𝐘𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝐋𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦; george harrison

𝐱𝐢. all shook up

𝐓𝗛𝗘 𝐖𝗔𝗬 𝐘𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗚 𝐋𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗦 𝐃𝗢

. ݁₊ ⊹ . 🎞️⭒ ݁ .♟️⊹ ⁀ 🫙˖ ࣪ .🍂‧⁺ ݁₊ ⊹

( 𝐂𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗨𝗘𝗗 — 𝟏𝟗𝟔𝟎 )

ALL NINE OF THEM HAD SOON MADE IT DOWNSTAIRS TO THE TOP TEN CLUB AS IT GRADUALLY FILLED WITH PEOPLE. although slightly shabbier than the kaiserkeller, the working conditions already looked much much better.

an example was that the beatles were no longer having pills sneaked into their drinks so they could perform for longer and with more energy. virginia remembered secretly hiding backstage with astrid once to switch out their water right before they went on.

and sure, the stage was smaller and the floors dirtier, but once again, anything was better than whatever they had going on before. 

the group was lead backstage by the band as they got to watch them fiddle with their instruments, casually rehearsing a few songs. when they'd first arrived in hamburg, they would always get major nerves before a performance, which tended to get problematic at the rate they were doing them.

but now, they'd grown so used to performing in front of crowds that it was like a second nature to them. actually, they might play better in front of an audience than without as they always ended hyping them up.

"this is your first time seeing them at top ten's, right?" astrid asked virginia, making casual conversation as they sat down on a wooden bench backstage. "yeah, been pretty busy recently as i told you all earlier. it any different?" she sipped on her glass of beer.

since her arrival in hamburg, virginia had grown less and less cautious of her alcohol consumption. she remembered how she used to worry about getting drunk at bars or clubs, which seemed quite hilarious now as it was all she ever seemed to do.

yet although she spent a lot of her time drunk, it wasn't exactly a sad or pitiful drunkenness. it tended to lean more onto the rebellious and free spirited side, which is why no one ever commented on her drinking habits, and why she wasn't worried herself.

she knew what could happen if you abused of alcohol, especially when you used it to drown away your emotions. she'd seen it first hand with her mother. but that wasn't the case with virginia. no, she drank for the very simple fun of it. she liked the thrill of not knowing what she'd done the night before, she enjoyed the lightheaded feeling that came with. when virginia carter got drunk, it wasn't melancholic. no, it was liberating.

"well, they don't last as long that's for sure, but you and i both know that absolutely no one is complaining about that." astrid referred to the pill incident and virginia nodded solemnly. "the playing is better too, in my opinion. i guess it's easier to play when you're not on drugs, am i right?" she jabbed pettily at koschmider's way of running things again.

it was needless to say that the beatles breaking their contract had been a much awaited event. the whole group had been telling them to do so, and koschmider sending his guys to beat them up a week ago had clearly been the last straw. even the beatles had had enough.

"but the sound's not as good." klaus butted into the conversation, his own beer in hand. "sure. but you know, they might not be as rich as koschmider yet they're still able to give our boys proper housing." astrid shook her head. "quite embarrassing for koschmider, if i'm being honest."

"nothing he doesn't deserve." virginia shrugged. she'd been the first one to seriously suggest they leave, which was why she felt even worse about not having gone to see them perform at the top ten yet. i mean, she'd been the one to push them out of their comfort zone like this and to put them in this risky position, the least she could do was watch them play.