"Skull, kora?"
The sky looked up, sitting cross legged on the couch "Yeah?"
"Your birthday is coming up."
"Uhuh."
"Can we celebrate this year?"
She shrugged "Why would we?"
"We're all together for once. I know you usually like to ignore it but… just imagine; You can force Reborn to wear a party hat. He has to gift you something and you can force him to sing."
She giggled "The really ugly hats?"
"Yeah, instead of his Fedora."
"Can I make them speak?"
"Sure."
"Like insults?"
"Yeah, kora."
"I don't know. I mean… I never saw a reason for it. Besides well staying up until midnight and opening your present… I never did anything else."
"But you could try this time. You know we can stop everything if you start to feel bad."
She bit her lip "Could we have treacle tart?"
"Naturally."
"And can I force them to play stupid games?"
"any and all you want."
She was still chewing "You don't think it's wrong?"
"No, I told you so before."
"But.. they aren't here."
"We can light candles like always. They can burn the whole day. They can be here with you in that way. Just consider it."
She was still chewing on her lip "Maybe. I'm not sure yet."
"The curse is over… and you even went with me to my family last year for christmas. You started to like it, didn't you?"
She nodded, "Yeah."
"It's a new era. a new chance. Why not start it properly by celebrating your birthday?"
"I guess."
The rest of the arcobalenos had watched the exchange quietly, most of them already having ordered something for her but hadn't expected her to be so reluctant over it.
Fon smiled at her though "You're turning 61 right?"
Leilni snorted "No? Not even close."
"You're older?"
"No? How did you even come up with the number?"
"Well your age before the curse ws 26 and about 35 years cursed? That would be 61."
She stared at him more than just confused "26?"
"Yes?"
"I wasn't 26."
"But… we found that age online?"
"Where?"
"The articles about you and your stunt driving?"
She started laughing "You serious? You alway thought I was 26 because the internet told you?"
"Yes?"
"I lied." she laughed.
"You..lied? "
"Yeah. Naturally. The circus wouldn't have accepted me if they knew I was that young when I joined them after all. I told Nello. Why are you so surprised?"
Colonello shrugged "I mean.. I figured you made yourself 18 then so… you're four years younger?"
"No?" she stared confused at him "I wasn't that long with the circus. Why would I have said 18?"
"But…"
"That would have been too obvious. Everyone who lies about their age says something plusible. It was way better to use a more unrelated age. i didn' make myself that tall for no reason."
Reborn slowly sat up straighter, his eyes completely focused on the sky "Skull… how old are you turning?"
"50."
The whole room froze.
"Skull… don't joke. How old are you turning?"
"I'm not joking though? I'm turning 50."
"But… that would mean you… had been 15 when we were cursed."
"Yes? That's true."
Lal was shaking her head "I feel sick."
The sky just stared confused at them "What's going on?"
Colonnello sat completely motionless on his chair, his eyes wide as he stared at his sky.
Fon was clutching on the counter, barely able to hold back his flames, his smile once again gone.
The hitman was shaking his head "No… I.. Fuck."
He stood up, walking restlessly through the room "No."
Leilani still stared at them, more than just confused "What's your problem?"
"You were a child!"
"I mean I was a teen but well you started training Tsuna when he was 14. Where's the difference?"
"Yes, training. Training Skull. I… I pulled you…I…" His hand rubbing over his face "I forced a civilian 15 year old girl to participate in this. I…"
He was struggling to formulate his thoughts "I pulled an untrained child into this. A child that had no clue. I… " he closed his eyes, painfully forcing them shut "I left a 15 year old to live alone in the woods for 14 years. A child. A completely lost child with no money, no food or any knowledge."
"I'm not and wasn't a child."
"Look at you! You have no babyface, you have the body of a child!"
She was taken back "My age didn't matter. I did worse things before that. I'm not a child. I have lived for almost 50 years now. I'm not a child."
"You could be! How much did you even mature? You are a child!"
Verde tried to sort through his thoughts, maging to press out "around four years. She… She's mentlly 19."
Reborn lost it,. just ripping down one of the shelves.
Skull flinched back "I… Reborn. Calm down."
"No! I… you were a child! I could be your father! You were a child!"
She was taken back even more, her eyes wandering around the room to search for help "I… calm down? I… you're not my father?"
"I could be!"
Lal had problems to not retch "I chatisized you for acting like a child. You were one. You…"
Leilani's eyes wandered to the still frozen rain, trying to search for guidance "Nello" she whimpered out.
Reborn immediately turned back "You're not sleeping with him in one room anymore!"
She immediately bristled up "What? Who do you think you are? Fuck off Reborn! I'm not a child! I'm turning 50!"
"You're mentlly 19! I'm not leaving you with a mentlly 31 one year old in a room alone!"
"You're not my father!"
"I could be!"
"Rest assured! My father was never as much of a prat as you! Fuck off Reborn! Fuck off! Fuck off!"
She had stood up, her flames burning up "You're not telling me what I can't do or will do! I'm my own person and you get your fucking issues under control! I can run off and you won't see me again! Have fucking luck trying to stay an adult!"
"I… Skull."
"Fuck off! Get your mind out of the gutter! I'm not a child and I can decide for myself! I lived on my own for decades! I'm an adult and you don't get to tell me anything! You hear me! Nothing. You have no power over me!"
"Skull."
"No! I'm off. don't worry your stuck up dickweed head I'm not running away but if you don't get your shit under control when I'm back count me gone!"
She stormed out, not letting anyone stop her as her flames were striking out.
Even when Reborn tried to run after her, the moment she entered the forest around them, any sign of a human was gone.