Interludes - Freeform RP between Mysteries

INTERLUDE 1 - DENVER, CO

As they wait for their next assignment, the hunters make their way to Denver.

Bar Nunn is a mere 4 hours from Denver, hardly the farthest that the quartet have had to travel.  No worse for wear after a bit of TLC from Bert, Matt's vehicle cruises along the South bound I-25 with no trouble.  Eventually Eshe lowers the music to make a declaration.   She had been fiddling with her phone for the last 15 or 20 minutes, alternating between shaking her head and smiling wistfully.

"I know where we are going for lunch!  It's just outside of Denver. Better yet, if we hurry, we'll even be able to get brunch!  Doesn't look like they do milkshakes though." She exaggerates a disappointed sulk, winking at Sophia.   "Ahem, 'Known for responsibly grown and sourced innovatively simple, veggie forward fare.'  Doesn't that sound great? Like the kind of restaurant that Rory and Lorelei might complain about but secretly enjoy! Gilmore Girls? Anyone? Anyhow, it's called Root Down, and I for one would love to grab a bite. Oh hey, they even deliver!"

"Anywhere that isn't as dry will do. Liz could use a good soak too but that could wait."

Unless we luck out and you want to soak with the lobsters if they have a tank, or maybe they have some fancy fish at the entrance. She teases Liz through their connection, it was also her attempt to make up for the lack of better accommodations back at Nunn.

Sophiablinks at Eshe's wink, completely missing whatever she had meant to tell her with it.

Matthew smiled, reminded of Eshe's enthusiasm in all things.

"As long as they have a good cheeseburger im down."

"Oh yeah! There are cheeseburger sliders on the kids menu*! They also have this lamb burger topped with aged cheddar, and a bunch of other yummy stuff!  What do you think? 'That close enough to a cheeseburger for you?"  Eshe continues to scan the menu , getting the team's opinion on what sounds good and generally making food-related conversation.
"Carrot cake french toast - Yay or nay?
People! I cannot believe that I do not know this: what are your favorite breakfast foods?" etc



*if you are curious about the kids' menu

"Breakfast what? Food is food. What would it taste different eating it at a different time of day?"

Sophia raises an eyebrow looking at Eshe somewhat confused, from what you all have seen, Sophia rarely eat outside and her meal at home are always some kind of porridge and veggies,  meat during dinner in the form of chicken or fish but rarely red meat. It isn't a restriction though, because when offered she is had some.

"Oh, Sophia! Breakfast food is a blessing from the trickster patrons of children and the young at heart. Sure, you can have bacon and eggs, or oatmeal, or avocado toast, but the important part is not that they taste different based on the time of the day... It is that most breakfast foods are essentially desserts that you are allowed to eat in the morning!  I mean with pancakes it is right there in the name!" Eshe is beaming - this was a work of her patrons that tickled her to no end.

Matt wrinkles his nose slightly...

"Lamb burger with aged cheddar?? What happened to a good old cheese burger..."

He starts muttering in the front before piping up.

"Exactly Sophia. Food is food. But pancakes do sound good....they do have pancakes right Eshe??"

Sophia raises an eyebrow. "I'm not sure that much sugar in the morning is ok but," She grabs her chin, looking at Matt talking about pancakes, she had always wanted to try them as a child so maybe — "I guess it wouldn't hurt every once in a while." Liz did talk about balance, this was balance in a sense.

INTERLUDE 2 - BALTIMORE, MD

As they wait for their next assignment, the hunters stay at a safehouse in Baltimore, Maryland.

Once out of the hospital, Mangas falls back into his inter-hunt habits. A succession of sitting straight on the couch and staring into the distance and feverishly combing through newspapers, blogs and articles for abnormalities that sound like a new hunt. His recent change, the first transformation and the subsequent ease to transform scares him. For centuries he managed to keep his slipping into the darkness at bay, his anger, but something shook him enough to slip. Was it the monster attacking children?
His own children and their children's children were long dead, he knows that. Still, he never stopped mourning the day he left them. He barely has contact with children, as they sense his darkness, but his love for them is unbroken. He sighs. I must hurry, need to keep moving, what if I stumble and fall?
The frequency in which he cycles through his phases increases. Staring, research, staring, research...

While in the hospital, there was little for Eshe to do other than hope that the children are well taken care of, and try not to tear her stitches. Concern for those kids and for Don had her trawling apps and sites in vain for updates. Once out of the hospital, she is forced to make her peace with not knowing For the time being and missing Sophia. Both of which suck

And so she throws herself wholeheartedly into keeping herself otherwise occupied.

Over the course of their time in the safe house, Eshe trains (combat and dance), dances (for fun), and eats; and tries to engage Mangas and Matthew in her activities.  She keeps at the Big Guy (within reason), and regularly asks Matty so that it is not too obvious that she is trying to get Mangas to do someting other than cycle through blankness and frenzy. In return, she joins Mangas when he seems amenable to it; sitting in silence and diving into research in turn.

"Did you know that there are multiple episodes of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives that feature Baltimore restaurants?" Eshe exclaims to her fellow hunters seemingly out of nowhere. "Including the place that we are going to have lunch from today! It's called Blue Moon Café, and the show went there THREE times. Oh my god Sophia you are going to love this! It's" She stops short, crestfallen.  "Anyhow, it looks pretty neat."

It takes some convincing, but Eshe knows how to work Mangas by now and soon they are on the way to the Blue Moon Café. They almost miss the tiny entrance, but when they enter there is a table free. The breakfast menu is long and the waiter reads them the daily specials. "I can recommend you the Mexican Scramble, the Breakfast Burrito and the Hobo Eggs. Each come with a side of toast and a freshly squeezed orange juice." he looks at the group awaiting the order. "Sure." is Mangas short order. The waiter looks confused, "Erm, I don't understand. Did you mean the Mexican Scramble, the Breakfast Burrito or the Hobo Eggs?" "Yes." Eshe enjoys the utter confusion of the waiter, but after two more back and forths explains the waiter, with a barely suppressed giggle that Mangas wants indeed one of each.

INTERLUDE 3 - CHICAGO, IL

INT. DAY - "GUYGGLES ELECTRONICS" - CUSTODES SHELL FACILITY

Art was ushered through the sad looking electronics shop by a thoroughly convincing undercover Custodes agent. Had he not known where he was or who he was coming to meet, he would have never suspected that "Guy", the scrawny middle-aged man with thinning hair, a limp, and prominent pit stains on his short-sleeved button-up shirt was anything other than a sad salesman peddling outdated stereos.

Art and Guy made their way through the maze of Guyggles' back store and out to the loading bay. Guy led them to the trailer door of one of the parked trucks. He knocked. After a brief wait, the door rolled up. A woman with the build of a powerlifter gave the men a quick appraising look, before extending her hand to Art. She helped him up aboard the trailer. Once the professor was inside, she pulled the door shut. The trailer was plunged in the dark for a beat, before a few lightbulbs hanging from the ceiling lit up.

"This way, professor." The woman's voice was surprisingly soothing. She led Art past a few stacks of boxes into an office at the trailer's end. She took a seat in a large leather chair, then motioned for Art to sit across from her. As he sits, Art notices that the chair is bolted to the floor and includes a seatbelt. The woman buckles up, and Art follows suit. Shortly after, he hears the truck's engine turn on and feels it begin to move.

"Welcome aboard, Professor Chapman," the woman says with a smirk. "I'm Mary Jones and I've been tasked with your onboarding. I've read your file. I assumed you'd want to join the research department, but it says you requested a fieldwork assignment. I was a bit surprised, especially after reading the report on your last encounter as an independent operator. If you don't mind me asking, why do you want to be out there?"

Art traces the worn armrest of his chair absentmindedly with his finger. "Its funny how much is hidden just out of sight. Guyggles' electronics? What poor soul in need of a DVD player could have guessed the secrets that store conceals." An impressive front, to be sure, Thinks Art to himself. Is it just an empty shell for conducting business or does it serve additional functions for them? How many other such fronts does Custodes operate? He straightens up and adjusts his tweed jacket. "Despite the vast expanse of what is secret to most people, the veil that separates the known from the unknown is thin. That veil was lifted for me long ago, most unwillingly. Perhaps there was a time I might have taken a purely academic interest in the occult, but the past decades have not afforded me that luxury. I won't bore you with the details of my career as a hunter of monsters. But as to why I wish to continue? To put it simply, I'm damn good at it."

Art glances around the moving trailer (presumably windowless?). "Are we going somewhere in particular, or just a scenic drive?"

Mary Jones chuckles briefly at Art's extensive and confident reply. "That depends on your answers," she says in response to his question.

"Being good at something is not reason enough to do it. I was damn good, to borrow your turn of phrase, at fieldwork myself. Yet, here I am in management because it allows me to have a greater effect. Why pass on that luxury now that you have it within reach?"

Art sighs, "Your point is well taken. There are some days I do regret leaving the ivory towers of academia. But then, I hardly had a choice. Once the curtains were torn away and the paranormal revealed, how could I simply go back to writing manuscripts?" He fidgets with the cuff of his jacket, recalling that awful night all those years ago. "Besides, this business is rarely for the faint of heart. I am already well used the demands of the job. Why place that burden on anyone but myself?"

Mary Jones nods and writes something down in her file. Her hand is steady despite the rumble of the truck. She looks back up at Art. "We have some data on a few of your jobs, which is why we felt you could be a good fit, but we do have some gaps regarding your activities. For example..." she trails off as she looks through the pages on her desk. "Two years ago, we have no information regarding your whereabouts between February and May, when you showed up at an urgent care clinic in St. Cloud, Minnesota, looking a bit worse for wear. Would you tell me what happened?"