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vickyvicarious · 8 months

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Dracula Declarations of Love

There is so much love, and so much talk of love, in this book. It's extremely hard to pick a favorite, but let's give it a go (or just get emotional over a bunch of quotes lined up together).

I tried to stick mostly to declarations/talk about (rather than acts of) love, primarily to focus on specific quotes and help me narrow it down to just twelve (still a big challenge). Before anyone asks, no, "I too can love" is not on here because Dracula's version of love doesn't stack up to the others for me in terms of emotional impact. And these were definitely chosen by my personal preference of specific quotes; there are a bunch of other great words of love that didn't make it in. Also, important note - this is not exclusively romantic love by any means.

The whole quotes don't fit in the poll, so please read below before you vote.

Full Quotes:

11 May, Lucy: "Oh, Mina, couldn't you guess? I love him. I am blushing as I write, for although I think he loves me, he has not told me so in words. But oh, Mina, I love him; I love him; I love him!"

24 May, Quincey: "If that other fellow doesn't know his happiness, well, he'd better look for it soon, or he'll have to deal with me. Little girl, your honesty and pluck have made me a friend, and that's rarer than a lover; it's more unselfish anyhow."

19 August, Mina: "I have cried over the good Sister's letter till I can feel it wet against my bosom, where it lies. It is of Jonathan, and must be next my heart, for he is in my heart. [...] I must write no more; I must keep it to say to Jonathan, my husband. The letter that he has seen and touched must comfort me till we meet."

24 August, Jonathan and Mina: "Then he took my hand in his, and oh, Lucy, it was the first time he took his wife's hand, and said that it was the dearest thing in all the wide world, and that he would go through all the past again to win it, if need be. [...] Well, my dear, what could I say? I could only tell him that I was the happiest woman in all the wide world, and that I had nothing to give him except myself, my life, and my trust, and that with these went my love and duty for all the days of my life."

24 August, Mina: "Lucy dear, do you know why I tell you all this? It is not only because it is all sweet to me, but because you have been, and are, very dear to me. It was my privilege to be your friend and guide when you came from the schoolroom to prepare for the world of life. I want you to see now, and with the eyes of a very happy wife, whither duty has led me; so that in your own married life you too may be all happy as I am. My dear, please Almighty God, your life may be all it promises: a long day of sunshine, with no harsh wind, no forgetting duty, no distrust. I must not wish you no pain, for that can never be; but I do hope you will be always as happy as I am now."

7 September, Arthur: '"What can I do?" asked Arthur hoarsely. "Tell me, and I shall do it. My life is hers, and I would give the last drop of blood in my body for her."'

17 September, Mina: "Jonathan asks me to send his 'respectful duty,' but I do not think that is good enough from the junior partner of the important firm Hawkins & Harker; and so, as you love me, and he loves me, and I love you with all the moods and tenses of the verb, I send you simply his 'love' instead."

30 September, Mina and Arthur: '"I loved dear Lucy, and I know what she was to you, and what you were to her. She and I were like sisters; and now she is gone, will you not let me be like a sister to you in your trouble? I know what sorrows you have had, though I cannot measure the depth of them. If sympathy and pity can help in your affliction, won't you let me be of some little service—for Lucy's sake?" [...] "I know now how I suffered," he said, as he dried his eyes, "but I do not know even yet—and none other can ever know—how much your sweet sympathy has been to me to-day. I shall know better in time; and believe me that, though I am not ungrateful now, my gratitude will grow with my understanding. You will let me be like a brother, will you not, for all our lives—for dear Lucy's sake?"'

3 October, Jonathan: '"Nonsense, Mina. It is a shame to me to hear such a word [unclean]. I would not hear it of you; and I shall not hear it from you. May God judge me by my deserts, and punish me with more bitter suffering than even this hour, if by any act or will of mine anything ever come between us!" He put out his arms and folded her to his breast; and for a while she lay there sobbing."

3 October, Jonathan: "To one thing I have made up my mind: if we find out that Mina must be a vampire in the end, then she shall not go into that unknown and terrible land alone. I suppose it is thus that in old times one vampire meant many; just as their hideous bodies could only rest in sacred earth, so the holiest love was the recruiting sergeant for their ghastly ranks."

11 October, Mina: "You are nearest and dearest and all the world to me; our souls are knit into one, for all life and all time."

31 October, Mina: "We are truly in the hands of God. He alone knows what may be, and I pray Him, with all the strength of my sad and humble soul, that He will watch over my beloved husband; that whatever may happen, Jonathan may know that I loved him and honoured him more than I can say, and that my latest and truest thought will be always for him."

#dracula daily #dracula daily spoilers #polls #my polls #jonmina and mina especially are kind of taking over. they're just too damn romantic/she's so damn good at talking about love #sorry to those who didn't make it on here. doesn't mean i don't love em too but it these are some of the individual lines that hit hardest #/make me personally most emotional #even then i have added on/taken off a couple #spoiled for choice i guess!#anyways posting today since two of the options are from today

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immediatebreakfast · 9 months

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Dracula is a gothic story, and as a gothic story it contains its very choice in horror, but the range, and type of horror that shows is increasingly diverse, and just as resonating in their themes.

The contrast between the dreadful despair of the captain of the Demeter, and the increasing yet mundane tension of Mina are just amazing. It's two dissonant stories that deal with very different stakes, but are part of a complete story, and at some point they will meet when the information of each become relevant to use.

The strung horror of the Demeter comes from isolation, the uncertain circumstances of what seemed to be a very normal job at first, the sudden dissapearances, the inexplicable, all of the suspicious words and actions. The crew has all of the questions, yet none of the answers, so what can they do if not work?

Ignore the fog, ignore the fear, don't sleep, another man is lost, don't sleep, survive this four days storm, two men are gone without a trace. Someone a saw a strange thin man on deck when every head was counted before boarding, but we are civilized men we don't need to lose time with "what if..." Another two men lost.

The first mate is now sleeping on the arms of the sea, and the captain is all alone... Except what is that shadow that he sees on the corner of his eye?

On the other hand, the building horror of Mina, and Lucy's Hot Girl Summer that does not look so Hot anymore is so mundane that it only amplifies the tension, and liminal feeling of their travel. Both Mina, and Lucy meet to organize the wedding and have fun, they go to cementeries, search for ghosts, speak to old residents who could stare at death tomorrow, Arthur is not coming to Whitby his father is sick.

Mina writes about the scenery, the myths, that old sailor telling her how headstones may be unrealiable, Jonathan's last letter is fake even if he wrote that is not Jonathan, Lucy's favorite sitting spot marks a suicide buried with lies. The wedding is coming, and Lucy starts to sleepwalk just like her father, Mrs. Westenra tells you to take care of her, Jonathan hasn't written as Mr. Swales tells you how men with lies of their tombs won't reach heaven, Lucy worries about the wedding, and sleepwalks once more.

Mina watches everything, yet nothing touches her. She watches in the dark as Lucy is searching for the key while her eyes are closed. Does Mina feel like a jailor?

Mina wonders when Jonathan will truthfully write, or if he will send some signal of life.

The Demeter is coming to England despite only having her captain, and with Whitby being a really good spot for ships... I think that these two stories will meet.

#Maybe this is why you can't adapt Dracula the whole story as a movie #All of the ''parts'' of this book have different types of horror #And when you try to push everything in a single watch it feels out of place #This is why the Demeter can work as a movie itself #dracula daily #dracula #the demeter #mina murray #lucy westenra

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see-arcane · 2 years

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Dracula Dailiers we have a LOT to unpack

-RIP to the Captain, Whitby loves and misses you

-Surprise RIP to Mr. Swales, I know you died shit-talking the Count so mercilessly the ancient bastard had to snap your neck*

-*Alternatively, it was because you were sitting over the grave he wanted to use for his camp-out resting place. Hence why yet another dog got its hackles up when passing near the spot, having sensed the atrocious Dracula-vibes within. Also, shout-out to the asshole dog owner who kicked his own pup, I hope you get gangrene in that foot.

-Lucy is still sleepwalking. We can be pretty sure there’s some extra influence going on there. But what gets all my hairs standing up is that Mina knows Something More is up and Lucy refuses to talk about it. Worse, it’s something that implies a miserable camaraderie with the dog’s terror when touching the gravestone; the inarticulate dread, the fear that comes with Knowing There is a Threat and Not Knowing the Threat’s Name.

-Good cows!

-Hoo boy, here comes Stoker’s misplaced mouthpiece time with Mina poo-pooing ‘the New Woman.’ Between this sniffing at the independent stance of the New Woman phenomenon and the Lilith-adjacent baby-eating caricature the sexy evil Brides present, Stoker was hitting the gas on the lady prejudice. Ironically, in a way that flies in the face of his main girl being so obviously in line with a lot of the New Woman’s principles. Yes, as the book goes on, there will be some period-typical maidenly fretting and ‘do not fear, this is man’s work!’ moments—which kind of tips Stoker’s hand in a very telling ‘appreciation’ for manful men doing manful men things. With other men.—but when Mina isn’t performing damsel duty?

She’s a worker. She’s a thinker. She’s a doer. She fills 90% of traditional male roles in literature throughout the story just as Jonathan filled out the gothic damsel in distress role at the book’s start. Frankly I think the only reason she or Lucy are able to unironically turn their noses up at the ‘New Woman’ is because:

A) They’re miraculously surrounded by the most chivalrous men on Earth, let alone in England. They’ve no reason to get ruffled over a lack of respect or care.

B) Mina’s only solid acquaintance with men beyond a few interviewees so far is Jonathan ‘Mina-Addicted Sweetheart’ Harker and Mr. Hawkins who’s like a second father.

C) Her social circle really isn’t all that big, period. Yes, there’s Lucy who she’s known since childhood, Jonathan, her students, but who else does she really talk about like they’re close? Least of all any acquaintances who might be or know ~confirmed~ New Women?

D) Being a newspaper lover, I’d bet money her only real ‘knowledge’ of the New Woman phenomenon comes from Punch comics and mansplained satire discussing outlandish parodies of the actual movement/women. Of course she isn’t like them! How absurd!

E) She does genuinely want to start a family with Jonathan and this traditional desire likely feels to her like another proof against her being a dreadful (gasp) New Woman.

All the while she’s oblivious to all the traits that make her—the working, intelligent, active, teacher/budding journalist/equal partner to her fiancé—very much part of the New Woman movement. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jonathan was someday stunned to realize she was in earnest about her disdain, leading to him gently, lovingly, claiming he is quite shocked and hurt, as one of his best friends is a New Woman. Would he like to meet her?

Cue him holding up a mirror.

-Lucy is so pretty and full of blood <3

-I too would be happier if only I knew if Jonathan. Where Jonathan. Want Jonathan. Return Jonathan.

#in which there is rambling #dracula #dracula daily #mina murray #mina harker #lucy westenra #jonathan harker #The New Woman #bram stoker

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tachvintlogic · 6 months

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Dracula and Isolation

The first part of Dracula with Jonathan is about isolation in the form of obligation/sense of duty and later, abuse. It is about an abuser who keeps you isolated from those who try to help you, prevents you from seeing anyone except other abusers, and who isolates you mentally through fear, shame, and doubt about your own perception. This is also the part that's about sex, as it is in part informed by Stoker's experience as possibly a closeted gay man and a reaction to the Oscar Wilde trial.

The second part with Mina and the Captain of the Demeter are about isolation through distance. Mina is isolated from Jonathan by a vast distance, and is prevented from hearing from him thanks to his own isolation situation. Lucy, too, is isolated from Arthur by distance since he is away with his sick father. The Demeter and her crew are isolated by distance from land, and as such no one can help them. The captain is also isolated when he is the last one left, and clings to his sense of duty even though like Jonathan it is of no help here.

The second part also introduces isolation through disease. It brings in themes about how chronic diseases (sleepwalking) can leave one more vulnerable to acute ones (Dracula). Caregivers too are isolated as the sickness of loved ones keep them away from others in dire need of help. Arthur is only away because of his sick father, and the third part is kicked off by Mina leaving Lucy alone to be with Jonathan.

In the third part, which begins the moment that Lucy is isolated from Mina and begins writing herself centers entirely around isolation through disease. Her illness (Dracula) leaves her weaker, less able to leave the house and seek help, leaving feeling alone in her suffering.

Caregivers Arthur, Jack, and Van Helsing are isolated as they are forced to bounce around and frequently travel to help the sick, and feel helpless from being unable to be in 2 places at once. Mina cannot be with Lucy to protect her since she has to be with Jonathan. Arthur is torn between visiting Lucy and his dying father. Jack must split his attention between Lucy and the patients at the asylum. Van Helsing must frequently travel to figure out what the hell is even happening to Lucy.

This third part also introduce the theme of isolation through denial. Lucy denies that she's feeling worse than she claims she is to avoid worrying her friends, putting on a front of appearing cheerful when she has the energy to do so. There is also the intentional withholding, or denial, of information by the suitor squad and Van Helsing. They don't tell her about how they're treating her and why and explain little, leaving her and her mother uninformed on how to protect themselves from Dracula.

The fourth part when Lucy dies and Mina is being attacked brings the theme of isolation through denial and denial in general into focus. Seward and Arthur deny that Lucy is a vampire until they can deny it no longer. Renfield is in denial about how he's hurting people by serving Dracula until he meets Mina, at which point the people being hurt are no longer an abstract concept to him. Renfield wrestles with his own denial until he decides to beg the polycula to release him from the asylum or at least transfer him to a new one so that Dracula cannot use them to get it Mina. Jack and the polycula do not listen and deny him his freedom out of suspicion. And Renfield, who has been denied what he wants the entire book, takes a stand and wrestles Dracula himself as his final act of defiance.

But most importantly, in this fourth part the polycula denies Mina knowledge of their operations because she's a woman, which does nothing but leave her more vulnerable to attack.

The fifth part, after the polycula realize their denial to Mina and Renfield has led to, is not about isolation. It is about coming together in love. The heroes are no longer isolated and even when they are separated, no one is alone. They help and support each other and the longer they are together the stronger their bonds and their love becomes. And together, they finally defeat the evil that has caused much of the isolation.

#dracula daily #had this written up months ago #realized I should probably post it

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yallemagne · 1 year

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Everyone: "Man, how does Van Helsing know so much about Dracula and vampires?? Must be a personal connection between him and the Count."

Me: *pulling my hair out trying to rewrite the September 30 meeting scene* "IF YOU ACTUALLY FUCKING READ HIS MONOLOGUE TWENTY TIMES OVER YOU WOULD KNOW HE KNEW NONE OF THIS INFORMATION PRIOR TO THE STORY."

Maybe not none. But. Let me just. Most of the shit he says is filler. "Let me tell you, it's gonna be fucking spooky" is what he says like fifty times over in twenty words or more each time.

"Alas! Had I known at the first what now I know—nay, had I even guess at him—one so precious life had been spared to many of us who did love her."

Van Helsing says that if he knew all the info he's about to dump on us about vampires, they could have saved Lucy. Meaning he didn't know jack shit. He most certainly didn't know who Dracula was.

"Even friend Jonathan, who lived with him for weeks, did never see him to eat, never! He throws no shadow; he make in the mirror no reflect, as again Jonathan observe. He has the strength of many of his hand—witness again Jonathan when he shut the door against the wolfs, and when he help him from the diligence too. He can transform himself to wolf, as we gather from the ship arrival in Whitby, when he tear open the dog; he can be as bat, as Madam Mina saw him on the window at Whitby, and as friend John saw him fly from this so near house, and as my friend Quincey saw him at the window of Miss Lucy. He can come in mist which he create—that noble ship's captain proved him of this; but, from what we know, the distance he can make this mist is limited, and it can only be round himself. He come on moonlight rays as elemental dust—as again Jonathan saw those sisters in the castle of Dracula. He become so small—we ourselves saw Miss Lucy, ere she was at peace, slip through a hairbreadth space at the tomb door."

Then finally he starts saying things that he may have already known since he cites no specific examples: night vision, requiring invitation, no power in the daytime, the sunrise and sunset bit, etc.. He does cite an example of what "unhallowed ground" vampires can enter uninvited, but that's just to illustrate his point. But then he talks about his friend Arminius.

"I have asked my friend Arminius, of Buda-Pesth University, to make his record; and, from all the means that are, he tell me of what he has been. He must, indeed, have been that Voivode Dracula who won his name against the Turk, over the great river on the very frontier of Turkey-land. If it be so, then was he no common man; for in that time, and for centuries after, he was spoken of as the cleverest and the most cunning, as well as the bravest of the sons of the 'land beyond the forest.' That mighty brain and that iron resolution went with him to his grave, and are even now arrayed against us. The Draculas were, says Arminius, a great and noble race, though now and again were scions who were held by their coevals to have had dealings with the Evil One. They learned his secrets in the Scholomance, amongst the mountains over Lake Hermanstadt, where the devil claims the tenth scholar as his due. In the records are such words as 'stregoica'—witch, 'ordog,' and 'pokol'—Satan and hell; and in one manuscript this very Dracula is spoken of as 'wampyr,' which we all understand too well."

Van Helsing is really just like me for real oh my god. He sounds like me after just having gone on a Wikipedia binge. He knew absolutely nothing about Dracula before, and he really wants to capitalize on all the new shit he just learned.

"We know from the inquiry of Jonathan that from the castle to Whitby came fifty boxes of earth, all of which were delivered at Carfax; we also know that at least some of these boxes have been removed. It seems to me, that our first step should be to ascertain whether all the rest remain in the house beyond that wall where we look to-day; or whether any more have been removed. If the latter, we must trace——"

*gunshots* Anyway.

More fucking fuel for the stop fucking painting him and Dracula as mortal enemies fire. He's literally just an old man who reads a lot, he's not a badass vampire hunter, Dracula didn't kill his gf or some shit, and he's probably never successfully dealt with a vampire before. Also, more ammo for my if you deny Jonathan's importance to the story one more time-- gun.

#picturing Jonathan trying to dissociate during Van Helsing's monologue and jumping each time VH says his name #Jonathan: yeayeayea we know we all know my trauma so intimately can we not #VH: of course. one more thing--#dracula #dracula daily #rant???#who knows #abraham van helsing #van helsing #also just??#VH: Dracula is super smart he's a tactician-- he's also a baby with a widdle baby brain bc only the mentally handicapped commit crimes #which one is it abe

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arbitrarity · 2 years

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new headcanon about Lucy's happy August 30th letter:

the description Lucy gives and the date definitely don't line up, both in terms of being in Whitby and feeling great; it's even more clear with Arthur's letter to Seward the next day pleading for help with Lucy's health. I thought it might be either the letter having the wrong date or Lucy just putting on a face for Mina. but what if it's a bit of both? what if Lucy wrote the letter when she was back in Whitby but didn't actually SEND it until August 30, after she got Mina's letter about her marriage?

I can see Lucy in Whitby, actually getting that reprieve from being drinked by Drac after he leaves for London. Arthur comes to visit and they have a lovely time, and she starts to feel better! full of blood life! she writes a letter to her lovely Mina gushing with hope. but then she hesitates...

Mina has left to go meet Jonathan. in a foreign hospital. with no idea what's happened to him and barely an idea of his current state. she's given Lucy the address but neither know what she's going to find when she arrives there. can Lucy really send Mina this letter of happiness when she doesn't know the state it will find her in when it arrives? what if The Worst has happened to Jonathan... Mina might be glad to hear Lucy is feeling better, to know that she doesn't have to worry too much, but how would she feel reading a letter of Lucy's dates with Arthur if her own love is a broken man or dead...

so Lucy doesn't sent it. she waits. she waits until she hears from Mina, til she gets the letter she sent full of happiness and hope and love! Mina is a happy, married woman! what a relief, Lucy can absolutely write back to her now. but now she's back in London and she's drained ill again, and she's afraid and alone. how can she possibly reply and tell Mina that she's glad for her, but that she herself is wasting away. Arthur has noticed and is so worried; she doesn't want to worry Mina too, when she's finally gotten some happiness in her life...

so she doesn't write a new letter. instead, she picks up the letter she wrote back in Whitby... thinks that's what she wants Mina to hear, and sends it dated for today, August 30. the letter is true, afterall, just not the whole truth. and who knows, maybe her health will be restored again by the time Mina returns home anyway. it's a compromise but also maybe a hope, maybe a small reassurance to Lucy that things could be okay again soon...

#there is like no textual reason to believe this is accurate #but I'm headcanoning it anyway #dracula #dracula daily #lucy westenra #August 30 #this also means the 'oceans of kisses' line was not relates to Mina getting married and is just how they greet each other #and I'm a-okay with that #arbitrarity talks

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thebibi · 1 year

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When you consider that the Harkers are orphans, and that the only parental figure they had was the person Jonathan worked for, when Mr. Hawkins died they had no one but each other for family despite being so young. Lucy was the final blow for Mina's loneliness, and her only comfort being someone broken and severely mentally ill man who can barely walk and possibly dying.

But when Van Helsing meets Mina, it's the start of the Harkers finally getting a family. Van Helsing loves them instantly and becomes their protector and guide like a father should be. Then through him Mina bonds with Arthur through their shared mourning for Lucy and declare themselves siblings. Jonathan enters a friend group he never had and bonds with them through their shared goal. And then when Dracula hurts one of them (I believe they'd all have been as determined even if it wasn't Mina) they all make death pacts, write each other on their wills and go together. The Harkers get to experience having a family.

Alternatively, Van Helsing had lost his family in his old age never thinking he'd have one again. He sees his son in Arthur but they'd have separated early if it weren't for Mina encouraging Van Helsing to form a hunting party to release Lucy. Through Mina Van Helsing gets to experience having a family again.

Yeah all of this basically. Thank you, anon, for this thoughtful essay in my inbox. 🥲 Also thank you for reminding me that when Mr Hawkins died, Mina wrote to Lucy telling her she feels she has no one else to confide in.

I wrote about Van Helsing and his loneliness before, but it was mostly in relation to not having a wife , and it didn't really touch on the general feeling of family. But you are absolutely right that through Mina, Van Helsing gets to really open up beyond just his familiarity with Jack. And because of that he gets to experience being part of a family again. A literal found family bound by vampire hunting. 🥰

#dracula daily #abraham van helsing #mina harker #thebibi on vampirez #thebibi post

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canary0 · 9 months

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Aug 13th - Dracula 2023

The Diary of Mina Murray

It’s been so busy! I keep trying to sit down to write and something new comes up!

The most significant thing, of course, is that Jonathan and I were finally married fully and legally yesterday. Lucy and I finally finished getting everything together the day before, including the photographer. We posted an offer at a local art school, and found someone with an interesting style that’s not exactly typical wedding photography. Lucy thought we should go a little more traditional, but it suits us. We’re not exactly traditional ourselves.

We got married, as promised, up at the abbey ruins. Lucy’s former paramours showed up, Mr. Morris and Dr. Seward, and Mr. Holmwood even made an appearance. He looked quite tired – apparently he is dealing with wrapping up affairs of his father’s estate and title, though Lucy’s presence seemed to be of great comfort. Ms. Swales also made an appearance, as healthy and cheerful as she has ever been. She seemed to be feeling quite confident, though she would only give me a cagey smile when I asked what might have her in such a good mood.

Mr. Hawkins also appeared, since his gout isn’t giving him too many problems just at the moment. I can only hope the kind man is finally on the other side of it.

The ceremony was beautiful – we wrote each other vows in conjunction with a traditional CoE ceremony, and the sky was as blue and clear as it has ever been up at the abbey. The ruins of the ship served as an… interesting backdrop to it, as it is still being cleaned up and investigated.

We returned to the house for the reception, and it was lively with conversation. Lucy managed to sweet-talk a local baker into putting together a beautiful cake on short notice (as well as an invitation to come to the reception and have some, a move of which we both heartily approved). The meal was put together between Lucy and her mother, who insisted that, “I’m still well enough to do this.” As anxious as she is, Lucy certainly got her sweetness at least in part from her.

It was lovely to finally meet the men Lucy had written so much about, and the conversation with them was quite jovial, asking for stories of their adventures. Mr. Morris and Mr. Holmwood are apparently very old friends indeed, and picked up Dr. Seward during an adventure in Korea which threatened family he was visiting at the time. It sounded like quite a harrowing experience, but it forged three very different men into fast friends.

We did ask to speak to them in a few days, once Arthur returned from his father’s estate and the wedding hubbub has died down.

Ms. Swales came up to us during the reception, both be and Jonathan and Lucy together. She took all of our hands and told us how glad she was to be able to be here on this day, and how happy she was to have met us. She took a particular interest in Jonathan, frowning.

“Poor dear,” she said, “It looks like you’re dealing with a bit of anemia again, hmm?”

I honestly hadn’t noticed a difference – he’d been fairly energetic lately, and seemed quite recovered, but the elderly sometimes have the experience to notice things we don’t have the experience to at our age. She just patted his hands with a smile and handed him a small tin of tea, telling him, “You take this, dear, and you’ll feel better in no time. I wish I could stay here and see more of you two, but I must be off to Exeter tomorrow. My granddaughter-in-law just welcomed my great-granddaughter into the world, and I promised to come help her get a night’s rest and a shower once in a while.” She chuckled. “Ah, I remember those years. Though I suppose I should give you two my number for if you decide to take that road, hmm?”

I admit, I turned bright read and Lucy laughed. Jonathan smiled, and said, “We would love to keep in touch, Ms. Swales.”

She wrote down her number and folder it around a key, handing it to me. “Here, dear,” she said, “Consider this my wedding present. I have a cottage here, but I can’t take much with me, and my granddaughter has everything I need at her place. You might find something useful in all the bric-a-brac.”

I accepted it and gave her a hug. “Thank you so much, Ms. Swales. I’ll be sad not to be able to talk in person so much, but we actually have a home in Exeter now. We may see each other soon.”

She grinned broadly. “Well, isn’t that something! I look forward to seeing you all again then, dear.” She hugged all three of us before making her way to the cake. She must have made her way out at some point in the shuffle, because we didn’t see her afterward. Jonathan make a cup of the tea she brought right away to have with the cake himself, and it’s true that he looked much better afterward.

We have been spending time together ever since everyone left – a sort of mini-honeymoon. We plan to go see the house tomorrow, and speak with Mr. Morris, Dr. Seward, and Lucy.

In our room last night, a large bat flew up to the window. Jonathan was quite awake at this point and glared at it. I rose from bed and closed the window, and he handed me a rosary to hang over the window that he had acquired recently. We pulled the drapes, as well.

Jonathan commented, “I can’t trust any nocturnal animal anymore, it feels like. I feel sad for them, though – I’m sure they would much rather be out, eating fruit and bugs and living their best bat lives than serving him.”

I sighed and nodded, getting back into bed and snuggling up to him.

(A/N: I love Ms. Swales, won't lie.)

#dracula daily #dracula 2023 #fanfic #jonathan harker #modern retelling #mina murray #lucy westenra #Ms. Swales

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tetsunabouquet · 21 days

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Heir To The Lands Chapter 28

Thoughts About the Future and Thoughts About the Past Masterpost

Dru walked to the booth where a Faerie had pointed her too, the new adres of Ragnor Fell. She approached the stall and was alarmed with the items being sold. From rare talismans to spellbooks on wards. It was a warlock booth dedicated to protective magic and not the scam artist kind. In the blink of an eye, the door behind the stall opened with green little sparks. Dru immediately went for the opening and found Ragnor Fell walking down the staircase, a grim look on his face. "From the Blackthorn look of you, I take it your Tiberius' sister. Welcome." "Look, as much as I'd like to give you an earfull for enabling Ty back then, Livvy's spirit did came with valuable information which is how I got stuck here. Can you help me get back to the Shadowhunters Academy in Exile? As in, sneak me in through a portal to my room?" Ragnor looked at her knowingly, "You came using the tunnel from Faerie at that S-bahn station haven't you?" "I think so." Ragnor rubbed his temples. "And once again Shadowhunter teenagers are at the middle of the brewing storm. Why is it always a bunch of students aged Nephilim?" Dru shrugged as the warlock sighed. "I'll get you to your room if you promise me you'll report to Alec and Magnus immediately." "Well, I can ask the headmaster to arrange a meeting after I'll tell him what happened." She answered. Ragnor nodded in agreement. "That's good, kid. You should be happy you made it out alive." "Trust me, I am." Ragnor hurried to make a Portal and Dru bet he had a feeling he knew why she had been in Faerie and that he was going to talk about her arrival with someone and wanted to do so as fast as possible. However, she did not care because she too wanted to get back as fast possible and let Ty and Kit know she was alright and she had made it back to New York in a surprisingly safe yet extraordinary journey. So she jumped through the Portal the moment it appeared, not wasting a single second to get back to school. Now that's a thought she never would have guessed she'd ever have.

Tessa was resting against Jem, Mina on their laps as they rested in the couch, the boys upstairs. They had sent Emma and Julian away earlier as Emma recovered enough to rest at Blackthorn Hall. Which was almost a blessing, because delivering the news of Drusilla's dissapearance to Julian in person would have wrecked Ty even more. Mina stirred on their laps and seemed to sense their worry because she pouted at them and started shaking her head. "Of course, everything will be alright. It always turns out okay in the end." Jem said, having seen many teens and many tragedies. Tessa hummed and stood up. "I'm going to make some tea. Do you also desire a cup?" "Yes." Jem said, holding Mina close to him on his lap. "You really have your mother's mouth you know," Jem cooed to Mina and Tessa couldn't help but be taken back. For it was the way that Jem held Mina on his lap, that Tessa was reminded of Will all those years ago. In their love for their daughters, they weren't too dissimilar.

A young Lucie was sitting on Will's lap, his beautiful blue eyes sparkling with delight as his daughter told him a story she made up. She was about 7 years old at the time, her imagination and love for stories already rooting itself in her heart. Once Lucie was finished, she looked up curiously at her father, "Did you like it?" Will smiled at her. "Of course I do. Have I ever told you it was your mother's way of words that made me fall in love with her? She wrote the most beautiful letters and I was enarmored immediately with her charm." Tessa sitting across him felt her cheeks heat up a little at the memory of so long ago. "Really?" Lucie asked with a sweet wonder. "Yes. You are so like your mother, you know?" Will said, holding her close.

#twp #the wicked powers #tsc #the shadowhunter chronicles #shadowhunters #shadowhunter chronicles #the infernal devices #the last hours #dru blackthorn #ragnor fell #tessa gray #jem carstairs #mina carstairs #lucie herondale #will herondale

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vickyvicarious · 6 months

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Mina today like 😒🙄 anyway as I was saying, I could feel my husband who is Jonathan...

Oh man, imagine how offended she will feel when she eventually reads Van Helsing's memorandum and sees what he thought she was talking about. I don't think she noticed before, especially given how hilariously matter-of-fact she is about sensing Jonathan in this entry. But I can easily see her scoffing and kind of just tossing the memorandum down on the table in disgust at that part. Maybe leaving the room to go give Jonathan a kiss (in front of Van Helsing for extra measure) just because.

About her being so matter-of-fact today... It's funny actually, because when she's had premonitions about his condition despite physical separation in the past (thinking he's not on the water in Whitby, her fear to think of him/certainty he's not in danger soon after they part when hunting Dracula) she sounds a bit uncertain. But on November 5 (since both today and yesterday's entries occurred on that day), perhaps as she feels his presence getting closer, she drops any self-doubt or logical justifying in favor of utmost certainty.

"Let us go to meet my husband who is, I know, coming towards us."

"It was late in the afternoon when the Professor and I took our way towards the east whence I knew Jonathan was coming."

"The two men might be Dr. Seward and Mr. Morris. I knew at all events that neither of them was Jonathan. At the same time I knew that Jonathan was not far off; looking around I saw on the north side of the coming party two other men, riding at break-neck speed. One of them I knew was Jonathan, and the other I took, of course, to be Lord Godalming."

Look at all that knowing! She's not admitting any possibility of doubt at all. It's her husband (who, yes Professor, is of course Jonathan) who she senses and she knows exactly where he's coming from and which one is him. Sure, I guess you could say that she knows he's coming because they're all coming according to the plan, and she could recognize her husband even at such a distance because she knows him so well. But that doesn't really explain her certainty that Jonathan is close even before she sees him, or her consistent focus on only mentioning Jonathan when everyone else is coming towards them too.

And while it's a little less certain, there's even a moment in the middle of the battle where she seems to know he is safe (unlike Quincey sadly):

I should have felt terrible fear at seeing Jonathan in such danger, but that the ardour of battle must have been upon me as well as the rest of them; I felt no fear, but only a wild, surging desire to do something.

She says this just before Jonathan's approach sends the men cowering before him. In my mind it fits well with her certainty that he's in no danger when traveling on the ship, even though as far as they know he might have caught up to Dracula on the river and been in trouble. (In fact, after she says that he has a restful sleep.) It doesn't feel like too far a leap to say that Mina is so tuned in to Jonathan here that she can tell nothing will be happening to him.

If we harken back to early Whitby entries, where Mina woke when Lucy was in danger and felt deep worry about Jonathan, I think it's a lot easier to read as just her being a light sleeper and knowing her friend/husband well enough to tell if someone's off about their behavior or letters. But there's also a possible reading that she has always been a little bit psychic. Maybe she's only really tapped into that power since her attacks, when she was actively trying to use mental powers against Dracula, but at least some of it can be seen as inherently her own, which she's learned to use/trust/strengthen over the course of the book.

(Also, about that last quote - here's a fun theory. Maybe Mina does "do something" here. Maybe she psychically aids Jonathan somehow, helps him bring out the full pissed-off-vampire vibes to stare people down till they literally cannot stand in his way. That could be kind of fun, regardless of whether you assume Jonathan already is supernatural enough himself to do so and she's just helping him make use of it, or if you think she's loaning him some vampyness. ...Actually, I feel like the wafer circle around her should stop her doing any such thing via vampiric methods, so then it would have to be Mina using her normal psychic powers to bring out the full force of Jonathan's Supernatural Weirdness stolen from Dracula in order to protect him. Dunno that I believe it really but it's a cool idea I think.)

#dracula daily #mina murray #jonathan harker #jonmina #replies #anonymous #maybe the psychic stuff depends on a strong bond with/love for the person she is sensing. which is why it comes out for lucy and jonathan

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immediatebreakfast · 6 months

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There is something to say about god, and Dracula. It's real, and it's watching, it's real but doesn't speak to you. It's real, and it leaves a unholy creature like Dracula run free in a land filled with religious will. It's real, and it punishes you for sinning even when those sins were not yours, because suffering is the way to win it's forgiveness.

Mina rempents, she rempents and suffers. She offers her suffering to god, and pleads for forgiveness to it. She weeps as she asks what she did wrong because the proof of suffering is rewarded with forgiveness. Jonathan denounced it for not fulliling it's holy promise of protection.

"They are racing for the sunset. We may be too late. God's will be done!"

Van Helsing calls this hunt God's will because he is a man of faith... Maybe this is why he wanted to go with Mina. A catholic dutch man who makes putty with the Holy eucharist host, but not once has doubted in the will of the holy light guiding him.

God's will may guide them, but it seems that the novel tells us that only thrusting god's will, and to only offer our bleeding heart is leading a lamb to the slaughter. God's will is suffering, and suffering Mina did, god deemed that his son would die to forgive our sins, and died he did. However... Mina is not a saint, Mina is human, completely human.

If Mina had accepted god's will she would have died, if Mina had been alone she would have collapsed on her own grief. If it wasn't for Jonathan, and everyone else she would have commited suicide as she asked god to forgive her sinning hand.

It was god's will that Mina was unjustly marked for the sin of being attacked, it was god's will to Let Jonathan wander the halls of castle Dracula while wondering what was real. God did not interfere with the deaths of Lucy, and Renfield. In Dracula, god exist and it acknowledges you, but it doesn't save you.

God may be the one to have the final word over Mina's fate, but Mina herself, and Jonathan, Van Helsing, Quincey, Arthur and Jack turned that fate around. They turned around the indifference, and fought until Mina was free again.

"Now God be thanked that all has not been in vain! See! the snow is not more stainless than her forehead! The curse has passed away"

The only being with the absolute power to override Dracula's poison dooming Mina to an immortal life of suffering. However, make no mistake, she and all of the others fought for the miracle of today.

It was not the will of god that saved Mina from a horrible end, or a confused unliving, it was pure human resilience. Quincey thanks god for letting Mina's mark dissapear when he was the one who plunged the knife to free her. Jonathan rests Quincey's head on his shoulder, and Mina holds his hand as he walks towards the sun to meet someone on the other side with dark golden ripples on her hair.

Guided by god to do what is right, but never helped by it.

Mina; all god fearing woman, walks now alive, human, and free because of her intellect, and the unshakable faith of the crew towards her salvation.

God may have condemned Mina to have a taste of hell, but now Mina knows that she doesn't need to imagine heaven because she can hold it, and touch him with her hands.

#What is a man to an undying monster #What is a monster to a god #What is a god to a woman who calls for forgiveness and a man who denounces it with fervor #What is god in Dracula? An omnipotent being that punishes and clears with judgement #What is a sacrifice in Dracula? A gentleman dying without regrets because he helped save a young lady when he couldn't save his love #What is Mina to this novel? Something holier than god #dracula daily #dracula #mina harker #mina murray #All of this is coming from someone who was raised in latinoamerican catholicism btw #cw catholicism #cw suicide mention

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see-arcane · 1 year

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I think the reason some people think they never met is because Mina says that when she found him in the hospital, she saw the quiet dignity in his eyes "that I've been telling you about" gone. As if she'd tell her lucy "wait until you meet him, you'll see what I mean, but then he got caught by the horrors.

Either way, it's also funny how Lucy tells Mina "if you weren't engaged, this well-off man of good birth would have been perfect for you, about Jack. Like you don't have to rub it in that Jonny is a clerk of no birth :p (I'm sure it wasn't intentional)

The trouble with all these correspondences being letters is the same problem some folks run into with texting--if you're not already aware of the other person's demeanor/likely context, you'll lose a lot of what goes unspoken and the actual intended meaning

With the 'quiet dignity' thing, I can kind of see both sides.

A) Jonathan and Lucy haven't met yet (unlikely at this stage in their mutual relationships with Mina, but still possible) or

B) This is the exact kind of gushing stuff you Do Not bring up in front of said fiancé who would probably turn red as a tomato if he was there to witness it. Despite him gladly listening to everyone swoon over how awesome Mina is. I see you, Mr. Hypocrite. It's the kind of thing that's usually reserved for talking about while the person-talked-about isn't in the room to get flustered. Jonathan would probably ruin the dignified description on purpose by trying to hide in his hat.

As to Lucy faux-matchmaking Mina and Jack, I can read that pretty easily as her own running bit picked up from what she's no doubt witnessed her friends go through, to say nothing of herself, when it comes to 'bUt ThInK oF tHe PrOsPeCtS!!1!' coming from every adult, friend, and stranger who's apparently flabbergasted at these three young people--GASP--wanting to marry for love? Like titles and money AREN'T the things you're supposed to worry about first?? W h a t???

So I imagine that bit in Lucy's letter was meant to be read in the tone of some pearl-clutching advice peddler (perhaps unconsciously in the tone of her own mother, but that's its own mess to address) trying to rid Mina of silly notions like romance and an established happy relationship that she and her beloved have been planning for since childhood which surely cannot compare to suddenly throwing herself at [INSERT WELL-OFF BACHELOR SHE'S NEVER MET BEFORE HERE] for the prospects~.

...And maybe, just maybe, it's an offshoot of Miss Lucy 'Polyamory sounds rad as hell actually' Westenra trying to subtly push her, "Wouldn't it be so funny if we were all in love and together en masse? Ha ha! Just kidding! (Unless 👀)" agenda into things.

Regardless, I can't picture a version of this story where Mina never bothered to introduce both her loves to each other. The rest we just have to extrapolate and imagine for ourselves

#Lucy is objectively one of the most buoyant characters in the book #so I can't picture her not having her own share of bits to inflict on Mina #it and the theatre are probably what Jonathan bond most over besides Loving Mina So So Much #lucy westenra #mina harker #jonathan harker #dracula #dracula daily

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gingerhastoomanyobsessions · 2 years

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so. based on this post of mine, which was based on this post and the addition by @animate-mush, I have been braining on a vampire!jonathan modern reincarnation au. au soup. and while I may not have the stamina to write it (and the million and one other ideas I have), i have been able to outline it.

angst and such below because I love to torment the blorbos <3

• vamp!jonathan tries to confine mina in the castle that he took over from the count. there are no vampire brides to terrorize her, no pack of wolves at her door, just jonathan, desperate and obsessive and so filled with a dark, twisted kind of love. “they took you from me once, they’re not taking you again.”

• she wants to leave. she has a life back in england and very little idea of who jonathan is at this point. all she knows is that his face is familiar in a way that should scare her.

• she escapes one night through a window. they’re eating dinner together (if you can call it “together” when it’s only her eating and him sipping from a glass of what looks like wine) when he again begins pouring out a torrent of affection towards her, asking her for the hundredth time if she remembers him. she says no, truthfully, and through tears tells him that if he loves her as he says, he would give her her freedom. “I too can love,” he says passionately, before freezing, his eyes going wide and staring somewhere else as he realizes who he sounds like. who he’s become. she takes this moment to flee. he doesn’t chase her. not yet. • but he knows where she’s going. • mina manages to stumble through the woods, using her ingenuity and sheer desperation to survive, until she finds her way into a train station. she ends up in a convent, cared for by the nuns, who write to lucy to say that mina has been crying in her sleep and calling out jonathan’s name. whether she’s screaming in protest or calling out forhim, they cannot say.

• lucy comes to care for her and bring her back home. on the way, the nightmares keep getting worse. mina keeps dreaming of a life she doesn’t remember living. soon, everyday glimpses of things, of people, make her stop and stare into space. she thinks she’s losing her mind. first vampires, now past lives?

• lucy takes her to whitby to recover. they tour the old abbey, the lighthouse, the graveyard. it’s at the graveyard that lucy stops, now. “I feel like I’ve been here before.”

• and mina knows. she knows what happened to lucy last time. when they wake to the news that a ship crashed into whitby harbor, mina and lucy know that now is the time to run.

• they return home. both of them are remembering more and more. lucy’s friends/boyfriends— an exchange student in college from Texas, an aspiring psychology student, and her boy-next-door childhood friend— get involved, worried sick about how lucy seems to be deteriorating. it looks like she’s having a crisis of nerves, according to seward.

• it looks so much like it, in fact, that when lucy starts to weaken, he dismisses it.

• mina knows what this is. she remembers glimpses. god, it’s her fault, and it’s happening all over again.

• seward insists that she seek professional help. he recommends a group run by his favorite professor— Van Helsing. • it’s there, also, that she meets renfield. he knows what’s coming. doesn’t know how.

• one person with a sense of impending doom is a case. two is a coincidence. two, along with a steadily weakening friend of one and a shared belief between them, is enough to make van helsing suspicious. he interviews them both, then lucy, then seward and the rest. the dots are connected.

• the entire gang is assembled. van helsing and mina share what they know. seward doesn’t believe it, obviously.

• not until they leave lucy out as live bait one night and wait, armed with crucifixes and garlic. they see jonathan come to her, put her into a gentle sleep, whisper to her that he always felt sorry for her and they wouldn’t get to her this time. he’d make sure of that. after all, his mina would need a friend.

• they leap out to drive him off. he flees. lucy is saved. now it’s known and believed by everyone. somehow, they’re part of a story that ended badly last time, and they have this one last chance to fix it.

• every time someone remembers something relevant to their pasts, they write it down. they compile diaries. just like last time. this time, no one is left out— not arthur, not quincey, not renfield, not lucy. mina compiles everything.

• the suitors hunt for jonathan’s boxes of earth. just like last time, they joke. beneath the joke, they’re unsettled. it’s reassuring to know that their friendship has stretched back a century. it’s less reassuring to know that they might not all make it out alive.

• this time, when renfield starts spending daytimes fending off episodes and not always succeeding, knowing that he’ll cave to an urge from outside himself, seward is one of the first to back him up when he asks to stay someplace away from the group. the two of them (safety in numbers) relocate, meeting up with the others in the daytime. last time it was his fault. this time, he changes his major. no use playing into a broken system twice.

• this does not mean that they are on good terms. both of them remember too much for that.

• on the last day of the box hunts, everyone goes. jonathan thinks he’d been clever to use carfax, to put the last of his earth boxes somewhere filled with bad memories for everyone, somewhere no one would want to go. in a way, he was clever, when he put different boxes in different rooms. the group splits up to search through the halls. mina and lucy find a few boxes in the crumbling old abbey.

• while lucy is busy taking care of them, mina sees a face in the shadows. she follows it.

• jonathan gets her alone. he tells her again how much he loves her, how they and all the rest can spend eternity together if she just agrees to be with him. and she remembers more of him, now. enough to know that the jonathan that she fell in love with was deathly afraid of losing her, would walk into hell for her, would lay down his life for her…but would not hurt her. not of his own volition. the jonathan she sees now is a sad echo of who he used to be, trapped as a creature that cannot help but lash out. perhaps looking into his eyes weakened her resolve, or perhaps she was too lost in the memories of who he used to be, but she kisses him out of pity.

• and his mouth is full of blood from his bitten tongue.

• she realizes what has happened the second the coppery taste is on her tongue. in his desperation, not-jonathan sought to bind her to him. she screams out.

• the group comes to her aid, they drive not-jonathan away, but it’s too late. her mind and his are linked. he uses it to tell her that he loves her, over and over again. she cries.

• everyone is there for her. everyone. they’ve all lived this far, they’re not backing down now. whatever happens, they’re going to make sure that she— and what remains of jonathan— find closure.

• they chase not-jonathan back to the castle in transylvania. when they travel, the suitors fall asleep with their heads on each other’s shoulders. arthur squeezes lucy’s hand when he finds her looking out the window biting back tears. van helsing makes sure everyone’s resting and eating, passing out water and buying blankets and making coffee. the others sometimes find lucy and renfield and mina talking to each other in hushed tones about what it’s like, being tied to a creature like that. quincey can’t shake the feeling that it’s all going to go wrong again.

• they reach the castle before jonathan does. they used planes whenever they could, he took only trains. they lie in wait, all of them armed with knives and guns.

• quincey shoots out the tires of the hearse that comes up the castle drive. arthur and seward block the front of the car while renfield drags the driver out of his seat and lucy and mina throw open the back hatch. van helsing opens the coffin.

• he’s not there.

• of course there was a decoy. he saw what happened last time. this kept the crew busy until sundown. as night falls, mist forms into a familiar figure.

• he asks all of them. not just mina. he begs them to join him, asks them to stop fighting. can’t we all be happy together, for once? lucy won’t have to choose. those who died last time won’t ever have to be afraid of it again. van helsing, we can be the family you wanted. aren’t any of you lonely? mina, isn’t ours the holiest love? isn’t it?

• and mina goes to him.

• she kisses him and holds him tight, burying her face in his chest. crying.

• she apologizes.

• and while his eyes are closed, a smile finally on his face, she stabs him in the back. right into the heart.

• he doesn’t have the chance to cry out. he doesn’t even realize it happened. he dies still smiling, but the smile softens as it becomes that of the jonathan she knew, who never wanted to hurt her or trick her or drag her into a life that would only cause her pain.

• “maybe we’ll get our happy ending next time.”

#SORRY FOR THE ANGST LOL I LOVE TO TORMENT THE BLORBOS #Dracula #Dracula daily #vamp!jonathan au #made it a post of its own because it’s been in my brain for too long for me to leave it to be lost in reblogs #Jonathan Harker #Mina Harker #the Harkers

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yallemagne · 9 months

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When Mina said "I wish he were here"

DON'T MAKE ME CRYYYYY

Mina always carries herself in such a way that she believes her emotions can't get the best of her, or at least, they shouldn't. She's a rational woman! She does not linger on her sadness, she does not divulge it to others!! She bottles it all up like a brave man would, I tell you!!

But her tone in that part of the entry, most specifically that line is that of a child crying out "it just isn't fair!" because it isn't! Jonathan should be home by now. And that is the extent of her exploration of her emotions, she permits herself one line, but all her anxiety and sadness are contained in that line.

Up rose Lenore as the red morn wore From weary visions starting; “Art faithless, Wilhelm, or, Wilhelm, art dead? 'Tis long since thy departing.”

LENORE POSTING IS BACK BABY.

And here and there and everywhere, Along the swarming ways, Went old man and boy, with the music of joy, On the gallant bands to gaze; And the young child shouted to spy the vaward, And trembling and blushing the bride pressed forward: But ah! for the sweet lips of Lenore The kiss and the greeting are vanished and o'er.

She's all alone on a cliff, she sees a band playing and a Salvation Army meeting taking place, and though they don't know the other is there, she sees them both, and as such, she is separate from them. She wishes she could see Jonathan, wherever he is, just to reassure herself that he's alive, that nothing awful's happened. But more than that, she wishes he were here with her, to see the sights, hear the sounds, to kiss in these moments alone.

From man to man all wildly she ran, With a swift and searching eye; But she felt alone in the mighty mass, As it crushed and crowded by: On hurried the troop, —a gladsome group,— And proudly the tall plumes wave and droop: She tore her hair and she turned her round, And madly she dashed her against the ground.

When she was surrounded by Lucy and the boisterous group of old men, she was still isolated, but she could never express that loneliness. When she remarks on Mr. Swales not pestering Lucy and instead giving her "double share" it isn't... bitterness per se. But it reflects how she feels the world is treating her right now. Things look bright for Lucy -- not so bright as they could be, but she will be well as soon as her fiancé visits. The same could be said for Mina, but she has no assurance that Jonathan is even alive. Short messages are customary coming from Mr. Holmwood, what with his affinity for sending telegrams, but coming from Jonathan? It's wrong. He's not even present in his letters home. Unlike Lenore, she is not fooled by the false Jonathan portrayed by his letters. If Death came masqueraded to sweep her away, she would not be hoodwinked.

“What pity to me does God impart? Woe, woe, woe! for my heavy heart!”

It just isn't fair that something awful would happen to them, now. They've done everything right! All their lives, they've never tried to make any waves, to cause a stir, to rock the boat-- they've been good, why would they be punished when all they've done is be good?!

There's no real answer and, unlike Lenore, she dare not ask the question. She can only wish he were with her.

#dracula #dracula daily #re: dracula #mina harker #mina murray #update #people ask me things #lenore posting #ballad of lenore #jonmina

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