You walk down the dark city streets and find a small staircase with the words Burst Eardrums on the sign above it. Loud music can be heard from up the stairs even as you stand outside. You decide to walk up the stairs and find yourself in an large room, at the far end is a bar, serving okay alcohol and other assorted drinks. On the other side is a stage, a band stands on stage playing, their music is loud, almost too loud but you find a way to deal with it. The stage has everything it could need to facilitate most any kind of band, with graffiti lining the walls behind the band. The crowd in front of the band is going crazy, a mass of people all moving to the music. You think you could stay here for a while.

---

Natalie walks down the rainy city streets, the sun was setting meaning it was almost time to open Burst Eardrums to the public. As she approached the door with the narrow sign above it she spotted an old friend sitting out in the rain with a cigarette in his mouth. "Lyle, what the hell are you doing?" She asked in a somewhat disappointed voice as she approached him.
"Just waiting for my favourite watering hole to open." Lyle said with a smile as he stood up. He took the wet cigarette out of his mouth and threw it to the ground, the sparks flashed, dancing in the air for a moment before vanishing forever.
"Those things will kill you." Natalie said as she started to unlock the door to the bar. She unlocked it and held the door as Lyle walked in.
He shook the water out of his hair before talking. "I don't really care at this point, I'm long past obsessing over what I poison my body with." He started to walk up the long flight of stairs that led to the bar.
Natalie sighed and followed him. "I know you're trying to be depressing because it makes you seem like the lead singer from Orchid but you're just kinda forcing it at this point. Aren't you in a new band now? You should be happy, I could get you a gig or something."
Lyle reached the top of the stairs and opened the door for Natalie. He seemed a little angry. "We fuckin' broke up, yet another fuckin' band that just doesn't pan out. We had Les Morte together and that's been my only successful project in fuckin' years. There was that other screamo project, then the hardcore punk band, then the sludge metal band but we're not going to get into that one, and finally this last one where I actually tried to be different with the experimental electronica but that went goddamn nowhere."
Natalie walked behind the bar. "Just calm down, I'm sure it's just a matter of time before you find something that works out." She smiled at him.
Lyle sat in front of Natalie and just sighed.

The bell on the door rang a high pitched noise as the infamous Valentines Widow walked though; wearing the only pair of pants she owned and carrying some equipment. She placed her amp and guitar on the bar, panting before peeking over her belongings.
"Oh... Hello Natalie, Lyle." Dry as ever, Mirie only really did come alive onstage. Yeah she knew Natalie and Lyle, and while she wasn't exactly buddy-buddy with them, she did owe it to them for her beginning to make her big break. "Mind me reserving a spot to play tonight? And to practice now, of course."

"Of course." Natalie said with a warm smile. "We don't have anyone booked tonight, it would have been a slow night without you." She said as she gave Lyle some soda.
Lyle just groaned and drank.

With a cigarette between his lips Austin finally left the tattoo shop. It had been a long day and wrapping everything up took even longer. Someone managed to break one of the foot pedals for the tattoo machine. Of course the Irishman was expected to fix it and thus that is what he did. It took him an hour to find out what was the problem and to fix the pedal. Then finally he could go. The dark haired tattooist now quietly walked through the, rather empty, streets. He forgot to bring his jacket that morning and he had started to regret it more and more. It was rather cold out and the rain didn't help much either. It was only his jeans and T-shirt that kept some of the wind and rain out. The warmth of his cigarette was the only thing that kept him from shivering uncontrollably.

In a hurry he walked and decided to take a shortcut. Then suddenly he froze in his tracks as he saw a sign that he found looking quite familiar. Burst Eardrums. One of his clients had told him about it once. It was some sort of pub or club or both, he had heard. Curiosity made him stand there for a little longer only to take a few more drags of his cigarette before throwing it on the ground and actually going inside and up the stairs. When he got up the stairs he looked around and saw but three others. Quickly he looked on his watch and shrugged lightly, it was quite early. "I'm sorry. But is it closed or did you just open?", he asked to whoever was the keeper just to be sure. He had this thick Irish accent that couldn't be missed by anyone. Austin scratched the back of his neck. His arms were covered with tattoos. He had a bunch of Celtic signs surrounded by tribals on one arm while the other was covered with Asian art.

As soon as permission had been granted, she began setting up. Mirie had left the room, changing in the ladies room into her lolita dress before she performed. As she came back, she noticed a newcomer, covered in tattoos, asking if the bar was open.
"It's open." Her voice, void of emotion, would carry to him. She looked at him with cold eyes. "If you want, you can listen to me practice. I don't care." She turned her head away, moving to the stage. She looked out of place among the graffiti on the walls and ramshackle stage wearing such a pretty and gothic dress, but she didn't care. This place had given her the boost she needed, and she owed them.

Natalie looked almost ecstatic when she saw the newcomer. She loved to meet new people and serve new customers. "Yes we're open." She said with a smile "Welcome to Burst Eardrums. I'm Natalie and I'm the main bartender at the best place in the city for punk fans to go and see new bands. If you have any questions just let me know."

Knowing that the bar was open Austin felt somewhat relieved. He always felt odd to be out of place somewhere. Not exactly uncomfortable, just odd. Slowly he strolled to the bar and sat himself down. "Thanks, it looks like a neat place to say the least.", he complimented as he looked around and let his eyes trail over the graffiti-covered walls. Then he looked at the dark, young woman whom was going to practice her guitar play and decided he'd listen to her in the meantime. He did, however, ask for a beer and as he listened to the play he glanced over at Natalie. "My friend actually talked about this place a while ago. It's a shame I hadn't come here before. I usually spend my nights at home or some crappy pub." he said with a grin and ran his fingers through his hair.

Though it wasn't punk, it was easier to warm up using blues, plus the smooth texture of her song was better for getting into the nitty gritty of her music. She watched her fellow bar patrons mingle as she sang, strumming her guitar with years of mastered fluidity.

"Thanks, I don't own the place or anything, but it is a home to me and Lyle here." Natalie said as she handed the newcomer a beer. "I'm glad you made it over though, a lot of the graffiti on the walls come from bands that play here, and the occasional customer that decides to bring a sharpie with them." She laughs a bit before realizing she had forgotten to tell him something important. "I just realized I didn't tell you my name. I'm Natalie and this is my friend and ex-bandmate Lyle." She gestures towards Lyle and he waves absent-mindedly.
Lyle simply said "Afternoon" as his form of greeting before going back to the soda he was drinking. As much as he would have actually liked some form of alcohol it seems like that would not be happening for at lease a few more hours when Natalie feels like it's not too early to be serving her somewhat addicted friend a beer.