calliopes_pen | Dear Yuletide Letter 2022

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, as well as where you can find each.

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. 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 Van Helsing (2021), Count Dracula (1977), Dracula - Bram Stoker (Novel 1897), Dracula: l'amour plus fort que la mort - Ouali, The Fall of the House of Usher (TV 1966), and Supernatural (TV 1977)

So now we get to my likes, as well as my dislikes. My likes: Plot. Victorian horror, gothic literature (encompassing romance and horror), horror—psychological or otherwise, slow building suspense, ghosts/spirit visitations/séances, haunted houses, demons, werewolves, folklore, mythology, dark and twisted fairy tales, darkfic, vampires, Hammer Horror Movies, possession (ghostly or demonic) and exorcisms, mind control, hypnosis, character studies, adventure, action, unreliable narrators, missing scenes, devoted friendship and relationships, character development, introspection, what if AUs, worldbuilding, snark.

Also (breaking this into another paragraph due to wall of text): 19th century Spiritualism, vengeful spirits, hurt/comfort, graphic violence, PTSD, eldritch abominations, Stockholm Syndrome, sensory deprivation, brainwashing, drama, nightmares, sleepwalking, mystery, gaslighting from evil vampire Counts, fantasy elements, Faustian bargains/pacts, captivity, slow moving zombies, black magic/rituals/summoning of something, necromancy, graveyards, mounting dread, '5+1' things, epistolary novels/diary format.

Dislikes/Do Not Want To Read List: Cancer. Body horror, when it is outside of the realm of vampirism, lycanthropy, ghosts, or the supernatural. PWP or anything explicit; rape, incest, underage. Mpreg, A/B/O. BDSM. Bestiality, necrophilia, kidfic, 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.

Addendum on 10/17: This is a blanket statement for all requested fandoms. Yes, treats will always be welcome!

Bram Stoker’s Van Helsing (2021)
Characters: Any
Nominated: Abraham Van Helsing, Arthur Holmwood, John Seward, Lucy Westenra

What if Arthur chose Lucy in the end, and escaped with her? He was very close to losing himself entirely as it was. Would they stalk the night together, and cause even worse problems for Seward and Van Helsing (and, eventually, Jonathan and Mina, since Mina pops in at the end with his journal)

This film takes place entirely during the time that Lucy is being preyed on by Dracula, with a slight AU twist in that she bites and briefly enslaves Arthur once she becomes a vampire. In this particular incarnation, Dracula is only ever seen as fog, or you see the back of his cape as he approaches Lucy’s bed.

Other prompts:

-Arthur remains affected and is soon in league with Dracula, despite Lucy being staked. Since Dracula himself wasn’t nominated, you can either leave him on the sidelines like the malignant force that he is if you like. If you want to write him, I would be equally delighted. Would Arthur be turned by him, or merely used as a pawn to learn their plans? Would he use the man to thwart efforts to find him?

-What if, despite Lucy’s destruction, Arthur remained allied more toward the undead in secret? Does Seward notice subtle cues pointing toward this first, or would it take someone like Mina or Jonathan to detect it somewhere down the line? Does Arthur sabotage attempts to defeat the Count?

-What if Dracula had also bitten Seward? If they had two under attack, Van Helsing would be run ragged. What if both of them turned? Or, to change things, what if Lucy was saved, and Seward turned? That poor maid would likely get eaten by one or both of them no matter what happened.

Pairings I enjoy: Lucy/Seward. Lucy/Arthur. Lucy and Van Helsing. Seward and Van Helsing.

You can watch Bram Stoker’s Van Helsing (2021) on Tubi (here) or on Youtube (here, for free).

Count Dracula (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:

-A nice quiet moment of downtime, perhaps with the Frank Finlay!Van Helsing making his patented hot chocolate for Jonathan, and getting more out of him than he allowed himself to write in his journal. Perhaps the man suspects something was omitted, and manages to pry it out of the other gentleman. Just to ease both of their worries, would he lace it with holy water? Another idea: perhaps it’s the day after the blood exchange between Mina and Dracula, and it’s his way of being certain that he wasn’t tainted without his knowledge.

-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. Does Van Helsing already suspect something?

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?

-Jonathan and Mina, reuniting in the convent. We didn’t get that in the movie, just them arriving home (via a carriage evidently driven by Dracula!) and hearing the news of the deaths of Mina’s mother and Lucy (her sister in this version).

Pairings I enjoy: Mina/Jonathan. Jonathan/Dracula. On the platonic side, there’s Renfield and Mina, or Van Helsing, Mina and Jonathan.

There are many uploads of Count Dracula (1977) across Youtube. The best uploads I’ve found are here and here.

Dracula - Bram Stoker (Novel 1897)
Characters: Any
Those nominated this year: Van Helsing, Arthur, The Correspondent, Dracula, Seward, Jonathan, Lucy, Mrs. Westenra, Mina, Mr. Hawkins, Mr. Swales, and Quincey.

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 been bitten by Dracula, and forced to drink his blood? Would Dracula’s movements in England bleed through a link and induce his night terrors? Can Jonathan sense what is happening with Lucy via the connection?

Would Jonathan be desperate to see Lucy in person, despite Mina’s efforts to assuage his agitation? And if the two of them went to Lucy’s side and saw what state she was in, would she survive? Could Jonathan explain himself to the ones tending to her, or would he keep silent out of fear?

-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 Jonathan’s salvation?

-The Scholomance was briefly mentioned in relation to Dracula. I would love to see more of that, and whether he harnessed any black magic from there to survive his death at the hands of Quincey and Jonathan. Or, perhaps, during his time in the castle, Jonathan becomes enthralled and forced to participate in something of that caliber.

-Dracula stopped Jonathan as he swings the shovel, just with a look. What if he was able to keep him in place until the sun went down? What if he decided to keep Jonathan at his side on the Demeter? What would that be like? How distressed would Jonathan be? Or would the Count keep him locked up, or even just in a trance? When the Demeter wrecks in Whitby, would Jonathan be found in one of the crates, or would Dracula still keep him at his side as a hostage? Make this as bleak as you like!

-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?

-Quincey tries to help Jonathan learn to use various weapons. Perhaps he even tries to take him under his wing, and be a big brother since everyone the poor man knows is dying or almost damned.

-When they investigated Carfax, Jonathan (and Arthur) believed someone was lurking in the shadows for a moment. What if Dracula didn’t simply do that, but spirited away Jonathan, when everyone was distracted by the rats? What do the others do in the chaos? Does Jonathan get bitten, or (if Jonathan isn’t grabbed) witness such befall someone else? Or is one of them or both he and Arthur, given blood to drink and thereby no longer to be trusted?

-Lucy helps to support Jonathan after everything, along with Mina. Perhaps she went with Mina to the convent. Does Jonathan tell both of them what happened at the same time? Does he confide in Lucy, or give her the journal to read before Mina can accept it? Does she let him know he can tell her anything, since she was briefly targeted? They might have an understanding of what it is to be victimized by the Count. I always believed that Lucy, Mina, and Jonathan were childhood friends.

-What if Mr. Hawkins didn’t die after Jonathan’s return, or still had a few good months left in him? How would Mina and Jonathan have eventually explained the situation with the Count? Would Hawkins have believed it, and trusted in his surrogate son? Or would he think that he was still ill, and should rest? I think a talk between him and Van Helsing might be fun.

I would also think that, since he basically considers Mina the daughter he never had, Mr. Hawkins would also want a piece of Dracula after the events of October 3rd. I don’t know if he would be up for chasing a vampire across Europe, but his reaction to everything would be interesting.

-What if Jonathan died what was believed to be a natural death one night, shortly after Lucy died (the first time, not when she was staked)? Perhaps even shortly after Jonathan saw the Count in Piccadilly, in a world where the Count saw him, too. Perhaps the Count gave him a dose of his blood. Perhaps Jonathan even turned. How would the group handle Lucy and Jonathan at large and biting children and gradually larger prey?

Does Jonathan try to lure Mina out to attack her if he remembers his past even a little, or does he just haunt the streets and graveyards, seeking victims the way that Lucy did? Is Mina enlisted to stake her husband by Van Helsing (Quincey and Arthur and Seward at her side after seeing the truth for themselves) and could she even do such a thing?

I would love to see an undead Jonathan roaming the city, or even trying to share a hidden crypt with Lucy. Can the two even recognize each other, or are they considered just competition for food? Would they have a shred of protectiveness toward each other, as they are turned by the same sire?

-What if Mina was the first to be bitten by the Count in Whitby? What if Lucy was spared? What if Jonathan made it home in time, and put two and two together while Van Helsing was there? I suppose we would lose at least one night of her being drained, too, if Mrs. Westenra isn’t removing the garlic out of a misplaced thought to help. (Unless Mina’s getting worse at Lucy’s, in which case you never know.)

Would Jonathan be able to save her, or would he believe there was no way to stop this, and start feeding Mina his own blood in secret, if she fully transformed? Because you know he would do whatever he could to stay at her side. Perhaps, as in his promise to not let her go into that unknown and terrible land alone in the novel, he would not want to let Death part them here in this scenario, either.

-I’ve seen so many theories thanks to Dracula Daily, about Jonathan becoming something else once he’s out of Transylvania. So...please, go that route if you want! Perhaps he’s a werewolf, and they must deal with the full moon and still chase the vampire across Europe by train. Maybe he’s something stranger still from folklore like a Wiedergänger or something else that’s unique. Or he’s simply half turned. Go wild!

How does the rest of the crew handle the news that Jonathan isn’t completely human, once the Count is slain? Do they take it in stride? No, Seward, you cannot experiment on him, but you might want to offer him (and Mina and everyone, really) heaps of therapy. Perhaps whatever odd abilities he has kept everyone alive and unharmed in the end.

-Together, Mina and Jonathan have a revelation. On his last night in the castle, there is every possibility that he was bitten, since nobody else had been in the Count’s vicinity, and there was the whole thing of him being bloated like a leech on blood. Jonathan also worries that perhaps there could have been a blood exchange like with Mina, and maybe he was infected and, therefore, a hindrance to their cause.

He politely requests that Van Helsing hypnotize him as well; it could be in private, or even with the others present, in case something goes wrong. Do they learn anything important about what happened that night? Does he recall being bitten? Did more happen to him that night, or another night? Could the brain fever on holy ground have partially been burning out some dark influence?

-After the Count’s defeat, a snowstorm blows in, and everyone is forced to spend at least one night in the castle to stay safe. Without the vampires around, is it haunted? Are the survivors too afraid to sleep there? Does Jonathan morosely wander the halls, disturbed at returning, or does he almost fall into the role of tour guide for them? If you feel the desire to do so, feel free to make it an AU where Quincey survived the final battle, so they won’t all be incredibly depressed despite their victory.

-For not so serious: The Correspondent manages to discover what’s going on, and just will not be stopped in his quest for a good story. Maybe he chases after Quincey, and gets shot at. Maybe he runs after Jonathan as the poor fellow is trying (and failing) to catch Dracula after the events of October 3rd. Which one of the group finally gives in, and thinks maybe he would make a good source for finding out the Count’s whereabouts?

-Mr. Swales as a vampire, wandering the shores of Whitby in that incomprehensible Yorkshire dialect. Perhaps he rests in the grave of a suicide, as Dracula once did. Perhaps it was the one that was Mina and Lucy’s favorite spot. Maybe when he’s finished with a victim, he dumps them off the shores of Whitby.

Do Jonathan and Mina hear reports of him still telling chilling tales about the graves, to weird out victims before he bites them? Do they round up the others to once more put a vampire to rest? Having read her diary, I can see Jonathan comforting her as more painful memories are dredged up about Lucy’s victimization. And Mina, in turn, comforts him, for the fact she wasn’t drained before they could reunite.

-Jonathan, going out windows and down the walls in lizard fashion from time to time, to the consternation of everyone. Jonathan, before the events of October 3rd, trying to teach Quincey and Arthur how to do the same because (he argues oh so politely) it could very well be a vital skill at a crucial moment!

One never knows when all the doors and windows will be locked and bolted. How does Van Helsing feel about this insistence, and about watching Jonathan perform these acts?

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. Jonathan and Arthur. Jonathan and Seward. Jonathan and Van Helsing. Quincey and Seward and Arthur. Arthur/Quincey. Arthur/Lucy. Lucy and Seward. Mina and Van Helsing. Mina and Quincey. Mina and Seward. Mina and Renfield. Jonathan and Renfield.

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

Dracula: l'amour plus fort que la mort - Ouali
Characters: Any
Those nominated: Jonathan Harker, Poison, Satine, and Sorci

I want to see Jonathan’s recovery in the convent, since the imagery with him in that setting was truly fascinating. Were Poison, Satine, and Sorci really there disguised as nuns (doubtful, for the religious iconography would likely harm them, plus the Harkers would not have escaped unscathed) or was Jonathan still sick and hallucinating?

To expand on the above: Mina was not nominated, but if you wish to include her reactions or lack thereof to a whole convent filled to the brim with vampires, depending on whether or not it’s actually reality or the ravings of a sick man, feel free! Otherwise, Jonathan’s understandable suspicion and horror, and he tries to evade capture by innocent nuns. Or, if you want to go the opposite route, have vampires prowling the halls, pained, but focused on their prey and taking out nuns as they go.

I was recently fortunate enough to stumble upon a copy of this with English subtitles. As I see that most copies floating around online are sorely lacking in that department, I have chosen to upload a folder with both acts, as well as the accompanying subtitles to Google Drive. Enjoy!

Other prompts:

-Perhaps Jonathan gets bitten by Sorci in the aftermath of the brides (the brides like in the novel, who also appear here; not to be confused with Poison, Satine, and Sorci) making Jonathan feel wicked enough to want to stay. If this happened, would he even be able to escape? Did Dracula send Poison, Satine, and Sorci, to see who could make Jonathan break, and desire to stay? Sorci wins the warped competition.

-Best I could tell in the chaos at the end, the three voices for Dracula (Poison, Satine, and Sorci) were not staked. What if they tried to drag Jonathan back with them, unseen by Van Helsing? Jonathan seems to have lost Mina, and he was very tempted by everything there in the past, in addition to when they had to go back to the castle.

He could barely resist temptation the first go around, and had moments where he just had to close his eyes to it. Would he have it in him to fight back against the combined enthrallment of them? Would he even want to do so? Might he even have the thought that if he turned, Mina would love him again? However foolish that notion might be, he might try.

If you want to include anyone else from the musical, I would be fine with seeing Mina, Van Helsing, or even Dracula dancing by in Jonathan’s thoughts.

Pairings I enjoy, whether or not someone was nominated: Dracula/Jonathan. Jonathan/Mina. Jonathan/Sorci. Jonathan and Sorci. Jonathan and Poison. Jonathan and Satine.

The Fall of the House of Usher (TV 1966)
Characters: Any
Nominated: Madeleine Usher, Roderick Usher, Richard Beckett, and Lucy

“The dead cannot walk,” Richard cried out in horror. However, what if they could? What if Madeleine truly was dead, and not in a cataleptic state and driven mad by an entombment? What if whatever came out of that coffin was no longer human? What if there was some diabolical influences circling the house? Check out the diabolical paintings on the floor. Is she a zombie, a demon, or something else? You decide!

This is one of the few surviving films of the series known as Mystery And Imagination. I particularly loved Denholm Elliott’s performance (and his performance as Dracula a couple of years later, for the same series) as he chewed the scenery as Roderick Usher, in this version of Poe’s tale. Unfortunately, so far as I have been able to determine, one cannot find this episode (or this series) anywhere online for free.

To that end, this is another item that I have chosen to put onto Google Drive. This way, you can watch and determine if it’s the gothic horror for you! It’s merely 49 minutes in duration, so it’s a relatively quick viewing experience.

Other prompts:

-An AU where Madeleine is being preyed on by a vampire. To that end, she would not merely be catalepsy, but becoming a vampire herself. If you wish, have Lucy be the one that realizes the danger, and gets through to either Roderick or Richard. We didn’t get enough of Lucy in the movie, as she was terrorized by Madeleine, and then wisely getting out of the situation and breaking off her engagement with Richard.

Perhaps Lucy is too late in getting them to believe her, given Madeleine’s previous medical history of genuine catalepsy. Madeleine, now a monster, might still want Richard. I cannot see Roderick being able to tolerate the noise of a staking, or being willing to risk whether the sound of such would bring the house down on them all.

-One of the Ushers survives thanks to the efforts of Richard. Who is it, and how did they get out of there alive? Perhaps the survivor is haunted by the ghost of the deceased.

-What if Madeleine had escaped Roderick’s grasp, as she intended at the start of the film? How would she have fared in that bright and cheerful house with Lucy and Richard? Would she have been just as murderous?

-Tell the story of just how Roderick’s hair turned white as “summer snow,” as he called it.

Pairings I enjoy in this canon: Richard and Roderick. Richard/Roderick. Madeleine and Roderick. Richard/Lucy. Richard and Madeleine.

Supernatural (TV 1977)
Characters: Dorabella, Philip Hambleton

Philip continues to stalk the world when he relays his tale, Dorabella presumably still at his side. Was it his idea, or hers to tell of how he came to be her bridegroom? Was it a genuine need to warn others, or just a humorous distraction for them? I doubt he regrets what he has become, given that grin, and those eyes.

What happened in the aftermath of the episode? Does Dorabella dare to set foot inside the club? Did either of them feast on anyone there, or did they simply walk away, shrouded in fog and secrecy, savoring the terror he had instilled with that reveal?

I absolutely adored this episode of Supernatural (TV 1977). Until Night of the Marionettes was nominated elsewhere, I had never encountered this series before. I only recently managed to track down all the episodes, and found that one particularly charming, given my absolute love of gothic horror.

Other prompts:

-The moment that Philip is transformed into a creature of the night, at the height of his grief for Walter. Show how much he changes as he sheds his mortality. How long do they stay with Dorabella’s father? Do they stay in the castle?

-You can probably ignore this one, but I half want a crossover between this and the Dracula novel. Like Jonathan Harker, Philip was also trapped in a castle filled with locked doors and vampires. The two of them could commiserate. Unlike Jonathan, however, Philip did become Dorabella’s bridegroom. Perhaps he becomes the next formidable opponent for the crew, or even just happens to pick up the Dracula novel one century and finds it particularly quaint and horribly familiar.

-Dorabella and Philip, on the prowl for prey. Do they reel in another unfortunate soul, in a similar manner to what was done to Walter and Philip?

Pairings I enjoy in this fandom: Dorabella/Philip, Walter and Philip, Walter/Philip.

At the time of writing, you can find this episode on Youtube.

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.

Dear Yuletide Letter 2022

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