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So… I just started listening to the BJ musical…

I’m just gonna say right here in the beginning that I’ve been a movie fan for almost ten years now. Maybe I’m just falling into the “the original is always the best” trap but… I’m listening to the musical right now and it’s so… corny? Cringey? Feels like it’s written by a 16yo who watched a movie once and now is making a “Modern AU” fanfiction?

Sorry all the musical fans if you’re out here, but yeah. I just felt like I should write this down. I was kinda excited to listen to it and I can’t stand the corniness.

Did y’all feel that too? Am I being pretentious? Idk man. Civilized discussion is welcome but please don’t be mean to me :(

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he bought super + for anyone wondering

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I feel like the Maitlands do not get considered enough when discussing how Lydia talks and thinks about Beetlejuice in the second movie.

Obviously Beej had pretty neutral experiences with Lyds up until a sandworm ate him in the first film.

And for Lydia she has had some net negative experiences with him. Snake assults her fam, tries to con her into marrying him befor she realized he is a snake, actually almost made a child bride to bring him back to life and he kind of attacks the two people who he agreed to help in the process. This is all to say she would obvs be trepidatious around Beetlejuice.

But then you have to think about the fact that she probably lived with the Maitlands for a long time. They probably would have discussed him and how he is a sex pest, unconrolable, trickster demon. How he was black listed from the afterlife, his old job. Like having details filled in on this kind of scary guy probably instilled a greater sense of distrust in him than there needed to be.

In the first movie he is a violent, eratic, horny, creep to basically all the adults. He jumps on people, kisses them without warning, puts them in situations that can cause greivous bodily harm. And Lydia he mostly leaves alone until he realizes she can see him and then he only proposes a marrage of inconvinience becasue he doesn't want to be dead.

I the snake scene she is left alone and in the wedding scene she he grabs her arms to manuver her through the wedding and covers her mouth so she won't say his name. Meanwhile he is doing loonytoons ass stuff to everyone else.

This is all to say that the Maitlands might have instilled a greater sense of danger and misstrust around BJ over the years. It would also explain why she is kind of clueless to the flirty hauntings he sends her way like the flyer, pop up ads, and even the love song. Like this is probably just part of his sleezy creep schtick and not an ernest yet deranged attempt at getting a girls attention.

The McArthor Park scene probably hit her like a tone of bricks. Oh zombie Bugs Bunny might actually like me and not just want to get married for life privilages. When did that happen.

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@iz1331 ask for a fanart of Betelgeuse and Lydia in this exact pose. well HERE YOU GO.

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ENJOY

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Betelgeuse: Gee, babes. I don't know how to tell yah this, but, you're in love with me.

Lydia: What?

Lydia: ...

Lydia: Oh, my god, I am.

Astrid: What kind of confession did I just witness?

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Okay I might have lied about shipping Beetlejuice/Lydia romantically

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BJ/Lydia Idea

Inscription in Beetlejuice's wedding ring:

Third time's the charm. Worth it.

Inscription in Lydia's wedding ring:

I love you to death & forever after.

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Just saw beetlejuice beetlejuice and I have to say it fully made me ship beetlebabes. I wasn’t a super big fan of the first movie. (It’s great and I love it, just not one of my rewatches) and I didn’t really see the ship. But the second movie was genuinely so romantic and cute.

He waited for her for years!! He was considerate and sweet!(ish)

Look at the way he holds her! The way he sings to her.

Not to mention the cake. This is effort. Even when he should be rushing through this because of Delores, he doesn’t. He takes his time and makes a big (if slightly creepy) effort.

They’re in love your honor

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Beetlejuice 3 Story Idea

Delores and Rory plan to kidnap Lydia for a special Afterlife sacrifice that would give Dolores power over the Living and immortal beauty without the scars of her death. She uses her power of manipulation to trick Rory into believing she loves him and says the ceremony is for Rory to take Beetlejuice's place in her heart as her immortal partner/lover. But secretly it would bind Beetlejuice to her forever and give her the power she desires to return to the Living.

Beetlejuice, Astrid, and Delia team up to save Lydia. Lydia tries calling for Beetlejuice but Delores blocks her ability. Beetlejuice is the one who notices their connection is severed which causes him to reach out to Astrid for help after finding Delia who also notices her connection to Lydia was also cut. They realize none of them can get a hold of her. But Beetlejuice does figure out he can still contact her through a dream it's a connection with bizarre elements but doable for them.

They could travel through something like Dante's Inferno and Beetlejuice could brag that he literally went through Hell and back for the woman he loves.

No contract this time. No forced wedding. He just does it risking everything for her. But no one realizes it until after they save Lydia who starts questioning his motives immediately after she reunites with them after she found a way to escape. Clues in the dreams he sends her. Beetlejuice sacrifices himself to save her solely out of true love.

Lydia escapes and meets everyone just outside the gates of the sacrificial sanctuary. But her body starts illuminating. She doesn't have much time. They all reunite. Beetlejuice heads for the Hellish sanctuary with fire all around them. Lydia goes after him.

"What's going to happen to you?" Lydia asks.

"I'm giving her what she wants so you can go free?"

"What's the catch? Another bizarre wedding? For a third time? You know you could have asked someone for your Afterlife Green Card. Don't tell me you tricked Astrid into something!"

He sadly smiles at her outburst. He places an ancient sealed scroll in her hands. He holds her hands for a moment and she doesn't pull away. He cups her face and looks deep into her eyes.

"Even after all this time you still haven't figured it out."

She doesn't move away when he kisses her pulling her into his arms. Before she knows it, she's kissing him back.

He lets her go.

"I love you, Lydia." Before she can say anything, he runs towards the sanctuary. Lydia is left stunned watching him disappear into the blazing fires confronting Delores for a final stand off as Delia and Astrid pull her away as they escape.

They make it back to the graveyard outside the church through the same exit Richard showed them. It's a beautiful peaceful day.

Astrid and Delia are delighted the nightmare is over. Lydia stumbles towards the bench in front of the crypt and plots down still reeling from the events.

She looks down at the scroll. With shaky hands, she breaks the seal that is bound with a thin ribbon of red lace. Very familiar red lace. Gold lettering appears on the page.

It's a contract. But not just any contact.

Delia and Astrid join her. Delia sits beside her asking her what's wrong. She's unable to speak and hands the scroll to Astrid, who reads it.

The contract states he willingly traded his Afterlife for her life solely on the basis of true love and selfless sacrifice. No mutual trade-off except her freedom.

Lydia bursts into tears at the surprise of Delia and Astrid and even herself. Delia comforts her.

"Let me guess. You love him too." Delia smirks. Lydia just cries even more. After decades of denial, Lydia finally accepts the truth but now it's too late. Delia just holds her.

"Well, this explains so much, believe it or not. Still. Even after all the hell we went through with him, still better than Rory."

Astrid smirks in agreement. She started liking him too. He wasn't all bad. He was obviously crazy about her mother and now she knew the extent of it.

Time passes.

Lydia is never truly the same again. She checks the mail at the old Deetz home seeing the postcard from Astrid saying she's having a great time in Brazil with her college friends. She talks with Delia and goes through the rest of the mail finding an old folded-up piece of paper stuck to the back of one of the envelopes. She opens it up and it's an old flyer.

Missing the love of your life? Can't live without someone? Realizing you've made a terrible mistake pushing them away?

Same my name 3Xs.

"No way." Delia states

"It can't be." Lydia whispers. They stare at each other. Oh why not.

Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice.

Nothing.

They head for the foyer. Still nothing.

"Ok. He's not exactly one for subtly. Where is he?" Delia demands placing her fist on her hips. "Where are you! Great. Even I'm starting to miss him."

"The attic." Lydia concludes. They race towards the stairs when a knock comes at the front door.

They freeze. Lydia runs for the front door. A very attractive man with peach fuzz grayish/white hair and very striking familiar eyes smirks at her.

"Miss me, Honeycakes?"

Lydia feels their connection reform. His old self flashes before her then morphs back to the man in front of her. Lydia's jaw drops for more than one reason. "You..."

"It's me. The Juice in the flesh." He grins striking his signature pose.

"It's you?" Lydia finally manages to form a sentence.

"It's me, Lydia." Still grinning.

"It's really you?"

"Mmm hmm."

Her eyes crack in anger. "I'm going to kill you!" She screams charging at him. His smirk drops and bolts for the yard with her not far on his tail.

"Lydia! Lydia! Now wait a minute, Honey!" He keeps screaming at her as she continues trying to grab hold of him.

Delia watches from the porch with headless Charles. "She's going to marry him, isn't she?" She continues watching Lydia's game of murder tag.

"She wouldn't. Would she?" Headless Charles chimes in. Blood spewing out.

"Yes, she would. Still better than Rory, though."

Back in the yard, BJ twists away from his Gothic assailant. "Honey! Honey! Lydia! Babe! Stop!"

"Why? Why should I! Do you know what you put me through?! How are you even alive? How do you look like that?!"

"Did you read the scroll I gave you?"

"Yes!"

He laughs enjoying her irritation catching his breath.

"Then that's all you need to know. I thought it was pretty obvious. I thought it was obvious a long time ago."

She swallows the rising emotion.

"I traded my life for yours that granted me freedom from the Afterlife. Yes, I traded in my good looks for this." Pointing to himself. "Even sacrificing my luscious blonde locks but it was a sacrifice I was willing to make to help the woman I love. Again."

She shoulders sag. She looks at him with guilty eyes.

"Since I died on my wedding night - murdered by a death cultist actually who tricked me into marrying her for my soul - only if I selflessly sacrificed myself to save a person out of pure love I would be freed from my death sentence and could return to the Living and Delores would have no power over me again and she couldn't hurt the person I loved. Didn't think it would ever happen until I met you. By the way she is gone for good. Rory too by the way."

Lydia smiles a little. "So not someone else? Why me? You could have had someone else and gotten your Green Card marrying someone else or sacrificing yourself for someone else?"

"Yes, I could have. Even tried a few times before meeting you. But they weren't you. It was always you. It was always going to be us. And despite your best efforts, you've known that too. You can't stop this. You can delay it but never truly stop it. And you knew that too."

She bites her lip.

So," He pulls out a ring from one of his pockets. "What do you say, Honey? Will you marry for real this time? Third time's the charm." He grins.

She bites back the growing tears and nods. He slides the ring on her finger.

"Ok but no take back this ti-" She cuts him off with a rough kiss.

"Called it." Delia smiles. Charles digs into his pocket and hands her some cash.

Beetlejuice and Lydia break the kiss. Lydia smacks his chest.

"Ow!"

"I love you but don't ever do this to me again! That's for the literal Hell you put me through! Including not answering me when I called for you. I know you heard me!"

And they're back to arguing.

"Yeah, that marriage is going to last forever." Delia shakes her head. "Just like us." She turned to Charles.

Third wedding and they're finally married for real. Vows exchanged and he kisses his bride.

"I just have one question." Lydia whispers. "What is your real name?"

"Well it's actually B-"

Bam! Black screen and credits roll

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Watercolor & ink sketch

Beetlejuice and Lydia enjoying the Danse Macabre

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some juices 🪲

he's board

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so beetlejuice, beetlejuice and beetlejuice walk into a bar

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as a past very depressed 14 year old who found Beetlejuice when she needed it the most, I fear beetlebabes was far more important to me than most will ever understand

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the self restraint lydia has is admirable because I would've been bouncing on his dick after he looked at me like this

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The wedding finally happens and Beetlejuice is alive again.

Lydia, after initial shock: ew.

BJ, normal and human now: what THE FUCK you mean “ew”???

Lydia: I liked you more when you were pale and moldy.

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I’ve seen a lot of people analyzing Lydia’s behavior in BJBJ, not only on tumblr. And a lot of posts about Lydia’s anxiety being illogical miss one certain point: anxiety IS illogical. As someone who spent enough time treating my depression and anxiety issues (and also abusing my medicine at some point) I can totally get her behavior. Let me explain.

WARNING: I’m not an expert in anything I’m talking about, this is just for fun and based on my own experience with mental issues. Also I’m very sleepy and English is not my first language.

When people analyze Lydia’s behavior, they usually have 2 points:

1. Lydia is afraid of ghosts in general; she’s getting anxious because she can see dead people.

2. Lydia is afraid of Beetlejuice specifically.

While the first one is more logically understandable, I don’t think it’s the thing. To me it was obvious that she was afraid of BJ and her panic attacks happened only when she saw him. The second one, though, makes less sense considering the events of the second movie, when Lydia summons BJ and she’s just like… annoyed. She looks at him and goes ew. I didn’t see panic. Which could be just her being calm and collected in the face of danger, but I don’t believe Lyds is like that, sorry 😭

So that leaves us with her reactions being kinda… inconsistent. Yeah! So let me introduce you to my hot takes:

- Lydia is mentally unstable and has big anxiety issues which lead her to panic spiraling about certain topics.

- Lydia is NOT afraid of ghosts in general (at least consciously), but seeing them still messes her up.

- Lydia’s only human and her memory of the first movie events is not perfect.

Let’s talk about this.

In the first movie we clearly see Lydia being depressed and suicidal. Here everything’s clear, I think. Depression at a young age can mess your brain big time and I doubt she got it medicated until she was a whole ass adult.

In the same first movie Lydia obviously doesn’t feel distressed around ghosts (except for BJ, because he’s a weirdo). She willingly spends time with Maitlands and dances with football players and in general she’s okay with ghosts.

From the second movie we get that she can see any ghost because of her gift. I can only imagine how many ghosts she’s met during these 36 years. Probably even before her show started, she would always randomly see dead people in all kinds of places. Some guy killed himself in this building 50 years ago? Yep, Lydia can see him haunting the place. This ability surely doesn’t bring comfort to one’s life, especially after you grow out of your teenage years and talking to dead people is no more considered a quirky thing.

Now back to her fear of Beetlejuice. In the first movie, he terrorized the Deetzes, but didn’t do anything harmful to Lydia specifically. The whole wedding thing must’ve been pretty scary though, I don’t think many people acknowledge that. In her place I would absolutely be terrified. But at the end she seems fine and cheerful, which could be a sign that she isn’t traumatized but all this ghostly stuff that much. So what could’ve happened for her to react to BJ like this?

What I’m thinking is, human memory is not perfect. It tends to blur some things, especially uncomfortable ones. And depression is known for causing memory issues as well. I, personally, barely remember my teen years. And I’m definitely younger than Lydia and saw far less shit in my life. So I’m just thinking that, for the past 36 years, her memory of encountering Beetlejuice might’ve gotten more vague and kinda replaced with… Maitlands’ stories about him.

We don’t know when exactly did the Maitlands leave, but I assume Lydia did spend with them enough time. I already saw a very good in-depth post about Lydia’s fear of Beetlejuice being fueled by the Maitlands’ experience of him being a pervy freak and whatnot. Yes, I agree!!! They absolutely did tell Lydia about all their afterlife experiences, including their first time summoning Beetlejuice. So Lydia must’ve known about him being extremely fucking weird.

Now, imagine: you’re a woman with many mental issues. Your job includes regularly seeing dead people who might look really disturbing and behave in a potentially dangerous way. You have many relationships issues as well and now… You start seeing a freaky ghost from your teenage years. What do you remember about him? Oh, not much:

- he hurt your dad and scared your family (which might have been funny when you’re 16, you do start seeing things differently when you grow up).

- he was acting absolutely disgusting towards your friend.

- he tried to marry you.

I don’t blame Lydia for freaking out. And considering she has anxiety, I can totally imagine her brain going different directions with thoughts how Beetlejuice might hurt her specifically. Been there, done that. I believe her seeing him at the studio wasn’t the first time, and her reactions just kept escalating because she kept thinking about him being a supernatural entity who can murder her, rape her, hurt her daughter, hurt her parents, etc.

But then she summons him and he’s… normal. I mean, relatively normal. You know that feeling when you’re afraid to make this really scary phone call, but when you finally do, it turns out to be not that scary? I imagine that what Lydia experienced, just ten times more intense lmao.

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WAIT YOU’RE SO RIGHT

I legit forgot Delia existed in that scene but oh boy, I can totally see her making some snarky comment at Delores. Delia IS enough of a bitch for that

Delores: I want his soul.

Delia: Nope. Nuh-uh. You’re not taking him. He’s our… emotional distress ghost.

Thinking about the wedding scene from BJBJ once again.

GOD I WISH there was some interaction between Delores and Lydia. I mean, when she got to BJ’s office and smashed Lydia’s photo I got so hyped for the possibility of a cheesy ao3-coded jealousy scene. And all we’ve got was “he’s mine pushes Lydia away” or whatever that was.

I’ve already seen everybody and their mother talk about the wasted potential that Delores is, but the 12yo girl inside me really longs for some fight between her and Lydia. I WISH Lyds could do something for BJ as well, because now he’s the only one doing shit for her. Girl go save your man.

Giggling kicking my feet if I’m gonna imagine how it should’ve gone… I want Lydia to step up and say something like “Erm, excuse me, we’re having a wedding and HE CHOSE ME”. Even if she doesn’t really want BJ to herself, the possibility of giving him to Delores is worse.

And then Astrid can do her sandworm thing. Idk whatever.