Third Drink | Video | Day 97

[justrunsasaloon]

[Ellen doesn't look real happy. She's not, but normally she's a bit better at hiding it.]

New batch is out of the still but it's weaker than the last one. If anyone wants a bottle, stop by and pick it up.

[She sips water out of a glass. She's got other things to say.]

We're going to need things to run through the still. Rice, oats, cornmeal, frozen fruit, anything that can be run through the still.

If you find anything in the forest, dandelions can be used to make wine, too.

[She almost turns it off, but stops for a second.]

Also, got a haunch of venison, if anyone's willin' to trade for it.

Comments

[justrunsasaloon]

It might just come to that.

[She wishes she was joking.]

Of course. Brave enough to try the first batch, you get first pick.

[She set some aside for Dean too, but... let's not talk about that.]

[tryingitall]

[That'll definitely need to be cut with tea or juice.]

Brilliant. Shall I come get it now, or are you busy?

[justrunsasaloon]

Not busy at all. Watch the demon blood by the front door.

[She's not explaining that either.]

[tryingitall]

Demon blood. [He repeats her words neutrally, and considers the implications. Clearly something's happened with Meg. As far as he's aware, she's the only demon here any more.

It takes him a couple minutes to decide whether it's worth probing for information, and decides the less he knows, the better.] All right. I'll be there in a few minutes.

[He won't ask any more questions once he's there, either.]

[justrunsasaloon]

[She nods, but doesn't explain it at all. When he walks in, there are four bottles set aside, one with a ribbon around it.]

Howdy. Bottle with the ribbon is Chuck's. Cut it half and half with the first batch.

[tryingitall]

Oh, he'll appreciate that. [Possibly Chuck drinks too much, too, come to think of it, but it's definitely not Balthazar's place to criticize.]

Wait, does that mean the other three are for me? All of them?

[justrunsasaloon]

Figured he was stayin' with you folks.

[She's kept an eye on some folks around. Especially those from her world. Ellen smirks and leans on the bar.]

Two of 'em. Third is for that irritatin' troll of a brother of yours.

[Gabriel.]

[tryingitall]

He is, but I'll let him pick up his own. [Socializing ought to be good for Chuck, and Ellen's a good, safe choice for it.]

For Gabriel? That's thoughtful. [Gabriel can make his own, of course. But Balthazar won't point that out. He smiles.] Perhaps he'll be less irritating after a drink.

[justrunsasaloon]

Take it back to him. I already told him you would.

[Yes, she volunteered an angel for something. She snorts.]

He suggested I'd hurt you, so just take it to him.

[She's more than a little irritated with Gabriel. She has her reasons for hating Meg. Balthazar? Not so much.]

[tryingitall]

To...oh, to Gabriel? All right. [There aren't many people he's willing to be an errand boy for, but Gabriel is one of them. And Ellen...well, he doesn't want to be her official go-for, but if she's compensating him with free moonshine, he's willing to compromise.]

Why would he think you'd hurt me?

[justrunsasaloon]

To Chuck. And Gabriel.  

[If she knew how to keep the troll out of her bar… She really would. It’s only out of deference to Raphael, Balthazar and Cas that she doesn’t. Gabriel’s lucky he has likeable brothers.   Her eyes harden and she reaches for the bucket and the scrub brush.]  

The blood on the floor. It’s Meg’s. Warned me about doing something like that to you.

[Which, she never would. Balthazar hadn’t killed her daughter.]

[tryingitall]

No problem. [He starts a smile, but it fades a little at the continuation of this particular discussion. He doesn't want to get in between Meg and Ellen. He really doesn't want to get between Ellen and Gabriel. Damn it.]

I suspect that's just his past experiences with hunters talking. Perhaps I flatter myself, but I think you and I have a reasonably good rapport at the moment. [He's not worried about Ellen attacking him. Not unless the Cape does something screwy to one or both of them.]

[justrunsasaloon]

[She sighs and shakes her head.]

No matter what happened at home, I'm not out to get any angels. No matter who they are. Raphael healed Jo when she first showed up. He didn't have to and I know it.

[Meg is a completely different story, okay?]

You and me are good. I'll keep you in alcohol as long as the still's running. Just don't hurt Jo or the boys and we've got no trouble.

[tryingitall]

That's good. It's a losing battle. I don't think I can protect anyone from the other angels here. [Except maybe Samandriel. They're roughly the same rank. But then, how likely is Samandriel to be going around threatening anyone? Not very.]

All right. I won't press, but...be a little careful of Gabriel. [He picks up the bottles easily enough.] He's hard to predict.

[justrunsasaloon]

Any battles will come from them, not me. [And her and Raphael are good. As far as she knows.  

She chuckles, shaking her head.]  

I know about Gabriel and being a Trickster. Don’t worry. I’m not looking for trouble.

[tryingitall]

[As much as Balthazar loves both the archangels, he suspects trouble to the human residents of the Cape is more likely to come from Gabriel than Raphael. But it doesn't matter. In either case, he'd be helpless.

Hopefully it won't be an issue.]

I like you, Ellen. We need people like you here, to keep us focused.

[That, and a nod of farewell is all she gets before he vanishes in a faint breeze and a rustle of feathers.]