#charles and delia are bj's parents

[livsspecialinterests]

okay this might sound silly when we're talking about a fandom that readily accepts fics where a demon fucks about with clones of himself and/or a married couple but i've got an idea for a silly little oneshot fic that's beetlejuice/delia/charles and i'm genuinely wondering whether that would be too freaky for the fandom

[herefortheships]

I guess Bj wouldn't be as kind and selfless to let Lydia marry someone else, so is the dream theory more realistic?

I guess it depends entirely on interpretation, but my take on it is that for Betelgeuse to be selfish and possessive enough of Lydia to intervene in her relationships it would depend on the person she's involved with and how the relationship is going. Like I mentioned before in this post, he simply might not have had the power to intervene or even reach Lydia beyond just projecting flashes of his presence around her, when she was with Richard, but I can also believe that he just let her go and be happy during that time. However, he definitely wanted to intervene in her relationship with Rory, because Rory was a toxic partner and would eventually destroy Lydia. He was already destroying her, as a matter of fact. So in this case, Betelgeuse would never allow this man to have his Lydia, no way. He'd have done anything possible to get in the way.

When it comes to Lydia, Betelgeuse is just different. Lydia is special and he does love her, so he might just have been putting her best interest and her happiness first when she was with Richard, even above his own feelings, which is big for someone like Betelgeuse if you ask me. I don't know for sure how long he was like trapped in the model before Barbara and Adam dug him up (probably since the moment Adam built the model?), but my assumption is that even before he was bound to the model he was strapped down some other way by Juno in the afterlife (and if I add my own little headcanon, even before he was stopped by Juno he was an aimless spirit unable to move on, bound to the ritual of marriage), so Lydia is definitely the first woman he loved since Delores (don't think there were other ghost ladies in his afterlife, is what I mean), it would be natural that he became possessive of the one person he made a connection with in hundreds of years. Lydia is the first woman he's fallen in love with since Delores. This is confirmed in the wedding dance scene. That said, if he loves her truly, part of loving someone is letting them go if their happiness depends on it. (Once Lydya is free after Rory, though, the story is different; now Betelgeuse has a shot and I don't see him letting her go any time soon 😉).

I already shared my thoughts about the Dream Theory before, but I can add a little more here to answer the question more completely. While I personally have a different interpretation of the events in the movie, I do find the Dream Theory very intriguing and interesting to read. I can say in some ways it can be more realistic, considering Betelgeuse's nature, and looking at Lydia as a character. Lydia is attracted to the darkness; she likes the strange and unusual, and she described herself as such in the first movie. She might have at some point called on Betelgeuse after the Maitlands moved on, and opted to live with him rather than to live with another living person. The first Beetlejuice movie doesn't really go into Lydia's head when it comes to Betelgeuse. It could be that any persistent negative ideas she had about him were all put in her head by Barbara. As she grew older she might have changed the way she viewed him and even be intrigued by him. The Maitlands were definitely more her parents than Charles and Delia ever were, and Lydia always connected more with the dead than the living (we can throw in Astrid's resentment about this fact here as a reflection of guilt in Lydia's subconscious about it, if Astrid truly is a dream figure existing only in the dream). This is all speculative, of course, but yes I don't think it's unrealistic to conclude that it was all a construct of Betelgeuse's power. I have a different interpretation, which I talked about in the post linked above.

When it comes to Lydia, Betelgeuse is softer, and I think he would do pretty much anything for her. Whether that is being selfless and allowing her the freedom to love someone else, when he failed to reach her, or building a dreamverse for her to experience the things she can't have while being his forever partner.

[wizisbored]

wip wednesday sentences for 23/10/24

dorm 4 @aparticularbandit, @leif-is-finally-awake, @tamsinswriting @oriharaizayadividesintoslytherin, @sourb0i, @loyal-house-of-lupin

She fastens her seatbelt as Delia gets in the car, and then makes the pointed decision to turn towards the window and pull her headphones up over her ears.

“Lydia? Lydia? Ly-di-ah?”

She shoves one headphone away from her ear. “What?”

“How was your first week?”

“Fine.”

“You and your roommates getting along well?”

“Yep.”

“Classes going okay?”

“Mmhm.”

“Feeling ready for our session today?”

“Absolutely not.”

Delia’s cheery expression drops a little, but not enough to feel like anything genuine. “Oh no, why’s that?”

Lydia glances across the car at her life coach, and is overcome with the need to fuck with her. With a deep dramatic sigh, she laments, “I feel like the universe is trying to tell me something, and I’m scared of what it could be.”

As predicted, Delia latches onto the bait immediately. “What’s making you feel that way?”

“I’m seeing omens of death.”

“...Oh.”

“Yep. Black cats, crows, three knocks on the dormitory door with nobody there… Of course, everything happens for a reason, so that must mean something.”“Well, yes, but it might not mean exactly what you think it does. Black cats are very sweet animals, Lydia."

bj/nimona @whimsicalmeerkat, @stonemaskedtaliesin

So they all file over to the sofas, and Lydia finds herself sat beside her dad, Delia on another chair. The visitors are all together on the sofa that used to have tentacles. Ballister pushes his niece’s feet off the cushion in a way that seems almost reflexive.

“So, how are you finding the new house?” Charles asks, because of course he does. “Settling in well?”

Again, it’s Ambrōsius that answers. “Yes, it’s great. A nice change.”

nimona centaur au @twyrewolf, @eriquin, @kallisto-k, @violet-prism-creatively

“Less of that attitude please, Nimona. Now come along.”

The matron leads the way out of the washroom, Nimona unwinding the earbud wire from around the cassette player hooked to her belt as she follows. She’s got them halfway to her ears before she’s interrupted with a “Nimona, this is your last warning before I have to confiscate that too.” She rolls her eyes.

“What, the player or the earbuds? ‘Cause if you only take the earbuds you’re gonna have a whole new problem.”

“Nimona.”

She huffs, putting the earbuds away. They trudge through the halls of the institute’s dormitory building, to a small room adjacent to the matron’s office. It’s a kind of meeting room, used for visiting parents, and as such Nimona has never stepped foot in it once.

The matron stops, hand on the doorknob, and turns back to look the foal in the eye.

“Nimona… please try.”

be right back @quietly-sleeping, @auburnlaughter, @asha10100101010, @1attheedge

He smiles, but it looks forced. “It’s not a particularly cheery story, kid.”

“I’ll cope.”

Ballister sighs. “Alright. It was a mess. It was a big mess, for a long time. There was a legal case, of course, for the regicide, and I was being followed by reporters every time I went outside the inn I was staying in. Everyone had a different take on it all - the Queen, the Director. You. And… I was grieving.”

He sets his spoon down, sinking his fingers into the thick fur at the back of Nimona’s neck. She raises her head out of the soup pan to turn her good eye towards him.

“Lots of big, complicated feelings there,” he says, not looking entirely comfortable admitting it. “You’ve already been subjected to some of that."

blood red @zyrafowe-sny, @somefishycat, @lizhly @hurricanebreeze, @enigma-the-mysterious, @tiercell

The pink blanket is on her back again, and she’s staring at him expectantly. He goes to her side.

“If you can give yourself a saddle blanket, why did we have to steal a real saddle? Could you not have just given yourself that too?”

“I dunno, why couldn’t you just regrow your arm?”

“Because human beings don’t work like that.”

“Yeah, and this isn’t how I work.”

Ballister pauses. “...You don’t know how your anatomy functions any more than I know mine, do you?”

The horse doesn’t respond, turning her head just slightly away from him. He sighs, scanning his eyes across her body. She’s filthy.

“Can I move the blanket?”

“Sure.”

He carefully tugs it forward, draping it over her neck to expose where the saddle will sit. He doesn’t have a brush on him, whoever the kid robbed back in Blankfort evidently didn’t carry one, so he just does his best to dust off her coat with his hand. The dirt seems to just keep coming, endlessly. But eventually he feels he’s done all he can, and he takes the blanket from her neck. One corner in his hand and another between his teeth he shakes it out, and then tosses it over her back and straightens it out.

He’s put it off all he can, but now there’s the issue of the saddle. He managed to figure out tossing the heavy pile of leather onto his old horse one-armed, but this one is a fair bit taller.

[geekmystic]

Beetlebabes headcanon:

BJ was abandoned by his mother when he was a child.

That's why he feels a kinship with Lydia. Granted, we don't know the specifics of Lydia's custody arrangement. But I imagine all BJ sees is a girl not being raised by her bio mom (and Charles and Delia aren't exactly winning at parenting) and imprints on her like a little ghost duckling.

[bjfinn]

SHADOW WORK

"Delia, love, do you really think this is a good idea?" Charles asked. "He's a demon, after all."

"I know," she replied. "But you've seen how he's changed since we ... adopted him. He's calmer now -- less destructive. Less ... evil. I truly believe that what BJ needs now is to deal with the trauma of his upbringing. He needs to deal with the fact that his father left him, that his mother didn't love him. It's the only thing that will allow him to heal. To fully heal."

Charles nodded thoughtfully. "But ... just where are we going to find a therapist trained in demonic trauma therapy?"

"I've been studying," Delia told him.

"You? Uh, Delia ... I love you, but you're hardly qualified to deal with human trauma, let alone demon trauma."

She nodded. "I know that -- but I also know that love can move mountains. And I'm not talking about therapy -- I'm talking about my area of expertise. Mindfulness, meditation, aligning his chakras -- that sort of thing. And getting him to talk about his childhood, of course."

Charles shook his head slowly. "This is a bad idea."

"Charles, trust me. Please?" she said. "If things get too heavy, I'll stop -- I promise."

He sighed. "All right, dear," he conceded. "But the instant you think you're losing control, the session ends. I already lost Emily -- I couldn't bear to lose you, too."

*****

"Hey, Delia," Beej said. "What's going on?"

"Have a seat, Beej," she offered, smiling warmly. Once he'd settled himself in the armchair, she continued. "Beej -- you know we love you, and we love having you as part of the family ..."

"Okaaay."

"Charles and I think of you like ... like a son. Sort of. A weird, feral, potentially homicidal son, but a son nonetheless."

"Okay. Yeah, sure." He had no idea where this was going.

"Now, obviously I know -- we all know -- some things about your real family, and what it was like for you growing up in the Netherworld. Not much, but enough to understand that it must've been terribly traumatic. And you're still carrying that trauma."

"Nah," he said flippantly. "Trust me -- I'm good."

"Beej -- it's important for you to deal with that trauma. In order for you to properly heal."

"But I already dealt with it," the demon protested. "I killed my mom and my dad, remember? They're gonna be stuck in processing for a couple centuries, at least. So it's all good now." He smiled happily.

"You dealt with your parents, yes -- but you haven't dealt with your feelings about your parents. That's what I want to help you with, Beej. You need to deal with what it was like growing up in such a toxic environment, and I want to help you with that. If you'll let me."

"So, uh ... what are we talking about, exactly?"

"Let's start with some relaxation exercises," she suggested. "I want you to close your eyes and feel your body --"

"I like where this is going," he quipped.

"-- become aware of it, the feeling of the air against your skin, the chair, your clothes ... everything. Now, start relaxing -- begin with your toes, slowly moving them if you need to, to release any tension relaxing each part of your body in turn. Now your feet ... your ankles ... your knees ... feel the tension leaving your body ..."

Delia continued on, guiding Beej through the exercise. It wasn't easy for the demon to relax, but he did his best -- he didn't want to disappoint her. She was more of a mother to him than Juno had ever been. Gradually he began to feel ... looser, somehow. The noise in his head -- the noise of the Netherworld -- was still roaring as loud as ever, but it was ... farther away.

"Now relax your forehead," Delia continued. "Feel the tension rising up out of you, through your hair and out into the universe." She paused a moment. "And now, slowly open your eyes. How are you feeling?"

Beej opened his eyes and blinked a few times. "I -- I'm not sure," he said. "I feel ... okay."

Delia smiled. "That's good." His hair was a softer shade of green now, Delia noted. A calmer green.

"My mom didn't love me," he said.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head. "She didn't love me, but you do." His eyes welled up.

Delia nodded, smiling. "We all love you, Beej," she told him. "And we want you to be the best person you can be."

He nodded, smiling through the tears. "I promise I'll do my best."

"I know you will, Beej," Delia replied, getting up from the couch and hugging him. "This was a good first session, wasn't it? You did really well -- I'm proud of you."

*****

Over the course of the next few weeks, Delia continued to work with Beej. She tried to teach him how to meditate, but that was too difficult for him -- "Maybe later on," she said, "once you've gotten farther along" -- so they tried some breathing exercises that he could use to calm himself down.

"I want you to breathe in for a count of four," she said, "then hold for another count of four, and then breathe out for a count of eight, okay? Let's try it -- in ... two ... three ... four; hold ... two ... three ... four; out ... two ... three ... four ... five ... six ... seven ... eight. And again --- breathe in ..."

She guided him through four rounds of the exercise. "All right, very good. Now the more you practice, the easier it'll be to remember it whenever you start feeling stressed. Okay?"

Beej nodded.

Delia also started him on shadow work -- she knew it was potentially dangerous for him, but it was a necessary part of the healing process. Because Beej wasn't very good at spelling, she encouraged him instead to draw his memories and feelings, as well as talking about them with her. And because shadow work could be traumatic, she always made sure to end a session with some relaxation and breathing exercises to bring Beej back to the present.

At first Beej was reticent about telling Delia -- or anyone else -- about what it was like growing up a half-demon half-ghost in the Netherworld, but once he realised that she wasn't going to judge him he soon began to open up.

"Nobody liked me," he told her.

"Why not?"

"Because of what I am -- the ghosts didn't like me because I'm half demon, and the demons didn't like me because I'm half ghost. Neither one thing or the other. A dirty halfbreed."

"You didn't have any friends?" Delia asked. "None at all?"

Beej shook his head. "Nobody." His eyes filled with tears. "Everybody was always calling me names and beating me up just because I was different. So I learned how to defend myself by becoming a monster. After that, nobody picked on me any more -- but nobody wanted to be my friend, either."

"I'm so sorry, Beej -- it must've been terribly lonely for you."

He nodded. "I started coming Topside more and more," he continued. "Nobody could see me up here, but at least that meant that nobody would pick on me.

"Then I met someone who could see me -- I was in New York City, and I was staying in an abandoned hotel. He was a medium."

"Like Otho?"

Beej shook his head. "Nah, Otho's a fake. This guy was the real deal."

"So what happened?"

"He was there to evict me," Beej said. "The new owner was renovating, and I was scaring the workers, trying to get them to leave -- it was my home! But the owner hired this guy and he came to get rid of me." He sniffed. "At first I thought we could be friends, you know? But he didn't want that. So we fought."

"You fought?" Delia said, blanching slightly. "You ... you didn't ..."

"Nah, course not!" Beej scoffed. "I agreed to fight like a breather -- no magic."

"How come?"

"He was the first human I'd met who could see me! That's a big deal! And I figured that maybe eventually we'd become friends. Maybe. But he deserved my respect, you know?

"So we fought."

"What was it like?"

"It was exhilarating! I mean, I've never fought that way before -- always used magic. But this -- two guys going mano a mano?" He grinned. "And it didn't hurt that he was hot! "

Delia chuckled at that.

"Anyway, I won -- I knocked him out." He paused. "Well, technically he won, too, I guess -- I decided it wasn't safe for me there any more, so I left. But it was my choice," he added hastily.

"Of course. What made you choose New York in the first place?"

"Lots of people means lots of dead people -- my mom had forced me to become a guide for the recently deceased."

"You still were doing that?"

"I didn't have a choice -- my mom had bound me to it. But if I could convince a ghost to get a breather to say my name three times, then I'd be visible and able to interact with the living, and that would release me from the bond.

"So I got those business cards printed up -- the ghost would frighten the breather, I'd drop a card, they'd say my name three times ...

"But I didn't have any luck, so I kept wandering around -- what choice did I have?

"Anyway, that's how I met Babs and Adam. But they were hopeless -- they couldn't frighten a fly! So I went up on the roof trying to figure out my next move.

"And then I met Lydia," he continued. "And she could see me, just like the guy in New York! So I did my spiel, the whole song and dance, but I went a little too hard on the sell, and --"

"And she pushed you off the roof."

Beej nodded. "Yeah. Anyway, you know the rest."

*****

"How goes your sessions with Beej?" Charles asked that night when Delia joined him in bed.

"We're making some progress," she told him. "I've taught him some relaxation techniques and breathing exercises, and we've started on doing some shadow work."

"Shadow work?" Charles asked, a note of concern in his voice. "Are you sure he's ready for that sort of thing? I've heard that it can be quite ... intense, emotionally -- and Beej isn't the most emotionally stable person."

Delia nodded. "I know -- that's why I'm taking it slow. I'm letting him decide what he's ready to talk about."

"Well, all right -- but be careful."

"I promise," she told him, and kissed him. "Good night."

"Good night, darling."

*****

"Tell me more about the bullies," Delia prompted the next day. "If you're ready, of course."

Beej nodded and took a deep breath. "Okay," he said.

"As long as I can remember, everyone always bullied me for being a halfbreed -- calling me names, shoving me around, stealing my stuff, beating me up. I don't ...

"One time I found a baby sandworm -- it was just a hatchling. Cute little thing, about as long as my hand. Anyway, I was lonely, so I decided to keep her. I named her Sandy ... I mean, what else would you name a sandworm, right? I used to keep her in the pocket of my pants -- I couldn't let my mom know, or I'd get in trouble. But one of the bullies found out about Sandy -- and ... a-and he killed her. He stomped her to death right in front of me!" Beej was sobbing now. "She was just a little thing, and he killed her!"

"That's terrible," Delia said.

"But I got my revenge," Beej said, the cold fury he had felt back then returning to his features. "I waited for the next time he and his friends came to bully me, and when they did ... I let the monster out."

He took a shuddering breath. "After that, nobody ever picked on me again. Nobody except for my mom, that is."

*****

"Are you ready to tell me about your parents?"

Beej shrugged. "What's to tell?" he replied. "My mom's a demon who runs -- ran -- the Netherworld Immigration Bureau. That's how she met my dad -- he was a ghost. They had a one-night stand, he took off, and next thing you know she's pregnant with me."

"Okay," Delia said. "Let's start with your father -- what did you know about him before you found him?"

"I knew he was a deadbeat asshole."

"Right -- but aside from that?"

Beej frowned slightly. "I knew he had the same name as me, and that he was the one who brought the Black Death to Ireland."

"Why would he do that?"

"Uh, because he's a rotten sonofabitch?"

Delia conceded the point. "Anything else?"

Beej shook his head. "Nah, that's it -- that's all I knew about him until I found him."

"How do you feel about him?"

"I'm glad I killed him," the demon said. "Even if he hadn't come Topside and threatened all of you, I would've killed him. He's a fuckin' piece of shit. I'm glad he's stuck in processing for the next couple hundred years."

"Do you wish he'd been a real father to you?"

"Yeah, of course. But now I know that he's not that kind of guy, so I was better off without him."

*****

"Do you want to talk about your mother today?"

Beej shook his head. "Nope," he said.

"All right -- you don't have to talk about anything you don't want to," Delia told him. "Is there anything you do want to talk about?"

He thought a moment. "What's it like being in love?"

Delia's eyes widened in surprise -- she hadn't expected that. "It's ... it's wonderful. It's the best feeling in the world. Haven't you ever been in love?"

"No," he replied. "Not that way. I mean, you and Chuck and Lydia, and Adam and Babs -- sure. I love you guys -- you're my family. But not like you and Chuck love each other, or Adam and Babs. Not that kinda love."

"Is that something you wish you could have?"

"It seems like it's really nice," he said. "Having someone special like that."

"It is," she told him. "I hope one day you can find someone to love."

"I'm a demon," he said simply. "I don't think it's in the cards for me."

"Stranger things have happened."

*****

"You're doing really well with the relaxation techniques, Beej -- would you like to try some yoga?"

"I've had yoga," he said. "It's really good -- especially with honey and granola."

Delia laughed gently. "Not yoghurt -- yoga."

"What's the difference?"

"Yoghurt is a fermented milk product. Yoga is an ancient and sacred system of exercise," she explained. "Although, both are from India," she added, "so maybe they're not so different after all.

"Anyway," she continued, "we'll start with something easy. I want you to sit like this." She lowered herself onto one of the tasselled floor cushions she'd set out on the living room carpet. Beej removed his shoes and followed suit. "Now bend your knees and touch the soles of your feet together like this."

"Okaaay," Beej said, baffled, but he did as instructed. "Why am I doing this?"

"It helps align your chakras -- your energy centres," she told him. "Okay, now sit up as straight as you can -- imagine that there's a string coming out of the top of your head, and someone is pulling you upright. Very good. Now rest the backs of your wrists on your knees, and gently touch the tips of your thumbs and index fingers together."

Beej furrowed his brows, but did as he was told.

"Now, repeat after me -- ommmmm."

"Ommmmm."

"Again. Feel it resonating in the centre of your being -- ommmmm."

"Ommmmm."

"Good. Om Mani Padme Hum."

"Om Mani Padme Hum."

"Om Nama Renge Kyo."

"Om Nama Renge Kyo."

"Ommmmm."

"Ommmmm."

Beej had no idea why they were doing this -- it didn't seem to be making any difference, except that it made him feel weirdly self-conscious. He hoped no one -- especially Lydia -- would come in and see him like this. He'd never live it down.

"All right," Delia said. "That was very good." She got to her feet, and Beej stood up as well. She got out two rolled up pieces of foam. "These are yoga mats," she told him, undoing the ties and laying the mats down on the carpet side by side. "We'll try a simple asana to start with." She stood on one of the mats, and Beej stood facing her on the other. "Stand straight, feet together, and press your palms together in front of your chest like this. Now I want you to raise your right foot and place it against the side of your left knee -- like this."

Beej lifted his right foot, as instructed, but he started wobbling -- he wasn't used to balancing himself on one foot, and being chubby didn't help. He got his foot against his knee, but he couldn't stop the wobbling.

"You can bend your knee if you have to -- it'll help keep your balance," Delia told him. "There you go," she said, smiling, as his wobbling decreased.

"I'm doing it!" Beej said, incredulous. He was still unsteady, but he was doing it.

"I knew you had it in you. Now, hold the pose as long as you can -- it's all right if you need to stop. It's not a competition."

"Says you," Beej muttered.

Delia frowned.

"Okay, okay."

He held the pose for another five seconds before putting his right foot back down on the mat. "I did it!" he crowed, beaming at Delia.

"I'm very proud of you, Beej," she said. "You did very well for your first time."

*****

Delia continued to work with Beej every day for the next several weeks -- gently guiding him in more relaxation techniques, yoga and breathing exercises, prompting him to reveal more about what it was like for him in the Netherworld.

"I think I'm making real progress with him," she told Charles. "It's slow, but it's progress."

He nodded. "I've noticed the difference -- he's a little calmer, a little less ... grumpy. You were right -- working with Beej was a good idea."

"Well, you've been helping, too," she told him. "Introducing him to bird-watching was a wonderful idea! He loves it -- he's taken to it like ... like ..."

"Like a duck to water?" Charles said with a grin.

"Exactly! And he really enjoys spending time with you."

"I enjoy it as well -- I didn't think we would have anything in common, but I'm glad I was proven wrong. And I'm glad I was proven wrong about your idea." He grew serious. "But I still think you need to be careful -- he may be domesticated, but Beej is still a demon."

"I know. I'm being careful, I promise."

*****

"What do you want to do today?"

A look of surprise crossed Beej's face, and streaks of pink and lavender shot through his hair. This was the first time that Delia had asked him that -- she'd always been the one to decide what their sessions would consist of.

"Uh, I -- I don't know," he stammered. "I hadn't thought --"

"You've been doing so well," Delia told him. "I think it's time you have a say -- if you think you're ready." She clapped her hands together. "We can do anything you want."

He thought a moment. "I know you want me to talk about my mother."

"Only when and if you're ready, Beej," she said. "But yes, I think sooner or later you need to deal with it."

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I know," he said.

He took a deep breath, held it, and then let it out slowly.

"I don't know why she never loved me," he said. "Even when I was little. It wasn't my fault that she got pregnant -- it wasn't my fault that my dad took off!

"I never asked to be born, you know. She coulda had an abortion if she didn't want me. But she didn't -- and that was her choice. No one else's.

"She wasn't always mean -- sometimes she was nice to me. But then she'd change -- you saw, when she showed up at me and Lydia's wedding. At first, she was all 'Oh, my precious little boy's getting married! I'm so happy for you, Beej!' And then it was 'You're useless, you'll never amount to anything, just like your father!' "

Streaks of red began appearing in Beej's hair. "I'm glad I killed her -- she always hated me," he said. "She was always telling me that she wished I'd never been born." He was breathing heavily now, hyperventilating great gasps of air as the anger rose through him, flooding his body with the demon equivalent of adrenaline. "All I ever wanted was for her to ... to be a mother to me!" His hair was scarlet shot through with black streaks now. His eyes flashed red, glowing with the rising fury. His stubby nails grew into razor-sharp talons dripping with blood. His teeth became shark-like, serrated and wickedly pointed. Shadowy tentacles sprouted from his back, solidifying as they writhed around him. He advanced on Delia, no longer human in form, snarling and snapping, strings of venom spooling from his mouth to burn holes in the carpet.

"WHY COULDN'T SHE LOVE ME? " he roared in a voice that emanated from the bowels of Hell.

Delia stumbled backwards, terrified -- she'd gone too far. Beej -- her sweet, soft, love-starved, mischievous, chaotic adopted son -- was well and truly in the grip of the eldritch horror that he really was. Betelgeuse, the red giant, about to go supernova.

"BJ!" She tried to scream, but all that came out was a strangled squeak . "Beej, no -- please don't -- I'm not Juno -- I'm not her --"

He was almost upon her.

"It's me," she breathed. "Delia. Don't you remember? Please remember, Beej --"

She gasped as his saliva dripped onto her arm, acrid smoke rising as it burned the bare flesh.

"Beej, please! " She began sobbing -- she knew she was going to die, that he was going to kill her. The price of her arrogance in thinking that she could change him, that she could eradicate his essence, that she could make him human, that all that was needed was the power of --

Love.

Love. Of course!

"I love you, Beej," she whispered as he leaned over her.

He snarled.

"I love you," she said again, louder this time. "I love you. We all love you. You're part of our family. We're your family. "

His snarling continued, but softer now. Her words -- her love -- were having an effect.

"I'm your mom now, Beej," she told him, raising a tentative hand to his muzzle. "I'm your mom, and you're my son. I love you, Beej. Do you hear me? I. Love. You."

The beast that was Betelgeuse drew back from her, looking at her with its balefully glowing red eyes.

"I love you -- we all do."

Gradually the tentacles retracted, the canid muzzle receded, the shark teeth retreated, the talons blunted as Beej regained his human form.

Tears spilled from his eyes.

"I -- I'm sorry!" he sobbed. "I didn't -- I -- I don't ever wanna --"

Delia jumped to her feet and threw her arms around him. "I know. I know, Beej," she told him. "I-it was my fault. I'm the one who should be sorry -- I shouldn't have made you go through that."

She held him tightly, his body shuddering. Finally his sobbing quieted, and he put his arms around her. "I love you, too, Delia -- Mom."

Delia breathed deeply, her heart swelling. He called me Mom, she said to herself. My precious demon-boy called me Mom.

They stood there for a long while, taking comfort in each other's embrace.

[shipcestuous]

Beetlejuice! Beetlejuice! Beeeeee...cause I ship it (submission)

I just saw the musical version of Beetlejuice for the second time and maybe I’ve just put my incest shipping goggles on way harder since the first time, but its full of good stuff.

First, Lydia Deetz is introduced having just lost her mother Emily, and her main motivation through the story is getting her mom back. Lydia adores her mom and mentions that she is basically Emily’s clone. She resents her father because he doesn’t want to talk about Emily, while Lydia is terrified of forgetting her and letting her go. She even goes into the Netherworld in an attempt to get Emily back, because Lydia feels so lost without her.

(Honestly, the early song “Dead Mom” says it all when it comes to Lydia’s relationships with her parents.)

Speaking of, her relationship arc with her father Charles. As I mentioned, Lydia starts out resenting him because he won’t talk about her mom/his late wife. He’s trying to move on with his life–relocating them, wanting to remarry–because of his grief, while Lydia’s grief keeps her locked in the moment of Emily’s death. Lydia feels like nobody understand her, and least of all Charles. He wants her to hurry and move on, fake happiness, and be the “perfect daughter”.

When Lydia finds out her dad is engaged to the “life coach” he hired to help her, she straight up attempts suicide, she’s so upset. Obviously, it’s the straw that broke the camels back, but… shipping goggles.

Anyway, that’s when she meets Beetlejuice. There’s something to be said for the fact that she quickly latches onto a grown man who actually sees and validates the parts of her that Charles doesn’t. And that becomes suggestive when Beetlejuice wants to marry her (just so he can be brought to life–it’s like “for green card reasons,” he insists, because she’s underage and even BJ has standards). She’s not cool with that but pretends to go along with it to get to the Netherworld, for the previous Saving Dead Mom Reasons.

But! her dad follows her into the Netherworld. Even after Lydia + BJ chased him and his fiancee out of their house, he returns to “save” his daughter and even follows her into basically hell. It’s here that they become closer and really start to see each other. Charles understands his daughter’s grief and desperation, and opens up to her that the reason he wouldn’t talk about Emily is because of his own grief. Part of the reason he wanted to marry again suddenly was to provide a mom for Lydia.

They have a really sweet hug and leave the Netherworld together. Lydia obviously still misses her mom and loves her, but she no longer feels alone in the world now that she and Charles are repairing their relationship. The musical even ends on her singing “I’m home” which made me cry.

Obviously I don’t think there’s anything between them yet. Lydia’s a minor and Charles is still set on getting her a new mom. (And I do love Delia, his fiancee, as a character. I just don’t necessarily see them lasting forever.) But they have such potential. After all, Lydia reflects that she’s basically her mother's clone. I can’t help but wonder if Charles might start to see more and more of his late wife in Lydia as she gets older, and how that might change their relationship.

On a non-Deetz family-related note: when Beetlejuice first meets Adam and Barbara (the rest of our main cast), BJ fakes them out by pretending to be Adam’s long-lost father. And right after Adam tentatively buys it, BJ plants a big kiss on him. He makes at least one more “daddy” joke to Adam later in the play, too.

And Beetlejuice has bigtime mommy issues himself. He’s never felt loved by his mother–which is why he struggles to understand Lydia’s desperation to bring her own mother back. At the end of the play, Beetlejuice’s mother appears and tricks him back into the Netherworld… by feigning motherly love for him. It’s sad how eager he is to accept it. He’s an awful person, but the poor messed-up guy just wants somebody to care about him like his mom never did. It’s a sad foil to Lydia and her family.

--

Wow, this is my second post today about a play making an incest ship shippier. 

Lots of potential here, and this totally hits my father/daughter sweet spot. 

Thanks for all the details!  

[missielynne]

Okay, saw Beetlejuice Beetlejuice last night, and overall, I would say it was a worthy followup to the original! Catherine O'Hara and Winona Ryder were really great and do I even need to say anything about Michael Keaton? I mean really? He was awesome and it was great to see live action BJ back!

The new characters were great and blended in very well with the old. I was surprised to see this sequel going a little darker (I mean I don't know if they would have done something like the story of Astrid's love interest in the first movie and it was just great. I really want to see close-ups of the guy's parents so I can take in their looks. I love seeing ghost designs in stuff like this.) On that same note, some interesting new ghost designs in the afterlife waiting room. The cat lady is gonna stick with me I think. Even though the cats are obviously fake the design of the rest of it makes up for that when it comes to the creep factor.

Delia's ending surprised me and it didn't. Like it surprised me that it happened but it was the most HER thing that I was like "Yep, this works." And I love it.

Michael and Winona still worked really well together so BJ and Lydia were probably the best part of it for me (and I was very pleased about how they had Lydia and Astrid genuinely reconcile at the end instead of it just continuously being I hate you I hate you I hate you. Bringing the dad in as part of it was an excellent idea. I liked that resolution too.)

I wish they could have done more with Delores cause she had so much potential, but I suppose given her manner of death and how she put herself back together, they couldn't have her do a ton (but at the same time, Frankenstein's monster is also a bunch of pieces sewed together and he's allowed to be formidable at a level that Delores was not.

And the other big thing: I love seventies music. I do. And the whole Soul Train concept was awesome but MacArthur Park and it just didn't hit me in the same way that Day-o and the Calypso theme did in the first one. Not a major problem that wrecked the movie for me (And yay for them singing Day-o at Charles' funeral) but if the were going for the seventies theme being just as iconic as the first one's music was, it didn't quite get there.

But it's definitely one I'm going to be watching at least as much as I do its predecessor (which is a lot cause it's one of my favorite movies along with Corpse Bride.) I'd probably give it 4 out of 5 stars.

[mysteroads]

🍂🎃THE GRAND FINALE!🎆🎇

A Little Party Never Killed Nobody... but it sure makes 'em scream! A link to the finale chapter of my Halloween-themed fic. (Warning: a dramatic death scene, a dance scene, a 1950s romper, adrenaline-fueled smooching, and a sandworm appear in this chapter.)

Gonna put my favorite scene down here for your viewing pleasure. It's a riot. 😆 Dratted clone totally stole the show, and I absolutely love him.

CHAPTER 7: THE GRAND FINALE

Eyes wide, Lydia and Beetlejuice rushed to the edge of the roof and looked down. One of the windows has exploded outward, unleashing a torrent of… “Is that glow-in-the-dark elephant toothpaste?” Beetlejuice asked, nonplussed. “I thought the witches were making moonshine!”

Below them, they heard more cheering and cries of “More!” and “Again!” 

“The fuck?” Lydia asked, feeling a little out of body. This was a lot in a very short amount of time. Beetlejuice put a steadying arm around her waist, letting her lean on him, so she felt it when he stiffened. “What now?”

“It never rains but it pours,” he groaned. “I just got a message from my clones. I put two on the road to watch for Chuck and Delia.”

Lydia felt herself pale. “Oh shit.”

“Don’t panic,” he told her. “They’re stallin' your parents, and they’re two of my best. They were made for the stage."

~*~

“Hold on, Little Bug!” Delia cradled the blood-splattered clone in her arms as it spasmed in the stark illumination of the headlights. “Stay with us!”

Charles paced back and forth, pulling at his hair, frantic as his wife. “What do we do? What do we do? I can’t call an ambulance! BJ is going to go crazy when he hears I hit one of his clones!” He groaned. “I thought those things couldn’t be hurt!”

Gasping in indignation, Delia clutched the clone to her bosom. In her angel costume –tinsel halo and wings bobbling– it was a fitting image. “He’s not a thing!”

“I know that! But we still can’t take him to the hospital, now can we?!”

The blood-soaked clone jerked out of Delia’s hold, sitting up, reaching toward the moon with one dramatic hand as it clutched its heart with another 

“Ah! No! Don’t go towards the light!” Delia cried, her hands fluttering wildly. “Charles!”

Charles rushed over, knocking his glowing devil horns askew in his haste. Together, they attempted to support the clone’s trembling body as it struggled for life. It stared into nothing, mouthing the word, “Rose…bud…”  

The wail of a siren distracted them all from the death scene. A police car came flying up the road, lights spinning, but did manage to screech to a halt  when they saw the Deetz car. One of the policemen stuck their head out the window. “Everything alright, folks?”

The clone in Delia’s arms glanced toward the back of the Deetz car. Another clone popped into view and gave a double thumbs up. In response, the one covered in blood abandoned its act and sprang to its feet. It gave the policemen and the Deetz a theatrical bow, then bounded into the surrounding foliage. 

Everyone stared after it, then Charles let out a long, long sigh and picked up his fallen devil horns. “Yes, officer, everything is fine. Just some kids playing a not very funny prank.”

The officer nodded, then the car sped away. 

Charles helped Delia to her feet, then they went back to their car. “What was that all about?” Delia wondered, eyes still wide. 

“I’m not sure, but I’m also sure that it wasn’t an accident,” Charles said, and eased the car off the side of the road. The car jerked and groaned, sending their hearts into their throats  again and causing Charles to hit the brakes hard for the second time that night. Immediately after, the car informed them that the back tires were low on pressure. 

The couple exchanged meaningful looks, then stared in the direction the police car had gone. It only just now occurred to them that there were very few houses in that direction. “Definitely not an accident,” Charles said grimly. “I don’t know what’s going on, but I know that someone is going to be in a lot of trouble when we get home.”

[savoirscare]

tag index / navigation

🪲 every post is tagged with: beetlejuice • beetlejuice the animated series • beetlejuice tas • beetlejuice cartoon

🪲 characters / personas: beej / bettyjuice / mr. beetleman / uncle bj / sherlock homely / sham spade / grimdiana bones / beaglejuice • lydia deetz • delia deetz • charles deetz • jacques lalean • monster across the street / mats • ginger / ginger the spider / ginger the tap dancing spider • doomie • poopsie • bertha • prudence • claire brewster • ms. shannon

🪲 episodes (used on every post unless there's too many to tag):

(season one): critter sitters • the big face off / skeletons in the closet • a dandy handy man / out of my mind • stage fright / spooky tree • laugh of the party • worm welcome • bad neighbor beetlejuice / campfire ghouls • pest o' the west • bizarre bazaar / pat on the back • poopsie / it's the pits • prince of the neitherworld • quit while you're a head • cousin bj / beetlejuice's parents (season two): dragster of doom • scare and scare alike / spooky bootique • driven crazy • scummer vacation • bewitched bothered and beetlejuiced • dr. beetle and mr. juice / running scared • the really odd couple / a-ha • uncle bj's roadhouse / scarecrow / the son dad never had (season three): mom's best friend • back to school ghoul • doomie's romance • ghost to ghost • spitting image / awards to the wise • the prince of rock and roll • a ghoul and his money / the brides of funkenstein • beetledude / the farmer and the smell (season four): you're history • raging skull • sore feet • fast food • queasy rider • how green is my gallery • keeping up with the boneses • pranks for the memories • caddy shock • two heads are better than none • beauty and the beetle • creepy cookies • poe pourri • ear's looking at you • beetlebones • smell-a-thon • the miss beauty juice pageant • sappiest place on earth • brinkadoom • foreign exchange • family scarelooms • them bones, them bones, them funny bones • hotel hello • goody two shoes • vidiots • ship of ghouls • poultrygeist • it's a wonderful afterlife • ghost writer in the sky • cabin fever • high's ghoul confidential • rotten sports • mr. beetlejuice goes to town • time flies • to beetle or not to beetle • a star is bored • oh, brother • snugglejuice • in the schticks • recipe for disaster • substitute creature • ghoul of my dreams • prairie strife • moby richard • the unnatural • forget me nuts • the birdbrain of alcatraz • generally hysterical hospital • super zeroes • beetle geezer • a very grimm fairytale • wizard of ooze • what makes beetlejuice run • the chromozone • it's a big, big, big, big ape • the neitherworld's least wanted • don't beetlejuice and drive • robin juice of sherweird forest • midnight scum • gold rush fever • relatively pesty • king bj • catmandu got your tongue • journey to the center of the neitherworld • not so peaceful pines

🪲 types of posts (one or more is used on every post):

screencaps: my screencap / my screencaps gifs: my gif / my gifs scene videos: video / videos submissions: submission (+ gif / gifs / picture / pictures if applicable) asks: ask (+ gif / gifs / picture / pictures if applicable) stuff like this, admin thingys, etc: just ghoulie things compilation videos: my video / my videos (+ i give each a unique tag for indexing in the list below)

🪲 compilation videos i've done;

• everytime beetlejuice says babes (season one) • everytime beetlejuice says babes (season two) • everytime beetlejuice says his own name • everytime beetlejuice says his booga booga

[armpit-of-orion]

if u want to I’d love to hear some of ur hcs of beej interacting w charles and delia cause their dynamic gives me life and they’re his PARENTS

for sure! thanks for asking!

(also guys check my tag “beetlejuice headcanons” for more of my headcanons and feel free to ask for more!)

this got long as fuck, so I’m putting in a cut. 

also p.s. “Amanita” is pronounced “am-uh-NY-tuh.”

okay so maybe Charles and Emily always wanted a big family, but they had difficulty conceiving and it was hard enough for them to have Lydia, so they sort of gave up on the idea of a big family. so Charles doesn’t mind (read: is thrilled) when Beetlejuice sort of slides into their family.

Delia’s also always wanted to have a family; a spouse and as many kids as they could support. but her life didn’t seem to be heading in that direction, and by the time she hit forty she’d figured that her hope to have a big family was gone. so like Charles, it really isn’t unwelcome when her new family starts to grow.

now, it’s true that two kids doesn’t usually count as a “big family.” however, it’s also true that it does count as a “big family” when one of those kids is Beetlejuice.

(to be clear, Beetlejuice isn’t a child; in human terms, he’s in his early thirties. so when I talk about a parent-child relationship here, I mean parent-adult!child relationship. it’s more father/mother figure than just father/mother. just thought I should make this point clear since I ship him with the Maitlands, which would be not be okay if I was portraying BJ as in his teens/early twenties or something.)

Beetlejuice starts to see Charles as a father figure before he starts to see Delia as a mother figure.

that’s because he first sees Lydia as his sister, and he tries to relate to the people around him the way Lydia does. since Lydia doesn’t really see Delia as a mother figure (she starts to later, but not right away!), BJ doesn’t see Delia as a mother figure at first either.

BUT since Lydia only sees Charles as “Dad,” that’s exactly how BJ sees him too!

(I mean Lydia has known Delia, Adam, and Barbara as people other than her parents, but Charles has only ever been “Dad” to her, and it’s hard to see your parents as being actual people, not just your parents, especially when you’re young.)

Charles panics a little at the realization that he’s somehow adopted a demon who’s at least twenty times older than he is, and that panic manifests as him trying to engage Beej in traditional father-son bonding activities.

the fishing trip doesn’t go well, as Charles wasn’t aware that Beetlejuice does Not Like water, and it hadn’t occurred to Beetlejuice that fishing might involve him being near water.

they try to play catch, except Beetlejuice misunderstood the point of the game, so when Charles tosses him a baseball, Beetlejuice opens his mouth and somehow manages to swallow the ball whole. Charles is too disturbed by whatever the fuck that was to try again.

but! they figure out that they like going on walks in the woods together! Charles likes to try to identify the plants and wildlife they see, and it’s a good way for Beetlejuice to get some fun snacks.

Charles is (mostly) used to seeing BJ eat random bugs, but on one walk he sees Beetlejuice pop a couple of wild mushrooms into his mouth, and all Charles’s logic flies out the window for a moment.

he starts yelling at Beetlejuice to spit them out, and in his shock and confusion, Beetlejuice does the opposite.

Charles is in the process of dragging Beetlejuice home and has started to dial 911 before Beetlejuice can even react.

“Whoa, Chuck, what are you doing?”

“That looked like one of the deadly Amanita mushrooms. They’re extremely toxic; we have to get you to the hospital right—”

“Uh, Chuck? I’m dead. Those angalida—”

“Amanita.”

“—indochina mushrooms aren’t gonna make me more dead.”

“…oh.”

Beetlejuice makes fun of Charles for forgetting that he’s, y’know, dead, but he’s secretly touched that Charles cares about him enough to panic like that.

and Delia! Beetlejuice starts to see her as a mother figure before Lydia does.

(actually, Delia being all “mom” around Beetlejuice helps Lydia warm up to the idea of Delia being a mother figure to her, too!)

they both have a ton of self-esteem issues, but they work on that together!

also they do spa days! sometimes Lydia joins in, but it’s usually a mother-son bonding thing. they do foot soaks and homemade face masks. Delia always has to make extra face mask …goop? (idk what to call it) because BJ will eat it. he likes the ones with honey best!

they talk a lot about stuff! Delia’s awesome to talk about sex with because she’s so nonjudgemental and open. once Beetlejuice stops trying to shock her or make her uncomfortable they actually have pretty deep conversations, and she helps him develop a healthier attitude about sex.

Delia starts teaching him how to meditate! it’s really hard— especially when you have ADHD— but it’s also really helpful and rewarding as long as you keep at it! and Delia never gets mad about how long it takes or about how BJ struggles to sit still or keep quiet for just ten seconds. she doesn’t give up, and after a couple months of five minute sessions he’s actually able to meditate a little!

also Beetlejuice makes her a necklace! (the Maitlands had a jewelry-making phase.) it’s the ugliest thing ever and Delia adores it, and she actually manages to make it work with some of her outfits. (she’s that good.)

during the weekdays, while Lydia’s at school and Charles is at work, Beetlejuice usually spends time with the Maitlands. but if Delia’s home, BJ will follow Delia around the house (like how my family’s dog follows my mom around lol). most of the time he doesn’t even try to distract her or engage her; he just wants to be in her presence! (once Lydia gets home though, he’ll leave Delia in favor of following Lydia around.)

Delia quickly becomes someone Beetlejuice goes to for comfort or emotional support. Lydia, bless her heart, does her best, but she’s not the most emotionally mature person (she’s fifteen! that’s okay!) and she has plenty of her own problems too, and BJ recognizes this and turns to Delia as a result. Delia’s hugs are awesome and help him forget about Juno.

in conclusion Charles and Delia are Beetlejuice’s parents and they love and support each other thank you and goodnight.

[yourdeepestfathoms]

Beetlejuice Wing AU Headcanons

a treat 😌

wings

The reason why Lydia can’t fly is because of faulty hybrid genes.

Moth and butterfly Cimexs are actually Very Strong. Their wings are big and heavy, so they have refined, tough muscles in their backs to support all that weight.

However, Lydia does not have those muscles because she takes more after a Vesper because her mother was a Vesper (hybrids tend to take after their mothers more than their fathers). So she’s missing the proper strength to hold her wings up. This leaves them droopy and sagging because she physically cannot lift them up.

Lifting her wings causes a strain on her back, sometimes even ripping the skin around the bases where they connect to the rest of her body. There’s also bruising and inflammation and general discomfort.

It is Not Fun.

Lydia’s blood is purple! (because of Charles’s blood is blue and Emily’s was the normal red)

Barbara’s feathers are bioluminescent! They give off a soft golden glow and even radiate a slight warmth.

Lydia, being a moth, Loves This

Adam also Loves This because his wife is So Pretty

Barbara is technically a bird of prey and Adam is a prey bird and it’s Great because what an odd pair (or, it’s odd in Avem eyes)

Lydia has a very carnivorous diet. She likes eating bone marrow, blood, raw meat, and BUGS.

Charles, being a Cimex, Hates when she eats bugs around him

She also enjoys juice! :}

Adam and Barbara are trying to teach Lydia how to fly! Their lessons are usually very short because of the strain it puts on Lydia’s body, but they’re still making more of an effort than her parents have!

As much as Lydia loved her mom, Emily was kinda overprotective of Lydia. While Charles was kinda ashamed of having a hybrid daughter, Emily was worried about Everything she did, so she never even attempted to teach her how to fly.

Emily’s mind was often full of worried thoughts, which made Lydia secretly self-conscious because her mom would always think about people judging them.

Charles’s mind is Loud. Like a stampede or a meeting where everyone yells at each other at once. Lydia hates it in there.

But she hates Delia’s mind even more. It’s Bright and Sharp in a way she can’t explain to non-mind readers, every surface seems to be a colorful reflective crystal, and she often gets awful headaches if she listens in for too long. Not that she can make heads or tails of what Delia is even thinking half the time. None of it makes any sense to her.

BJ’s mind is also Fucking Weird. It’s Loud, too. It’s like a maze in there. If Lydia focuses on it for too long, she gets lost in everything he thinks about, almost like she’s in a trance.

Adam’s mind is like a library, every thought being a different book. It’s quiet and peaceful and Lydia likes to sink into it when she’s overwhelmed.

Barbara’s mind is like Lydia is hiding in a cave during a rainstorm. It’s hard to explain, but she feels safe and relaxed inside of her head. Like nothing bad can happen to her when she’s in there.

Barbara and Adam have a wreath made of their feathers that are woven together. In Avem culture, this is a one of the greatest signs of affection. They were distraught when it got thrown out, but Lydia dug through the landfill to find it and returned it to them! It’s hanging above the fireplace now.

Fun fact! Nesting season affects dead mother hens, too!

Being dead isn’t that great when you’re an avian, especially when you’re an Avem. Avians aren’t meant to be cooped up inside all the time, so Adam and Barbara can get pretty restless at times.

Adam and Barbara always try to make Lydia’s ears perk up, even going as far as lifting them up themselves. They always flop back down.

[maitlands-protection-squad]

YOOOOOOOOO

Remember my Maitlands slowly becoming slightly less human overtime headcanon???

WELL I RAISE YOU

Maitlands gaining horror-like features when angered or turning horrific/demonic when they’re protecting Lydia

And they don’t mean to~

[regentbison]

Ok hear me out.

Vampire!Emily, Human!Charles.

They were very much in love, but humans didn’t like the fact that a human married a vampire and so she was killed by hunters.

By some miracle, before she was murdered, Emily and Charles managed to somehow by some miracle conceive a child. Lydia.

(Fuck twilight this has nothing to do with this, I’m gonna make these vampires work however the fuck I want them to work)

Charles and Emily kept Lydia a secret, wanting to protect her from the world, so not only one ad her mom killed, Lydia is suddenly thrust into the world basically completely blind since she couldn’t be hidden away anymore.

Charles managed to forge some of her papers to make it look like he adopted her, that way no one would suspect she was a half vampire fledgeling. Unfortunately, her mom was her main source of vital energy (I’ll get to that later) and now Lydia has to also find some other way of keeping her thirst under wraps.

Now since Lydia can’t go around biting people or zapping their energy from them, she’s basically fucked since her father knows nothing about this.

They move to Connecticut after Lydia accidentally attacked someone from thirst and grief and nearly killed them, Delia knows about her being a vampire and is still her life coach in this story.

Think of humans knowledge about vampires like the way the people in Buffy thought about them, they think they’re myth and aren’t real, but some people know about them.

Beetlejuice is also a vampire in this story, the Maitlands are the Deetzs new neighbors.

Sorry this is so messy I’m literally typing thous out as I think.

Idk how they meet yet, but Beetlejuice is this century old vampire that’s basically lost any humanity he ever had after spending so much time alone.

I’m thinking, he somehow sees Lydia huddled up looking half mad from thirst and not being able to do anything about it since she really doesn’t want to hurt anyone. He helps her by giving her some of his energy to quench it at least for now

he becomes sort of Lydia’s mentor/best friend but let’s face it, he’s not exactly the best influence, and since beetlejuice refuses to go near any human at all Charles never gets to meet him and becomes concerned

Now here’s where the maitlands come in

They’re basically the only humans Beetlejuice is willing to look at. He doesn’t know what it is about them but they’re just so sweet and disgustingly domestic, they’re everything he never had and always wanted

With Lydia’s help, the three befriend each other and help bj start to regain trust in other humans again

Now I’ll explain the energy thing. Basically, (this is from Wikipedia) A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living.

Let’s ignore that from the living part for a minute.

Vital essence is (again this is from Wikipedia) the element is often referred to as the "vital spark," "energy," or "élan vital," which some equate with the soul. (Basically, the non physical part of you)

In my story, vampires both drink blood and take peoples essence, their instincts when they’re “thirsty” is to immediately bite the closest living thing next to them, but most prefer to zap people energies since it’s less ossicle to kill (it takes a while for a soul to “heal” but it does at some point). Only the more vulgar vampires go mostly for blood.

Now, vampires can feed each other their energies, BUT, it has to come willingly and the one loosing their essence has to sort of “feed” the other vampire. Parent vamps are known to feed their kids that way until they’re taught how to feed without harming by themselves.

A vampire feeding a vampire still loses energy, but it replenishes much faster than humans, and they have “more of it”. Also, it makes a vampire become thirsty faster, typically they only really need to properly feed every two/three weeks, depending on age and size.

This is way longer than I anticipated. I hope something comes out of this? I’ll try to actually write it and not just talk about it



[bunnys-beetlejuice-blog]

elevator dinging noise to aLERT YOU TO A NEW CHAPTER, KIDDOS this is set in my BJ Deetz au. For context on that, you can start here, or just jump in, with the knowledge that you're robbing yourself of some pretty okay writing. tw for mentions of suicidal ideation and self harm

Of course something like this would happen, Lydia thinks, staring down at the linoleum of the hospital hallway. She’s sitting alone. Barbara and Adam are lying in hospital beds, in critical condition, and to see them, all she would have to do is stand, and enter the door to her left. She sits there. You’re being stupid. You’re being childish. Dead Mom didn’t even waste away in a hospital. Adam and Barbara need you. All you’re doing is sitting there, thinking about yourself, and two people are barely clinging to life, you miserable stupid freak LOSER. She uses the heel of her right boot to dig into a cut on the back of her left leg. She hears a noise, to her left, the door opening and closing, and her dad steps into the hallway. She can tell it’s him from the tired sigh, but her eyes never lift from the floor. “So?” she asks, voice raw. “They’re stable,” Charles says, not sounding nearly as hurt as he should. They’re family friends, and her dad sounds like he’s describing something of no consequence. The weather, maybe. Sports news. Not something serious, and important. He’s already pushed this down, in the same place in his chest where his pain over Dead Mom must live. She almost envies that skill. It’s like he can choose not to feel the hurt. All she can do is carry her broken heart around with her, and it cuts her hands and arms and leaves her raw and bleeding. Lydia picks at the hem of her dress.

“They said it was a stroke of luck we found them when we did,” Charles says, and then glances down at his phone. “I’ve got to make some calls. See about getting that floor replaced.” “Why?” “Because the house is in my name, Lydia. If someone goes in, takes a tumble through the floorboards, who do you think they’re suing, the comatose couple, or the New York real estate mogul?” “Oh,” she says, and then, “Adam would want the floorboards to be original. They spent all that time, sanding and polishing and shining the floors. We-” her voice breaks in a way she hates. “We were supposed to spend next summer there.”

A plan left over from before her life had gone to hell.

She turns to look at her dad, and blinks. He’s halfway down the hall, already on his phone. She can’t guarantee he even heard her. A nurse wheels someone in a wheelchair by her, and she winces, and turns her attention back to the floor. “Lydia?” she hears Delia call to her, and she focuses her pain into anger. “What?” she snaps, not looking up, not risking having to see someone else pass by her in the hall, on their way to death. “Do you want to come in, and see them?” Delia’s voice is very soft. “There’s no blood. It’s not scary.” “I’m not afraid of blood,” she says, the cuts in her skin aching. “I just.. Don’t want to see them laying there. Still.” As death, she thinks, but doesn’t finish.

“I won’t push you,” Delia says, clutching at the amethyst necklace around her neck. “But I think you might regret not coming in, and seeing them. I can step into the hall, give you a moment, if it’s.. Me, that’s keeping you away.” Lydia looks up, sees the hurt on the older woman’s features, and then sees her try and smile past it, as their eyes meet. “I bet they’d love to hear your voice, Lydia.”

Come on, come on, she chants to herself. Don’t leave them lying there, alone. Come on. It’s showtime. She steals herself, and stands. Delia steps aside, lets the teen move past her into the room, and Lydia takes in her two friends, laid out in blue hospital sheets, heads wrapped. Tubes are shoved everywhere, down noses and throats, hooked into arms. It’s a nightmare. She studies the heart monitors, listens to the steady sound of one heartbeat. At that, she nearly panics, until she realizes that she can only hear one noise, one blip, because the machines are sounding off together. Their hearts are beating in time with one another’s. That’s so them.

She stands between the two beds, looking from Barbara, to Adam, back and forth, studying their faces. Even though the Maitlands are still alive, it’s still like seeing Dead Mom, laying there, in her parent’s bed, stiff and cold. It makes her wince, makes bile rise up in the back of her throat. She powers through it. Both are twitching, mouths almost looking as though they’re struggling to form words, from within the depths of their unexpected, unwelcome slumber. Delia speaks, from outside the doorway. “The doctor says their brains are very active,” she says. “That’s good news. They’re both still in there. They just need to wake up.” “You’re not really in the hall,” Lydia points out, and Delia makes a little “oh!” noise, and ducks back out, but Lydia can tell she hasn’t gone far. Fine, whatever. The illusion of respect over her privacy is apparently as close as she can get. She reaches her hands out, takes Barbara’s, takes Adam’s, and holds them, for a long time, serving as a connection point for the two of them. “Please, please,” she begs, softly. “Please wake up, you guys. Please don’t go. How many times do I have to watch people leave?” she asks. Maybe this is what life is. You love people, love them so hard it makes you dizzy, leaves you breathless, and then they’re taken away, pointlessly, and you’re just expected to pretend that you’re alright, even when every part of you feels like it’s coming apart at the seams.

Barbara’s hand twitches in her’s, and she rubs her thumb over the top of it. finish reading over HERE

[theaussietimelord]

I THOUGHT SO TOO!

BEETLEJUICE AND LYDIA SPOKE TO EACH OTHER IN CHARACTER ON THE VIEW AND I DIDN’T KNOW I NEEDED MORE OF THAT SO BADLY….. Also why is this like lowkey a confirmation that Beetlejuice is still friends with Lydia post canon,,

[dreamsmp-au-ideas]

So this is barely coherent but I needed to get it out of my head so uhhhhhhh take this: Beetlejuice AU (I'm going off the musical because that's what I'm most familiar with)

I'm imagining Tommy as Lydia, Dream as Beetlejuice, Dream XD as Juno,Phil as Charles, and Wilbur could be Mrs. Deetz. Techno can just be another one of Phil's kids without filling any specific role.

Alternatively, we could have Schlatt as Beetlejuice and Dream as Juno (not related).

I was thinking that Niki, Tubbo, and Eret could fill the collective roles of Adam and Barbara, with the three of them being siblings instead of a married couple.

Hnnnnnnn Tommy singing "Dead Mom" (even if it's technically "Dead Brother" now).

Also Tommy singing "Invisible" AAAAAHHHH-

Ranboo could be sort of like Delia, except instead of Phil getting engaged he could be this kid that Phil has gotten attached to and is basically parenting him like he's part of the family, which obviously is going to make Tommy mad because it comes across as Phil trying to replace Wilbur.

In order to keep things from getting yikes let's just replace the wedding with some sort of other ritual that would bring back Schlatt/Dream.

(The more I think about it, I think it would make more sense with Schlatt as BJ and Dream as Juno.)

What do you think?

I do not know enough about Beetlejuice to go and give my input. I know three songs and that’s it.

However, man. This is great. I love everyone in this. Also, resurrection time for Dream/Schlatt. It’s time to do Necromancy.

Also, f for Eret, Niki, and Tubbo. They dead but at least they’re being friends with Tommy.