[Keb]

Oh. I use biological age to differentiate from chronological…those who were frozen by the curse (most of the FTL characters) are 28 years older chronologically than they are biologically.

Those who were in Neverland (Hook & Neal) or otherwise frozen agewise by magic (like Aurora or Rumple) at some point may be even older chronologically. But biologically, they are whatever cumulative age magic did not affect them for. So Rumple is still around 50 biologically despite being a good 200 chronologically.

[Keb]

Yeah, my sister and I were just dissolving into giggles at how perfect that sequence was.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

She also pulled that book out in the brief scene with her mother in 406. Clear shot of the title there.

This title for an ep made me squee so hard.

But I also fear it. Every time there’s an ep I’m really looking forward to…pain follows fast.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

Every time this comes up they bring up the question of who is and isn’t in the underworld…I’m about 75% sure that they’re going to hand-wave it away as “Neal has no unfinished business because he died a hero.” To me, that’s BS–he never even got to see his son again before he died, after being separated for over a year, and THAT was 4/5ths of the reason he tried to bring back his father–he wanted to be with his son (and, yes, Emma).

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

There have been some serious inconsistencies with the way the writers have portrayed Belle, but I don’t think Emilie’s wrong on this part. Belle wants Rumple in her life, because she loves him and believes in true love, but she also values her dignity and not hurting people and she’s trying to balance her values and desires at this point.

I think what Emilie is expressing is that Belle was never dependent upon Rumple for happiness; she finds her happiness through helping others. Part of why she’s struggled with the relationship with Rumple is that he’s never let her help as much as she wants to–from that moment in Skin Deep where he chose power over love the first time with her. When she’s been happiest with him is when he has accepted, or pretended to accept, that she has a lot to offer him (and, yanno, wasn’t hurting people that she knew about, cuz that matters too)–that is, when he’s treated her as a partner and included her in his plans. That’s what she wants out of their relationship, aside from the love.

I think this explains why she’s been able to leave Rumple when he’s gone too far in the past for her, and also why she’s been willing to go back. She knows she doesn’t need him–but she always wants him, and wants what she, definitely an idealist, believes they could have together.

But of course some of it is just the writers trying to have their cake (drama) and eat it too (Rumbelle magic). That ridiculously fast-paced whiplash OOC breakup-makeup at the end of S5A was totally that, and not even a partial resolution to the issues they created in S4. The caring, daring Belle they crafted in earlier episodes wouldn’t have showed up at the well to break Rumple’s heart; she would’ve shown up at the fight to help her beloved survive, and then explain things there. The confident, fed-up Belle we’ve seen elsewhere wouldn’t have run back into his arms just because he was trying to protect her, but might well have decided to try things again–slowly. But of course there is no time for that.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

It’s to be expected that a child actor would have limited time to be on set, but it’s possible to still give him an important, central role without his being on screen as much as, say, Hook. They managed it in Season One.

Belle’s OOCness has been really obvious the last few episodes. Thing is, Belle’s character was set up with, aside from her love of literature, to have three main desires:

1. To be a hero.
2. To be with her true love–on terms that didn’t violate 1 (essential to her integrity/goodness).
3. To see the world.

With the exception of Camelot and her rare centrics, they’ve denied her any opportunity to do 3. 2 would end the angst that they clearly prefer to keep Rumbelle mired in. 1 she is constantly, though it’s rarely acknowledged and they really don’t seem to know how to integrate her into the cast even though they’ve half-developed relationships between her and every single one of them that would be fascinating to explore further. Instead of sticking to things that seem truly derived from her goals and character, though, they’ve largely just had her fill necessary positions (google exposition, for example) as needed.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

Welp. A&E said it in the one interview. They’re with the fairies. Not even with Belle because “Who is Belle?”

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

I don’t trust these guys to do it well but you COULD have a very interesting LGBT relationship with Dorothy and Ozma, who is canonically magically trans in the books. And who kisses Dorothy every time they meet (but in the 1910s that wasn’t as sexual a thing as it is now, to be fair).

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

The comment about the fairies collecting Neal and taking care of Baby Hood and Roland was made when they were transported to the Duckpond of Doom, before Hook’s death. This was when they believed they were unwillingly going to the Underworld, not the next day when Emma convinced them all (presumably) (except Belle!) to come with her to save Hook.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Keb]

I’m with PoM. Though, to be fair, a Rumbelle baby does not have to be a “replacement” for Rumple. It couldn’t be if the characters are at ALL IC (Rumple was willing to die for his son, and Belle knows and respects that), but that doesn’t mean Belle should be denied kids with her true love just because Rumple lost his son. Or that Rumple should never have another child.

Keeper of Belle's Gold magic, sand dollar, cloaks, purple FTL outfit, spell scroll, library key, copy of Romeo and Juliet, and cry-muffling pillow, Rumple's doll, overcoat, and strength, and The Timeline. My spreadsheet: https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6r8CySCCWd9R0RUNm4xR3RhMEU/view?usp=sharing

[Author]

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