Chapter Text
He needed a drink. It wouldn’t make the day better, and it definitely wouldn’t solve his problems, but Earth just needed something to numb the rejection. The third of this month. It wasn’t even one of the big record labels, just a small production house. But it still stung, this feeling that he had failed to reach his goals.
Born into a family of traditional Thai musicians, music is a part of his identity, inextricably wound within the double helix of his DNA. Losing this would be like losing a part of himself, and to a degree, he wasn’t sure who he was if he wasn’t a musician.
Earth rubbed his hands together and then, covering his nose and mouth, blew into them, trying to warm his palms and face at the same time. It was an unexpectedly cool night, and he hadn’t dressed as warmly as he probably should have, choosing only a light pullover covered by a leather jacket to block the wind. He could feel the tightening of his skin as the cold wind bit at his exposed face.
Looking around, Earth realized he had walked himself to the right part of town for someone in search of libation, surrounded by a choice of bars and pubs. He walked down the street, considering each of the options. The sports bar would be too loud, the ice bar too cold, and the shot bar and newspaper pub too full of college students who are too drunk in the first and too philosophical in the second. He just wanted someplace quiet and soothing, somewhere he could warm his body and drown his sorrows.
He nearly passed by the door without giving it any consideration. The front of the establishment was lit only by an old coach lantern, unlike the surrounding businesses serving the nightlife, whose entrances were advertised by loud fluorescent lighting, outdoor seating, and workers encouraging potential customers to enter.
A brass sign on the wall informed him that this was “The Oak Lounge,” and he could just barely make out the soft sound of Jazz which was being drowned out by the traffic and street noise. The wooden door was heavy when he swung it open, and the warmth from the lounge was immediately welcoming, insulated by the wooden paneling covering the walls and the heavy carpets strategically arranged on the stone flooring.
Earth was greeted by a neatly dressed hostess who offered to take his jacket before leading him to the bar as he requested. He took in the other guests and the interiors and sighed in relief. This is exactly what he had been looking for, and it was unlikely that he would run into any friends or other acquaintances here.