Dear Yuletide Author 2021

[calliopes_pen]

The first half of this letter is copied from previous years, since my likes and dislikes are about the same. Several prompts were copied over as well, though amended in light of who was or was not available in regard to the characters.

Dear Yuletide Writer,

First of all, thank you so much for signing up Yuletide writer. The fact that you are thereby offering to write even for one of the fandoms that I inhabit is delightful. If it was more than one fandom that we matched on, I’m pleasantly surprised.

Before I get started, let me say one thing. Just let the prompts take you where they may, and I’m certain that I’ll be happy. Try not to feel pressured or like you are being forced to write by these specifications, and have fun. This isn’t a point-by-point thing that I demand you stick with. You can pick whichever you want to do. You can mix and match if you like.

I’ve made a jump list to make things a little easier, just like last year’s letter, and the one before that for however many years back. You can skip around to whichever fandom you matched on faster that way. Also, for each fandom I will provide a list of pairings that I am fine with seeing, whether or not they are already canon.

If you do wish to see what I have written for prior Yuletides, please step right this way. I’ve been doing Yuletide since 2006, and have only had to sit out two of them. The longer I keep with this, the longer the stories become. You can also look back at previous Dear Yuletide letters I have written via the Dear Yuletide Letter tag, which accompanies this post.

I am fine with gen, het, or slash. If you want to do anything pairing free, that is completely fine with me, as well. For me, the characterization is the most important aspect of the story. Just do your best. Use your own judgment for what works from the huge selection of prompts, and I’m sure I’ll love the end result.

The fandoms I requested this year are the following: Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), Count Dracula (TV 1977), Dracula - Bram Stoker (Novel 1897), Dracula (Movies – Hammer), Hellraiser (Movies), and The Kiss of the Vampire (1963).

So now we get to my likes, as well as my dislikes. My likes: Plot. Victorian horror, gothic romance, gothic horror, horror—psychological or otherwise, slow building suspense, ghost stories, ghosts, haunted houses, demons, werewolves, folklore, mythology, dark and twisted fairy tales, darkfic, Dracula and vampires, Hammer Horror Movies, possession (ghostly or demonic) and exorcisms, mind control, hypnosis, character studies, adventure, action, unreliable narrators, missing scenes, séances, devoted friendship and relationships, character development, introspection, AUs, worldbuilding, snark, hurt/comfort, graphic violence, PTSD, eldritch abominations, Stockholm Syndrome, sensory deprivation, brainwashing, drama, nightmares, sleepwalking, mystery, crossovers, fantasy elements, Faustian bargains/pacts, captivity, slow moving zombies, black magic/rituals/summoning of something, necromancy, graveyards, mounting dread.

Dislikes/Do Not Want To Read List: Cancer. Body horror, when it is outside of the genre of vampirism or Cenobites, ghosts, or the supernatural. PWP or anything explicit; rape, incest, underage, humiliation, mpreg, character bashing, bestiality, necrophilia, kidfic, animal abuse, child abuse, cannibalism, fast moving zombies, tentacle porn, sex pollen, RPF. Another major one that I am including given the course of events in these past few years is covid-19, or non-supernaturally occurring pandemics and politics.

Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992)
Characters: Any
Nominated this year: Lucy Westenra, Quincey Morris, John Seward, and Arthur Holmwood.

Arthur wants to keep a vigil beside Lucy’s body in the aftermath of her presumed death, and Quincey decides to join him for support. Neither would likely bother Seward, if he’s busy with the boisterous and secretive Van Helsing, but I could see them leaving a note for him.

What are the contents of such a thing? Does Lucy rise, and get to bite her fiancee, or a former suitor? Both? Would either be under her spell and try to defend her from a staking? To expand on this one: Sadly, Van Helsing wasn’t nominated this year, but if you don’t want him lingering on the fringes of the story, and want to write him in, go for it. I would love to see his reaction when Seward brings up the note.

I'm not as big of a fan of Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), as I am of certain other Dracula canons found in this letter. However, I found myself desiring a few things that could, perhaps, be fun to see.

I am really not a fan of Mina being Dracula’s lost love in this one, or what they did to aspects of Lucy’s character. However, there are a few things I found that I do like about the film, including Jonathan’s time spent in the castle, and—as this focuses more on for your prompts, given who was nominated: what Lucy was like as a vampire.

I loved the three suitors and felt that it seemed as though Seward, Arthur, and Quincey were just sort of brushed aside after the bit with Lucy was over. Their friendship was all-encompassing in the novel, but not so much in the film at times.

Other prompts:

-In lieu of a vigil, Lucy simply seeks out one of the men, and enthralls whoever it is, so that she might be spared, or have someone as her daytime spy and protector. Would she have whoever it was move her coffin out of an abundance of caution? How much of a chore is that, and where is it put? It all depends on who you choose to be the victim, dear author. Could it be the basement of the asylum? A hotel? A forbidden room on an estate? It’s up to you.

-I just couldn’t resist this last one. Mina wasn’t the reincarnation of Dracula’s dead wife after all; no, it wasn’t Lucy either. Instead, what if Seward was? I could so see the man baffling Arthur and Quincey and spouting strange tales while he’s under the influence of one of his narcotics. Perhaps it is after Renfield attacks him in the cell that some foreign memories get jogged loose.

Or if you’d rather it was Arthur or Quincey as the reincarnation, that’s fine, too. What is Lucy’s reaction to such a thing and how does the reincarnated one even feel about the whole mess?

Pairings I enjoy in this fandom, even if someone happens to not be nominated this year: Jonathan/Dracula. Mina/Jonathan. Lucy/Mina. Jonathan/Lucy. Lucy/Arthur. Lucy and Quincey. Seward/Quincey. Seward and Lucy. Seward and Renfield. Arthur and Seward. Seward and Arthur and Quincey.

You can watch Bram Stoker’s Dracula (1992) here, on Youtube; here, on Fmovies. It can also be found here, on Pluto TV.

Count Dracula (TV 1977)
Characters: Any
Those nominated this year were: Mina, Jonathan, Renfield, and Van Helsing

What if Renfield did as Dracula wanted? What if he hadn’t tried to warn Seward and instead did as Dracula expected and drank from an “initiated human”—meaning Mina, somehow, while Jonathan and Seward were in shouting distance? Mina might do likewise, being in Dracula’s power at that moment from all that was implied. Or maybe it’s her choice. How would this work without drawing attention, and how would the men not notice?

Does Jonathan notice anything odd about her at all later? Was Mina encouraged to “initiate” Jonathan, turning him and also providing Dracula’s own blood to do so faster? And if he was turned, what would the four of them (since Renfield’s bound to get out of that cell even if they don’t come for him; seriously, the guy’s fantastic at that, so he’s right behind them eventually) manage to do before they were found out?

I loved this particular version of Renfield, (and Jonathan, and Mina, and pretty much all of them aside from Quincey’s accent) so have fun with it.

Other prompts:

-Van Helsing makes his famous hot chocolate for Jonathan and Mina. Just to be sure all is well, with their knowledge of it in advance, it’s laced with holy water.

-Renfield asks to speak with Jonathan, to the man’s confusion. He confuses Jonathan further by inquiring if the Count ever initiated him while he was away from home. Perhaps it is Renfield’s way of warning him of what there is to come, since begging Seward with that tantrum earlier didn’t work. Does Jonathan figure out the danger and act?

-Somehow becoming the Count's disciples, and/or becoming initiated, Jonathan and Mina are completely in the Count's power. They are instructed, with Renfield's presumably reluctant assistance, to stop Van Helsing from meddling in his affairs. However, is Van Helsing already guessing what is afoot?

If there was no biting involved, then neither of them have fangs. Perhaps it is not so obvious in their appearances, but in their mannerisms. How are they different in Van Helsing's presence? Can Van Helsing reach them beyond their control? And is there a strange team up with a fretful Renfield, in order to bring them back towards the light? Renfield did like Mina when she was herself, after all. It stands to reason he wouldn't care for what she (or, by extension, Jonathan) was becoming.

-What if Renfield begged Van Helsing to let him go free of the asylum, hoping he might sway Seward for him? Could he even be calmer about it, and less hysterical than in canon? If he were let go for some reason, would he be spared from being murdered by Dracula? And would he then request to assist everyone with Mina if the blood exchange still happened, given his fondness for her? Would he be allowed to go with the men as they travelled, to aid in keeping Mina safe, or is that a step too far for everyone? Could Van Helsing handle keeping an eye on both a gradually turning Mina and Renfield as they rode?

Pairings I enjoy: Mina/Jonathan. Jonathan/Dracula. And, oddly enough in this version, a dash of Renfield/Dracula and Mina/Renfield.

There are many uploads of Count Dracula (1977) across Youtube. The best of these can currently be found here, and here.

Dracula - Bram Stoker (Novel 1897)
Characters: Any
Those nominated this year: Dracula, Jonathan, Lucy, Mina.

-The others never saw the harm in Mina and Jonathan continuing to share a bed following the blood exchange between Mina and Dracula. What if she did fully turn, and put Jonathan into her power? How would things change? Does anyone recognize the danger? Where are they during their journey when it happens? Or if she doesn’t fully turn, perhaps she has just enough of the power in her to ensnare his mind. Given what he stated in his journal, he likely wouldn’t have fought her at all.

Other prompts:

-What if Jonathan had consumed some of Dracula’s blood without his knowledge? What if he was drawn to Carfax because of it, heeding the call of the Count, while the others were busy? Does he ever try to use his presence there to basically make a deal with the devil? Or is he simply entranced and doing as Dracula bids? Does Mina notice what’s going on when he leaves, possibly from the same meeting that Quincey ducked out on?

-What if Dracula planned to survive any attacks on his life? What if he was able to send his spirit into the nearest suitable host, perhaps the one that killed him? Quincey died, but Jonathan didn’t. Would Mina suspect this, being as close as they are? Would Dracula subtly take over Jonathan a bit at a time to prolong his terror, or would it be very obviously not him? Would he attack Van Helsing outright? Would Mina be the key to getting her husband back?

-What if, when the group returned to check out Castle Dracula seven years later, Jonathan accidentally disturbed the Count’s spirit, either while checking on the crypt or his old room? What if he was put into the Count’s power? Does he try to resurrect Dracula, or does he just seek revenge, while unconsciously struggling to warn anyone else?

-What if Jonathan was killed instead of Quincey, and Dracula escaped in the carnage? Nobody guesses he was bitten or given blood somewhere along the way at the castle. Even he can’t remember. Nobody guesses. None of them ever know, until it’s too late. To everyone's horror, while pondering their next move, Jonathan wakes up.

They were waiting on an attack from Dracula, while he was waiting on Jonathan to rise from the dead. How scary and different is the solicitor in the aftermath? When he wakes, who notices first? Is it Mina that’s able to drive him away before anyone comes to harm? And does he try to convince Mina to step into the darkness with him, as Lucy attempted with Arthur? Where is Dracula during all of this?

-What if everyone walked in on Dracula feeding blood to both Mina and an entranced Jonathan? Would it be harder to keep an eye on both, and would Dracula use two much more actively than he ever used Mina under his control?

Who stays with Jonathan as he slowly succumbs, falling into silences? Who stays with Mina to watch her? How pronounced are Jonathan’s symptoms in comparison to Mina if you go this route, and does hypnosis work very well or at all to either follow the Count or calm Jonathan if he’s too worked up over everything? Is he forced to do anything by the Count? Does he have another breakdown, while struggling to resist?

And if they all chased Dracula to Transylvania, would Jonathan stay with Van Helsing, as Mina did when everyone split up? How do Jonathan and Mina try to comfort one another? Is the progression of their affliction different for each?

-What if Jonathan’s mental state were not quite right Mina arrived at the convent, from the repercussions of his “brain fever", and further terrified recollections? How would Mina handle him? Does he think the brides are hunting him, or are his warnings far more grandiose and nonsensical? What if he was never completely stable again? How would things be different? How does he behave towards everyone, in addition to the canon nightmares? Does it delay Mina in joining the rest to stop Dracula? Is Jonathan somehow used by Dracula against them, due to his vulnerability?

-Jonathan finds himself growing closer to the Count despite himself while in the castle. He looks forward to their nightly conversations, and despite the horror regrets that they are to part. Upon spotting him after the funeral of Mr. Hawkins, what if he did try to approach Dracula, instead of going into that odd state of falling asleep on Mina and forgetting he saw him? Is he able to speak to him? Or is he just a jumble of stammering nerves and confusion?

What if he wanted to slip his newly printed business card into the Count's palm or pocket? Or, perhaps, hurriedly mumble an invitation to his Essex address, at his earliest convenience? What is the Count's reaction (since he was interrupted while his eyes were locked on a lady's neck, is he amused by Jonathan, surprised he's alive, or distracted)? How would things change? Does a concerned Mina see an oncoming display of nerves, apologize, or lead Jonathan away before he can embarrass himself in public? I suspect Mina would still read Jonathan's journal in the aftermath.

-What if Lucy, despite her weakened state, volunteered to accompany Mina to the convent to collect Jonathan? She can’t bear to think of her friend going there alone, and feels dread about being left behind. What is her reaction to the state of Jonathan? What is Jonathan’s reaction to seeing the bite marks upon her throat, if she removes whatever is covering them at that point?

Does the sight of those marks cause Jonathan to suffer a setback in his recovery? Or does he try his best to warn her of something his mind doesn’t want to remember? Is he overly protective, as though she’s a little sister? Is she the same with him? What if, due to these warnings, she might even choose to postpone her wedding and stick around and help Mina with Jonathan?

How might everything change in the story, if Lucy were to survive? Would Dracula still attempt to come after her, or Mina, or would he select Jonathan instead? Or all of them?

Pairings I enjoy, whether or not someone was nominated this year: Mina/Jonathan. Dracula/Jonathan. Mina/Jonathan/Dracula. Lucy/Mina; Lucy and Mina. Jonathan and Lucy. Jonathan and Mina and Lucy. Mina/Jonathan/Lucy. Jonathan/Lucy. Jonathan/The Weird Sisters, aka The Brides of Dracula. Quincey and Jonathan. Quincey and Seward and Arthur. Arthur/Quincey. Arthur/Lucy. Van Helsing/Dracula.

If you don’t have access to the novel, you can read it online here or here on Project Gutenberg.

Dracula (Movies – Hammer)
Characters: Any
Characters nominated this year: Dracula, Father Sandor, Jonathan Harker, Van Helsing, Baron and Baroness Meinster, Gina, and Marianne.

What if Jonathan wasn’t staked? What if, instead, he and Dracula planned to lay a trap for Van Helsing?

On TV Tropes’ page for the film, under They Wasted A Perfectly Good Character, there was a plot that I would dearly love to see. In case it’s been edited since then, this is what it said: “Having a vampiric Harker could've been actually pretty cool. At the very least, at the start, where he could've taken over Dracula's job of terrorizing the nearby village. Think about it, Van Helsing arriving into the area, the townsfolk in uproar over an attack. Van Helsing goes to the manor to confront whom he thinks is Dracula only to find his now vamped friend, corrupted and eager to feed on him. Would've made for a nice act 1 confrontation, extra points if he turned the barmaid he met earlier.”

What would Van Helsing’s reaction be to all of the carnage? What if Jonathan appeared to him at night, when the vampire was actually awake? What would Van Helsing do? Would Jonathan taunt him, or pretend to be his old self at first? Would he run, or would he attack? Would he briefly try to fool him into thinking he was still alive? Would Van Helsing be able to fight him off when it’s the face of his former friend and colleague that is one of the undead? Or would Dracula arrive on the scene, proud of the devastation, and take Jonathan away with him?

Other prompts:
-What if Dracula had a way to keep Jonathan from turning into a vampire after that woman bit him? What if he just kept him in thrall, so he could trick Van Helsing and convince him all was well? Mina ended up grinning like the most smug and satisfied woman on the planet after she was bitten and was not immediately turned. How would Jonathan fare in such a scenario? What would Van Helsing see upon his arrival? Or what if the human Jonathan was used as the bait to lure someone else in?

-What if Jonathan wasn’t bitten or turned? What if Dracula found out his purpose for being there, and put him into his power via mesmerism or mysticism? What would he make Jonathan do, to prevent Lucy’s staking? Would he have Jonathan trick someone into thinking Van Helsing was mad to attempt to warn them of something? Father Sandor was nominated this year; perhaps Jonathan knew him, through Van Helsing. And could Jonathan be saved, or is that devotion somehow even unbreakable with the Count’s death?

-There were various points where Van Helsing was almost bitten by Dracula. He actually was bitten by Baron Meinster in Brides of Dracula, and purified the wound. What if he was too late for that branding iron to work? Would he return to Marianne and seek to bite her? Or would he go away with Dracula (if he roamed the countryside a bit, he’d probably run into him; or Baron Meinster) to cause mayhem? What is left of him?

-What if Jonathan were resurrected along with Dracula, in Dracula: Prince of Darkness? Would Father Sandor be able to bring in Van Helsing for assistance?

Pairings I enjoy in this fandom: Dracula/Jonathan, Dracula and Jonathan, Jonathan and Van Helsing, Dracula/Van Helsing, Dracula/Lucy, Jonathan/Lucy, Marianne/Van Helsing, Baron Meinster and Dracula, Marianne/Gina.

You can find the three mentioned Dracula films on Fmovies: Horror of Dracula (1958). The Brides of Dracula (1960) Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966).

Hellraiser (Movies)
Characters: Any
Nominated this year: Kirsty Cotton, Julia Cotton, Pinhead, Elliot Spencer, Joey Summerskill, Dr. Philip Channard, Chatterer Cenobite, Terri, and Tiffany.

What if Kirsty had been the one to receive a ghostly visitation from Captain Elliot Spencer, rather than Joey? Would she have tried to help him, or would she have also decided to go see him, trapped in the statue? Would Kirsty be curious about the differences between the former man and the currently unbound creature if he escaped?

Okay, with this fandom you might have to ignore a couple of my do not wants; graphic violence is only to be expected in this canon, and wholesale slaughter occurred in the third film. I only got into this fandom in the last month or so, and didn’t expect to love it as much as I do. I have seen and (to my surprise) absolutely loved the first four movies.

While I have not watched Hellraiser: Hellseeker, I have scene this fantastic (and unfortunately deleted) scene from it, where Kirsty and Pinhead reunite after so many years.

I have not read the works of Clive Barker. I have not read the comics. Dear Writer, if we matched on something else, and you happen to be curious about the films, know that there is an extreme amount of gore and violence happening in the films. Chains with hooks ripping a character apart, and that sort of thing; skinless people; if you happen to have a weak stomach, there is a chance you may not wish to peruse the contents.

I wouldn’t have expected this to be my cup of tea, either, but there we have it. I’m a fan of Elliot Spencer/Pinhead, and what certain characters have survived in these movies.

Some prompts:

-I was fascinated by Elliot/Pinhead’s backstory. I suspect that given Kirsty’s efforts to make him remember his humanity in Hellbound: Hellraiser II, that, had she been around in Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth in a capacity other than a videotaped cameo, she would have been desperate to help him. Would she feel guilty for getting him either split in half, or stuffed into the statue?

-Or what if Kirsty was instinctively drawn to Joey’s apartment, given her previous use of the puzzle box? Would Elliot be glad for two to stop his Cenobite half?

-In lieu of walks through a Vietnam War in Joey’s nightmares, if Elliot managed to contact Kirsty first: Would she speak to him further via a ouija board? Or just the television? And would his other half be able to sense these attempts to communicate?

-I enjoyed that final battle between the newly transformed Channard (well, with Leviathan using him) and the Cenobites in Hellbound: Hellraiser II, but wish more had been done than just using the hooked chains against Channard. The Chatterer Cenobite was nominated, so have him last a bit longer, potentially providing a distraction while Pinhead does something bigger.

Pairings I enjoy in this fandom: Kirsty and Elliot. Kirsty and Pinhead. Joey and Elliot. Kirsty/Pinhead.

You can find Hellraiser and Hellbound: Hellraiser II on Tubi at the time of this writing. You can also find the three mentioned films on Fmovies: Hellraiser (1987). Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988). Hellraiser III: Hell On Earth (1992)

The Kiss of the Vampire (1963)
Characters: Any
Nominated this year: Carl Ravna, Professor Zimmer, Marianne Harcourt and Gerald Harcourt

What if Gerald were bitten and snatched away by one of the cult that had somehow survived? Would Marianne Harcourt and Professor Zimmer be able to find him in time? Would the Professor even care to try?

I absolutely loved how the movie concluded, with bats summoned through sorcery sent forth to destroy a cult of vampires. It was unique. If you didn't match me on this one, and are curious about it? The ending would have originally been placed a the end of The Brides of Dracula (1960), but Peter Cushing objected. He rightfully believed that Van Helsing wouldn't resort to the dark arts to defeat one of the undead. And so the studio transplanted it quite nicely over to here, three years later.

I received the most delightful fanfic last year involving some perceived fallout involving the bats from hell. I would be thrilled if they appeared in any capacity. To that end, I’ve tossed that prompt into here, too.

-Professor Zimmer summoned bats from hell to defeat the cult of vampires. There’s bound to be repercussions. With an arcane ritual of such magnitude, I would imagine there is a price to be paid for performing it. What could the fallout be, and does it cause more of a threat?

-This next bit isn't a true prompt unless we matched on two things and you really want it to be. I halfway want Jonathan from Horror of Dracula (likely post-film if you can make him survive in his undead state) to meet Gerald. They might have things in common. It could become an interesting study in what Jonathan might have been, or Gerald could become if taken unawares.

Another way, it would also be sort of interesting if the turned Jonathan had ducked out in the confusion of everything, scuttled off to safety, and met and aligned himself with Ravna. Briefly, mind you, in light of the way Kiss of the Vampire ended.

Pairings I enjoy in this fandom: Gerald/Marianne.

You can find The Kiss of the Vampire here, on Fmovies. You can also find it on Youtube here, as well as here.

That's all for this year! Again, have fun writing whatever fandom you selected from this letter, and I'm sure I'll love the end result.

Comments

[sovay]

If he were let go for some reason, would he be spared from being murdered by Dracula? And would he then request to assist everyone with Mina if the blood exchange still happened, given his fondness for her? Would he be allowed to go with the men as they travelled, to aid in keeping Mina safe, or is that a step too far for everyone?

I'd be in favor of it!