Mitsukai's 100 Themes Challenge

Challenge set by Sora-Horsey on DeviantART, the themes are:

1. Names
2. Hardship
3. School
4. Opinion
5. Break Up
6. New Love
7. Alley
8. Riddle
9. You and Me
10. I Do
11. Secret
12. DO NOT ENTER
13. Colors
14. Cruel
15. Kings, Queens, and Jokers
16. Run Free
17. Where are the Crackers?
18. Life
19. R is for Revenge
20. Burning
21. Do You Want To Know?
22. Discovery
23. Birthday
24. Rocks Aren't the Same
25. Shadow
26. Fate
27. Freedom Isn't Free
28. Wildflowers
29. Energy
30. Notes
31. Numbers
32. Dying Fire
33. Breaking Point
34. Fish
35. Trapped
36. Dancing
37. Don't Go
38. Alone
39. Betrayal
40. Due Date
41. Sealed in Blood
42. Impossible
43. Party
44. Sparkle
45. Be a Man
46. Go For a Swim
47. Am I Dreaming?
48. Too Good To Be True
49. BAD
50. 50%
51. Elemental Tempest
52. Too Late
53. But I DIDN'T Do It
54. Hot
55. Optimism
56. Lucky 13
57. I'm In
58. Slightly Disturbed
59. Loathing
60. Worse
61. Speak
62. Toys
63. Ocean
64. Deceived
65. Black and White
66. Whatever
67. Death
68. Jump
69. Broken Promise
70. All the Little Things
71. Six Feet Underground
72. Bug
73. Alibi
74. On Holiday
75. No News
76. Under the Stars
77. Running Away
78. Window
79. Make Me Happy
80. Villain
81. Masquerade
82. Don't Make a Sound
83. Cold
84. Umbrella
85. Please
86. To and From
87. Say When
88. On Top of the World
89. Forgiveness
90. Mr. Mom
91. Doomsday Clock
92. Gold
93. Unstoppable
94. Race
95. Time is Running Short
96. Not Over Yet
97. This is Home
98. Almost
99. Tranquil
100. Peace at Last

I'll cross them off of this list as I go along. Wish me luck

I thought you had already written stuff for this :/
Oh, well, good luck anyway. You still want me to post this stuff on the blog while you're gone?

I posted a ton of stuff on the blog and on DeviantART, I hadn't got round to posting any of it here yet.

1 - Names

My curiosity is a powerful thing, especially when riled up so much as it has been recently. I openly stare across the room at the tanned, be-freckled boy who's sat on my aunt's sofa, ignoring the nudges and hisses my girlfriend sends my way. The other boy hasn't even noticed that we're standing there - he's plugged into an mp3 player, sitting up and leaning sideways against the back of the sofa, his right leg drawn up underneath him, his eyes closed as he listens to the music that only he can hear. My eyes stray to his left leg, stretched out at an odd angle on the sofa, and from there to the crutch that leans against the arm. I've never seen the boy before, and my mother never mentioned that there was going to be somebody else with my aunt when we went to visit her.
"Oh, he's my ex-husband's son, he's just staying with me for a while." My aunt comments to us, following us into the sitting room and following our gaze. "Just prod him and tell him your names, he'll wander off to his room after a while."
I'm a little uncertain about 'prodding him' to get his attention when he doesn't even realise we're there, but Trisha has no qualms. Sure enough, as soon as her hand touches his shoulder the poor boy jumps so high his head almost hits the ceiling. He stares at the two of us, eyes wide, panting harshly, and as I smile at him apologetically I notice the colour of his eyes. His left (my right) is bottle green, the other ocean blue. I can see them even from across the room.
"I'm Trisha." My girlfriend introduces herself more like it's a bother than anything as the boy pulls the plugs from his ears. I sigh, slightly embarrassed by her actions.
"Mitsukai." I introduce myself with a nod and a smile, digging my hands deep in my pockets and slouching where I stand.
"Sorry, I'm Pandora." The boy introduces himself with a strong accent. I tilt my head. Pandora.
I join him when he eventually takes his crutch and retreats from the main room, and for the rest of the day, I don't spend time with anybody else.

2 - Hardship

I stare at my brother as he hops around on one foot, his other in his hands, until he finally loses his balance and falls back down on his bed with a loud thwump. All this because of a single blister. Seriously, it's tiny, you can hardly see it. But apparently it 'really hurts' and I 'don't know what he's going through'. I sigh and glance at Pandora, who's sat on my bed staring at him in such a disbelieving way that I almost burst out laughing.
"This isn't funny." Hitori grunts, holding his bare foot and massaging the sole, glaring at me.
I let out a loud, short bark of laughter as I turn back to the desk to carry on writing my essay for history.
"Oh, I'm sorry, you must be going through such hardship." I chuckle sarcastically. With my back turned to him, his ever-deepening glare of frustration just goes completely unnoticed.

3 - School

I've always hated school. And it's hardest when I'm going back after any holidays. I make my way to the gates of the high school I attend, Trisha by my side jabbering on about anything and everything. The only thing on my mind is Pandora - the boy I met at my aunt's house only last week. Is this normal?
All day he's on my mind, I can't concentrate on anything my teachers are saying to me, and finally lunch arrives. I sit at the large table near the middle of the lunch hall with the rest of the basketball team. Hitori's there with me, but Trisha stayed in class to catch up with some work (story of her life).
"Hey, there she is." He hisses to me suddenly. I already know who he's talking about. A girl in his year he's had a crush on since he first got here, one of the 'misfits' of the school. He's a few years below me, so I don't usually pay attention to anything he says on that topic. But for some reason my eyes stray up to where he's 'discretely' gesturing with his head. I'm surprised that she hasn't noticed his frantic movements yet, but then I notice that she's talking to somebody. I follow her gaze and my eyes widen when I see Pandora by her side.

4 - Opinion

"Yeah, right." I smile at my fiancé's skeptical tone as he sits against the kitchen table, watching me as I dry up the freshly washed plates and cutlery, my back to him. "You have no proof, 'Sukai, how can you believe in something like that?"
I laugh at that.
"I don't need evidence." I point out, putting the last plate away and turning to face him. "It's about having faith, that's why it's called your faith."
He rolls his eyes, but there's a small smile on his face.
"It's an opinion." He comments quietly, absently swinging his good leg beneath the table.
I tilt my head at him curiously.
"I know you don't believe in any kind of God, and I wouldn't force you to." I tell him, my eyes gauging his reactions carefully. His expression doesn't change. "But surely there's something you believe in."
He's silent for a few minutes before he finally raises his head to look me in the eye.
"I believe in us."

5 - Break Up

It's true, I'm terrified. I've done a lot of things in my life that have unsettled and scared me, but all of those things added up together couldn't amount to the amount of fear I feel now that I'm about to do this: I'm about to tell my wife that I want to break up with her. And of course, like the coward I am, I'm dragging Pandora along with me to avoid things getting too out of hand. Even after I give her the news, things are only going to get worse for her when I tell her I want to keep the kids. Pandora and I know that I'm in the best position to gain full custody, we've got the proof of the abuse that she's given myself and the kids. But she'll still fight. She always does.
"Trish?" I call to her uncertainly as we approach, and Pandora settles down on the table to spare his leg, holding his crutch by his side.
"It's because of him, isn't it?" She asks me, nodding to Pandora but keeping her back to me. Pandora and I exchange shocked looks, neither of us knowing what she's talking about.
"What?" I ask, because it's the only thing I can think of to say.
"You want to break up ... because of him."

6 - New Love

It became obvious after only a few days that I was never supposed to be a single dad. My children have been suffering since I divorced their mother, and it's becoming very obvious very quickly that they're in desperate need of a motherly figure in their lives. And so I'm thrown back into the world of dating without a moment to breathe. Every night with a different woman, searching not only for someone who would make a good mother to my children, but also somebody who, over time, I might come to love as we continue dating. But ... it's utterly hopeless. No woman I date, while most tick the first box, are ever able to tick the second. And the whole time I can't help but notice how withdrawn Pandora is becoming. It's like every new woman I meet digs a couple of feet into the trench that separates us.
Every night I leave my children in the care of an ever-obliging Pandora. Every night I return home to find the four of them worn out and exhausted, asleep on the sofa after trying and failing to wait up for me, even though I tell them countless times not to bother. Every night I find myself wishing that we don't have to put ourselves through this.
One night after a particularly painful and tiring date I come home to the usual scene - one I've starting to look forward to after these long evenings out. I still sigh in exasperation as I see Pandora, unconscious, curled up on the sofa with the baby asleep in his arms, the older twins hanging off of him, also asleep, and I can't help but manage a smile as I sit down on the next sofa to watch them for a moment.
"Oh, Pan." I whisper, leaning back in the seat and closing my eyes. "How can I possibly find someone when all I can think of is-"
It hits me then, and my eyes snap open in surprise, as I realise exactly why I've been having so much trouble with the countless dates I've been on. It's because it's just like Trisha said (even though I hate to admit that she's the one who called it). My heart is already taken by somebody else. All the signs are there, I just never realised it before.
I look back to the four of them as Pandora stirs, called back to the waking world by the sound of my voice just a few moments before, and he raises his heavy head to look at me.
"Did it go okay?" He asks me blearily when he finally fully registers that I'm there, his voice quiet and thick with tiredness. I shake my head, giving him a small smile. "Oh, I'm sorry." He stretches his body, cat-like, best he can considering he's practically buried under the twins, and blinks for a few moments to try and wake himself up. "I should get going then. You okay?"
"Yeah, I'm okay." I assure him quietly, getting to my feet. I hesitate for only a moment before I continue. "Don't go, Pan." It's the same offer I make every night, he can't drive while he's so tired and we're both fine with him sleeping on the couch. He nods, dropping his head back on the arm of the chair, but too tired to respond past that as I pick up first one, then the other of the twins. But there's more to it this time, I think to myself as I carry them through to their bedroom and tuck them in. I take one of the spare pillows from the shelf and go back through to the main room of my small apartment, crouching down and gently lifting up his tired head so I can slip the thick pillow underneath it, resisting the sudden urge to kiss his forehead as I do so. I take the baby from his arms and he lets out a small sound as he raises his arms to grasp the pillow, curling up on himself even further to keep his head on it, and I smile. My heart is overflowing with this new love. And I want to tell him all about it.

リトル 猿 wrote:You still want me to post this stuff on the blog while you're gone?

That would be great sweetheart, I'll take care of here and DeviantART when I get back

'Kay. I'll post those last two bits now then.

7 - Alley

I'm panting as I run through the crowds of people, dragging Pandora along behind me as I do so.
"Did we lose him?" Pandora asks me as we break out of the crowds and into the town square, coming to a halt. Having less stamina than I do, he immediately doubles over, panting harshly, rubbing his aching leg. He doesn't have his crutch with him, so I'm supporting him as we walk forward a few steps.
"I don't know." I tell him in response to the question. "I hope so."
"I'm scared." My boyfriend admits, anxiously looking back the way we came.
"I know." I reply softly, leaning over and pressing my lips against the top of his head. "Come on, he won't look for us down here."
I lead him across the road and into an alley. It's dark and cool and a relief after the bright, hot day outside. Supporting him by his arm around my shoulder, I lead him right to the end and sit down with him against the wall.
"How long are we gonna be sitting here?" Pandora asks me uncertainly.
"Until Harou calls me back to give us the all clear." I reply.
We both look up as we hear the sound of familiar footsteps at the end of the valley.
"What do we do?" Pandora hisses at me. I clasp a hand over his mouth. A glance at the entrance to the valley to see that the man who was standing there is gone. I breathe a sigh of relief and lean back against the brick wall.
"Who are you two hiding from?"
My eyes widen and Pandora clutches my arm, as my little brother appears in front of us.

8 - Riddle

"Give me food, and I will live; Give me water, and I will die. What am I?" As I once more recount the simple riddle, the one that had been my favourite as a child to the extent that every other child in the neighbourhood knew it, my newly-wed stares at me as if I'm crazy. I can tell that he's already regretting asking me for something to distract his mind from his looming deadline.
It's early evening, the day after our union, we're sat in the bedroom of the motel we've been staying in overnight. Pandora shakes his head and sighs loudly as he prepares for another of his random guesses.
"Me?" He guesses.
I burst out laughing, unable to contain myself as I collapse in a fit of giggles.
"It fits." I finally manage to say. "But you're not the answer to the riddle."
His mismatched eyes search my face for a few moments before he finally bows his head and sighs once more.
"All right, I give up." He admits, falling on his back on the floor so that he has to look up to see me. "What are you?"
I smile and dig in the pocket of my jeans for a moment, pulling out my cigarette lighter and flicking it so that the tiny flame dances at the top. He tilts his head back to look at me, and growls in frustration.