MafiA's Gamble

THIRTY

Pyrotechnics bring their troubles

     Passing by MafiA's briefing room, one would hear the trickling voices of several people, a meeting coming to a close. Eleyne and Alice were heading the Squadron Commander meeting, in which they discussed future plans for the MafiA, as well as the current situation. Spreading out some excerpts from Eleyne's reports, Alice explained everything in detail, issuing segments of the next steps to each commander, while Eleyne stood by, adding any supporting details Alice might have missed. One final direction was given, and Alice decided it was time to finish up the meeting. "Alright, this concludes the briefings for today. You are all now dismissed." The Squadron Commanders each got up from their seats and began to take their leave, as Alice and Eleyne began gathering their own respective papers. Having done so, Eleyne dipped her head in a polite, temporary farewell to Alice, as she made her way to the MafiA's main headquarters, the room reserved for the elite circle. Entering through its doors, she headed over to her desk, and was shocked to see who was standing there. "Ley??? What are you doing here??" Looking up casually from some papers on her desk that he was reading, he hardly made any indication for his acknowledgement of her presence. "Oh. You're done. Yuki was the one who let me in, by the way, as I had requested entry to see you." At this, irritation slowly began seeping into Eleyne's calm expression. "And the reason for your visit?" "I have some private matters to discuss with you, so I came to escort you back to our mansion. I trust you won't be camping out here all night?"

     Growing increasingly annoyed, Eleyne frowned. "And what if I am?" Ley crossed his arms and sighed, as if he had already anticipated her reaction. "Then I'll make you an offer you simply can't refuse." Eleyne raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "And what would that be, brother dearest?" "If you come back to the mansion with me, I'll have the maids draw you a hot bath, prepare your favourite night snacks, and also provide clothing to your liking. Not to mention any other services you may desire." Eleyne paused, seriously considering the offer. She didn't like the feeling of being bribed, though she had to admit, they were rather tempting offers. Seeing her hesitating, a sort of crack, Ley added more to the offer, widening the gap. "Hm. You look quite sore after the recent turn of events. I can also arrange for a massage. Will you accept these terms?" Finally caving in, Eleyne begrudgingly agreed. "Hmph. Fine. I'll go." Smiling at his success over his sister, Ley then turned to Yuki. The latter was alone, simply minding her own business, as Krystal and Dawn happened to be away, taking care of other matters, Alice still in the other room organizing a few things, while Lia must have been out with the Eleventh Commander. "Yuki, you are also welcome to come as well. Same terms as my sister, though minus the discussion." At this, both Eleyne and Yuki swiveled their heads to look at him in surprise. Though grateful for the offer, Yuki politely declined. "Ah.. well since I've been away from the MafiA for so long, I have a lot of work to do, so.... I think I'll be staying here for the night. Thank you for the offer though, perhaps I'll come visit some other time." Seeing that Yuki was not going to be swayed anytime soon, -and knowing stubbornness to be one of her prominent qualities- Ley did not press the issue further. Respecting her decision, he gave a curt nod and turned to his sister as he began to leave. "Let's go then." "Hey waitt, I gotta put my papers away and pack up some things." Shortly after, the siblings left the building and headed towards Ley's sleek black sports car.

     That week was a week of celebration and holiday, the reason for the boardwide vacation for the students. That's why it should have been no surprise when sudden, irregular fireworks from no particular direction exploded into sparkly fizz in the night sky. After bringing her gaze back to Ley from the ensuing fireworks, she noticed that he was crouched on the ground, pale and shaking, hands clamped over his ears, and eyes shut tight. Momentarily shocked, Eleyne froze, unsure of what to do. A sudden idea then came to mind, and she took out her trusty noise cancelling headphones, placing them over Ley's ears. Ensuring they were on properly, she quickly took out her phone and played the first song that appeared on her playlist, turning up the volume to white out the outside world. With a little struggle, she was then able to lead him to the car, which was just a few feet away, and had him sit in his seat, which was thankfully facing the opposite direction of the artfully explosive displays. Eleyne started the car and slowly took her headphones off her brother's ears as she addressed him. "Are you alright? You won't be able to hear or see them now, since I turned on the radio." At first, Ley panicked and grabbed on to the headphones, but relaxed, seeing that he wouldn't be able to see, nor hear them in his current position. Handing back the device, Ley muttered a quiet thanks and looked down, still shaken from the earlier situation. Eleyne stared with concern as she put away her headphones. "Care to tell me what happened? Or, you could tell me later if you'd like."

     Taking in a shallow breath, Ley began to speak. "N- no. It's fine, I'll tell you. After all, you're my sister, and you were there too." Ley watched as a flash of understanding passed over Eleyne's face. "The bomb..." "Yeah. I... I guess the moment the airplane exploded... let's just say that it really did a number on me, so loud noises and things falling from the sky brings me back to that moment. Anyways, I apologize for the inconvenience. It is unlike me to forget about the festivities happening today; I should have adjusted my plans as such." Eleyne shook her head. "No no, don't worry about me. I'm just glad I was able to help." Ley sighed. "This is the reason why I always have headphones near me, and why I'm always listening to music. It helps drown out the flashbacks and memories... Ugh the one day I leave them at home.." Ley paused before looking at his sister. "... Do you have any... traumas? Or is it just me and Raito." Eleyne raised an eyebrow inquisitively. "Raito?" "Well.. it's not exactly my place to say, but he suffered from extreme depression for the longest time, and tried to kill himself on multiple occasions before highschool, where he was able to come into contact with a really good therapist. It's unfortunate, but you see, that smile he always wears is almost always a fake to hide his pain. But that's besides the point. You still didn't answer my question." Eleyne turned away slightly. "Um, I don't know if this really counts, but... I can't play the piano without having flashbacks to the times when we used to be a happy family, and then always, by the end of the piece, I also... see the airplane." She shuddered before continuing her sentence. "Exploding. I- it disgusts me. But curse my talent for it; now I've decided to continue for our parents' sake, despite my own deteriorating mental health. To be honest though, that doesn't really compare to what I do to others during my own interrogations. Consider it a way to repent for the things I've done." Eleyne shrugged casually as if she meant to say it wasn't a big deal. "Hmm, I guess this means that the three of us all have our own share of problems, huh." Eleyne chuckled to herself. "Hah. I guess we all get to be broken together then, right brother dearest?" In response, Ley finally managed a faint smile. "Yeah, that's right. At least the three of us won't have to suffer alone anymore."