DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!

the static feels safer than any goddamn d.j. can't trust those fast talkers and trend walkers, 'cause someone's stealing voices. better not to hear any.

[gibsonder]

              DON’T TOUCH THAT DIAL, KIDS!                                                ( horror / fear street oc. written by annie. )

[callslgns]

     “     ( … )        𝙞𝙩'𝙨  𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜  𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣,  𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩  𝙞𝙩?    ” 

 @callslgns​​   &   @radicbabe​​   &   @gibsonder​​​    

                              𝙵𝙴𝙰𝚁  𝚂𝚃𝚁𝙴𝙴𝚃  𝙾𝙲𝚂,  𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚗  𝚋𝚢  𝙺𝙴𝙻𝚂,  𝙰𝙶𝙶𝙸𝙴,  &  𝙰𝙽𝙽𝙸𝙴.

[gibsonder]

radicbabe​.

𝚂𝙷𝙴   𝙻𝙾𝙾𝙺𝚂   𝙻𝙸𝙺𝙴   𝙰   𝙶𝙷𝙾𝚂𝚃,   𝙷𝙾𝚅𝙴𝚁𝙸𝙽𝙶   𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝙴   𝙸𝙽   𝚃𝙷𝙴   𝙳𝙾𝙾𝚁𝚆𝙰𝚈.         fuck      .   .   .      maybe   she   is.         it   feels   wrong   to   be   here,   to   be   anywhere   really,   like   whatever   it   is   that   brought   them   back   made   a   mistake   in   breathing   air   back   into   her   lungs.         dj   feels   like   the   creature   possessing   her   body.         it   belonged   to   something   else   for   so   long      .   .   .         she   can’t   help   but   note   every   detail:      the   way   katia   looks   away,   the   way   she   hasn’t   spoken   of   her   own   forgiveness.         they’re   both   clinging   to   the   barest   of   threads   left  of  what   they   were.         ❝         𝐢   𝐬𝐚𝐰   𝐢𝐭   𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧,   𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐚.         𝐢   𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐝   𝐲𝐨𝐮   𝐝𝐢𝐞.         𝐦𝐲   𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬   𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐝   𝐲𝐨𝐮   𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫   𝐭𝐡𝐞   𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫.         ❞

         her   joke   doesn’t   land,   and   dj   is   too   tired   to   fake   a   reaction.         she   doesn’t   feel   anything,   not   even   the   pinprick   of   a   smile.         makes   sense,   she   supposes,   that   something   had   to   be   removed,   her   body   hollowed   out,   to   make   room   for   that   something   else.         her   eyes   are   glassy,   but   she’s   bare   of   any   actual   tears.         it’s   a   strange   sensation.         ❝         𝐲𝐨𝐮   𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝𝐧'𝐭   𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞   𝐦𝐞   𝐞𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫      .   .   .      𝐲𝐨𝐮   𝐡𝐚𝐝   𝐚   𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞   𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞.         𝐲𝐨𝐮   𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧'𝐭   𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞   𝐮𝐬.         ❞

        your back teeth clamp down on the inside of your cheek. she brought up the one thing you hadn’t wanted to think about. you know it wasn’t her -- her hands, her body, but it wasn’t her. something had fixed it all, undid what was done. you haven’t even seen either of them until you visited d.j. today. you’d died thinking they could still make it; they were strong enough to do it the first time. maybe if you hadn’t tagged along -- hadn’t been so ready to help, things wouldn’t have gone so belly-up. (the logical part of you, small as it is, has a feeling each of the three of you blame yourself. + considering what the news was saying, none of it was any of your faults at all. doesn’t help.) 

         another hand runs through your hair, forcing one of your lopsided smiles onto your face. “ i do, though. i mean -- it wasn’t ... you. + besides that ... ” you shrug, hands slapping against your sides. you’re trying to decide how to phrase this next bit. better to just say it, even if your voice cracks. you’re about to cry. “ you guys are my best friends. i miss you. ”

[gibsonder]

callslgns​.

                                          ❝  that  would  be  terrible  bedside  manner,  ❞   river  says,  with  a  sleepy,  wry  smile.  he  wouldn’t  dare  admit  sappiness,  but  he  was  glad  for  the  company  —  company  he  wasn’t  pretending  at  personhood  with.  but  then,  it  had  always  been  easy  with  katia,  since  they  were  kids.  she  hadn’t  ditched  him  just  yet  —  despite  the  warning  signs.

he  hums  in  consideration,  lilting  his  head  in  her  direction  —  not  that  she  can  see  him  buried  in  all  available  pillows  in  the  vicinity.   ❝  … well,  do  you  have  a  preference  in  method?  ❞   he  asks  casually,  quiet  amusement  still  evident.   ❝  if  you  want  me  to  pick  you  up  something,  you  can  just  ask,  you  know.  ❞   arms  cross  as  he  pauses  by  his  desk,  pointing  the  light  in  the  opposite  direction.  river  glances  back  at  her  over  his  shoulder;   ❝  bright  light  or  loud  sounds,  this  time?  ❞   he  pauses,  ❝  …  or,  insurmountable  existential  dread?  ❞

       “ s’light this time. ” you’re not moving, but you hear the smile in his voice. “ also th’whole dread thing but, like, that’s not the migraine -- s’just life. ” no matter how fucked-up your brain feels, you can’t lose your sense of humor. riv is one of the few people you don’t mind being around like this. most people would either get ditched or only pick up on the symptoms if they’re very clever. you’ve definitely caused headaches openly, noise complaints being a common dealing. some people just don’t appreciate rock + roll, which is sort of how you two became friends. “ straight up, bash my brain in. ”

[gibsonder]

the only meaning behind this url is tht katia (in her original rendition yknow 45 years ago) plays a gibson guitar n is in a bad called sonder n since both words have “son” i said smoosh

[gibsonder]

@callslgns: ❛  what  am  i  supposed  to  do ?  ❜

        “end my whole life.” your voice is muffled against the pillows you’ve sandwiched your head between. you’re sure you look stupid, but that is beyond the point right now. it feels like your brain is trying to leak out of your tear ducts. (this one is just light, not sound. why are they never the same? absolutely ridiculous.) but death is the only solution you can use your limited brain power to find at the moment. is it melodramatic? debatably. to an outside observer, probably. 

       “i think my brain’s comin’ out of my eyes right now, so it’d be a mercy.”

accepting.

[gibsonder]

@radicbabe: ❛  river’ll  never  forgive  me .  ❜

        in all fairness, sometimes it’s hard for you to look d.j. in the face. you know she didn’t really have a say in what she was doing, + it wasn’t exactly fun for any of the three of you. easily, though, the strangest part is that all three of you came back. (you didn’t know till after the fact that they had both died. which was awkward. you saw your dad cry when you showed up at the door, apparently days later, dripping wet.) your teeth tear at your bottom lip, gaze drifting off into nowhere. “i mean. you don’t know that. i ... i’ve just been staying home. you know how dad is. but. it’s not ... like you wanted to. it was th’curse. or whatever.”

       you run a hand through faded blue locks, lost in thought. news flash, to those wondering: drowning sucks. dying, in general, sucks. but at least since coming back, you haven’t had any sort of migraine. “i might owe y’one, though. you might’ve cured my migraines.” you’re trying to lighten the mood. even though it’s hard, + probably impossible, you want to go back to it being the three of you. best friends. you need that, now more than ever.

accepting.

[ohisms]

𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑯𝑨𝑽𝑬 𝑵𝑶 𝑷𝑶𝑾𝑬𝑹 𝑶𝑽𝑬𝑹 𝑴𝑬 !    (   sentence  starters  originating  from  jim  henson’s  1986  film  ‘ labyrinth ’ .  )

❛  oh ,  it’s  not  fair !  ❜ ❛  well ,  don’t  stand  there  in  the  rain  -  come  on .  ❜ ❛  [ name ] ,  you’re  an  hour  late .  ❜ ❛  please ,  let me finish .  ❜ ❛  we  were  worried  about  you .  ❜ ❛  i  can’t  do  anything  right ,  can  i ?  ❜ ❛  you’d  better  hurry ,  or  you’re  gonna  be  late .  ❜ ❛  you  really  wanted  to  talk  to  me ,  didn’t  you ?  ❜ ❛  i  hate  you .  i  hate  you !  ❜ ❛  knock  it  off .  ❜ ❛  [ name ] ,  stop  it .  ❜ ❛  what’s  said  is  said .  ❜ ❛  i  didn’t  mean  it .  ❜ ❛  i’ve  brought  you  a  gift .  ❜ ❛  [ name ] ,  don’t  defy  me .  ❜ ❛  you’re  no  match  for  me .  ❜ ❛  turn  back  before  it’s  too  late .  ❜ ❛  such  a  pity .  ❜ ❛  time  is  short .  ❜ ❛  shows  what  you  know ,  doesn’t  it ?  ❜ ❛  you’re  horrible .  ❜ ❛  if  that’s  all  the  help  you’re  gonna  be ,  you  can  just  leave .  ❜ ❛  you  take  too  many  things  for  granted .  ❜ ❛  thanks  for  nothing ,  [ name ] .  ❜ ❛  things  aren’t  always  what  they  seem  in  this  place .  ❜ ❛  that’s  right ,  it’s  not  fair .  ❜ ❛  what  am  i  supposed  to  do ?  ❜ ❛  i  knew  you  were  going  to  get  into  trouble  as  soon  as  i  met  you .  ❜ ❛  oh ,  don’t  sound  so  smart .  ❜ ❛  why  are  you  so  concerned  about  me ?  ❜ ❛  what  do  we  have  here ?  ❜ ❛  what  a  nice  surprise .  ❜ ❛  how  can  i  believe  anything  you  say ?  ❜ ❛  what  choice  have  you  got ?  ❜ ❛  you’ve  gotta  understand  my  position ;  i’m  a  coward .  ❜ ❛  you  little  cheat  -  you  nasty  little  cheat !  ❜ ❛  give  those  back  to  me !  ❜ ❛  the  way  forwards  is  sometimes  the  way  back .  ❜ ❛  will  you  please  be  quiet ?!  ❜ ❛  it  seems  like  we’re  not  getting  anywhere .  ❜ ❛  you’re  the  only  friend  i’ve  got .  ❜ ❛  well ,  i’m  not  afraid .  ❜ ❛  i’m  used  to  it .  ❜ ❛  leave  me  alone !  ❜ ❛  please ,  i only have a little time left .  ❜ ❛  you’re  a  life  saver .  ❜ ❛  [ name ] ,  what  have  you  done ?  ❜ ❛  i’ll  be  there  for  you .  ❜ ❛  [ pronoun ]’ll  never  forgive  me .  ❜ ❛  it’s  all  junk !  ❜ ❛  i  don’t  see  why  we  have  to  be  so  quiet .  ❜ ❛  [ name ] ,  are  you  alright ?  ❜ ❛  i  don’t  care  what  you  think  of  me .  ❜ ❛  i  forgive  you ,  [ name ] .  ❜ ❛  i  have  to  do  this  alone .  ❜ ❛  everything  i’ve  done ,  i’ve  done  for  you .  ❜ ❛  i  move  the  stars  for  no  one .  ❜ ❛  i  have  been  generous  up  until  now .  ❜ ❛  what  have  you  done  that’s  generous ?  ❜ ❛  i  ask  for  so  little .  ❜ ❛  fear  me ,  love  me ,  do  as  i  say  &  i  will  be  your  slave .  ❜ ❛  you  have  no  power  over  me .  ❜

[oozins]

1937 state park

[gibsonder]

katia has chronic migraines -- sometimes they’re more bearable, but they usually result in her spending the day face-down on her bed with silent headphones on, wishing she could melt into a puddle with no brain trying to leak out of her ears. usually these are all day affairs, but can be brought on by stress or overstimulation. this means she can be out with friends, having a good time, + suddenly feel like her whole skull is trying to either shrink, explode, or both. who she’s with determines whether she does her best (for as long as she can) to power through, ask to head out early, or just be honest about it

[gibsonder]

@callslgns:  “are you sure you’re okay?”

         it’s nothing too bad, really. you turned your ankle (well, fuck, you didn’t dress for horror movie shit) & had a few scratches, but you weren’t going to die. the three of you still had a lot to deal with -- you don’t really think he means anything other than physical. you are, admittedly, scared out of your mind. but you know that river isn’t. or at least, if he is, he’s way better at hiding it than you could ever be. “ yeah, riv -- i’m good t’go, c’mon. i-i mean, this is way fucked, right, but i’m -- i’m good. ”

[gibsonder]

@callslgns: “I’m starting to re-evaluate my definition of crazy.”

         “ starting? ” you’ve elected to throw out whatever idea you’d had about what crazy was & take everything as on the chin as you can. all right, so killers are coming back from the dead. cool. they are, for some unknown reason, after you & riv & d.j. maybe you just by association & presence, but that’s close enough. you also know that they went through something similar but different a few years ago. “ i’m thinking about erasing it from my vocab entirely. ”

accepting.

[gibsonder]

@prognostik: “i have no idea what you’re implying.”

         you can’t help but shoot kostya a teasing-but-still-pointy look, letting a sigh escape you. you look back down at what used to be your songwriting book, but which has (much like your life) been taken over by all the other shit present in your life. it has any strange messages copied verbatim, dates & times, names, locations. sure, it’s messy & there are places where you smudged the pen ink or scratched out misspellings. but there has to be something here. “ i mean -- me either, if i’m being honest. m’not trying to draw any conclusions, but ... kos, you’re smart. d’you have any clue what the fuck is happening? ”

accepting.

[gibsonder]

@radicbabe:  “Let me guess, you’re here for a little help with post-traumatic stress?”

          you flop over on the ratty couch, adjusting gangly limbs to lay on it like some television therapy session. “ well, y’see, doc, i think the problem started when i was born -- ” you stop, shooting her a grin before adjusting to some bastardization of a seated position. “ i can’t want t’see my bestest girl friend, deej? ”

accepting.

[gibsonder]

@lambbled: “I know you think otherwise, but all I’m doing is trying to protect you.”

         protect you? that’s funny. you aren’t fragile -- at least, not to your knowledge. the only black & blue on your person is on your head -- needs a redye, sure, but the point still stands. “ protect me? from what? i know you’re, like, a babysitter, but observe: i’m not a baby. ” physically, at least. six feet of dark clothes makes you look way scarier than you’ll ever be.

accepting.

[gibsonder]

@thegoodesheriff: “Just because you believe something doesn’t make it true.”

         dark eyes narrow. if you weren’t getting paid for this job, you’d readily swing on this pompous fuck. fingers flex & tighten again, your jaw set tightly. don’t hit him don’t hit him don’t hit him -- “ & i bet you believe that just ‘cause it’s your last name, you’re actually a good person. but that doesn’t make it true. prick. ” you’re trying really hard not to swing on him.

accepting.

[taggedmemes]

SENTENCE MEME ⟶ ONCE UPON A TIME / 1.01 & 1.02 always feel free to tweak the sentence to fit your muse.

“One day they found themselves trapped in a place where all their happy endings were stolen.”

“At least let me say goodbye.”

“I will always find you.”

“She’s nothing more than an evil witch.”

“Don’t stoop to her level.”

“You’re wasting your time, you’ve already lost.”

“I haven’t come here to ruin anything.”

“We want nothing from you.”

“Soon, everything you love will be taken from you.”

“I shall destroy your happiness if it’s the last thing I do.”

“You are by far the sexiest, friendless orphan I have ever met.”

“Hey, you have any juice?”

“There’s not a lot I’m great at in life.”

“I can tell when anyone is lying.”

“I can’t keep having this conversation.”

“That’s what she wants, to get in your head.”

“She poisoned an apple because she thought I was prettier than her.”

“You have no idea what she’s capable of.”

“What can I do to ease your mind?”

“There’s a reason he’s locked up.”

“I’m hungry. Can we stop somewhere?”

“This is not a road trip, we’re not stopping for snacks.”

“Just because you believe something doesn’t make it true.”

“What did I tell you about lying?”

“Giving into one’s dark side never accomplishes anything.”

“So, that’s your shrink.”

“He’s the one who needs help because he doesn’t know.”

“Fighting is a bad idea.”

“Good can’t just lose.”

“She doesn’t love me, she only pretends to.”

“I’m sorry he dragged you out of your life.”

“How lovely for him to have you back in his life.”

“Pounding the pavement is not a luxury that I get.”

“If you love them and they love you, they will always find you.”

“What he needs is a dose of reality.”

“I didn’t mean in any way to judge you.”

“You don’t have to be hostile.”

“You’re just pushing me away because I make you feel guilty.”

“I suggest you get in your car and you leave this town.”

“I’m sorry that I interfered with your plans to sleep your way down the eastern seaboard.”

“Did you know the honeycrisp tree is the most vigorous and hearty of all apple trees?”

“The fact that you have now threatened me twice in the last twelve hours makes me want to stay more.”

“Since when are apples a threat?”

“Don’t underestimate me, you have no idea what I’m capable of.”

“Since when do I care about anyone else’s happiness but mine?”

“It will leave an emptiness inside you, a void you will never be able to fill.”

“If I’m understanding you correctly, you found nothing of value.”

“Do you know what I do with things that have no value to me?”

“I am not here for flirt.”

“Let me guess, you’re here for a little help with post-traumatic stress?”

“He has no idea how to express complex emotion, so he’s translating as best he can.”

“I know you think otherwise, but all I’m doing is trying to protect you.”

“You’re going to have to do better than that.”

“Revenge is a dark and lonely road and once you go down it, there is no heading back.”

“How far are you willing to go?”

“You know what you love. Now go kill it.”

“I’m not convinced arresting her is the right plan.”

“Are we really confident that the man’s conscience won’t eventually get the best of him?”

“I think your schoolboy crush is clouding your judgment.”

“The more you push me out, the more I want to be here.”

“He can’t tell the difference between fantasy and reality and it’s only getting worse.”

“You have no soul.”

“Power is seductive, but so is love.”

“I just want to be happy.”

“Ever since you arrived, I’ve had the oddest feeling like we met before.”

“I’m starting to re-evaluate my definition of crazy.”

“I think the very fact that you want to leave is why you have to stay.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to talk about it?”

“It’s a lot to ask anyone to believe in, but there are a lot of crazy things in this world.”

“If it’s a problem you can’t fix, I’m only too happy to help.”

“I’m not in the business of making deals with you anymore.”

“I have no idea what you’re implying.”