimension where he actually needed a cell phone in the first place. Or perhaps it remained there, waiting to be needed.

At times, it was easy to lose track. 

Careful, Haz reached out, looking to place a careful, considerate hand on the boy’s elbow.

“Say, you wouldn’t mind helping a tourist out, would you, friend? I’m not from around here.”

Being helped up by the stranger surprised him. Hands up in apologies got taken up to help the boy back onto his feet. Once upright, Fret brushed himself off from the dirt from the street. The cars and people in the back seemed like a distant memory for Fret. To him, they became the background of his little world. He straights up a little bit and gives the man a small smile. “Thanks. Sorry, again. I didn’t think I was going to run into anyone. Whoops.” He laughs a little bit, but then sighs afterwards. Yikes... He should probably get moving. He didn’t want to be in this guy’s way, and he had his own places to get going to. Or, at least, that’s what he thought until the guy struck up a bit more conversation. He watched the average looking guy hold up his phone and relate to the issue. Heh. Guy seems to be alright! “Hah! Yeah, you could say that. I’ll make sure to keep my eyes back up.” He ran a hand through his hair to fix it from it’s disturbed state. Whew...at least it wasn’t a complete disaster, right? He was about to give this guy peace yet again, but... He took his elbow, and asked a question. The guy had been so nice, and just wanted help looking around. Not from here, huh? ...It kinda sounded like a story he once heard. Strange coincidence. He stares in surprise for a second, calculating, before he sends one last text on his phone. Slipping it into his pocket, he turn his full attention to the man in front of him.

“Yeah...I think I can do that. After all, I did kinda bump into you.” Was he a little disappointed that he’d be a bit late to his friends? Yes. That was true. But this stranger didn’t need to know that. Maybe he could do this quickly? “Where did you want to go? Let Fret be of service to you!” He let out in a cheery voice. Hah! 

[mindtwisters]

@nothazukimikagi​ continued !! Those echoes of past, present, future, and all in between certainly made for such a hectic scene in the whole city. Waves of people strolled out of the shops from around the area, in their own little worlds, to get to their next destination. A group of girls laughed as they past, while a boy ran towards a girl and picked her up, giving her a slight spin. Some businessmen were aggravated, and stormed towards Dogenzaka, while a little kid seemed lost, until their parents came over to scold them for walking off. This was daily life. Busy lives roaming around the area, making as much noise as they possibly can.  A boy walked out of 104 while looking down at his phone. He had a small smile on his face as he ran a hand through some of his long locks of hair. He seemed to be happily texting someone. Perhaps even a few people, but it seemed to enrapture him to the fullest extent. So much so, that he didn’t realize where he was going until it was too late.  He walked straight into the blonde man, stumbling back a bit and rocketing him out of his own little world. This boy with highlighted hair, blue eyes, and a sleek fashion sense nearly tumbled down after it, quickly catching his phone before he drops it.  “Whooooa there!”

“Sorry, I must not have been looking where I was going!” He sputtered a bit, putting out his hands as he apologized. Sheesh! He really should look where he’s going...

[mindtwisters]

timetwisters​:

“Oh, it’s nothing.” The dismissal was out before he really thought about it. Usually, this is something he’d keep to himself, but.. Hadn’t keeping things to himself and trying to push all the real issues away been a major part of his problems? Seriously, it was like he hadn’t learned his lesson or something.

His expression sours as the thought sinks in. Yes, hello? Mental mods? I’m in this pic and I don’t like it. Thanks. Well, that only really left one alternative. “Okay. Maybe not nothing. It’s just…”

He shifts, trying to find a way to word this. Fret kind of deserved to know, he figured, and besides! Maybe he could even relate on it. “What now? Just… Y’know, it’s not like I want to keep playing hero or whatever, but… That’s it? Sweet! You did it. Go home. Chuck the pin and forget it. Have a nice life?”

He shakes his head, and looks down once more, the turning the pin around in his hand. “The others go on ahead already?” Honestly, he expected so. Last time he’d gone back to the RG had been bad enough, mostly because he was all alone. But he knew that nobody would ever believe anything that had happened here. Talking to anyone not involved would be a one way ticket straight to therapy. Which, maybe wouldn’t be a bad thing, if that wasn’t a one way trip to some sort of institution. No thanks.

“And I mean… Then there’s Shoka.” The thought of never seeing her again weighed him down more than his hesitation to welcome back the mundane stuff. Was it giving up? He’d been so set on everyone making it out, but… Then that guy just made her disappear. For no reason! … Man, how was he even going to explain that?

He had watched his buddy first dismiss how he felt. Not as though it was written all over, not only his face, but Rindo’s body. For that split second, Fret’s eyes closed. That... Being genuine was something he was struggling with, but it’s even harder when someone isn’t being honest in return. Right before Fret could let out a sigh, Rindo doubled back on it. Fret found himself surprised, not that Rindo was particularly secretive, but because in this new world of honesty, it felt...new. Inviting to be let in. He opened his eyes again and looked over at Rindo, surprise slowly leaving his face as it returns to be more calm. Let’s just hope he doesn’t blow it. He listens to his friend shift around, explaining what had been getting him down. He makes sure to listen, trying to wave off any happy-go-lucky or sweetly positive phrases that come to mind. Yeesh, this is going to be a bad habit to break... He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. He can do this. 

“I get that it’ll be kinda a shock. Not exactly like we can just chat with anyone about this and they’d even understand anything that we were talking about...” That he knew. it was kinda bleak put that way... “Really, all we can do is carry this on our shoulders. No one else will know, other than us, but...” He held up the pin in between his fingers, looking at it as he put it up against the sky. The pins he bought at the very beginning of all of this... It’s weird to think that was only three weeks ago. “We have each other, the team. That’s kinda what we got from all of this, right?” He puts his hand back down, and closes his hand around the pin. His grip is somewhat tight. Onto the others...  “I wouldn’t know, if I’m honest. I haven’t seen them, though. Maybe they’re just taking their own time to take it in?” He shrugs, putting his hand down. He grips his hand around his pin, somewhat tightly. “Besides, what do you mean Shoka? She was with you for awhile. Where’d she go?”

[mindtwisters]

timetwisters​:

@mindtwisters​ liked for a starter!

The game had finally ended. Three weeks of fighting for their lives, finally having come to a close. You would think Rindo would be stoked! In some ways, it was like they could go back to the lives they led before, and just pretend this had never happened.

But… That didn’t feel right, either. Sure, going back home to his mother and friends was great and all, but could he really just… Go back to stressing out about balancing homework and hanging out with Fret? And the others now, he guessed. Or at least hoped. Not to mention online stuff. Not… That there was much online to go back to now, huh? All that effort, and they weren’t even all going back together.

Still, it wasn’t like he could just go back and hope for a new ending, either. The first time, it was the only way. The second time, Shibuya would never be the same. But… now? That was just selfish. He was, as usual, lost in thought, looking down at the mutated pin in his outstretched hand. So much for a decisive new me… Well, that wasn’t true. But that didn’t mean things weren’t hard.

He was lost in thought, so busy trying to finally digest the three-for-one night stay in the seventh ring of hell, that he didn’t notice his friend’s approach. Finally, he looked over to notice Fret. “Oh, hey. You haven’t ditched this thing yet?”

“Hey Rindude.” Fret walked up to his thinking buddy with less energy than he did when this whole thing began. He had no smile on his face, nor a exaggerated expression. His mouth laid in a small frown, and his eyes just looked a tad tired. There was no mask there, like there had been before. Though he felt awkward, and unsteady this way, he...he wanted to try and be more genuine in a time like this. He could tell that his friend was struggling with something, and if he was going to start with anyone... It was going to be Rindo.  Fret plopped himself next to his best friend and leaned back a bit, looking out in front of them. He rests the side of his head in his hand, and gives his friend a sidelong glance.

“I figured we’d be going together. We walked into this together, so, why not walk out together?” He laughed a little bit, but it quickly faded out. “Hey, uh...you alright? I can see you’re sorta...turning something over in your head again. Yen for your thoughts?” This was the least he could do, right?