#of course he lacked the confidence/knowledge to do that. but if he'd met the harkers earlier maybe he would have felt emboldened to do so.. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

vickyvicarious · 1 year

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Maybe Van Helsing should have revealed the truth to Jack the way Mina revealed the truth to Jonathan: make him supper first. She also probably didn't thrust the telegram into his face.

I respect this, and I certainly agree that a more gradual method of revealing the truth to Jack would have been better. However I also don't think that (a) van Helsing is capable of smoothly turning the post-dinner conversation to "so you know the woman you love who died very recently, I think she's a creature of the night", or (b) Jack would have taken it any better if it were delicately brought up after a nice meal.

The man was so miserable and is repeatedly so envious of others being comforted, I kind of feel like he would interpret the whole meal/gentle introduction of the topic of Lucy as an effort from someone to take care of him and just break down. Van Helsing gets as far as a soft "It's been a few days since the funeral of Miss Lucy," and Jack, who has a glass of alcohol in hand, a belly full of good food, has been enjoying someone seeking out his company after he has been isolating himself miserably in work, who feels like he doesn't have a right to ask for comfort for multiple reasons but who is very frayed at always trying to be the one to offer it and wants it so badly for himself - Jack starts crying hard.

#dracula daily #van helsing #jack seward #i understand his reasoning for not doing so but i still think van helsing's smoothest introduction would have been when she was still alive #if he presented it more gradually as 'something attacking her in the night' maybe brought up bats. kept them on guard.#then led up to his suspicions of a supernatural being - and emphasized that even if his suspicions are wrong he isn't prescribing anything #that could possibly harm her. just garlic flowers and supervised rest. i think jack would be very reluctant but go along and only resolve t #watch him closely as in canon. and vh could even invite him to do so.#as long as it is framed as 'this is to save lucy' it's all an easier sell to act on than 'lucy is a monster' ever would be when they're all #grieving her.#of course he lacked the confidence/knowledge to do that. but if he'd met the harkers earlier maybe he would have felt emboldened to do so..#maybe things could have changed... or at least been a smoother/less traumatizing shock #(i don't think he'd tell anything more than the suspicion of something getting her in the night to anyone but jack. but that might still be #enough for art to tell quincey and quincey to go vampire bats? as in canon and for them all to be watching the windows/not leaving her)#anonymous #replies

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