#eldon the next step

[partiallypearl]

JETT AND ELDON IN THE NEXT STEP SEASON 9 EPISODE 10

[drawfee-quot3s]

you know, i say people are being really demanding of elden? and like commanding elden to do things. but like,. what if elden rang. already

...

WHat are You talking About.

- julia + jacob

[emilys-mich]

Something about Emily being called rude and harsh for the way she handled Eldon basically harassing her, before being guilt tripped for hurting his feelings and then pressured into going on a date with him.

Something about Emily trying to gain Amanda’s trust by pretending to turn against the team, having to to portray herself as incredibly cruel and selfish, and struggling to cope with how easily everyone believed it.

Something about Emily saying goodbye to Michelle, tears streaming down her face, admitting to thinking she’s not kind or compassionate enough on her own, and scared that she won’t be able to be a mentor and a role model without Michelle to guide her.

Something about being a good person at your core, but nobody ever acknowledges it so you don’t even know that you are.

Something about this character who, despite the countless number of times she’s felt it break, genuinely believes she might not have a heart.

[darlingdivasworld]

My lips are unsealed. (I'm a notorious chatterbox!)

TRAILER THOUGHTS

First off, Eldon, get OUT of the opening dance. No studio head has ever been allowed to be in the opening dance and I refuse to let Eldon be the first.

Heath claiming there was something "familiar about that dancer"...it's Daisy. It has to be (for my sanity!!!). She's in that big big dance with past troupers too and Daisy is TOO dynamic of a character for the TNS writers just to add to that final goodbye dance or whatever.

"The artistic art grant has been cancelled. " From the Internationals winning team? Come on now.

Of course there are qualifiers for Regionals again. Hopefully it's not an excuse for melodrama. (I better not see any cheating too! - these guys are angels, they would never.)

Anthony and Adele don't even get a season in full to be happily dating. That sucks but it seems like their leaving on good and still romantic terms (TNS stop breaking up long distance couples!!! Leave our darlings be!)

Jett is feeling isolated. That means a sad angry solo! I'm so here for this! (Not for her hurt tho, Ariana better be in her gf's corner)

Olive is thinking of leaving too? I wanted to see more of her! I got attached to Season 9's cast too quickly. But I don't think its fair for Eldon to ban outside opportunities for the dancers. Although I don't have the full context yet and I'm a full time Eldon hater, preventing Internationals winning dancers from taking external opportunities seems selfish.

I may not be Hascal's biggest supporter, but what secret is Heath hiding? Daisy related? Also, I guess Pascal has joined the team. Good for her! Her old team were not the nicest.

And there's this big decision which is tearing the team apart! Ahhh!!!

Overall, I am pumped. Although the episode count is a huge blow in the gut, I think they can do this. All they have to do is not drop the ball in the second half! (That's literally impossible to do if you've brought Daisy back!!!)

[aliferousdreamer]

my thoughts on the next step 9a

clude leaving is so bittersweet... i'm so sad we've lost such a sweet couple and great wlw representation but they left happy and stronger than ever!!!!!!!

the colour symbolism with kenzie's signature colour going from yellow from to blue is a subtle but effective character choice imo. the yellow in s8 felt more youthful joyful and vibrant for when she was new to being dance captain, whereas now kenzie's blue wardrobe in s9 shows that she's maturing and gaining wisdom as dance captain, but is also going through some tough times too. blue is also tns' signature colour so it also shows that she's an important part of the studio!!!

i love heath in this season... his energy, his attitude, his relationships, carter's acting, everything 💯

grace's reasoning for wanting revenge is so silly because she legit made herself an outcast and when kenzie tried to talk with her she just dipped

i'm still upset and bitter and frustrated with daisy leaving........ i just hate seeing great potential dropped like that. melody was such a good addition to the cast!! also where was her goodbye scene with izzy???????? she wasn't just close with heath; she was close to izzy too!!!!!!

my heart broke for pete multiple times and i'm glad that we had a storyline tackling grief and (briefly) men's mental health. i wish it had more of a focus and lasted for longer but it was still effective.

thalia and eldon are still together!!!!!!!! yesssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!

JACQUIE MENTION YESSSSSSSSSS I'VE WAITED FOR TIMES LIKE THIS

kenzie basically being both the dance captain and studio head by herself because what does nick even do retroactively makes riley look even worse at being studio head.......... yeah season 4's treatment of riley is still annoying me in the year 2024

idk if it's just me but does anyone else feel like it's not internationals???? the vibe feels much more like regionals or nationals. the scale doesn't quite feel grand enough

i wasn't sure that heath was "the heart of the team" but after watching all of 9a, not only is he the heart of the team he's also the team therapist and cheerleader... i love to see it

i love that anthony is still a ball of stress/anxiety and is also in a really important leader position as group choreographer. so often you see anxious people just depicted as introverts and not as leaders, so it's nice to see someone who's anxious but also a very capable leader

olive is the definition of a precious cinnamon roll. she's sounds like a disney princess every time she talks. she reminds me of amy in s4 too!! she really is just the 🥺 emoji

random point but i love that adele's signature colour being emerald green. it reminds me of ariel's tail in the little mermaid and now i'm thinking of an au where adele is ariel and anthony is prince eric

i know i'm probably in the minority here but i am totally on board with anthony x adele (should their ship name be anthele/adelthony/adelony??). anthony really had one conversation with her alone and just fell for her instantly. some fans probably think it's dumb and realistic but i think it's really sweet and they have potential for 9b

i do also lowkey ship adele x olive because they're so cute together (and they remind me of pamy a little.) when adele didn't want to work with ariana but was unable to resist olive's puppy dog eyes...... they're so cute!!!

kenzie and pete are really just the sweetest couple ever and they have such a natural, easy chemistry... they're definitely one of the best couples tns has had in years 😘👌

IS HEATH'S DAD DEAD???????????????

ethan showing character development by being much more of a team player, we love to see it!!! he's still competitive but he's ready to share his ambitions with others

kenzie holding hands with heath was such a sweet, underrated moment... i love seeing strong, supportive and affectionate platonic male/female relationships

ebby naming her pet snail snaiyoncé is iconic

izzy calling heath "heathcliff" and heath calling izzy "isadora"....... the best friendism of it all

eldon mentioning west's iconic bangers and mash solo!!!!!! yes, thank you!!!!!! west is one of the most iconic dancers this show has ever had!!!!!!!!!

kenzie is allergic to flowers, noted!

heath is penzie's no. 1 shipper

ariana putting jett front row centre in her trio........ i know what you are................

ethan's loyalty to izzy is so sweet

WHO IS GETTING CUT??????????????

grace is definitely turning on ariana in 9b... i have a feeling she's going to out her as a traitor and a troupe might kick her off the team for a few episodes

remi is totally going to break ebby's heart, isn't he???

i have a feeling that presley might return to talk to her sister and say something like "chill ariana i'm fine living life and there was no need for getting revenge"

is ethan getting a boyfriend in 9b??????

can't wait for chekhov's bo staff to make its grand return in 9b

also how many enemies to lovers / rivals to lovers style relationships is heath going to have???? ozzy, daisy, pascale....... heath is immune to not having some sort of conflict in his relationships

this is a long shot but i'm really hoping to see more previous cast members returning. yeah i know it's not necessary, but i still want to know what our old faves all doing with their lives

given season 9's marketing has been pretty terrible it really does make me doubt that there will be a season 10. i would like a last series to tie the whole show together and maybe have a few reunions so the show has a great send-off, but feels unlikely now that they really dropped the ball when promoting this series

bring on 9b!!!!!!!!!

this is really jumbled and i've probably missed out so many things but i'm very unorganised so there you go

[fyeahthenextstep]

[rarepxirs]

‘That’s a whole ‘nother year I get to ask her out.’

does he not…hear how creepy he sounds?

[darcyslesbean]

tns s9 finale spoilers!

tns s9 finale fuck you why tf would u bring back micheldon like i thought we left them behind in s2 who the fuck is still shipping them in this day and age like what the fuck was that

[jetiana]

I'm just curious, is it serious? - Chapter 1 - thatsarealfuckinglegacy - The Next Step [Archive of Our Own]

When Michelle and Emily break up after a fight, they both feel lost. So Michelle goes back to The Next Step, where a rebound romance begins and a plan to buy the studio is formed. But how will Emily feel when Michelle steals her dream of owning the studio? And will Michelle's new relationship work out?

[joah-of-art]

Decided to try this format with the OG and Gen 2 boys

[mesers-prongs]

It could just be me but dose anyone else really need a marauders x the next step fic or something.

Like regulas or Lilly as Emily

James is eldon

So on and so forth

It’s definitely just me but I need this 🙏🙏

[kanekoii]

hi! :3 FIRST OF ALLLL I just recently found u andWHAT THE HECKYYYY I love love love your fics, THEY ARE AWESOMEEEEE!!!!! Thank u soo much for being one of the BEST writers on Tumblr!!!!! I'm not sure if you currently do requests (if not just ignore this':D)

But could you do an Ike Eveland x gn!reader with a lot of cuddling and hugs

I hope you're currently doing well with all the mini stuff going on!!!!!! Please take care!!!

mika’s notes -> ough i’m still so not used to the amount of support i’ve gotten for my writing :cryign: but feel free to join the silly discord if you wanna be part of the Kanemmunity (i just came up with that rn)

pairing -> ike eveland x gn! reader

genre -> so much sweet fluff it’ll rot your teeth

song -> pink cheeks - eldon (is it obvious yet that i love this song?)

warnings -> sink the yacht, lowercase intended

when the last thing he wants to do is leave your side, dates with ike consist mostly of him just always wrapped around you in one way or another. one arm around your shoulder or waist, maybe holding hands, or it could be his arms around your shoulders resting his head on top of yours and awkwardly toddling around behind you.

ike doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who would really enjoy physical affection much, but behind closed doors, that couldn’t be farther from the truth. it’s just how he shows his undying love for you!

before he had expressed his feelings for you, every conversation felt like another step in an endless staircase. at the top of that proverbial staircase was your love and affection, and it really did seem endless until he blurted it out one day without thinking about the possible consequences that might arise from his careless expression of love. making the plan for a date was scary at first, but he came to enjoy just even talking about all the places he’d take you, even if those daydreams never came to fruition.

he’d want to understand the inner workings of your mind, just wanting to know how you think and how different things will make you feel.

and that brings us to now, when you and him were on a simple coffee shop date. the atmosphere was bright, yet tranquil with the warm sunlight shining through the windows. it managed to add to the warm coffee shop and contrasted the brisk and cold air outside perfectly. ike couldn’t help but admire the way you looked as you sipped- or chugged- your drink of choice. everything from your hair, your skin, your eyes, your lips, your clothing, your hands, any accessories you may be wearing. you really were his one and only, after all.

he couldn’t help but get up from his seat and move it next to yours, placing his head on your shoulder as his soft hair tickled your face, his slightly muscular arms wrapped around your body as he smiled gently. you really are his favorite thing in the world, aren’t you?

[dr-futbol-blog]

Condemned, Pt. 10

Next, we find the team being held at gunpoint outside of the jumper. The others are on their knees where McKay is the only one standing, and we see that he is standing in front of Sheppard, shielding him with his body. Torrell had told McKay that if he was unable to choose who he should kill first, he would make the choice for him.

Now, Ronon himself had originally believed that he was obviously be the one McKay would choose because he has known him the least amount of time. We now see that Ronon has been the first one chosen, separated from the others for an execution, but it does not appear that it is out of McKay's choice or even that Torrell had somehow intuited from McKay's behaviour that Ronon is the one he would have chosen. Ronon has been chosen simply because he seems to be the most dangerous one of the captives, the one that might cause them the most amount of trouble, so he seems like the logical choice for the first one to go. We find McKay pleading for his life:

McKay: Oh no-no-no-no-no. You don't have to do that. Look, you want me to dial the gate for you? That's fine. There are hundreds of suitable planets out there you can go to. Torrell: And I say there are hundreds of unsuitable planets you can send me to, aren't there? McKay: Yeah, well, I won't. I won't send you to one of those.

McKay is not alright with this. He was never going to choose one of them, very likely offering up his own life before letting anything befall to any of them, and it has nothing to do with how long he has known any of them. It is possible he would have done it even for Eldon that he had only just met and barely knew, just because he cares, he has a big heart. While he does not yet really know Ronon, he can see that Ronon is important to Sheppard. And where McKay cannot even begin to guess at Sheppard's motivation for bringing Ronon on and may even have his own suspicions, borne from his own poor self-image that have no basis in reality as to the nature of their relationship and Sheppard's motivations, he still feels like if something is important to Sheppard, it is also important to him. If Sheppard cares about something or someone, he cares about them too. As far as he is concerned, Ronon is an extension of Sheppard, and it is as simple as that.

As afraid of Torrell as McKay is, we can see that he does not step back when the leader of the prisoners approaches him, steps right up to him. McKay stands his ground, and he does not do it defiantly, as though he is challenging Torrell. It is simply that he had placed himself between Sheppard and this man, and he had no intention of moving from that spot. Being that Torrell seems to be a clever man with keen observational skills, it may even be that he notices this as he decides to go around McKay instead. He walks behind McKay into the doorway of the jumper and we may note that as McKay turns his body to see him again, he does not turn it the way Torrell went, which would be the logical way for a body to react is his attention was on Torrell, but he turns instead so that he faces Sheppard because that is where his attention really is.

Now, this man is not Acastus Kolya. He does not have a personal vendetta against Sheppard and knowledge of the fact that McKay is important to him. He does not have the desire and resources to use McKay against him. Quite the opposite, the fact that McKay is still standing free where the rest of them are on their knees with hands behind their heads tells Sheppard that Torrell has uses for McKay and he intends to keep him alive for his own purposes. Beyond his first motivational blast, Torrell has not threatened McKay's life not once during the time they have been on the island. This is why Sheppard feels free to sass him in a way he never would have done with Kolya. With Kolya, it was ever a question of drawing his attention to himself so that McKay might be spared but here, not paralyzed by fear for McKay's safety, he feels more relaxed, more at liberty to try different methods of psychological warfare on this man.

Torrell: I think our best option is to just come with you to your planet, provided you've got more of these laying around there, do ya? Sheppard: Forget it. Torrell: I'm sorry?

And so Sheppard engages him, probably having been able to profile this man through their interactions so far as the antisocial type, most likely to release his captives if his needs are met because he has no personal stake in them, but also the most likely to take someone's life in the blink of an eye if provoked. There is a tightrope he has to walk, and so Sheppard begins with nonnegotiable demands. Giving up Atlantis (and potentially jeopardizing Earth) is off the table. He is willing to be reasonable to secure their release but that is the one thing they are all willing to die for, or so he wants this man to believe. And yet, as soon as he has laid out the nonnegotiable, Sheppard makes a counter-offer:

Sheppard: We'll dial you another address, you can go through, but we're not taking you home. Torrell: You are aware of the fact that we have a lot of weapons pointed at you, right? Sheppard: Yeah. Well, you're gonna murder us the minute we step through the gate anyway, so what difference does it make? Torrell: You're very distrustful.

First thing to note is that Sheppard calls Atlantis home again. It truly is his home by this time. He also uses this designation so as not to give up their ruse that the ancestral city has been destroyed. Their cover is that they are refugees from the destroyed Atlantis, and hence them being in possession of such a large and obvious piece of Ancient technology as the jumper might be explained. Second, for some reason Torrell has been negotiating with McKay the whole time even though he must have noticed from the very beginning that Sheppard is their leader. It is McKay's skills that he needed and so he had bypassed his commander, believing the scientist to be easier to control and manipulate. This is the first time Torrell actually turns his attention to Sheppard, having behaved dismissively toward him when they were first captured, and like he had done with McKay previously, he gets very close to Sheppard in order to try to intimidate him.

Torrell gets up in Sheppard's personal space, right up in his face, which is something that most heterosexual men would cower from regardless of who it was or for what reason they did it. But Sheppard does not cower, he simply lifts his chin and looks their captor in the eye. They have their conversation with their heads bent together, in whispered tones and insulated from the people around them as lovers might do, both aware that they are playing a type of chicken. Whether or not McKay understands what Sheppard is doing, he is clearly not OK with Torrell being as close to Sheppard as he is, and he seems ready to step in at a moment's notice when their little stage play is interrupted by something vast bearing down from the sky:

Prisoner: Wait, look! McKay: Oh no... Torrell: What is that? What is that? Sheppard: It's a wraith cruiser and, trust me, you don't wanna be around when it gets here.

Sheppard lets his hands fall down as they see the wraith cruiser above them, quickly coming to the conclusion that they all have bigger problems than this little hostage negotiation situation they had going on. In the confusion, Ronon manages to retake his own blaster from Torrell, getting a good lick in as he gets up from the ground. Still in possession of one of their P-90s, Ronon and Torrell start squaring each other up, pointing their weapons at each other and no one has any doubt that both men are both capable and willing to shoot the other.

Sheppard attempts to diffuse the situation because he knows that the prisoners have all of their weapons and if either man fires, it would result in a lot more firing with ricochet flying anywhere, and that is a situation he just cannot afford with McKay standing smack in the middle of it. And notice how, just as soon as the weapons come up, Sheppard has stood up from his position on the ground and placed himself in front of McKay with his arms spread out, literally shielding McKay with his body. And so, the first thing Sheppard does is to tell McKay to get inside the jumper and out of the potential chaos that is about to ensue. This is not a one-off thing, this is a clear pattern of behaviour. Sheppard does this consistently. And if you want to interpret it as him protecting their asset, that's fine. But half the time it does not seem like he has any time to even think about what he does, he is running on pure instinct. And his instinct is to protect McKay with his life.

Torrell: Well... Sheppard: Wait, wait! Dial the gate. Torrell: Stop! Sheppard: If all the prisoners get off the island, where do you think that ship will go?

As McKay gets inside, Sheppard even places his own body in the doorway to stop anyone else from going in after him, or from Torrell having a line of sight at McKay. And with McKay out of harm's way, he is again free to try to reason with this man using the ancient art of 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend,' not wanting any human to fall victim to the wraith. United by a common goal, they all just want to get out of the island. But as soon as Sheppard hears McKay yelling from inside the jumper he runs in to see what the matter is, and the way he runs up to McKay and asks him what is wrong, looking at him with concern and even taking a sweep of his body to make sure that McKay is not injured just tells us that he does not see McKay as an asset, McKay is important to him on a personal level. He does not ask "what's wrong?" in the sense of "how fucked are we right now?", he seems to be asking it in a tone of "where does it hurt and where can I kiss to make it better?" because, like he could hear it in McKay's tone earlier that he was holding something back from the prisoners, he can hear it in his tone now that McKay is honestly agitated.

McKay: What?! Oh, no-no-no-no-no. No, no... We've got a big problem in here! Sheppard: What's wrong?

While Teyla ran in with Sheppard and Ronon and Torrell followed them still keeping a keen eye on each other, it seems as though Sheppard and McKay are completely in a world of their own as they discuss the issue. McKay is trying to figure out how to fix what he feels is something he failed to do, and Sheppard is trying to figure out how to help him, doing this by asking McKay questions, pushing him to find solutions instead of falling into a pit of self-recrimination. And as such, neither of them have any bandwidth for the others, focused entirely on each other.

Sheppard asks McKay why because he wants to know the facts, where they currently stand, but McKay hears is blame. Sheppard asks him whether he can fix it because he wants to know what their options are, and McKay hears that everyone needs him to fix it, that it is all on him. Sheppard is trying to do the opposite of what McKay thinks he is doing because tensions are high and he is being completely overwhelmed by the enormity of what he thinks is being asked of him. But Sheppard is actually trying to figure out a way to ease his burden, as he has so often tried to do in the past, to figure out some task that McKay might be able to complete and that could help them. And finally, he lands on one:

McKay: We lost power to the DHD. Sheppard: Why? McKay: I told you the power would be intermittent at best. We should have dialled immediately I ran the patch instead of standing round and talking. Sheppard: Can you fix it? McKay: I don't know! Dex: They're right on top of us. Torrell: We could shoot them down. Teyla: Neither your weapons nor ours will damage it. Sheppard: What about the drones?

Again Sheppard is the one that comes up with the idea and McKay just has to implement it. It is not that the implementation part is easy, it's that it takes some of the pressure off of McKay, it spares him having to use the creative part of his brain and focus on execution, and this is why the two of them work so well together. Sheppard could not do half the things they do without McKay but McKay could not come up with the kinds of solutions Sheppard does, either. Also note that they are communicating on all channels here, as they often do in a tight situation. McKay is looking at Sheppard's face intensely, Sheppard is looking at him just as intensely, both using their eyes and faces to communicate as much as the words they speak.

Their body language here speaks a language of its own. If Sheppard and Torrell were turned toward each other with their heads bent together like lovers but their exchange was entirely hostile, Sheppard and McKay are turned towards each other with their heads bent together like this because they are lovers. They love each other. However much they may have put their relationship on pause, what ever they may or may not have been doing with each other lately, when the chips actually come down and they have no reason to hide their closeness and the connection between them, when it may even well be necessary for saving the day, they use it to their advantage, it all comes out. And it seems like all of the people gathered, Teyla, Eldon, Torrell and Ronon, can all see this.

And I need to emphasize the fact that the tone with which Sheppard is speaking to McKay here is not like that of a team leader to his science officer. He is not telling McKay "Make it so, magic science man!" He is saying "Can we do this? Do you think this is a good idea?"

Sheppard: Can you patch enough power to arm them? McKay: They're not as intricate as the DHD... maybe, maybe, maybe one, given the time constraints. Sheppard: Then do it. Teyla: Can one drone shoot down an entire wraith cruiser?

And so McKay works his fingers under Sheppard's dashboard and helps him ejaculate the drone, and there is very obvious symbolism in this. It is not just that most weapons are phallic but that they are working together on this, to make it happen. They both have to use their hands and their fingers on the same piece of machinery. They hold eye contact almost throughout.

Sheppard: Well, maybe we'll get a lucky shot. McKay? McKay: Almost. Just give me one more… and… OK, we're armed, go before the power cuts out again.

It's somewhat curious that Sheppard shifts to 'McKay' here having spent most of the episode calling him 'Rodney,' even in front of their captors. We also heard him say the name Rodney in many different tones from questioning to whining. But something about this situation makes him not want to use the name that seems to be gentler on his tonque. He does not want to make demands to Rodney, so he makes them to McKay, even though even here he is not precisely ordering McKay to do anything. But although he merely speaks the name it communicates urgency, it communicates impatience, it communicates a level of agitation that Sheppard seems to want to spare Rodney. He is not comfortable putting these things on him, and hence he puts them on McKay, McKay having a little bit more distance where Rodney is intimate, Rodney is who he wants to keep close. But which ever name he uses, Sheppard seems to be able to speak them in a hundred different ways and always have it mean something more than just the name of the man that he loves.

Continued in Pt. 11

[darlingdivasworld]

solos micheldon any day of the week

[aliferousdreamer]

it wasn't even in this episode........ i just want to get it over with

also eldon what the actual fuck are you doing

about to watch 9x16 of the next step and i've heard that micheldon is making a return

[endlessreruns]

Tw mutilation, organ removal, death

“I’ll be fine” Harvey insisted as he finished pulling his shirt on. Dusk was settling in, the sky growing darker with each passing minute, but as long as he was back home and inside before it was dark completely he would be fine. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d cut it close, though usually that was walking back from the bar and not the Wu residence after a hookup. 

Derek told him, once again, that he was more than welcome to stay, but Harvey was already making his way down the stairs and towards the door. “Wait” he called after, stopping him at the door “Take this at least” he went over to grab a bat from inside what was probably supposed to be a coat closet, but had only ever been used for storage. He knew it probably wouldn’t be of much use, but it at least made him feel a little better. Maybe Harvey could get a good whack in that would be long enough to hold them off in order to get inside if it came down to it.

“Oh thanks” he took the bat from him, gripping it with one hand as he finally started the walk back home. Perhaps Harvey had misjudged the distance and Derek’s place was further from his than he thought, or maybe fate had simply decided to let the sky darken faster today, but as he moved, going at a fairly steady pace, the light was almost completely gone and he could only just see his and Sammie’s place…his place. 

Harvey picked the speed up then, now really not sure how much time he had between the dark of night and safety. Closer and closer the house started to become. Yes, yes he was going to make it. He felt in his pockets, getting ready to pull out the keys so he already had them out when he got to the - oh - 

“Mierda” Derek nearly shouted as he spotted the set of keys on the bar next to one of his mom’s plants. 

The sun was gone, hiding from the world til the morning, dusk had finally settled into the dark of night, and Harvey…Harvey was trapped. Still too far from his own place and with no keys to get in even if he was right at the door. People didn’t open their doors past dark, it was too risky. There were abandoned houses, but did all of those have the sigil on them? Was he supposed to just keep trying door after door in hopes of finding one that was open? The thoughts were coming rapidly and then he felt it.

 Something grabbed hold of him from behind, a hand on the shoulder of the arm that had been holding the bat. In a futile attempt he tried to swing the bat in an upward and back motion to maybe hit the thing behind him. The grip on his shoulder was strong, and It was then he felt a pain like nothing he’d ever felt before. He screamed, grip on the bat releasing, as he could feel and hear flesh tearing and bones breaking as his arm was ripped away at the shoulder, leaving bone exposed and blood pouring and squirting out from the wound. As the ghost pulled away with the arm it was released, the force of it flinging the arm to land on the pathway leading up to the steps of one of the nearby abandoned homes. Harvey fell to his knees and then forward onto his face, blood soaking the ground beneath him. The creature, the ghost, one who had decided to wear the face of his greatest moment of failure, rolled him over and was now on top of him. Maybe it was fitting that it was Sammie’s face he was seeing. 

He cried out in agony again as the ghost continued its torture and tore at his stomach, ripping him open. "Ward!" he cried out for his brother, the way he had when he was a kid and in need of help. Ward had always come; only Harvey knew that this time he wouldn't. Another scream of unbearable pain as two hands pulled flesh apart even further. "Ward!" He sobbed out this time as he felt the hands dip into his body, grab hold of his colon, and began to pull it out as he coughed and sputtered out blood on the cry of his brother's name.

—-------

It was another night Eldon had decided on enjoying the fresh air and night sky. He was dressed in all dark clothes, not a deliberate choice, but rather the fact that most of his clothes were already of a darker shade, as well as a crocheted hat he’d bought from one of his fellow vendors at the trading post since the nights were still cold. His brow had perked in a sort of morbid curiosity when he’d spotted Harvey still outside after the sun was down. Was he carrying a bat? He lit a cigarette as he looked around to see the creatures starting to come out. Some from the woods and some from the cracks. Now this was going to be a fun show. 

He watched as the one attacked, coming from the back so Harvey never even stood a chance of seeing it. As he was dismembered and ripped open, Eldon made his way over, getting a closer look as he continued to casually smoke. Once there, he knelt and stared down at Harvey’s face, watching as the last bit of light left his eyes. He looked over to watch with interest as the creature rummaged inside to pull the remaining organs out and then as it stood and started off somewhere with the organs in hand. 

Eldon looked back at the opened torso: flesh splayed, chest brutally cracked open, rib cage pulled apart, and void of organs leaving nothing more than a bloody one-armed husk to rot in the ground. It sure was a sight. “Night, mate” he took a final drag off his cigarette and then put it out in the blood of Harvey’s gaping torso. He stood then, stepped over the body, and continued on his way to enjoy the rest of his night.

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 (Eldon took the cigarette with him and eventually flicked it into the giant crack in the ground at some point during the night. So when the body is discovered there’s not a random cigarette inside of it. Also due to his clothes/hat, it being night, and him keeping his body/face turned away from any nearby houses, people wouldn't be able to see him beyond maybe being able to make out a dark figure that could simply be mistaken for one of the ghosts)