I just noticed that my last story tipped me over the 500k mark on AO3. I didn’t quite make it before my anniversary so in One Year and 8 Days I reached half a million words of Rumbelle/Anyelle fic. Another milestone unlocked!
Tag Archives: Sam talks Writing
Bright!Belle, have you and Gold made love yet? If you have, what was it like?
Well the mission was over within a week. We shipped out and debriefed, there were no imminent disaster so we then got some time off for a change! A little bit of downtime before we had to start prepping for the next assignment. We went out for mid-morning coffee, which bled into lunch, which turned into spending the afternoon together strolling around the park and just remembering how good the world can be.
We then had dinner and Alistair walked me home. I kissed him and he went to leave, saying he should get home to bed. I said we definitely should get to bed and kissed him again. His expression was wonderful, it was clear he had no expectations of anything and I liked that, I don’t know why but I guess I felt respected, like he wasn’t pushing for more than I was ready to give. I know I was ready to sleep with him anyway but I still appreciated it.
The sweet man started to stammer that he didn’t expect anything and I kissed him again. No regrets, that’s how I live my life. We never know what will be our final mission and I deeply care for Alistair. It’s not love yet, it can’t be because we don’t know each other well enough, but we won’t know one another if we don’t take a chance. He kissed me then, so gently and lovingly, it was perfect.
What happened next is private but it was … incredible.
Bright Lights Gold and Belle: Have either of you ever been out and about and been “recognized” by someone you’ve encountered on a mission?
Gold: This is why we don’t work where we live. Besides it’s about situations. We are unlikely to run into a high-roller arms dealer, or his associates, in the grocery store of our home town. If we went to a large party for the elite in a big city, then the odds would increase.
Belle: *pokes him* tell them *grins*
Gold: *sighs* there was one occasion. We do tend to work in the same areas because we develop contacts, we are familiar with the terrain. I was once meeting the representative of a human trafficker in a hotel bar, and I was approached by a young woman from a previous mission.
Belle: Go on, what happened?
Gold: She’d been a hotel maid, I’d … charmed her on the previous mission. Obviously I was using a different cover identity and I couldn’t have her calling out my previous fake name. So I … I …
Belle: Yes?
Gold: I kissed her alright. I then guided her out of the bar, spun some story and said I would see her later, and then later I thought of a good cover and it was dealt with. You know you don’t have to find this quite so amusing. I’m sure it’ll happen to you one day.
Belle: *kisses him* I’m sorry I can just picture how flustered you were under all your training. It’s adorable.
Gold: *pouts* It’s not adorable, it was serious. *she kisses him again* I suppose if it wasn’t for my training I would have looked like a deer in the headlights. You know I only have eyes for you?
Belle: *rolls her eyes* of course! That doesn’t even need to be said. We just do what we have to in order to complete the mission and get home safely. You’re the one I’m coming home to.
Gold: *smiles at her* and you are the only I want to come home to *kisses her again* *waves the questioner away – busy now*
Bright!Gold, what was going through your mind when Belle was dancing for you? Were you scared when you began to react to her?
I think my brain went on vacation the moment I was told the location and circumstances of the meet. When Belle started to dance … saying I was in awe doesn’t really cover it. If it hadn’t been for my training the entire meeting would have been ruined but thankfully I managed to concentrate enough to trade the required information.
When I felt myself react I tried to draw on that same training, picturing horrible sights to try and drown out the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. It didn’t work because beauty is only skin deep. Just knowing it was Belle, that was what was too much. I was more ashamed than scared but I do have a reputation. If Belle made a report about unwanted advances, being called a ‘dirty old man’ would have been the least of my problems. I don’t have many friends among our employers, though I do have some reports of my own saved for a rainy day.
Fortunately such measures aren’t necessary. I’m more stunned than ever at Belle’s reaction. I would never have guessed she harbored any feelings for me at all. I’m counting down the days until this mission is over. I will understand of course if it was a mistake made due to the intensity of the location, and our positions, but I hope it was real. Perhaps we’ll start with going out for coffee and see where it goes from there.
I think I’m going to give up posting monthly status updates for a while because it’s just embarrassing. I’m posting next to nothing. It was different when I had a dozen different fics on the list but one? two? *hides in box of shame*
Writing is hard, I’ve completely lost all my confidence. Every word just feels wrong and I stare at fics and everything just seems rubbish. I really feel like I’ve forgotten how to word. This is why my WIP’s are so horribly neglected. Nobody think for one instant that they are forgotten, they are always on my mind, taunting me with their unwritten state. Honestly the guilt is killing me. It’s just WIP’s are sometimes harder to write, especially a story like PLL because I care about it and I want to do it justice. I’ve put a lot of effort in and I don’t want to screw it up with some badly written chapters.
So yeah that’s basically this months update. Writing is hard guys.
39. What is you greatest strength as a writer?
I’ve already answered this one – here 🙂
Basically I’m never at a loss for an idea, though I think as all writers know that can be a bit of a curse in of itself heh.
TMI Tuesday — words in WIPs. Fan, rain, book, alarm.
Nothing for alarm or rain sorry 🙁 my unposted stuff is a bit thin on the ground at the moment.
Untitled GoldenLace Bonnie and Clyde
“Names Lacey,” Lacey drawled. She smirked. “I suppose you could say, I’m a fan of your work.”
“Not interested,” Gold said crisply, getting to his feet and striding towards the door, his cane tapping softly on the sticky bar floor.
Upcoming WIP – Nightwalkers
They stepped back from the door, allowing David, Belle and Archie inside. Mitchell Herman turned right into the well-appointed living room. Belle took it in at a glance,
the wood floor, the cream couch and the paintings on the walls. There wasn’t a single family photo in the room. Hardcover books and delicate expensive trinkets lined the shelves. This wasn’t a family home, this was Mitchell Herman’s domain.
“What do you do Mr. Herman?” Belle asked casually, moving closer to the shelves to peer at the books. They were dry legal texts, all for reference, there wasn’t a single fiction book to be seen.
Dream!Belle, I know you’d never want to, but if the only way to save Avonlea had been to kill Maleficent, would you have done it? And do you think you’d have been able to meet and fall in love with Rumple? (Do you think he’d be able to love you after something like that? Not that he wouldn’t, but would you believe you were worthy of that love?)
*sigh* I think if my gambit for peace had failed then I would be dead, not Maleficent. If I had been going to kill her, then I should have done it when she was weak from the fairy dust. I couldn’t kill her without trying to strike a peaceful resolution first, and I really couldn’t kill her when she was helpless. I know that’s very foolish, and that it gave Maleficent a chance to attack me first, but it just would have felt too much like murder.
That isn’t what you asked. The problem is I can’t see that I would ever have gone to see Maleficent with murder in mind. However, leaving aside how such a circumstance would arise, assuming that I had Maleficent at sword point, and the only way to secure Avonlea’s safety was her death, could I kill her? Yes, for Avonlea I would. The life of one villain, who sealed their own fate by murdering countless innocents, in exchange for the safety of everyone in my kingdom? That’s not even a question. Why should the innocent suffer so one person, and a murderer at that, can live?
If it had come to that, well there’s a saying – “Just because you’ve done right, doesn’t mean you have to feel right.” and killing someone should never be easy. If there had been no sleeping curse, do I think I could have met and fallen in love with Rumple? I don’t know how exactly, but I like to think that true love would eventually find a way, and that our paths would have crossed.
I realize this is just a thought experiment because it didn’t happen, and I can’t see how it would have done, but one thing I know for sure is that if it had, then Rumple wouldn’t have thought any less of me. He would have definitely still loved me because I would still be me. What we have to do doesn’t change who we are. Would I believe I was worthy of his love? I have no doubt that I would have felt horrible at having had to take a life, but life is messy and real.
Rumple has done things he’s not proud of, we’re both human. Besides you can’t be worthy of love. Love isn’t about deserving, love just is, no matter how flawed people are or how many mistakes they make.
What do you think would have happened if Dream!Belle had managed to kiss Rumple while she was still asleep?
Good question!
To be honest borrowing from 6.01 I imagine it wouldn’t wake her in the real world, but Belle would have woken under the curse. She would still be trapped in the dream world but she would be aware that’s where she was. Basically the true loves kiss would do half the job – wake her mind but not her body.
If this scenario had happened, once Rumple got past the initial NOT POSSIBLE shock. He would leave the dream world and kiss Belle awake completely. So the story would have played out much the same, except Rumple and Belle would have had a chance to talk before the confrontation with Maleficent and Belle’s loved ones.
Dream Come True Belle: How do you like your new home? How is married life treating you?
Well *smiles* the ‘dark’ castle isn’t so dark anymore. Although I think I can see why Rumple kept them closed, the light streaming in really highlights the dust. There was one minor mishap, I got impatient, I’m not very good at waiting for others to do things. Rumple said he would take them down down with magic but … well, I fell off the ladder.
Rumple caught me, he always catches me when I fall. Do you know what I love the most though? He didn’t scream about my foolishness, he just rolled his eyes and grumbled that I should be more careful. I knew I’d scared him – I’d scared me as well – but he didn’t try and forbid me from doing such things in future. He always respects me *happy sigh* I really love him.
We’ve been getting out of the castle regularly, Rumple has been taking me all sorts of places. I never thought I would actually get to see the world, it’s a dream come true. I’ve even managed to make some friends. Rumple grouses that I can do better than a werewolf but I know he doesn’t really mean it. Besides, at least Ruby doesn’t look at Rumple like he’s a monster, she knows all too well what that feels like.