#i eat that shit up like i haven’t eaten in a millennia

[milktea-grn]

the old house 🎭 bb rome & kendall

[keytomythoughts]

Eleutheromania | Chapter 04

Chapter Index

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“Coming!” 

I rush down the stairs to stop the knocking that has been sounding at my door for the past few minutes. Of course when I decide to take a shower, of all times. Tossing the towel on a nearby chair, I hurriedly make my way towards the door and quickly turn the knob.

“Kun!” I beam at the older male who stands in my doorway, embracing him in a rushed, tight hug. His free hand holds a bag of takeout food while the other pats my back before I move away. He simply shakes his head but returns the smile. 

“You act as if I haven’t come to visit in ages, Jaeun.” He hands me the bag. “Hope you haven’t eaten already.”

I shake my head as I take the bag from him, peering down to see its contents. I gasp, looking back up at him in surprise. Boxes of sushi, my favorite. “You didn’t have to!”

He shrugs, his hand going to rub against his dirty blonde hair sheepishly. “It’s the least I can do.”

Before I can move aside and let Kun in, a familiar citrus-colored head catches my attention, his figure looming behind Kun.

“Yangyang? Is that you?”

The boy perks and immediately pushes past Kun, nearly tripping him in the process. I can see the twinkling of his hazel orbs even in this poorly lit hallway. “Jaeun!!” 

I barely have enough time to position myself correctly before Yangyang sends himself hurdling at me, his arms wrapping themselves tightly around my frame that I nearly drop the bag. Though five years younger than me, I’ve grown to be quite fond of the male. He has visited with Kun ever since Lucas left for the army. His energy and cheery nature is enough to always pull me out of my despair, especially on days where the loneliness is just too much for me to bear. Kind of like the younger brother I never had, not really appreciating his presence until I truly realize how fortunate I am to have him. Trust me when I say that both his presence and absence are very apparent.    

I stumble back a few steps as I try to pry the teen off me, but his grip is far too strong. Kun takes this chance to walk in and close the door behind him, taking the bag from my nimble fingers and setting it down on the kitchen table. 

Kun has been trusting friends with Lucas for as long as I can remember. Though I never got to meet him until recently, Lucas would always tell me stories about how they were so close that they were practically brothers. Kun’s older than Lucas, about a three-year gap between the two males. Despite Kun being a part of the Rose class (and his age), he never treated Lucas any differently, even going as far as looking out for him and taking care of me per his request. Kun’s father is a government official and is assigned to watch over the sectors and certain checkpoints around the city. It’s no surprise that Kun’s knowledgeable about all the areas in Neo City that may not be even located on the map. Blind spots that even the sharpest of individuals can't make out just from observing a spatial view of the city.

“I honestly can’t wrap my head around the fact that you're going to be drafted next year,” Kun states dryly as he pries off Yangyang from me, my lungs slowly filling with air once again. 

Man, does he hug tight.

“I’ve got a full year,” Yangyang retorts. “I’m not wasting any of it, even if I’m from the Star sector.”

I clap my hands together to draw their attention towards me. “Well in any case, I’m glad you two stopped by. Plus,” I motion towards the bag on the table, “I can’t eat that all by myself, seeing you both came all this way.”

Yangyang pouts, crossing his arms over his chest. “We would’ve come sooner, but Kun insisted—ow!” 

I watch as Yangyang grabs the back of his head shortly after Kun has punched it. “You’re acting as if you can come and go here as you please.” 

Yangyang continues to glare at the older male, muttering under his breath. I let out a short laugh, the chemistry of the duo never ceasing to amaze me. 

It’s true, they do come visit frequently, but the visits have been cut short because of things Kun’s father has to manage, and it would be weird for his son to be off somewhere else when he should be helping out his father. Yangyang was too busy living his best life, trying to complete things on his so-called bucket list before he gets drafted. Always trying something new, Yangyang is a boy full of spirit and life. If only he had been born into a higher class, he could keep on living as he was. Just a teen living life to the fullest, not having to worry about the impending doom of having that all stripped away.

“In any case,” I shuffle away from the two boys and start setting out the food and plates accordingly, “thank you both. It honestly means a lot to me.”

Kun offers a smile, his ears slowly turning a soft pink from the gratitude he had just received. “Lucas is very persistent, so how could I refuse?”

Yangyang nods earnestly. “It’s fun spending time with you! Beats having to spend time with an old grandpa—”

Kun clears his throat rather loudly as his eyes narrow at the teen. Yangyang gulps and immediately scurries away, seeking refuge behind me. He grabs my arm protectively. Shaking my head, I pat his hand and call the two over to eat.

“So,” Yangyang starts with the sushi rolls stuffed in his mouth, “Lucas has been gone for how long?”

I sigh. “About four years now..”

Yangyang’s eyes nearly pop out of his head. “Holy shit, that long already?” 

I nod slowly. “He has been contacting me less too,” I aimlessly stab at my sushi roll with a single wooden chopstick, eyes not really focusing on anything, really. “I’m worried.”

Sensing my sudden change in mood, Kun clears his throat. “I’m sure he’s okay. The longer you’re in the military, the harder your tasks become over time. He even became a lieutenant relatively early, so I guess it’s expected.”

Since Kun’s father works in the government, they directly oversee the military. Naturally, Kun would know what was going on within the regiments. Any change in recruiting methods, issues within the ranks or rookies, everything. He has been always up to date on their routines. However, whatever he does know should never be conveyed to anyone outside of his sector. Yet, he’s taking a big risk by telling me as soon as he can, knowing full well of the consequences if he were caught. If it weren’t for Kun, I wouldn’t even have known that little detail of Lucas’ quick ascension through the ranks. Or anything else, for that matter. 

Yangyang suddenly groans, aggressively slamming his chopsticks down on the table. 

I raise my eyebrow at him in confusion. I look over to Kun, but he shrugs his shoulders.

“Yangyang,” I gently pat the teen’s arm, “what’s wrong?”

His huffs in annoyance. “I don’t get it. I’m young, handsome, and talented. How come I’m still single??” He throws his hands up in slight frustration.

I chuckle. “Maybe you just haven’t found the right one yet. Just be patient.”

He drops his head on the table, mumbling. “Easy for you to say..”

I simply laugh at his deflated state. If I could, I would give Yangyang the world. I’ve never seen someone as vibrant and enthusiastic as him in a while. This stupid system is only limiting his chances of ever doing the things he wants to in life. That mark on his wrist governing his life by making its own decisions. Soon, he won’t even be able to find someone and settle down, maybe potentially wanting to tie a knot with. If only that law was never enacted to begin with, Yangyang wouldn’t have to be in a frenzy to explore all of Neo City, and Lucas and I would be together for as long as time was with us.

I can hear Kun muttering something about irresponsible youth, but I can still see his small smile evident. It must hurt Kun the most, seeing that even though he’s not suffering from the cruel system in place, he can’t prevent the pain and suffering from those affected by this unjust ruling established by the monarch. I can see that he wants to fight, to change the system, but what could he do? We’re all essentially stuck, not knowing which direction to pull or be pulled towards. Simply swaying in this middle ground of uncertainty.

We continue to eat, and as I’m about to stand up to put the plate away, a sudden wave of nausea washes over me, my steps faltering and my vision blurring. The plate immediately drops from my hand and the crash sounds muffled in my ears. I can barely make out what’s in front of me, the waves intensifying as the seconds prolong to minutes. Then comes the churning in my stomach, the feeling that it was physically going through a wringer repeatedly. Confused on what pain to tend to first, I place my hands over my torso, stumbling even further back. Before I can collide with whatever is around me, I feel someone’s hands clutching at my sides, supporting me as the pain continues to drag out for what seems like a millennia. My eyes blink in a desperate attempt to make out my surroundings, but the only thing I can see is Yangyang’s bright, orange-colored hair, the other objects around me still distorting. Which means that Kun is holding me up, seeing as I currently can’t do much on my own. He guides me to the couch and carefully sets me down, as well as himself. I grab my stomach and groan, the nausea still very present and very sickening. 

The other side of the couch dips down, and I feel cool fingers slipping a glass into my hands, making sure my fingers curl around the circular structure as securely as possible.

I barely make out the voice, but I know it’s directed to me. Those hands then gently angle the class upwards and to my lips, the cool liquid sliding down my throat. The glass is then removed, and I lean back into the plush pillows behind me. Slowly, ever so slowly, my senses start to regain themselves. My vision’s slightly foggy, but it isn’t as bad as compared to what it was before. The murmuring becomes distinct, clear voices, signaling the return of my hearing as well. Yet, the wrenching of my stomach continues at a throbbing pace, the intensity varying. I focus on my breathing, inhaling and exhaling through mental coaxing. Eventually, the throbbing dulls down to distant numbness.

“Are you okay?” Kun asks, his tone laced with concern. I feel a slight pressure on my left arm, and my eyes connect it to Yangyang whose hazel orbs have been dilated with fear.

“Y-Yeah, I think…” I drift off, my eyes squeezing shut and opening again, blinking rapidly until my vision is more clear. 

“What happened?” Yangyang asks, inching closer to me.

I sigh, rubbing my temples. “I’m not sure. One minute I was completely fine and then all of a sudden I felt like I was going to vomit. My stomach was killing me, too.”

Kun’s brows furrow in consideration of the details I’ve mentioned. “Have you ever experienced this before?”

Come to think of it, I haven’t. This was the first. In terms of sheer pain, this was definitely the worst, but when I think about it, I have been feeling sick, especially after waking up. 

  I shake my head. “If anything, I’ve experienced morning sickness recently, but nothing this bad.”

Yangyang leaves to fill himself a glass of water before coming back to sit on the couch, this time next to Kun. He takes a couple of sips before the dark blonde male looks to me, a finger on his chin.

“Jaeun, could you be pregnant?”

Simultaneously, my eyes enlarge and Yangyang chokes on his water. Kun immediately starts hitting his back. Eventually, Yangyang’s fit of coughs diminishes and is able to breathe again, the color coming back to his face. 

“Jaeun?? Pregnant??” His chest heaves up and down. Whether it be from shock or excitement, I’m not sure. His large eyes convey one message, yet his goofy grin contradicts that.

“I mean,” I scratch the back of my neck, feeling the heat rising to my cheeks, “I haven’t really considered it, but…could that explain why?”

Kun crosses his arms over his chest, still slightly perplexed. “It could be. That seems like the most possible explanation as of right now.”

Yangyang downs the glass before setting it aside. “Wait, so, you think you’re actually pregnant? But you and Lucas never—”

He cuts off when I immediately look away from the two, but I can still feel their burning, lingering gaze. The blush on my cheeks grows and creeps to my ears.

Yangyang gasps. “Oh my god, you guys did!”  

Kun clears his throat, running a hand through his thick, caramel-like hair. He sighs. “Yeah, that would make sense then.”

“Still,” I play with the edge of my–or rather Lucas’–hoodie, “if that were true, then—”

“Lucas is the baby daddy, holy shit!” Yangyang exclaims, jumping up from the couch, visibly annoying Kun. “And Jaeun’s the baby momma!”

Kun grabs his arms to steady the tipsy teen, absent the alcohol. “Would you quit it already?”

Yangyang shakes his head, grinning his Cheshire-cat smile. He grabs Kun’s shoulders and starts shaking him violently. “They’re gonna have a babyy!!”

Seeing Kun evidently struggling because of the hyper teen is enough to send anyone in mild hysteria. I giggle. With his ecstatic behavior being the better, and somewhat chaotic, characteristic of his personality, it’s hard to believe that the following year he would have to be drafted, and maybe even selected from the pool. Then what would be left of the giddy male? I honestly can’t see it, I can’t.

Kun continues to slap Yangyang until he eventually calms down. The smile is still plastered on his face, his hazel orbs beaming. 

Shaking his head, Kun sighs. Can’t imagine how exhausting it is for him to handle such a massive ball of energy that is of a single human being. 

“Calm down, we still have yet to confirm it, Yangyang.”

“Still!” Yangyang continues to beam with that same giddiness. “There’s gonna be a mini Lucas and Jaeun!!”

He sighs, but I can sense his happiness seeping through his composure. Typical of Kun. Someone has to keep the younger boy in check. 

“Are you going to tell him? Or should I? If it’s actually the case, I mean.” Kun looks at me quizzically. Yangyang also stops frantically moving around, awaiting my response.

I push the dark brown spools behind my shoulders, raking my fingers through the silky strands in the process. “I’ll have to, but I’ve gotta take the test first.” I sigh. “I think I’m going to have to be the one to tell him, but I appreciate it Kun. Thank you.”

I flash a small smile at the older male. 

Yangyang scuttles towards me and starts shaking my arm playfully. “You gotta text me first if it’s legit, Jaeun. You have to!” 

I turn to him, his eyes twinkling in pure delight and excitement. Like a balloon just moments away from bursting, the inside filled with sparkling confetti. I laugh and pat his head lightly. “Okay you big baby, I will.”

Kun stands as he pulls out his phone, his gaze fixated on the glowing screen emitting from the device. Whatever he was looking at seemed to be important. And when he looks up, his expression confirms my assumption.

“Jaeun, I have to get going. My father’s calling me back to visit the Star sector with him. I’m so sorry, I wish I could stay a bit longer.”

I nod in understanding. It isn’t easy being the son of a government official, especially one whose heart disagrees with their own actions.

From the corner of my eyes, I catch Yangyang flinch, just slightly. It’s a quick motion, but I notice it nonetheless. Of course he would. It’s his birthplace, his home. The fact that the government needs to make additional rounds there, most certainly bringing the Sabres along, is definitely something anyone would be worried about. Especially for Yangyang, considering his parents still live there. 

I approach Yangyang, my hand lightly patting his back out of comfort. A gesture I knew he definitely needed, seeing his muscles loosen, just a tad bit, before smiling once more. 

“Thanks for stopping by, really. Visit again soon, okay? You’re always welcome here, the both of you.” My eyes cast between the two boys, smiling.

“Of course,” he pockets his device and looks to Yangyang. “Come on, let’s go.”

He pouts. “Aww, but why do I have to go? Can’t I stay for a little longer? Please?” He grabs my arm a little tighter, making me release a short chuckle.

Kun shakes his head, “No. We’re leaving right now. Don’t argue.”

Yangyang’s shoulders slump in defeat, but his hand slips away from my arm and trudges over to where Kun stands. 

Before leaving, Yangyang turns around and waves, flashing me his infamous smile. 

“I hope it’s a girl!! Or a boy! Or bot—hey!” 

Kun yanks the back of Yangyang’s collar and drags him outside of my apartment, smiling at me once more before closing the door.

Then it’s just silence. I’m suddenly aware of the heavy, thick air surrounding me. There’s too much to do, too much to think, but such little time. 

But one thing’s for sure. 

I have to tell Lucas.

Chapter 03 | Chapter 04 | Chapter 05 |         

[tropicalfreckles]

Friends Again CH 1

Hey guys, decided I’d post this here, too! An obvious Disclaimer beforehand, B**TLEB*BES DNI MASTER LIST found here

Now then. I started writing this about two months or so ago, had the idea in my head from the first time I watched the musical. The first two chapters didn’t have anyone beta reading it, and my writing is super rusty since I haven’t posted fanfiction online in 10 years until now. Here’s the quick summary from AO3! Rating: M (for body horror mentions. other than that the content would be T for the cursing)

Warnings: Body Horror, Blood, they talk about how Lydia impaled Beej, some violence, at some point they will brush up on Beej’s child abuse from Juno (though it won’t be detailed), Bug eating, Beej pervs on the Maitlands just a little, Lot of cursing. (i’ll add more warning tags if you guys give me a heads up about anything I missed!)

Characters: Lydia Deetz, Charles Deetz, Delia Deetz, Adam Maitland, Barbara Maitland, Beetlejuice & a few OCs made for the fic along with the introduction of my demon BJ oc, Antares!

Summary:  It had been months since her face off against the ghost with the most, it ending on a very mixed note for Lydia. But, the events won't leave her dreams, and she is slowly coming to terms with her suffering from trauma because of her actions. Would it lead to her confronting them, and in turn, seeing the source of it all once more?

(fic in read more)

 Eight long months had passed since Lydia finally decided to open herself up more to her father again. Along with accepting Delia as being apart of their new, weird, happier family. Lydia definitely saw the Maitlands as part of that family with how much they've done to help her, her father and her recently made step-mother. She would've been surprised with how fast those two had gotten married after the engagement if it wasn't for the whole near death experience by angry demon thing. They figured after that life was short, especially compared to the Maitlands and got married only a few months after they finally were settled in. Unfortunately for poor Lydia, the nightmares she had after her clash with her demon ex-friend still clung to her. They started about two weeks after everything happened. It was enough time for Lydia to let things sink in about what they did and even if he deserved it, how she killed a person. They happened almost every night, then every other night, and by month four had stopped. Then the month after they started up again and even though Delia tried her hardest, she just couldn't help with Lydia's mental health deteriorating again. So she began to see a family therapist. She had to leave out some details for obvious reasons and changed the story a little, but it was only helping so much. Every time she would recount the nightmare in vivid detail to her therapist.

 'Everything around her was distorted, like it was the inside of a funhouse mirror. The colors around her varied from a mix of eerie, bright and ghoulish colors to more monotone colors blending into each other. Her heart was thumping into her chest as everyone played the part that she had given them. I'm doing the right thing, he won't stop. He's a demon so it's okay! That's all she was able to think about to justify her actions. The joy of being alive after their 'green card' marriage soon came crashing down onto the dirty recently revived Beetlejuice as he went off on one of his tangents. Going on about the mixed emotions of humans that were overwhelming him all at once. He started getting a look in his eyes, going straight to murderous thoughts just as she knew he would. Her breathing picks up as she grabs onto the broken piece of rebar from the poor taste of art that her father hands to her. She fixes her footing and screams as she plunges the make-shift weapon through the back of the demon, screaming as she used all the force she could muster. Everything becomes distorted around her after that; everyone else becoming shapeless blobs. Except for the dying Beetlejuice who stares off like he's gazing at an unknown force. In typical fashion he cracks a joke with his dying breathe. The blobs were all shocked at the action until Lydia told them why she did it. They started to move in an off-putting way to get ready to be rid of him when he would rise as the recently deceased.

Before it could play out just as it did in reality everything went black around her. Terrifying mouths appeared into the view everywhere she looked. The adrenaline that spiked when she stabbed him now was replaced from anxiety to dread as blood poured out from the mouths. Their laughter echoed with twisted and distorted voices. The blood swallowed up the demon before her. She tried to wade through the blood in vain trying to reach him as fear engulfied her.

"No... NO! Beetlejuice-!"

It's not supposed to be like this; he's supposed to go back to the netherworld, he's supposed to be okay! Everyone is supposed to be okay! She reached out, crying out his name in an attempt to save him,

"Beetlejuice!" She saw his body surface in the sea of crimson. It was carrying him further and further from her as her dress became heavier with every passing second. Blood coated her face as she kept an outstretched arm to try and grab onto him.

A cackle echoes from the darkness as a giant hand pulled him out of the blood, belonging to a woman she only was briefly introduced to. It was his mother, the head demon in charge of the more bureaucratic side of the Netherworld. Juno. His body is still, lifeless now, his hair color changed to a purpleish-blue.

" BEETLEJUICE !" She screams one last time. A giant sand worm jumps out of Juno's mouth and eats both the demon she cried out for, and herself. Then she wakes up.'

 Well, at least she would partly tell the truth. She left out a lot of key details from her nightmare when talking about it, such as marrying a centuries or millennia old demon as a green card thing to bring him back to life. About ghosts in general. Lydia had to switch many things around, along with the murder. The story changed to her having a horrible fight with an old friend who she 'stabbed him in the back'. More metaphorically than in actuality being physically. Talking about her trauma to anyone outside of the family was really difficult. Which is why she didn't see the point to seeing a therapist in the first place. Thankfully most of the facts could be turned into metaphors with some hoop jumping. She finally got the story 'straight' with her family prior to opening up. What she would tell the therapist is she betrayed a friend who had mental health problems and was threatening her family. She told them she called the cops on him and made it out that his abusive mother beat the shit out of him. Then shipped him off to military school instead of him going to juvey. The therapist took the strange nightmares she would have as a vivid imagination of her guilt of betraying someone she thought as her friend before. She wasn't even that close to him, they only spent a few days together and she was more focused on seeing her mother again. Yet killing the man is something that made her stomach turn when she thought about it again. It was different than the thrill of scaring people with him from before. Sure he was 'fine' in the sense of he was just back to square one of being a ghost and a demon again. However she still took something away from him that was bigger than she thought before. Life. Even if it did make him go crazy after being alive for less than five minutes.

 He didn't seem too bothered by it when he left following his melodramatic farewells. After feeding his scary mother to a giant sandworm of course. He seemed a little happier, even. Unfortunately she never really got true closure. Sure she gave him a small hug, even though that was a little hard because he smelled so bad. It was probably his clothes since the man looked like he never washed a thing in his life. After a two months of seeing them, her therapist suggested that maybe all she wants is closure to her traumatic experience. The therapist didn't recommend actually going to visit her 'friend' in case it would be too overwhelming for her. A phone call or something was suggested if she thought she wanted to talk to him. Tell him how much of a jerk he was before and how he took things too far. Tell him how she felt bad about the way she ended things. That was going to be complicated though for a number of reasons.

One, even if she did want to go back to the Netherworld which she definitely didn't. It was just like when she had her realization it would take possibly eternity to find her mother. What luck would she have finding Beetlejuice? Two, even though she saw him comically swing his mother's torn leg around after he took her out. What's to say she still wasn't 'existing' and back running the netherworld's social services for the dead. Or whatever it was she did. She didn't want to come face to face with that horrid woman again. She wasn't even sure if demons could die still and she had to have been a demon just like Beetlejuice. Sure she got eaten but once again she could've somehow came back. Three, her family would NEVER let her go back in there. Four was the most important though; did she even want to see him again? Could she even see him again? He certainly wouldn't want to after what happened. Even if they left on neutral terms he might be feeling a bit miffed that she stabbed him in the back. He was still a demon.

 "Feelings are stupid." Lydia groaned, flopping on top of her bed dramatically as she gave a deep sigh. She had just gotten back from another appointment and curled up on the bed.

  "I can't believe I miss when Delia would be the one 'life coaching' me. I shouldn't feel guilty for what happened; he deserved it. He was going to kill dad, possibly everyone. He tricked me into almost exorcising Barbara!" Lydia wrinkled her nose, kicking at the air with her legs as she grabbed onto her pillow then tore at it a little."That big, smelly jerk."

 She sniffled a little then buried her face into the pillow. Why should she care. He only ever cared about his powers and about himself. Even if he stood up for her and saved her from his crappy mom. Who only was there because she ran into the Netherworld and abandoned everyone. In hopes of seeing her mom again. She wasn't at fault, though; it was just a big mess.

  "Lydia sweetie, are you okay?" A concerned voice came from behind her door with a gentle knock following it.

  "Is it okay if I come in?" Lydia lifted her head from the pillow then looked to the door. She gave a one shoulder shrug.

 "Only if you want to, Barbara." She shifted, rolling onto her back as she stared up at the ceiling. Barbara phased through the door deciding she would practice on her ghostly abilities some more. Even if she still felt it a bit rude to not use the door. She walked over to the bed, then sat down on the edge of it while reaching out to gently stroke Lydia's head.

  "How was your appointment honey?" She gave the sweetest, caring smile she could muster for the young girl as Lydia blew one of her bangs out of her face.

 "Was okay, I guess; I don't know why I still have to go to these.." The goth teen closed her eyes, finding it soothing in a way to feel the cold fingers of her friend comforting her. Barbra quirked a brow at her, then stopped for a moment as she gently patted Lydia's head in response.

  "Are you still having those nightmares?" Lydia inhaled deeply before sitting up as she swung her legs around.

 "...yes." She spoke softly, just barely above a whisper as her gaze cast downwards. Barbara inched closer to her then wrapped an arm around the girl's shoulders.

  "Oh, Lydia. I know that man was awful. Yet, I understand if you feel bad for him. I still.. really do not like him. Although I hope he's found peace in whatever he is doing now, in the Netherworld. Even if I will never forgive him." A frown creased the lips of the ghostly woman as she knit her brows. "I'm just glad he left on his own at least. Only good thing he did while he was here. Besides saving you." She sighed then gave a shake of her head. Lydia looked up at her while playing with the ends of her lacy black dress.

 "I know.. he. I mean, he wasn't.. I don't know. He's a jerk, yeah, a real asshole. But, I think he did care about us, even if it was a little. Scaring people with him was fun, I just didn't.. want him to kill my dad. Even if I was mad at him. Upset. I know now dad acted the way he did because he was hurting as much as I was. He just masked his grief differently than I did. But, I hated the tantrum Beetlejuice made. I didn't want him to hurt you or Adam." Lydia gently moved her hand over Barbara's hand, eyes softening a bit. Barbara moved her hand away from Lydia, opting to gently grab her cheek.

  "You put too much on your shoulders, sweetie. You're a good kid. You were so brave.. we should've been the ones to protect you, though. Not the other way around. You know I don't hold anything against you for what happened. Adam and I should've not put our trust in Beetlejuice in the first place. What we should've done was shooed him away. But we were just so desperate. Losing everything in such a short amount of time." She moved her hand away, resting both of them now in her lap as she stared down at the floor. "Gosh. I wish I became more assertive sooner. At least now if anything like that happens again, we'll be better about it." She looked back to Lydia, giving her a comforting smile. Lydia nodded to her in response.

 "Well, you don't have to worry about me. I'm not gonna make any more deals with demons I barely know again." Lydia snorted. Barbara gave a small chuckle as she bumped her shoulder.

  "I hope you mean any deals ever again."

 "Eh, we'll see." Lydia snickered, Barbara giving her a small scowl of disapproval.

  "Lydia." Lydia laughed, then gave Barbara a hug.

 "Okay, okay. I really need a nap now." She let go then smiled up at Barbara. The woman took the hint, getting up after giving a small wave. She turned around then phased through the door once more. Lydia kicked her combat boots off her feet, then got up and walked over to the door. She locked it just for some privacy and moved back over to the bed, jumping on it. A nap.. another nightmare? Her expression soured as she stared out to the window of her bedroom. The sky was cloudy, dark grays and purples covering every bit of the bright blue endless sky. She shifted her gaze to the mirror that was on the other side of her room. Reason number four. It would be crazy. She shouldn't even try. How could she be so sure that she could even summon him if he was in the Netherworld. It would be safer to try that than going back into it. Wrapping her arms around herself, her mind was battling all the possibilities of things that could go wrong. A thought occurred to her as she remembered the handbook for the recently deceased. She still had the copy Beetlejuice gave her. Maybe there was a chapter about how to deal with a demon besides marrying them and killing them. Hopping off the bed, she ran to her dresser, digging around in the bottom one. Just as she left it; under her old clothes she never wore anymore. Taking it out, she sat on the ground then began sifting through the pages. A faint glow coming from each one.

 'This is crazy, what am I doing.' Lydia thought to herself after looking through a couple of chapters, sighing as she began to close the book. She couldn't endanger everyone. She didn't want to put them through.. hm. Hold on. Her eyes flickered as she noticed a color change in a page, big red letters spelling out the name of a new chapter. DEMONS, and how to handle them. Her fingers smoothed over the page as he brought the book into her lap once more.

  "You can summon special demons by chanting their name three times, without breaking the pattern. If your demon guide however is unhelpful, and causing more problems than you need. You can send them back by chanting their name once more. Three times, unbroken..."

 Her eyes widen as she bit her lip. If it was in this book, then it had to work, right? This was given to the recently deceased to help them after all. She thought back to after everything happened with Beetlejuice, remembering her dad now having crosses around the house even if that didn't really work when he used it before. However he had also acquired holy water and given Lydia some as a precaution. She thought it was silly, since back then she had no reason to believe Beetlejuice would come back. Now that she was faced with a new option, however. She slid the dresser drawer back in place, keeping the book tucked under her arm. She walked over to her bookshelf and pulled down a squirt gun that her dad had poured the holy water in. Would this actually work? If it didn't it probably would either piss Beetlejuice off or make him laugh at her. Or both. Either way she still liked the security of it. Maybe he'll be too entertained by her squirting him with holy water to hurt her or the others. Holding this in her hand meant that this was real. She was really going to do this. Walking over to her curtains, she closed them quickly. Lydia then went to her phone on the nightstand then picked it up. She turned the Bluetooth on, changing the volume of her music to the max. It wasn't uncommon for Lydia to listen to her music loudly some times. A good excuse to cover up whatever noise the demon would bring; the others wouldn't question it. Her dad wouldn't be home for a little while longer so she didn't need to worry about him. He was the only person who was ever bothered by her listening too loud.

 "Alright.. you can do this, Lydia. Just. Just one quick conversation can work for closure, right? Right. This isn't the dumbest thing you ever did at all. Besides summoning him the first time.." She tossed the book on the bed, then held up her squirt gun. It might not even work, so that would be good. Right? This is just an empty attempt. Whatever it took to reassure herself she wasn't going to get killed. Sitting down on the end of her bed, she stared out at the mirror. Okay. You can do this, Lydia Deetz.

 "Beetlejuice.." Everything seemed normal so far. Just the sound of her music, nothing eerie whatsoever. There was a chill however she felt against her neck, though she figured it was just her nerves.

 "Beetlejuice." A gust of wind started knocking hard at her window. It had to have been the oncoming storm. Just another coincidence. Or so she thought. Her music started to change songs at a frequent pace. Shit. This was really happening. Was he really going to come? She gripped her squirt gun, gritting her teeth. She couldn't show fear. Lydia refused to let him have the upper-hand.

 "Beetlejuice!"

[mythologyfolklore]

Ares and Athena through the years - Ch. 13

Chapter Thirteen: The Odyssey, Pt. 01

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Zeus was doing his correspondence.

He was also mentally cursing himself for allowing Ares to go on his world trip.

The war god, who was always written off as stupid and incompetent had been a big help with the mail, but now Zeus was submerging in a sea of prayers, letters from both his own pantheon and from abroad, and complaints. Complaints en masse.

“'You won't be needing me', he said, 'That stuff is really easy', he said!”, Zeus grumbled irritably.

Then there was a knock on the door.

“Enter!”

It was Athena, who came in.

Zeus stood up. “My little Owl-Eye! So good to see you!”

Athena looked around, assessed the situation in one glance and grinned: “Too much paper stuff?”

“Too much paper stuff”, he confirmed.

“If I help you with all of that, will you let Odysseus finally return home?”

Zeus laughed heartily: “I was going to do that anyway! But how could I possibly refuse that offer?”

Athena beamed at him.

Cute.

.

After doing the majority of her father's paper stuff and questioning how Ares with his lack of tact had done this all those millennia, Athena wasted no time in descending down to earth and onto Ithaka.

She had to take a look at the situation there – and to see, if the son of Odysseus was any good.

In the shape of an old friend of Odysseus' she went up to the palace.

Even from the outside, she could hear a lot of noise.

What the Tartaros is going on in there?

As she came into the yard, she saw strangers – probably the suitors of Penelope – playing boardgames to waste their time, sitting on the skins of bovines they had slaughtered and generally living the high life consuming the wealth of another, like parasites.

Soon she was noticed and approached by a young man with chestnut brown hair.

The sharp green eyes, so much like those of Odysseus, gave away who he was.

“Welcome, welcome!”, Telemakhos exclaimed, “Do come in, our respected guest! We shall give you the best we have to offer! And after you have eaten and refreshed yourself, tell us what brings you here.”

Athena could tell, that the young man was miserable at the situation, but he didn't show it.

He was nothing but polite and respectful towards his guest and readied her a place apart from all the insolent suitors.

“I don't assume you want to eat with this noisy crew”, he commented.

“No, I prefer to eat and drink in peace.”

Just a few moments later, the suitors came in, rude and hubristic as they apparently always were.

They were served and then forced a musician to sing for them. The man glared at them hatefully, but began to sing beautifully.

Telemakhos looked pained and murmured to the disguised Athena: “Would you lend me your ear?”

“Of course.”

“I hate this. I hate how these people consume the goods of another without care or compensation, while my mother and I mourn my dear father, who is most likely dead, even though some say that he'll come back one day. But our hope is dwindling from day to day. And we can't even give him an honourable burial, because his bones are probably lying on the bottom of the sea, where the salt water washes and bleaches them. But tell me, stranger, who are you, which family and what home do you come from?”

“My name is Mentor, son of Anchialos and Lord of Taphos. I'm a good friend of your father's and our fathers were friends before us (you can ask Laertes, I heard he lives away from here out of shame). I'm on my way to Temesa to trade precious metals and tissue. I wanted to pay you a visit, because I heard that your father was home. But apparently he's not. But I'm certain he's not dead either; perhaps some brutal and savage tribe is holding him captive and keeping him from coming home. Now I'm not a prophet, but I know for certain, that the Deathless Ones will grant him a safe homecoming soon. He won't stay away from home for much longer, I'm sure. But what about you? Are you really his son? You have his eyes, you do. I may not have seen him in over twenty years, but his face was hardly one I could forget!”

“He is my father”, Telemakhos sighed, “But I wish that rather instead of such an unfortunate man it was one, who could be here with his family, growing old in peace in his own land.”

Athena pitied the young man, but had to keep her act up.

“Now, now. Your family was made for glory and you're no different, I can tell. But tell me, what is this celebration here for? Those men there certainly don't obey the laws of hospitality, uncouth and shamefully as they're acting. Any sensible man would be ashamed.”

Telemakhos frowned – just the way his father always did.

“I'm not going to lie: there must have been a time, when this was an honest household, wealthy and abundant, while its master was still here. But just a few years ago, the entire noble population of this one and the surrounding islands have come to woo my mother and now they're feeding off our property. We can't get rid of them, they won't leave until my mother marries one of them. She loathes the idea, but she can't offend them by refusing outright, so she's putting them off for as long as she can. Meanwhile these parasites are eating my reserves and sooner or later they will surely kill me.”

“Mentor” was indignant. “By the gods, you really need Odysseus back home! Would he come through this door in full armour and make short work of them! Oh, for them to be taken by dark Soteira¹ and rot in the underworld!”

“I wish”, the young man muttered.

But the disguised goddess continued: “But it's all in the hand of the gods, whether he will come home and have bloody revenge. For now, this is my counsel, from an old friend to a young one: summon the council of the island, tell the suitors to leave and your mother, if she chooses to marry, to return to the home of her father, for a dower to be prepared. As for yourself, prepare a good ship with twenty rowers and travel abroad to inquire about the whereabouts of your glorious father. First travel to Pylos and ask Nestor and if he can't help you out, move on to Sparta, to the court of Menélaos – he came home last, as far as I know. Should they give you hope, that your father is still alive, hang in there for another year. Should you hear, that he's dead, make a burial mount for him, with many gifts, as is appropriate. Then eliminate all those insolent suitors. Haven't you heard of how Orestes gained glory by slaying the murderer of his father Agamemnon? You're no longer a child, you're a grown handsome man. Hesitate not. Defend your honour, so that future generations may speak well of you. But I must leave now – surely my crew is getting impatient down at the harbour!”

Telemakhos smiled warmly (that was his mother's smile): “Thank you for your advice, kind old man. But won't you stay just a little longer? You're my guest, how could I possibly let you go without a gift? A precious and pretty one-”

“I'm afraid I really have no time”, she chuckled, “But I will come back and till then chose a really beautiful guest gift! It will be returned with one of equal worth.”

Then she turned into a small owl and flew out of the window, leaving behind a stunned Telemakhos.

.

Meanwhile Hermes had made his way to Ogygia, the island of Kalypso.

The nymph welcomed him and served him nectar and ambrosia and wanted to know, what he was here for.

Hermes, now refreshed, briefed her on the situation: “The King of the Gods has sent me to let you know his will. We happen to know, that you're keeping a poor man, who has been away from home for twenty years. Ten years he spent in the land of the Trojans, three lost at sea and seven years he has been languishing here, pining for home. This is the will of His Majesty: for this mortal to finally get home to his family, to reclaim his home and embrace his wife and son again. That is his lot, not to vegetate here, far away from his loved ones.”

Kalypso blanched and her eyes filled with tears.

“This … this is not fair! Why won't the gods allow, that a goddess may be happy with a mortal? Êôs loved Orion, only for him to die by the hands of golden-throned Artemis! Demeter loved Iasion, only for him to be hit by the Thunderer's lightning bolts! I saved this man, hosted and fed him, offered him immortality, so he would never grow old and die-”

“Êôs and Demeter were loved back”, Hermes countered, “Odysseus isn't happy with you. We see this man weeping on the strand day after da. Not every mortal wants immortality, Kalypso. Immortality is no blessing for a mortal, even though a lot of people think that. Odysseus needs his family and they need him. Let him go. Don't risk the anger of the King of the Gods.”

The nymph choked back a sob, but nodded.

.

Poseidon was returning from a party in Ethiopia, when he spotted something he did not like: his nemesi- er, the mortal he hated, merrily rowing on the surface of his sea on a raft with provisions.

Within seconds he put two and two together: the other gods must have decided for Odysseus to be allowed to go home, while he had been away.

“Well, I'm not letting him off easy”, Poseidon grumbled and unleashed a mighty storm, house-high waves, deadly currents and all.

.

Odysseus clung to his raft, as it was thrown back and forth by the waves and realised, that he was likely going to drown.

“Aw, shit!”, he muttered and held on tighter, because there was no way he would accept a death as inglorious as drowning.

But as he was clinging to his wooden raft, he soon saw the foam on one of the waves shift into the shape of a woman.

That was Leukothea, formerly Ino, the daughter of Kadmos and Harmonia and aunt of Dionysos, who had been deified by Poseidon, many centuries ago.

She pitied the struggling mortal thrown around by the raging sea.

“Poor man” she spoke, “What have you done to provoke the merciless wrath of Poseidon, that he wants to drown you so badly? But fear not, I'm here to help you. Listen: take off your clothes and everything that drags you down, then tie my scarf around your chest – it will save you from drowning. Once you have reached dry land, give it back to me.”

She handed him a silken scarf and dived back into the waves.

Odysseus frowned. Why would I need this, when I have a raft?

Right in that moment, said raft was torn apart by a particularly huge wave.

Never mind.

He did as the marine goddess had told him and took to swimming.

In the meantime Poseidon retired to his crystal palace on the bottom of the sea.

Odysseus spent the next two days fighting against the raging sea, trying to finally reach the shore.

All the while, Athena was with him, never once taking her protection away.

She stilled the winds and gave him the strength to swim long enough to reach the shore of the land of the Phaiakoi.

The long-suffering hero finally found a piece of strand, crawled onto the shore and fainted.

When he came to himself, he took off the anti-drowning-scarf and threw it back into the sea, back to its owner.

Then he turned his back onto the water, stumbled further inland and crawled under a bush.

Exhausted, hurting everywhere and too tired to do anything, he fell into a healing, restful slumber.

.

Athena meanwhile entered the sleep of Nausikaa, the princess of this land, disguised as one of her friends. She inspired her to go out in the morning to do her laundry with her maids and maybe play at ball and Nausikaa woke up, resolved to do just that.

.

Odysseus woke up to women's screaming.

He crawled out from under this bush, covered his private parts with a leafy branch and went to investigate.

Soon he came across a group of ladies, apparently looking for something.

When they saw him, they screamed and fled, all except for one.

She didn't seem to be afraid at all.

And perhaps she could help him.

So the former hero cleared his throat and with many a flattery asked her for help.

The lady introduced herself as princess Nausikaa of the Phaiakoi and gave him some of her father's clothes she and her maids had been washing earlier.

Once washed and finally dressed, he could feel a divine presence cast a spell on him.

When he stepped back in front of Nausikaa, he guessed that Athena had made him look younger and more stately than he actually was, because the princess proclaimed her hope to have a bridegroom as regal and handsome as himself.

Then she pointed him a way to the city, while she left for some place else.

One of her maids guided him and instructed him on how he should come to the king and queen to plead for hospitality.

He did as told and they received him kindly.

.

Next morning, king Alkinoos called an assembly of the local nobility, introduced them to this stranger and informed him of his request.

They marvelled at the newcomer, whom Athena had given godlike beauty, so that he would find approval and be liked by the people here.

“This stranger – I don't know who he is – has been stranded here and beseeches me for help to return to his homeland”, Alkinoos explained. “No supplicant has ever asked us in vain for safe transport. So let's ready a ship and rowers and let him go where he wishes to, as soon as possible. But first we should host him according to the laws of hospitality. Let a great feast be prepared and summon our best musician.”

This was done and not much later, the entire nobility was gathered in his hall to feast.

Demodokon, the blind singer, entertained them with his beautiful music and sung of the glory of the Achaeans in the Trojan War.

The musical reminder of the events made Odysseus upset and he pulled the cloak he was wearing over his face, so no one saw him cry.

.

Next was a small tournament.

The young Phaiakoi competed in all kinds of sports.

Odysseus was feeling too gloomy to participate in discus throwing, but when one of the young men provoked him and questioned his masculinity, he got so angry that he grabbed the biggest, heaviest discus at hand and threw it much farther than all the others.

“As you can see”, he turned to the stunned Phaiakoi, “I'm more than adept in the art of war and battle. If any of you wants to challenge me in another discipline, I'm more than confident, that I can best them. Except when it comes to running, as my leg muscles are out of shape.”

Alkinoos quickly pacified his guest and called to music and dance.

Odysseus marvelled at the dancing skills of the Phaiakoi, at the gracefulness of their movements and how their feet practically flew across the dance floor.

The singer Demodokon sang about the love of Ares and Aphrodite and of how her then husband Hephaistos had caught them in his golden net.

A pair of dancers performed a rhythmic ball play and everyone clapped along to the beat.

Odysseus turned to Alkinoos: “You praised your people as the best of dancers and it's really true! The sight astonishes me.”

That pleased the king and he ordered for rich guest presents to be given to the flatterer.

The man, who had provoked Odysseus earlier, gave him a reconciliatory gift (an iron sword² with a silver handle and ivory sheath) and an apology, which the older man gladly accepted and wished him, that he would never regret having given his sword away.

Evening came and after a nice bath Odysseus went to join another banquet, which was about to take place.

On the way he met Nausikaa and they bid each other farewell, as only men were allowed at the Symposion.³

As all men sat down to eat, Odysseus cut off a good piece of his meat and offered it to the grateful singer as a token of appreciation.

Demodokon continued his earlier song about the heroic deeds of the Achaeans in the Trojan War. Odysseus requested: “You sing so beautifully and accurately of those events! But now sing of the wooden horse! Sing of the thing that Epeios built with Athena's aid and which was brought to Troy, filled by Odysseus with warriors to raze Troy to the ground! If you can do that, I would be forever grateful!”

The singer did so and everyone was captivated.

But the memory made the war veteran weep bitterly.

When Alkinoos saw this, he ordered Demodokon to stop and asked Odysseus what the matter was.

“Also”, he added, “I still don't know who you are. What's your name, your family and the name of your home? Were you there in Troas or did you lose someone dear to you in this terrible war? A family member, a comrade or a friend?”

The other man wiped his tears away and stood up.

“I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, who beguiles men with cunning and beautiful words, whose fame reaches to the skies. I come from the bountiful island of Ithaka and I couldn't possibly think of a sweeter sight than my own home.”

The whole room was silent, as everyone stared at him.

.

---

.

1) Soteira: "Saviour", an epithet to many goddesses. In this case a euphemistic epithet of Persephone. 2) The Trojan War is supposed to have taken place in about the 13th or 12th century BC, which was still in the bronze age. So an iron weapon was something special. Iron was hard to forge, because it requires a higher temperature than copper and tin (the components of bronze), but it's also tougher than bronze. Therefore it was in high demand and it would stay that way, during the iron age and beyond. But because it was harder to work with and for other reasons, it was a lot more expensive than bronze. 3) The Symposion (a banquet with music, dance and philosophical discussions) was for men only. Ancient Greek misogyny, everyone. -_-