𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗜𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 ✘ 𝘉𝘌𝘌𝘛𝘓𝘌𝘑𝘜𝘐𝘊𝘌

Ꮯhᥲρtꫀɾ 𝟙𝟙: Make It Count

    "You confuse me sometimes, you know."

    The familiar voice rang out from behind Beetlejuice, prompting his head to snap away from the scenery outdoors and turn towards the sound's origin. There was Lydia, standing with one hand pressed against the wooden door frame. If she didn't move her hand away from the wood, he was sure she'd get a splinter or something. It was two centuries old, and he knew from experience that it wasn't the kindest when it came to splintering. In response to her comment, the stripe-clad spectre, leaning against the flimsy fence on the porch, said, "I confuse everyone. Part of the whole 'being a demon' thing."

    "Not like that. Pretty sure I understand everything about you being a demon 'n all." She stepped away from the door frame, walking to his side. "Your emotions, though. Sometimes, you're one cold son-of-a-bitch, leaving me wondering if you can even feel anything, or if it's all just an elaborate game to get sympathy. Other times, you have these huge mood swings. You get genuinely upset and angry when I do something like not fully trusting you -- which, by the way, is still completely justified after everything you've done. I just don't get it. I don't get you."

    The demon looked away from her, returning his gaze to the peaceful nature outside. "Yeah, I feel emotions, if that's what you're wondering. Given, they're not like yours. Not as powerful." He recalled, "When you brought me to life through the marriage all those years ago, it was like I'd been swimming for my whole existence, muffling everything. Then, I swam back to the surface to gasp for air. Nothing was muffled anymore. Nothing was numb. I felt the full force of all those emotions. BAM, BAM. All these feelings! They hit me like a goddamn truck."

    "And then you tried to kill my dad."

    "Well, yeah. But that's not the point." He shook his head. "They went away again after you killed me, though. The intenseness, at least. It's back to feeling muffled. They're still here, but it's numb."

    "So, you do really feel emotions. Kind of," Lydia thought aloud. She knew that she'd upset him by implying that he was a malevolent pervert just minutes before, so she wanted to check in with him. After all, he'd stormed out of the house while flashing his middle finger, so the desire to see how he was doing was reasonable. Was it because she cared about him? She wasn't sure. In her mind, she dismissed it as pure curiosity.  "Then what are you feeling now?"

     Beetlejuice, not wanting to disclose his current feelings to avoid any deep conversation, replied, "The urge to watch porn." He didn't want to hear her apology, nor did he want her pity, so he didn't want to get into it. He just wanted to be left alone.

    "Ew!" The blonde girl instinctively exclaimed. "You know that's not what I meant."

    A smug smile tugged on the green-haired demon's chapped lips. "No idea what else you'd be talking about."

    She sighed, lacing her fingers together. "Yes, you do." Despite the fact that he was clearly avoiding the topic, she specified, lightly hitting his arm, "Emotion-wise, BJ! Jesus. What are you feeling emotion-wise?"

    Shifting in discomfort, he took a step away from the nineteen-year-old. "I told you, I don't feel emotions like you do."

    "But you do feel them. Not as extreme, but they're similar, right? So what do you feel? Right now?"

    He tapped his fingers against the dry fence. "Well, if you MUST know -- which, by the way, I don't see how it's important at all. I mean, it is kinda personal informa--"

    "Beetlejuice," she interrupted him so that he'd stop stalling.

    "Fine." He quietly exhaled. "I feel a sorta ... pit in my stomach. I think it's sadness. Or anger. Or both. I think it's both. Not that it's any of your business."