Heh it’s entirely possible I might do both. I’m having fun with these 🙂
——–
It was the event of the year. Invitations were more sought after than the holy grail, despite the countless movies that had made it a quest. It was like the ‘gold’ standard. If you received an invitation to Gold Consolidated’s New Year’s Eve party, you were someone. If you were one of the very few entrusted with a coveted +1 ticket, then you were suddenly the most popular person in town as everybody wanted you to escort them.
Belle French had been hearing rumors about the party for years. Her boss Cora Mills went every year, and she had a ticket allowing her to bring a +1, and didn’t everybody know it. Cora usually took her daughter Regina, but Regina had cancelled this year on account of being unwell. Belle happened to know that wasn’t true, and Regina had other more personal plans, but Cora would never have accepted her daughter putting her love life ahead of the potential business networking that could be done at the party.
Cora couldn’t bear to waste her +1 ticket, lest people believe she hadn’t received one this year, and it was too last minute to get anybody else. Belle had been stunned to get the call to dress in her nicest clothes and meet Cora’s car, to accompany her boss to the party. It was the opportunity of a lifetime, and rather guiltily Belle hoped that she might get a new job out of it. She didn’t like working for Cora Mills but she didn’t see the point in quitting until she had a better offer.
“Don’t embarrass me,” Cora snapped, just before the exited the town car.
“I’ll behave,” Belle promised dryly, earning herself a vicious glare before Cora pasted on a smile for the other party attendees.
Thank you for the prompt fill! Totally different than anything I might have guessed you would do, and that’s what makes these flash prompts so fun.
You have me curious now as to what you guessed I might do. The other possibility that popped into my head was mistaken identity. Maybe a masquerade party and so they wind up kissing the wrong person. Anyway, I’m so happy that you all liked it!
This was something a bit different from me, as usually I write either Belle or Gold (or quite commonly both) as being anxious, whereas in this they were supposed to come across as relatively confident. I have a few ideas where this could go next (when do I not?) but with my current WIP status, what I’m going to say is prompt me, if you want more of this 🙂
“Good morning your majesty,” Rumplestiltskin greeted warmly.
“Shhh,” Belle hissed, lifting a finger to her lips.
Her eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. Rumplestiltskin felt his heart constrict. Oh, how he loved her, but then who couldn’t love Belle? Her Royal Highness, the Princess of Avonlea, was beloved by the entire kingdom and that was what he needed to remember. Belle was his princess, and soon to be his queen, and he was charged with her protection. That was all it was, and all it could ever be – nothing more.
“What are you reading today?” Rumplestiltskin asked quietly, knowing he was wearing a fond expression, and probably looked like a besotted fool, but they were the only ones in the ballroom, so it didn’t really matter.
“An adaption of a classic tale. The princess has just agreed to go with the dark sorcerer forever to save her people,” Belle told him.
“Well don’t get any ideas your majesty,” Rumplestiltskin teased, wagging his finger at her. “Your wedding is next week.”
“I wouldn’t get two steps out of the castle before you saved me anyway.” Belle smiled, placing her hand on her chest and pretending to swoon. “Sir Rumplestiltskin, my hero.”
Rumplestiltskin rolled his eyes. “Or so you would tell the court, just as you have done on more than one occasion in the past. You and I both know, no saving would be required because you would have no doubt dispatched with the villain yourself. ”
“Of course,” Belle said haughtily.
She winked at him and her composure broke. She collapsed into giggles, before clapping her hand over her mouth, an expression of horror on her face. Gingerly she peered up to the entrance into the ballroom, before sighing in relief. Rumplestiltskin glanced upwards but he couldn’t see anyone.
“Why are we whispering?” he asked.
Belle grimaced. “I’m hiding from my ladies maids. If they find me I’ll lose the entire day to wedding preparations again.” She sighed heavily, and stared at the engagement ring on her finger.
Rumplestiltskin’s heart clenched again. She looked so miserable and he couldn’t stand it. He was charged with her protection wasn’t he? It was up to him to make sure that no harm came to the crown, and harm wasn’t just physical. Surely he would just be doing his job, if he stepped in to cheer her up. It was a flimsy argument, but truthfully he really didn’t need much convincing.
“Oh Princess?” Rumplestiltskin smirked mischievously at her, and held out his hand.
Belle eyed him with bemused suspicion but accepted his hand. “Where are we going?” she asked.
Rumplestiltskin hesitated for a moment, as he hadn’t thought that far ahead, but then the perfect idea came to him. “You’ll love it,” he promised.
He couldn’t do anything about the wedding, or the upcoming coronation, but he could give her one stolen afternoon of peace. One last free day before responsibilities and their separate lives beckoned.
*screams loudly and uncontrollably* I NEED SO MUCH MORE OF THIS I LOVE IT SO MUCH!!!!
Yay I’m so happy you liked it! Well knight!Rumple is on my to do list. However, I did promise Ripper I would write knight!Rumple/Lacey, and this is obviously Belle. However, the insane levels of mutual pining in this, just screams to be written. Given my current WIP status, I think I’m going to say for this if you would like more then prompt me. Will write for prompts heh 🙂
To the anon who just sent me that prompt, and anyone else if you feel like sending prompts heh, it’s gone midnight and I’m going to bed. I will write whatever I have in my askbox tomorrow morning.
Thank you so much to everyone for sending me the prompts, I am really grateful, and I had a lot of fun 🙂
Oh poor anon I’m sorry. You don’t have to feel silly. I should be the one feeling silly or at least a little embarrassed. I joined the fandom in May, but in the previous October for reasons best know to myself, I started writing a Once Upon a Time fanfic. I wrote about 12k actually of a season one rewrite.
You see when I can’t sleep at night, I tell myself stories. This particular story all hinged off Regina’s line at the end of the pilot – “A place where the only happy ending will be mine.” – as for some reason that kept playing back in my brain and raising the obvious question of “what if Regina did get her happy ending?” and basically then led to me asking the next question of “how would season one be different if Regina wanted to break her own curse?”
To cut a very long story short (seriously it would have been long, that 12k only covered up to Emma’s second day in Storybrooke). Regina and Rumple made a deal, which meant that Belle got given new cursed memories, like David did when he woke from the coma. Belle thought she’d just moved to town to open up the library, with no recollection of the previous twenty-eight years in the asylum. If Regina could have woken Belle from the curse completely then she would have, but it’s impossible so cursed!LibrarianBelle was the best option.
Anyway, none of this answers your question of who is John Mills? He’s Regina’s husband basically. An original character of my own creation, which is a very dangerous thing to do in fanfic. It’s quite rare that it actually works well and to be honest in this fandom, with the shipping wars the way that they are, it’s probably an even worse idea. However, I do have a certain fondness for that first fanfic idea. I plotted it all out in my head, going up until the end of 3A. So seeing as I was just messing around with random ficlets, I thought it wouldn’t hurt to amuse myself. I’m sorry I confused you.
Voting is now open! I did a complete list of my nominations here and I was going to leave it at that. I don’t have the confidence to do posts for individual fics. I’m beyond humbled, grateful and honored to have been nominated at all. Honestly, I’m utterly overwhelmed by the support, especially because I’m new this year.
Anyway, I’m now going to do something that’s probably incredibly bad form, I’m going to highlight a couple of my nominations in particular. I know I should treat all of the nominations equally, and please don’t misunderstand, they do all mean a lot to me, but some fics are a bit closer to my heart than others.
Special: Best Drama – Painting Layers of Love
Synopsis: Belle French lives alone and she likes it that way. She’s lived alone ever since the terrible car accident which killed her mother and claimed her eyesight. Belle spends her days painting, in complete solitude, until one day she wakes up and hears movement outside. Somebody has moved into the cottage next door. She had grown comfortable in her solitary existence until Mr Gold crashes into her life. Now her future is uncertain, like a blank canvas, waiting for her to apply the paint and decide what kind of story she is creating. [Tumblr, AO3]
Special: Best Season Rewrite – The War Within
Synopsis: Alternate Season Six. Storybrooke is visibly under threat once more from Hyde and the Evil Queen. However, not all threats are visible as an old forgotten foe has been manipulating events from behind the scenes. The very nature of darkness is revealed as everyone struggles with the most difficult beast of all – acceptance. [Tumblr, AO3]
Events: Best Revelry – The Beauty and the Tragedy
Synopsis: When Mr. Gold calls in Lord French’s marker, bankrupting his estate, it leaves Lady Belle with nowhere to go until Mr. Gold offers her a deal. She enters his service as a maid and true love blossoms between them. Belle dreams of forever but there is a room, which is permanently locked, that stands in the way. [NSFW] [Tumblr, AO3]
#sorry for the bad graphics on the war within and the beauty and the tragedy#I made them myself
Synopsis: During the first ogre war Lady Belle of Avonlea desperately searches for a way to save her people. A chance encounter sets her on the path to a mystical dagger. Two hundred years later Rumplestiltskin is desperate to provide a better life for his son. If the Dark One can sense anything, it’s a desperate soul…
Note: Written for @a-monthly-rumbelling in January. The prompt was Dark Castle Forbidden Room. Does anyone remember that rumbelle bingocard I made? Well I seem to have taken that as a bit of a self-challenge, not the whole thing obviously, but at least one of each option. This one checks two boxes – Dark One!Belle and spinner!Rumple 🙂 Basically it’s a Desperate Souls/Skin Deep remix. I hope you enjoy!
Rumplestiltskin
stumbled out of the ramshackle cottage he called home. The night air was cold,
not that it was that much warmer inside, and the gusts of wind smarted against
his skin. It was just what he needed to cut through his rising panic. He had
tried to hold it together, but Bae was now sleeping peacefully, and without his
boys alert gaze watching him, his fear was overwhelming. Life could be worse he
supposed. Bae might be fourteen and without prospects, but at least there
wasn’t a war raging right now.
The village
well wasn’t far, and to hold onto the shreds of normality, Rumplestiltskin
staggered in that direction. He cranked the handle and drew up the pail,
cupping his hand and drinking what he could. The water froze against his skin
and he shivered, knowing he should get back inside, but fearing the length of
the night. He could always sit and spin, Bae had long since learned to sleep
through the quiet creaking of the wheel. That usually quietened his mind, but
tonight it just reminded him that his beloved boy was out of options.
The son of a
coward, who was himself the son of a coward, was never going to be top pick
among the village traders. However, Rumplestiltskin had hoped to secure Bae’s
future. He was good friends with Morraine, the bakers daughter, and on his more
optimistic days Rumplestiltskin had imagined an apprenticeship and a betrothal
but it wasn’t to be. The baker had selected another boy, one who wasn’t saddled
with Bae’s reputation.
That was a really interesting role reversal and I always love me some spinner!Rum. It was so heartbreaking for him to lose Bae but it still felt better than in canon because of how they parted. Well done.
Thanks! 🙂 Yeah in this Rumple left to give Bae “his best chance” and he did think that he would never see him again; but with circumstances being what they are, I expect that Rumple and Bae will be reunited at some point. With some gold behind him, Bae could easily become Sir Baelfire, a knight worthy of Princess Emma’s hand, giving Rumple a couple of royal grandchildren.
Obviously Rumple and Belle have the misunderstanding of true loves kiss to work out first. While Belle doesn’t need the power like Rumple did, it’s all she’s known and had for a couple of hundred years. The darkness twists everything, we’re talking major trust issues and self-loathing, especially given that she always wanted to be a hero. The darkness convinced her at first that she was being a hero, perverting something that had once been so important to her.
Add in Rumple’s confidence issues and we’re definitely talking one step forward, ten steps back for this pair. Then there’s the question of what a successful true loves kiss would do to the curse of the dark one. I’m going to explore one theory in my EF AU, whenever I manage to get the time to write it, but there are several possibilities. Heh sorry I’ve gone on a bit *whistles* not that I was thinking about any of this 🙂
I was going to scream ‘how dare you leave this here!’ but am mollified somewhat by this response. Eventual TLK, curse breaking, Sir Baelfire, grandchildren…yes, I’ll take all that. 🙂
Haha well it wouldn’t be a Skin Deep remix if I didn’t leave it there. At least I didn’t end it with Belle throwing Rumple out of the castle, and then somebody telling her that he was dead – that would have been far worse! I’m glad you liked it, thank you 🙂
Heh thanks! I’m so glad you liked it, especially seeing as it was kinda your fault. I got the idea for this while I was talking with you 🙂 This was fun, trying to imagine how Belle would be as a Dark One, how she would be different from Rumple but still the same, and then how she and Rumple could still have crossed paths. Another place, another time – same old story, true love means they always cross paths sooner or later 🙂
Hey guys. I’m still bowled over by my nominations. Seriously I’m really honored, thank you so much. This is my first TEA experience, so I’ve been watching what other authors are doing for this stage. Self-promo is difficult for me, but I figured I’d do a masterlist of my nominations and maybe talk a little bit about each fic. I hope that’s alright.
I’m going to put a cut here so I don’t clutter up anyone’s dash 🙂
Smut: Comedy – Once Upon a Lifetime
Synopsis: Belle French’s life revolves around books. During the day she works as a librarian, and in the evenings she writes stories of her own. Everyday she watches Mr. Gold lock up his shop and everyday she swears that she’ll wave or do something, but she never does. If this were one of her stories then Mr. Gold would have noticed her watching him, and one day their eyes would meet and he would confess that he liked her as well. The problem was, life wasn’t a story. If it was, then Belle would have written herself a happy ending a long time ago.
About: I’m going to link to this review by the1ultimatefan first because it’s a very nice review. This fic was written as a oneshot but I’ve had a few requests for a sequel and it’s gone on my ‘to write’ list. What I’m looking forward to exploring further is how Belle has all these feelings, and fantasies, and she wants to do everything but she’s also not ready. So she’s caught in a battle of her own mind, trying to run before she can walk.
General: Best Post-Ep Fic – Right Kind of Wrong
Synopsis: Following on from the events of 6.07 – Heartless. Hope can be found in even the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light. Storybrooke has faced many challenges, with good always beating evil but they did that together, and now they are split apart. The story must play out but the ending might not be what anyone expects.
About: Season six made for some difficult viewing. After 6.07 – Heartless I had to fix it and this fic just poured out of me. What I liked most was linking the world behind the mirror, to the nightmare realm of the sleeping curse. I thought that was interesting. I used all the filming spoilers we had at the time and, I have to be honest, I do like what I did them. I know that’s probably a bit egotistical to say. It explored a few different theories, brought in old canon like the author’s alternate world. I’m not sure what else to say.
General: Best Holiday Fic – All Hallow’s Fall
Synopsis: Belle and Gold have been together for a few months when Halloween approaches. After some pumpkin carving goes wrong, and Gold is injured, they work together to ensure that Bae’s spooky sleepover goes ahead as planned.
About: This is second in the Right Wrong Number series. It follows on from Transposing Digits, which was also nominated (see below), and it’s pure family fluff really. Kind of tooth-rotting sweet. I hope it made people smile 🙂
Special: Best Drama – Painting Layers of Love
Synopsis: Belle French lives alone and she likes it that way. She’s lived alone ever since the terrible car accident which killed her mother and claimed her eyesight. Belle spends her days painting, in complete solitude, until one day she wakes up and hears movement outside. Somebody has moved into the cottage next door. She had grown comfortable in her solitary existence until Mr Gold crashes into her life. Now her future is uncertain, like a blank canvas, waiting for her to apply the paint and decide what kind of story she is creating.
About: I have to be honest if any of my fics actually won their category, I would hope it would be this one. This is my biggest fic, not the longest (yet) but the hardest one to write. It’s the one that means the most to me. rowofstars made the cover art and they also made an aesthetic, posting an incredible review along with it. Also theoneandonlylittlebird wrote this stunning post recommending this fic for the TEA’s. I actually cried when I read it. The amount of support this fic has, is already overwhelming and I’m so grateful. I hope my masterlist has proven that I will finish things but I swear anyway, my solemn promise that I will finish this fic.
Special: Best Season Rewrite – The War Within
Synopsis: Alternate Season Six. Storybrooke is visibly under threat once more from Hyde and the Evil Queen. However, not all threats are visible as an old forgotten foe has been manipulating events from behind the scenes. The very nature of darkness is revealed as everyone struggles with the most difficult beast of all – acceptance.
About: This was my first completed multi-chapter fic. This fic itself is novel length at 70k but there’s a sequel and a couple of miscellaneous oneshots which take the series over the 100k mark. Alternate season six written before season six stared airing, picks up where season five left off. I really liked exploring the potential of the dangling plot threads and pushing the theme of acceptance – both of others and ourselves. It also gave Rumbelle a true loves kiss and a happy ending so that was nice.
Events: Best RSS – Conspiracy Afloat
Synopsis: When Mr. Gold buys Storybrooke marina, one of the marina’s few permanent residents, Belle French, swears he won’t get away with it. She sets sail and anchors in a remote cove and that night Belle witnesses a murder. At first light she returns to the marina to report it … but nobody believes her. Gold’s purchase of the marina now takes on even more sinister implications, and her growing attraction towards him only complicates matters. Vowing to investigate herself, if the sheriffs won’t, Belle soon starts to unravel a town-wide conspiracy.
About:rowofstars made the cover art for this. I had a couple of really nice reviews; my giftee little-inkstone wrote this lovely comment. However, I would like to link to the latest comment by woodelf68 because their reaction was everything I hoped when writing. Also, it was very flattering that to quote them “I was about to decide it wasn’t for me until I reached the last couple of sentences of the first chapter. Then I couldn’t have stopped for the world.” – which I think is the best comment an author could ever get.
Events: Best Revelry – The Beauty and the Tragedy
Synopsis: When Mr. Gold calls in Lord French’s marker, bankrupting his estate, it leaves Lady Belle with nowhere to go until Mr. Gold offers her a deal. She enters his service as a maid and true love blossoms between them. Belle dreams of forever but there is a room, which is permanently locked, that stands in the way. [NSFW]
About: I actually wrote two fics for Rumbelle Revelry this year. This fic was the one I pinch-hit for and I confess I’m quite proud of it. I enjoyed the other fic I wrote but I think this one came out much better. I don’t often feel proud of my own work but the imagery, and the tone, and how it flowed, I felt really worked. I know that’s quite egotistical to say, and I’m sorry for that. Yeah so basically I really liked this one. If somebody was new to my masterlist, this is one of the fics I would want them to read first.
Synopsis: The phone in the library had always been silent, until one day it started ringing. Belle French answers it and discovers that life really can turn on a dime – or in this case a wrong number.
About: This is the first in the Right Wrong Number series. I did a ‘for your consideration’ post about nominations, and I didn’t include this one on my list. I’m thrilled, and honored, that people liked it enough to remember it and nominate on their own. To be honest I only didn’t include it on my list because my list had 10 fics on it already, and I felt that was egotistical enough. This fic is basically pure family fluff. The sequel All Hallow’s Fall was also nominated (see above). Like I said with that one, I hope this made somebody smile 🙂
Events: Monthly Rumbelling (Non-Smut) – Under My Skin
Synopsis: When aspiring novelist Belle French rents a laborers apartment, at a peaceful picturesque Californian farm, she thinks she’s found the perfect writing retreat. She hopes for a few months free of distractions. However, what she didn’t count on was her neighbor – Lachlan MacAldonich.
About: Just like with Transposing Digits, this fic wasn’t on my ‘for your consideration’ post, and I’m absolutely stunned that this fic got nominated because I’ve only posted the first chapter. I’m thrilled and so grateful that people like it so much, and I do promise it will get finished. This is a Lachbelle fic and what I like exploring here is that it’s set within the California Solo movie but Belle isn’t Beau’s friend, and she doesn’t take Beau’s role. I’ve not read another fic that does that, though it’s certainly possible it’s out there (please feel free to send links, I love reading Lachbelle). I have another fic planned in the future for Lachacy and I look forward to exploring the differences in their relationship with Lachlan.
Character: Best Lacey – Fall All Over Again
Synopsis: Before the first Dark Curse the Evil Queen had a paranoid moment, which meant in cursed Storybrooke, Gold and Lacey were married. Therefore when Belle falls over the town line – Lacey returns. Everyone is shouting at her, and everything is wrong, so Lacey does something she never did once in 28 years of marriage, she turns to Gold for protection. In turn Rumplestiltskin does something that Gold never did in 28 years of marriage – he tells Lacey that he loves her. Belle loved him, so can Lacey fall for him all over again or will the curse mask true love forever? [NSFW]
About: This is my first Lacey fic but definitely not my last, I have so much fun writing Lacey. What I really liked exploring in this fic is how ‘we are both’ applies. Lacey is Belle, just with some parts of her personality suppressed and others exaggerated. At her core she’s the same person and believes in the same things, she just has a different backstory and different experiences. I think there’s two chapters left of this fic but I look forward to exploring the verse more in the future.
Eeeeek I’ve had a burst of productivity from somewhere *grabs it tight in the hope it doesn’t leave again* and it’s entirely possible I might, might, finish the accidental Monthly Rumbelling fic today. In fact screw it, I am going to make this happen! I haven’t finished anything in ages and I’m practically giddy at the thought. I’m going to get to write ‘The End’ on something *happy dance* …
Awww thanks, your support means a lot! Besides now I’ve stated I’m going to finish it on tumblr I kinda have to actually finish it heh 🙂 No in all seriousness, I actually think this is going to happen. I finally after *cough* 7.5k have managed to include the prompt (yeah I know, but it’s not as much an after thought as it sounds). I’m thinking there’s only a couple more scenes left. So yeah, this should be a done deal, now all I need is a title for this thing.
I think I just realized part of why I’m struggling to write short oneshots these days. It’s that little voice at the back of my head going “show don’t tell.”
I just opened my file for my accidental Monthly Rumbelling fic and there was a couple of paragraphs I wrote the other day, that I didn’t count because they were just summarizing what happened. I realized after I’d written them that sucked, and so I thought “I’ll go back and write that scene properly” but because I do that, short oneshots generally explode.
This is how Fall All Over Again gained an extra two chapters before the scene that was supposed to be for November’s Monthly Rumbelling, and why subsequently I didn’t post that until this past Tuesday. I think it made for a better story (she says hopefully) but it means it takes a lot longer to finish anything. On the other hand perhaps it’s a case of “being careful what you wish for” as I’ve always written short and wanted to write long, so haha jokes on me – seems can’t do both 🙂
I’m so, so glad I found this story last week. it’s amazing! Of course I had to read the whole thing again so I remembered where everyone stood in this chapter.
Poor Neal, so confused about what being a cursed persona actually *means*. Can’t blame him. Fandom has been asking the same questions for years. lol
And then Lacey enjoying the parts of the date that *Lacey* would enjoy. It amused me to think that Belle would have been just as disappointed by the tiny portions – because, Lord, they *are* tiny, and I might have done as Lacey as grabbed a burger afterwards – but Belle would have laughed about it while Lacey was just annoyed. It’s the little things, heh. And then Rumple being ‘thanked’. Heh. I bet he had a good idea how to go about using his mouth on Lacey. A year’s worth of experience, in fact. lol Great chapter, can’t wait to see what comes when Lacey finally accepts she’s in love! 😉
Yay! I’m so glad you liked it *happy dance* to be honest with Neal, and this will come up again so spoiler alert, I think it was more that he wanted to make sure Rumple wasn’t screwing somebody over to get what he wanted. Neal thinks that Rumple doesn’t have much regard for people’s freewill, there’s not a lot of trust there right now. Thank you so much for this amazing comment! 🙂
