Brides of Dracula fic (finally)

[disgruntled_owl]

I realize I haven't posted here in almost two years, but finally finishing some Van Helsing/Marianne fic for the Holiday Horror exchange is as good a reason as any, right? I've been working on this a long time, and am happy to have finally gifted it to its recipient and gotten it online.

The Return to Chateau Meinster
17,059 words
by disgruntled_owl for Robber_Baroness
Fandoms: Dracula (Movies - Hammer)The Brides of Dracula (1960)
Relationship: Van Helsing/Marianne Danielle
Not Rated, Depictions of Graphic Violence
Collection: Holiday Horror 2020
Additional Tags: Vampires, Romance, Hurt/Comfort, Hammer Horror Universe, Minor Character Death, Kissing, Fairy Tale Elements, Minor Canonical Character(s), Corpses, Vampire Hunters, Castles, Horror, Gothic, Post-Canon, Original Character(s), Diary/Journal, Forests, 19th Century, Vampire Staking, Death by Sunlight, Canon-Typical Violence

Summary: Though the Baron Meinster has been destroyed, his abandoned brides still stalk the forests near Badstein, pursued by the exhausted, vulnerable Van Helsing. Marianne Danielle must summon the courage to return to the horror-filled Chateau Meinster if she is to rescue the man she loves before it is too late.

Comments

[strange_complex]

Hello! I saved the link to this when you posted it over a week ago, as I knew it would be great but didn't have time to read it immediately. I remembered how much I'd liked your story about Jonathan Harker meeting Van Helsing for the first time when he came to the archive where he worked, and of course Brides leaves the doors open wide for continuation fic, so I was very excited to see what you'd done with it.

I've read it now, and it was great! You have caught the characters of both Marianne and Van Helsing beautifully, while also taking both of them to new places not covered in the film - her finding new courage and him in a place of vulnerability. I liked what you'd done with her feeling of being an outsider, surrounded by humans she knew had been happy to turn a blind eye to her fate even after the Baron and Baroness were dead. And Van Helsing's kind words towards the end when she feels like she is to blame for it all and he points out that in fact she broke the whole cycle. Plus the details of all sorts of smells throughout and especially Van Helsing smelling of tobacco and lavender - which I'm pretty sure I commented on after your meeting-in-the-archive story!

Thanks so much for sharing it, and here's to their many vampire-hunting adventures together. :-)

[disgruntled_owl]

Thank you so much for your encouraging feedback! I'm very happy to know you enjoyed it (even the smells).

It turned out to be a surprisingly challenging relationship for me to write. Marianne is the most obvious romantic interest for Van Helsing, but the first few times I watched the movie, I was frustrated with her. I wanted her to prove she was worthy of being Van Helsing's partner, I guess. I eventually focused on the spunk she shows in seeking out the Baron, getting the Baroness's key, and setting the Baron free (even if the immediate results are disastrous). Then I had to put her through her vampire-hunting paces to make her more capable and a bit more reflective.

Your fantastic Hammer Horror film reviews inspire me to keep writing!