Mar. 4th, 2020

Death wish

Mar. 4th, 2020 09:49 pm
danzanelfuoco: (Default)

Fandom: Harry Potter

Rating: NSFW

Challenge: COW-T, w5, m1

Prompt: colpo di scena

Wordcount: 1304


L'odore dolciastro della decomposizione gli fece girare la testa e dovete combattere contro i conati per impedirsi di vomitare. I cadaveri erano sparsi sul pavimento, lui contò cinque teste ed era più facile che cercare i corpi perché gli arti erano sparsi in tutti gli angoli e in alcuni casi la testa era tutto ciò che restava.
Erano stati smembrati - no, spolpati, spolpati come granchi ad una cena di gala, le braccia come chele da cui succhiare via il sangue, le milze addentate e spremute e poi gettate a terra come vecchie bustine di tè usate, i cuori aperti e dilaniati per leccare via ogni residuo di sangue, ogni prelibato coagulo.
E quella era solo la prima stanza.
Trovare un covo di vampiri non è mai piacevole, gli avevano detto all'addestramento e lui ci aveva creduto certo, ma non avrebbe mai pensato di trovarsi di fronte a questo. Nessun addestramento lo avrebbe mai preparato a questo.
Non te lo faremmo fare se non fossimo a corto di personale, gli avevano detto quella mattina ed erano davvero desolati mentre gli sbattevano tra le mani il fascicolo solo parzialmente compilato. Sarà pure stato anche il grande Harry Potter, ma non poteva niente contro la burocrazia del Ministero.
"Qui ce n'è un altro!" sentì dire da dietro la parete di cartongesso che avevano dovuto in parte abbattere - date una bacchetta rubata in mano a un vampiro e la userà meglio di un qualsiasi grande mago a vostra scelta, come aveva dimostrato la barriera inammovibile intessuta attorno alla porta - e uno degli ultimi Auror arrivati sulla scena si mosse per andare a raggiungerlo.
"Vengo anche io" disse Harry, distogliendo lo sguardo da una singola mano destra che giaceva a terra, sporca di sangue e terra, i muscoli sfilacciati in fibre in mezzo alle quali si distinguevano biancastri frammenti di ossa.
Qualsiasi cosa pur di non dover guardare ancora quella scena, per avere qualche secondo di tregua, anche se quello che si trovava dall'altra parte poteva essere peggio.
L'Auror Hector e il Supervisore Stailyng erano chinati attorno ad un corpo e un'altro giaceva poco più in là, gettato come una bambola di pezza, in quello che, Harry se ne rese conto solo in quel momento, era poco più che uno sgabuzzino con qualche materasso a terra e catene alle pareti (ai vampiri piace fare le cose vecchio stile, gli avevano detto durante l'addestramento. Bare di velluto rosso, candelabri d'oro, catene cigolanti, tutto quello che potresti trovare in un film Babbano… la maggior parte di loro ne va matto. Pensano che li identifichi come specie. Non tutti, parliamoci chiaro, alcuni sono totalmente andati e vivono nel degrado assoluto).
"Qui le dovevano tenere prigioniere" disse la Hector, muovendo la bacchetta in complessi arabeschi sopra il corpo della vittima. Stailyng annuì, osservando il suo operato, poi si rivolse a Harry. "Occupati dell'altro."
Lui si avvicinò all'altro corpo, quasi trattenendo il fiato. Il tempo parve dilatarsi e ad ogni passo gli sembrava di compiere chilometri e non muoversi affatto. Il corpo era apparentemente intatto, integro per quello che poteva vedere, nessuna parte del corpo nella stanza, ma non significava nulla, sarebbe potuto essere nell'altra stanza o in una camera non ancora scoperta - gli Auror stavano ancora analizzando le pareti restanti e non si poteva mai sapere fintanto che non avessero finito gli accertamenti. Harry non si sarebbe stupito di voltare il cadavere e ritrovarsi davanti ad un'amputazione.
“Potter!” gli urlò Stailyng ed Harry trasalì. "Cosa sei, un Babbano?! Usa la bacchetta, non le mani!"
Harry si riscosse e si affrettò ad estrarre la bacchetta, mentre Stailyng lasciava la Hector a lavorare da sola.
"Dimmi, Potter, perché non si usano le mani, ma la bacchetta in questo caso?" gli chiese.
"Perché contamineremmo le prove, i corpi potrebbero essere maledetti e quindi ucciderci,” elencò, riportando alla memoria le basilari nozioni di procedura che aveva imparato il primo giorno e che aveva completamente dimenticato non appena aveva visto un cadavere, “oppure potrebbero essere criminali che fingono di essere vittime per sfuggirci o morti per attaccarci.”
Stailyng annuì. “Bene Potter. Capisco l'agitazione della prima volta, ma cerca di ricordarti che c'è in gioco la tua vita e quella di tutti gli altri sulla scena insieme a te. Un solo errore potrebbe costarti caro." Attese di vedere la comprensione sul volto dell'altro. "Bene, adesso continua con il sopralluogo e cerca di ricordarti le procedure."
Harry voltò il corpo - che era davvero un cadavere, almeno da quel punto di vista non aveva corso pericoli - e si ritrovò faccia a faccia con una ragazza, di circa vent'anni.
A prima vista non c'era alcuna mutilazione, gli arti erano tutti al loro posto, il tronco non sembrava essere stato aperto in nessun punto, ma avrebbero pur sempre potuto chiudere la ferita per far durare la ragazza più a lungo, visto che avevano una bacchetta, e la cicatrice sarebbe rimasta nascosta dalla maglietta.
Sarebbe potuta sembrare addormentata - gli occhi chiusi, le labbra terree appena socchiuse attraverso le quali si intravedeva il biancore dei denti - se non fosse stato per lo squarcio alla gola, un morso che le aveva frantumato la trachea e tranciato la carotide, spargendo sangue sulla sua maglietta scollata e sul materasso, lasciandola in una pozza di sangue. Non si erano nutriti di lei, l'avevano uccisa in fretta prima di abbandonare il covo, senza lasciarsi testimoni alle spalle (anche un cadavere è un testimone, uno che parla meno di un testimone vivo, ma uccidere una persona non fa sì che non possa comunque raccontarci la sua storia, gli assassini se lo dimenticano sempre), senza degnarsi nemmeno di nutrirsi di lei, spargendo sangue per il gusto di farlo. 
Sconfiggere Voldemort non lo aveva preparato a questo.
Se non altro doveva riconoscere il metodo pulito di un Avada Kedavra che lasciava alle proprie spalle un corpo che sembrava addormentato. La brutalità delle strade di Londra avevano appena cominciato a svelarsi davanti ai suoi occhi e lui già si sentiva inadeguato, un bluff.
‘Coraggio, Harry, ce la puoi fare,’ si disse, ma forse non ci credeva più nemmeno lui. 

Doveva uscire. Doveva prendere una boccata d’aria. Doveva solamente togliersi da davanti alla vista il sangue e la carne e la morte, solo per qualche istante, poi sarebbe stato di nuovo in grado di affrontare la scena.
Stava per imboccare la porta, quando -
“Merda!” Imprecò la Hector ed Harry si voltò di scatto, la bacchetta alzata, pronto a difendersi, un incantesimo già sulla punta della lingua.
Non era possibile.
Non poteva essere possibile.
La donna, con la gola squarciata, si stava alzando in piedi, il sangue che le aveva ricominciato a colare copioso sulla maglietta.
Non era possibile perché la donna non era un vampiro, si sarebbero dovuti rigenerare i tessuti prima, eppure era lì in piedi e non era nemmeno umana, perché la sua gola le penzolava sbrindellata sul petto.
La ragazza fece un cenno con la mano, quasi stesse scacciando via una mosca.
Hector venne sbalzata via, un ammasso di carne sanguinolenta contro il muro, Stailyng non si difese abbastanza in fretta.
In meno di mezzo minuto Harry era da solo in mezzo ad un’altra carneficina.
“Ti ho cercato, Harry Potter. E a lungo,” disse la ragazza che non avrebbe potuto parlare, le sue parole accompagnate dal sibilo dell’aria attraverso la trachea distrutta.
Perché? Harry avrebbe voluto chiedere. Cosa sta succedendo?
Invece dalla sua bocca uscì solo un “Cosa sei?”
La ragazza sorrise, il sangue che continuava a colarle dagli bocca, dal collo e dagli occhi
“Sono di tutti voi Signora e Padrona, mio caro, e davanti alla mia falce tutti chinano il capo. Tutti tranne te, Harry Potter, e questo perché tu sei il Mio Signore.”
“Sei la Morte.”
“Aye. E ora sono venuta per Te.”
“Per portarmi via?”
La ragazza sorrise, “Forse.” 

 

Retelling

Mar. 4th, 2020 09:53 pm
danzanelfuoco: (Default)
 Fandom: Harry Potter

Rating: Safe

Challenge: COW-T, w5, m1

Prompt: colpo di scena 

Wordcount: 2736 parole


Not beta’d, we die like men. 




Severus Snape had feared this day for eleven years. And now this day had come. 

He closed his eyes, leaning his head against the back of his chair at the High table, trying to collect the strength to face up the Sorting ceremony. 

 

It will be over soon, he tried to comfort himself. Just a couple of hours. 

He knew it was a lie. He would have to deal with the boy for the coming seven years. 

Severus had thought multiple times to leave Hogwarts in the past year. Dumbledore, that old manipulative bitch, had, of course, twisted every single word he had spoken against him, proving that Snape wasn’t so good in dialectic has he thought. 

 So here he was, pretending the little Potter brat didn’t matter anything to him. 

The doors of the Great Hall opened, the new students entering in an ordinated line, some overwhelmed by the splendor of the room, other astonished by the ceiling enchanted to reflect the outside sky, almost all stunned by the school they only had heard from their parents if they ever had heard at all. 

Severus spotted a glimpse of black hair and looked away, clenching his jaw. He didn’t want to focus on him, not right now. He wasn’t ready. 

He met the gaze of the Headmaster, who winked at him, with a knowing look on his face. Severus suppressed the anger that threatened to overpower him. More humiliation added to the humiliation. 

It wasn’t enough that he had to choose the wrong side just to displease the girl who could never love him. It wasn’t enough that she married the bully that spoiled his adolescence and had a baby with him. It wasn’t enough that she and said bully killed his Lord - not a great loss if he should say - becoming suddenly two of the greatest heroes in the history of the Wizarding World. It wasn’t enough that he managed to stay out of Azkaban and was discharged by every accuse only because of Dumbledore, having James Potter testifying against him at the trial. 

Now he had to teach the boy, see him at every meal, bear his Gryffindor bravery and his senseless display of stupidity, hear him boasting the action of his parents with the typical vainglory of the Potter family. 

Severus was so lost in his thought that he suddenly became aware of what was happening around him only when a dead silence fell over the Great Hall. Every single person in the room, from the teachers to the students, even the Headmaster, even the Muggleborn first-year students who didn’t understand what was happening, everyone was standing still, watching the boy that McGonagall had just call to be sorted. 

Harry Potter climbed to the chair and put the Sorting Hat on his head. His jaw was clenched, his expression blank. Snape couldn’t read anything on his face, and surely wasn’t going to use Legilimancy on the boy. 

Seconds passed. Severus thought the Hat would have just screamed Gryffindor the very instant it touched a single Potter hair. More seconds passed. 

The Great Hall was no more silent, whispers between the students, even McGonagall seemed a little concerned. Snape didn’t care. 

He reached for the glass of water in front of him and started sipping slowly. 

Then the Hat opened his sort of mouth. 

Slytherin!

Severus chocked, splitting water around him. 

His reaction went unnoticed in the chaos that was reigning now. McGonagall had dropped the parchment with the new students names on it, Dumbledore had paled wordless, Flitwick had fallen off his chair and was trying to regain his composure, Sprout was acting like she had been Petrified and pretty much all the students were trying to talk at the same time - except for the first year who didn’t grow up with the fairytale of how the beautiful Lily and the brave James had defeated the bogeyman and were now trying cluelessly to understand what was happening, and professor Binn, who could not be bothered by anything in his non-living state. 

Potter took off the Hat and left it on the chair, reaching to Slytherin table. 

It was only when he sat there, the details of his clothes adjusting to the right shade of green and silver, that the rest of the school seemed to understand that there was nothing left to argue about. 

No one had ever questioned the decisions of the Sorting Hat since… well, since never. The Sorting Hat had never been wrong. No one was going to start now, not even Dumbledore, not even for Harry Potter. 

Snape realized he would have to deal with the boy even more than he thought, he being the Head of Slytherin house and Potter being a Slytherin now. 

 

Potter being a Slytherin… 

It was so wrong on so many levels, Severus opened his mouth to protest. Then he closed it. It was pointless. 

He could not tell what the Hat was thinking, what the Potter brat was thinking - he knew the Hat often met the wishes of the students, sorting entire families, generation after generation, into one house. Severus himself had begged the Hat to be sorted in Slytherin instead of Ravenclaw just to be in the same House his mother was. If Potter had only made an objection…

Maybe it was some sort of evil plan to damn Severus’ whole existence. He discarded the idea. The brat was too young and he knew James would have cut off his whole right arm instead of letting his son be in Slytherin, revenge fantasy or not. 

So it was it. Maybe the boy was just a Slytherin and the Sorting Hat had managed to convince him that Snape’s house was the best option. Probably the idea of his son not being Gryffindor had never crossed James' mind, so he didn’t feel the need to warn Harry to refuse other Houses. 

Maybe there was nothing else. 

Still, he would have to deal for the next seven years with the symbol of what he couldn’t get, of what James Potter had taken away from him, of what - he admitted it to himself only in the darkest hour of the night - he never had a chance to have because of himself and no one else. 

His life was going to be even more than a Hell. 

How fitting.


* * * 


 

Platform nine and three quarters was crowded. The Potters left early from their house, but there wasn’t much to do with fame and notoriety. 

 

Lily Potter was holding Harry’s hand, while James was driving the truck through the crowd. Hedwig, Harry’s new owl, screeched in her cage, ruffling her feathers when James hit a curb to avoid a person. 

 

“Mrs. Potter?” 

 

Lily stopped and turned to watch a girl in a Gryffindor uniform who was shyly holding a piece of parchment and a Self-Inking Quill. “Mrs. Potter, may I ask you your autograph?” 

 

Harry could see his mother face turn from ‘normal mother’ to ‘famous hero’ in one and a half second. “Of course, my dear,” she said. The girl blushed, probably excited by the fact that she had been called ‘my dear’. Harry refrained from rolling his eyes. His mother called all the fans ‘my dear’ or ‘sweetheart’. Always. 

 

“Mum, we’re gonna be late,” said Harry, grabbing her Muggle coat in order to gain her attention. 

 

“Don’t be silly, Harry, my dear” she replied, using Harry’s truck to sign the parchment. “If this pretty girl is still here, we sure aren’t late. What’s your name by the way?” she asked the girl as if to was the most important thing she needed to know. 

 

“Clarice,” she replied, the pink on her cheeks darkening. 

 

Lily added her name with a flourish and returned the parchment to Clarice. “Here you are, darling.” 

 

The girl took a deep breath, then, biting her lower lip, glanced hopefully at James. “Would it be possible-?”

 

James, who had waited patiently next to the truck, exhibited his best smile. “Of course” he winked, taking the parchment again. 

 

Harry sighed, checking his clock. According to it, they had just ten minutes before the departure, then he would be gone until Christmas. Ten minutes and his parents were spending them with the girl Clarice. 

 

Finally, the Gryffindor understood it was about time to leave and went away, happy as a clam. 

 

His father helped him to tuck away his trunk on a corner of the empty compartment, before returning to the platform where his mother was waiting. 

 

“Do you have everything you need?” asked James. 

 

“Yes, got all my stuff.”

 

“Should you have forgotten something home, I’ll send you by owl in the next week, ok, darling?” added his mum while his dad looked in his pockets and gave him some money. 

 

“Try not to eat too many sweets when the lady with the trolley passes by, ok?” he winked at him. 

 

Harry nodded, knowing perfectly what his father was talking about. His parents had plenty of stories about their time at Hogwarts, they told him almost everything in details, giving him smart bits of advice on what to do, how things worked and also when Lily wasn't listening and James was in a good mood, how to bend the rules a little without being caught. 

 

“Behave yourself and write home”

 

“Yes, mum,” he said, suddenly thinking of his birthday present well locked at the bottom of his truck. Surely when dad had secretly given him the famous Invisibility Cloak, belonged to the Potter Family for generations and generations, he thought otherwise than Harry's good behavior. He had winked at him and whispered "I'm sure you'll need this, surely more than the closet where it was left to gather dust. Use it wisely." Then he had put in Harry's hands a badly wrapped package and hurried him away before Lily could see them. When Harry had opened the present couldn't believe it, to him his father's Invisibility Cloak was a pure legend - he never told his father, but he had thought good part of his adventure as a Marauder were rather exaggerate and far from the truth. However, the very existence of that Cloak could mean that his father's stories were true... 

 

A whistle sounded. The train was about to leave. 

 

“You’ll be a wonderful Gryffindor,” his father said to him, ruffling his already messy hair. 

 

“I’m so gonna miss you” added his mother, kneeling to kiss him on his cheek. “Now, hurry up,” she said with her sweetest voice, “we don’t want you to miss the train.” 

 

Harry hugged her, smiled at his father, then he got on the Hogwarts Express.

 

He searched for the compartment where he left his truck, only to find it occupied by a red-haired boy. Harry was still wondering if he should ask permission even if had the seat before or if he should just walk in when the boy stood up. 

 

“Everywhere else was full, I hope you don’t mind…”

 

“No, ok, it’s fine” he replied, smiling.

 

“I’m Ron Weasley, by the way,” he said, sprawling on his seat.

 

Harry had heard about the Weasleys by his parents' anecdotes, so he knew that his family was one of the most old pure-blood - if someone was still interested in that nowadays - wizard family, mostly because the boy’s father worked at the ministry along with Harry’s mother. 

 

One would suppose that Harry, as the son of two of the most important wizards of the century, would already have friends on the train to Hogwarts, but the truth was Harry didn’t know anyone and that was because he went to a Muggle school - his mother kept insisting that she and his father could teach him some magic home, but that it would be better if he learn the basics such as reading, writing, and arithmetic from an actual teacher instead of a magical tutor. 

 

“Harry Potter” he replied, sitting in front of him. 

 

Ron regained his posture, opening his mouth and watching him as if he had grown a second head. “You- You are Harry Potter?”

 

“Yes,” he said, sharply. “It's me.” He didn’t even bother to shift his fringe to show his scar. 

 

Ron must have known something was wrong with him. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to annoy you”

 

Harry sighed. “No, it’s not…” he replied quickly. The worried look on the red-headed boy softened. “Look, I’m sorry, it’s just I don’t like people watching me like I actually did something I should be famous for.” 

 

“But you did something! I mean you survived the Killing Curse."

 

"Yeah, just because my mother killed him first. She did all the job, I was just there. Look it’s all in the book my mother wrote, so I don’t really want to go through this every time I meet someone." 

 

"Well, I don't think you have that much choice," said Ron. 

 

Harry was about to reply when the door of the compartment opened and a girl peeked in. 

 

"Sorry to bother you, but Neville has lost his toad, do you happen to have seen it?" 


 * * * 


The feast was awkward. Harry didn’t feel like talking with anybody around him. 

He knew it had been a mistake. What was he hoping to gain? 

He had been reckless and there was no turning back. He had seven years to spend in Slytherin and he shivered at the thought, relieved just by the fact that at some point his parents would get used to the silly act of rebellion he had made when he put on the Sorting Hat. 

 

Hmm,” said a small voice in his ear. “Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, I see. Not a bad mind either. There’s talent. Ah, my goodness, yes! And a nice thirst to prove yourself. Now that’s interesting… So, where shall I put you?” 

 

Harry, his eyes closed under the old cloth who would anyway prevent him from seeing, couldn’t stop his thoughts. Not Gryffindor. 

 

“Why not? You have the bravery and the heroism in yourself, I can see it. Just like your parents.” 

“That’s precisely the point,” he said, repeating a variation of the same speech he had tried in his room for the past three months. “I’m not my parents. Could it be possible being sorted in another House, please?” he almost begged. 

The Hat took a few seconds to think about it, to Harry, it seemed hours. 

 

“What about Slytherin?” 

“Slytherin?” Harry asked with uncertainty. He had thought about something less visible, something like Hufflepuff, where he hoped he would fit well, feeling just like any other, or maybe Ravenclaw, the days he dared thinking himself smart enough to be sorted there. But Slytherin? It would be like slapping his father’s face. He couldn’t do anything like that. Could he?

 

“You could be great, you know, it’s all here in your head. And Slytherin will help you on the way to greatness, no doubt about that.”

 

“What if I don’t want to be great?” 

 

“For some strange reason, I got to thought your problem was you wanted to be just Harry and not only the son of James and Lily Potter, Heroes of the Wizarding World. You don’t get that just by sitting in a corner, young boy.”

Harry didn’t think about it enough to allow himself to change his mind. 

 

“Brave enough” the Hat approved. “So it is… SLYTHERIN!

While the rest of the room exploded with chaos, he reached for his table, feeling strangely good. He had thrown the expectations others had on him out of the window. The Sorting Hat was right, that was the way he could just stop being the celebrities' son.

However, the good mood soon started to falter. A single act wasn’t enough, he knew it, but he was only eleven and he was young and impatient. 

He kept telling himself that this was just the start, but somehow he cultivated the hope that the start was enough. 

Of course, it wasn’t. 

They were still trying to figure out how a Potter could not be a Gryffindor, how James and Lily’s son could be a Slytherin. 

“I’m not gonna offer you again my hand to shake, Potter.” Draco Malfoy interrupted his thoughts. He was sitting next to him, 

“I wasn’t gonna take it anyway.” 

Malfoy smirked. These were gonna be seven interesting years. 


danzanelfuoco: (Default)
 Fandom: Originale

Rating: Arancione

Challenge: COW-T, w5, m1

Prompt: Colpo di scena

Wordcount: 1554 parole (canzone esclusa)



 

In the land of make-believe, the situation’s critical 


Il divano su cui si sveglia non è il suo. La testa gli pulsa ancora dalla sbronza della sera prima e nel cercare di tirarsi in piedi rovescia lattine di birra vuote sparse ovunque sul pavimento. 

“Merda” impreca tra i denti, quando sente il liquido impregnargli il calzino. Evidentemente non tutte le lattine erano vuote. 

La stanza è un letamaio, confezioni di cinese take away abbandonate negli angoli che ormai hanno richiamato nugoli di mosche nella calura estiva, piatti abbandonati nel lavello, pacchetti di patatine accartocciati e rotolati ovunque. Ma Jake ha dormito in posti peggiori. 

Recupera da sotto il cuscino la semi-automatica con cui ha dormito e la infila nella fondina, senza fissarla con il gancio. Non si può mai sapere quanto in fretta dovrà estrarla e anche quei pochi secondi necessari a far saltare il bottoncino metallico potrebbero essergli fatali. 

Fruga nella dispensa alla ricerca di qualcosa di commestibile, nella speranza che non tutto il cibo sia troppo scaduto. Dio, quanto gli manca il caffè. Una bella tazza di caffè nero fumante, magari accompagnato da una ciambella al cioccolato. Ma principalmente il caffè. Cosa non darebbe per averne una bella tazza bollente. Gli viene l’acquolina solo al pensiero. 

Sbatte lo sportello della credenza con frustrazione. Da quando hanno tagliato la corrente il caffè se lo può solo sognare. 

Il mal di testa si fa sentire con una fitta che gli trapana il cervello, come a ricordargli che sta vincendo il dopo sbornia su qualsiasi rimedio della nonna lui possa provare a inventarsi. Il suo spirito di sopravvivenza gli ricorda che forse può recuperare un’aspirina, se la fortuna l’assiste, quindi cerca di raggiungere il bagno, scavalcando i mucchi di spazzatura di cui non vuole indagare l’origine. 

“Dio grazie” sussurra aprendo l’armadietto del bagno e trovandolo più fornito di una farmacia. “Una botta di culo, ogni tanto!”

Oltre all’aspirina in bella vista, che si affretta a stringere tra le labbra e ingoiare a secco, senza preoccuparsi di provare la leva del rubinetto da cui sa non uscirà un bel niente, sulle mensoline di vetro sono allineate boccette arancioni di ogni genere, tutte fornite di apposite etichette. 

Esamina frettolosamente una boccetta alla volta, accatastandole nel lavandino. Tre quarti della roba non sa nemmeno a cosa serva e, per quanto secondo la legge di Murphy quello che sta scartando gli sarà assolutamente necessario in futuro, a meno che non incontri un farmacista (cosa di cui dubita molto, sarà tanto se troverà qualcun altro di vivo), probabilmente morirà anche portandosi dietro tutte quelle pillole. 

“Beh, Hank Wilder, ti ringrazio molto” Jake fa sparire nella tasca dei jeans due flaconi di morfina - quella la conosce bene - e decide che la sua violazione di domicilio è durata anche fin troppo. 

Non che qualche poliziotto possa venire a dirgli qualcosa. Anzi, darebbe un braccio per incontrare un uomo delle forze dell’ordine in questo momento, se poi fosse anche armato di pistola non sarebbe male. 

Passano i tre secondi che Jake si concede per veder realizzato il suo desiderio, ma no, nessun essere umano si materializza dal nulla davanti a lui, divisa blu o meno. 

Beh, non che Jake ci sperasse dopotutto.

I poliziotti sono tutti morti. 

E quelli che non lo sono, sono tutti non-morti.

Il che non è molto meglio agli occhi di Jake. 

Si rimette in marcia, la bretella dello zaino che gli sega una spalla nonostante il cotone della maglietta. Il sole di mezzogiorno - almeno secondo il suo orologio da polso, ma non è che possa mantenerlo settato sul segnale orario della stazione ufficiale di Vattelapesca - gli appiccica la camicia addosso e la stoffa che sfrega contro la pelle bagnata di sudore e gli tira i peli, gli fa rimpiangere di non potersi mettere a petto nudo. 

Jake si domanda per l’ennesima volta quale sia il senso di tirare a campare. 

Metà della popolazione umana si è ammalata di un virus che li ha trasformati in zombie e l’altra metà è stata fatta fuori da tali zombie prima di potersi rendere conto che c’era qualcosa che non andava. 

Jake si dice che certo, ci devono essere delle altre persone vive, altre eccezioni alla regola, altri soggetti agli estremi della gaussiana - all’estremo dei vivi, possibilmente, e non dei morti di altro, nonostante gli zombie - ma per il momento lui non ha ancora incontrato nessuno. 

E se anche li incontrasse? 

Qual è il senso?

Jake non si è lasciato alle spalle una famiglia, una moglie o dei figli, niente di così drammatico, lui non sarebbe mai stato il perfetto protagonista di un film apocalittico - a volte si sorprende di essere il protagonista della sua stessa vita - proprio perché non ha nulla da cercare. 

Sì, d’accordo aveva una ragazza, ma lei era andata mesi prima, stroncata da un tizio a cui mancava metà della testa. Se ne è fatto una ragione. Stavano insieme da un mese e avevano scopato sì e no tre volte. Non ci ha pianto più di tanto, manco la conosceva così bene - cinico, sì, ma l’istinto di sopravvivenza tende a tagliare fuori tutte le perdite di energie inutili e il lutto è una di quelle. 

Comunque sia, lui non ha figli da ritrovare dall’altra parte del paese o una cura magica da tirare fuori come un asso nella manica una volta che abbia raggiunto l’irraggiungibile laboratorio all’orizzonte. No, lui non è il protagonista adatto, e se lo fosse questo sarebbe ‘Io sono leggenda’ - il libro, non quel film orribile con Will Smith - e a lui mancherebbe solo avere un cane, ma in ogni caso niente che possa portare un barlume di speranza nel suo prossimo futuro.

Anche se, considerando la fine orribile del cane, forse è meglio che questo non sia un film.

Comunque, Jake va avanti, cammina tutto il giorno senza meta spostandosi ai margini della città, evitando i cadaveri marcescenti - che camminino o meno - e, non appena il sole comincia la sua discesa verso il mare, comincia a cercare un’appartamento vuoto la cui serratura sia frettolosamente forzabile e con possibilmente qualcosa da mangiare. Quando è fortunato, come la sera prima, trova anche medicine, vestiti puliti, qualche lusso - l’ultima volta è stata una tavoletta di cioccolato, duro e secco, con la patina biancastra della data di scadenza passata da un po’, ma ormai cosa non è marcito? 

Se continua di questo passo ancora a lungo, Jake è convinto che gli verrà lo scorbuto. 

Sempre che qualcosa altro non lo ammazzi prima. 

Jake ridacchia. 

E in fondo potrebbe anche sperare che qualcosa lo ammazzi prima. 

Potrebbe anche lasciare che qualcosa lo ammazzi prima. 

Perché andare avanti sotto il sole cocente della California, spiagge dorate che sembrano cartoline del Sahara, il silenzio rotto solamente dall’occasionale sparo e lo splat dei cervelli che si spiaccicano sull’asfalto rovente in poltacei frammenti rossi, comincia a sembrare sempre più senza senso.

In lontananza Jake vede un’ombra. 

Se questo fosse un film sarebbe la morte. 

Se questo fosse un film sarebbe un amico, un essere vivente con cui fare squadra, con cui condividere qualcosa, con cui parlare.
Se questo fosse un film questo sarebbe l’inizio del secondo atto. 

Se solo questo fosse un film… 



 

Dead man walking, audition for the big show 



“Quanto credi che durerà?” 

“Non lo so, gli zombie li abbatte abbastanza bene, niente di grave. Ci siamo giocati la telecamera del Wallmart, ma in fondo possiamo riprenderlo da almeno altri tre angoli. E poi non prevediamo che rimarrà in zona ancora a lungo.” 

“Non ha un pattern di spostamenti.” 

“No. Non ha nemmeno una ragione per andare avanti in realtà. I suoi indici di gradimento stanno scemando. Il pubblico si deprime a vederlo depresso.”
“Ora ci vorrebbe un bel colpo di scena.” 

“Infatti abbiamo aperto il settore di Karen.” 

“Ma lei era alla ricerca del figlio, agli spettatori piaceva.”  

“Sì, ma tutti gli altri soggetti erano troppo lontani. Karen è l’unica che sia riuscita ad attraversare Los Angeles abbastanza in fretta da essere vicina a Jake.” 

“Ah, bene. Mio caro, prevedo un’impennata di ascolti.”

“Beh, la gente nei bunker dovrà pure guardare qualcosa no? È catartico.”

“Chi l’avrebbe mai detto che un’apocalisse zombie ci avrebbe fatto fare i soldi.” 

“E quando mai qualcosa non ci fa fare soldi?” 



 

You wanna go to heaven but you sold your soul 



In lontananza Jake vede un’ombra. 

Se questo fosse un film sarebbe la morte. 

Se questo fosse un film sarebbe un amico, un essere vivente con cui fare squadra, con cui condividere qualcosa, con cui parlare.
Se questo fosse un film questo sarebbe l’inizio del secondo atto. 

Jake si dice che se è uno zombie non gli sparerà. No, se è uno zombie, Jake lascerà che gli strappi via il cuore o il cervello o qualsiasi altra parte di sé gli interessi mangiare e si dichiarerà vinto. 

L’ombra si avvicina, assume i contorni definiti di una figura e, porca puttana, quella è una persona ed è viva. 

La ragazza gli sta puntando una pistola contro, la mano le trema visibilmente quando si rende conto che la persona davanti a lei non ha evidenti mutilazioni.

“Sei umano?” 

E Jake rabbrividisce, perché gli zombie non parlano.

“Sì, sono Jake. Jake Callahan.” 

La ragazza abbassa la pistola, visibilmente sollevata. Jake è il primo essere umano che incontra da quando tutta questa merda è iniziata, qualche mese prima. 

Con le lacrime agli occhi, la ragazza si presenta. “Karen. Chiamami Karen.” 



 

We never sleep, in California we’re dreaming

 

danzanelfuoco: (Default)

Fandom: One Piece

Ship: Zoro/Sanji

Challenge: COW-T #10, week 5, m4 

Prompt: Chat fic 

 

Note: Modern!Au



Shitty cook

What did the ocean say to the other ocean? 01.04


Marimo 

What? 01.07


Shitty cook 

Nothing, they just waved 01.07


Marimo

Oh. 01.08


Shitty cook

Do you sea what I did there?  01:08


Marimo 

No 01.10


Shitty cook 

I’m shore you did. 01.10


Marimo

How do you have friends O.o  01.10


Shitty cook

I’m funny 01.11

And OMG you know hot to use emoticons? 01.11

* how 01.11


Marimo 

No you’re not. 01.11

* and I’d call that a Freudian slip 01.12

‘Cause you know I’m hot as fuck! 01.12


Shitty cook

Shut up! 01.13


Marimo 

Then stop texting me weird stuff so late at night 01.13

Stupid cook 01.14


Shitty cook 

You are replying. 01.14


Marimo

… 01.15


Shitty cook

Wanna hang out? 01.15


Marimo 

What? 01.15

Like now? 01.15

It’s late 01.15


Shitty cook 

Not that late 01.16

And you are awake 01.16


Marimo 

Where? 01.21


Shitty cook

I’ll send you the location. Use Google maps this time. Don’t get lost. 01.21




Shitty cook 

You are lost, aren’t you? 02.00 


Marimo

I am not. 02.00


Shitty cook

It was a ten minutes walk. 02.01

It’s been forty minutes 02.01


Marimo 

I am not lost.  02.02


Shitty cook

Yeah, sure 02.02 


Marimo 

Fuck off 02.03


Marimo 

Where the fuck are you? 02:34 

I swear, if you dragged me out of bed to bring me to this fancy ass pub 02.35

And you are home… 02.35



02.36 

* You have an income calling. From: Shitty cook *


02.37

* You have an income calling. From: Shitty cook *


02.38

* You have an income calling. From: Shitty cook


Marimo 

How the fuck do I pick up a call from this app?! 02.38

Yeah, yeah, I got it, I’ve seen you, now stop calling  02.39


Shitty cook

πŸ™„ 02.40 





04.37 

* You have an income calling. From: Marimo *


04.38 

* You have an income calling. From: Marimo *


04.39 

* You have an income calling. From: Marimo *


04.40

* You have an income calling. From: Marimo *


04.41 

* You have an income calling. From: Marimo *


04.42

* You have an income calling. From: Marimo *


Marimo
Come on, Sanji. 04.43

Pick up this damn phone 04.43


04.44

* You have an income calling. From: Marimo *



Marimo

I’m sorry, ok 04.45 

Really sorry 04.45

I wasn’t trying to make fun of you  04.46 

I didn’t think you would say something like that seriously 04.46

I can see you visualizing my messages and not replying, you know? 04.47


Shitty cook 

Drop it 04.47


Marimo 

No 04.47
We need to talk about it 04.47


Shitty cook

No, seriously. 04.48

Drop it. 04.48 

Pretend I didn’t say anything. 04.49 

We both drank to much 04.49 


Marimo

You didn’t drink at all 04.50 

And you know I wasn’t even near my limit 04.50


Shitty cook 

Why are you like this? 04.51


Marimo

Like what? 04.51


Shitty cook

You have to humiliate me, right? 04.52

You can’t just pretend it never happened, can you? 04.52

Allow me to leave with some dignity 04.52 

 

Marimo 

You took me by surprise 04.53

That’s all 04.53

But seriously 04.53

You needn’t leave 04.53


Shitty cook

If you don’t stop immediately  04.54

I’m gonna block you 04.54


Marimo 

You didn’t even give me a chance to reply 04.54


Shitty cook 

I know tact is not your forte 04.55

I got it 04.55

You laughing was replying enough 04.55


Marimo

No, shit 04.56

 * You can no longer send messages to Shitty cook


I like you too  04.56

 * You can no longer send messages to Shitty cook


You took me by surprise 04.57

 * You can no longer send messages to Shitty cook *

 

I’ve been pining over you for centuries 04.58

 * You can no longer send messages to Shitty cook


I never thought you would confess and it not be a joke 04.58

 * You can no longer send messages to Shitty cook


Sanji, please! 04.59 

* You can no longer send messages to Shitty cook






Witch

Zoro, would you care explain? 15.17


Zoro

Explain what? 15.22


Witch 

Why I don’t have a functional chemistry partner for the assigned project? 15.23


Zoro

The shitty cook? 15.23


Witch

Yes, him 15.24

We had to meet at 15 and he’s been staring out of the window  15.25 

moping  15.25

for almost half an hour now  15.26

Tell me why I’m waisting my Sunday 15.26


Zoro 

What did he tell you? 15.27


Witch

Nothing! 15.27

That’s the point! 15.28 

He just mopes and says 15.28 

I quote 15.28 

‘It’s nothing’ 15.29 

All I got is that he didn’t sleep well because he hung up with you till late hours 15.29

And of course that can’t be it 15.29 

At least not all of it 15.29 

What the fuck happened? 15.30 


Zoro

Well, we did hang up yesterday 15.31


Witch

And? 15.31 


Zoro 

Nothing! 15.31
He just 15.32


Witch

Don’t bullshit me 15.32


Zoro 

Kinda  15.32

Confessed to me 15.32


Witch

FINALLY! 15.33

Wait, why is he sulking then? 15.33 


Zoro

I may or may not 15.34

Haven’t take him seriously  15.34


Witch

WHAT? 15.34
WHY? 15.34
WHY ON EARTH?  15.35

WHY WOULD YOU BE SO STUPID???????????  15.35 


Zoro

I dunno, ok?  15.35 

I dunno.  15.36

He was just smiling, you know, he was there and smiling, charming and flashing and then he leaned and he told me he could ‘get used to spend his nights with me’, like some cheap and cheesy pickup quote, and then I said something along the lines of ‘why would he’ because my brain wasn’t there, okay? My brain wasn’t there. And he said it was because he liked me and I laughed.  15.40 

I laughed. 15.40 

Shit. 15.41 

But can you blame me? 15.41 

Come on, Nami, you’ve seen him   15.41 

Mr Ladies’ man?   15.41 

Liking my gay ass?  15.42 

It had to be a joke.  15.42 

So I laughed because I didn’t want him to know shit.    15.42 

Like yes, you are joking, ah ah ah, no way I’m totally in love with you, ah ah ah  15.43 

And it turns out he was serious!  15.43 

Fuck 15.43 

FUCK 15.43 

He just left and I tried to follow  15.44 

But I got lost 15.44 

Then I tried to call him.  15.44 

And he didn’t pick up 15.44 

He blocked my messages  15.44 


Witch

I. Just. Can’t.  15.45 

You two are incredible! 15.45 

For fuck’s sake, is this a joke?  15.45 

How could you screw up something like this?   15.45 

No.  15.46 

Don’t answer me. 15.46 

I’m gonna send you the location of a place I know.  15.46 

USE GOOGLE MAPS! 15.46 

Be there by the five.  15.47

I’m gonna bring Sanji  15.47 

And then you two sort this mess out. 15.47 


Zoro

Why would you? 15.50 


Witch

Because I need a good mark for this damn exam 15.51 

I’ve been on the phone almost half an hour and Sanji didn’t even notice!  15.51 

See what you’re doing to his mental stability! 15.52 

… 15.52 

And then you owe me 15.52 

BE FUCKING THERE IN TIME  15.52 






Nami 

Hey! 15.59
How’s it going? 15.59 

I had an interesting conversation with Sanji and Zoro this afternoon and I was wondering…

Did you happen to say something to Sanji the other day? 16.00 


Robin 

And did this interesting conversation of yours involved the blooming of a new relationship? 16.01 


Nami 

I am not sure yet. 16.02 

That was why I was asking 16.02 


Robin 

Oh  16.04 

This surprises me. 16.04 


Nami

What did you exactly told Sanji?  16.05 


Robin

Nothing specific.  16.06 

I just made an observation that our resident swordsman is growing a strong fanbase, his matches are starting to get crowded  16.06 

That probably the fact that he’s shirtless during the competitions may attire people for reasons different than mere fascination for the sport  16.07 

And I may have suggested that if I had a crush on him I would make my move before Zoro could find interesting the company of another person. 16.08 

Not that explicitly of course. 16.08 


Nami

Of course 16.09 


Robin 

What happened then? 16.09 


Nami

Well, you know those two. 16.10 

Basically Sanji threw himself at Zoro and Zoro panicked 16.10
Could you believe it? 16.10 

Now Sanji thinks Zoro is the most homophobic jock in history. 16.10 


Robin

That’s ludicrous. 16.11 


Nami

My point.  16.11 

Now I’m tricking Sanji into going out to take his mind out of the situation 16.11 

(Situation that I got from Zoro, because Sanji won’t tell me shit)  16.12 

And I sent the location to Zoro so that he would come and talk to Sanji 16.12 

Because honestly, this is getting ridiculous. 16.12 

So I was wondering… 16.12 

Could you… 16.13 

I don’t know?  16.13
send Franky to check on him?  16.13 

Like, make sure Zoro is there on time? 16.13 


Robin

Yes, I think that would be for the best.  16.14 

Keep me updated 16.14 


Nami 

Sure thing  16.14 


Robin

Franky’s on his way 16.43 

He’ll make sure Zoro won’t get lost. 16.43 


Nami 

Thnx a lot 16.51 

We’re on our way, too 16.51 






Tangerine:

πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰ You owe me 10 berries πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰ 20.20 


Captain Sniper 

Are you sure? 20.23 


Tangerine

I was there 😏 20.23 


Captain Sniper 

REALLY?   20.24
WHAT HAPPENED?!?!?!?!   20.24 


20.24 

* You have an income calling. From: Tangerine  *






Shitty cook (Sanji) 

Water you doing? 00.12 


Marimo πŸ’š

Please  00.12 

Don’t 00.12 


Shitty cook (Sanji)

Hey, no need to be a beach  00.12


Marimo πŸ’š

Why me?  00.13


Shitty cook (Sanji) 

Shell I stop then?   00.13


Marimo πŸ’š

πŸ˜–  00.13 



Shitty cook (Sanji) 

Ok, then   00.14 

I won’t sand anymore message  00.14 


Marimo πŸ’š

Wait were you for real?  00.27 


Shitty cook (Sanji)

🀐 00.27 


Marimo πŸ’š

OMG I can’t believe I’m really about to do this 00.31 


Shitty cook (Sanji)

🀨 00.32 


Marimo πŸ’š

What did one volcano say to the other volcano? 00.33 


Shitty cook (Sanji)

?  00.33 

Impress me 00.34


Marimo πŸ’š

I lava you  00.35 


Shitty cook (Sanji) 

OMG that was terrible πŸ˜‚ 00.35 


Marimo πŸ’š

I know.  00.36 


Shitty cook (Sanji) 

I love you too.  00.36

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