[IC] Stranger Beetles

[Metronome]

Dogjuice huffed and sat back down at Lydia's feet, ears still pinned back. "Unfortunately," He grumbled. "Are you following me? What are you doing slithering around the city, Ash? Not enough people to fuck over in the Netherworld for you?" His voice was icy and venomous.

[Beetlejuice96]

"For your information, I haven't been to the Netherworld in years. I'm not slithering around the city; I live here. It just so happens that our paths crossed, I'm not following you at all." The cat, Ash, replied.

"Why are you so hostile to me? We've been close since we first met." Ash added, starting to pad over to them.

[Metronome]

"Close?!" Dogjuice barked. "You ghosted me! You used me to get what you needed from me, and then fucked off like everyone else. You aren't any different than the rest of those Netherworld assholes."

When the cat came closer, Beetlejuice stood defensively in front of Lydia. Part of him didn't think Ash would hurt a kid, but the other part of him wasn't sure.

[Beetlejuice96]

Ash stopped at his bark, fear appearing in those amber eyes for a brief moment. "Darling, I left the Netherworld to find a place for us where we wouldn't have to worry about those who hurt you. The reason why I didn't...no couldn't return is because I've become tethered to the living world. Much like how you are."

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice wasn't listening. He was remembering. He remembered a familiar voice the day he fought his mom. A familiar, if not blury, visage. Sure, he might have had a concussion. But he was fairly certain.

"You where there," he said softly, then turned back on the cat with a vicious look, "You were at the facility! You caused this! You hurt Lydia!" The demon dog lunged at the cat, ready to tear it into pieces.

[Beetlejuice96]

"Ahh! Darling, please! Let's be civil about this!" Ash shrieked as they quickly ran off, heading up a tree where they knew Beetlejuice wouldn't follow. They were already causing a scene as people glanced at the dog chasing after the cat.

"Beej! No! Bad dog!" Lydia exclaimed, trying to keep the illusion he was just an animal.

[Metronome]

"Lydia, that demon was at the power plant. They have something to do with all of this!" He was about five seconds from blowing their cover by changing back and blowing Ash up.

[Beetlejuice96]

"Darling, I swear on my undead afterlife I have no idea what you're going on about! I've been in this city for a while, I even have an alibi!" Ash exclaimed, eyes bulging in terror.

"Beej! Stop it, leave the cat alone!" Lydia said, trying to pull him away. She turned just in time to see someone walking towards them.

[Metronome]

A police officer came along, shooing Lydia and Beetlejuice out of the park. Dogjuice huffed, and gave the cat one last glare before trotting behind Lydia.

"That demon was at the facility," he whispered, "I know it. They have something to do with it!"

[Beetlejuice96]

"You think they're the reason why we were trapped in there for years?" Lydia asked as she walked along the busy streets. The only demon she knew was Beetlejuice and a few he told her about but she had never seen or heard of that one before.

"So...how exactly do you two know each other?" She inquired, hoping she wouldn't set him off.

[Metronome]

"I don't wanna' talk about it," Dogjuice grumbled. "But...I dunno...Ash never really seemed like the diabolical scheme type to me. That was always more my thing. But I saw them at the facility the night I fought my mom...granted, I might have been concussed, but I'm like 75% sure it was them..."

He sat down on the sidewalk, thinking. "But that was right before that weird thing where we zapped into the woods. I didn't do that...and Ash doesn't have reality bending powers..." He looked up at Lydia. "I don't know Lyds. I think someone might be playing us."

[Beetlejuice96]

"A different demon perhaps, one able to mimic someone?" Lydia theorized as she sat beside him. "What do you think Ash meant about being tethered? You don't think they're in our situation, do you?"

[Metronome]

"I don't know," His ears twitched. "I always kinda' thought our situation was like, I dunno, a super rare thing. It's weird to think that there could be more out there..."

Now he felt kind of bad for blowing up at Ash. As per usual, his temper got the better of him. But he still wasn't quite ready to bury the hatchet; they had still left him alone in the Netherworld, after all.

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia glanced over before gently scratching between his ears. "Hey, cheer up. We still have the day ahead of us and different ways to make money. The bank robbing is still out of the question." She smirked, knowing it might cheer him up.

"The park we left is out of the question, but there might be another one we can go to."

[Metronome]

His ears perked up. "I'm tellin' ya', kid. When times get tough, that bank is gonna' look pretty tempting!" He hoped up. "Screw the park. Let's take to the streets. Let's go downtown and scam some suckers!"

Suddenly they were in an alley right inside the downtown area. Beetlejuice summoned up a booth, and drug it out onto the sidewalk. A neon light sign read "Tarot readings: 5 Dollars a Read".

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia chuckled softly as he became more like his old self again. She grabbed her cards before placing them on the booth, giving them a quick cleansing so nothing would tamper with the readings. She sat down and waited.

A few people stopped for a quick reading but they were the usual questions; love, money, some even asking for advice. Lydia sighed softly before looking over at Beej. "How much did we make so far?"

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice was sniffing around for more bugs to munch on, having gotten bored with the woes of the average joe looking for answers in the mystic arts. He jerked his head up when Lydia spoke to him, and poked his head out from under the table cloth.

"Uh...twenty bucks. That should last a while right? How expensive is human stuff?"

[Beetlejuice96]

"Food wise, it'll last a bit, two three days tops. But if we don't want to sleep in another mattress store we're going to need more than twenty bucks. I don't know how much a hotel room is, let alone one that accepts pets." Lydia replied before sighing softly. Maybe running away wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

[Metronome]

"Hey, they don't have to know that I'm there. Invisible, remember?" Beetlejuice could sense her getting frustrated. He poked her hand with his wet nose and wagged his tail softly. "We'll figure it out, Lyds," He promised. "I'm not gonna' let you go hungry any more. Or sleep on a shitty cot. Got it?"

[Beetlejuice96]

A faint smile appeared before she patted his head. "Thanks, Beej." She said before looking up at the crowd around her. So many living normal lives without so much as glancing at the unfortunate souls surrounding them. She sighed softly before grabbing what was left of her breakfast burrito, having just taken a bite when she sensed someone staring at her.