Skip the whiskey and pass the coffee

[roadhouse_mama]

Who; Ellen Harvelle & anyone. OPEN
What; Staying awake at the Roadhouse
Where; The Roadhouse
When; Very late evening June 10th
Rating; pg-13ish?
Status; Ongoing, open. Talk to Ellen, talk amongst yourselves

Comments

[grace_optional]

Anna came in the door feeling as if she'd dodged a bullet (so far.) Lament as she might the loss of her dearly bought humanity, there were times when having an angel's power with the attendant immunities could undeniably be a blessing, and this was one of them. The other people here clearly hadn't been so lucky; everyone looked weary, haunted or dispirited, and some were visibly injured.

She went first to check on Ellen, laying her hands gently over the older woman's to get her attention. "Ellen, hey. How you holding up?"

[roadhouse_mama]

Castiel’s quiet arrival had badly startled Ellen, and she knew he had been coming. As a result, she stood where she could keep one eye on the door, to monitor people coming and going. Not many were leaving. The bar was gradually filling with the exhausted, fearful and wounded residents of the Underworld. They felt safe enough to come to the Roadhouse, even if all she could offer was coffee, bright lights (she’d dialed them up as high as they’d go) and a bit of food for those that still had an appetite.

She grasped Anna’s hands, needing the contact to help ground her for a moment. “It’s gotta let up soon. People are going to start cracking.”

[grace_optional]

She clasped them tightly, wishing there was some more tangible form of help she could offer. "We'll get each other through whatever happens, Ellen. Just like we always do."

She looked around at the room's subdued occupants, trying to think of anything she could do that might be even remotely helpful. Ellen and Cas seemed to be handling coffee detail, though at the rate things were going that would probably need a steadier hand sometime soon. Not yet, though, and it gave them something to keep them occupied for now. There were a few people with injuries that could use some attention, but if she knew Ellen, that had already been offered.

"Ellen, is the kitchen stocked?" she asked on impulse. It was maybe a weird thought that had just come to her, but she couldn't think how it would hurt. "And is it all right if I use it?"

[roadhouse_mama]

Ellen nodded. She was right of course. They’d get through it, the same way they got through everything else; their sheer boneheaded stubbornness and reliance on each other. Her question however, surprised Ellen and she blinked, confused for a moment while her sleep and fear-addled mind caught up. Kitchen. Supplies. Right.

“The kitchen’s pretty well stocked. The delivery from the market’s running late, but I don’t think we’re too low on anything except for coffee.” She gave her a tired smile. “You go right ahead, honey. Knock yourself out.”

[grace_optional]

"Okay. I won't be too long. Give a yell if you need help with anything, all right?" Anna squeezed her hands and gave her an encouraging smile before she headed in to the kitchen.

For about half an hour the quiet clatter of crockery and utensils could be heard coming from back there, followed by that of water and cleaning-up, before Anna came back out, drying her hands on a towel. When she stepped through the kitchen doors, a warm, rich aroma followed after her, mingling pleasantly with the pervasive smell of coffee throughout the room.

She set a small timer on the bar. There was a reason chocolate cake was her favorite. Her human mother had always retreated to the kitchen to bake one when she or her father was having a bad day. Everyone had their own comfort food, but as there wasn't much else she could do right now, she might just as well share hers.

"Everybody still keeping it together?" she murmured to Ellen, scanning the room for anyone who needed more coffee or a friendly nudge to keep them from nodding off.

[roadhouse_mama]

Ellen nodded as Anna returned, pressing a cool bar towel to her eyes. She took a deep breath and smiled faintly as the familiar and warm smell of a baking cake filled the bar. "That's a good idea," she murmured. Most people hadn't been eating much or at all as fatigue and fear gnawed at them. She was also sure that most of them wouldn't turn down a freshly baked cake either.

"For the most part. Had a few doze off, but we got them patched up before anything worse could happen." Absently, she rubbed at her own arms. The fear was making it difficult to concentrate. "Honey, I may need you to take over if this keeps up much longer."

[grace_optional]

"Okay. Anything I can do to help, just say the word." Anna watched the woman concernedly for a moment, then stepped near and drew her close. Ellen was forever dispensing hugs to whoever came in the door needing one; time to return the favor. "Have you eaten anything? You need to take care of yourself too, you know, not just the rest of us."

[roadhouse_mama]

The hug may have startled her a bit, but that was more due to her general state of nerves than anything. Ellen relaxed into the hug (which was badly needed), drawing comfort and a moment of strength from it. She pulled back, giving Anna a grateful, wan smile.

"Not lately," she admitted. It was the nightmares at first, but then the overall exhaustion and trying to focus on others that had kept her too preoccupied to remember to eat.

[grace_optional]

Somehow, Anna wasn't surprised. "Well, let me get you something, then. You'll feel better for it."

[roadhouse_mama]

It was a bit of a switch to have someone else looking after her, but Ellen decided she didn't mind. The nightmares had been frightening enough that a little additional support was a very welcome thing.

"The coolers in the back are fairly well stocked with food," she offered before sinking wearily into an empty barstool.

[grace_optional]

By the time Anna had put together a decent plate for Ellen and brought it out, the timer was about to go off, so she set the food down in front of her and said, "Let me know if you want anything else, okay? I'll start making coffee rounds in a few minutes," before she went to pull her cake out of the oven.

[roadhouse_mama]

Ellen nodded, accepting the plate. She hadn't been very hungry for a few days, not since the nightmares started. But now that she was presented with good food.. she was able to do more than listlessly pick at it. The food was fuel, and it would help keep her moving.

She caught Anna's hand, giving it a squeeze. "Thank you."

[grace_optional]

Anna smiled and squeezed back. "Any time, Ellen." It was good,the circumstances notwithstanding, to be able to repay some of the lady's many kindnesses to her and her own.