crazy_diamond

115

"My thoughts got out to you, my Immortal Beloved, now and then joyfully, then sadly, waiting to learn whether or not fate will hear us
I can live only wholly with you or not at all
Yes, I am resolved to wander so long away from you until I can fly to your arms and say that I am really at home with you, and can send my soul en-wrapped in you into the land of spirits
Yes, unhappily it must be so
You will be the more contained since you know my fidelity to you. No one else can ever posses my heart never
Never
Oh God, why must be one parted from one whom one so loves.
Your love makes me at once the happiest and the unhappiest of men
Oh, continue to love me
Never misjudge the most faithful heart of your beloved.
Ever thine
Ever mine
Ever ours"

- Ludwig van Beethoven

Shippers

001. Jakls
002. taragenie
003. divaduck
004. bwm30
005. EclipseOfTime
006. diamond gothic
007. MelBelle2
008. acoustichearts
009. Rainstorm Jenny
010. lunas_borednow
011. SkySamuelle
012. Kisara
013. armonia
014. ChakotaysLover
015. Kelly2790
016. Serenachan
017. renka21
018. Bee02
019. Sookeh
020. Brenda Corinthos
021. Bronson
022. julyhsm
023. psychee
024. iamFez
025. skje
026. Sparkleyღ
027. crazy_diamond
028. aurore59
029. Inalgebra
030. WonderlandGabby
031. Mayberry
032. Eviekins15
033. Penelope Lane
034. LuCe60
035. Josie2288
036. *OldHollywoodStarlet*
037. eireanne
038. Esselle
039. CinnamonHummingbird
040. ThereYoullBe
041. GrhmLz
042. Candygirl9890
043. Sweet Charity
044. bamonfan01
045. Thespianreveur
046. didyousayit
047. AllForBeLieving
048. Titch22
049. toxicgurl169
050. angel wings05
051. Zefiro
052. malary89
053. HotRod
054. PWC
055. theduchess
056. TouTou07
057. WeFoundLove
058. Entreri
059. ElenaDamonForev
060. warangel88
061. Salene
062. Elise21
063. Jacquelyn
064. Terapsina
065. chloeoliver
066. obisgirl
067. Musickat18
068. Wes&FredFan
069. Guinevereღ
070. hlgreenie
071. ifonlyx33
072. P&B4ever
073. DEConquersAll
074. celesstarr
075. CloisFan
076. OUATKatya
077. TobyJenna
078. The Looking Glass
079. Grace52373
080. B.Chambers
081. PBQueen
082. Kelaine
083. Maud&Danny
084. IsItSundayYet?
085. KOUAT12
086. Butterflygirl
087. boomersoonerfan
088. aelita
089. Kat_B&B Love4Ever
090. Josephine77
091. ღMitra
092. Kelly_Dylan
093. NightEvans
094. breath we drew
095. Ventoux
096. I_Love_Siobhan_Magnus
097. Inkylove
098. ilkao
099. Steampunk Dearie
100. AlmostEverything
101. yellowrose_bb_12
102. Jiorjiina
103. azinazelle
104. ForzeOUAT
105. AprilL
106. Goldenrose
107. Betsybelle
108. RNaley
109. Narcissa'sRevenge
110. Poppy99
111. Amy
112. LadyDulcinea
113. Nilicat
114. LadyInPink
115. WBgal126
116. veronica2shoes
117. HeidiT1972
118. Narciscia
119. Evi
120. hauntedღskies
121. lisagslack14
122. Bonnie Lass
123. linsxx3
124. I am no golden lion
125. Chastidy
126. amschafe
127. DuskPrincess111
128. MexieFan
129. Elena_1716
130. L i N d $ @ y
131. Romanceღ
132. in a daydream
133. GiveMeLove
134. IratxeEowyn
135. Lucas4Brooke
136. Frust-sheep
137. clairefontaine
138. Taliaღ
139. DaWsonSReaLJoEy
140. Rhonwen
141. sookiejackson
142. Bookworm25
143. cararum
144. zara888
145. Mara_1987
146. estrela
147. Angelinthestreet
148. Erry Berry
149. SachaS44
150. Belleislove
151. TootlesFTW
152. Pomc
153. heimweh
154. ShAmy_reprezent
155. green eyes sparkle
156. AngieBelle
157. Julien Suncrisbe
158. Jan RCFan
159. GoldRumpel
160. Poppy99
161. sourburst
163. LucyGu
164. Oncer4Ever
165. Katherine.Gold
166. baelfire24
167. SnowingJemily
168. Rumbellebr
169. repeatinglitanies
170. Alwaysmydear
171. woodelf68
172. earing45
173. guardianofmyheart
174. thewordgirl
175. calamityjane
176. Seamstress90
177. marcalbabe
178. Glader|4|Life
179. MiniAnneBoleynx8
180. hilery00

Gennifer Goodwin - "I would say that I love Rumpelstiltskin and Belle story." "This breathtaking scene between Robert Carlyle and Emile De Ravin made me cry upon reading the script." [on Gold's phone call to Belle]
Jane Espenson - "Yeah i ship them."
Adam Horowitz - "It was a beautiful thing to see the depths of love that one can have for another and that could mean is no matter what you face, no matter what you go through,you will never give up on the other person."
Jefferson/Mad Hatter - Because he helped Belle escaped
Prince Charming/David Nolan - Because he was Gold's wingman twice
Red/Ruby - Because she helped Gold find Belle
Grumpy - Because he gave Gold a potion to help Belle remember
Chip - Because this is the symbol of their True Love
Ariel - She helped Belle in showing Rumple is still alive

True Love

" There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love. We love because he first loved us." - 1 John 4:18-19

“No one decides my fate but me.” She claimed turning to Rumpelstiltskin and agreeing to go with him. “I will go with him.” This made the imp happy. “My family, my friends, they will all live?” Rumpelstiltskin inclined his head, “You have my word.” Again Belle’s father protested flinging the insult that Rumpelstiltskin was a beast. The deal maker conveyed mock offense, splaying his hand over his heart. Belle turned to her father, placing her hand on his shoulder saying that it had been decided. Rumpelstiltskin slipped his hand over Belle’s waist looking at her father saying, “You know, she’s right. The deal is struck.” With a sinister giggle of delight, Rumpelstiltskin left the castle with Belle at his side. At the Dark Castle Rumpelstiltskin led Belle through enchanted doors, through the main hall where they strode by displays of his collection leaving Belle to ask where he was taking her. “Let’s call it… your room.” Rumpelstiltskin responded as he continued to walk through his castle. Using his magic he opened a worn wooden door. Belle came to a stop, “My room?” Rumpelstiltskin replied, “It sounds a lot nicer than dungeon.” With a wicked laugh he pushes her through the door, closes it, and locks it with Belle pounding on the other side. Rumpelstiltskin strode off with a maniacal laugh echoing on the stones around him.

"Belle is certainly the counterpoint to Gold. There’s no doubt about that. If there’s any possibility at all of Rumple or Gold changing, it’ll come through this character. She brings out the better side of him, and she’s the only one that can do that. She is his strength, in fact.”
― Robert Carlyle commentary from Girl Power Bonus Feature

"The theme of…this episode actually changed in the writing of it, which is very unusual on the show, ‘cause normally the guys know exactly what the episode’s about, and you go in knowing it and it never changes, but this one started out being about ‘Rumple chooses power over love’ and then I sort of realised during the writing of it, as I was going through drafts, and talking with the guys about it that that’s what Rumple wants to think he’s doing, but really it’s about that he doesn’t think he’s lovable or worthy of love. It just kept getting deeper and deeper as we worked with it. “
― Jane Espenson (writer), Skin Deep episode commentary

“I think he’d probably see, in his mind’s eye, nirvana for him with Belle, Bae, a castle, power—enough to take care of the kids—and be quite happy.”
― Robert Carlyle

"There won’t be uninterrupted happiness for Rumple and Belle until season seven.] “There will be a few children in between.”
― Emilie de Ravin

“To us it was a beautiful thing to see the depth of love that one can have for another, and that what that can mean is, no matter what you face, no matter what you go through, you will never give up on the other person if you really have that love and that belief in them.”
― Adam Horowitz

“She fell pretty hard and pretty quickly for him.
It was interesting for her to maybe not have the other person just react how she’s used to, like him just falling in love with her or you know being…basically not like him, that was really confused why this girl liked him at all. And I think that made her [fall in love with him] even more.”
― Emilie De Ravin at Comic Con (regarding Belle’s feelings for Rumplestiltskin)

"In terms of my career, that’s among the best 42 minutes of TV I’ve ever been involved in."
― Robert Carlyle ( concerning 'Skin Deep')

"Belle’s always been an independent woman, but she’s just always hanging out with Rumple. I don’t think that’s ever trampled on her independence. I think it’s almost lifted it in a sense."
― Emilie de Ravin

Rumpelstiltskin just looked at her, “It’s just a cup.” Belle rose setting the cup on the tray and prepared him a cup of tea. Some time passed at the Dark Castle. At the corner of the dungeon, Belle was laying on a bunk that looked uncomfortable. She was sobbing miserably, still clad in her golden dress, with a yellow blanket wrapped around her shoulders. There was a sound of a door opening, and Rumpelstiltskin strode into the room. He taunted her immediately. "When you so eagerly agreed to come and work for me, I assumed you wouldn't miss your family quite so much," he said. She got up and replied, in a hoarse voice, that she obviously missed them, since she made the sacrifice for them, calling him a beast.He began to complain again that the constant crying must stop since it has become very difficult for him to spin, claiming that it was when he did his best thinking. Looking at her, he didn't know what else to say. "Here. Perhaps this will help?" He procured a golden pillow for her. "For me?" she asked, before he threw her the pillow and added, "Not quite so beastly now, am I?" He turned to walk out the room.She thanked him and said that maybe now she can actually get some sleep. He paused, and came back to correct her that the pillow was only meant to muffle her cries so he can get back to work. Suddenly, there was a sound, that the doors to the Dark Castle were being opened.

Rumplestiltskin walked quickly to the main hall, Belle following him. They discovered a man trying to steal a wand from Rumplestiltskin's collection. The man was later captured. Sometime passed in the castle. Belle was sweeping up the floor, when there was a sound of a man crying in pain in the background. Rumplestiltskin walked to her, clad in a bloodied apron. "I'm going to need another apron," he commanded. She replied that the others were still drying. He said fine and dismissed her with a wave of his hand then proceed to order her to clean this one as well before he gets back. However, she stopped him short with a question. "All this, because he tried to steal a magic wand?" He swung back around and answered that it’s because the man stole from him, The Dark One, and everyone knows if they steal from him, they would be skinned alive. However, she replied in a firm voice, taking him aback. "Actually, no they don't," she said, speaking clearly. He paused at her words, as he didn't expect her to say anything back. Trying to regain his intimidating posture, he responded, "Well they will after they discover the body." And walked out of the castle, giggling.

"But then we realized during the writing of it, as I was going through drafts and talking to the guys about it, that that's what Rumple wants to think he's doing...? But really, it's about that he doesn't think he's lovable. Or worthy of love. It just kept getting deeper and deeper as we worked with it."
- Jane Espenson (writer of 'Skin Deep')

"From the net and through twitter, I get such beautiful comments from people, hinting that they love this episode so much because it's proof that they could be loved."
- Robert Carlyle

"She fell pretty hard and pretty quickly for him"
- Emilie DeRavin

A Dream Within a Dream
By Edgar Allan Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow!
And, in parting from you now,
Thus much let me avow:
You are not wrong who deem
That my days have been a dream;
Yet if hope has flown away
In a night, or in a day,
In a vision, or in none,
Is it therefore the less gone?
All that we see or seem
Is but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roar
Of a surf-tormented shore,
And I hold within my hand
Grains of the golden sand--
How few! yet how they creep
Through my fingers to the deep,
While I weep--while I weep!
O God! can I not grasp
Them with a tighter clasp?
O God! can I not save
One from the pitiless wave?
Is all that we see or seem
But a dream within a dream?

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered,
it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
― 1 Corinthians 13:4

Stealing from me for some noble cause," the beast continued, and accused her of reading too many books. He then magicked her books away, and said that perhaps this will stop filling her head with poisonous thoughts.She didn't give in, and explained herself, that she didn't free him because of what she read in a book, but because she saw good in him. They discovered that the wand was gone, and the beast said that she was tricked, calling her foolish and gullible. She didn't back down and offered that there must be an explanation as to why the man stole it.

He retorted back, "People who steal magic never have good intentions." She walked quickly to him, determined as ever. "No, no. You can't tell what's in a person's heart before you truly know them." He demanded her to go with him as he goes to kill the man, since it was her fault the prisoner got away. He added that it will also be her rags to clean the man's blood as it drips from his carcass. Some hours have passed, and Belle was sitting in a red carriage, with Rumpelstiltskin positioned across from her. He started complaining that he's losing track of the escaped man, since the forest was too thick. Belle responded that they should just return home. He replied back, "And let the thief escaped?" He asked her what it would do to his reputation. She replied firmly, "That there's actually a man hiding behind the beast?" He stared at her."There isn't." She was far from convinced. "Then why didn't you kill me when I freed the prisoner?" He was slightly surprised before trying to come up with an answer. "Well I would have... but good help these days is really hard to find," he said, before he smirked at her. She wasn't buying any of it, and said that he wasn't as dark as people make him to be. She continued that deep down, there's love in his heart and that there's something more than power. He leaned closer to her, his face expressionless. "Well there is something I love..." She narrowed her eyes at him and lean in closely, wondering what it could be, before he started to lean closer and suddenly shouted, "My things!" He smirked at her and halt the carriage to a stop.

There maybe something there...

crazy_diamond

Beauty & The Beast

True Love Kisses






source

Playlist♫

Click to play!

Belle quickly put a hand out to stop him. "Stop!" she yelled at him desperately. She pointed to the couple, and continued, "I'm right about him! He did it so he could heal the woman he loves!" Rumplestiltskin snorted. "He's still a thief." Belle argued back that the woman would've died if he didn't steal his wand. The beast replied that now he gets to die so that the woman can tell everyone of the consequences of stealing from the Dark One. He magicked Belle to sink half way into the ground, to make her watch. Belle strained against the restraint, looking desperately at the beast. Even in the ground, she didn't give up, and said that he didn't have to do this, that there is still good in him. She was right about the man, and she is right about him. He still wouldn't listen as he strung the bow.The woman stood up from the carriage, and they saw that she was pregnant. He lowered the bow a little as he realized this. She continued pressing him, "You're not the kind of man to leave a child fatherless!" He raised the bow again, determined, arrow notched and drawn far back, and released it. The arrow went flying, slamming into the area next to the couple on the carriage. The bow lowered, Rumpelstiltskin's face was hardened. Belle raised her voice to ask, "What happened?" He replied softly, "I missed." He freed her from the ground, and ordered her back to the carriage, saying that he's bored of this forest. She smiled at him, and approached him slowly, voice teasing. "You spared his life." He replied, "What? I did nothing of the sort." She wasn't going to be fooled by him. She reminded him that the bow has magic in it, it never misses its target. He kept his look straight onward and continued with his excuse, "Well maybe the magic just simply wore..." He slowly turned around to his side, to find her staring at him close, it made him paused. "Off," he finished. Belle's lips quirked up into a smile before she hugged him softly. His face was baffled and confused, taken aback by her action. She released him and offered him a small smile before she started to walk away. He stared at her, unable to believe what just happened. She turned around and asked, "Aren't you coming?" He realized this and turned around to retrieve the quiver and, still staring at her, the corner of his mouth perked up into a small smile, and he walked after her.

Night was falling as they returned to the castle. She excused herself, saying that if he didn't need her, she will retreat for the night. She said goodnight to him, and started to walk away before he stopped her with his voice. "Wait. There is something," he said, and put his hands together rather nervously. They walked upstairs, into a room filled with books. "Temper your excitement, dearie. This is simply another room for you to clean," he stated. She was baffled by the sight before her, and said that there's more books in here than she could ever read in a lifetime. He replied that he hoped she can clean them faster than she can read then. She picked up a book, examining it before she looked up at him. "You did all of this for me?" He ignored her remark. "I better not see a single speck of dust gathering in all these books," he said commandingly. She smiled at him knowingly, and earned another remark from him, "What're you smiling at? I'm serious," and he pointed at her.She took his extended hand into her own, and smiled warmly at him. "You're not who I thought you were, and I'm glad," she said, tenderly. Rumpelstiltskin's face softened as he stared at her.

Fanfic ✍

AU – Alternate Universe
WIP – Work in Progress
TW – Trigger Warning

he rose from the spinning wheel asking, “What are you doing?” Belle tugged on the curtain again as she answered, “Opening these. It’s almost spring, we should let some light in.” Again she tugged and again and again. One more tug ripped the curtain down toppling Belle off the ladder and right into Rumpelstiltskin’s arms where he caught her. Light poured in through the window making him blink and giving Belle the chance to look at him close up. “Thank you.” Belle said. Realizing what he had done, Rumpelstiltskin put her down suddenly backing away from her to go back to his wheel.

Time slipped by, a few months came and went. Belle grew accustomed to her new life with him in the Dark Castle. One afternoon Rumpelstiltskin held the chipped cup in his hand gazing out of open windows. Belle comes around the table with him moving away from her. He turns just as she slips up on to the table to sit, to watch him drink his tea. AS he is about to take a sip Belle asks, “Why did you want me here?” Rumpelstiltskin lowers the cup and teases, “Place was filthy.” Belle smirks, “I think you were lonely.” She continues her train of thought with any man would be lonely. Solemnly he replies, “I’m not a man.” As he leaned against the edge of the table. Belle continues on mentioning how she’s been in the castle for months, having had time to look around. In that time she found a room upstairs with clothes meant for a child. She asked if the clothes had belonged to him or if there was a child. Rumpelstiltskin lowered his head, a small gleam of sadness coloring his gaze. “There was. There was a son, but I lost him as I did his mother.” Belle can hear the sadness and feels for him, for the pain he suffered through, “I’m sorry. But, you were a man once and ordinary man.” Rumpelstiltskin stands, setting aside his tea cup to lock gazes with Belle. “Perhaps you just want to learn the monsters weaknesses? No no, no no no…” He’s pointing at her the entire time as she only smirks. “You’re not a monster. You think you’re uglier than you are. That’s why you cover all the mirrors up isn’t it? Hmm?” Belle questions with the smirk still on her face. Rumpelstiltskin doesn’t answer. A fierce pounding draws him away from Belle. At the front door, Gaston starts to demand the return of Belle. With a snap of his fingers, purple smoke envelopes Gaston turning him in to a long stemmed red rose. Rumpelstiltskin just smiles.

Fan Vids ✰

“You had a life Belle, before this. Friends. Family. What made you chose to come with me?” Belle opened the glass display case fetching the vase, “Heroism, sacrifice. There isn’t a lot opportunity in this land for women to show what they can do. To be heroes. So when you arrived I thought that was my chance.” As she spoke Belle cut off some of the rose stem and placed it in the vase. “I always want to be brave. I figured do the brave things and bravery would follow.” Belle slid back up on the table to watch him as he sat staring at her from his chair. “And is it everything you hoped?” “Well, I did want to see the world. That part didn’t work out, but I did save my village.” Rumpelstiltskin tapped the tips of his fingers together as he asked, “And uh, what of your young man?” “It was an arranged marriage. Honestly I could never give my heart to someone as superficial as he. To me, love is…” She paused and then continued, “Love is layered. Love is a mystery to be uncovered.” Belle smiled at him. “But uh... you were going to tell me about your son.” Rumpelstiltskin took breath, “I’ll make you a deal. Go to town and fetch me some straw. When you return I’ll share my tale.” Belle felt confused. “Town? You trust me to come back?” “Oh no, I expect I’ll never see you again.” For the rest of the day Rumpelstiltskin stood at the window watching for Belle. As night fell he caught a glimpse of her. Quickly he ran down the stone steps to hurry to his wheel to give off the impression that he hadn’t been waiting for her to return when the enchanted doors opened allowing Belle to enter. “Oh you’re back. Good… good thing. I’m nearly out of straw.” She carried the basket full of straw in one hand and with the other took her cloak to rest it over the back of his chair. Belle smirked at that. “Hmm.” She set the basket down saying playfully, “Admit, you’re happy that I’m back.” Rumpelstiltskin looked at Belle, angling his head to see her eye to eye, “I’m not unhappy.” He confessed.

Belle smiled a broad sunny smile coming around the platform to place her hands on his shoulders. “You promised me a story.” She reminded Rumpelstiltskin. “I did?” He asked. “Uh huh.” She sat down on the edge of the wheel, straightening her skirt and then she placed her hand on his leather clad thigh. “I uh… lost him. There’s nothing more to tell really.” “Since then you’ve loved no one and no one had loved you?” Rumpelstiltskin leaned in close to her, leveling his gaze with hers, “Why did you come back.” Belle let her shoulders droop. “I wasn’t going to but then something changed my mind.” She leaned into her with him meeting her half way. Their lips touched soft and sweet. Belle opened her eyes looked at him, waiting. Then his skin started to change, to go back to a normal hue. Rumpelstiltskin knew something was wrong. “What’s happening?” Belle ran her hands down his hair, cupping his face. “Kiss me again, its working.” She replied. “What is?” He looked daze, but leaned back in a fraction until Belle spoke. “Any curse can be broken.” Rumpelstiltskin jerked back from her wanting to know who told her that. What had started to change in him stopped, returning to how he looked. Backing away from Belle he goes to the mirror yanking off the sheet. Belle watched him talking to his reflection. “Who are you talking to?” He rounded on her, “Your friend the Queen.” Belle let confusion her take her then. More word pass between them ending with Rumpelstiltskin taking Belle back to the dungeon, locking her in a cell. Days pass before he comes to her again. The door opens and Rumpelstiltskin walks through it. Belle had been looking at the window, but her eyes turned to him as she asked, “What are you going to do to me?” Rumpelstiltskin, conveying cold cruelty, pointed to the open door, “Go.” And then he turned his back on her. Belle got up and headed to the open door. She was almost out when she turned and marched back to him. “You were freeing yourself. You could have had happiness if just you had just believed that someone could want you, but you couldn’t take the chance.” “That’s a lie.” He accused. “You’re a coward Rumpelstiltskin and no matter how thick you make your skin that doesn’t change.” Rumpelstiltskin kept the cold around him, “I’m not a coward. It’s quite simple really I don’t want you anymore dearie. My power means more to me than you.” Belle replied, “No it doesn’t. You just don’t think I can love you. Now you’ve made your choice and you’re going to regret it. Forever. And all you’ll have is an empty heart and a chipped cup.” Belle’s voice wavered as she spoke. Getting a last look at him, she walked out of his life leaving Rumpelstiltskin where he stood. The mask he had worn cracked. Sadness overtook him forcing him to bow his head in regret.

Reasons

Season 3 Wish List


1. Rumbelle to have an uninterrupted date
2. Belle to join Rumple on an adventure
3. Some more blackflashes of them in FTL
4. Belle and Neal team up to find Rumple
5. Belle, Neal, and Rumple reunite in Neverland
6. A sexy, passionate scene for Rumbelle (as much as ABC allows)
7. Belle explaining to Neal who his dad is in her eyes and that it's TL
8. Belle telling Rumpel that he's gonna be a Dad again9
9. Belle gets a magic mirror and sees Rumple in Neverland or vice versa. (From the movie Beauty and the Beast)
10. Belle saving Rumple
11. A Rumbelle dance scene (ala Beauty and the Beast)
12. A proposal
13. A domestic scene

credits:
jiorjiina - fics/vids/songs list
hauntedღskies - icons (1st row) and arts
jensen_girl22 - arts, even though she's not a rumbelle shipper

Seamstress90

Thanks for the new thread!

Ranma90

Just another reason I don't like they made Cora Rumple backstory romantic, now there's always comparison between them and rumbelle as couples.





...and a chipped cup

baelfire24

Thanks for the new thread.

Wes&FredFan

TFTNT! Every new gif/pic of our ship makes me .

crazy_diamond

Me too

I'll try and put that gif set in somewhere in the OP..

Belleislove

We know there's no comparison. I shouldn't have said anything on the other thread. It's just that it made me laugh that he has no respect for Belle but he did for the evil murderer who wanted to kill him and he had a brief affair with years ago. I mean, really. There is no comparison.

So this is the two year anniversary this week of Skin Deep? I wasn't watching live then. Was the reaction to it pretty immediate?

And seriously, are there even 10 Crumple fans out there, at least online? LOL. This was no huge fanbase and there was and is no great love for them. Every now and then I see someone who liked them, and that's fine. That's everyone's right to like who they like. But no one believes that there is any real support for them.

It was such a "soap opera" thing to do. I think they need to be careful about making his more of a soap than it already is. Soaps always bring someone from one of the character's pasts and try to act like it was some big thing while the audience yawns, lol. It always fails on the soaps too.

Jiorjiina

I have to admit, I do kind of like the Cora/Rumple thing in a dark-and-angsty-doomed-to-failure kind of way. Because it was all at the wrong time, and for the wrong reasons, and lots of people have relationships like that. And I do think that he and Cora were Kindred Spirits. I think it make it even more clear the difference between that relationship, and his one with Milah, to the one he has with Belle.

I don't even understand why it is such a big deal about whether people like it or not. Rumbelle was established as True Love before we'd even met his wife, let alone any other relationships he might have had. No relationship he has had with a woman, or Belle with another man, is ever really going to challenge that, because it would completely violate the premise of the show!

Belleislove

You're right. It doesn't matter what other people like. I personally think there was no real reason for that considering how popular Rumbelle is. LIke I said, it's an old soap move. I saw nothing likeable or rootable at all about them. But yes, it certainly made the differences apparent. I think some of us just love Rumbelle so much that we hate when they talk about him and another woman, lol, even though it was decades or in Milah's case, centuries, before Belle was born.

marcalbabe

Thanks for the new thread!!!

And it's pretty obvious that Rumple has ALWAYS respected Belle.
While I admit that Rumple/Cora were kindred spirits it was nothing compared to what Rumple has/feels for Belle. I honestly think that Rumple/Cora was more power lust than anything else.

Kelaine

I think the attraction between Cora and Rumple tells us a lot about both of them.

People have said it was the Dark One that fell for Cora, not Rumple. I think Cora attracted the Dark One more, but there was a lot of Rumple in there, too.

Rumple is attracted to strong, intelligent women. I think that (and dark hair) are things that initially catch his interest. These were characteristics all three of the women he was involved with had. However, in both Milha and Cora these traits ultimately took a selfish form.

The central thing about Milha is that she despised what she saw as weakness. From what I've read, she's supposed to have married Rumple in the face of family disapproval. Initially, they do seem to love each other and she's afraid of him going into the army. But, when he's committed a supposed act of cowardice and she faces social disapproval for that, she winds up hating and despising him.

Marrying in the face of social disapproval is something I think Milha perceived as a brave act. The stronger the opposition, the braver she was for standing up to it. Standing by someone who was socially despised for an act of cowardice, however, might also be a brave act, but it wasn't Milha's definition of brave. I would say she went for the showy, flashy type of "bravery."

In that context, I think she would have always made a bad mother. Pregnancy is one of those things that takes any ideas you might have about being superwoman, chews them up, and spits them in your face. If you don't learn to cut back, your body will cut back for you.

On top of that, taking care of babies may require work and sacrifice, but it's not Milha's definition of brave. Brave is flashy and heroic. It isn't about 2 a.m. feedings and dirty diapers.

I think this also explains Milha's abandonment of Bae. Babies are weak. She might have been moved by guilt now and then, but children are also weak. Someone who despises weakness would find it easier to leave a child alone in a dark house with an open fire under the theory that he should just cope than someone who can see a child's weaknesses as things that define adult responsibilities.

It also explains how she could rationalize wanting to meet Bae again when he was "old enough." When Bae is "strong," when he's capable of taking care of himself, he's a person she can put up with. If he never reached this point--even if scars from parental abandonment and growing up in want played a major role in his never reaching that point--she probably would have just despised him for being weak and a failure rather than admitting personal responsibility.

By the way, it makes me understand her attraction to Hook better. Hook of S2 is a horrible person. He's a bully and his only ethical code is the strong get to prey on the weak (unless "the weak" happens to be him or someone he cares about. In that case, someone's going to pay). But, he has the one characteristic Milha values.

I will skip a lengthy discussion of Rumple picking a person who was ultimately as selfish as his dad. I'm not sure if Milha showed major warning signs of this when they would have been courting (the medieval word for dating). But, he may not have recognized signs because of his background. He also may have seen some things in Milha that were like things he loved in his father (even kids from the most messed up families find things to love in the worst parents).

Moving onto Cora. Cora was also strong and determined. Like Rumple, she was a peasant who had been badly treated by others. Unlike him, much more of that bad treatment had come from people who were high up on the social scale.

When Rumple gets vengeful, it's nearly always about people who have threatened those he loves. This is different than when he does things like torture Robin Hood. OK, that wasn't a good thing, but his attitude was quite different than when he went after Regina for harming Belle or when he killed Hordor and his men.

Rumple knows what it's like to be the guy everyone thinks they can step on. If anyone treats him like that, they're in for it.

But, he wouldn't rip his heart out to do it. He wouldn't sacrifice those he loves or stick them with paying the price for his own safety. Hey, he'll even fight the dad he's still terrified of to protect Bae (rather than take Pan's deal, which would have been far less dangerous than grabbing Bae and running) and Henry.

So, I think the DO part of Rumple saw Cora as someone very like him. The inner Rumple also saw someone very like him and failed to see the ways in which they were different.

Which is the opposite of the mistake he made with Belle. By the time he met her, he saw all the things he was afraid of and couldn't see the reasons not to be afraid.

Belleislove

I know this is very simplistic, but I think Rumple was tired of being alone. And here was someone who had a similar blood lust and need for vengeance. Her being tripped by Eva was such a ridiculous reason for revenge but Cora was a heartless crazy person even before ripping her heart out.

I think their "relationship" hopefully, just lasted a few days or weeks. I think the actress playing Cora tried to make more of this relationship in her interviews, than there was. I don't think it was any kind of deep love or great romance. It was actually disturbing.

I think what was important was that he couldn't get over that someone ripped their own heart out rather than be with him. It goes to his reasons for spurning Belle in Skin Deep. "No one could ever love me." His father, Milha, Cora, all chose something or someone else over him and didn't care about hurting him. I think it wasn't until after Belle left that he realized that she was different. I think the stuff in his past was to how very special and once in a lifetime his love with Belle is. I think that is the important thing about that episode. And then he had the phone call with Belle where he talked about how that "had never happened before" that he wanted to go back and be the person he was.

I don't think pre-Dark One Rumple would have given Cora the time of day. He was a good, gentle man.

But both Dark ONe Rumple and spinner Rumple love Belle.

I enjoy hearing everyone's points of view on these stories!!

Kelaine

I think pre Dark One Rumple would have felt sympathy for her. But, soon as he got to know her, he would have been the one to walk away (as fast as he could). I think you're right that loneliness played a big part in his attraction to her.

I don't know if she played him. Did she recognize his weakness and manipulate him to turn the deal to her favor from the beginning? If she was attracted to him, I think she was more attracted to his power than to Rumple himself..

Belleislove

Agreed. She would never have loved the man he was, the simple man who just wanted a home and family.