(Untitled)

[sirjaggernaut]

The middle of a circus ring is a good place to give orders from. Mick supposed he gave a lot of them, but only what had to be given, in his opinion. He had a microphone and a megaphone, and used them both, but neither of them seemed to work out. The megaphone was too square for his taste, like some kind of school days phys-ed control freak. And the

Comments

[ericclapper]

"Eric?" he asked, nudging him with his elbow. "Mick's over there. Reckon we should see him first?"

Three days ago Mick had handed him a few pills before floating through the thin curtain that separated his room from the rest of the flat, calling back to him, ardent, "Take them. Follow me." Eric could remember his head dancing sluggish on his neck, his desire urging him on. 'Follow...' He'd popped the pills this afternoon, a bit of regret over falling asleep on Mick, a relentless drive to feel that way around someone else. Someone who might not eat him alive.

George.

Teeth grinding. His stomach a fish bowl on an aeroplane, it's contents stirring, sloshing back and forth. Doomed fish swallowed whole...don't consider the possibilities! A brick wall. He placed the palms of his hands against it and pushed with all of his might. Solid. Strong. His knees buckled a bit under the weight. He carried more around than anyone really knew. He ran his nails against the brick..teeth grinding. He closed his eyes and laid his palms flat.

George. He'd been with George. Not enough lately. He imagined they could live closer to one another. That would be nice. He was with Mick and Keith too much, and George needed him, considering the mess with Lennon.

Lennon. Mick and Keith. Oh, right. The circus thing. He smiled. It would be amazing.

He turned around. George had called his name, but not recently. It was important to find George. It was important to be there for him.

He stood several feet away, John and Yoko standing beside him, Julian tugging on John's pocket. His eyes met George's. He was concerned. Eric's smile faded. He took a deep breath and approached, placing a hand in the center of George and Yoko's backs.

He looked at George. "We have to be careful, don't we? Stay grounded?" He tilted his head to Yoko. "We could easily float away." The side of his mouth curled involuntarily into a smile. "Your hair is so beautiful."

[lennonofbag]

Moving to face George, he forced a smile at the self-satisfied bastard. "What I need, Yoko provides. In every respect."

He held his gaze for a moment before continuing. "Personally, I think you're just pissed that you landed yourself with a clothes-horse instead of a partner. No wonder you're so busy chasing God for fulfillment."

He turned slightly on catching Eric's last few words, sneering a little at his close proximity to Yoko.

"As for you, I applaud the sentiment but the question has to be asked..." he leant over, looking him in the eye. "Do you ever keep your fucking hands to yourself, Clapton? Really, I'm curious."

[ericclapper]

Tumultuous Lennon, typical.

Lennon of the brusque and scathing repartee. Lennon of the fiery posturing. Lennon, intent on reminding everyone in the vicinity that he would bend over for no one.

But he was under duress, wasn't he?

He was broken hearted.

Eric smiled lackadaisically and replied. "Why would she want bangers when she already has caviar?"

[somethinggeorge]

George’s eyes caught John’s in a fixed stare as he replied, “Eric, he wasn’t referring to Yoko. I think he knows he’s got her all to himself.”

“What I need, Yoko provides. In every respect.”

Cunt! Lennon and that Japanese tart really deserved each other. Funny she still hadn’t figured things out despite gluing herself to John at home, in the studio, even in the loo. I hope he makes her wipe his arse for him, George thought maliciously.

Aloud, he continued “We’re all glad you’ve found the perfect all-providing mum at last, John. But, as I just said, not all of us share your particular bag. Bit incestuous for my taste.”

The look on Yoko’s face provided some satisfaction as he plunged ahead. In for a penny, in for a pound when it came to John, after all. “Personally, I’m glad Pattie’s chosen to keep her clothes on in front of the camera. Call her a clothes-horse if you will. Just keep your hands off. We’ve had our tiffs over that one enough in the past, haven’t we, son?”

[lennonofbag]

Trust that doped up wanker to misunderstand. George knew, though. Good. The real giveaway was the increase in acidity, which he knew from experience was a sure sign that something had hit home.

"You think you know me, you and Paul. You think you know what I need." The simple fact was that he'd always needed more than any one person was able to provide, or willing to. Until now. "Slag it off, son, call it what you like. You're both running scared now, because Beatles is all the two of you know, all you've got going for you. And you do at least know me well enough to know I'll break up this fucking band to get what I want, don't you?"

"Oh, and for the record..." He tilted his head, speaking quietly into George's ear. "The days when we wanted the same thing are long gone, son. If you catch my drift."

Moving up to Eric, he spoke in an undertone. "Listen to me, arsehole. You want to cosy up to George, you go right ahead. You want an 'in', I can understand that." He put an arm around his shoulders, squeezing harder than necessary as he steered him away. "But the Stones don't want you, and we sure as hell don't...and I'll tell you something else, fuckface. You so much as breathe near my bird again, you'll be singing fucking soprano. You got me?"

[ericclapper]

Lennon's angry words slipped carelessly into his ears and stung worse than he could've intended. Leave it to John to pervert the meaning, twist the words, turn the well-intended ego massage into a full-on assault of his worth. John's whiskey and nicotine-laced breath hovered between them like plague. What was left to do?

"You...loud and clear, John."

Eric turned back to the rest of the group. "Off to find Mick. Check in. I'll find you later, George."

[somethinggeorge]

Unable to hear the words John had breathed into Eric’s ear, George could guess from his friend’s reaction that the venomous tirade had continued. As Eric walked away, John turned back to George with a self-satisfied smirk and a glint in his eye. George was incensed by the smug expression and he lost his self-restraint as he stood toe to toe with Lennon.

“You want to break up the band, John? You do it. I don’t need any more of your bullshit, thank you very much. Being away from you two and Paul for two months felt like heaven. I don’t need you to make music and,” he lowered his voice “I don’t need you in my bed, either, that’s for damn sure. Seems to me you’re the one tied up in knots of jealousy here, son. Not me.”

George turned away and hissed at Yoko, “You’re his keeper, now? Do something with him before he embarrasses himself beyond repair today. Get him out of here and get him sorted!” And he was gone before Yoko could formulate a response.

[pure1magination]

Staying out of the arguement between the males had been hard, as restraint had never been her strong suit, but it was especially hard not to just clobber Eric for touching her. That was a right reserved for John and John alone......and the occasional jaunt with some handsome stoner. But that only happened once.

As George stormed off, she leaned over to John and hissed in his ear, "What does he know? So blinded by false gods..." she nuzzled his neck. "We SHOULD get out of here, though....you and I..." Her arm wound around his middle. "What do you say, John? I've got our regular stuff, if you REALLY want to escape..."

[keithloon]

Keith, sitting draped over himself and smoking nearby, had watched all this with amazement. Particularly their body language; covert, angry, hurt. He got up and hopped over to them on one leg.

"Boys, boys, boys! -- and Mrs. Peace? What's all this? Let's not fight!"

He threw his arms around John and Yoko and pulled them to his chest. Called after George;

"George! George! Come here! Let's all have a cuddle and make up."

[lennonofbag]

Escape...he longed to. Lock the door against the world and hide with Yoko. Probably just as well he'd agreed to stay straight in front of Jules, he realised--mood he was in, getting off his face would indeed result in embarrassing himself, and George's ego clearly needed no further proof of his infallibility. He murmured his dissent but knew they'd need something to make it through the day.

Something else, then, to up the mood. There was straight and there was painfully sober, and he didn't intend to experience the latter. As he dipped into Mother's little bag of tricks, suddenly Moonie was there. Dear old Moonie. Mad as a box of frogs, of course, but there was no hidden agenda, no nailing of his bollocks to the wall. A welcome change, indeed. Even if he was making a show of them, calling George back.

"Sssssshh, mate, let him go. He's not needed." His eyes gleamed as he finally located something useful, holding the little baggie up and shaking it in Keith's face. "Fancy a snifter, son? Just enough to go 'round."

[pure1magination]

Yoko couldn't help but smile at Moon the Loon's outburst of affection, and she hugged back. She liked him. So free from normal restraints... "Yes, you're welcome to join us if you like." She giggled. "Though I can tell you've already gotten into SOMETHING, Keith dear. Your breath smells like Mary Jane."

Grabbing the bag from John and hiding it in her purse, she turned her attention to little Julian, standing off to the side slightly. "Julian, why don't you follow George? he might show you his guitar if you ask him." The young boy hesitated for a moment, then trotted off after George, looking a bit like a kicked puppy. Not that Yoko gave a toss what Julian did, mind you. She just didn't want to be yelled at by Cynthia for doing drugs in front of a six year old.

[keithloon]

"I'll do anything you like, you know that," he leapt to his toes, and then, attempting to leap to his toe-tips like a ballerina, fell to his knees. Playing the fool.

"And you're right my breath smells like Mary Jane, I was just licking her nether regions in the costume closet."

[lennonofbag]

John missed the exchange between Yoko and his son. Didn't notice his obedient little boy being sent away; Keith was proving quite a distraction, his antics lifting John's sullen mood a notch or two.

He gave a snort of amusement, eyeing him thoughtfully.

"So...I take it I can expect to be upstaged by Moonie and his Amazing Acrobatic Sticks later?"

[keithloon]

"Everyone can expect it," he raised his voice to announcement level and started to bang out a tune over John's shoulders, using his head as a hi-top. When he finished he took John's head between his hands, snuggled it between his little fingers, beamed as though very proud of him, and kissed him on the nose.

Loony had the gift of being able to make the person he was interacting with feel like the only thing Loony cared about in the world.

[lennonofbag]

John looked at him, a wry grin on his face. "Dozy fucking git. Always were, always will be." He pulled back a little, gently slapping his hands away and realising that neither Yoko nor Julian were within sight.

"I'll catch you later, yeah?"