breaking my silence on chess the musical to say that i would literally not give a fuck about this show if i thought it was good or fully successful at what it is saying. SORRY! i love how messy she is. i love how since 1984 and continuing to this very day people with entirely different perceptions of and opinions on the musical have attempted in their own ways to "make it good" by creating all these different versions with like notably different plots, characterization, and song order, and i love how fucking bad the vast majority of these are despite it all. i hope people keep trying to fix chess the musical forever and until the end of time. i hope no one ever figures it out. i want every currently living theatre director in existence to make their own version and for all these versions to come out on broadway at the same time, making that year's musical season entirely comprised of various different versions of the cold war chess musical by tim rice and half of abba. i want not only our greatest minds but also our middlest-of-the-road and worst minds to come up with their own conclusions as to why chess does not entirely work in its original form or any subsequent forms like to really think about it and yes i do want someone to dedicate their entire life to perfecting chess by releasing version after version after version until they die peacefully but still, as always, in the grips of obsession. i want marriages to be broken up. i want mental states to be shattered. i dream of this world
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“I found the perfect place, Yaz!” Graham walks into to console room, waving what the Doctor recognizes as a travel book from one of her libraries.
“You said you wanted to visit an alien library, well, this here’s the largest one in the universe! An entire library planet!”
The Doctor sprints over to him and rips the book from his hands. “Find somewhere else. And no libraries.”
The bite in her voice startles them.
———
An hour later the Doctor shuffles into the kitchen where Yaz, Graham and Ryan are having tea, she avoids eye contact. “I’ve changed my mind. I think.. we should go to that library.”
———
They arrive at the Library, the Doctors mood has not improved, she’s hardly said a word since.
“I’m going to drop you off at this section. I… need to be alone here.”
They all shift awkwardly and look at one another, exchanging worried glances.
“Are you alright?” Yaz asks her.
“Stay off my comm channel unless it’s an emergency.” She closes the TARDIS door and a moment later it vanishes.
———
They meet back up a few hours later.
They find the Doctor sitting in a large, wide staircase. Her eyes are red and her cheeks are damp.
“We’re here for you, you know, if you ever need to talk.” Graham says softly as they all take a seat around her.
She eventually looks over at her friends. She thinks once more of River and of Amy and of Rory. She wants a family again.
“I lost my wife here.” She suddenly wants to tell them everything.
She hears them all inhale sharply.
“… This is also the place where I first met her.”
Ryan’s hand touches her shoulder. “Wow, that’s really shit, mate.”
“Ryan!” Yaz and Graham say simultaneously.
“Was that not the right thing to say?” Ryan mumbles to Yaz.
The Doctor laughs.
She smiles at them all, and she lets the tears fall again.
Yaz leans in and wraps her arms around the Doctor, Ryan and Graham follow suit. They stay a little while longer, and talk, and cry, and they hold her more. Her family.
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Away from others
(James Potter / Regulus Black | 600 words)
For @jegulus-microfic prompt: Cruel
Regulus was never much bothered by what other people were saying about him. He usually didn’t even listen to them. Most of it wasn’t even true. But lately, he started to listen, when his name was spoken in the same sentence as James’. Firstly it was their surprise at the news of the two of them dating. Rumours always travelled in Hogwarts fast- usually thanks to the Ravenclaws. But the surprise shifted into a discussion of why James bothered dating him of all people. He tried to ignore them, he knew James loved him, and that was enough. It was several cruel remarks about Regulus being only rebound after Lily turned James down that made him hesitate. How James was only passing time until someone better came up.
“I don’t know, maybe they can make it work.” Said some Ravenclaw girl which Regulus didn’t bother learning her name.
“True…” Hufflepuff boy continued in a hushed voice. “But you saw all the grand gestures and proposals he always did for Lily, have you seen him doing something like this for Black?”
Regulus tried to ignore them, but this… this sentence was stuck in his mind. Because they were right, weren’t they?
They were in the astronomy tower sitting beside each other looking at the start as they always did. Just the two of them, out of the site of others. And Regulus’ mind was running miles per hour Rebound, Lily, Passing time, James used to look at Lily so in love.
“James?” Regulus said before he could stop himself. James hummed turning towards him. Regulus tried to think what to say, anything other than exposing his insecurities.
“What is it?” James asked catching on the hesitation.
“I was just thinking, I remember you were always so loud about wanting Lily,” Regulus said quietly.
“Lily? Why are we talking about Lily?” James asked confused turning his whole body towards the boy next to him.
“I just… you always did these grand loud gestures for her.” Regulus chewed on his lower lip anxiously. “But you never did something like this for me.”
James' eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You want me to do something like that for you? Sing you in the great hall in front of everyone for example.”
“No,” Regulus answered instantly, because no, in no world he would like that.
James smiled at him as he reached out pushing a fallen curl behind Regulus’ ear. “That’s why I don’t do that.”
Regulus nodded because, yes, that made sense. But if James really loved him, wouldn’t he want to anyway?
“Reg…” James said. “I like that I can be here with you like this. That our relationship is just… ours. I like loving you in quiet. It’s peaceful and calm. Something I never knew I needed until you.”
And oh, suddenly Regulus understood. It was a good thing James didn’t do that because that way he could just be with Regulus the way he wanted. Steady and sure.
It was a week after their conversation. Regulus still heard the whispers in the hall about them, but now he knew better than to doubt himself and James. And the rest of his fears disappeared when James took him to a forbidden forest one night. Regulus complained of course, because “It’s called forbidden for a reason, Potter.”
Then they arrived in a hidden meadow, lightened up by dozens of small lanterns and a blanket with a basket in the middle. It took his breath away. “For you so you don’t feel left out on some of my romantic skills, but here away from others. Just for us.”
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