Back in Black

[blind_shot]

The ticking is back. That means either I'm in the City, or I'm hallucinating a clockwork hell again.

It's been a while, I imagine there's been some turn over in the nut house.

Name, Age, and world of origin.. Don't be shy.

Comments

RP

[blind_shot]

Sands still remembers how to get to Jack. Start at front door. Into the hallway. Two doors down. On the right. He stands there with his hands on the frame to what used to be Jack's apartment trying to hold still instead of pouncing on his double. Leaving the city was move confusing then showing up. Especially since he was distracted by his own eyes running in globs down his cheeks. More then that he was going through with drawl. He thought he missed the drugs until he kept getting high and coming out of the fog clutching at the nothing he thought was Jack. Sands doesn't understand why he had physical reactions to being without his double but he's convinced it's a better idea never to touch the other ones for fear they become some kind of drug addled circle jerk.
For now he only cares about getting his hands on the pirate. Wrapping his fingers in dirty dreadlocks and pushing him up against a wall he can't sink through. Maybe rub himself forcibly against the other one. It's not sex. It's an overpowering physical need to touch his other half.
That's not gay at all.

...What?

Sands realizes he's been waiting there much longer then he should have.
"...Jack?"

[13_year_captain]

It's been a while since Jack had an apartment, proper, in the City. He moved onto his ship once he had it. Then he was gone for months. Almost a year. Since his return, the pirate hadn't bothered with a steady place to stay; feeling sure he'll find his ship here eventually. He remembers which apartment was his, though. Building seven. Room twelve.

Jack walks up behind Sands and taps his double on the shoulder.

"Told you, mate. I've been gone as well. Ergo, that's no longer my room... Lucky for you, doesn't seem to be anyone's at all."

That odd sort of addiction has struck Jack as well. Of course, he's more accustomed to that sort of feeling. Just rarely for a person. It's an odd thing.

[blind_shot]

Sands pounded on the door for a while and was working on getting past the lock with the tools in his wallet when Jack comes. The ticking stopped and he could hear the boot falls. It's been a long time but he knows the unbalanced lilt of his 'brother'. He stills himself to keep from jumping the man. Sands can handle this. Control himself.
He turns, shoving his hair behind his ear in an oddly adolescent habit.

"Lets go to mine then. I walked into my bathroom and... ended up in my bathroom here. Couldn't find the john. Hell of a thing."
He takes a step and waits to hear Jack follow before taking another.

[13_year_captain]

From the moment Jack really got to know Sands, after the initial horror of seeing his own face without eyes, he found their similarities to be a turn on. The pirate pushed the issue often, but was generally turned away. It took a long time to get Sands to be 'friendly' back. He doesn't realize yet how much absence has increased those feelings.

"Wherever you'd like, brother, dear. A toilet sounds like a terribly small place for a reunion."

Jack doesn't bother with restraint. The second Sands takes a step, the pirate is behind him. He follows close enough to share body heat. If Sands stopped suddenly, Jack would barrel into him.

[blind_shot]

It's a bit confusing for Sands. Get became more comfortable touching Jack then any other person. It's his own body another man is wearing. It should have been a lot more upsetting then it was. Helps being a nut case. By time the agent was regurgitated back out of the city he thought nothing of Jack laying his head in his lap while they got high. It never went too far and he rationalizes his needs by convincing himself that once he touches Jack everywhere he can go back to normal. It's just some kind of side effect. Sands still doesn't consider his special closeness to Jack to be anymore homosexual then masturbation is.

Feeling Jack follow so closely to him would have annoyed him the first week he was there. The first day he thought Jack might be part of the cartel to finish him off. Jack follows closer to him then a bodyguard would. Like his own warm shadow. It's the most normal he feels since being mutilated. As if Jack replaces the missing body parts.
Without missing a step Sands opens the door and closes it right behind them both.
"I can't believe you didn't keep my cat for me."

[13_year_captain]

It wouldn't be such an urgent thing, but Jack has been made painfully aware of his occasional loneliness. That's all over now, though. Gibbs was a friend to have in the city, but now Jack has a brother. That's much more better.

It's almost offensive to him that Sands is still thinking about the cat. Jack pouts and sighs, taking in the decor of the room as he moves to sit on the couch. Nothing worth stealing.

"How was I to know you'd ever be returning, eh? I'm no soothsayer, mate, and I'm not touching that horrifying animal without a good cause."

[blind_shot]

The decor hasn't changed since Sands was last here. Anything worth taking would have been Jack's about a day after he didn't come back. All his drugs for instance.

"What is it with you and my cat? It likes you."
Sands always thought Jack was exaggerating when the pirate tried to explain why the cat creeped him out. Also Jack doesn't make himself very clear and when talking about it they are usually both quite high.
Sands grabs the laptop that they all seem to get as a welcoming prize and sits by Jack as he types up a missing poster. He sits with his knee closer to Jack's then is necessary but the need to rub himself on the man is at least calming down. He hopes it either goes away or he can pass it off as having an itch of some kind.
"Fill me in then."

[13_year_captain]

"The cat is hideous. I think it may be evil. If it likes me, it is only in the way a fat man likes food."

There's no exaggeration about it. The animal is mangy, angry looking, and diseased. Jack feels sure it wants to suck his breath out and kill him. He likes to think that if Sands could see he would understand the problem.

As his double types, the pirate immediately notes the close position and the contact between them. He wants to lay down in his 'brother's' lap like old times, but there's a damnable machine in the way. So, instead, he presses his leg closer and rests his hand on the man's thigh.

"There are different Gods. I suppose the old ones were replaced. ... There's a true ocean now. Not some illusion locked inside a building. ... My ship's gone. Other ships are cluttering up the harbor. Some citizens are new. Some older ones have gone. ... Ran got out. Hope that's what happened..."
Jack starts rubbing his hand along Sands' thigh. This conversation is terribly dull. It could be so much more interesting.
"There are still curses... Most are still terrible."

[blind_shot]

Jack's worries over the cat sucking out his soul and what diseases the thing might actually have are waves away like they always are. Jack is superstitious. It's just a fucking stray he trapped in his apartment to keep the ticking from driving him nuts. It's a Persian. Sands knows it's an ugly breed (not nearly how ugly) and assumes Jack just isn't used to it. If he could see it he might be creeped out when it stared at him. Definitely would. But he still has affection for the thing.

Sands thinks of Jack's body as his own but sudden hand on his thigh is noted with the same odd feeling that would happen if his own flopped there without him controlling it. He's aware Jack is more 'open' to men but it's not on his mind unless the pirate does or says something over the top. The hand is only a reminder. He keeps tying until Ran is mentioned.
He wanted to know about her but wouldn't ask. Jack would tell him. The question of it he ignores. She got out or she didn't. She's not here anymore. He'll think about how that makes him feel later. That hand is moving around and though being touched by this particular person is something he needs he'd rather not have the confusion it can bring. Part of him doesn't care and that's why he's letting it go on. The CIA forced him out. His life has been a retirement nightmare. Here's your gold watch and balls full of tumors. You've been great. Too much of Sands stopped caring about anything he felt sure of. His place in the universe, his purpose, his job, his life, his identity. The question of his sexuality is precious little to hold onto. Jack's hand feels good. Until it doesn't anymore there's no reason to stop it. Or a serious lack of motivation to.

"Did you have anything when you went home? Anything of your old life?"

[13_year_captain]

So long as he's not pushed away, Jack will keep touching and further his advances until he's pushed off or told to stop. Right now, he's simply testing the waters. He moves his hand a little more to the inside of Sands' thigh and lets it drift a bit higher. He would much prefer just finding the bed in the sparse apartment and curling up there with his twin to this all out search for the ugly cat creature Sands likes and the ongoing interrogation.

"Not at first." Jack has to think about the specifics of what happened after the city. The locker is remembered with that same vague uneasiness that accompanies memories of reoccurring nightmares.
"All I had t'return to was my death, savvy? So I found myself in a rather unpleasant afterlife. Preferred this place, really."

"Death suited me poorly, though, so I was soon resurrected. ... Also, it seems my being among the living benefited a great number of people. Indirectly." He frowns a little. It would have been nice if someone came to fetch him from death for his own sake. He chooses to believe Sheldon would have if he could.
"I got the Pearl back. Ended my debt to Jones. Nearly died at the hands of a goddess. Nearly became captain of the Flying Dutchman. ... Beckett's dead. That's good. He was a great lot of bastard rolled into a very little man."

[blind_shot]

Sands' body starts reacting in a way he dosen't like. His brain tries to explain to his penis that that's not a woman and they aren't about to get lucky. It's Jack being friendly. His penis cares not. So Sands moves the laptop off of him and stops Jack's hand with his own. Holding a hand the size of his own is too weird and honestly makes him feel gayer then the hand going up his inner thigh.
"Jacki- these feelings... I have them to. It's just our bodies recognizing each other. It'll pass."
With his hand still keeping Jack's from going any high he hooks his other arm around the pirates shoulders in a more straight sign of affection.

Sands theory that the city reclaimed him because he was used up in his own world has crumbled. It sounds as if Jack had a lot to go back to, comparatively. Not that he understands all of it.
"Sounds like things were working out for you. I wish I knew what the hell brought up back here."
For the record, Jack would be mourned but maybe not brought back. Balance and all. Though once he heard of the rescue mission he would have been all over it, taking over, giving orders, and making sure no one fucked up. Even if he thought Jack should stay dead, if the man was brought back Sands would want to be there to take the credit and be the first in line to receive thanks. Amazingly, he would be the only one there bringing Jack back just to have him back. Maybe him and the monkey.

[13_year_captain]

The sudden hand stopping his makes Jack pout and grumble a bit. He doesn't understand what Sands is going on about. It only passed previously when he was too busy hating the agent to want to rub all over him. It might pass if he finds someone as intriguing or more so who he can pursue instead.

"If you feel the same, then why wait for it to pass, eh? Could be it would pass faster if we gave in to it."

In fairness to Sands' theories, Jack was summoned back to his own world only to repeatedly be told there was no place for him in his world. He just refuses to believe that was true.
"Things were near to working. ... The Pearl was stolen again. But I would have had her back soon enough... I was close to finding a way to immortality when this place pulled me back."

[blind_shot]

Their friendship was a little rocky after Jack found out what it meant to get help from Sands. But the agent was sure that things would be better once Jack saw the light. Like the curse lifting after that night they decided to be sworn enemies. That was fun.

"But if we give into it I wake up with a sore asshole and man hair between my teeth. Jacki, it's not about sex. You just think it is because you're open to fucking men but I'm not and I can tell you for sure it's only a basic need. The lizard brain telling us to touch each other. It's a side effect of having a copy of the same body here."
Sands is usually good at talking people out of or into things but he knows he's floundering when he attempts to bring Jack into the opinion that having sex is pointless when both bodies are telling them to do anything that involves touching. Sex is actually the perfect answer. It's this knowledge that Sands is trying to skid over.
"I've had sex with men. I didn't like it."
Sands does whatever it takes to finish a mission. More then a few targets have woken after a drunken night with Sands tied to a chair, nude, in a very unfamiliar room where in who they thought of as a vapid but pretty fuck suddenly knows far to much about them and their company and has a cattle prod in his hand.
Oh, he's had gay sex. But it's the day after he's really enjoyed.

"Have you ever thought about putting some kind of alarm or bobby trap on that fucking ship of yours? I mean really. Low Jack or something."

[13_year_captain]

As with any ill deed he's committed and thought better of after the fact, Jack has gone to great lengths to forget what happened when he asked his twin's help in settling his debt to Davy Jones. He did what he could to try and save that little girl, but it wasn't enough and it was largely his fault that such terrible things happened to her. So Jack has forgotten it happened at all. He wants to have his special, identical friend.

"Perhaps you have, but you've not had sex with me." Which is entirely different in Jack's opinion. It's a separate and superior experience. Whores have told him he's very good.
"I don't want to touch the others nearly so much, you know." Sure, the idea of seducing Abberline or Crane has crossed Jack's mind, but it's only ever a fleeting thing. With Sands, it's pretty much a constant plan.

Jack cocks his head, not sure what manner of alarm could alert him to the theft of a whole ship. Once a man is skilled enough to take a ship in the first place, the alarm would likely do no good.
"I left half of my crew aboard and a man on the dock's to guard her! ... Seems I keep a poor quality of company."

[blind_shot]

Just like Jack is pretending that little girl never happened, Sands is working to ignore the observation that this need to touch isn't nearly as strong with the others. He's never met any of them and Sands plans to continue to avoid them all for several reasons. Largest one being he thinks he'll want to rub up against them and dosen't need that in his life. If Jack is right and it's really only something they have with each other then that changes things. It makes him question himself and he's too old for that.
"Maybe you aren't around them enough. I don't know."

He gets off the couch so they aren't touching at all anymore. That'll make it better. Stupid pirate. His stomach is making little flips of protest when he breaks contact.
"Tell you what. Next time I jerk off I'll pretend it's your hand."
He wishes he still had eyes to roll. Also that he hasn't already done just that plenty of times back home.

"... Seems you need to make an example or two. Where they all paid off with buttons? A crew of monkies would have done better then that."

[13_year_captain]

It's greatly disappointing when Sands just gets up and moves away from him. That's not getting them anywhere at all. He takes the opportunity to stretch out along the length of the couch; dreads dangling over one end and bucket boots over the other. Jack can be patient when he has to.

"I spend plenty of time around the others. All I need to, leastwise."
He smirks, knowing Sands means to be joking but wondering if the man really has thought of him. It seems so, as flustered as he's getting. Flustered for Sands, at least.

Jack doesn't want to discuss the failings of his crew and his inability to keep hold of his ship. Too much talk on that topic might make him look like a poor captain. Which is, essentially, what it comes down to. His crew easily betrays him for Barbossa because Hector is the more skilled leader.

"It's Guy Fawkes Night, you know. They're having a bonfire and fireworks out in the center of the city."