KO: Happy Birthday, Chikachu! 16 years of awesome-sauceness have already passed, but don't worry, you're not too old yet! XD So, here's a special little present just for you - my first attempt at angst, so please don't eat me if it's bad. If you eat me, I'll have to put you back in your Pokeball. Enjoy, Chi - you deserve a present for all your hard work and dedication to your fictions this last year. ^_^

Snow: Heeeey, Chi! Happy sweet sixteen~ And you know, thanks for everything. Cheering me up when I need it. Fangirling over Lilium x Naomi with me. Absolutely everything. So you totally deserve this. ^_^

Note: KO wrote all of these themes, minus eight and ten, which Snow wrote. She'll write the next 25 themes, then we'll switch. Don't worry, Chi, you're still getting 100. XD

1. Names

It was the name of a place that he didn't want to go anymore; something that held such horrific memories, he didn't want to hear, and would rather slap his hands over his ears every time it was said. He'd rather forget about it altogether if it were at all possible. But of course, it wasn't.

So Ryou continued on with everyday life, wincing internally every time the place of his parents' death was brought up.

2. Hardship

Times were tough, she couldn't argue against that. So really, with all the stress, she couldn't help but blow her perfectly cool, hyperactive blonde top sometimes.

"Heicha! How many times have I told you: Don't. Do. That! You're wasting it all, and I don't have enough money to buy anymore!"

The young girls scuffed her feet against the carpet. "Gomen nasai, Purin-onee-chan. I didn't mean to use the last of the ketchup." Her lower lip trembled and she sniffed, her big brown eyes watering. Upon seeing this, Purin's angry face softened, her glare melting into concern and apology.

Sighing, she placed her arms around her younger sister. "I'm sorry," she whispered into Heicha's hair. "I'm being a bad onee-chan. I'll be better." Pulling away, a small smile graced her lips. "Don't worry about the ketchup - Purin-onee-chan shall sort it all out, na no da."

Heicha clapped and nodded, turning and scampering away to find her brothers. From where she stood, still on the spot, Purin's feigned smile fell and she sank to her knees. Sometimes, it was all too much for her.

3. School

"And what exactly do you call this?" Mr. Kumasata demanded, a disapproving frown marring his features. He waved the exam paper about in the air; Retasu winced.

"I-I-" she stuttered, bowing her head to hide the tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Her glasses slipped a little down her nose, but she didn't tend to them - her hands remained clasping her knees, fingernails digging in so tightly that they broke the skin.

The principal sighed. "I'm disappointed in you, Midorikawa-san. An F on your test - well, it's just unlike you! You do realise this means I'll have to contact your parents, don't you?"

She nodded solemnly, but otherwise remained silent. "Very well, then. I suppose I'll give them a call now."

And with that, he picked up the phone, causing the tears to slowly fall down her hidden cheeks.

4. Opinion

"Quite frankly, Shirogane, I don't care!"

"I didn't ask you to care, baka. So it really doesn't bother me whether you do or don't." Ryou shrugged, staring nonchalantly at Ichigo as her face grew redder and redder, until it matched the colour of her hair.

Finally unable to contain her anger any longer, she stamped her foot and screeched, "Well I would have given a damn if you weren't such a pig-headed jerk!"

"You're the only one who thinks so, you know, Strawberry," he stated matter-of-factly, folding his arms over his chest.

"Maybe, but my opinion is enough, Shirogane. It's enough."

5. Break Up

Rain is good. Soothing, peaceful; it covers up the pounding of one's heart with the rhythmic pattering of it hitting the ground, and can mask one's tears so that they are never even seen. And even the blood that rose to her cheeks, and the puffy-redness of her eyes can be blamed on the ice-cold rain lashing down from above.

But in all honestly, she'd never blame it on that. The rain wasn't the cause of her heartbreak - he was. Masaya was.

6. New Love

If was several weeks after that horrific break up that Ichigo realised it: she'd fallen in love again. Although she tried to restrain it, hold it all back, she figured that love only led to heartbreak, so why bother with it?

7. Alley

Lettuce knew that if she stayed here long enough, they'd forget about her. Well, at least that's what she hoped. If they found her, they'd only shout some more, and she really didn't want to hear it. It had been bad enough earlier, but she was sure her whole 'running away' move would have escalated that anger into pure, merciless rage.

And as she sat there, huddled in a fetal position in the dark, dirty alleyway, something clicked: she could always resit the exam.

8. Riddle

It's all just a riddle.

No one ever said that living was straightforward and undeviating. No, puzzles were there all along the path, trying to make people stumble and fall.

Perhaps they might have said that they'd be there for her. Maybe they had once promised to never leave, to always be there to listen to anything she ever had to say. And yet, the more Ichigo lived and tripped over the puzzles, she found the paradox of friendship.

What was said was never what was actually done.

9. You and Me

"You know, onee-sama, I've never quite known where we stood as friends," Mint pondered aloud, as she walked gracefully alongside the famous supermodel. Their shifts had just ended at the cafe, and they had both exited together with the intention of parting ways once they hit the main roads.

Currently, they wandered through the park, but neither one admired its beauty - both were far too caught up in their own little worlds of thought to give the breathtaking scenery a fleeting look.

After a short silence, Zakuro turned to Mint and answered, "Well, we're friends. I've never really had friends, so I guess even knowing as much as you are one to me is enough. Don't waste time deliberating how close, or what it all means, just revel in the fact you're my friend at all."

The bluenette gazed at her, blinking. But suddenly a grin broke out on her face. "Ok, onee-sama. I will!"

10. I Do

"No. I do not want this... Anything but this..."

Closing her door, Retasu covered her face with her hands, choking back her tears. Of all the things to happen, why was it something like this?

She found herself almost wishing for something she knew she didn't want. Of course, she didn't want the accident to happen in the first place - that was what she wanted to wish for - but if anyone had to be killed, why wasn't it her instead of the other Mews?

And for a reason that she couldn't understand, she found herself whispering, "I'm sorry. I'm... I'm so sorry..."

11. Secret

He never told anyone - after all, why should he? It wasn't as if it were anyone else's business, and it's not like they could even help, anyway. He was beyond help, beyond anything anybody could ever do. There wasn't anything left to save him, a fact he knew all too well. But whether he acknowledged it was often a mystery even to himself. It was all he'd known for so long; his one proven method of self-help that seemed to comfort him. That serene, cathartic feeling that came with the physical pain felt refreshing. He felt revived. With each deep, crimson slice, something inside him just felt whole.

He had his reasons for doing it - of course he did. He doubted many could lead the life he had and not crumble with the pressure. But maybe others would get help. He even reasoned with himself sometimes that perhaps it would be better to finally come clean, spill all to Keiichiro. The pony-tailed man would be more than willing to help, he was certain. However he just never seemed to be able to do it. He didn't want to see the disappointed look in his best friend's eyes when he revealed all.

So, he resorted to his usual methods once again in silence. Opening his top drawer, Ryou took out the sharp razor blade and pressed it to his skin.

12. DO NOT ENTER

The words were clearly written - in big, bold, black font - on the sheet of paper taped to the door. However, despite this, Mint still thought she had a right to enter the room. Ignoring the sign, she pushed on the door, instantly regretting her decision. Because there, on her parent's plush four-poster bed, lay two people. Canoodling. One of them was her mother, and the other a man. A strange man; one she had never seen before. He definitely wasn't her father - no, her father had gone away for the weekend on an important business trip.

Which was when it hit her, and she gasped, slapping a hand to cover her mouth. But neither of the two noticed - they were far too occupied with their "actions" to spare a glance toward the doorway, and thus, the now-distraught girl standing there.

Feeling a sudden bout of nausea rush over her, Mint stumbled backwards out of the room and fled to her own chamber, flinging herself upon her bed upon arriving. And there, the tears fell, soaking her lavish, satin pillows.

13. Colours

Colours meant a lot to them.

To Purin, they were the beautiful things you used to decorate a picture, or liven up pretty much anything. To Zakuro, it was the variety of clothes she wore at her modeling sessions. To Mint, it was a delicate thing to select just the right food she ate, and colour often meant everything in food; as a dancer, she didn't want to stuff her face with brown chocolate, but would rather indulge in bright yellow bananas and juicy green apples. To Retasu, colour was the way she organized her schoolbooks: blue for physics, red for chemistry, and green for biology. To Ichigo, it was everything she saw when arguing with her blonde boss - especially the flash of red as he pushed her too far. And for Ryou himself, it was every colour Ichigo's face turned every time he saw her.

14. Cruel

There were times he said things to her that were just heartless. Ryou really needed to learn to bite his tongue, in Keiichiro's opinion. But of course, it was against the blonde's nature to spurt anything that wasn't sarcastic and infuriating.

But what he just did Keiichiro shook his head. He'd have to talk to the boy.

The pony-tailed man watched from the kitchen window as Ichigo fled the cafe, and turned to glance over his shoulder as soon as she disappeared from view. Ryou stood in the doorway, lips down-turned into a deep frown. Keiichiro shot him a look of disappointment; it seemed Ryou was waiting for this, as he chose only then to swivel round and traipse up the stairs that led to his bedroom.

15. Kings, Queens, and Jokers

If she had to choose where she stood amongst them, Mint would classify herself, out of her own pride, as the queen. Really, there was no-one better for the job - she was rich, sophisticated, intelligent and talented. What more was there to being a queen? Everyone loved her; naturally they did - she was elegant, graceful and poised. She was a dancer, of the highest class. And she was pretty-- No! Beautiful! Yes, so she was definitely queen-material.

But sometimes sometimes Mint thought herself the joker. Who was she trying to kid? She wasn't flawless - she was stubborn, self-centred and arrogant. Sarcastic, mean and stuck-up. Heck, she'd even go as far as to say she sometimes acted like a spoilt snob. So really, in her darkest days, the laugh was on her.

16. Run Free

Purin wished she could run forever. She wished she could run from the stress of her family, of never having enough money, of being only eight-years-old and burdened with an adult's responsibility. Sure she could smile and laugh, and really, her siblings were well behaved for the most part, and she had a good, solid job at the cafe where she could earn money. And her father would come back, someday.

Despite all this optimism, though, she knew that inside she was breaking. She was only a little girl. And little girls can't deal with everything. Sometimes, they need someone there to help guide them. And she had no-one.

17. Where are the Crackers?

Keiichiro was sure they had everything. He had double-checked it all several times over, and then several times after that, and then had gathered everything together and placed it all in one specific hiding spot so that he would be able to collect it all at once. But, as luck had it, something had gone missing. Just that one thing - nothing else had been stolen. And it was crucial that he had that one thing.

So, donning his raincoat, Keiichiro took a brave step out into the storm, muttering and cursing beneath his breath as he headed for the supermarket on the other side of town. It didn't help that Ryou had taken the car, either, so he had to walk.

18. Life

8:15 - Drag self out of bed.

8:50 - Run to school, scoffing some cold toast on the way.

10:00 - Fall asleep in morning lessons; get prodded by friends and picked on by teacher.

12:30 - Eat lunch with Miwa and Moe, and try to refrain from gagging at the awful cafeteria food.

1:30 - Nap some more in afternoon lessons.

3:00 - Jump and "nya!" at the sound of the bell.

3:01 - Get detention for being so loud and not paying attention.

3:05 - Use detention to plot the downfall of everyone in Tokyo.

4:06 - Finally get out of detention.

4:07 - Sprint to cafe.

4:12 - Get yelled at for being late again.

4:14 - Get paycheck docked for arguing back again.

7:09 - End up working overtime.

7:10 - Fight with Ryou.

7:30 - Pack up and prepare to leave cafe.

7:31 - Take two steps out of the door before having to run back inside because of alien attack.

7:32 - Mew Mew Metamorphosis.

7:35 - Still Mew Mew Metamorphosis.

7:36 - Fight kirema anima and kick its ass.

7:38 - Trudge back to the cafe to get congratulated by Keiichiro and smirked at from Ryou.

8:00 - Finally go home.

8:20 - Eat and get ready for bed.

9:00 - Settle down for the night and attempt to sleep.

10:06 - Realise Kish is in bedroom.

10:07 - Throw heavy objects at him until he leaves.

10:15 - Eventually get some rest.

8:15 - Wake up next morning and start cycle again.

19. R is for Revenge

If there were one thing she wanted right now, it was to get him back. To get him back for what he'd done to her, for leaving her in a crumpled mess, for discarding her because he simply didn't care for her that way any longer. It hurt, the gaping hole he had left in her chest. Her aching heart throbbed. And the one thing she needed more than anything was to see him the same way.

Ichigo knew she'd need help - and she knew exactly where to get help. The one person who hated Masaya as much as she did right now R is for Revenge, but it's also for Ryou.

20. Burning

That sensation was the one Mint had never wanted to feel. Ever. The intense heat that soared through her limb and spread throughout her body, covering every inch in a thick blanket of pain. It felt as though her leg was on fire.

She screeched, shrieked, cried, sobbed - all at once. It was agony, it was hell. It was broken. Her ankle was broken - but she refused to fully accept it, knowing that such an injury would only prevent her from dancing for a long, long time. And to her, even a short few days was a lifetime, without dance.

So as the crowds of other ballet students and the instructor gathered around the spot she had fallen, mid-pirouette, she pushed them away and tried to stand. To no avail; she instantly collapsed in pain. Hot, boiling tears cascaded like lava down her cheeks, burning the skin with the bitterness they brought. Vaguely, she heard the teacher call out for someone to get an ambulance. She held back a groan, thinking to herself that she didn't need one - she'd be fine. But somewhere, deep down, she knew she was hopeless.

21. Do You Want To Know?

Secrets and lies. They all had them. They all kept them. They swore they'd never tell anyone - not even each other. Because at the end of the day, they were sure that no-one else really wanted to know. Why bother? Life was rotten, wrong, tragic, useless. Hopeless. No-one really cared, did they? Why should they - their problems shouldn't mean anything to anyone else. It's not as though anyone could help any of them with their struggles.

And so caught up in their own little worries were they, that they never realised how far from the truth that was.

22. Discovery

He hastily tugged the arm of his sleeve down as she entered without knocking. Ryou had figured it would only be Ichigo, but as he spun on his heel to ward the girl off, he ended up coming face-to-face with an inquiring Zakuro. He was shocked, to say the least - he had expected the purple-haired model, at least, to have the courtesy to ask permission before entering.

"What would you like?" He asked levelly, raising an eyebrow. Although he was still shocked, he made as much of an effort as possible to hide it - and it seemed to work.

"I was just wondering if I could possibly get a day off sometime soon to visit Mint," she stated bluntly.

"Sure, sure," Ryou said offhandedly, relieved that that was all it was. "Whenever you want."

She stared at him suspiciously. "Is there something wrong, Shirogane-san?"

"No, not at all. Now go on, get back to work if you want time off." Zakuro held her gaze there a moment or two longer, but reluctantly turned and left. As the door clicked shut behind her, Ryou let out a sigh, glad that this time he hadn't been caught But it was a close one. Inhaling sharply, he made his way over to his drawer and slipped the razor back inside

23. Birthday

She scuffed the ground with the point of her suede boot, stuffing her hands into her pockets as she continued to trudge along the pathway. She tilted her head back, staring emotionlessly upward at the darkening sky. Another year, another day without celebration.

Of course, Zakuro reminded herself as she tucked a stray lock of violet hair behind her ear, she shouldn't expect many to remember this day as one that was particularly special - she hadn't exactly told anyone it was her eighteenth birthday, after all. But this reasoning still didn't help ease the ache in her chest; she wished someone knew. Even her own parents had forgotten to send her at least a card.

24. Rocks Aren't the Same

It was a bad time for him to find her-- No, it was probably the worst time for him to ever find her. Ichigo was curled up in a ball, tears pouring down her cheeks, but she raised her head as he cautiously approached; she sniffed a bit, before swiping at her eyes and staring up at him levelly.

He placed his hands on his hips, a brief glimmer of concern sweeping over his face, before vanishing and being replaced with a disinterested, disapproving expression. "What are you doing, baka Strawberry?" he asked.

She bit back a growl, and hissed, "What does it look like I'm doing? Having a party? Get a clue, Shirogane! You can see it!"

"Yes, but it looks to me as if you're crying. Didn't you once say you were a rock? Clearly, rocks don't cry. At least, they didn't last I knew." He smirked triumphantly at this, watching with amusement as she slowly began to fume.

"There are different types of rocks, don't you forget, Shirogane! You get hard rocks - ones like granite, who never show weakness; they're tough through and through. But others like limestone, they just crumble. They crumble and fall to pieces!" she cried, clutching a hand to her chest. Tears spilled from the corners of her eyes as she gazed up angrily at him; he didn't flinch.

"So are you trying to tell me you're limestone, Strawberry?"

"In a word: yes. I am."

25. Shadow

These were dark days for her - Mint never left the house, nor did she ever even attempt to leave her room. She didn't eat; food no longer meant anything to her. She didn't need it - she'd only gain weight, seeing as she was unable to really move about much. Her mother had hired a physiotherapist for her, to help her quickly recover from her injury, but Mint refused to see the woman, insisting on being as stubborn as possible. Truthfully, she wanted to just forget that she was injured, and go on with life as normal. However, that was impossible - she could barely walk, and because she rejected the crutches to aid her, she was only able to slightly hobble. Even that was difficult on her own.

So she lay in bed, contemplating what everything meant, and wondering why none of her friends had not visited her yet. It had already been several days, and nobody had bothered with her - she at least expected them to call! Or she used to. Now, that glimmer of hope that anyone cared was fading out, and she began sliding further and further down into her bed, until soon she hid under the duvet completely. In a way, that felt good - to just hide.