Characters / Cinderjuice

The Contractually Obligated Chaos cast members have a whole lot of tropes associated with them as well as with the stories. Be warned that there are spoilers here...

Beetlejuice canon characters

Beetlejuice/BJ Beetleman

The self-proclaimed "Ghost With the Most," Beetlejuice is a powerful spirit of chaos who happened to become rather deeply entangled with a mortal girl. He often masquerades as "BJ," Lydia's human boyfriend (later husband) and the son of Mr. Beetleman^note the human persona he sometimes used in the cartoon.

• Always Identical Twins: Averted. Seven Months reveals that he and Donny are in fact twins, but according to Donny, they're fraternal.
• Always Save the Girl: Don't make him choose between Lydia and... anything, really. The results will be messy. The Fairy Godfather makes the observation that the most dangerous place in the Neitherworld is between the two of them.
• Berserk Button: Don't touch his girl. He's almost lost her too many times; he will act first and think later.
• Big Damn Heroes: He gets to do this in Cinderjuice.
• Boy Meets Ghoul: Gender flipped; he's the ghoul half.
• Breaking the Fourth Wall: As in the show, he's frequently guilty of this.
• Chaotic Neutral: His starting alignment, though Lydia's influence has guided him to being more Chaotic Good. invoked
• Chivalrous Pervert: Following the official Relationship Upgrade, he occasionally lapses into this in order to tease Lydia. It's only ever directed at her, of course.
• Contagious Powers: It's eventually explained that his magic will sometimes abandon him and transfer itself to Lydia, in whole or in part. It's a subconscious effort to protect her, but since he doesn't know he's doing it, it tends to freak him out a bit.
• Deadpan Snarker: At times.
• Emotionally Tongue-Tied: Being a poltergeist, he is both made of emotions and unable to talk about them very much. As the Fairy Godfather explains it, the stronger his feelings, the more tongue-tied he gets, so don't expect him to put them into words. It's a big deal when he actually manages to say "I love you" on his wedding day, and he only pulls it off by being excessively casual.
• Everyone Has Standards: He's not thrilled to be cast in the role of a hero and would be more than happy to avoid the machinations of the plot. That said, when they discover that the Arc Villain of Sleeping Beetle has caused the deaths of multiple children, he agrees that this can't be allowed to stand.
• The Fettered: In his own odd way. One of the 'titles' by which Prince Vince's herald announces him is "The Tethered," which corresponds to Lydia's title of "She Who Holds the Leash."
• Green-Eyed Monster: Not as overtly as in the cartoon, but he does have his moments occasionally. They're very rare, especially after the official Relationship Upgrade (because he trusts her), but it's clear that he's never lost his possessive streak entirely. As the narrative observes in Sleeping Beetle:
  [H]e could still be pretty possessive about the things he considered his. And nothing had ever been more his than Lydia.
• Happily Married/Devoted to You: There's never really been anybody else for him. Once it becomes official, it takes him absolutely no time at all to adjust to married life.
• He Cleans Up Nicely: His human aspect, "BJ," is stated to be quite attractive.
• Henpecked Husband: He likes to pretend to be this, as indicated by the fact that he occasionally speaks in what he calls his "husband voice."
• Icy Blue Eyes: His "BJ" form has blue eyes. If Hugo's narration in The Bug Princess is to be believed, they become this when he's in Tranquil Fury mode.
• Intrigued by Humanity: It could be argued that Beetlejuice was this in the show as well; he certainly enjoys the condition here, at least most of the time.
• Literal Genie: As in the show.
• Love Redeems: A curious variant, in that over time he has made a number of small subconscious changes to his appearance and behavior in order to make himself better for Lydia's sake. It's hinted near the end of Cinderjuice and outright stated by Erebos in The Bug Princess.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: He generally encourages people, particularly in the Neitherworld, to think that he's kind of stupid (because it makes them underestimate him). Granted, he does have occasional ditz moments, but on the whole he's actually very intelligent and often comes up with clever ideas.
• Official Couple: With Lydia, as of the end of the first story, which makes him a sort of Victorious Childhood Friend.
• Only Mostly Dead: Literally. As of the end of Cinderjuice, he's been given a portion of Lydia's humanity.
• Only One Name: According to Donny, his name is actually Beetle Juice; but he was often called by his full name to differentiate him from their maternal grandfather, for whom he was named, and eventually it mutated into one word.
• O.O.C. Is Serious Business: When he turns hostile toward Lydia in Cinderjuice, it's so completely out of character that it triggers a brief Heroic BSoD for her. He's secretly trying to Break Her Heart to Save Her, but it's a mixed success.
• Poltergeist: He's stated to be this.
• The Sacred Darkness: As the Avatar of Death, he embodies this.
• Shapeshifting: As ever, this is his preferred use of his powers.
• Sweet Tooth: In his own words, he only likes things to be sweet if they're food (or his wife).
• Tranquil Fury: He goes into this occasionally. Prince Vince wonders if it's a side effect of his human persona - which, since he's only seen doing it while in his BJ form, is possibly the case.
  • Unstoppable Rage: In Cinderjuice, he then segues into this, which is much more like him; however, since he's a mortal human and can only fight like one, it's terrifying to those watching - because even with those limitations, he wins.
• Vague Age: He died roughly six hundred years ago, but as Erebos notes in The Bug Princess, the math isn't exact. It's also not known how old he was when he died.
• Who Writes This Crap?!: He has a tendency to complain about plot twists he doesn't like. He also, more than anyone else in the cast, is persuaded that the plot is a real entity and enjoys playing with him; the narrative would suggest that he's absolutely right.

Lydia Deetz

As a child, Lydia unexpectedly befriended the trickster ghost Beetlejuice, and over the next several years formed a bond that became virtually unbreakable. By the time she reached adulthood, it became something more than friendship, although even they didn't realize just how serious it was.

• Big Damn Heroes: She gets her turn at times. Probably best exemplified by her showdown with Erebos in The Bug Princess; she completely No Sells anything he throws at her.
• Boy Meets Ghoul: Gender flipped. Played with, however. As of the end of Cinderjuice, she's partly a ghoul in her own right; see below.
• Camera Fiend: She studies photography in college and pursues it as a career.
• Cool Crown: When she's in the Neitherworld, she wears one of these as the Princess of Beetles.
• Daddy's Girl: She's still very attached to her father and wants his approval; chapters from his point of view make it clear that he's still her Doting Parent.
• Deadpan Snarker: She has her moments too.
• Friend to All Living Things: As in the cartoon, Lydia easily befriends the local wildlife. It's part of her abilities as the Avatar of Life.
• Good Is Not Soft: She's usually a sweet young lady, but she has no qualms about doing what is necessary to protect someone else.
• Happily Married/Devoted to You: She's arguably less demonstrative about it than her husband, but she's perfectly content. It's implied that there's really never been anyone else for her either.
• Honorary Princess: In the Neitherworld, she bears the title of Princess of Beetles, courtesy of her adopted brother.
• I Know Your True Name: Lydia being the only mortal to know Beetlejuice's name is deeply significant.
• In-Series Nickname: The members of Prince Vince's court call her "Your Ladyship." Beetlejuice occasionally calls her "Wifey-Babes" or, when speaking about her to others, "the wife." The Fairy Godfather often insists on calling her "Princess" after she receives her courtesy title.
• Kid with the Leash: She Is All Grown Up now, but otherwise she's still this. One of her formal titles at the ball is even "She Who Holds the Leash," which is meant to be a Shout-Out to This Very Wiki.
• Light Is Good: As the Avatar of Life, she embodies this.
• Like Brother and Sister: With Prince Vince, and also with Donny after he becomes her brother-in-law.
• Literal Genie: On those occasions when she has command of Beetlejuice's magic, she has to use it this way. She seems amused by it, even in the more difficult situations.
• Morality Chain: She's still this for Beetlejuice. He even comments that being apart from her has an adverse effect on his ability to keep his more "mindless and chaotic" tendencies under control. The Fairy Godfather observes, more than once, that "she is the only one who can compel [him] to act against [his] nature" and also that "he can refuse [her] nothing."
• Neutral Good: She's really this, although life with Beetlejuice does sometimes cause her to cross into Chaotic Good territory, if only because she has no alternative.
• Not a Morning Person: During her college days, she comes across this way when she's up too late doing homework.
• Official Couple: With Beetlejuice, as of the end of the first story, after several chapters of Ship Tease.
• One True Love: Erebos mockingly calls her this for Beetlejuice in The Bug Princess.
• Only Mostly Dead: Subverted. Once it's understood that she has part of Beetlejuice's power and gives him an equivalent portion of her humanity, Lydia is Only Mostly Alive.
• Protectorate: She's been this for Beetlejuice since the day they met. In his absence, she also becomes this for Prince Vince.
• Raven Hair, Ivory Skin: Invoked by Hugo; upon first seeing Lydia, he describes her as "a raven-haired beauty, pale as frost".
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: Starting in The Bug Princess, she qualifies.
• She Is All Grown Up: Though it takes Beetlejuice a while to admit it, Lydia's not the child she was during the show.
• Supreme Chef: Implied. Beetlejuice seems to think so, anyway, noting that with her cooking, nobody in their right mind would be late for meals.
• Try to Fit That on a Business Card: According to Vince's royal herald, she is officially "Her Ladyship, Lydia, Princess of Beetles of the Royal House of the Neitherworld, Cutest Mortal to Visit the Afterlife, She Who Holds the Leash, Avatar of Life."
• Wacky Cravings: Not especially wacky; in Seven Months, she reveals that she can't get enough apples.
• Weirdness Magnet: Lady Delphine theorizes that she's something like this.

Prince Vince

Prince of the Neitherworld, he once had a crush on Lydia. Now they've settled into much more comfortable roles. He's one of the biggest supporters of Lydia and Beetlejuice's relationship and is an avid Tumblr user.

• Ascended Extra: Has a far greater presence than he did in the cartoon.
• Big Good: For the Neitherworld.
• Giftedly Bad: Implied to be the case with his poetry, although his Tumblr followers seem to enjoy it.
• Good Is Not Soft: As proven by whatever he did to Mr. Monitor following the events of Cinderjuice.
• Informed Attribute: The quality of his poetry; Lydia's opinion is that he's gotten better with practice. Only one example is shown in the series.
• Like Brother and Sister: His relationship with Lydia. In The Bug Princess, he makes her an official member of the royal family.
• Nice Guy: He is unwaveringly kind and thoughtful, and genuinely fond of both Lydia and Beetlejuice.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: He is a just and benevolent ruler of the Neitherworld, and places great importance on both the well-being and the happiness of his subjects.
• Royals Who Actually Do Something: He's one of the more useful members of the cast, willing to do whatever he can to help his friends.
• Ship Tease: He's developing this with Donny, according to some of the reviewers.
• Shipper on Deck: Like so many inhabitants of the Neitherworld, he fully supports Lydia and Beetlejuice as a couple.
• Sweet Tooth: Downplayed, but he's stated to have developed a liking for Pocky.
• The Wise Prince: He is definitely level-headed, and smart enough to figure out solutions to some of the challenges that arise in the series.

Donny Juice

Beetlejuice's nice, polite, and friendly brother. His full name is Dobsonfly Juice, but everyone calls him "Donny." His cheerful demeanor might get on Beetlejuice's nerves, but Donny does his best to support his brother and adores Lydia.

• Always Identical Twins: Averted. Seven Months reveals that he and BJ are in fact twins, but according to Donny, they're fraternal.
• Ascended Extra: Has a far greater presence than he did in the cartoon.
• Big Brother Instinct: Despite being the younger brother (if by less than an hour), he has a strong urge to protect and help Beetlejuice. His older brother is equal parts annoyed and grateful.
• Like Brother and Sister: With Lydia, as noted above. After she marries his brother, he refers to her as his sister.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: His real first name, to fit the Juice family naming pattern, is Dobsonfly. However, as a small child Beetlejuice shortened it to Donny, and the nickname stuck.
• Rescued from the Scrappy Heap: Arguably. Fans of the cartoon are often not very fond of Donny, but readers of the series find him more palatable.
• Ship Tease: He's developing this with Prince Vince, according to some of the reviewers.
• Shipper on Deck: He's quite possibly the biggest one of these for Lydia and Beetlejuice as a couple. He outright calls himself this trope.
• Unwitting Pawn: Lady Delphine outright calls him this in Seven Months, because he accidentally helps the Big Bad. Even Beetlejuice doesn't blame him for what happens, since he knows that Donny would never hurt Lydia on purpose.

Mr. Monitor

The executive director of the Neitherworld Network television studio, Mr. Monitor values nothing so much as high ratings - so the more Beetlejuice and Lydia get into trouble, the happier he is because the Neitherworld denizens are absolutely glued to their sets.

• Arc Villain: He's part of the Villain Team-Up which is this for Cinderjuice. He's more Affably Evil than the other participants, however.
• Bad Boss: He fires people at the least provocation.
• Cool and Unusual Punishment: It's never revealed exactly what punishment Prince Vince visited upon him for his involvement in the events of Cinderjuice, but apparently it's this. Neither BJ nor Lydia knows what it was; all anyone will say is that it was "creative."
• Corrupt Corporate Executive: He's got no problem with cutting deals with the bad guys if it means the show will be a hit.
• Executive Meddling: As much as he can get away with doing. Prince Vince keeps him on a short leash after the events of Cinderjuice.
• Let Us Never Speak of This Again: Monitor doesn't like to think about Prince Vince's punishment, much less speak of it, and he gets annoyed if his underlings bring it up.
• Must Have Caffeine: Seems to have something of a coffee addiction, and keeps ordering refills of his mug.
• No Celebrities Were Harmed: There are aspects of his personality which may remind the reader of Donald Trump (before his Presidency). The recurring "You're fired" remark is a particular invocation of this.
• The Unfettered: He's got little to no moral compass guiding him; ratings are all that matter.
• What Does She See in Him?: He absolutely does not get the shipping; he openly admits that he doesn't get why anyone is into it, let alone everyone. But he's perfectly happy to exploit it for his own profit.

Original Characters, by order of appearance

The Fairy Godfather

Art by Lais Above, used with permission

The Neitherworld's Fairy Godfather bears a strong resemblance to Marlon Brando. He grants wishes and keeps secrets, but very little happens without his knowledge and he's far more entrenched in the happenings of the world than anyone might guess.

• Affectionate Nickname: BJ likes to call him "F.G."
• Ancient Keeper: No one knows how old he is or where he gets his Inexplicably Awesome powers, but he's the keeper of a lot of very old and rare items and arcana.
• Badass Bookworm: In addition to being extremely powerful, he's extremely well-read. He has quite the extensive library, and remarks to Lydia that a good book helps to pass the time as well as a good friend.
• Benevolent Boss: He's rather fond of his goons, Sonny and Fredo, and praises them for their loyalty.
• The Chooser of the One: Or in this case, of the two. Once he decides that The Prophecy is almost certainly about Beetlejuice and Lydia, it's pretty much accepted as fact by anyone who knows about it.
• Cryptic Conversation: He holds these sometimes, often leaving others more confused than they were to start.
• The Dreaded: In his own way; it's implied that other ghosts are extremely unwilling to cross him. Even Mr. Monitor seems to be afraid of him, at least a little.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Apart from the two leads, he is by far the most popular character with the readers, and more than once has been mistaken for a canon character.^note According to the author's notes on a couple of chapters, even she at one point forgot that he wasn't canon.
• Hidden Depths: His first appearance does little to hint at just how significant he is.
• I Want Grandkids: Lady Delphine playfully accuses him of angling for this when he speaks of the possibility of Lydia and Beetlejuice having children.
• Lawful Neutral: Invoked; Prince Vince calls him this.
• Magically-Binding Contract: His preferred method of granting wishes.
• Mr. Exposition: He becomes this when he feels it's important to reveal some of what he knows.
• Not So Above It All: He presents as extremely serious most of the time. But he requests a photo (and cake) from the Outerworld wedding, privately acknowledges his fondness for certain characters, plays Monopoly, and almost laughs at one of Beetlejuice's jokes.
• An Offer You Can't Refuse: Played with; he uses the phrase a lot, but it's just because he likes the wording. The person to whom he's making the offer always has the option to refuse without consequences. That said, once you've agreed to his terms, you had better be prepared to keep them.
• Omniglot: Implied, at least in terms of his ability to read multiple languages. He's one of the only people (possibly the only person) who can understand the strange writing in the Voynich Manuscript.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: It's highly unlikely that "the Fairy Godfather" is his actual name, but if he has any other, it's never revealed.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Lawful neutral he may be, but he can be persuaded to change his stance when things have gone completely off the rails.
• Rules Lawyer: Lady Delphine calls him this when complaining about how he prefers to play Monopoly.
• Ship Tease: Very obliquely with Lady Delphine.
• Things Man Was Not Meant to Know: Some of the ancient knowledge he keeps is implied to be this.

The Plot

As the series has progressed, the plot has essentially evolved into a character all its own, with the rest of the cast more or less treating it like a sentient entity. No matter where the heroes go, no matter what they do, the plot will always find them.

• Comedic Sociopathy: Beetlejuice in particular accuses it of this from time to time.
• The Fourth Wall Will Not Protect You: No one is safe from the plot. Not even the author.
• Greater-Scope Villain: It's been speculated that the plot is the true Big Bad of the entire series. Beetlejuice certainly seems to think so, as he puts it in Seven Months.
  "Go! Attack the plot! The plot has a lot to answer for in this episode!"
• It Amused Me: Presumably the reason for many of its actions/decisions. It seems to enjoy invoking Rule of Cool, Rule of Funny, and Rule of Drama for their own sake.
• Sentient Cosmic Force: Probably the best way to describe it.

Hugo

An awkward man in his mid-twenties, Hugo is the apprentice and adopted son of a New Orleans mystic. When he meets BJ and Lydia in The Bug Princess, he recruits them to assist him with a protective ritual for the city. Naturally, the plot interrupts.

• Affectionate Nickname: BJ calls him "kid" more often than his real name.
• Big Good: He wants to be this for New Orleans, but he's got a long way to go.
• Cargo Ship: He loves New Orleans almost like the city is a person.
• Expy: Of both Milo from Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Shad from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
• First-Name Basis/Only One Name: His surname has yet to be revealed.
• Happily Adopted: Unofficially. Having grown up bouncing between foster homes, he considers Lady Delphine to be the only real mother he's ever known, and it's indicated that they're deeply attached to each other.
• I See Dead People: More accurately, he can "see" death - he observes the "darkness" hovering over both Lydia and BJ, although he heavily misjudges what it means.
• Idiot Hero: As a Well-Intentioned Extremist, he very nearly qualifies for this in his first appearance. When he returns in Seven Months, he's improved.
• Leaning on the Fourth Wall: He gets a turn at this when he returns in Seven Months, reflecting on how his status as a secondary character means the plot doesn't find him nearly as interesting as the heroes.
• Meaningful Name: "Hugo" is a Germanic name meaning intelligence. Erebos calls him "the little man with the books," suggesting that he's very well read even if he's not so good at practical application.
• Nice Guy: He really is one of these, and has only the best of intentions; he's just kind of clumsy about it.
• Replacement Goldfish: Erebos claims that he's this for Lady Delphine, being a surrogate for the daughter she lost years earlier.
• Weirdness Magnet: He's both drawn to supernatural things and has a tendency to attract them himself.

Erebos

Hugo's ritual unwittingly allows Erebos, a Shadow Man, to enter New Orleans. He immediately begins to try to amass power for himself.

• Arc Villain: Of The Bug Princess.
• Break Them by Talking: His main strategy - he digs into his victims' minds and brings up all their regrets and doubts.
• Cessation of Existence: What the Bug Princess does to him.
• Deal with the Devil: What he tries to convince people to make with him.
• Expy: Of Dr. Facilier, of course, given that the story is Inspired by… The Princess and the Frog; he also has elements of Pitch Black from Rise of the Guardians.
• Insistent Terminology: He refuses to call Delphine by name, instead describing her as "the lady in blue." He also almost never uses Hugo's name, instead calling him "the little man with the books."
• Knight of Cerebus: Compared to the baddies of the first story, who were characters from the show, he's a lot more serious.
• Living Shadow: Literally, he is one of a species of ghost known as Shadow People.
• Manipulative Bastard: Erebos displays all the signs of being one, using mind games and preying on vulnerabilities to get what he wants from his targets.
• Meaningful Name: "Erebos" is Greek for "deep darkness, shadow," and the character shares his name with the personification of darkness.
• Weaksauce Weakness: As a Shadow Person, he's vulnerable to light, but his real weakness is truth. The only way his victims can completely fight him off is to find something they believe with all their heart and soul, and cling to that in the face of his efforts to Break Them by Talking.

Lady Delphine

Hugo's teacher and surrogate mother, Lady Delphine is called upon to help the heroes restore the status quo after Hugo's ritual goes badly awry. When they run into a new kind of problem in Seven Months, BJ's first instinct is to call her for help once again.

• Author Avatar: Slightly. As noted on the Trivia page, she has the author's tendency to take in strays.
• Big Good: For New Orleans.
• Blue Is Heroic: She wears mostly blue, which is a deliberate invocation of this trope.
• The Cameo: She has a brief appearance in Sleeping Beetle, conversing through a mirror with the Fairy Godfather.
• The Cavalry: BJ and Donny both call her this in Seven Months.
• Cryptic Conversation: She's guilty of this at times.
• Deadpan Snarker: To the point where BJ, as distraught as he is when they first meet, immediately takes to her because of it. She directs a lot of it at her hapless pupil.
• The Empath: She can sense the activity of spirits within New Orleans, particularly dangerous ones.
• Expy: To some extent, for Mama Odie from The Princess and the Frog.
• I Sense a Disturbance in the Force: She knows almost immediately that Hugo has performed his ritual and that something's gone wrong with it.
• Law of Inverse Fertility: Delphine's daughter passed away in infancy and she was never able to have any other children.
• Mama Bear: A quiet one, but she's deeply fond of Hugo and gets pretty upset at the idea of anything happening to him.
• Meaningful Name: "Delphine" is derived from Delphi, the ancient Greek city which was home to the Oracle of Apollo. Given her skills and empathic nature...
• Mystical White Hair: Delphine has long white hair.
• Not So Above It All: She usually presents as a fairly serious character and a benevolent ally to the heroes. But she also makes snarky comments, plays Monopoly with ghosts, and seems to find BJ rather amusing when he's not in distress.
• Only Known by Their Nickname: When she's introduced, it's noted that Lady Delphine is how she's addressed by those who come to her in search of aid. Her real name is never mentioned.
• Ship Tease: Very obliquely with the Fairy Godfather.
• Vague Age: She's in roughly her late forties or early fifties.

Vasile

A Romanian strigoi mort, or vampire ghost, Vasile in life was a nobleman with a castle in the Carpathian mountains. He was murdered there, and for centuries he worked to drag his castle into the Neitherworld. He can pass into the Outerworld in search of prey, but is restricted by firm boundaries; however, if he can fulfill certain requirements for seven years, he'll be free to go anywhere and feed on anyone.

• Animal Motif: He can turn into an owl, rather than a bat, and there are owls used in the decorating schemes of his castle.
• Arc Villain: Of Sleeping Beetle.
• Burn the Undead: One of the only possible ways to destroy him. It works.
• Dhampyr: What he intends to sire.
• Foil: To Beetlejuice. They both started as poltergeists due to the circumstances of their deaths. Vasile, however, clung to his mortal rank and desire for vengeance, while Beetlejuice merely funneled his powers into annoying the crap out of others for his own amusement. Eventually, Vasile's anger and bloodthirst caused him to become a strigoi mort, making him literally bloodthirsty, as opposed to Beetlejuice growing more mellow over time. Their mutual obsession with Lydia is also heavily divergent - to Vasile she represents freedom and the spreading of his own power and bloodline. Beetlejuice, by comparison, knows and loves her for who she is.
• Knight of Cerebus: As a murderous kind of poltergeist who kills children, he makes Erebos look almost harmless.
• Meaningful Name: "Vasile" is the Romanian form of the Greek name "Vasilios," meaning king. He's extremely proud of his noble lineage.
• Murder the Hypotenuse: He would if he could.
• Our Vampires Are Different: As a strigoi mort, he behaves a bit differently than the classic Dracula-style vampire, and is bound by different rules.
• Red Eyes, Take Warning: Lydia is put off by his "malevolent red eyes." This is a traditional symptom that one is a strigoi mort, according to vampiric lore.
• Royal Blood: In life, he was related to the first prince to rule the Romanian county of Moldavia.
• Stalker with a Crush: That's putting it mildly.
• Vile Villain, Saccharine Show: Vasile is a genuinely disturbing villain, who unfortunately finds himself trapped in the "colorful, cheerful, warped, and silly" Neitherworld. He's not happy.
• Villain Episode: He gets one full chapter and part of another from his point of view, both of which aptly prove how truly evil he is (and how ill-suited he is to his surroundings as a result).
• Would Harm a Child: He prefers the blood of children (or young women) when he feeds, and has thus caused many early deaths over the years in the restricted part of the Outerworld where he's able to manifest.

Lord Milo and Lady Anahita

Prince Vince's younger cousins, the children of his uncle Duke Luke. They appear during Bug Princess and the Seven Months as guests at his anniversary ball.

• Alliterative Name: They're from a region of the Neitherworld called the Dismal Desert - which, since their father was a duke, is technically the Duchy of Dismal Desert.
• Half-Identical Twins: BJ even notes, when he meets them, that he almost can't tell them apart.
• Royal Blood: Second and third in line to the Neitherworld throne, respectively.

Lilura

The eldest of Prince Vince's cousins, daughter of his aunt Marquise Louise, and his heiress presumptive should he vacate the throne. Like the twins, she's first encountered at his anniversary ball.

• Affectionate Nickname: Her cousins sometimes call her "Lily."
• Like Brother and Sister: Vince fondly remarks that (prior to Lydia) Lilura was the closest thing he ever had to a sister.
• Meaningful Name: Lilura is a Basque name meaning "enchantment," and she's known to be a magic user.
• Royal Blood: As Prince Vince's cousin, she's part of the Neitherworld royal family.
• Strong Family Resemblance: She's described as having the same sort of coloring as Prince Vince, but tall and graceful, and prettier than he is.
• Try to Fit That on a Business Card: The court herald announces her as "Her Benighted Highness, Lilura of the Royal House of the Neitherworld, Countess of the Eastern Wastes, arch-mage of the Seventh-and-a-Half Circle, daughter of the late lamented Marquis Gustaf, Keeper of the Keys of Falmarch."