KingofAesir
Ghostly Presence
Episode 1: "And the Gala Murder"
4pm
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mood
"Not in the pool!"
location
Brennan Mansion -> Treehouse HQ
interaction
Valerie Dohrn _em_
Somewhere outside, a bird sang loudly as it fluttered down outside Devyn Brennan's window and perched itself on the sill. It was a robin, with its red breast shining brightly in the mid-evening sun. Devyn watched as it preened itself, wings stretching out wide. She fumbled with her camera that had been sitting precariously on the edge of her desk and the bird took notice, startling and taking off into the sky. Devyn sighed audibly and shuffled up closer to the window, hoping to catch another glimpse before it disappeared. All she saw this time was the tall tree looming over her bedroom window, casting a foreboding shadow on the side of Brennan Mansion. In that tree, sitting way up high in its branches, was a lone raven and it was staring right at her. Devyn shivered at the sight but raised her camera slowly to capture a picture of the moment. When she pulled the camera away, the bird was gone. It was suddenly eerily quiet outside, the song of the robin long gone and the ravens call silent, not even the wind could be heard blowing through branches. On the camera, a photo slowly built itself up on the electronic screen and revealed the raven she had captured, as well as at least fifteen others sitting on branches around it.
“What the hell?” Devyn mumbled and cast her eyes back up to the tree where she immediately startled and pitched backwards. The tree branches, in the short amount of time she’d been focused on her camera, had filled again with an uncannily large amount of ravens. They cawed and made other noises that sounded more like screams to Devyn and this terribly loud cacophony lasted all of ten seconds before going completely still again as the treachery of ravens took off at once. Devyn was left staring at the empty tree for what felt like years before the silence was breached once more by the excited howling of one Tipsy Rogers. Devyn closed her eyes and ran a hand down her face, shaking off whatever weird feeling she’d just been overtaken by moments before. Whatever that had been, Devyn shoved it far into the back of her mind. She had far more pressing matters to worry about at the moment, like the fact that her mothers ridiculous “charity” gala was tonight and she needed to ambush her friends. She pulled her phone out to put her plan in action, but was interrupted before she could even get one text out.
“Devyn,” Her father, Chief Andrew Brennan, appeared in the doorway looking disheveled and tired, “You tell that Rogers boy of yours that I’m going to ring his neck next time I see him. That damn dog of his is always causing a ruckus.” He pointed, accusatory , in the general direction of Sean Rogers’ house. Devyn opened her mouth to defend her friend but Andrew was already gone. With a heaving sigh, she turned her attention back to her phone, where she exchanged a few messages with her friends, and rolled her eyes at Sean being his usual gross self, before she started getting ready to leave for Treehouse HQ.
“Devyn Anne,” She hated when her mother did that, “You remember that my gala is tonight. You need to come, we’re trying to keep up appearances since that fiasco with your father and his harlot of a secretary.” It was a few minutes later and Devyn was being accosted by her mother while trying to escape the house. This “charity” gala she was hosting was nothing more than a front to try and get people to forget that her father, the all great and honorable chief of police, wasn’t all that great and honorable at all. Devyn had never understood why Eliza Brennan was so adamant on staying with a man who treated her like a forgotten trophy on his shelf. All of this, this money, this status, it wasn’t his and there would be close to no repercussions for her mother should she leave him. But that wasn’t happening anytime soon, so here they were, stuck in this terrible back and forth.
“It’s not her fault that dad is a cheater, Mother. You should really stop blaming the women he takes advantage of and see the real problem.” Devyn shouldered past her mother, who grabbed her harshly by the elbow.
“Your father is a good man who works hard for this family, he’s working on his issues and you will not-”
“Will not what? Tell the truth?” Devyn shrugged her mother's hand off of her, “He’s not working on anything, Mom. But sure, whatever you say. Happy family.” She grinned brightly at her mother and turned on her heel and out the door and down the street.
She didn’t bother to go through the front door at the Dohrn’s house, instead reaching over the side of the fence and pulling up the lock to get entry directly into the backyard. The treehouse that Valerie Dohrn’s architect father had built for them what felt like centuries ago now was standing resolutely above the ground in front of her. Through one of the small windows, she could see the back of her friend's head and she erased the rather irritated look she had on her face in favor of a bright, cheery one.
“V!” Devyn started up the treehouse's stairs, “Valerie, my favorite friend.” Devyn appeared in the doorway, still grinning bright, “Hi, babe.” She plopped down on a purple colored bean bag to begin their wait for the boys.
coded by weldherwings.
mogy jazzyball