Snippet #1345146

"Of course, his guardians would join him," Laney pointed out, straightening and replacing the chains to her rings. Once she did, she folded her arms once more and took a step back to give them space. "And you'll need to learn the methods of fighting with box-weapons." She examined the boy closely, not exactly sure what to think. He was, of course, having the normal reaction to being told he'd be some mafia boss. Even the first'd had difficulties with the prospect at first. She sighed lightly before gazing up at the fading sky. "It's growing towards afternoon. I'll have to round up the other guardians before nightfall, and then we'll leave tomorrow morning. That'll give us enough time too--"

Her words cut off abruptly and the blonde's form went rigid. She let out a rack of coughs before sinking to her knees. One hand over her mouth and another on her stomach, she continued to cough. "Dammit," she cursed between the fits. Laney lowered her head to the ground and closed her eyes in a futile attempt to calm down the sickness. "Hotoke-sama," she thought as her body let out another painful round of coughs. She didn't know what triggered the sickness to start up anymore as it just seemed to happen out of no-where. But Hotoke, a young man of great potential, was the one she turned to in this time of distress. He somehow kept her body stable so she didn't just deteriorate like the other arcobaleno of her group.

A curse in her frown, Laney struggled to stand. "Excuse me, Vongola," she said in a rough, quiet voice. "I've got a duty to attend to." Just to help support herself, she pulled out her storm box and, after lighting her storm flame, opened the box to release the lion. She'd put more flames into it this time so he was much larger than before and, in theory, more powerful. Then with her stealth ring, she rendered the lion invisible. Only those who could see the flames would be able to see him; it was a new improvement that the Vongola technicians had discovered. Still frowning, she turned and let her gaze fall to Shiki and his arcobaleno. "If you didn't hear that, ask the 12th here. I'm not in the mood to repeat myself." With that, she turned on her heal and (with a hand clenched tightly in the fur of her lion) she set off down the road.