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

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mindtwisters​:

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?”

One long, deep breath. If he was going to do this, he needed to organize his thoughts.

One, two...

First of all, there hadn’t actually been much he could have done about it. Whatever the case around it, there’d been a timer ever since she’d joined the Wicked Twisters. Even if that guy hadn’t been there, she’d have been Erased when it was all over, right?

Three, four, five...

Being upset now wasn’t helping anything. In the end, this was the goal since the beginning. He could mope just as well in the RG. Hanging out here wasn’t making that any easier.

Six, seven...

Shoka wasn’t the only reason he was so nervous. Yes, that was a major part of it, but something felt off even before that. The sudden... Finality of it all. That was just now sinking in, he supposed. But that was no reason to slide back into old habits like this. He should say something.

Eight, Nine...

None of this was Fret’s fault. Worrying him wouldn’t solve anything at all. He just... needed to be straight with this. It was the only way, and he guessed it should probably come from him. Not... That there was anyone else it could come from. Somehow, he thought Mr. No-Show Composer wasn’t going to be any help there.

Ten.

Rindo takes another breath, closing his eyes as he pulls himself together enough to break the news. He knew he’d have to do this more than once, upon their successful return home, so he might as well get used to it. He lifts his chin as he prepares to speak.

“Shoka’s gone. There was a rule. Reapers who lose their job are Erased at the end of the Game. Shiba offered her her old job back, but...” He shakes his head. “No dice. Then some Shibuya guy walks up, and... Next thing I know she’s just... Gone. Disappeared.” His shoulders drop, and he clenches the pin in his hand. Damn, that... Wasn’t any easier to say out loud, huh? “We’re... gonna have to go back without her.”

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lollipopsandgunshots​:

“Nothing crazy, I promise,” she assures him, with a smile.

“Kariya’s birthday is coming up, and I’m throwing a surprise party for him. Would you come?” She was aware it was an unusual request, but considering everything that had happened, something as simple as a party would be a welcome change…right? “You don’t have to bring a gift or anything, just showing up would mean a lot. I know he’d be happy to have you there.”

“There’s going to be cake and cupcakes, one of my Reaper friends is going to do the baking for me. And the party’s going to be here in the RG, so you don’t have to worry about that…”

“Wait... Kariya’s birthday..?”

He had no idea that was coming up, but it wasn’t like he’d ever asked or anything. Still, now that everything was going so much better, it might be nice to just take a load off for once. He hadn’t really been expecting an invite, but... What the heck, sure. Besides, like any boy his age, Rindo could be very easily bribed with the promise of cake. Plus, he’d never been to a surprise party. Could be fun!

“Sure thing, I’ll be there. You still have my contact stuff, right? Just let me know when and where. I don’t promise to be a whiz or anything, but if I can help out, let me know!”

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I am Tsugumi Matsunae, one of the Shinjuku Reapers. To restore the damage wrought by my own hands, let me continue where I left off.

RULES ✦ ABOUT ✦ HEADCANONS ✦ INTERACTION

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soundsurferskulls​:

@timetwisters Liked for a Starter! “Ey, who'da thought we’d have met here!” Beat greets one of his newest friends with a wide and toothy grin. They had met near Tower Records by chance, and Beat had run up from behind him to place his hand on his shoulder to get his attention. He pulled his friend closer to the store to avoid the street traffic, and to be able to hear Rindo better than he could have before.  “Great timin’, too! I was jus’ testin’ somethin’ out. Thought ya’d wanna see! Or help, even.” He leaned in a bit, a tad excited to tell his friend this. “Y’know how I was able to drag ya around, goin’ faster than fast? I been tryin’ to get up to those speeds again! And it is hard, yo! But I think I’m managin’ it. Did ya wanna see?”

Was Beat about to try and speed around like he still had Soundsurfer? In a crowded street of people? Maybe. He knew it helped his team a lot during the last game, and besides! Being able to get to anywhere in this city is a win-win situation! So, what’s the issue?

Usually, being grabbed from behind and dragged back to learn about some need for speed would send someone running to the police, but Rindo was a little too shocked to even yelp. He’d been on his way to Cat Street to check out the new J of the M stuff, but it looks like it wasn’t to be. There was a sharp intake of breath, and he felt himself lock, instinctively jolting upright.

“H-Huh?!” Then, he relaxed, registering the friendly voice. Jeez... What would he have done if he hadn’t been right about who he was? “Oh, Beat! Uh, hey!” He’ll raise his hand in a quick greeting, expression changing from an admittedly understandable shock to a more embarrassed smile.

That’s when he realized the experiment he was being invited into. Probably forcibly. Well, whatever doesn’t kill you makes Beat faster, right? That’s... not how the expression goes. Oh well. The desire not to take another sudden trip to the UG was quickly drowned out by the rapid fire explanation.

Common sense was screaming at him to talk some sense into his pal. This, too was overpowered by the realization that common sense would likely fall on deaf ears here. Not like their special powers worked in the RG, anyway. But, just for the sake of asking, he might as well.

“Sure..? How’re you doing that?” Maybe the pit in his stomach will go away if this doesn’t involve passengers. Maybe. Probably not.

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lollipopsandgunshots​:

@timetwisters wanted a starter!

“Rindo!” Uzuki waved over to the boy through the crowd.

She hadn’t seen him in a while, but she had tried to keep in touch, at least. And while what she wanted to ask could easily have been a quick text, she thought she’d try seeing if she could find him in-person first.

“I had a feeling I might run into you here,” she explains. “I was hoping to ask you for a favor, if you’ve got a minute.”

“Huh?” Hearing his name, he stopped, having a look around. He’d been on his way home early for the day, mostly because his friends had been busy with one thing or another. So he had time. “Oh, hey!”

A small smile crossed his face as he recognized the familiar face. They’d kept in touch a bit, but meeting up in person didn’t exactly happen all the time. Rindo had always just assumed she had like... Reaper things to do. Or something. Either way, as he approached and heard mention of a favor, he blinks? He wasn’t really sure what he could do, but he was willing to try if possible. “Sure, if I can help. What’s up?”

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mindtwisters​:

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?”

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?

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It must be fate, I found a place for us I bet you didn’t know that I was dangerous

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shibuyacrossed​:

               Though the topic was a serious one, a morbid one even, Neku couldn’t help but give the younger boy a soft smile as he watched him try to piece it all together. It reminded Neku a bit of himself all those years ago, trying to figure out what the hell had been going on. He understood Rindo’s confusion and potential frustration with it all and he would take it seriously, there was just something endearingly nostalgic about his questions.

“Sorry. I guess it’s probably pretty confusing to someone who wasn’t there… That’s sorta the gist of it, though. I went through three weeks, too, just like you guys. Just with a different partner every week.” Hopefully that would help clear it up, even if only a little. Of course, if Rindo had any further questions about it, he’d do his best to explain. He understood what it was like, having so many questions about the Game, and he’d answer as many of them for him as he was able. It’d been a hard three weeks, and this last Game wasn’t much better, but Neku didn’t view his time in the UG quite so bitterly as he once had. It’s how he’d met most of his friends, after all.

“As foe what almost happened to Shibuya back then, that’s a little more complicated, but all that really matter is that my… friend decided to save it, in the end.” He could go into more detail, but Neku himself still wasn’t entirely sure why Joshua had changed his mind in the end.

That made more sense! At least a little, anyway. So then... “Three weeks, just like us. One partner a week. Did you keep losing?” If there were no teams, did each individual pair just fight for the top spot? Just how different were these rules? It had been so strange to learn that even though he’d played in Shibuya, the rules had been far from native. He’d known that the foreign reapers had changed stuff, but wow.

“So you won three back to back weeks with just one person every time?” No wonder Neku was a legend. All that time with perfect strangers, only to come out on top? Plus all that talk Beat had done during the game about taking on the reapers. Granted, they’d had to do some of that themselves eventually, but still! That was... Crazy.

“And... Your friend decided to save it?” That was strange. He’d thought Neku himself was the big hero. But... He didn’t want to hit on too touchy of a subject. He seemed to be trying to dodge it. Should he back off..? Maybe just ask about something else. “So I know Beat was your partner. Or... One of them..? And all the Shibuya reapers talked about that Game turning the UG on its head or something.” 

Rindo had spent the latter half of his final week looking up to his senior. Even somewhat jealous of him. But I guess with all this, it makes sense he’d be on another level. Plus, there was just something magnetic about the guy. He wasn’t particularly forceful or anything, but something about him made you listen when he started talking. Experience, maybe? No matter what, one thing was pretty clear. Neku was super cool. In his position, Rindo kind of doubted he’d have made it half as far. 

“Sounds like you guys had it really rough yourselves.” 

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mindtwisters​:

“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? 

“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?

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@shibuyacrossed​ liked for a starter!

“So... Let me get this straight.”

At a base level, he understood that the Game he’d played with the other Twisters hadn’t been the normal rules, but that didn’t change the fact that it’s all he could think of when it came to mind. He’d heard a few stories and pieced together a few things, but only so much of Beat’s accounts had made sense. He knew it wasn’t something that was really nice to talk about. Admittedly, his own game memories were some of his least favorite bits of horror genre nightmare fuel.

But still, his friend group had definitely grown through the experience, and he was hoping to knock this out so he understood whenever the dark topic came up. “You paired off with just one partner, not teams, but you had three? Only one person survived, but all five of you are here now. Uh... And something about another near Shibupocalypse?” The term popped out before he could really... define that. Oh well, standing by it now.

“I think I might be missing something.”

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@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?”

[timetwisters]

Okay, and I’m all set here. Like for a short starter. Let’s start easy. Multis/sideblogs please specify.

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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

[timetwisters]

the  front  bottoms   —   in  sickness  &  in  flames  ask  meme .

fairbanks,   alaska .

“good stuff is happening all around me .” “people are freaking out .” “who the hell do i think i am?”

montgomery  forever .

“we walked all the way home after that .” “i am the victim of a scam .” “we used to live here .” “now they’re blowing it up .” “you started crying .” ”i can’t imagine not being able to trust myself .” “it wasn’t fun .” ”focus on that,  zone it out .” ”can you hear me?” “i would pass any drug test you could give me .” ”i understand why you had to ditch me .” “nothing else to talk about .”

everyone  blooms .

“everyone blooms in their own time .” ”wherever you are,  don't worry,  you’re gonna be fine .” ”i heard that you’d do anything .” ”you can take what’s left of me .” ”i know that no news is good news but that always felt backwards .” ”i still haven’t heard from you .” ”i realize now it matters .”

camouflage .

“how did i get here?” ”it’s a joke,  so we don’t take it seriously .” ”when i’m away i think of kissing you every day .” “i don’t know where i am .” “i probably look like a psycho .”  “they’re probably calling the cops on me right now .”  “sour but I think I like it .”  “it’s stressing me out .” “i will save it for my deathbed .” “just let me take you on vacation .” “i mean obviously i’m distant .” “there’s nothing else to say .” “it was hard to tell what it meant and how it felt .”

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tag dump

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test test test test