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“ he should've gone the stand-up route instead, ” theo said, tone dripped with sarcasm but with very real hurt behind it. jokes aside, seeing nell this way made her heart sink painfully in her chest. the years had placed the crain siblings in different walks of life, but being here with her now... it was like they were children again. “ there were things... in that house, nell. things i don't know if they happened or if they just felt real. ”

❝ It's all just a big joke to him, ❞ she scoffed, but there was sadness there. There was nothing but sadness in every syllable that she uttered and the way her brown eyes desperately looked at her older sister. ❝ I know you've always been able to see things, Theo, but . . . did you ever believe me? About the Bent-Neck Lady? About anything dad ever told us . . . or didn't tell us. ❞

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working the night shift in intensive care, most of the people he took care of were not able to speak. of course, there were his colleagues and doctors he spoke to, but he usually kept to himself and did everything he had to do to take care of his patients. it was a lonesome job, but he found a real purpose in it, and some days were more difficult than others. ethan never brought his problems to work, but days he was on his own with his own thoughts... he didn't realize he actually missed talking to other people. people could be difficult... but she seemed to be someone with good intentions.

“ you don't have to apologize, ” he shrugged and offered her a small smile. ethan felt the same, really, he just showed it in his own way. “ it's a good book regardless, i think i'll read it too sometime. ” he moved to sit back into his seat as he took a moment to think back. day and night seemed to blend together at this point. “ here in the clinic? not that long, this should be my third month i think... i usually work over at the hospital not too far from here. ”

How long had it been since Sienna had a decent conversation with somebody other than her little brother? Sure, she'd had small talk with her coworkers, quick exchanges with customers who stopped by the diner. But it had been forever since she found herself actually talking, and not just talking to fill up the space or nodding along while others spoke... She wasn't sure where all of this was coming from, but she felt somewhat comfortable with the stranger that sat across from her. Maybe they were right when they said you could tell a stranger almost anything because you knew they'd soon forget ever meeting you anyway.

"Yeah, it's... it's a really nice book. Kinda sad obviously, but." Sienna trailed off for a second before breaking out in a soft laugh. "Jeez, I'm so sorry. I didn't realize how totally depressing I'm sounding right now." She looked down, embarrassed. "I guess I've been conditioned to get all up in my feelings the closer in proximity I am to my therapist. Anyway, um... have you worked here long?"

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KATE SIEGEL as THEO CRAIN THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE | S01E03, Touch

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“ yeah, it's okay, you're fine. i wasn't doing much besides pencil pushing, ” his smile widened as he took a look around as well. a laugh had even escaped him at that before he caught himself and wondered when was the last time he'd done that. ethan didn't mind the nights here in the office, he would usually catch up on his own school work. it was a welcome change from the usual alarms and chaos that usually happened during his shift at the local hospital. it was stable and predictable, although their conversation was not something he anticipated he was glad she had said hello this time around.

he lamented silently that this would probably be the extent of their meeting, maybe next time they'd talk of the weather or a passing greeting at best. at her explanation, he quieted his amusement and his smile dimmed. he may be sleep deprived, but he could tell the book had a profound meaning to her own life and wondered who it was. for him, it was his own mother. “ that's really meaningful, i'm glad she shared her experience. . . i know grief is a shitty feeling. ”

"No, it's all right, as long as I'm not getting in the way of you and work or anything," she told him, a bit of hesitance in her voice. Although looking around them, Sienna observed that there weren't any other patients to tend to or many other staffers left behind, either. That was the downside to fitting these weekly meetings in; she often had to do them at night after work, and she couldn't help but feel she was holding up everyone's time. But her therapist was still working with her current patient. It would probably be another five minutes or so.

She wore a soft smile as she examined her book for a second. As much as Sienna had read the book, she had never really examined whether the author ended up okay at the end. Every time she finished reading it, she was usually in a mess of tears. "I guess it's one of those bittersweet endings. More bitter than sweet. She spends so much of the book thinking about all the things she could've done differently or if there were any signs that led to her husband's death or her daughter getting sick that she think she's actually going insane. But by the end she realizes that there's no way people can see what's going to happen until it happens to them, and that life just forces change upon us and we just have to... adapt."

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“ what can i say, nell ? our family is fucking comedy at best. steven just made us the punchline. ”

❝ My brother's made me feel crazy my entire life and then he ends up writing a best-seller about things he doesn't even believe happened. ❞

♡ ───── open starter for nell crain from netflix's the haunting of hill house !

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“ oh, yeah... you're right, i'm sorry, ” he said, his voice timid at the non-revelation he somehow forgot. ethan blamed the lack of sleep, but he someone didn't mind speaking with her so casually. it's been a long while since he's spoken to anyone like this. he moved to sit down on the waiting chairs near the doorway. it was a strange sense of familiarity with her he couldn't quite place. yes, they met before but it seemed different somehow. “ it sounds like a good read... well not good as in what's it about, but.. you know... ”

his hand reached to rub at the back of his neck out of nervous habit, wondering when he got so shitty at talking so normally. although the book reminded him of how grim his life was again now, he wasn't sure what he felt right now was grief or not. “ was she okay in the end? or should i just shut up and stop asking so many questions? ”

They were doing a sort of dance, each trying to figure out whether the other wanted to converse with every step. But their footwork had proven worthy; it didn't take long for Sienna to sense something in the other, a genuine aura. She had waited on enough tables in the hustle and bustle of New York City to be able to discern who wanted a warm conversation and who just wanted their coffee and to be left alone. "It's nice to meet you, too," she said, giving him a soft smile as he stood in the doorway. "Well, technically, we've met before—I go here once a week—but, um, yeah. I don't think I've ever said hi."

A slightly awkward chuckle left her lips. She used to be a bit of a social butterfly in high school, but after everything... she'd wrapped herself in a new cocoon. "It's super sad, but, like... hopeful at the same time? It doesn't really make sense, uh. Basically it's a memoir about how the author is going through her husband's death and taking care of her sick daughter at the same time, and she's kind of doing an introspection on how she's dealing with her grief."

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𝐐𝐔𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐒

“ am i not good enough? ”  

“ you’ve been so quiet. what’s on your mind? ”  

“ why did you help me? ”  

“ who do you fight for? ”  

“ why do you hate me? ”  

“ have you come to laugh at me in my miserable state? ”  

“ you’re not dating anyone, are you? ”  

“ i’ve got your back, okay? ”  

“ where do you think you’re going? ”  

“ how long have i been asleep? ”  

“ are you going to kill me? ”  

“ why can’t i come with you? ”  

“ we all have secrets, don’t we? ”  

“ did you want to be alone? ”  

“ why should i trust you? ”  

“ wait. did you hear that? ”  

“ promise me? ”  

“ why are you talking like we’ll never see each other again? ”  

“ do you remember anything at all? ”  

“ what? no witty remark? nothing clever to say? ”  

“ you wanna know what your problem is? ”  

“ may i have this dance? ”  

“ can i ask… what happened? ”  

“ how many people have you killed? how many? ”  

“ do you ever hear yourself? ”  

“ would you run away with me? ”  

“ could you be happy here with me? ”  

“ you can’t or you won’t? ”  

“ you slept with them, didn’t you? ”  

“ well, how do i look? ”  

“ after all you’ve done how can i possibly trust you? ”  

“ why can’t you let me in? what are you so afraid of? ”  

“ what did they do to you? ”  

“ so why’s it so important anyway? ”  

“ where have you been? ”  

“ why are you looking at me like that? ”  

“ why did you come? ”  

“ what are you doing out here by yourself? ”  

“ is… that my shirt you’re wearing? ”  

“ you… don’t like me very much, do you? ”  

“ why does it always have to be a fight with you? ”

“ why can’t you look me in the eye? ”  

“ can you forgive me? ”  

“ what if i never see you again? ”  

“ you were going to leave without saying goodbye? ”  

“ how about a little midnight snack? ”  

“ are you… smelling me? ”  

“ how did you get this scar? ”  

“ what do you want in exchange for it? ”  

“ what did you want to tell me? ”  

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“ okay, good, ” he answered with a haphazard smile, arms now relaxed back down into his lap. the night before had been calm at least, but given the three hours of sleep before coming into the office, he looked dead tired. ethan didn't want to come off as rude to not talk since she seemed to be the only one here, but he wasn't sure if she wanted to talk, to begin with. but he had his answer now. he stood up from where he sat to tilt his head at the title. it seemed familiar to him, but he didn't recall ever reading it before. “ what's it about? if you don't mind me asking, i mean... ” he walked out the inside the waiting room, although stopped to stand in the open doorway that connected it inside the office. “ethan. my name is ethan, it's nice to meet you, sienna. ”

She felt embarrassed that he'd dropped the pen, only because she knew it was her fault for catching him off guard. After murmuring a quick apology, Sienna gave him a nod, supposing it was the same on both sides of the road at a doctor's office. Whenever there was bad news, it wasn't just the patient receiving it; it was the doctor or nurse having to deliver. She could only imagine the exhaustion that came with it, though studying psychology gave her a taste. His question reminded her about her book—which she'd forgotten was in her lap. "Oh, not at all," she reassured him, holding up The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. "I've read this book like, a thousand times. I'm, um, Sienna, by the way."

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“ i'm sorry ? ” he apologized as her voice pulled his attention the pen in his hand he had spun nervously to pass the time slipped from his grasp. the sharp sound of it hitting the floor made him tense up. ethan quickly grabbed it from the floor and crossed his arms to stop his fidgetting. “ oh... yeah. i've been doing this for a while, its... got its ups and downs. ” having worked the night before in the hospital, he had little sleep before coming into his shift at the office. he recognized her face and had called her name a few times before, but he couldn't remember now for the life of him. ethan hadn't expected to be spoken to first. “was i distracting you from your read?”

"You seem to really like what you do," the brunette told the nurse across the waiting room of the doctor's office, a soft smile adorning the corner of her lips. Sienna was in for her weekly appointment with her therapist, so she'd seen him before a handful of times—she just hadn't had the bravery to say hello before. Perhaps she was sick of looking at the dull paintings on the wall or tired of the book she held in her lap, but an unknown feeling tugged at her to say something to him. She wished she knew his name; she couldn't read his nametag from where she sat. // @horrifiying — ethan

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“ relax, everything is going to be fine. ” he had reached into the inner coat pocket for his lighter, cigarette already resting between his lips. “ you've got me here. ” the shrug was arrogant. in truth, he did not want a partner or helper along with him, he hated to share, but his father had insisted he not fuck this up. “ as of now, you're staying put right here. ”

" you… don’t like me very much, do you? " [ @horrifiying with will and jules ] — sc.

“  I wouldn’t take it personally.      I’m not known for liking many people in this line of work.  ”      there was word among the lower ranking members of a potential conflict brewing with another organization.      it cast a nervous energy over them,  pulsing almost imperceptibly under the guise of a well oiled machine.      jules,  for one,  had been informed that she would be put on an assignment but lacked the specific details.      “  have you heard anything yet?  ”

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adding more about ethan my spooky nurse oc

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IT'S HEARTENINING, TO SEE SO MANY STRANGE NEW FACES HERE TODAY.

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Junji