Adaptation - oldblackmoth - Hotel Transylvania (Movies) [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

It was the fourth night since Ericka's arrival at the hotel for permanent residence. And just yesterday, she experienced one of the most overwhelming and emotional moments with her zing, when he surprised her with a marriage proposal. Everything turned upside down so quickly that Ericka couldn't just go with the flow. But there was no way in the world she would agree to go back. With love in it, life made a lot more sense. She left her great-grandfather, the ship, and the captain's job without hesitation, ending the past and changing the future. These days, her feelings were like she was standing on the threshold of a new life, not yet ready to plunge into it.

In fact, the Legacy, as Dracula put it, was really like the hotel, but on the water. Ericka felt the full extent of this 'but' when she started walking on land. It wasn't as difficult to get used to it. The woman was more worried about the new society she found herself in. After all, they were monsters. And she wasn't just some human.

Ericka woke up in her room after sunset, when the moon was shining in a cloudless sky. She sat up in bed and rubbed her face, a little annoyed that she woke up later than desired. Hotel Transylvania was lively only at night, but she hadn't yet lost the habit of watching sunrises and sunsets, as on the ship.

Swinging her legs off the bed, she listened. Surprisingly, the hotel room had good sound insulation, and no noises disturbed her. But even if that wasn't the case, Ericka couldn't complain. Dracula assigned her this room on the 13th floor as soon as he could after their return. The floor where he and his family lived, as well as his friends, when they came to stay. So Ericka settled into a junior suite with two rooms and a small kitchen, which the Count considered the most comfortable for her, since she was still not very familiar with the huge hotel. Drac was ready to wait patiently as long as it took to suggest her moving to his chambers. He understood what Ericka was going through. Once, he also had to get used to the fact that humans began to visit his hotel.

After changing into a white outfit of a short jacket and flared trousers and ballet flats, she cooked herself a light breakfast of fruit and cottage cheese casserole and immediately sat down to eat at the table alone. Ericka would like her vampire to keep her company, but he informed everyone yesterday that he would leave the hotel for a business meeting and would return only closer to dawn. Drac continued to run the hotel and over time, as the popularity of this place grew, he also had more concerns about improvement. Ericka assured him that he could go with a clear conscience and not worry about her leisure time. It was perfectly normal that they had already had to part for a short time.

She put the last piece of apple in her mouth and thought about what to do. It would be worth taking a little walk around the hotel on her own and looking at a bunch of places she hadn't visited yet the first night when Drac gave her a quick tour. To begin with, she would like to take a look around on the ground floor. Perhaps she could meet some of Dracula's friends or family there.

Light, taking only her phone with her, Ericka slipped out of the room, locking the door. The shrunken heads on the door handles instead of the usual 'Do not disturb' boards still alarmed her, but this time they didn't make any comments, which was quite strange. Nevertheless, Ericka preferred not to wonder why and paced a few steps down the corridor to get and call the elevator. It was the only way for her to move between floors and not get lost so far.

The arrow reached the number one, and the elevator doors opened in the hotel lobby. Ericka took a step forward into the crowded space, brightly lit and bubbling with voices. Many of the guests settled down in sofas and armchairs placed everywhere, some stood in the formed little groups and talked among themselves. Some of them chose to leave the lobby to go somewhere or just stay in the warm fresh air. The guards, knight armors with spears, stood motionless at their posts, and the zombie porters tried their best to fit an impressive number of suitcases on a cart to take them to their owners' rooms. Ericka couldn't help but chuckle a little as she watched them work. While she was still standing there, two cleaning witches flew in the hall on brooms and started mopping the floor. For her, it was all an unusual and fascinating sight. All the staff at the hotel created a special atmosphere with their presence alone, and like many humans here, Ericka felt like it was a dream.

She still felt very awkward, as if she was out of place. She couldn't be sure that someone of the monsters wouldn't start a conversation with her about the sensitive topic of her past. There could be those who went on a cruise and witnessed all the events, especially the destruction at the dance party. However, she needn't have worried, at least no one openly stared at her with disapproval. Ericka's anxiously wandering gaze finally stopped at the reception desk.

Mavis, free from handing out keys and registering guests, stood at the reception and sipped from a cup of coffee, looking at those present out of boredom. The woman in white next to the elevator wasn't difficult to spot first, and Mavis raised an eyebrow in surprise. Did Ericka really leave her suite? To tell the truth, neither Mavis nor her husband had seen Dracula's new love for a little over a day, and the last time seen she was with the Count in the hotel restaurant. And now Ericka was undoubtedly heading in her direction. The young vampire put down her coffee and leaned her hand on the desk, looking questioningly at Ericka as she approached.

"Hi, Mavis," she greeted first, nervously pulling down her sleeves and smiling. "Am I interrupting you?"

"Hey, no, it's okay," Mavis replied and immediately bent down to get a box of old papers from below. "Any problems up there in your room?"

"What?" Ericka didn't hear the question at first and started up. "Oh, no, no, it's fine! W-why are you asking?"

"It's just being polite to all our guests," Mavis shrugged her shoulders in disbelief. Ericka's behavior concerned her. "But the point is, you hardly leave your room, and I thought maybe something was... wrong."

Ericka shrinked and clenched her fingers tightly into the lock. Her excessive worry made her feel stupid. The background noise seemed to die out in her ears, but at the same time it began to seem to her that all eyes were turning to her. Mavis treated this situation with more restraint and, to distract herself, flew up, checking the keys to the vacant rooms hanging on the board. The conversation wasn't going well, so the vampire girl didn't waste time.

"Uh, Mavis?" Ericka overcame herself and cleared her throat. "I really haven't been outside the room alone much since I arrived... This is not quite right and even rude. But I have to apologize for this whole cruise. I'm ashamed that I took part in this. And your vacation was ruined through my fault. I'm eternally grateful that meeting your father and the rest of the monsters finally opened my eyes."

"You shouldn't blame yourself so much," Mavis landed gracefully on the floor and shook her head. "You helped us, Ericka, and you protected my dad. It deserves respect, even if it doesn't make you innocent. I also have to apologize for... the violence when I caught you and my father in Atlantis." She gritted her teeth, rubbing her hand as she recalled that moment.

"Well, it was definitely an unfamiliar feeling for me," Ericka joked awkwardly, not wanting to offend Mavis with her words. "But moving on from that... I would like to ask for advice, since you are one of those who knows the hotel like the back of their hand. What can I visit here?"

Dracula's daughter looked at the ceiling for a second, thinking. "You know, I have an idea," Mavis took out her phone and apparently typed a short message there. "Johnny is free now, and he can accompany you for the rest of the night, if you like. He's coming down now."

"Oh, I guess it's great, thanks!" The woman nodded gratefully, feeling relieved. She saw Johnny as a sociable and positive guy who could be a good friend to her. Before that, Ericka had no friends, but the changes in her life provided her with many opportunities, including meeting other people. Moreover, Jonathan, like her, first came to this hotel as a human being, and he was eventually accepted here as one of monsters. Ericka's story was much more complicated, but still she had a feeling that she would find the most understanding in a vampire who had recently been human.

Johnny didn't keep the two ladies waiting long and after a minute rushed downstairs, darting between the guests passing on the stairs. His colorful outfit attracted attention, as well as his red hair, which had become more pouffy over the past year. At the top of the stairs, he smiled broadly and greeted Mavis and Ericka with a wave of his hand. When he got down to them, he wrapped his wife in his arms and kissed her on the cheek. Something was definitely the reason for his good mood, although it seemed to Ericka that he had always been like this.

"Hey! Mavey said you need a guide around the hotel," he bounced up to Ericka. "We can start now!" His energetic and friendly brown eyes were implying that he was happy to offer his help and communicate. This was not surprising, since this guy had every reason to enjoy life.

"Okay, that sounds good," Ericka agreed with a smile. There were about four hours left until Dracula's expected return, so now she had something intriguing to do during this period.

"Okay, see you, Johnnystein! Let me know if you need help, Ericka," Mavis said goodbye as Jonathan was leaving into one of the corridors, taking the woman with him. As soon as they were out of sight, she sat down on a chair to rest while she studied the occupancy of the rooms on the hotel's website and waited for several guests who were about to check out. Sometimes it was exhausting, but Mavis did not complain and willingly helped her father with the hotel while she still wasn't at a university or didn't have a job. Her family knew about her desire to choose her path and hobby that would bring income, and supported her in thinking about the future.

"I see she's still uncomfortable here..."

Mavis raised her head at the voice next to her. On the other side of the reception, Vlad was standing in a relaxed pose and licking a red lollipop. His calm and gentle gaze was directed at the corridor in which Ericka disappeared recently. "Grandpa?"

"Don't be surprised at me, I just noticed that Ericka is somewhat shy of everyone except your dad, and that's okay with her guilt. Doesn't she seem weird to you?" Vlad turned to her, taking the lollipop out of his mouth.

"Um..." Mavis was confused to answer. "All humans are weird, aren't they? And Ericka, she's, well... a Van Helsing. Perhaps she still doesn't believe she's been accepted, even after she apologized to everyone who was on the cruise back then."

"If everyone continues to be kind to her, I'm sure she'll get used pretty soon," he nonchalantly tapped his fingers on the wood, talking at ease. "Mavis, I understand why you're wary about Ericka, but actually, whoever she is, you shouldn't expect betrayal. She's changed since that night, and I'm proud that it was your father who changed her."

"What about you?" The girl stood up and leaned her hands on the desk. "Do you think Ericka will definitely be able to make Dad happy again?"

"It's not for us to decide, but for him," Vlad sighed a little wistfully. "Kid, your mom was my first real friend in many years, and I can't tell if Ericka will become one. But she already means a lot to Dracula, and we should respect that. After Johnny, it's hard to surprise me with humans anymore, hehe..."

Mavis understandingly supported his grin, remembering the times when the hotel and its inhabitants first encountered a human within these walls. Indeed, Ericka's show up was more troublesome, but when have they not dealt with it yet?

Accepting Johnny's suggest to sit by the outdoor pool for a while, Ericka settled down on a chaise longue, tucking her knees to her chest and looking at everything around her in amazement. The eerily green water splashed peacefully, occasionally exploding into a powerful fountain upwards when someone jumped into the pool. Along the edges of the top of the tower on which the zone was located, garlands of shimmering white light stretched, spherical colored paper lanterns attached to them. Tables were also set up here as part of the dining area, and guests approached the buffet, picking up a variety of cold dishes and snacks. From there, the red-haired guy just returned to Ericka, carrying a tray of food for the two of them.

"This place is striking, Johnny," she expressed as he presented her with a glass of fizzling azure liquid and set the tray on a small table. "Now I understand why guests like to spend time outside their rooms."

"Oh yeah," Johnny was chilling on the pool's side, having rolled up his pants and swinging his legs on the surface of the water. "Live music is played here three nights a week, and now we invite other musicians besides our bands. Eh, it's a pity that tonight is not the night."

"I suppose not all the secrets of this hotel are accessible to ordinary humans, right?" Ericka sipped her lemonade, looking away at the dark blue outlines of the mountains surrounding the castle looming in the darkness.

"Of course!" Jonathan tilted his head back with a happy and mysterious face. "Drac prefers not to reveal all the magical tricks, such as where the stones that open the passages in the walls are located or how tourists are brought to the hotel through the forest territory. Rather, people certainly know that there is the underground tunnel, but they don't understand how exactly this is the only way from one part of the forest to another."

"Yes, I remember how we drove into the tunnel in a hearse..." She thoughtfully recalled her first trip to Hotel Transylvania. The car was then mercilessly shaking on potholes, and she almost got bruises, but Dracula's family treated this at least casually and even cheerfully. "But how did you find the hotel? After all, you literally refuted the statement that no human would have gotten in here!" Ericka laughed, covering her mouth.

"It was definitely fate, no other way," Johnny shrugged with a nostalgic grin. "And also my recklessness, I think. Would you follow a crowd of burning zombies into some unknown dark passage without hesitation?"

Ericka was stumped by this question. "Uh, probably not. Considering what I've been taught all my life, I'd be wary of doing that..."

Johnny listened to her answer and stiffly stared at the sky. It was hard for him to imagine how Ericka had lived so many years in strict discipline, spending time training and studying and being unfamiliar with the simple joys of life. And besides, she had very little contact with the world, which explained her social awkwardness now that she didn't have to pretend to be friendly and benevolent for the sake of some insidious plan.

Ericka drooped and continued to speak in a lower voice, thanks to his vamp hearing, Johnny perfectly distinguished her words. "I started to realize something. To the monsters, the Van Helsings obviously looked like psychos obsessed with extermination... There were other hunters besides our bloodline, but they didn't make as much of a fuss about themselves. And to humans, we must have been just weirdos. A monster hunter in the 21st century is ridiculous. That's why I couldn't communicate properly with anyone. I... wasn't used to it."

Meanwhile, there were more guests at the pool. Monsters and people settled down at will both in stone grave-like recesses and on ordinary deck chairs, drinking co*cktails and relaxing. Their hearts were clean and light, and Ericka still couldn't say that about herself. But on the other side of the pool, she looked up sadly and noticed two familiar werewolves, Wayne and Wanda. The couple was busy with their rare break from their many children and didn't plan to approach Ericka and Johnny, but both politely waved at them. This little thing cheered Ericka up a little, and she sat down in a more open position, putting her feet on the floor.

"Ericka, are you okay?" Johnny stood up and put a worried hand on her shoulder.

"Yes, it's fine..." She patted the guy's hand in response with a slightly strained smile and finished her drink with bitter despair on her face. "I just want to have so much fun like all of you and forget about who I was supposed to be. You're lucky to be born into an ordinary human family, Johnny, and to get into the vampire one where you belong."

Johnny's eyes sparkled cheerfully, giving her a strong hope. "You'll feel it soon, too. We are destined to be here!"

Ten minutes later, they were already in the pool itself, having changed for a swim. The water felt cool, as expected from the night time, but that didn't stop them, and also the Drac's Pack who joined, from playing ball, almost as it was on the cruise. This time, Ericka was here as a full-fledged player, and she was doing pretty well. Looseness came to her, and the woman could finally let herself to laugh heartily every time the ball hit the water with force. However, the energy of the hardier monsters eventually tired her out, and she thanked the members of the two teams for playing, returning inside with Johnny.

"We haven't seen a lot of things here..." he sighed in disappointment. "But you'll still have time to check out the library, the spa, the gym and even the kitchen, where ordinary guests are not allowed to go!"

"Thanks, Johnny," Ericka giggled, "but I'd rather explore new places at a more slow pace."

"No problem," Jonathan replied, leading her to her room and saying goodbye with a friendly firm handshake. "We are always ready to offer a helping hand."

That night, Ericka had no doubt that she had received an initial charge of positivity and faith in the best. The time spent in good company left her with a delightful aftertaste. In second person, after Vlad, she found a reliable guide to the mysterious and hospitable world of humans and monsters existing on an equal footing.