Line #13 Fanfic/SayItThrice


1	[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sayitthrice.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:300:Art by [[http://adasulewska.deviantart.com/art/Say-it-Thrice-Commission-for-the-Bookworm-Gal-612942369 AdaSulewska]], used with permission (click for larger version)]]
3
4	''Say it Thrice'' is a ''Franchise/{{Beetlejuice}}/WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom'' {{Crossover}} FanFiction by Creator/BookwormGal.
5
6	Between her mother's death when she was younger, the haunted house she loves, her godparent-like ghosts, and her knowledge of various aspects of the Netherworld and the rules, Lydia Deetz feels confident that she has a firm understanding of death and the dead.
7
8	Meanwhile, someone is plotting and a certain poltergeist refuses to let go.
9
10	And while the author claimed there were [[ExactWords no plans for a sequel]], they weren't [[LoopholeAbuse quite done]] with what became the ''Say It'' duology. A {{prequel}} story, ''Say It Again,'' is currently in the works and can be found [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11869216/1/Say-It-Again here]] or [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/6403750/chapters/14660200 here]]. This story examines the bond between Lydia and Betelgeuse in the period between the film and the first story. How do they go from disliking/distrusting one another to regarding each other as best friends?
11
12	A stand-alone spinoff story, ''Just Say It'' (found [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12172544/1/Just-Say-It here]] and [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/8178547 here]]), was written for the ''[=BeetleBabes=]'' community's Halloween contest on Website/DeviantArt. In this one-shot, set after the events of ''Say It Thrice'', Lydia is celebrating her first Halloween in Amity Park, and her favorite poltergeist helps her carve some jack-o-lanterns.
13
14	The story can be found [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/11253460/1/Say-It-Thrice here]] or [[http://archiveofourown.org/works/3954175/chapters/8866060 here]].
15	----
16
17	!!Tropes found in the ''Say It Thrice'' include:
18
19	[[foldercontrol]]
20
21	[[folder:A-E]]
22	* AcceptableBreaksFromReality: There are four chapters which {{flashback}} to [[spoiler:Betelgeuse's mortal life during]] TheHighMiddleAges. These are not written in the form of English which would have been in use at the time, as that would be almost incomprehensible to modern audiences. The author's note requests that the reader just assume that everything has been translated into something they can understand.
23	* AerithAndBob: In the story, the characters include [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Danny, Sam, Tucker]], Aunt Melinda, [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} Lydia, Adam, Barbara, Juno]], [[OurGhostsAreDifferent Poindexter, Skulker]], Betelgeuse, and Sanduleak.
24	** [[spoiler:In the {{flashback}} portion, Betelgeuse lives in the same area as Peter, William, Agnes, Elinor, Remfrey, Galeren, Agnes, Katelin, Lord Gilbert, Hamund, Ysembert, Derrick, Avelyn, and Sibylla. The [[TheHighMiddleAges time period]] helps make it more reasonable.]]
25	* AfterActionPatchUp: The Maitlands break out the first aid kit after the encounter with Sanduleak.
26	* AlcoholicParent: [[spoiler:Betelgeuse's father]]
27	* AlienGeometries: In her report, Maddie Fenton remarks that structure of the Ghost Zone does not reflect normal forms of geometry and physics. Instead, it appears to be closer to a Moebius Loop or a Klein bottle, but not quite.
28	** [[spoiler:This is what happens to Amity Park after [[RealityWarper Betelgeuse]] gets a hold of the [[AmplifierArtifact Gem of Osiris]].]]
29	* AllMenArePerverts: Or at least, all teenage boys are, in Betelgeuse's mind. While he's keeping an eye on Lydia's new friends through the mirrors, he's not best pleased at the idea that they might be viewing her the way he himself often views pretty girls.
30	* AmplifierArtifact: The [[EmeraldPower green gem]] in [[spoiler:Aunt Melinda's]] necklace, the Gem of Osiris.
31	* AngerBornOfWorry: Juno's reaction when she finally tracks down Betelgeuse and realizes what he's been up to recently.
32	* AnotherDimension: Several. The Netherworld, the Ghost Zone, and Saturn are all mentioned.
33	* [[spoiler:ApocalypseHow]]: [[spoiler:Aunt Melinda's end goal is to cause a Class 0 for ghosts, using a supercharged ghost shield as a city-wide circle for an exorcism. However, as Betelgeuse notes, between a stable portal to the Ghost Zone and the possibility of any open doors to the Netherworld, there's a good possibility of the effect spilling over, upgrading it to an X-5.]]
34	* AttemptedRape: Sanduleak makes it very clear what he intends to do before murdering Lydia. [[spoiler:And later, when he escapes from Saturn, he still intends to go ahead with the same plan - and considers it even more worthwhile now that he knows Betelgeuse cares about her.]]
35	* AuraVision: Distinctively different than Danny's [[SpiderSense Ghost Sense]], some ghosts can sense things about other ghosts and supernatural stuff. According to Betelgeuse's narrative, ectoplasm-based ghosts practically have a spotlight on them while humans have faint aura (though the ones who get involved with the supernatural are a little brighter). Apparently Danny's aura, being half-human and half ectoplasm-based ghost, is really distinctive.
36	* {{Backstory}}: Sanduleak's backstory reveals he's [[spoiler: UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper.]]
37	** [[{{Flashback}} Chapters 16 through 20]] show what Betelgeuse was like [[spoiler:when he was alive]].
38	** And yet another flashback during a DreamSequence was used to show Aunt Melinda's motivation.
39	* BearHug: Combined with the GroupHug [[spoiler:when Danny's parents find out he's half-ghost]], apparently all hugs that Jack Fenton gives are at least partially bear hugs.
40	* BerserkButton: Betelgeuse is [[{{Understatement}} not fond]] of people messing with Lydia.
41	** And Lydia, in turn, is not fond of people messing with ghosts, him in particular.
42	* BigBrotherInstinct: Derrick turns out to have a pretty strong one. [[spoiler:Too bad he turns it against someone completely innocent.]]
43	** In the present day, this is more or less how Betelgeuse treats Lydia. He's deeply attached to "his girl," and her safety is quite literally the most important thing in his entire existence. She notes, in the last chapter, that sometimes he acts more like a ''little'' brother, but he'd do anything for her.
44	* BigDamnHeroes: Two in rapid succession during the fight against Sanduleak. First Danny shows up, and then [[spoiler:Betelgeuse]].
45	* TheBlackDeath: Is shown during a {{flashback}} scene.
46	* BlandNameProduct: Tucker references a role-playing game called ''[[TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons Castles and Creatures]]''.
47	* BloodFromTheMouth: [[spoiler:Betelgeuse during the {{flashback}} to his death]]
48	* BoundAndGagged: This is what happened to Lydia, prior to the events of the story, [[spoiler:when Melinda summoned and nearly exorcised Betelgeuse. It was intended to prevent her from interfering]].
49	* BrokenBird: Lydia, when she arrives in Amity Park, has a lot of this going on. Between losing her parents and everything Aunt Melinda did, she's more or less emotionally shut down for the first half of the story. [[spoiler:It's only when she's reunited with Betelgeuse that she starts to actually show her feelings again. "I want to go ''home''."]]
50	* BusCrash: Charles and Delia Deetz die in a car accident before the story begins, essentially setting the plot in motion.
51	* CallBack: A few to the [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom source]] [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} materials]].
52	** When Lydia [[spoiler:instantly sees through Danny's ClarkKenting,]] she assumes that it fools everyone else because "[[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} the living ignore the strange and unusual]]."
53	** Danny's suspicion that Lydia is hiding something is compared to his reaction to [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom "Gregor"]], who did turn out to be lying to everyone.
54	** A [[BlackHumor darkly humorous]] one comes up when Number 9,998,383,750,000 is FINALLY called. Juno later even tells Betelgeuse off for the fact he wasn't in the Waiting Room when his number is actually finally called.
55	** Because of the almost-marriage in the movie, a lot of the ghosts keep referring to Lydia as the "Mortal Bride."
56	** Tucker is still affected by his time wearing the Cramtastic Mark 5.
57	* CantActPervertedTowardALoveInterest: Betelgeuse toward [[spoiler:Avelyn, back when he was alive]].
58	* CelestialBureaucracy: The setup for [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} the Netherworld]].
59	* CentralTheme: ThePowerOfFriendship
60	* CessationOfExistence: What can happen to ghosts who end up destroyed rather than moving on. Exorcism leads to a slow and torturous path to this result, and certain mortal artifacts can cause the same result. A stronger ghost can potentially destroy a weaker one, and it's also possible for ghosts to push their powers too far so that they burn themselves out.
61	** [[spoiler:Betelgeuse]] nearly [[HeroicRROD succumbs to this fate by burnout]]. ''Twice''.
62	** Several exorcisms are attempted in this story, but only one succeeds in banishing the victim to the Lost Souls Room. Lydia lampshades as it does that if anyone deserves that fate, it's [[spoiler:Sanduleak]].
63	* ClarkKenting: Danny Fenton is Danny Phantom, with the only real changes in appearance being his clothes, his hair color, eye color, and a different last name. [[spoiler:Lydia sees through it almost instantly.]]
64	* ComfortingComforter: In the last chapter, Betelgeuse uses his [[IconicOutfit striped jacket]] to cover Lydia.
65	* CoolCar: Jack drives "the Fenton Family Ghost Assault Vehicle" during the mission to stop Aunt Melinda and Uncle Roger.
66	* {{Crossover}}: Between ''Film/{{Beetlejuice}}'' and ''WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom''.
67	* CruelAndUnusualDeath: In the original film, we see the Lost Souls room where ghosts that have been exorcised are trapped forever. This story elaborates on their fate in Chapter 13:
68	-->'''Excerpt from "Handbook for the Recently Deceased"''': The deceased who are completely exorcised will be left in a completely intangible, translucent state where they gradually lose further strength, physical composition, awareness of surroundings, sense of identity, and existence. During the process, pain and discomfort will remain as long as there is some semblance of a physical body and/or mind present. The process has been comparatively described as "like having your soul sandpapered away until nothing is left." The entire destruction process can take between two and three centuries, but it cannot be stopped or reversed once the exorcism is allowed to reach completion and the deceased are banished to the Lost Souls Room. Any deceased who enter the room shall be unable to leave. It is highly recommended that this outcome be avoided and prevented.
69	* DeadGuyJunior: A character from a {{flashback}}, a boy named Henry, shares a name with his paternal grandfather.
70	* TheDeterminator: Betelgeuse. After fighting against the power of an AmplifierArtifact with his own the entire time that [[spoiler:Aunt Melinda]] tries to first [[DeaderThanDead exorcise him]] and then bind him to her will, he gets banished back to the Netherworld. The minute he wakes up, he heads into the Ghost Zone to find another way to reach Lydia. He finds the [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom portal]] and tries to use it to get out, only to find out [[MagicAIsMagicA it won't work for him]] [[spoiler:without ripping himself apart in the process]]. He ''still'' only sees this as a delay and intends to figure out another loophole. And when Lydia ends up in danger from Sanduleak, [[spoiler:Betelgeuse [[HeroicRROD goes through the portal anyway]].]]
71	* DiscOneFinalBoss: [[spoiler: Aunt Melinda is set up as the BigBad, with Sanduleak as a secondary antagonist. During the climax, however, he jumps her and steals the Gem of Osiris, becoming the main threat.]]
72	* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler:Sanduleak managed to [[TapOnTheHead hit Lydia hard]] enough that death was a viable concern.]]
73	* DontTryThisAtHome: "Don't try to summon a ghost at home. It should only be attempted by an expert insane person."
74	* DramaticIrony: Jack Fenton makes a comment about how something doesn't make sense, comparing it to the idea of Vlad Masters being "a murderous monster." In the [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom show]], Vlad wants to kill Jack.
75	* DramaticShattering: When Betelgeuse observes Sanduleak through the reflections, and sees him getting far too close to Lydia with some rather [[AttemptedRape unpleasant]] [[SlashedThroat plans]] in mind, Betelgeuse's frustrated rage shatters all the [[RageAgainstTheReflection reflective surfaces]] in the real world.
76	* TheDreaded: Betelgeuse has a reputation that encourages other ghosts to stay out of his way when he's angry and motivated enough to be an actual threat.
77	* DrivenToSuicide: Hinted to be Sidney Poindexter's cause of death when he remarks that, if he'd ended up in the Netherworld instead of the Ghost Zone, he would have become [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} a civil servant]].
78	** [[spoiler:Betelgeuse actually tried this back when he was alive. In his defense, he was drunk at the time]] and he didn't actually succeed before he was [[InterruptedSuicide interrupted]].
79	* DrivesLikeCrazy: Jack Fenton.
80	** Jazz lampshades that even with all the ghost-related troubles she's dealt with, she's yet to see anything scarier than her dad's driving.
81	** Tucker also qualifies, but that's mostly because he doesn't know ''how'' to drive yet.
82	* DrowningMySorrows: Back when he was alive, [[spoiler:Betelgeuse tried this when Avelyn turned down his proposal]]. It just made things worse.
83	* EarnYourHappyEnding: ''And how.''
84	* EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette: Lydia. Her maternal aunt, Melinda, shares those physical features.
85	** [[spoiler:Katelin, in the {{flashback}} chapters,]] also turns out to also be this. Apparently it runs in the family.
86	* EldritchLocation: [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom The Ghost Zone]], [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} the Netherworld, and Saturn]] are all not quite the same as the human world, due to their unique compositions, physics, passage of time, and [[AlienGeometry geometries]].
87	* EmbarrassingNickname: When Lydia learns that ghosts think of her as the "Mortal Bride," she remarks that it's a stupid name.
88	* EncyclopediaExposita: A lot of the WorldBuilding and such are delivered in this manner. At the start of chapters are excerpts from sources such as ''[[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} The Handbook for the Recently Deceased, The Living and the Dead,]]'' [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom the scientific journals of Maddie Fenton]], and even the journals of random characters or homework assignments.
89	* EveryoneHasStandards: Turns out, Betelgeuse didn't realize how [[YoungerThanSheLooks young]] Lydia was during the events of [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} the movie]]. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold He]] is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone not happy]] when he finds out what he [[OldManMarryingAChild almost did]], and more or less makes her his {{protectorate}} as a way of making it up to her.
90	** He also doesn't like Sanduleak's preferred methods of [[AttemptedRape interacting]] [[SlashedThroat with]] the living. Especially since he tried to drag Betelgeuse into it without telling him what he had in mind.
91	** Derrick considers [[spoiler: beating Betelgeuse into incoherence and throwing him into the swamp to slowly drown]] perfectly justified for what he believes happened to his sister, but when he realizes what ''actually'' happened ([[spoiler:she just got lost on her way home and Betelgeuse didn't harm her in the least, instead actually ''proposing'' to her]]), he's horrified by what he's done... though not enough to admit it.
92	* [[EvilUncle Evil Aunt]]: This is Lydia's opinion of her maternal aunt, Melinda. [[spoiler:She's not wrong.]]
93	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Melinda is completely unable to grasp the fact that people might disagree with her [[FantasticRacism views on ghosts]]. [[spoiler: And when she's arrested for trying to kill Lydia (for trying to stop her), she's baffled, as she sees it as justified in pursuit of her goals.]]
94	* ExactWords: Betelgeuse isn't afraid to take advantage of these along with his normal LoopholeAbuse. For example, [[spoiler:as a child, he bet that he could ''move'' a heavy barrel from the ground to the table top with one hand behind his back. He didn't say he would ''lift'' it, allowing him to create a ramp to roll it up]].
95	* ExtremelyShortTimespan: Chapters 1–3 are the first day; 4–7 are the second day; 9–15, 21-22, and 24 are the third day, and 24–34 are the fourth day; with a little bit of the fifth at the very end. 8, 16–20, and 23 are purely flashbacks, while 35 is a TimeSkip to a week later and then a few months later. So, most of the story is set over four days, [[FourIsDeath appropriately enough]].
96	[[/folder]]
97
98	[[folder:F-L]]
99	* FamilyOfChoice: Lydia regards the Maitlands and Betelgeuse as this. She rages at her aunt for assuming custody of her, taking her far away from her treasured "ghostly godparents," and most of all for [[spoiler:banishing and nearly exorcising her beloved "Beej." Due to the circumstances at the end of the story, her chosen family expands to also include the Fenton clan, with whom she is living.]]
100	* FantasticScience: Jack and Maddie Fenton are doing their best to study ghosts, specifically those who are from the Ghost Zone.
101	* {{Flashback}}: Lydia has one in the form of a DreamSequence that shows her first encounter with Betelgeuse after the events of the [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} film]].
102	** Flashbacks are also used in Chapter 8 to show Betelgeuse and [[VictorianLondon Sanduleak's]] first encounter and [[spoiler:Aunt Melinda's]] [[HowWeGotHere attempt to remove Betelgeuse from Lydia's life]].
103	** Another flashback is used from Chapter 16 to Chapter 20 [[spoiler:to [[TheHighMiddleAges show Betelgeuse's]] {{Backstory}}.]]
104	** And yet another flashback during a DreamSequence is used to show Aunt Melinda's motivation.
105	* {{Foil}}: Sanduleak serves as this towards Betelgeuse. Both are [[{{Poltergeist}} poltergeists]], share their [[StellarName names with stars]], and have annoying limitations. But Sanduleak lacks any of [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold Betelgeuse's]] virtues, has no problem [[EveryoneHasStandards crossing lines]] that the other poltergeist wouldn't, and has all of Betelgeuse's flaws turned up to eleven.
106	* {{Foreshadowing}}: Lydia's "Uncle Freddy," whom Melinda mentions a few times as her brother, [[spoiler:is [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Freakshow]].]]
107	** Melinda goes to visit him in one chapter. [[spoiler:He says he'll tell them to reserve the padded cell next to his for her, since she's obviously insane. Guess where she is at the end of the story?]]
108	* FreudianCouch: Jazz becomes an armchair psychologist to try to reason with Uncle Roger. The narrative even notes that, in the absence of a couch, he's settled on a patch of grass while she talks him down.
109	* FriendshipMoment: Betelgeuse and Lydia's reunion is full of this. Tucker, who is the narrative character at the moment, is kind of overwhelmed by Betelgeuse's obvious fondness and concern for Lydia, as well as by Lydia's almost explosive joy at seeing him again.
110	* FromBadToWorse: Aunt Melinda is about to [[spoiler:enact a mass exorcism to destroy all the ghosts in Amity Park]], using the Gem of Osiris to help her do it. Then Sanduleak shows up with murderous intentions and grabs the thing, [[spoiler:giving him a power boost and affecting his mind]]. "[[{{Lampshade}} From Bad to Worse]]" is actually the name of the chapter in which this happens.
111	** And then [[spoiler:''Betelgeuse'' comes in contact with the Gem of Osiris.]]
112	* {{Futureshadowing}}: Thanks to the [[{{Flashback}} flashbacks]], this happens a few times.
113	** Sanduleak is shown to have a grudge towards Betelgeuse and their first encounter is shown later.
114	** Lydia's dislike of her aunt is clear from the first chapter, but it isn't until later in the story that the scene where Aunt Melinda [[spoiler:nearly [[DeaderThanDead exorcised]] Betelgeuse]] is shown.
115	** Even Betelgeuse's traits from the film (eating bugs, his skills at exploiting loopholes, his preference for making deals to get what he desires, wearing stripes) are all established long before the {{flashback}} [[spoiler:to [[TheHighMiddleAges when]] he was alive]].
116	** It's widely understood that Betelgeuse rarely feels actual love or loyalty toward anyone; however, once they earn his devotion, they have it completely. At the time of the story, it's pretty much exclusively Lydia (and Juno, somewhat) on the receiving end of his genuine affection, although this later expands to include the Fenton family as well as Sam and Tucker to varying extents. As the {{flashback}} reveals, this particular trait was foretold in the stars at the time of his birth.
117	* GilliganCut: Betelgeuse is about to face Skulker before it cuts to the Box Ghost watching [[CurbStompBattle Skulker fleeing, missing chunks of metal and an arm]].
118	* GlowingEyesOfDoom: One of the [[SicklyGreenGlow side effects]] of a ghost holding the Gem of Osiris. [[spoiler:It happens both to Sanduleak and Betelgeuse]].
119	* GoodParents: Jack and Maddie Fenton. They might not be perfect, but they do love their children unconditionally. [[spoiler:When they find out that Danny is half-ghost, they instantly accept him for who he is, [[GroupHug hug him]], and reassure him]].
120	* GrewASpine: [[spoiler:Uncle Roger, just before the end.]]
121	* GrievousHarmWithABody: Sanduleak throws Tucker at his opponent at one point.
122	* GroinAttack: Lydia pulls one against Sanduleak.
123	* GroupHug: Jack and Maddie Fenton wrap Danny in one [[spoiler:when they find out that he's half-ghost]].
124	* HappilyAdopted: [[spoiler:Lydia, at the very end of the story, is essentially this. She's actually an EmancipatedChild, but she's living with and working for the Fentons, and it's clear from the way they treat her that they all consider her part of the family.]]
125	* [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend He Is Not My Boyfriend]]: Lydia rather accurately describes Betelgeuse as her "not-boyfriend." They're extremely close and, as the story progresses, it becomes increasingly clear that they ''love'' each other devotedly - but it's [[TheNotLoveInterest not a romantic relationship]]; it's much closer to being LikeBrotherAndSister, and is even described that way by Jazz in the last chapter.
126	** Danny and Sam claim they aren't boyfriend/girlfriend whenever Betelgeuse refers them as such. Considering that they're eventually the OfficialCouple in their cartoon...
127	* HeroicRROD: It isn't wise for Betelgeuse to [[spoiler:use the [[PortalDoor ghost portal]] in Danny's basement rather than [[SayMyName getting out the normal way]].]] In fact, keeping it up too long apparently runs the high risk of him [[spoiler:suffering CessationOfExistence.]]
128	* HeroicSacrifice: Betelgeuse will not allow anything to stop him from reaching "his girl" before she's harmed, even if it destroys him.
129	* TheHighMiddleAges: Thanks to the comment about living through TheBlackDeath, Betelgeuse is apparently from the end of this time period originally. [[spoiler:This is featured in one of the {{flashback}} sections]].
130	* IHaveManyNames: Sanduleak claims this about himself. One of his most commonly known names is [[spoiler: UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper.]]
131	* IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight: Lydia manages to do this for [[spoiler:Betelgeuse when he's under the influence of the Gem of Osiris. He's absolutely uncontrollable - but even in that state, he's somehow able to recognize that this girl is the one person he cannot bring himself to hurt.]]
132	* IconicOutfit: Though they do change into other clothes at different points, Betelgeuse wears his striped suit through most of the story and Lydia wears her [[WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}} red poncho]] through the last third of the story.
133	* IfICantHaveYou: [[spoiler:Melinda reacted murderously when the ghost she had a crush on didn't return her affections and didn't even know how she felt. She decided to expand this murderous anger to include all ghosts.]]
134	* [[IfYouEverDoAnythingToHurtHer If You Ever Do Anything To Hurt Them]]: Once Sam knows about Lydia's home situation, as well as the fact that she's figured out what Danny is, they agree to trust each other; however, Sam issues this ultimatum with regards to her friends. Lydia understands and respects the protective impulse, thereby sealing their friendship.
135	* InadvertentEntranceCue: When Lydia, Sam and Tucker confront Melinda, she tells them they should stay out of things they don't understand and aren't their business. Betelgeuse uses that comment as his opportunity to join the conversation, materializing behind Lydia and putting his hands on her shoulders.
136	-->'''Betelgeuse:''' Well, it is ''my'' business and I certainly understand. And by the way, threatening and trying to blackmail ''my'' Lyds? Not a smart move, witch.
137	* InSeriesNickname: Betelgeuse is "The Ghost With the Most."
138	** Lydia is also often referred to by ghosts as the "Mortal Bride."
139	** They tend to refer to each other by {{Affectionate Nickname}}s too, since Betelgeuse's name is used as a summons and he is TheNicknamer. He calls her "Lyds" or "Babes;" she calls him "Beej."
140	** Betelgeuse takes to calling Danny "Danny-boy," and calls Juno "June-bug."
141	* InsistentTerminology: When speaking of Lydia to others, Betelgeuse calls her "my girl" or "my Lyds" - the possessive pronoun is always in use. He rants at Danny (and later the Maitlands) about how she's his only friend and that makes her ''his''.
142	** He has another bit of this near the end, when Juno asks if he's Lydia's HonoraryUncle or big brother figure or what; he very insistently says that he's her best friend, full stop.
143	* IntergenerationalFriendship: Lydia is fourteen during the story (twelve during the events of the [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} movie]]). Betelguese is physically a grown man and [[ReallySevenHundredYearsOld over six hundred years old]].
144	* InternalReveal: When Lydia works out Danny's secret, and he and the others find out that she's the "Mortal Bride".
145	** [[spoiler: Danny's parents see him switch out of ghost mode, thus discovering his secret. And at the end of the story, he tells them about Vlad.]]
146	* InterruptedSuicide: Derrick and his friends did this for [[spoiler:Betelgeuse]]. Not as much of a favor as it might seem, however...
147	* InvisibleToNormals: One of the traits of ghosts from [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} the Netherworld]].
148	* ItIsDehumanizing: Aunt Melinda often slips into this mode, calling ghosts "it" or "things."
149	* ItSeemedTrivial: Danny, Sam, and Tucker never think to mention to the new girl about the rumors concerning the Ghost With the Most and his missing "Mortal Bride." Likewise, Lydia never thinks to mention she was almost married to a ghost once. Without these minor details, no one can make the connection. Of course, it makes sense that such topics wouldn't come up when talking to near strangers.
150	* UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper: [[spoiler:Sanduleak]] turns out to be the serial killer himself.
151	* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Betelgeuse is this. Yes, he's a {{poltergeist}} with womanizing tendencies and the soul of a con man. But as Juno observes, somewhere "under all that scum" there is a "tiny spark of goodness," which Lydia has somehow found a way to light.
152	* KarmaHoudini: [[spoiler: Derrick brutally murders Betelgeuse in the flashback chapters. He does feel some regret for it later, when he realizes that his victim was actually innocent, but mostly he turns his attention to making sure that no one ''ever'' finds out. And he succeeds.]]
153	* LadykillerInLove: Betelgeuse is known to go after any woman who crosses his path. [[spoiler:But he did love Avelyn back when he was alive and even proposed. [[{{Understatement}} It did not end well]].]]
154	* LaserGuidedAmnesia: Prior to the start of the story, Aunt Melinda managed to induce a very specific form of this, [[spoiler:causing Lydia to forget Betelgeuse's name]].
155	* LastMinuteBabyNaming: Turns out to have been the case with regards to [[spoiler:Betelgeuse]].
156	* LawOfInverseFertility: Seen in the flashbacks to [[spoiler:Betelgeuse's life]]. His parents had several children, but either his mother miscarried or the children died in infancy. He was the last child she bore, and the only one to survive to adulthood.
157	* LikeFatherUnlikeSon: Henry's father was a kind, open-minded men who was best friends with Betelgeuse. Henry, however, is an ungrateful {{jerkass}} who hates Betelgeuse like the rest of the village, despite Betelgeuse taking him and his sister in after their parents die.
158	* LimitedWardrobe: {{Lampshaded}} when Sam notices that Lydia doesn't wear the same outfit every day.
159	* LoopholeAbuse: Aunt Melinda sets it up so that Betelgeuse can't view Lydia through mirrors. But that doesn't stop him from seeing everything else ''around'' her.
160	** Betelgeuse has always been fond of using loopholes to his advantage. [[spoiler:Even when he was a child.]]
161	[[/folder]]
162
163	[[folder:M-S]]
164	* MagicAIsMagicA: Or, as Betelgeuse puts it, Rule 1 is Rule 1. And his biggest rule is that he can only be summoned/banished by using his name three times. There is no other way for him to get in or out. [[spoiler:That includes using the ghost portal. Trying anyway isn't a good idea - though for Lydia's sake, he'll risk it.]]
165	* MagicMirror: Betelgeuse's primary means of keeping tabs on the mortal world is through the use of mirrors. This helps him watch over Lydia even while they're separated. [[spoiler:Melinda's ritual ensures that he can't see Lydia herself, but he can see everything ''around'' her, so he can tell if she's in any sort of danger.]]
166	* MagicalIncantation: In order to [[SummoningRitual summon]], bind, banish, or [[DeaderThanDead exorcise]] a ghost, you need the right words.
167	* MamaBear: Barbara is [[{{Understatement}} not happy]] about what Sanduleak had in mind for Lydia.
168	** Against her own inclination, Juno is sort of this for Betelgeuse. She even admits she wishes she could hate him, but there's just enough goodness there that she genuinely cares.
169	* MeaningfulName: Melinda's married name is "Livingston" and she hates ghosts.
170	* MementoMacGuffin: The [[spoiler:wedding ring from the film]] is the thing which helps to unlock Lydia's memory.
171	* MinovskyPhysics: Ectoplasm.
172	** The [[AnotherDimension Ghost Zone]] and everything in it (especially the ghosts who originate there) are composed of it. Ectoplasm mimics more traditional molecular structures, but are not composed of any recognizable atoms or atomic particles. The structures and forms created by ectoplasm are stable while remaining malleable. The ability for the ectoplasm to mimic and interact with objects from the real world is imperfect (i.e. "phasing" through solid objects, turning invisible), but is effective enough to allow entities from the Ghost Zone to exist outside it. The ability for ghosts to enter the real world, be seen by humans, and affect it without being destroyed is due to the relative stability of the ectoplasm from which they are composed. Destabilization of the ectoplasm takes extreme measures (like excess or loss of energy) and will eventually lead to complete collapse of the structure. The flexibility of ectoplasm and its ability to mimic normal forms of matter is also probably why it is possible for Danny to be half ghost.
173	* MoralityPet: Lydia, for Betelgeuse. Despite his carefully preserved reputation for being an unrepentant monster, he would do just about anything for "my girl."
174	* MugglesDoItBetter: Non-ectoplasm ghosts can't show up in photographs and their voices cannot be heard over the phone. But since it is established that they can move and manipulate solid objects, pushing buttons is perfectly within their capabilities. Adam and Barbara are able to text Lydia once they have access to a cell phone.
175	* MyBelovedSmother: Aunt Melinda acts this way toward Lydia, pouring on the sugar and the cutesy nicknames and making everyone else uncomfortable.
176	* MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Derrick has a brief moment of this when he realizes [[spoiler:he killed an innocent man]].
177	* MythologyGag: Even though the events of the [[WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}} cartoon]] didn't happen, Lydia still ends up with the red spiderweb-pattern poncho.
178	** The longer version of the summons from the [[WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}} cartoon]] also makes an appearance in the story, though in far less pleasant circumstances.
179	** Once again, someone compares the ''Handbook for the Recently Deceased'' to stereo instructions.
180	** Maddie Fenton accidentally calls the Netherworld "[[WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}} the Neitherworld]]."
181	* NamelessNarrative: Does this for the first several chapters in regards to Betelgeuse, even during his point of view.
182	* NarniaTime: The passage of time is not consistent between Earth and the Netherworld. Sometimes one is faster and sometimes the other is.
183	* NarrativeProfanityFilter: Comes up a few times, mostly from Betelgeuse.
184	--> Danny was then treated to a very colorful and descriptive tirade that would've been censored heavily even to qualify for an R rated film. The Ghost With The Most seemed determined to use every curse in existence in the most creative manner possible. Danny thought he might have stopped speaking modern English at one point and either switched languages or started using something older. Or both. It was actually pretty educational.
185	* NeverMyFault: Melinda blames ghosts for all of her problems: the lack of parental love and affection, her first heartbreak, her brother turning to crime, her sister leaving, and anything else she can come up with. Now, the problem isn't that her reasoning there is wrong, per se; ghosts played a prominent role in all four of those things. It's the fact that she drives herself mad with the stubborn assumption that ghosts are heartless beings that need to be exterminated at any cost, and anything she does in pursuit of that is automatically justified.
186	* TheNicknamer: Betelgeuse.
187	* NoHuggingNoKissing: Averted in the final chapter, when Lydia practically hugs the stuffing out of Betelgeuse. He reciprocates warmly.
188	* NoKillLikeOverkill: Betelgeuse's cause of death was a combination of [[spoiler:attempted suicide by hanging, alcohol poisoning, internal bleeding from being beaten with a hammer, and possibly drowning from either blood or the bog he was tossed in to die]].
189	* NoSell: Sanduleak's repeated attempts to stab [[spoiler:Betelgeuse]] don't quite work out for him.
190	* NoodleImplements[=/=]NoodleIncident: Betelgeuse's ''first'' attempt to marry a mortal bride involved "possession, goats, torches, an angry mob, near certain doom, a scullery maid, a river, freaky trees, and something about a cursed coin." As in, that's what the mortal wanted him to ''fix'', and Betelgeuse fails to mention how he did it. [[spoiler:And the ingrate went and committed ''suicide'' during the wedding ceremony instead of holding up her end of the deal]].
191	* NotGoodWithRejection: Turns out that this is part of [[spoiler:Melinda's hatred of ghosts]]. That and NeverMyFault.
192	* NotMeThisTime: Betelgeuse claims that he is (mostly) not to blame for [[spoiler:Lydia's injuries]]. He's telling the truth; Tucker backs him up on the claim.
193	* OffscreenMomentOfAwesome: Betelgeuse's [[spoiler:fight against Vlad at the end]] is left to the reader's imagination.
194	* OlderThanTheyLook: Betelgeuse has been around for approximately 600 years.
195	* OneSteveLimit: Averted. In addition to the DeadGuyJunior with Henry sharing the same name as his paternal grandfather, there are two characters named "Adam" and two named "Roger": [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} Adam Maitland]] and Roger Livingston in the present, and the minor characters Adam and Roger from the {{flashback}} to TheHighMiddleAges.
196	** Then there is [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} Lydia]], one of the main characters, and [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Lydia]], the ghost associated with Freakshow. [[spoiler: The former was named after the latter because Cathy knew her before she became a ghost and named her daughter after her.]]
197	* OnlyFriend: As noted under InsistentTerminology, Lydia is this for Betelgeuse, which is why he considers her ''his.''
198	* OnlyOneName: Betelgeuse. {{Justified\|Trope}} by the fact that he was born back before surnames became common.
199	* OurAngelsAreDifferent: [[spoiler:Juno's bosses]] seem to reflect various Biblical descriptions of angels, although they're not actually identified as such.
200	* OurGhostsAreDifferent: Depending on whether the ghost originally formed in [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom the Ghost Zone]] or in [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} the Netherworld or human world]], they will exhibit different traits. These include potential power strength, the variety of available abilities, and even whether or not they are composed of ectoplasm. Poltergeists fall somewhere in between the two, exhibiting traits of both.
201	* PapaWolf[=/=]{{Protectorate}}: Betelgeuse will pull out all the stops to defend Lydia from anything, even at tremendous risk to himself; she even comments on it in the first chapter, when speaking of her exceedingly protective, slightly possessive "not-boyfriend."
202	* PatchworkFic: With regards to ''Beetlejuice,'' the writer describes it as 99% [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} the film]] and 1% [[WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}} the cartoon]] (namely Lydia's age, the existence of the red poncho, and a little of the characterization of Lydia and Betelgeuse).
203	* PerkyGoth: Sam Manson. Lydia also qualifies [[spoiler:(or at least, she did before her aunt got involved)]].
204	* {{Poltergeist}}: What Betelgeuse and [[OriginalCharacter Sanduleak]] are said to be.
205	* PleaseDontLeaveMe: Lydia begs this of Betelgeuse [[spoiler:when she's trying to save him from the Gem of Osiris]], pointing out that she's lost her parents and she can't bear the possibility of losing him too. [[spoiler:It works.]]
206	* PoorCommunicationKills: When Danny first asks Betelgeuse who his mortal bride is, the Ghost with the Most finds that Melinda's binding prevents him from saying Lydia's name, so he simply describes her to him. Unfortunately, the description he gives (dark-haired goth girl) sounds a lot like Sam. Danny [[BerserkButton doesn't]] [[LetsYouAndHimFight approve]]. Only when Danny mentions Sam's name does Beej realize there's been a misunderstanding.
207	* PortalDoor: The ghost portal that connects the Ghost Zone to the Fentons' basement. Betelgeuse tries to use it to escape without having have his [[SpeakOfTheDevil name spoken]] [[RuleOfThree three times]]. [[spoiler:It doesn't work out quite like he was hoping.]]
208	* PostVictoryCollapse: [[spoiler:After dealing with Sanduleak]] and getting the group somewhere safe, [[spoiler:Betelgeuse]] succumbs to exhaustion due to [[PortalDoor his]] [[HeroicRROD method]] of reaching them in time. He does try to resist as long as possible though.
209	* PowerHigh: One of the negative side effects of a ghost getting a hold of the Gem of Osiris. [[spoiler: Both Sanduleak and Betelgeuse respectively get hit hard with this.]]
210	* ThePowerOfFriendship: When nothing and no one else can reach him, [[spoiler:Lydia [[IKnowYoureInThereSomewhereFight manages to get through to Betelgeuse]].]]
211	* PutOnABusToHell: Charlies and Delia are dead, not even leaving a ghost, before the first chapter even begins. Lydia implies that they, like the Maitlands, died in a car crash; fortunately, they'd provided heavily for Lydia's future.
212	* PutThemAllOutOfMyMisery : [[spoiler:Melinda's first crush was a ghost who didn't realize she had feelings for him, and she [[DisproportionateRetribution did not]] [[NotGoodWithRejection handle it very well]]. So she blames all ghosts for all of her problems.]]
213	* RageAgainstTheReflection: In a bit of a variation, Betelgeuse inadvertently does this when he is using reflective surfaces to spy on the real world and gets furious at what he sees happening.
214	* RealityWarper: Betelgeuse's main power is moderate reality warping.
215	* TheReasonYouSuckSpeech: Lydia delivers one to the Fenton parents on their treatment and views concerning ghosts. While they can easily write off her more emotional arguments as being the result of misplaced sympathy, they pay closer attention when she points out that just making assumptions, rather than using the scientific method to determine whether ghosts could be considered people, is [[SeriousBusiness bad scientific practice]].
216	** ReasonableAuthorityFigure: They have the decency to re-examine their methods and are big enough to admit that she's right. By the end of the story, it's strongly implied that, thanks to discussing the Netherworld with Betelgeuse and Lydia, they have completely changed to only hunting ghosts who require it.
217	* ReducedToRatburgers: Based on one of the {{flashback}} chapters, [[spoiler:this is the origin for Betelgeuse's [[BizarreTasteInFood taste for insects]].]]
218	* RefusingParadise: When offered the chance to move on [[spoiler:rather than suffer oblivion after the damage from holding the Gem of Osiris, Betelgeuse decides to risk staying anyway - because he won't let anything, not even long-denied peace, take him away from Lydia.]]
219	* ReplacementGoldfish: Betelgeuse, once he knows that [[spoiler:his beloved Lydia is descended from his foster daughter Katelin]], immediately rejects the idea that she is this for him, noting that she deserves to be, and ''is'', loved by him for who she is on her own merits.
220	* RitualMagic: Seems to be the preferred strategy for dealing with ghosts from the Netherworld. Anyone can use it if they know the right words, have a physical object connected to the ghost in question, and have a strong enough will to overcome the ghost's power. Or an AmplifierArtifact.
221	** It is stated that the living can use this method to [[SummoningRitual summon]], bind, banish, or [[DeaderThanDead exorcise]] a ghost.
222	* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: After rescuing Lydia, Betelgeuse fully intends to enact one on both [[spoiler:Sanduleak and Aunt Melinda]], once he's recovered his strength. "When he got through with those two, no one would even think of bothering him or Lydia again."
223	** [[spoiler:Sanduleak also plans to enact one against Betelgeuse, by once again targeting Lydia, after he escapes from Saturn.]]
224	* RuleOfThree: Betelgeuse's name still needs to be said three times to summon/banish him. [[spoiler:But when he's got the Gem of Osiris, it doesn't work.]]
225	* RunningGag: Betelgeuse's tendency to read and write notes in Lydia's journal. She eventually gives up trying to keep him out and they have full conversations in the text. Several chapter summaries are done through this banter.
226	** Him referring to Sam as Danny's girlfriend (and them [[SheIsNotMyGirlfriend denying it]]).
227	* SealedEvilInACan: Betelgeuse trapped Sanduleak in a well for a century.
228	* SecretDiary: Lydia keeps a journal that Betelgeuse locates. He writes comments in it about her entries and she eventually just goes with it. [[spoiler:Her aunt finds the journal and learns about Betelgeuse's existence, his interactions with Lydia, and his name. She then uses the information to try and get rid of him.]]
229	* SecretKeeper: Lydia joins Sam, Tucker, and Jazz in agreeing to guard Danny's secret.
230	* SecretTestOfCharacter: [[spoiler:The scene with Beej RefusingParadise to stay with Lydia seems to have been what the one offering Paradise was looking for]].
231	* SkeletonKey: Uncle Roger happens to leave one where Lydia can find it.
232	* SlashedThroat: Sanduleak's preferred method of dealing with people, which makes sense since he's [[spoiler: UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper.]]
233	* SleepCute: Occurs in the last chapter with Betelgeuse and Lydia.
234	* SoulCuttingBlade: Melinda has a knife specifically meant to affect ghosts.
235	* SpeakOfTheDevil: Danny and his friends have a lot of trouble learning much about Betelgeuse due to the fact that his name can be used to summon him and no one really wants to risk it.
236	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: As he corrects in Lydia's journal, his name is "Betelgeuse," not "Film/{{Beetlejuice}}", a reference to the inconsistent naming from which even the franchise itself suffers.
237	* SupernaturalSealing: Prior to Chapter 1, Aunt Melinda somehow managed to lock Betelgeuse in the Netherworld and seal away his ability to contact Lydia, as well as Lydia's memory of his name. Chapter 8 elaborates on this, showing that she used the ring he gave Lydia as a focus and also sealed any ability to teach others his name, the better to ensure that Lydia would never see him again. But sealing the living is far harder than sealing the deceased: everything would come undone if Lydia put on the ring. Melinda seemed to know this, as she also sealed Lydia's memories of the ring and kept it locked in her safe. [[spoiler:But thanks to Sam and Tucker, the ring winds up back in Lydia's possession in Chapter 13, and the spell breaks]].
238	* SummoningRitual: Rather than simply [[SpeakOfTheDevil say his name]] [[RuleOfThree three times]], [[spoiler:Aunt Melinda]] uses this strategy to summon Betelgeuse so that he will be contained and under control.
239	* SwitchingPOV: It varies by chapter, or even chapter portion, which character is holding the narrative point of view.
240	[[/folder]]
241
242	[[folder:T-Z]]
243	* TakeCareOfTheKids: During a {{flashback}} sequence, Galeren asks this of [[spoiler:Betelgeuse]] during TheBlackDeath, and he does. [[spoiler:It's a promise he's still keeping, since Lydia is Galeren's descendant.]]
244	* TalkativeLoon: [[spoiler:Aunt Melinda]] has essentially become this by the final chapter. Though since that scene is 99% narrative, we don't realize it represents a monologue until [[spoiler:Freakshow]], who's in the next cell, yells for someone to sedate [[spoiler:her]] again because "the dosage wore off and [[spoiler:she]] ''won't shut up.''"
245	* TalkingInYourSleep: How Lydia accidentally summons Betelgeuse in the last chapter. [[spoiler:She's having a nightmare that he's never coming back.]]
246	* TapOnTheHead: ''Not'' PlayedForLaughs. Sanduleak hits [[spoiler:Lydia]] hard enough that there is some serious concern that it might have been fatal (which is what he was aiming for anyway).
247	* TextileWorkIsFeminine: Lydia made her [[MythologyGag own poncho]]. with cloth Betelgeuse brought from the Netherworld. {{Averted}} with Barbara, who claims not to have much skill when it comes to sewing.
248	** [[spoiler: Katelin makes a woolen mantle with stripes for Betelgeuse during a {{flashback}} sequence]].
249	* ThouShaltNotKill: Turns out Betelgeuse has gotten ''really'' good at restricting his hauntings to AmusingInjuries, which is why there were no lasting repercussions from him flinging Charles and Otho off of a staircase, or Maxie and Sarah Dean through a ceiling. Explained further when Betelgeuse assures Danny that he won't kill Aunt Melinda; he dismisses it as "boring and too easy" and that [[MoralityPet Lydia would never forgive him]], but implies that the real problem is that while Juno and the CelestialBureaucracy allow and even encourage ghosts to scare the living senseless to keep them from breaking the {{Masquerade}}, lethal injury is right up there with proving the existence of ghosts as ''the'' big no-no, as people murdered by ghosts tend to become ''really'' dangerous (not to mention really ''pissed-off'') ghosts themselves -- [[spoiler:not that Sanduleak really cares. Betelgeuse went "juicing" with him exactly ''once'', thinking he'd found a kindred prankster, only to realize he'd gone on a wilding with ''UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper'' and sealing him in a well for the next century. Enforcing this rule on such a powerful ghost without being asked is why Juno and her superiors haven't done anything permanent to Betelgeuse]].
250	* TitleDrop: "Say it once, say it twice, [[RuleOfThree say it thrice]], and then [[SpeakOfTheDevil I'm good to go]]."
251	* TongueTied: Betelgeuse cannot say his own name. [[spoiler:Or, after his encounter with Aunt Melinda, Lydia's name, until the spell is undone Chapter 13.]]
252	* TookALevelInKindness: Betelgeuse is not as bad as he was in the film; by the time of the story, Lydia is quite fond of him, to the point that being forcibly kept away from him is painful.
253	* TheTunguskaEvent: Gets mentioned as the result of a ghost gaining possession of the Gem of Osiris.
254	* TwoWordsAddedEmphasis: "Two words. Sandworm bait."
255	* UngratefulBastard: Henry hates Betelgeuse despite the fact that the man takes him and his sister in after their parents die.
256	* UnstoppableRage: Betelgeuse seems to have a reputation for this, based on the Box Ghost's comments to Danny. The ghosts all know that the Ghost With the Most is coming, that he's searching for his Mortal Bride, and that he's ''really angry'' about whatever's keeping him away from her... and they're terrified.
257	** And when he sees that Sanduleak [[spoiler:is about to rape and murder "my girl,"]] he goes ''ballistic''.
258	* VictorianLondon: Sanduleak was originally from this time period when he was alive [[spoiler: because he was UsefulNotes/JackTheRipper]].
259	* WeirdScience: Anything that has to do with ectoplasm-based ghosts.
260	* WhamLine: "Before their mutual weddings, the women were Catherine and Melinda [[spoiler:Showenhower. As in Frederich Isak Showenhower. As in [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom Freakshow]].]]"
261	* WhatTheHellAreYou: Essentially Betelgeuse and Sanduleak's reactions when they first see Danny, though they end up being more confused than afraid.
262	* WhenSheSmiles: Tucker definitely notices a significant difference in Lydia after she's reunited with Betelgeuse.
263	* WorldBuilding: A lot of time and effort is put into making the [[WesternAnimation/DannyPhantom two]] [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} sources]] work together as an understandable whole.
264	* WorldOfChaos: [[spoiler:What happens when [[RealityWarper Betelgeuse]] gets the Gem of Osiris]].
265	* YouCalledMeXItMustBeSerious: [[TheNicknamer Betelgeuse]] ends up calling Lydia by her actual name, instead of "Lyds" or "Babes," [[spoiler:when it [[DisneyDeath briefly]] looks like Sanduleak managed to kill her]].
266	* YoungerThanSheLooks: Due to the fact they called her a "little girl" in the [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} film]] (even though her actress at the time of filming was 17), Lydia is stated to be 12, almost 13, shortly after the events of the movie. This allows her to be about the same age as Danny and his friends during the story (14). Justified, as in the cartoon she ''is'' 12 years old in the first season.
267	[[/folder]]
268
269	!!Tropes found in the {{prequel}} ''Say It Again'' include:
270	[[folder:A-M]]
271	* AlphaBitch: Lydia has to deal with a trio of school bullies, led by one of these; in a minor nod to the cartoon, her name is Claire.
272	* AscendToAHigherPlaneOfExistence: Apparently, if you've been in the Netherworld long enough, you get the option of moving on to whatever comes afterward. A ghost of Betelgeuse's acquaintance informs him of her intent to do just that. For his part, Betelgeuse isn't interested; there's still too much fun to be had where he is.
273	* BecauseYouWereNiceToMe: Lydia's persistent kindness to Betelgeuse ultimately wins his complete loyalty.
274	* BigBrotherInstinct[=/=]PapaWolf: The prequel sets the stage for Betelgeuse to feel this way toward Lydia by the time of the main story. He's puzzled by his own fascination with her, and he knows it's not romantic or sexual in the slightest, but he has to acknowledge that she's already become important to him even if he's not sure why.
275	* BreakThemByTalking: Claire's personal form of bullying involves doing this. Lydia is pretty immune to it, which impresses Betelgeuse, right up until Claire starts talking smack about Lydia's birth mother.
276	* CuriosityCausesConversion: A staple for this author. Betelgeuse can't figure out why Lydia would want to be nice to him, since almost no one ever is; he especially doesn't understand her motives after the almost-wedding. So he decides to stick around and see if he can work out her angle. In the process, he grows genuinely attached.
277	* EmbarrassingNickname: It takes Lydia a while to figure out what nickname to use for Betelgeuse, but when she presents a few possibilities, he vehemently refuses to let her call him "Spooky."
278	* EpistolaryNovel: Part of the friendship between Lydia and Betelgeuse is forged by them having written conversations in her journal, as shown in the first story.
279	* EveryoneHasStandards: As mentioned above, Betelgeuse didn't realize how [[YoungerThanSheLooks young]] Lydia was during the events of [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} the movie]]. [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold He]] is [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone not happy]] when he finds out what he [[OldManMarryingAChild almost did]]. And this time, it shows his exact thought process when he realizes the truth.
280	** He also doesn't use his power to force women to say "yes" to him. He'll still hit on any woman that catches his eye, but they always have the option to smack him and tell him to get lost.
281	* EvilCannotComprehendGood: Whether he's really evil is up for debate, but Betelgeuse definitely doesn't understand altruism - at least, not directed towards ''him''. He can't figure out why Lydia would set him loose for a couple of days when it doesn't benefit her in the least.
282	* {{Flashback}}: Lydia has these in dream sequences, showing the first time she encountered a ghost and also [[spoiler:the circumstances of her mother's death]].
283	* TheGadfly: Betelgeuse is this at times, deliberately annoying other characters. He rarely does it with Lydia, however, so she's taken by surprise when he picks a quarrel with the Maitlands right in front of her. It turns out he has a reason; hers was an InconvenientSummons and he needs to get back to what he was doing.
284	* HalloweenEpisode: Chapter 12, which sees Lydia carving jack-o-lanterns with Delia followed by watching a scary movie marathon at the theater with Beej.
285	* HeavySleeper: After she falls asleep at the movies on Halloween, Betelgeuse has to carry Lydia back to her house - by flying. She doesn't wake up even once.
286	* IJustWantToHaveFriends: Lydia laments that, while she gets along well enough with some of her new classmates, she's still very much an outsider on account of her unusual experiences and wishes it were possible to meet someone who could understand. Doubles as {{Foreshadowing}} for the friendships she makes in the main story.
287	* InTheNameOfTheMoon: Doubling with MythologyGag, Betelgeuse teaches Lydia the longer incantation. Instead of summoning him, [[spoiler:it brings her to the Netherworld]]. It's his belated birthday gift to her.
288	* InsatiableNewlyweds: It's unknown just how long Adam and Barbara were married before their untimely deaths, but judging by one scene in the kitchen, they still ''act'' like a pair of these.
289	* InsistentTerminology: As shown in the main story, Betelgeuse quickly grows to consider Lydia "''his'' girl." He admits he's not quite sure why he's more or less imprinted on her in this way, but he's known from the first time he saw her that she's something special and he regards her as his own.
290	* MementoMacGuffin: The wedding ring from the film, which serves a slightly different purpose here; it's revealed that it actually belonged to [[spoiler:Betelgeuse's mother]].
291	* MythologyGag: Just like in ''Say It Thrice'', there are occasionally references to elements of the [[WesternAnimation/{{Beetlejuice}} cartoon]].
292	** As noted above, the blonde AlphaBitch character is named Claire. She's not meant to be the same character from the show, however.
293	** The longer version of Lydia's incantation makes an appearance here, and it's implied that part of the events of the cartoon, including Lydia's random visits to the Netherworld, occurred during the time between this story and the main one.
294	[[/folder]]
295
296	[[folder:N-Z]]
297	* OneGenderSchool: As in the cartoon, Lydia is a student at Miss Shannon's School for Girls.
298	* ThePowerOfTrust: Realizing that Lydia is not only kind to him but actually ''trusts'' him cements Betelgeuse's determination that this is "his girl" and he's going to look after her.
299	* PracticalCurrency: As Betelgeuse explains it, the Netherworld operates on a barter system. Since its inhabitants don't need things like food and shelter, they instead trade in commodities which they want, like cigarettes and favors. In one episode, we see him exchange a package of chocolate striped cookies for a favor.
300	* {{Prequel}}: To ''Say It Thrice''
301	* {{Protectorate}}: Lydia develops into this for Betelgeuse surprisingly quickly, on account of his possessive nature. He first shields her from the verbal abuse of Claire because he can tell that the other girl's words have hurt Lydia, and he doesn't like it when people hurt the things that belong to him.
302	* RedHerring: It seems like Betelgeuse might be planning something involving Lydia's absent mother, due to the heavy emphasis on her in some of their conversations. In reality, it's that he gets [[MagicalIncantation the rhyme that allowed everything from the cartoon to happen...]]
303	* ScaledUp: Betelgeuse [[CallBack brings back]] his creepy snake form from the [[Film/{{Beetlejuice}} film]].
304	* SecretRelationship: The platonic version. Lydia and Betelgeuse initially have to keep their growing friendship hidden from everyone, since she knows that neither her parents nor the Maitlands will be at ''all'' pleased to know that she's interacting with him (nor will Juno be happy about him interacting with her).
305	** SecretKeeper: When she does reveal it to the Maitlands, they reluctantly agree to be this, on the condition that she will tell them immediately if he does anything inappropriate.
306	* TackyTuxedo: According to Lydia, both his maroon tux and the red dress he gave her were pretty tacky.
307	* WhenSheSmiles: A variant; Betelgeuse finds himself wondering what Lydia looks like when she's actually happy. When he sees her laugh, he feels justified in the thought.
308	* WouldntHurtAChild: Betelgeuse. He'll scare them a little, sure; but not as much he would adults, and he definitely doesn't harm them. In his own words, "children have to be protected."
309	[[/folder]]
310
311	!!Tropes found in ''Just Say It'' include:
312	* AbnormalAmmo: Lydia and Betelgeuse finish the carving activity by hurling pumpkin guts at one another.
313	* AfterActionReport: Of a sort. It technically takes place after the events of ''Say It Thrice,'' but does little to reference that story.
314	* HalloweenEpisode
315	* PumpkinPerson: The jack-o-lantern that Betelgeuse so painstakingly carves turns out to be a rather impressive self-portrait.

Context Fanfic / SayItThrice