under co.

‘ well , let’s just say if i had you as a history teacher in high school , i might not have fallen asleep during his lessons , ’ she remembers mr . richards’ snooze fest of a teaching plan and scrunched her nose . ‘ either way , i’d love that , ’ she concludes , rubbing his shoulder before replacing her goggles over her eyes . ‘ i think th’kids will , too , ’

RAIN, THANK GOD FOR RAIN,, the warm showers washed the shame off of her half naked body, it cleansing her skin, the water working into the deep burns that looped around both of her wrists, it STUNG- but in the b e s t way,, – however this joyous ritual was  C  U  T   S   H   O  R  T  as she started to see the blinding beans from a CAR, “ no . “    feet that had slowed to a walk started to run, “ GO AWAY!! “ she screams,  bad at the lights, unfortunately feet caught a stray log and the female finds her self curling up in the mud, and with that- she  G A V E  I N boris had caught her again, “ im- im sorry” 

her hands covered her head, she waiting for the HARSH STOMP of boris’s boots to hit her, but when they didn’t TERRIFIED eyes open, the widened hues staring up at the person standing over her shadowed by the head lights, “ please- i dont want to go back, ILL DO ANYTHING PLEASE.”  she saw movement and BRACED herself curling up even tighter, pink lips spitting out the russian prayers she was taught oh so long ago. // @langlcy​

           he’s  coming  home  from  the  DINER   (   a  job  he’d  gotten  as  a  COMPROMISE  with  his  father ;  it  was  either  a  job  or  teaching  sunday  school   &  he’d  chosen  the  former  ) when  he  catches  sight  of  the  figure  on  the  side  of  the  road .   it  takes  a  moment  for  his  mind  to  comprehend  what  he’s  seeing ,  but  once  he  does   —  a  GIRL ,  out  in  weather  like  this ,  half  NAKED   —   he  pulls  over  to  a  screeching  halt ,  leaping  from  his  old  ford  anglia   and  rushing  to  the  girl’s  side .

sat outside on her house’s porch , alice makes contact with the stars . ‘ here - outside , ’ she begins , hand inching closer to his . ‘ it’s just… you and i , ’ she’s not the best at showing her emotions , but this is charles ; a man she’s known forever . glancing away from the sky , alice looks at him , instead , smile the softest it’s ever been . her hand encloses over his own . ‘ i couldn’t love you more if i tried , ’

@langlcy + swimming in the moonlight by bad suns .

       ‘ mr. langley , i hope you aren’t busy . ’ it wasn’t often that elise went to the other teachers . she was far too shy for that . ‘ are you free tomorrow night ? the city music association gave me free tickets for a concerti concert for my students . which is wonderful , they’re so generous with that but … ’ her cheeks burn softly and she nervously plays with her hands . ‘ the parent i requested to chaperone cancelled . would you be willing to come along ? ’ 

@langlcy  /  starter call 

TAKE THIS TO YOUR GRAVE ( ACCEPTING )

       ‘   gotta  say ,  that  doesn’t  sound  very  HEALTHY .  ’   though  hasn’t  he  tried  similar  things  before ?   didn’t  he  spend  years  of  his  life  running ?   ‘  look ,  i  know  it  sounds  rich  coming  from  me ,  but  sometimes  it’s  just  better  to  face  things  HEAD-ON .  ’

         elizabeth shouldered her bag , looking up when her name was called . she stepped towards his desk and tightened her grip on the bag . he was impressed ? she looked to the side gently . ‘ mr. langley are you sure it was my essay ? i-i thought it was really awful … ’

        ‘ it’s never too late mr. langley . ’ she gives him a soft smile , looking at her wall of awards . they went from her being ten years old to a couple years ago . ‘ i mean , i could always teach you somethings … that’s my job after all . ’ a shy pleasant smile finds her lips .

he’s years sober , and so he felt secure enough to be sitting next to charles in this bar , sipping from his nonalcoholic glass of coke . ‘ i’m a terrible wing man , ’ he blushes underneath stubble . ‘ i can barely talk to women myself , let alone for someone else . so i’ll apologize now . ’

@langlcy .

feel free to change pronouns/etc!

THRILLER

‘ i found the safest place to keep all our old mistakes. ’ ‘ long live the car crash hearts. ’ ‘ cry on the couch, and all the poets come to life. fix me in forty-five. ’ ‘ i can take all your problems away with a nod and a wave of my hand. ’ ‘ that’s just the kind of boy that i am. ’ ‘ the only thing i haven’t done yet is die. ’ ‘ crowds are won and lost and won again. ’

“THE TAKE OVER, THE BREAKS OVER”

‘ baby, seasons change, but people don’t. ’ ‘ i’m boring. ’ ‘ don’t pretend you ever forgot about me. ’ ‘ wouldn’t you rather be a widow than a divorcee? ’ ‘ we don’t fight fair. ’ ‘ they say your head can be a prison; then these are just conjugal visits. ’ ‘ people will dissect us till this doesn’t mean a thing anymore. ’ ‘ we do it in the dark with smiles on our faces. ’ ‘ we’re trapped and well concealed in secret places. ’

THIS AIN’T A SCENE, IT’S AN ARMS RACE

‘ i am an arms dealer, fitting you with weapons in the form of words. ’ ‘ i don’t really care which side wins. ’ ‘ that’s just the business i’m in. ’ ‘ this ain’t a scene, it’s a goddamn arms race. ’ ‘ i’m not a shoulder to cry on. ’ ‘ i’m a leading man, and the lies i weave are oh-so intricate. ’ ‘ i wrote the gospel on giving up. ’

I’M LIKE A LAWYER WITH THE WAY I’M ALWAYS TRYING TO GET YOU OFF (ME & YOU)

‘ last year’s wishes are this year’s apologies. ’ ‘ every time i come home i take my last chance to burn a bridge or two. ’ ‘ i only keep myself this sick in the head cause i know how the words get you off. ’ ‘ we’re the new face of failure: prettier and younger, but not any better off. ’ ‘ me and you, setting in a honeymoon if i woke up next to you. ’ ‘ i love the tree i used to lay beneath, kissed teeth stained red from a sour bottle baby girl with eyes the size of baby worlds. ’ ‘ the best way to make it through with hearts and wrists intact is to realize two out of three ain’t bad. ’

HUM HALLELUJAH

‘ it’s all a game of this or that, now versus then, better off against worse for wear. ’ ‘ you’re someone who knows someone who knows someone i once knew. ’ ‘ i just want to be a part of this. ’ ‘ the road outside my house is paved with good intentions. ’ ‘ i could write it better than you ever felt it. ’ ‘ hum hallelujah just off the key of reason. ’ ‘ i thought i loved you. it was just how you looked in the light. ’ ‘ a teenage vow in a parking lot: till tonight do us part. ’ ‘ my words are my faith. ’ ‘ to hell with our good name. ’ ‘ one day, we’ll get nostalgic for disaster. ’ ‘ i love you in the same way there’s a chapel in a hospital: one foot in your bedroom and one foot out the door. ’ ‘ sometimes we take chances, sometimes we take pills. ’

GOLDEN

‘ how cruel is the golden rule when the lives we live are only golden-plated? ’ ‘ i knew the lights of the city were too heavy for me. ’ ‘ i saw god cry in the reflection of my enemies, and all the lovers with no time for me. ’ ‘ all of the mothers raise their babies to stay away from me. ’ ‘ all of the mothers raise their babies to stay away from me, and pray they don’t grow up to be me. ’

THNKS FR TH MMRS

‘ say a prayer, but let the good times roll in case god doesn’t show. ’ ‘ i want these words to make things right, but it’s the wrongs that make the words come to life. ’ ‘ who does he think he is? ’ ‘ one night, and one more time. ’ ‘ thanks for the memories, even if they weren’t so great. ’ ‘ he tastes like you, only sweeter. ’ ‘ thanks for the memories. ’ ‘ i’ve been looking forward to the future, but my eyesight is going bad. ’ ‘ they say i only think in the form of crunching numbers. ’ ‘ get me out of my mind, and get you out of those clothes. ’

DON’T YOU KNOW WHO I THINK I AM?

‘ penny for your thoughts, but a dollar for your insights, or a fortune for your disaster. ’ ‘ they say quitters never win. ’ ‘ there’s a world outside of my front door that gets off on being down. ’ ‘ i could learn to pity fools, as i’m the worst of all. ’ ‘ i can’t stop feeling sorry for myself. ’ ‘ we’re broken down on memory lane. ’ ‘ we’re alone. ’

THE (AFTER) LIFE OF THE PARTY

‘ i’m a stitch away from making it, and a scar away from falling apart. ’ ‘ the full moon pills got me out on the street at night. ’ ‘ i cut it loose, watch you work the room. ’ ‘ put love on hold. ’ ‘ death’s in a double bed. ’ ‘ i’m singing songs that could only catch the ear of the desperate. ’ ‘ i kiss away young thrills and kills on the mouths of all my friends. ’

THE CARPAL TUNNEL OF LOVE

‘ we take sour sips from life’s lush lips, and we shake the hips in relationships. ’ ‘ we might have started singing just a little soon. ’ ‘ we’re throwing stones at a glass moon. ’ ‘ we’re so miserable and stunning. ’ ‘ i slept through the weekend and was dreaming of sinking with the melody of the cliffs of eternity. ’ ‘ we might have said goodbyes just a little soon. ’ ‘ it was ice cream headaches and sweet avalanche. ’ ‘ you call me a bad tipper of the cradle. ’ ‘ we’re the has-beens of husbands sharpening the knives of young wives. ’ ‘ take two years and call me when you’re better. ’

BANG THE DOLDRUMS

‘ i wrote a goodbye note in lipstick on your arm when you passed out. ’ ‘ best friends, ex-friends till the end. better off as lovers, and not the other way around. ’ ‘ “come hell or high water” well, i’m feeling hot and wet. ’ ‘ i can’t commit to a thing, be it heart or hospital. ’ ‘ the tombstones were waiting, they were half-engraved. they knew it was over, just didn’t know the date. ’ ‘ i cast a spell over the west to make you think of me the same way i think of you. ’ ‘ this is a love song, in my own way: happily ever after below the waist. ’

FAME < INFAMY

‘ i’m a preacher sweating in the pew for the salvation i’m bringing you. ’ ‘ when i’m home alone, i just dance by myself. ’ ‘ i’m alright in bed, but i’m better with a pen. ’ ‘ the kid was alright, but it went to his head. ’ ‘ i am god’s gift, but why would he bless me with such wit without a conscience equipped? ’ ‘ i’m addicted to the way i feel when i think of you. ’

YOU’RE CRASHING, BUT YOU’RE NO WAVE

‘ i’m guessing that you read the morning paper? ’ ‘ the headline reads “the man hangs,” but the jury doesn’t. ’ ‘ everyone’s looking for relief. ’ ‘ clear your throat and face the world. ’ ‘ we’re only breathing with the aid of denial. ’ ‘ isn’t it tragic? ’ ‘ hang on a rope or bated breath, whichever you prefer. ’ ‘ not a word could make you comprehend. ’ ‘ i can talk my way out of anything. ’

I’VE GOT ALL THIS RINGING IN MY EARS AND NONE ON MY FINGERS

‘ you’re a canary, i’m a coal mine. ’ ‘ sorrow is just all the rage. ’ ‘ i’m so sorry, but not really. ’ ‘ the truth hurts worse than anything i could bring myself to do to you. ’ ‘ do you remember the way i held your hand under the lamp post and ran home this way, so many times i could close my eyes? ’

G.I.N.A.S.F.S.

‘ i’ve loved everything about you that hurt. ’ ‘ let me see your moves. ’ ‘ everybody wants to drive on through the night if it’s a drive back home. ’ ‘ things aren’t the same anymore. ’ ‘ i sleep with your old shirts and walk through this house in your shoes. ’ ‘ it’s a strange way of saying that i know i’m supposed to love you. ’ ‘ i’m supposed to love you. ’ ‘ i’ve already given up on myself twice; third time is the charm. ’ ‘ i threw caution to the wind, but i’ve got a lousy arm. ’ ‘ some nights, they get so bad i almost pick up the phone. ’ ‘ you saved my life. ’ ‘ you saved my life, that night on the roof of your hotel. ’

IT’S HARD TO SAY “I DO,” WHEN I DON’T

continued with @langlcy .

the sadness envelopes her chest , even though alice is incredibly efficient at hiding it . she means it when she says charles is the only good thing about this place . no one had been as nice to her has he had been , from the first day they’d met . she could be herself , and that’s what she liked the most ; if she wanted to be sensitive , she could cry on his shoulder - if she wanted to vent , he’d listen carefully , and look at her like she was speaking of something romantic ( no one has ever looked at her that way ; what if no one ever would again ? ) .

‘ and you didn’t tell me ? ’ alice is stunned . they tell each other everything . it’s not as if she’s offended , but she would have liked to know . still , her hand clasps tightly to his own , thumb rubbing comforting circles into his skin . her smile is a mixture of sadness and love . ‘ i want you t’go to war just about as you want you to , but california ? really ? ’ she thinks about it , real hard for a moment , but alice shakes her head , laughs at the sentiment . ‘ imagine me in san francisco , ’ she couldn’t .

and yet , she wants to . if he asked , alice would likely follow charles anywhere . and that’s not as scary as it sounded ; she’d been brought up brave , tough - albeit a bit lighthearted and gullible . eyes flutter a bit as she looks up at the boy , smile more sad than anything now . ‘ you’ll stay in contact , right ? you won’t forget about me ? ’ she asks , which gives him her answer . ‘ we can write letters . i got a phone’ve my own in my room the other day . all private , we can talk about anything we want , ’ alice still doesn’t let go of his hand .

       ‘   i  didn’t  tell  anyone ,  alice .  mom  and  dad  don’t  even  know  i  got  drafted .  ’   he’d  been  so  SCARED ,  that  was  all .   scared  that  they’d  be  disappointed  or  ANGRY  and  make  him  go  fight  a  war  he’s  never  believed  in .   he’s  not  cut  out  for  the  military  period  and  especially  not  for  combat ,  too  soft-hearted  to  imagine  taking  aim  and  killing  another  person .  and  the  idea  of  risking  his  life  for  that ,  taking  a  chance  that  he’ll  never  see  alice  again . . .   how  could  he ?

       ‘  i  am .  ’   imagining  her  in  san  francisco ,  that  is .   ‘  i  can  see  it ,  alice .  i  can  see  you   —  you  and  me ,  the  open  road ,  maybe  hit  the  national  parks  on  the  way  there . . .  ’   he  shifts  his  weight ,  leans  forward  as  voice  takes  on  more  &  more  excitement .   her  next  question  makes  his  brow  furrow ,  and  he  squeezes  her  hands  a  little .   ‘  of  course  i  won’t  forget  about  you .  how  could  i ?  ’   the  mere  concept  is  foreign  to  him .  forget  about  alice ?  never ;  she’s  a  constant  in  his  mind  &  his  heart   —  his  NORTH  STAR .

       god ,  what  is  he  gonna  do  without  her ?     ‘  but  there’s   —  there’s  nothing  stopping  us  from  just  going ,  either !   we’re  old  enough  to  be  on  our  own ,  and  even  if  i  didn’t  have  to  leave  i’d  want  you  to  be  with  me .   my  friends  would  love  you ,  we  could  get  a  little  apartment  with  lots  of  windows  and  a   —  a  record  player ,  imagine  that !   sunlight  streaming  down ,  wind  in  your  hair ,  pictures  of  us  at  the  grand  canyon  and  zion  and  the  grand  teton !  or  wherever  you  wanna  go !   ’

                                                            EYES HALF LIDDED WITH GROGGINESS. The sleep is ripped from him as the warmth left his belly when he was placed into the arms of the teacher who ADOPTED the very large cat in the house + CLASSROOM. His eyes slid upwards, ears PERKING back as he was cradled against the man’s chest, fingers threading through his mass of knotted fur, silky under his care. THE PURRS continue audibly from his chest, a bit louder as he bumps his head UPWARDS into the touches of his current owner. ONCE the attention is broken from the over sized Maine Coon, he let out a small gurgle before falling quiet OPTICS peering across the students before he stretched out one of his LARGE paws to press at the other’s cheek. 

                                                                                                                 @langlcy - CON