Run and Go Seek

[Zephel]

"Ack~!!" Hikaru, who was still on the floor, was surprised to found his head in a sort of chokehold by the girl who's currently sitting on top on his back. Before he knew it, it's starting to rain panties and bras... No one can differentiate the color of Hikaru's face and his hair anymore.

Ann Marie pulled the redhead up to his feet in a flash, startling Hikaru and making the boy wonder what did she ate every day to possess this much energy... And now she's poking his forehead. Hikaru sighed with a weak smile. It hasn't even been an hour and he's tired around this girl already.

"Ann Marie....no decorating the puppy." Hikaru tried to pull out each and every forbidden cloth around him before squatting down and scoop Zi-Fi up, removing the bra off the happy puppy...who then responds by barking excitedly at the redhead.[/color]

"...Hikaru."

"Yeah??" Hikaru was so used on his name being called, he just automatically responds to it. ...THEN after seeing its Zephel standing at the door, the redhead's color drained... Immensely.

"NII-SAN!!"

"Bark, bark!!"

[Kida]

"Okies...." she said sort of dejectedly.

Ann Marie blinked, looking at Hikaru and then to the person in the door. "Knee....? White-hair a person....not a knee." she muttered, not understanding that it meant they were brothers. "And Ann Marie doesn't see any sand." She looked around the floor, only finding underwear.

So she bounced over to the man in the doorway, her tail twitching. "Doesn't look like a knee.....White-hair look normal-formal-dormal to Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Ann Marie twirled in a circle and then back to Hikaru, hugging him. "Red should ask White-hair's name, yup yup. Big Sissy said that's manners!" It didn't bother her that she had not asked 'white-hair' for his name, or that she wouldn't even call him by it.

[Zephel]

There he was standing at the door, taking a walk with Zi-Fi after deciding he ought to help Hikaru with the groceries...and now in front of his eyes, he witnessed Hikaru dating with another girl...and buying her a whole lot of undergarments...with HIS money. The silver-haired could burn Hikaru with his glare, until this female finally spoke.

Zeph switched his attention to the bouncy happy girl, wondering how did she pulled Hikaru in such a store. His face remains straight as his eyes just followed the girl's movement, slowly but finally grasp on what the hell is she talking about. He noticed the tail too, and take a quick guess on what she is, why she's like that...and why Hikaru of all people.

'Of course. It all fits... Okay, NOW I get it...' Followed by that is a sigh.

"N-nii-san!! I can explain!" Hikaru outbursted as his face grows deep red when Ann Marie turns around and hugged him once again. "She was... I was just... the groceries!! It kinda--! But I!!" There was no use. Ultimate brain malfunction causes jumbled-up words came out. And Ann Marie's not helping at all.

"Don't. I know. You're innocent, She's crazy. Just...just get out of there." Zeph sighed while rubbing his temples with two of his fingers. "Dammit Hikaru, why are all of your friends so abnormal..." He whispered under his breath as he whistled, calling Zi-Fi. The puppy barked in respond, jumped down from Hikaru's arms and rushed to Zeph.

"Let's just go for ice-cream, knock her unconscious, and drop her in front of any random dorm rooms with a note saying 'Feed Me'." And off Zeph goes with his endless sarcasm...though his next sentence doesn't seem like it. "...I'm partly considering it."

"Nii-san!!"Hikaru called as he watched his brother starting to walk off. both relieved though annoyed. With a sigh, he pried Ann Marie off of him and embarrassingly tried to brush off the undergarments that hanged around her while explaining who's the said 'white-hair'. "That's my brother, Zephel. I call him nii-san because he's my brother...understand?"

"C-come on, let's go. Game's over." He stated, still with his face red as he exited...trying to balance this awkwardness. Though, one of her words in her jumbled-up sentence peaked his curiosity, which made the redhead turned back towards her when he's outside the store, "Wait. You have a sister?"

[Kida]

Ann Marie scowled, even opened her mouth and hissed at the guy with the white hair. "Don't be mean to Red! Or Ann Marie will bite you!" And she really would. As for the unconscious comment her brain didn't even process it. Her body was full of agility, candy-charged energy and she was fully ready to bounce and annoy anyone. Even a guy who wanted her unconscious.

"Bro-bro?" her ears perked. "But he's White and you're Red." In Ann Marie's world things were usually color coordinated. So if they didn't match, she didn't think they should be brothers. "No match!"

"Games NEVER over!" she announced with glee, but let go and decided to follow him anyway. Ann Marie bounced after the white-haired guy while answering Hikaru's question in a loud voice. "Yup yup! Big Sissy is Ann Marie's sister, mister!" With a giggle, despite not liking how he had talked to Hikaru, grabbed Zephel's hand to hold as they walked.

[Zephel]

Honestly, Hikaru was startled when somebody just backed him up from his brother, though her method of threat subconsciously made Hikaru snickered slightly, with an image of Ann Marie literally hopping over to Zeph and bites his ear is seriously tempting his gut to burst. Though, Hikaru really did burst into a big laughter at the girl's outburst of him and Zeph being no match.

So for his amusement, Hikaru decided to chain her thought for that matter.

"Haahahahah! Ann Marie, we ARE brothers, we're from the same fairy tale, though in a different book! I'm Red Riding Hood. And he's Snow White...though more grumpy and with hair as white as snow...and eyes as red as blood. The story got the details wrong."

Zeph clicked his tongue, too tired and annoyed at this girl to naturally knock Hikaru on the head. And somehow, Hikaru knew it. That brat... and now this girl's holding his hand, which Zeph quickly lets go off. "I'm sure your sister ran away because of how insane you are."

[Kida]

"Big Sissy never be so mean! But she did leave without telling Ann Marie once!" She pouted at the memory. "But Ann Marie found her again so it's aaaaaaaaaaaalll goodie!" When Zephel tried to let go of her hand she only hugged it. "Big Sissy sometimes say stuffies to Ann Marie like White did to Red, but she don't really mean it!" The truth was her 'big sister' really had tried to run away and really did try to make her, well, normal.

"AND!" Ann Marie added loudly, sticking her tongue out to Zephel even while she was hugging his lower arm, "The nice Doctor-man called Ann Marie 'Mad' not insane! So there!"

She threw a winning smile over to Hikaru. "Mad sounds funny. Ann Marie just like to be Ann Marie."

[Zephel]

Well, that certainly confirms his belief. Zeph rolled his eyes at this, now being acquiantanced with this lunatic. What is it with Hikaru that attracts this type of people? And with him being related to the redhead isn't helping Zeph to gain his life-long aim of achieving inner peace. Not with people like this MAD girl hanging around him.

Zeph surprises himself that he actually felt sorry for the 'Big Sissy' woman, having this lunatic remembers her. 'Maybe she escaped from a nut house and bumped onto that woman instead.' But when he think about it, her story's rather similar to his own story...adding Hikaru as the hyperactive maniac. Humanity is the one that actually made him think this girl is still alive...similar to Hikaru. That's why he's still trying to pry her strangely strong set of arms off of him.

Hikaru however, bears the exact opposite expression of his brother. Instead of Zephel's grumpy, annoyed and depressed one, Hikaru on the other hand is laughing, glowing, and enjoying himself within the company of this girl named Ann Marie.

"HAHAHAHAHA!! Mad..not insane!! Hahahah!!!" He literally have to hold his sides on not to collapse on the ground, laughing his head off. "Man, that's hillarious..." Hikaru wiped a tear off of his eye, then got his foot being held on by something, and looks down. Zi-Fi's moaning as it pawed its cute little white paws onto the redhead's shoes, wanting Hikaru to pick him up, which the lad gladly did.

He shot Ann Marie his own toothy grin in cue of her last statement. "Yeah. And Red really likes Ann Marie being Ann Marie a LOT!!" Then continues on with his laugh. He noticed this girl having that aura...this open aura that made Hikaru wants to just forget what others think of him and simply laugh loudly. A vent to his stressful problems, actually.

His eyes twinkled as he watched Ann Marie with his brother, hoping Zeph would feel the same air he did. Because Zeph TRULY needs something to vent out HIS problems on...without breaking anything.

[Kida]

Ann Marie beamed. "Really like Red a lot too! Bestest friends!" It wasn't very often she met someone like Hikaru, someone who didn't mind that she didn't conform to society. It made her truly happy that he could smile with her, because all she was really after in life was to be happy. There was an incredible freedom that came with such a path, she had no goals, so she couldn't be disappointed. The possibilities were limitless.

She wrinkled her brow and looked up at Zephel. "Why is White so grumpy-wumpy? Would he like a sissy too? Ann Marie will share! Big Sissy is too cool for school!!!" she announced with glee. As to what exactly she meant, even Ann Marie didn't know.

The monkey bounced as they walked, having a great day already.

[Zephel]

Zeph focused his glare at this hyper girl, now trying to figure out what exactly is making her so damn happy all the time. Eternal happiness doesn't make sense to him, and this girl almost proved his theory wrong...or maybe she's hiding something behind that smile of hers. Like Hikaru did...only Hikaru can't take it anymore and let the problems ate him alive, and it also ate his genuine smile. So now, most of the time, the smile that Hikaru usually bears is the less sincere one, just to hide his troubles...but...

Looking around his shoulder, Zeph watched as the redhead laughed, expressing mirthfulness in every part of his face expression. He reverted his gaze back to Ann Marie, now more sharper, in another attempt to detect what's so special about life that it brings THIS much joy to this little lunatic...

Of course, when Zeph is currently trying to find out the reason behind something, he usually forgot the present situation he's in, including the question Ann Marie just directed to him.

"Bestest friends, we are!" Hikaru repeated before giving a thumbs up to Ann Marie. Honestly, he's amazed at this girl being able to hold on to her smile that long...albeit her craziness, she is actually pretty nice and cheerful. According to his brother's eyes, Hikaru could tell Zeph is thinking about the same thing...only that the silver-haired is trying to dive in deeper. So, Hikaru took charge to answer Ann Marie's question for his brother.

"Nii-san was born grumpy. It's like fun never exist in his life at all! And please Ann Marie, do tell about your Big Sister! I'd like to hear about it!"

Zeph's brows slightly wrinkled at what he just heard. That kid of hurt him somehow, though lightly. Taking too much responsibility on his shoulders had shaped him this way, maybe the weight is already dragging him down to the earth to the point 'fun' is no longer reachable to him...like what Hikaru just proved.

'Of course it's unreachable. It's my responsibility to watch over everyone.' He paused his thoughts, now hearing back Ann Marie's earlier offer ringing in his ears. 'I watch over everyone...and having someone watching over me for a change would be.....' He thought it over, blinking once as he did, then finally made up his mind while lifting up his chin.

"No, thank you. That would be mortifying."

[Kida]

The Monkey paused where she was, letting go of Zephel just long enough for him to stride a pace in front of her. She giggled after the slight moment and with one quick and abrupt motion she was on the white-hair's back. Ann Marie had wrapped her arms around his neck loosely while her legs wrapped around his middle tightly. Basically she was playing human backpack.

"Hee hee. White will regreeeeeet iiiiiiit! He luv Big Sissy! Ann Marie is sure of it!" She shook her head from side to side. "Red and Ann Marie and Big Sissy can give White fun together! Great-great daaay!" 'Mortifying' was not a word Ann Marie ever used, but she understood the meaning, she knew things could indeed be that bad. But the Monkey loved to look on the positive side of things.

Ann Marie released her hold on Zephel's neck and let herself swing backwards so she dangled upside down. The only thing that kept her from falling on her head was her legs securing her to Zephel. "Big Sissy?" she asked Red. "Big Sissy is super cool! Frosty mint ice cream that's blue!" In a show of her acrobatics she let of Zephel with her legs and flipped to her feet before she could fall and bounded high into the air ahead of them.

"Big Sissy rescued Ann Marie from the rain! And then from an evil dog! And she was really nice to Ann Marie. Gave her lots o' fun picture-books to read and look at. But then Big Sissy when off without Ann Marie and Ann Marie had to come find her!" She nodded proudly, for she had indeed found her 'sister.' Though reluctantly the girl had seemed to really take her in--though her sleeping arrangements weren't great (not that Ann Marie would complain).

Giggling again, the monkey made a motion with her hands, outlining an hourglass figure. "Big Sissy is vury purty and smexy! Always wears super-duper clothes and knows how to cheer Ann Marie up! She a SUPER HERO! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!" Ann Marie spun on one foot in circles over and over again with grace a ballerina could envy. "Ann Marie want Red and White to meet her!"

[Zephel]

For the moment when Ann Marie freed his arm, Zeph released a sigh and strode away from her. Though, suddenly feeling a weight attacked him from behind with arms and legs wrapped around his neck and stomach respectively. definitely got the silver-haired off-balanced, both physically and emotionally.

"What the......hell are you doing?!" That pause in the middle of his sentence was a result of his attempt on gaining back his balance(with his arms wide apart for support), and he succeeds, Physically. "I don't give a CRAP about your 'Big Sissy', dammit! Get OFF! ...Agh!!" In another attempt to balance himself the second Ann Marie releases his neck and dangles behind him, Zeph feels like his middle would be pulled backwards and fell off his feet. Looking at the bright side, at least that would squash this annoying little cretin...

Safe to say, Hikaru was stunned in silence as he viewed the scene that unfolds in front of him. Though, that only lasts for 5 seconds, before the redhead burst out into a big laughter, and Zi-Fi in his arms also synchronize his fit of laugh with barks and yelps.

Really, it's not everyday he can see his cold distant brother looking so shocked and pissed. Zeph has this amusing shade of red whenever he got angry, and the fact that he's not causing it only lightens Hikaru's heart. His laughter finally lessens into an eternal fit of giggles when Ann Marie returns to his attention. Though, the way she's dangling behind Zeph only made Hikaru hold Zi-Fi tight to press against his aching stomach after that excessive laugh.

"Wooww...! Ann Marie, you're so lucky to have a sister like that!! She sounds cool! I have a big sister too back at home, but since she mutilated my hair, I didn't like her all that much." Hikaru reveals a bit of his background, then laughs again.

He can't help to feel astounded at Ann Marie's flexibility and speed when she catapulted off from Zeph, to the floor, to a few distance in front of the brothers. "Whoah!!" He let out a cry. Too amazed to hear the things she said about her sister much. Her sentence at the end reached Hikaru's head just in time though. "Meet her?? Wow, I'd be glad to!! What do you think, nii-san??"

Too annoyed at the current happenings, and silently is angry he missed the opportunity to squish the girl, Zeph only tottered to the side a bit to regain his balance, then shot a glare to that little monster at the front. "Well, I'm honestly surprised your sister can TOLERATE you THAT much! Or maybe she's as crazy as you are. ...The hell am I talking to you?! Jeez, don't ever touch me ever again!" Obviously pissed of what Ann Marie did, the silver-haired grunted angrily as he turned around and stalked off, away from the two.

[Kida]

Ann Marie tilted her head to the side and watched Zephel as he walked away. "White more grumpy-wumpy than Ann Marie thought.....Must find him big named relaxing pills to make him happeh!" She blinked. "Or Ann Marie can become jester to make White laugh so hard he not mad anymore."

She turned back to Hikaru and smiled at him. "Meet Big Sissy? Yup, yup! Can do! For you!" Twirling her tail rather similar to a lock of hair, Ann Marie thought about going after Zephel. "Should Red and Ann Marie follow knee-sand? Does knee-sand have problem with peoples? Or touching peoples? If it make White feel better Ann Marie is a monkey."

[Zephel]

Hikaru steps aside to let his brother stomped off, blinking the same way Ann Marie is as they both stared at the disappearing white-head. Zi-Fi in his arms also hopped off and scampered towards its owner, the out of view as the crowd thickens.

"Nii-san never laughs. Or...he never laughs in front of PEOPLE." Hikaru turned to Ann Marie, expressing to the best of his knowledge on what his brother is like. And like he expected, Ann Marie's idea made him smile. "White can never be happy when surrounded by happy people." He said with the same tone as the girl in front of him. "But White will be silently happy if he knows Red and Ann Marie tries to cheer him up!"

With that, the redhead sprinted off behind Ann Marie, the opposite of his brother's direction, motioning for Ann Marie to follow him. "Let's get ice-cream for him~!!"

[Kida]

"What difference between laughing in front of peoples and laughing alone?" Ann Marie wondered aloud. She had no understanding of self consciousness except for when others talked about it, but even her altered mind thought that Zephel had another reason. "But how cheer up someone who laugh alone?" The Monkey stuck out her tongue, deep in thought at this sudden question.

Then Hikaru said one of the magical words. "ICE CREAM?!?!?!?!? WHERE?!" She bolted off behind Hikaru. "Where, Red, where?!?! ICE CREAM PERFECT!" To Ann Marie ice cream was a magical cure-all.

[Zephel]

Zephel generally hates sweets of any kind, that is what Hikaru learned from the moment Zeph rejects his lollipop offer a decade ago...and also the following years with cotton candies, bubble gum, jawbreakers, toffee, fudge and other types of confectioneries. But through that hatred of sweets, there's one thing Zeph silently enjoys - ice cream. It's a treat that each and every member of his family really likes...that's why they officially agree to set up one night in a month as ice-cream night, where the whole family enjoys large amount of snow cakes, or ice-cream waffles they made, even the original ice-cream cones.

"THERE!!!" Catching sight of the Baskin Robbins store, the redhead turned to look behind his shoulder to make sure Ann Marie's following him, then smiled at how excited she is. "Let's get ICE CREAM~!!!"