The road so far...

[Gildarts]

The bartender cocked an eye and briskly wiped the dust from handling the drunkard from his hands. His tantalizing gaze shifted to the newcomer – no, trespasser – and welcomed him with a smile and narrowed eyes. Those that challenged him would learn his way of doing things as even the bar's most buzzed patrons grew silent at the stilled sound that the man conducted.

"Hey Jimmy you jus' gonna let him talk to you like that?"

The gruff man grunted, and though his name was not 'Jimmy' though he seemed to accept the name with a shortened crescent smirk. Violence creased the air where daring challenges had left off. It could have been the boy's personality, tough, abrasive, convicting, that had caused such a stir in the room. The cowboys and bandits didn't seem to like him, meanwhile, as Dean was beginning to learn, the saloon lacked women just as it lacked a decent tune and a cheese burger to go with it.

Tension fluctuated as the air of the room thickened with the sticky smell of ale and stagnant musk. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of eye contact, 'Jimmy' mentioned to the boy, his southern accent coming out in fractions of words.

"Hah, I like you kid, so I'll give you another go at that one. You got a problem wit' the way I run things boy?"

The bar raved and clinked their glasses upon the table at the untold sound of action they would soon get a front row seat to.

It was minute, but Jimmy's eyes flicked to the man's blood-stained leather jacket, and then back to the man. For a reason unstated, it seemed Jimmy was actually looking out for Dean. As though action would take the already latent skepticism of the bar's avid audience from the distinguished marks of blood. That saying, one big rumor killed another? Pretty much, that seemed what Jim was going for, though his admirable stance never declared a thing from the obviously displayed hostility.

"Listen here son, this is a fine establishment. None better in these parts. Though I assume you'z one of them new Primes, fresh from the overload's clutches. Well let me tell you, I value any customer that can pay the bill. But if you want a fancy record player... Err... Jukebox, you outta summon one for the whole lot of us. But hey, at least you like m' whiskey."

Jimmy poured another round into the glass and set some ice off to the side. "As for grub, you'll have to order that from Mary Lou. She's in the back and should be out any second now."

As if on cue, a feminine physique burst through the wooden doors hidden in the back. Her curly red hair was ruffled, her skirt folded in uneven seams, and her lipstick was slightly smeared. It seemed the woman had been doing some less-than-honorable things in the back, but none of the men complained and while some stiffened in the room, all eyes fell on the beautiful lass, and a few of the drunker men would catcall in her direction.

"Where's mine sweetie?"

"Yessir, fill me up with another round Mary Lou."

"I could take some steak and grits too, if it ain't much trouble pretty lady." A wink was followed, and Jim seemed to think that his bar had fallen into the way it normally was, and wiped down a few glasses with a dirty white rag before his hands fiddled on the wall with a few papers... No, not papers... Wanted posters.