"Close your eyes."
Dracula raised an eyebrow at Quinston. "Why do I have to close my eyes?"
"Because we don't want you peeking!" he explained.
Drac shrugged. "Well, alright."
The vampire was seated at the hotel's bar and lounge area, Quinston, his aides, Mavis, Johnny, and the Drac pack around them. There were other humans and monsters there, too, but they were all backed a good distance away, still unsure of the Count's state and awaiting to see if the proposed solution would work.
Drac did his best keeping his eyes shut, but he couldn't help but take a peek.
Frank noticed. "Ah, ah, ah, Drac. He said to keep 'em closed!"
"Yeah, Dad, you don't want to spoil what we have in store," Mavis agreed. She placed her hands over his eyes for good measure and he groaned. Mavis giggled. "Don't worry, Dad, it won't be long now!"
Drac sat and listened as glasses were clinked, a liquid shaking noise following, and then the plinking of what sounded like stirring. Something was placed on the counter, Quinston saying, "Voila! You can open up now, Mr. Count Dracula!"
Mavis released her hands from over his eyes and Drac was met with the sight of a drinking glass filled with a frothy red beverage, a blood orange slice jutting out from the rim. The smell coming off of it was heavenly.
He leaned forward and grabbed it between his fingers, giving it a closer look. "What is this?" he asked.
"It's a cocktail!" Johnny piped up, extending out his now bandaged arm toward the drink excitedly. "Mavis and I kinda noticed that all you had at the bar were spirits..." He trailed off, seeing the actual bartender Spirits lift up the liquor when he mentioned them. Then Johnny continued. "But we kinda figured maybe let's mix up a few things and see if you might like the taste better than drinking... you know…" He tittered nervously, still a little shaken by Drac coming after his blood in the animalistic way that he had.
Dracula nodded his head in understanding, feeling a little sheepish and guilty for almost losing control. "Yes. This is different. Don't think I really saw anything like this around in the 19th century..." He paused and sniffed at the concoction again, his mouth watering. "It does smell pretty good," he murmured.
"I call it 'Dracula's Delight'!" Quinston spoke up. His aides cleared their throats and he quickly corrected himself. "I mean,Harper and Levoncall it 'Dracula's Delight.' Kind of like a drink humans call a 'Bloody Mary' but with Blood Beater also mixed into it. It hasmuchless fat than human blood and can be made either alcoholic or non-alcoholic as well as hot or iced. You've been treating us to this lovely monster hotel, and we feel it's about time to treatyouto something that's human-y! Hopefully it will live up to the name it was given, but there's only one way to find out!" He gave Drac an expectant look and the vampire began to bring the rim of his glass up to his lips.
He drank slowly, swirling the flavor in his mouth as everyone glanced at him in anticipation.
"Sooo?" Wayne prompted.
"How's it tasting?" Murray questioned.
"Pretty good, right?" Griffin asked, nudging the Count's side.
As soon as he'd taken the first sip, Dracula felt as though he had stepped into paradise. It was warm, smooth, and tasted evenbetterthan what he remembered human blood to be. He downed the glass in two more great swigs, smacking his lips and giving an "ahhh" of satisfaction.
"Wow," he breathed with a smile. "That was delicious!"
They cheered at the bar, and the other humans and monsters who had been watching the display erupted in an applause and approached the group.
Johnny slung an arm around Drac, no longer afraid, and raised up a glass. "I propose a toast to Dracula!" he called out. "To Dracula, for being an awesome Dad, an awesome hotel manager, and overall just an awesome vampire!"
The crowd roared their approval, raising their own glasses high into the air and calling Drac's name. The Count grinned proudly, basking in the praise.
Next to him, Mavis sighed. "It's too bad the Monster Festival ends in just a few days. It was kind of fun having all those people around."
Dracula nodded. "Yes, I know, honeybat..." Then he grinned slyly. "... Which is why I'm going to open up the hotel to ALL humans!"
Mavis whipped her head up and gasped out delightfully. "WHAT?!" she cried, and Dracula nodded his assent.
"You heard me, love droppings! Perhaps I misjudged the humans. They really aren't as bad as I thought they were. They can come from all over the world to visit our hotel. They'll stay until they have to leave... or if they get scared to death."
"Daaad..." She lightly punched his shoulder and he laughed.
"I'm kidding, love!" He scooped her up in a hug which she returned gratefully.
"But really, we're gonna have a lot of work ahead if we want to accommodate this place for humans," Drac mused aloud. "Who else here would know about human activities in a hotel?"
A tap on his shoulder from behind him made Drac turn around, coming face to face with Quinston. "You're looking at him!" the man said jovially. "My hotels are not top tier in the human world for nothing. I could help your crew make the additions in only a month's time!"
Dracula raised his brows. "Really?"
"Really, really," Quinston replied with a nod. He extended a hand out to Dracula for a business shake, which the Count took firmly.
"Let's start by adding a whole menu of these drinks you call 'cocktails,'" Dracula suggested. "I think the monsters here might enjoy whatever combinations we can whip up."
Mavis in the meantime gushed to Johnny. "Can you believe it? Dad is going to open the hotel up for all humans!" She squealed in delight.
"Yeah! This is SUPER exciting!" the redhead agreed. "Plus he's about to start a whole new diet!" Then Johnny paused, and thought about something. "Hey, Mavis… how comeyoudidn't go all full-vampire like your Dad? You know, wanting to 'sucka my blood, bleh-bleh-bleh!'?"
Dracula interrupted his conversation with Quinston for a brief second to say "I don't say bleh-bleh-bleh!" before turning away again.
Mavis giggled. "I think it might be because I never even got a taste of human blood to begin with. Blood Beaters was what I was raised on my whole life."
"Ahhh, makes sense," Johnny nodded. Then his face lit up again at the thought of the new human-friendly hotel. "I'm so hyped… I don't even know what I'm gonna do while we're waiting for the grand re-opening!"
Mavis grinned. "I wasn't quite sure at first either, buuuut… I think I kind of have an idea now. But only if you're up for it."
She brought out her mother's present again, opening it to the last page in the book. A page that contained a depiction of a certain sandy-shored paradise with palm trees and volcanic mountains that were surrounded by serene blue waters.
"Ohhhh," Johnny breathed in understanding. He could already picture them there, holding hands and strolling along under the light of the full moon in a romantic date. "I'd love to... but do you think your Dad will be okay with it?
He turned to look at Drac, the vampire having listened in on their talk. He nodded. "It's okay. You guys can go ahead and do what you would like to. It's time for you to make a new chapter for yourself, Mavy."
"Thank you, Dad!" Mavis chirped before launching herself at Dracula in another hug, this time with Johnny joining in for it. The vampire's heart swelled with more happiness than he had felt in a while. He grinned, releasing his daughter and her zing and seeing them reveal their Hawaiian vacation plans to Johnny's family. He sighed, musing that perhapshecould take after his daughter's example and take a vacation to see how the world was for himself. He felt great relief at knowing that his baby was happy, that his friends and guests were safe around humans, and that the humans were safe from his own predatory instincts.
The future for Hotel Transylvania was going to be brighter than he ever dared to imagine before.
THE END