LIMBO: An alternate universe based on the Beetlejuice franchise (work in progress).
Summary
Beetlejuice has been dead for just over thirty years. In all that time, he has dedicated himself to spreading chaos among the living under the title of "The Most Effective Bio-Exorcist in the Neither-World." But after meeting a living girl named Lydia Deetz, he begins to feel tired and mired in monotony, even more so after a series of events completely blurred the line between life and death for both of them.
How much can they take from this anomaly until everything falls apart?
Playlist π§
Chapter list
Chapter 1 (In Limbo): ENG / ESP
Chapter 2 (The Beautiful Ones): ENG / ESP
Chapter 3 (Strange, Unusual): ENG / ESP
Chapter 4 (Up and Down): ENG / ESP
Chapter 5 (Milkhome): ENG / ESP
Chapter 6 (Something Wicked): ENG / ESP
Chapter 7 (To Dream About a Bench): ENG / ESP
Chapter 8 (All-nighter): ENG / ESP
Chapter 9 (Breaking Up the Girl): ENG / ESP
Chapter 10 (One, Two, Three): ENG / ESP
Chapter 11 (Ever After-Life): ENG / ESP
Chapter 12 (Smoke and Mirrors): ENG / ESP
Chapter 13 (Thirteen): ENG / ESP
Chapter 14 (Oblivion): ENG / ESP
Chapter 15 (For Wishes and Dreams p.1): ENG / ESP
Chapter 16 (For Wishes and Dreams p.2): ENG / ESP
More coming soon π»
All Limbo related content under the tag #limbo fanfic
SUMMARY: Perhaps Lydia and BJ pushed the natural order further than they ever should have the last time. Now, each must come to terms with what happened in their own way and decide where to go from there.
I've been lucky enough to commission great artists recently on a few illustrations for my fics, with more to come.
Thanks to the amazing @hesitant-killjoy for this delightful piece!
This is a fun scene from Chapter 9, Progress, of "A Haunted Amazon" where teenage Donny (twin yet totally opposite brother of Betelgeuse) crashes Astrid's prom. Here's the moment:
Donnyβs grin grows and he enthusiastically takes Astrid's hand, pulling her to the dance floor. He finds a gap in the crowd and smoothly guides her arms into basic frame. When he starts dancing to this high energy song, with stylish spins and choreographed steps, Astridβs feet followΒ perfectlyΒ even though she has no idea what sheβs doing.Β Gaping at Donny, Astrid realizes howΒ impossibleΒ this is and he can see the question on her face before she even asks it.
Grinning, he says in her mind, βYes, Iβm possessing your feet. Just a little.β
Lydia was finishing going through the old, thick roll of photographs under the dim light of the old tavern.
Once she reached the end, she let out a sigh and slid the roll into the ancient camera she had pulled out from who-knows-where. Carefully, she set it down on the seat beside her. She touched it gently, as if saying goodbye, and then left it behind.
She walked toward the exit with her head down, her steps halted by a voice behind her:
β-Where you going, sweetheart?β
She turned, and upon seeing her date, her eyes lit up. β-Took you long enough.β
β-Sorry, I had to take care of a couple of things firstβ¦β -He said, moving toward her with a smile. Once in front of her, he tenderly brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, wanting to see her face better. β-Thirty-one years, and you seriously couldnβt wait five more minutes?β
She smiled shyly. β-I was afraid you wouldnβt come.β
β-And miss our date? Never, my dear.β -He replied, offering his hand.
Touched, Lydia took it, resting her other hand on his shoulder. He placed his free hand around her waist, not taking his eyes off her for even a second.
To the rhythm of a slow, steady dance, they returned to the center of the tavern, which at that moment was completely empty; just the two of them and a low, warm light that stopped time right there for them.
Only for a few seconds, their reflection in the barβs mirror caught the boyβs eye, and he saw himself in Betβs skin; cheeks flushed, as was typical of someone alive and in love, dancing with the woman he adored.
Having confirmed the perfection of the scene, he looked back at Lydia and vowed never to look away from her again.
***
There was no way to know how long he had been wandering through the sand; that was impossible to measure in the Timeless Dimension.
He walked and walked, possessed by the film running in his mind, ignoring everything around him.
It wasnβt until he reached a rocky slope that he stopped, taking a moment to look ahead.
There wasnβt much more than what he already expected: sand everywhere, a greenish-blue sky, and rock formations scattered all around.
Every so often, a gentle gust of wind would move sand from place to place, and once it settled, the distant roar of the creatures inhabiting those lands could be heard.
Indifferent to the sounds and the desolate environment, BJ let himself collapse onto his knees, then onto a stone column beside him. His gaze lost in the void. He drifted in and out of dissociation.
He knew perfectly well what would happen sooner or later. And that certainty, far from saddening him, brought him peace, one he hadnβt felt in a very long time.
βThis time I get to choose, and this is how I want to go.β
He thought, letting his mind replay that perfect scene on loop, for as long as fate allowed.
Something strange is happening
My bones do ache and my ears, they do ring
I could pull and tear my skin
I hear and smell and I want to scream
The whispering and a scratching to be let in
From outside and from within
By the pricking of my thumbs
Something wicked this way comes...
What zodiac signs do you imagine Limbo BJ and Lydia having?
Okay, so based purely on stereotypes...
I'd say Lydia is a Libra, since in social situations she always tries to avoid conflict and arguments that would require people to raise their voices, not necessarily because she lacks backbone, although that can sometimes make her a bit of a people-pleaser.
Within her social circles, she always makes an effort to ensure that the needs of those close to her are being met.
Perhaps her most negative trait is that when a social situation becomes overwhelming, she freezes up and never quite manages to make a decision, leading her to inaction under the pretense of letting time sort it out.
Her most positive trait (as long as there are healthy limits) would be her strong capacity for empathy.
On the other hand, Beetlejuice is definitely an Aries: always taking the initiative, bold, and enthusiastic (although that same enthusiasm can sometimes make him very impatient).
Among his negative traits, one of the most notable is that when things don't go at his pace or the way he wants them to, he tends to get stubborn and take his frustration out on others. Likewise, he can be extremely impulsive and keep going without stopping until the consequences of his actions hit him square in the face.
On the positive side, his greatest strengths are his ability to spread his enthusiasm and energy to those around him, his determination and persistence when it comes to lifting the spirits of the people he cares about, and his seemingly endless supply of ideas.
(Also, Gerard Way, Damon Albarn, Brendon Urie and Elton John are all Aries, so extra points πββοΈ)
Lastly, we can't ignore the fact that Aries is a fire sign and basically the perfect match for a goat-like demon...
SUMMARY
Adam and Barbara Maitland had been married for just under half a year. Although their lives hadn't gotten off to an easy start, they were determined to get by with the tools they had. Unfortunately, their efforts to get ahead were thwarted by a series of bad decisions.
WARNING: This chapter contains topics related to drug use and addiction, self-harm and suicide, and some depictions that may seem grotesque.
SUMMARY: Beetlejuice decides it is time to return to the Neither-World, convinced that his presence is no longer needed at the Maitlandsβ apartment.
Meanwhile, Lydia receives an invitation to an artistsβ gathering. After days of quiet deliberation, she chooses to attend. It will be the first time in months that she has stepped toward a crowded social event, and the prospect fills her with a nervous unease she cannot quite shake.
WARNING: This chapter contains very detailed descriptions of depression, anxiety and panic attacks, as well as suicide. I had to change it from "Mature" to "Explicit" due to the way I described the scenes in this chapter, which ended up being more graphic and sensitive than I expected.
