[IC] Stranger Beetles

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice was whimpering behind the zipper. His typical happy, green hair color leeched into a sickly, sad purple. He had a guess who was behind this.

The demon ducked back into the fort and sat with his knees pulled up to his chest. He hid his face in his knees and cried into them. She would never leave him alone! She always had new ways of ruining his existence!

[Beetlejuice96]

"Beej?" Lydia asked softly as she crawled in beside him. She gently placed a hand on his back. "We'll figure this out and fix it. You'll be back to your old self again." She assured him. She just hoped they could find a solution quickly.

Ash padded up to them in their cat form, gently nudging Beetlejuice's hand with their head. "Chin up, darling. I'm sure we'll find out who did this. When we do I will make them suffer." They said, eyes turning into twin flames of hellfire as their voice turned true demonic.

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice looked up at them, teary eyed. Suddenly, his mouth unzipped.

"I believe this was a favor from my beloved mother. She has cleaned up my sorry act and made me presentable, and we should all be grateful." The voice was his, but the words most certainly weren't. The zipper zipped shut again, and Beetlejuice looked between them before sobbing again.

[Beetlejuice96]

"That bitch!" Lydia and Ash shouted in unison, no doubt getting looks from the others outside. Lydia gritted her teeth, a growl rising in her throat. After all that woman did to him, this was too far. "We have to stop her or she'll keep terrorizing you."

"You don't suggest that we...?" Ash started to ask before shaking their head. "No, out of the question. You're a Breather; everyone in the Netherworld will be drawn to you like moths to flame."

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice looked up again as the zipper unfurled. "Don't try to fight my wonderful mother," He said, again as if the words were being forced out of his mouth. "I'm just a pathetic pansy. I'll learn to love the new me!"

His mouth zipped shut again. Beetlejuice whimpered and laid his head back on his knees. He couldn't fight her. She was too powerful. He almost double died last time! He'd be stuck like this forever!

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia growled, her eyes turning golden as her hair moved on its own. "Iggy is going to help me control my powers, then we're going to make your mother regret ever changing you." She said before storming out to find the leader.

Ash watched her go before curling up close to Beetlejuice. "We'll fix this, darling. I promise."

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice sniffed softly and pet the cat Ash absentmindedly. His hands were shaking. He was, yet again, being thrust into his worst nightmare. His mother was getting her revenge on him for standing up to her. He guessed he should just be glad she was only tormenting him, and was leaving Lydia out of it.

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia had found Iggy, explaining everything to her while still clearly upset as her hair and eyes hadn't changed back. "I need you to help me control it enough to defeat his mother. He barely survived the last time they fought, but if he has help maybe we can stop her."

[Metronome]

"Alright," Iggy said, "But if his mom is controlling him, then maybe you should leave him here so she doesn't see your powers. Better to take her by surprise. Ash can keep him company."

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia nodded solemnly in agreement before looking back where she left him. "I can tell him the plan without her knowing what we're saying. We have our way of talking without speaking." She said before heading over to him.

"Hey, I have to stay away from you while I'm working on my control or your mother will be onto us. It's the only way to gain the upper hand on her. Ash will stay with you while I'm away." Lydia signed, hoping he'd understand she wasn't abandoning him.

[Metronome]

Beetlejuice looked up at her. He only looked mildly more upset than he already was, but he nodded in agreement. He didn't want his mother to see Lydia as a threat and go after her too.

Iggy led Lydia away from the hide out. Not too far was an old junk yard, where they sometimes raided supplies from. Iggy held the cut section of chain link fence for her open.

"Now. There's nothing you can really wreck in here that isn't already trash. Why don't you start with trying to lift that old toaster over there?"

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia nodded before staring at the toaster, eyes glowing as she concentrated on lifting it. Unfortunately, it seemed like the toaster wasn't having any of it as it only trembled a little. Lydia growled softly as she kept trying, letting out a surprised yelp as it exploded, sending parts everywhere.

[Metronome]

"Well...you could always explode his mom," Iggy teased. "Lets try another. See that old lawn chair over there? Try to throw it."

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia turned her gaze to the chair before quickly moving them away in hopes of flinging it. Well, it did move...straight into a wall where it crumbled into bits. "That...actually worked." She said, a little surprised she had some control.

[Metronome]

"Don't act so surprised," Iggy smiled. "Give yourself some credit, kid." She looked around, and pointed out a bucket. "See if you can lift it and put it back down."

[Beetlejuice96]

The bucket soon moved up, shaking a little as she concentrated before it flipped then landed a little ungracefully. "The movies make it look so easy." She chuckled.

[Metronome]

"We'll keep working on it," Iggy promised. And they did, until the sun began to set. They headed back to the station. Inside Lydia's fort were two snoozing demons. It looked like BJ had set his differences with Ash aside, and was catching up on the sleep he'd lost last night due to his nightmares.

[Beetlejuice96]

Lydia smiled a little, glad he at least had found some comfort in his time of distress. She carefully moved around them to grab her cards and grimoire before leaving them be. She sat beside Riff Raff, observing his tattoos. "Did they hurt?" She inquired, curious.

[Metronome]

"Well, I wasn't sober for most of them," he said with a grin.

"Riff Raff," Iggy chided as she sat down next to the barrel fire, where dinner was being dispersed. They had Chinese take out tonight. Nina was passing around a styrofoam container of lo mein.

Riff Raff shrugged. "Most of them hurt, yeah. They bleed afterwards, too. No one tells ya' that. And then they itch. Still not as bad as getting shot."

"Ricky I swear to God if you scare Lydia with your gang stories, you're sleeping outside tonight." Iggy looked like she meant it, too.

[Beetlejuice96]

"I've seen Beej go full Shoggoth, I can handle gruesome topics." Lydia said as she took a couple egg rolls. "I was just asking because...I was thinking about getting one myself. Here, I can show you what I want." She grabbed her grimoire before flipping it to the page.

"It's a viking rune meaning protection. It might help against the fight with Beej's mom." She explained.