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a-monthly-rumbelling · 2 months

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March Prompts

Moodboard:

Non-smut: relation, painter, hiccup

Smut: Choosing to do nothing is still a choice after all.

Random: (song lyric): "I'd rather be a hammer than a nail." Simon and Garfunkel - El Condor Pasa

gif:

A reminder for all:

If the prompts are 3-5 words you don’t have to include all of them. Imaginary bonus points if you do :) but zero stress they just have to include a couple in some fashion so it fits the prompt.

If the prompt is a quote you can include it at any point, it doesn’t have to be the opening line.

If the prompt is the image moodboard (multiple images) you can be inspired by one of them, be inspired by two, be inspired by the lot, get a feeling from the thing and not one of the images specifically - it’s all good. There is no wrong way to approach this.

If the images on the moodboard are of Robert or Emilie’s non-rumbelle characters (eg Rush, Macavoy, Claire, Heiro…), don’t feel you have to use that character. They’re just there for a bit of variety.

Anyelle and anyem are welcome if you do want to use them, though!

if you are inspired by the gif prompt, similarly, your creativity is your only limit. It’ll be a real treat to see you might come up with.

Happy Rumbelling!

#a monthly rumbelling #march prompts #amr prompts #rumbelle fic

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eirian-houpe · 6 months

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TMI Tuesday

I'm still here, kicking and screaming - and counting the days (count them, 13 working days) until Winter Break.

Here are some thing that have been on my radar, to relative degrees this week:

An upcoming reboot of prompts for A Monthly Rumbelling. Stargate Atlantis Rumbelle Secret Santa Grammar - Relative pronouns/relative clauses.

A Monthly Rumbelling: The astute and observant of you may have noticed that I haven't posted new prompts for AMR for a while now. Not for want of doing so, but - brutal truth moment - only ONE person (rumplesrose) was posting anything regularly, just as the year or so before, @peacehopeandrats was practically keeping the site alive, and when their account went away, and time became a premium for me, something had to give. Sadly that was one of the casualties, and you know what...? No one even voiced a concern either.

Now, I know that fandoms have slowed down, and especially older fandoms like Rumbelle, but that was disappointing. However, I refuse to give up on Rumbelle as long as even ONE person is still writing for the fandom, and I know there are folks out there that are, I will provide prompts, and so - with December - AMR will reboot.

Stargate Atlantis: When the show was still on air, and because I knew I wouldn't like what they did with certain characters in what turned out to be their final season, I set out to write my own season 5, and for years the resulting fics sat, first on a fic website that shall not be named, and then a personal website. Now I've started the mammoth endeavor to post them to AO3.

The other day I posted the first part of the second 'episode' - Chain of Command. Feel free to ask about that fic, episode 1 (Harm's Way), the series, or anything you want to know about it.

Rumbelle Secret Santa: We are in the writing period of this fandom event. I can't wait until the reveal stage where the whole fandom will benefit from the glorious gift of new Rumbelle fics. If you're participating, don't forget to enable anonymous asks, so that your Santa can contact you, and please remember to answer your Santa's ask. They may be waiting on you before they start to write for you.

Grammar: Relative pronouns/clauses: No, honestly, no link to this, (unless you really, really want one). It's just what we were teaching in class today. It does bring to mind a recent writing question though, and turning TMI Tuesday on its head, here is my question to you all: By what criteria do you categorize a fic?

#tmi tuesday #asks #send asks #send me asks #ask me anything #ama #RSS #rumbelle secret santa 2020 #amr #a monthly rumbelling october 2020 #sga #stargate atlantis #harm's way #chain of command #stargate atlantis VS5

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peacehopeandrats · 1 year

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Monster in the Storm - Chapter 6

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold

Characters: Belle (Once Upon a Time), Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Gideon (Once Upon a Time), Original Characters

Additional Tags: Angst, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, casual nudity, A Monthly Rumbelling (Once Upon a Time), A Monthly Rumbelling March 2020 (Once Upon a Time), Missing Years, Travel, Family

Series: Part 2 of Rumbelling Shorts, Part 5 of Growing Up

Summary: Inspired by the March Monthly Rumbelling. The Golds have moved into a new town home and Gideon meets a young girl who convinces him that their fathers are more alike than he could ever have imagined. The problem is, only one of them is the real “monster” and Gideon needs help to see the truth. An eventual chapter of Growing Up.

This is complete to a point, but will be expanded on as the next parts of the Growing Up series are worked on. For now, it is only the very beginning, though there WILL be resolution for Gideon’s new friend.

Please note warnings for implication of domestic violence (NOT related to the Golds) and casual nudity (which IS related to the Golds).

Read previous chapters on AO3

Monster in the Storm - Chapter 6

“Surprised you didn’t break anything falling down those steps the way you did." The medic's voice was soft in Rumple’s ear, contrasting the sharp sting of antiseptic that was being used on his cheek.

Rumple released a disinterested snort, one he hadn't used since before the final battle. “Maybe I’m immortal.”

"Immortals can still break bones," the man said. "At least in most of the stuff I've seen. But who knows? Maybe that's the stuff of Hollywood legends." He winked before removing his hands from the wound, leaving Rumple free to turn back to the house and take in the chaos around him.

Only three police cars had arrived, along with this ambulance, but it seemed as if ten men had come in each vehicle. Officers were everywhere; on the porch with their assailant, in the house with Belle and the others, even standing around in the rain. Everyone was talking to someone except for the two standing guard over John. That pair, a man and a woman, had been looming over the drunk since he’d been pulled from the bush and deposited on one of the porch chairs. Like gargoyles at night, they looked out from the corner of the Golds' porch, as if expecting some sort of rescue operation to be attempted.

Read more on AO3

#rumbelle #angst #Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence #casual nudity #missing years #family #travel #a monthly rumbelling march 2020 #a monthly rumbelling

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the-chipped-cup-awards · 3 months

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2024 Chipped Cup Awards - Masterlist

Here, once again, are the winners of the 2024 Chipped Cup Awards

FLUFF:

Family: Tea and Roses by @thatravenclawbitch

Comfort: Struck By a Golden Arrow by @avatoh

Fix-it: Ritual by @peacehopeandrats

Reunion: A Dream is a Wish by @rowofstars

SMUT:

Kink/BDSM: On The House by @kelyon

Romance: Brandy, Apples, and Spice by @rufeepeach

Comedy: Accidents by @peacehopeandrats

Threesome: Fulfilling a Fantasy by @thescholarlystrumpet

First Time: Queen Takes Knight by @emospritelet

PWP: In the Dark and Wicked Hours by @rowofstars

ANGST:

Death: Strong for Belle by @desperatemurph

Hurts So Good: To Have and To Hold by @thatravenclawbitch

Misunderstanding: Unexpected But Not Unwelcome by @tickletorso

ROMANCE:

Date (overall) Lost and Found by @peacehopeandrats

Courtship: The Sweetest Dream by @threepwoodmarley

First Meeting: Portrait of the Heart by @chippedcupwrites

GENERAL:

One Shot: Pages of Reverie by @chippedcupwrites

Series: Lover’s Leap by @eirian-houpe

Novel Length: Mountains, Streams, and Magical Things by @peacehopeandrats

Short Fic: Babysitting by @timelordthirteen

Holiday Centric: Brandy, Apples, and Spice by @rufeepeach

Remix: Our Masks by @lotus0kid

Crossover: A Blade for Belfrey by @eirian-houpe

Dark Castle: Marble by @peacehopeandrats

Storybrooke: Leaving Storybrooke by @peacehopeandrats

"Missing Years": The Tent of Infinite Adventure by @peacehopeandrats

Wish!Verse: Deception by @eirian-houpe

SPECIAL CATEGORIES:

Golden Lace: The Storybrooke Whisky Appreciation Society by @threepwoodmarley

Woven Beauty: Undefined Desires by @worryinglyinnocent

Background Swanfire: To Have and to Hold by @thatravenclawbitch

Afterlife: Granted by @peacehopeandrats

Drama: Love Me Before the Last Petal Falls by @deliriumsdelight7

Supernatural/Sci-fi/Horror: The Cunning by @mareyshelley

Comedy: Lacey and the Tramp by @chippedcupwrites

AU-Original: Wretched Beginnings by @poorobscureplainandlittle

AU- OUAT: Tales of Gold by @JurisLadyAnna

AU-Other Media: The Black Swan by @deliriumsdelight7

Creature: The Finfolk’s Bride by @chippedcupwrites

Unexpected Twist: Contract by @kelyon

Bobby Squared: A Blade for Belfrey by @eirian-houpe

Trope: Love Me Before the Last Petal Falls by @deliriumsdelight7

English Language: To Nurse by @charon53

EVENTS

RSS: If You Will Be My Queen by @eirian-houpe

Fluffapalooza (Fic): The Tea Shop by @peacehopeandrats

Fluffapalooza (Art): Kiss Me Again, It’s Working by @milaeryn

Monthly Rumbelling: The Landlord and the Princess by @Rumplerose (AO3)

CHARACTER AWARDS

Belle: The Not So Dark One by @charlotteashmore13

Dark One!Belle: Rags to Riches by @alphashley14

Lacey: Sore Hearted Souls by @nerdrumple

Spinner!Rumple: Witch and Spinner by @Strummer_Pinks

Dark One!Rumple: Gilded by @eirian-houpe

Wish!Rumple: Once There Was a Wish by @peacehopeandrats

Mr. Gold: The Caretaker by @thestraggletag

Detective Weaver: Forgery by @peacehopeandrats

Baelfire/Neal: A House Built With Love by @of-princes-and-savages

Gideon: Finding You by @clarahue

OC Rumbelle Child: The Zoo by @peacehopeandrats

Villain: Cora in On the House by @kelyon

BFF/Wingman: Mountains, Streams, and Magical Things by @peacehopeandrats

ART

Fan Art: Kiss Me Again, It’s Working by @milaeryn

Graphic Art: And Love is When Someone Who Even KNows Your Scars Stays To Kiss You by @chippedcupwrites

AU In Art: Belle Isn’t Fascinated by the Idea of Marrying Gaston by @notonlymice

Fluff Art: Belle French and the Dork One by @chippedcupwrites

Angsty Art: In My Memory It Doesn’t End by @ace-cf-cups

Comic/Graphic Novel: Wearing Each Other’s Clothes by @angelqueen13art

Use of Color: Kiss Me Again, It’s Working by @milaeryn

Video: Your Beauty Never Ever Scared Me by @chippedcupwrites

SUPERLATIVES:

Best Artist: @chippedcupwrites

Best Author: @kelyon

Best New Author: @ace-cf-cups

Best Rumbelle Fic: The Language of Flowers by @deliriumsdelight7

Best Anyelle Fic: Let’s Spend the Night Together by @ifishouldvanish

Best Anyem Fic: Tyger Tyger by @shakespeareanhoneybadgers

Rumbelle Lifetime Achievement: @jackabelle73

#the chipped cup awards #cca 2024 #award ceremony

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wastingstarsss · 4 months

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So, if you haven’t seen on discord, we’ve decided to start a new lil hobby in this wonderful community. Welcome to Rumbelle Weekly Drabbles!! Oo I’m excited 🥳 . The task is as followed: send in your prompts, and then we’ll use those prompts to write a 100 word Drabble each week. I’m not entirely sure how this is done in other fandoms, but I’m taking the reins for this in this one. So I’m thinking, if you guys send in your prompts through the ask box, I’ll shuffle them up and make a list, and then that can be our prompt list for the month! And once this list has been completed, I’ll post it here on my account so it’s an easy find for anyone who wants to join in. We’ll use the tag: #rumbelleweeklydrabbles -and be sure to let me know if you want me to tag you in any posts! When people post their drabbles, I’ll share them on here and add them to the tag, so they’re all in one place- and that goes for if you post them on tumblr or ao3.

Prompts can be anything btw- a word, a phrase, a song, an image, a theme. Go nuts ❤️

Have fun! Write, write, write. And send in your prompts!! I’m going to set the deadline as the 8th January, to give you all a week for the prompts to be given in. Once they’re given in, there will not be a deadline for drabbles to be written, so just have fun with it ❤️ I’ll be joining in too.

Not to be confused with @a-monthly-rumbelling which is still up and running!!! And I fully support the account, and would love to join in if I could. Real life gets in the way of doing fics these days, and I personally find drabbles easier to do when I’ve got a lot going on. Hence why I’m excited about this project. BUT AMR is not stopping at all, and I fully encourage you to go join it ❤️

(Also just to let you guys know, I’m doing this all on mobile cause I fucking hate tumblr on desktop. Idk if this will get in the way of any formatting or what, but it’s just something to keep in mind.)

#rumbelleweeklydrabbles #rumbelle #rumbelle gif #belle french #Rumplestiltskin

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deliriumsdelight7 · 1 year

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Rumbelle: The Great American Baking Show AU

Oh man this would be so much fun to watch!

1.) Instead of Great American Baking Show, because I feel like a big American version would ruin the feel-good tone of the original, let’s go with the Great Storybrooke Bake-Off. It’s time for the mayoral election, and Regina, wanting to clinch more votes, comes up with the idea for a fundraiser event after seeing her adopted son, Henry, enjoy the show.

2.) Contestants are: Belle French, Sister Astrid, Leroy (who found himself signing up when he found out Astrid was partipating), Granny Lucas, Ashley Boyd, and David Nolan. Archie Hopper hosts and provides emotional support. Judging is done by Mr. Gold and Emma Swan. Winner gets a free month’s rent.

3.) Astrid and Leroy are eliminated the first round - Leroy because he’s never baked in his life and accidentally substituted salt for sugar, Astrid because she tripped and dropped her entry on the floor moments after she finished decorating. Leroy considers the entire thing a worthwhile experience when he gets the nerve to ask the pretty nun to dinner. Seeing Gold’s face pucker when he took a bite of the salty confection Leroy made was just an added bonus.

4.) Ashley and Granny are eliminated the following round. Both are decent bakers, but nobody counted on David being a whizz in the kitchen. Soon, it’s just Belle and David. During an intermission, Gold eavesdrops on a conversation between Belle and Archie, and discovers that Belle plans on using the money she saves on a month of rent to help fund the public library where she works. Having a long unspoken crush on Belle, and being the manipulative little shit he is, Gold resolves to judge her final bake the winner before he ever even tastes it. But his plan falls apart when Belle forgets to preheat the oven, resulting in her serving a gloopy, undercooked mess. Gold is forced to (fairly) declare David the winner, feeling something curdle in his stomach when Belle offers a teary yet heartfelt congratulations to the man.

5.) A week later, Belle is going over the books in the library. When she checks the library’s account balance, it’s higher than she expected - by the exact same amount as her monthly rent payment. Confused (and honest to a fault), she cuts a check for Mr. Gold and brings it to his shop. After some fumbling back-and-forth, during which time they both confess their mutual feelings, Gold asks Belle out to dinner. She agrees, under one condition: they go back to her place for dessert.

#headcanon ask game #Rumbelle

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kelyon · 1 year

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I love reading all the rumbelle secret Santa fics but have always been scared at getting a random prompt. Since the prompts are not your own idea how do you even start building a story on a random prompt?

Okay, you should definitely enter Rumbelle Secret Santa BECAUSE you're afraid of it. This is one of the most low-risk fears you will ever face. All of us will be happy to receive new Rumbelle content! Like all fanfic, it does not have to be good to be lovable! And with an RSS fic, it doesn't have to be long or thought out or anything. Just do your best!

On to the actual question.

I think prompts can be divided into two basic categories. They are either A) broad enough that you can wrap your own story around the prompt, or B) specific enough that you pretty much know what kind of story the other person wants. Either way, it's a framework. It's a tree that you get to put lights on.

My writing process is always about questions. So prompts are kind of fantastic for me. For example, last year my giftee had the prompt "begging on his bended knees," which I turned into a fic Begging On His Bended Knees.

Now, because I'm a smut writer (and the RSS form lets you chose if you want to write and/or receive smut), my mind when to exactly one place: Femdom. Because this is the Rumbelle Secret Santa (and my giftee hadn't asked for a non-Rumple and Belle pairing, which is also an option), I had a pretty good idea of who was begging on their bended knees.

Of the main writing questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why and How), I now had some of the major ones covered. Rumple was going to be begging Belle for something sexy.

In a fandom as AU-heavy as Rumbelle, the When and Where are very important. A common question you'll see Santa's asking their giftees is if they want the fic to be set in Storybrooke or the Enchanted Forest. This also brings up the question of where the characters are in their relationship. It's equally valid to write Belle and Rumple as married for years, dating but not living together, "platonic" friends or co-workers, flirty acquaintances, sniping enemies(to lovers), cordial strangers/neighbors, or people who are meeting for the first time and may have wildly inappropriate first impressions of each other.

All of these scenarios are good! Every one of them has potential to be a great story! No matter what you pick, it will be somebody's jam.

In my case, I knew that I had Dark Mistress coming up, so that freed me to write the type of femdom that would never happen in that fic. (Another reason I love RSS, it gives you an excuse to work on some smaller ideas or elements that I've had to cut from other fics. Another gift exchange fic, Presents uses some concepts that I had toyed around with for Golden Cuffs.) So now I knew that my RSS fic would be a Storybrooke/real world AU.

Having done all of that mental work, I could focus on the meatiest questions of them all, Why and How. In this case, Why would go back to Who. Why is Gold begging Belle for something sexy? Who are they in this fic that they have that dynamic? Why does Belle have sexual power over Gold? Why would he give her that power? In a femdom story, punishment is fairly expected. Why does Gold want to be punished? How is Belle going to respond to his begging?

Focus on these sorts of questions and you have a Gold and a Belle that are specific to this fic. They both want something from this situation they're in--can they get it? How? What's stopping them?

And never forget the most important question to any story: What happens next?

There are a million prompt lists floating around Tumblr and the greater internet. Try to find one of those and just practice telling yourself a story. You could also look up the moodboards and prompts for @a-monthly-rumbelling. Just be free, be loose, know that you're going to make mistakes but it's better than not making anything.

Best of luck with prompts. Hope to see you at the RSS.

#tmi tuesday #rumbelle secret santa #rss

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itssandgirl · 4 years

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Summary:

She's nothing like the rest of the people of this quiet provincial town.

Yes. She was different from the rest odd.odd little Belle French and her unusual way.

Rated T, fic available on Ao3; copy/Paste desdemona_1996_writes

#rumbelle fic #a-monthly-rumbelling #rumbelle fanfic #a monthly rumbelling #rumbelle prompts #rumbelle au #another mad dash to post #11the hour posting #the 11th hour #this didnt work out the way i wanted #still needs work

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joylee56 · 4 years

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Fic Research

I just spent an hour looking up and calculating take home pay on minumum wage in 1986. The life of a fic writer is strange.

#a-monthly-rumbelling #Untitled May a monthly rumbelling fic

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once-upon-a-ouat · 5 years

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“In Love”

Summary: Mr Gold might have noticed a thing or two in Belle that remind him of what love feels like. But he simply can’t fall in love.

Word Count: 828 words

Written for prompt “One rule: no falling in love” by @a-monthly-rumbelling.

First Rumbelle fic so let me know how I did.

Read on FFN or AO3

“One rule: no falling in love,” he’d said, a bit out of breath due to her still close proximity.

She’d nodded and she’d kissed him again, taking him by surprise. He hadn’t thought she’d agree. She seemed like the kind of girl that fell in love even with the everyday things. And so, he’d made the most of their first kiss, thinking that it would be the last, thinking that she’d run away when he posed his condition. But she pulled him into another kiss instead, knocking all the air out of his lungs, and he held onto her waist, afraid he’d drift into oblivion if he let go.

Her hair was so soft under his touch. The softest thing he’d ever felt. Everything else seemed rough under his fingertips after that, leaving him with the feeling that it would cut through his skin and make him bleed. So he never wanted to touch anything else besides the soft locks of her hair. He couldn’t wait to feel the silkiness of her curls under his fingertips in the end of a long day. It felt exquisite to tangle his fingers in her hair after the harshness of sheet after sheet of paperwork and draw her in for a kiss.

Her smile was the brightest thing he had ever seen. It had the power to outshine the sun and blind him. When she smiled, the whole room lit up and there was no place for his darkness to hide. It slid off his shoulders and allowed him to take a deep breath without having to worry about it crushing him. So he did everything he could–being as selfish as he was–to make her smile and, ironically enough, he found out that her smile was the widest when he did things... things that a good man would do. Her whole face lit up then and her eyes shined like stars.

Her eyes were endless oceans of kindness that he could drown in even though he knew he didn’t deserve it. He was a horrible person and the only fate befitting him was merciless suffering. To him people were marionettes that he could manipulate to his own interest instead of humans he should treat with kindness. And she’d seen that. She’d witnessed it herself. She knew it to be true. Yet, when she looked at him, there was only understanding and sympathy in her eyes. And he wanted to lose himself in them and forget all those horrible things he’d done that only seemed to weigh on his conscience when she was within reach.

Her touch was so gentle when she held a book or put her hand on his shoulder. As if she was afraid that both the old books in his library and his battered soul, hidden in the guise of a snarling beast, would crumble underneath her fingers. But that tenderness was what pulled at his heartstrings and unraveled his mind, leaving him a brainless, painless mess in her hands. Her fingers running through his hair and her hand in his soothed him easier than any magic would.

Her quiet presence immediately provided relief when he woke with a start in the middle of the night from another nightmare. The very fact that she wanted to stay at his side was comforting to no measure no matter how hard he tried to convince himself otherwise. She was always so open and unguarded around him as if he could never hurt her when they both knew it to be otherwise. Yet, she didn’t find the need to raise walls to keep him from hurting her. She left her heart unprotected out in the open and he could swear that the trust she showed him would be the death of him. He could easily pull her apart with his words only and then there’d be nothing of him left.

Her words spoke of intelligence and insight but she never used either of these as a weapon. Where he’d snap at someone, she would encourage them. Where he’d rub salt in the wound, she’d say the right thing to soothe it. Everything she said was well thought out but not for personal gain. She chose her words carefully to avoid hurting anyone whereas his purposefully cut like a knife. But the things she spoke softly to him rounded the sharp edges of his very thoughts. Just like everything else about her made him a better man.

“One rule: no falling in love,” he’d said, hoping that she’d walk away, desperate to protect himself from the love she could offer him. Because he was weak. And he was a coward. And he would do everything in his power to make sure his heart was safe from pain. Because love was only strength when you had it. But when you lost it, it could destroy you. Yet, he still couldn’t find it in himself to rip it out of his heart.

#once upon a time #ouat #rumbelle #belle french #mr gold #rumplestiltskin #a-monthly-rumbelling #fanfiction #my fanfiction #my writing #operation end

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woodelf68 · 2 years

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The Hunt For The Green Unicorn

This was supposed to be a fill for both the February @a-monthly-rumbelling prompt "I think we're lost" and for @fluffapalooza, but stuff like broken keyboards happened and I couldn’t get back into it once I missed the event deadline. But I was not going to let the year end without even one Rumbelle fic posted, so here is my very belated offering. This is part of the Floofy!verse, where Neal didn’t die, so the Nolans named their baby Daniel.) Rated G

*****

"I think we're lost," Rumpelstiltskin said mildly. "That's the third time we've seen that picture of the ship.”

The hedge maze had been Regina's contribution to Storybrooke's Summer Arts and Crafts Festival. Magically created, its walls were hung with framed pieces of artwork that were for sale, art that visitors could take down and purchase once they found their way out of the maze.

Belle glared at the offending painting of a tall ship under full sail. "Yes, but..." She glanced around in frustration. At first they had simply meandered, taking their time to look at the art on display, but when they had started seeing the same pictures twice, they had started paying attention to the twists and turns they were taking and actively trying to find the center of the maze, which they presumed held some kind of unicorn -- a statue, maybe? -- and the path which led out of the maze. They had passed by the entrance of the maze again, just as Henry and Grace and the Tillman kids were coming in as a group, chattering amongst themselves, but Belle had ignored it. She knew the proper exit lay on the opposite side of the maze, where an enchantment kept anyone from entering via the wrong opening, and she had no intentions of giving up and admitting defeat. "I'm sure we've tried all the paths!"

"Hmm." Rumpelstiltskin adjusted the baby carrier on his chest, wee Jenny so far having been amazingly good, held snug against him and entertained by all the new sights and sounds. She'd given them a scare, having arrived early, but was now nearly two months old and as bright-eyed and healthy as could be. "Methinks Regina might have built in a little magical misdirection. What did it say about the maze in that flyer you were given?"

Belle fished the folded paper out of her pocket. "The Lair of the Green Unicorn," she read.

“If the way you cannot find In the leafy paths entwined Look for the words that you would sing Hearken to the Lizard King.”

She looked at Rumpel doubtfully. She might have thought the reference to lizards a jibe at Rumpel's appearance in the Enchanted Forest, but he had certainly never sung, at least in her hearing. "Do you -- "

Rumpelstiltskin’s face cleared as a Curse memory surfaced. "Back this way, I think." It only took a minute for him to find the portrait that he had remembered passing more than once. He nodded at it. "Jim Morrison, of the Doors. He was known as the Lizard King."

“Why?” she asked, mystified, studying the young man in the portrait. He was undeniably attractive, all tousled dark hair and sharp cheekbones. She knew that he’d been a rock star who had died tragically young, thanks to her own belatedly received Curse memories, but they offered no further information regarding his moniker. There was nothing lizard-like about him.

“I have no idea,” Rumpelstiltskin admitted.

“Hm.” Something to look up later. Belle read the words printed out at the bottom of the portrait. "Break on through to the other side?" She prodded experimentally at the sturdy walls of the hedge, the branches strong enough to support the weight of some heavy picture frames. "Surely we can't be meant to literally break through the hedge? We'd need a chainsaw. Or a fireball."

Rumpelstiltskin glanced along the hedge to the left of the portrait. The next piece of art hung a good three feet down, leaving an unadorned section of greenery. It hadn't stood out as unusual before, because there were other similar gaps where people had taken down art to purchase. However, now that he concentrated, he could feel the faint hum of magic in this place.

"I think it's a bit simpler than that." Cradling Jenny's head protectively with his left hand, he reached out with his right, trailing his fingers over the hedge to the left of the portrait, until the feel of leaves under his fingertips vanished into nothingness. Grinning, he moved forward slowly, his outstretched arm disappearing, his body following as he met no resistance. "Illusion," he called back. "Come on."

Belle pushed the stroller -- currently laden only with their diaper bag and some purchases she had already made -- forward, following in his wake as the front wheels disappeared from view. "Oh," she said, as she emerged into the what was obviously the center of the maze. "Oh, that's beautiful." She circled around the life-sized topiary unicorn, admiring it from all angles. A green unicorn, indeed. She glanced back at Rumpel and Jenny with a smile. "Look at the unicorn, sweetheart, it’s made entirely from leaves! Well, sticks and branches, too. What do you think of it, Jenny?”

Rumpelstiltskin turned so Jenny was facing the unicorn, moving closer to it. “If we were in the Enchanted Forest, you could see a real unicorn,” he told her. Jenny gurgled and kicked her legs.

“It’s too bad she isn’t older, I bet a little girl would really like this.”

“Maybe Regina can preserve it,” Rumpelstiltskin suggested. “Or recreate it when Jenny is older. We can ask her. In the meantime, why don’t you take some pictures of it?”

“Yes, of course!” Belle took out her phone and took a few pictures of just the unicorn, from different angles, and then instructed Rumpelstiltskin to pose in front of it with Jenny in her carrier.

“Now you,” said Rumpelstiltskin, and took Jenny out of her wrap and transferred her to Belle’s arms. He took a few pictures and they were just about to leave via what they could see was a straight path to the outside that opened up on the opposite side of the clearing from where they’d entered, when Henry and his friends came stumbling in.

“Oh, awesome!” enthused Henry, circling the unicorn. “I knew Mom had a surprise planned but she wouldn’t tell me what it was. I was thinking that maybe she’d have a horse from the stables corralled here that she’d enchanted to look like a green unicorn.”

Belle looked around assessingly. “Bit of a tight fit to build a pen in here. And the horse would graze the area bare in no time. I think it looks better like this, but...it’s an interesting idea. What about having a live animal outside, for a photo opportunity? Or even to give short rides to children? Rumpel?”

“Such a minor alteration to a horse’s appearance should be a relatively simple thing,” he admitted. “Although personally I think a normal coat colour would be more attractive. And I think we could attach a fake horn without even needing recourse to magic.”

“Maybe you can just dye a horse’s coat,” suggested Nicholas.

“It would have to be a light colour to start with,” said Ava.

“Well, I’ll suggest it to Regina as a possibility for next year,” said Belle. “I’m sure it would be a huge draw.”

“I’d like it,” agreed Grace. “And whoever is in charge of the unicorn could dress like a princess.”

“What if it’s a guy?” asked Henry.

“Well, a prince, then. Or really, any Enchanted Forest type clothing would look nice.” Grace found herself becoming increasingly interested in the idea. “Tell your mom a real live unicorn -- even if it’s only a horse in disguise -- would be really, really cool,” she told Henry.

Henry laughed. “All right, I will.”

*****

The popularity of the maze and the topiary unicorn ensured that it became a permanent fixture and symbol of the fair. Each following year a new design submitted by a high school student was chosen to be used in promotional art, and the elementary school students were allowed to choose a name for the unicorn, with “Leafy” ending up the winner. Neal’s art booth -- a mix of pre-drawn pictures and done-as-you-wait caricatures of the fair’s visitors -- experienced a boom in business when he began adding a cheerful cartoonish unicorn to the caricatures, interacting with the guests. As for the maze, to keep things interesting, each year Regina changed the location of the hidden opening to the center, and hung art with different clues to mark it. The second year the hidden gap was marked by a psychedelic print entitled “The Doors of Perception”, the third year it was some cover art for Jules Verne’s “Journey To The Center Of The Earth”, and the fourth year, after the library had hosted a showing of the extended editions of all three Lord of the Rings movies, with costumed attendance encouraged, there was an illustration of the Doors of Durin.

Belle grinned when she saw it. “Here,” she said confidently, holding firmly onto Jenny’s hand after their daughter had tried to go charging into the maze ahead of them. She read out the translation of the elvish lettering in the picture. “Speak friend and enter.”

Rumpelstiltskin ran his hand along the empty space of hedge to the right of the artwork, encountering only the feel of more shrubbery. “No, it must be somewhere else.”

Belle shook her head with a smile. “Don’t you remember? You have to speak the elvish word for “friend” to get the doors to open.”

“Ah, right.” It was a simple enough magic for Regina to manage. He got out his phone, intending to google it. “So what’s the -- “

“Mellon!” commanded Belle, extending her free hand in a dramatic gesture, and the gap in the hedge appeared.

“Yay!” cheered Jenny, and tugged her mother through into the center of the maze. Leafy was an old friend by then, and she demanded to be lifted up to pat his nose before posing for their yearly photos. Then she hurried her parents down the exit path, nearly vibrating with excitement. Last year she had been judged too small; this year, she knew, she was big enough.

In a shaded enclosure close to the maze’s exit stood two unicorns, with two more hooked to the spokes of a nearby pony wheel, carrying their riders around in a sedate circle, their coats gleaming in white and multiple shades of green. Jenny ran to the enclosure and tried to coax one of the other unicorns close enough to pet.

“Ah, do I see a potential customer?” Jefferson inquired with animation. He was attired in a billowy-sleeved shirt and waistcoat, a light cravat loosely wound about his neck. Boots and light cotton trousers completed the look -- he was all for the aesthetic, but he was not going to wear leather trousers or a heavy coat in summer if he had a choice about it. And since he was volunteering his time, he did. When Regina had liked the idea of having a live “unicorn” on hand for visitors to see three years ago, Grace had immediately volunteered to help out, but Regina had told her she would need to have an adult present as well to supervise things. So when Gracie had come to him with a pleading expression on her face -- well, Jefferson would have done a lot more than babysit one enchanted pony that first year to make his little girl happy, even when one unicorn turned into four the next year. He quite enjoyed being Keeper of the Unicorns, actually, there were worse ways to spend the day than making kids happy. And Grace, as she’d promised, did more than her fair share of the work keeping the animals fed and watered and their pen clean, and walking beside some of the younger riders to make sure none of them fell off. “Five dollars a ride, only the finest steeds in all the realms.”

“I’d hate to see what would happen if we told her ‘no’ this year,” said Rumpelstiltskin, watching Jenny with a smile. “So, yes, you have a customer.”

“Excellent!” said Jefferson, jumping up from his folding chair. He glanced towards the pony wheel, where their two actual ponies were already in use, young Danny Nolan perched atop the smaller and sturdier Figment, his father walking by his side, and Alexandra Herman riding the more elegant, all white Cloud, with Grace -- in a flower crown and delicately embroidered green gown -- walking by her side since Ashley Herman was pregnant enough with Alex’s future sibling to prefer watching from the relative comfort of a simple wood plank bench. Jefferson checked his pocket watch.

“Figment’s about ready to come in,” he said. “He’d be the best suited to Jenny’s size. Or if she really wanted Cloud, Alex has about five more minutes on her.”

“Figment will be fine,” said Rumpelstiltskin.

“I want Toby,” said Jenny,

Jefferson glanced at the pinto in the pen -- not a pony, but a compact sized horse, his normal dark brown patches now a dark glossy green that contrasted beautifully against the white of his coat, both his mane and his magically attached horn two-toned. “He’s pretty, isn’t he? But so are the others, and Toby is for the big kids like Henry,” he said, thinking, to himself, or small adults like your parents. “What if some taller riders come along that couldn’t ride the smaller ponies because their feet would be dragging on the ground? It wouldn’t be fair to make them wait for a turn when you could have taken a pony, would it?”

Jenny chewed her lip contemplatively, her sense of justice appealed to.

“He has a point, sweetheart,” Belle said gently. “Do you want Figment to think that you don’t like him? And think of it this way, while you will eventually grow out of Figment, you will grow into Toby; there will be many more years yet for you to ride him.”

“But what if Toby’s bored and no one comes to ride him?” Jenny tried one last tack.

Jefferson laughed. “I can assure you, he’s quite happy grazing there in the shade, with Ginger for company. Just walking around in a circle can’t be very exciting, after all.”

“Oh, all right,” Jenny agreed.

Jefferson checked his watch again. “Perfect timing,” he said. “All right, David,” he called. “Time’s up. How was your ride, Danny?” He went to stop the walker while Danny was lifted down from Figment. The normally dun pony had turned a rather attractive mossy green under Regina’s spell; each pony’s natural coat colour influencing what shade of green they had become. He checked to make sure that Figment’s girth was still snug and his saddle blanket smooth while Danny said it was good and he was going to be a cowboy when he grew up. David grinned and prompted his son to say ‘thank you’ for the ride and then they left, and Jefferson allowed Figment a couple of swallows of water out of a bucket before turning back towards his next customer.

“All right, Jenny, you’re up. And I need someone to walk beside you. Mom? Dad?”

“I’ll do it,” said Belle, stepping forward with Jenny.

Jenny was nearly vibrating with excitement as she was boosted into the saddle and Jefferson made sure the stirrups were the right length for her. She grabbed onto the pommel of the saddle for lack of anything else to hold. “That’s right, hold on tight. You don’t have to do any steering, just relax and enjoy the ride. And whatever you do, do not kick Figment to try to make him go faster. If I see you doing that, your ride is immediately over. Got it?

Jenny looked alarmed. “I won’t. I promise.”

“Good girl. All right, off you go.” He started the walker again, and retreated back to his chair. He looked at Rumpelstiltskin and nodded towards the bench where Ashley Herman sat. “Why don’t you take a load off your feet?”

“I think I might,” Rumpelstiltskin replied, and approached the bench. “Might I join you, Mrs. Herman?”

“Of course.” Ashley patted the empty space beside her. “And just “Ashley” is fine, “Mrs. Herman” is what Alex’s friends call me.”

“Ashley, then.” Rumpelstiltskin looked at the young girl riding Cloud. Her back was straight, her heels were down, and her hands were resting lightly on her thighs instead of holding on to the pommel or a handful of Cloud’s mane. In short, she looked perfectly capable of trotting away on Cloud if only someone would unhook the pony from the walker so they could go for a proper ride.

“Alexandra’s riding lessons going well?”

Ashley laughed. “Very well. She’s started going over low jumps already. I thought this would be too boring for her this year but she told me it would be good for her to practice her balance. Any time on a horse’s back is a good time for her.”

“How are you? And the baby?”

“Oh, we’re fine.” Ashley looked down at her belly, cupping the roundness of it. “This little one is very much making their presence known more and more lately. Not a fan of being kicked from the inside, but aside from the usual pregnancy woes, it’s been nice being able to share this with Sean this time, nice being able to look forward to being a mom. I didn’t get to do any of that the first time,” she said wistfully. “No picking out baby names, no decorating the nursery, no buying things for the baby. Just becoming increasingly aware that I could not bear to hand over my daughter to be raised by strangers once she was born but not seeing a way out of it.” Her gaze rested on her poised, confident daughter, every inch a princess on her steed.

“I’m sorry for my part in your unhappiness the first time,” said Rumpelstiltskin softly, his eyes on his own daughter.

“Why?” Ashley shrugged. “You didn’t force me to sign that contract; the idea of a child seemed so far off and distant when I didn’t even have a husband that the thought of giving one up didn’t really mean anything to me at the time. I couldn’t think that far ahead; I just knew I had to get out of the situation I was in at the moment. If it wasn’t for you,” she added philosophically, “I wouldn’t have Sean, and I wouldn’t have Alex. I can’t regret anything that led to this place.”

“Wise words,” said Rumpelstiltskin. “You have grown and matured into a woman that any child would be lucky to have for a mother.”

Ashley flushed with pleasure. “It’s hard work, but it’s worth it.”

“It is indeed.”

Ashley saw the softness in his eyes as he watched his wife and child. “So,” she said conversationally, “Any plans for a second child for you and Belle?”

“I think we’re happy with just the one. Besides Bae, of course. And we’ve got Henry to spoil. I know that Belle has been enjoying going back to work part time at the library now that Jenny has started school. She’s invested in making sure the children’s section is up-to-date and interesting.” He grinned.

“Well, Alex appreciates all the horse stories that she stocks.” Ashley grinned back. “Any animal stories, really. But horses are her favourite.”

“I would never have guessed,” said Rumpelstiltskin with a deadpan expression. “And Jenny seems to be following in her footsteps. What is it with girls and horses?”

“They’re beautiful and they let you ride them. What’s not to like?” A thoughtful expression crossed her face. “Hm, care to make a deal?”

Rumpelstiltskin’s eyebrows rose. “For what?”

“Babysitting trade,” said Ashley matter-of-factly. “You look after Alex for an evening, and Sean and I will do the same for Jenny. Alex has a lot of horse stuff that they could play with. Or they could watch a horse movie.”

“Date night?” asked Rumpelstiltskin knowingly, and Ashley nodded.

“It would be nice to have an evening alone with Sean before I get too big to do anything, she said, and then flushed as she realised that that might have been too much information. But still, he was a father too, and he and Belle must face the same lack of privacy with a young child in the house. She shrugged and added recklessly “Might as well enjoy the pregnancy hormones.”

Rumpelstiltskin snorted, but he remembered when Belle had been pregnant and her libido had soared. They, fortunately, had not had to worry about a young child interrupting them, though. “I don’t see why not, as long as Belle approves. Why not make it a sleepover if the girls want to? You’re right; I think they would enjoy themselves.”

“A sleepover would be great,” said Ashley fervently. “Talk to Belle and get back to me if she’s agreeable, we’ll work out a good night for both of us.”

Rumpelstiltskin looked at Belle walking along beside Jenny on her unicorn pony, making sure she didn’t fall off and listening as Jenny chattered happily. No need to worry about making noise or being interrupted, he thought with pleasure. No need to stay in a locked bedroom. No need to rush. Just his beautiful wife, and the house all to themselves for the night.

“Daddy!” Jenny called, as the pony walker carried her close to where he was sitting. “Are you taking pictures?”

Rumpelstiltskin hastily fished his phone out. “I am now!” he called, snapping a few photos while she was close and nobody else was in the way. He made sure that Figment’s horn was clearly visible; while long enough to clearly mark him as a unicorn, Regina had sensibly kept the ponies’ horns on the shorter side, for fear of them accidentally hurting themselves of one of the other ponies due to suddenly having a sharp, pointy thing on their heads that they were not used to making accommodations for. The ponies had adapted to them quickly, however, and seemed not at all bothered by them. Belle saw him holding his phone up and waved with a smile. He quickly snapped a picture. As Jenny moved away from him and Alex and Cloud came into view, Grace keeping pace at their side, Rumpelstiltskin took pleasure in the sight of the three girls, healthy and happy and knowing that they were loved and wanted. Which reminded him -- he turned back to Ashley.

“Do you know if you’re having a girl or a boy?”

“Yes,” said Ashley. “It seemed silly to waste time picking out two sets of baby names that we liked when we didn’t have to.”

“And?”

Ashley grinned. “You get to be surprised when they’re born, just like everyone else.”

“Fair enough,” Rumpelstiltskin allowed.

Ashley watched the two girls riding on their ponies, noting with amusement that Jenny was copying Alex’s posture, although she kept one hand on the pommel of her saddle. “What about you?” she asked. “Before you knew what Jenny was going to be, were you hoping for anything in particular? Boy or girl?”

“As long as they were healthy, of course nothing else mattered, but if I had been given a choice -- I’d already raised a little boy; I was hoping for a little girl,” Rumpelstiltskin admitted.

“So you got what you wanted,” said Ashley with a smile.

Rumpelstiltskin watched his wife and daughter and knew how very lucky of a man he was. “I got everything that I wanted and more.”

#rumbelle fic #rumbelle #ficwoodelf #the hunt for the green unicorn #a-monthly-rumbelling #the floofy!verse

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a-monthly-rumbelling · 3 months

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February Prompts

Yay, we survived January - Let's make February a good month for fics!

Moodboard:

Non-smut: Game night with friends

Smut: Battle, berry, sports, hypnotize

Random: (Movie quote): "The key to a woman's heart is an unexpected gift at an unexpected time." - Finding Forrester (2000)

gif:

A reminder for all:

If the prompts are 3-5 words you don’t have to include all of them. Imaginary bonus points if you do :) but zero stress they just have to include a couple in some fashion so it fits the prompt.

If the prompt is a quote you can include it at any point, it doesn’t have to be the opening line.

Anyelle and anyem are welcome if you do want to use them, though!

if you are inspired by the gif prompt, similarly, your creativity is your only limit. It’ll be a real treat to see you might come up with.

Happy Rumbelling!

#a monthly rumbelling #amr prompts #february prompts #rumbelle fic

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eirian-houpe · 2 years

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TMI Tuesday

Welcome to November!

Phew, it’s been a while, right back at the beginning of October to be precise. Honestly, work has been kicking my arse, and I’ve been too mentally exhausted to do more than come home and play mindless video games. Well, not quite mindless, but...

Anyway, with a new month (and a new year for me), I’m going to see what I can do to change that. I have my new office furniture (and it helps me feel like a grown up at work), and of course it’s November, and we all know what that means, right...?

NANOWRIMO!

I’m going to participate again this year, like every year, but I’m not going to - or try not to anyway - get bent out of shape if I don’t keep up. The link above will take you to the site in case you feel like signing up to join me. I will be making my daily progress posts - going to try and be creative about it this year.

With that, I’m also going to try and shake things up a bit here, so that I don’t keep repeating myself day after day. So TMI Tuesday will be a bit of a ‘behind the scenes of Eirian’ kind of thing.

Like I said, work has been kicking my arse. I work as a special education teacher in high school, and as you can imagine the beginning of ANY school year is busy, but considering that I am the only member of a new team that was at my school last year, the other team members are looking to me for guidance a lot of the time. I don’t mind that, and it’s a great time, but it does mean there’s a lot, a lot, a lot to do.

In other news, and probably related tbh, the twin orcs of depression and anxiety have also been doing their fair share of arse-kicking. Now though, I’m kicking back. Does it mean that I am (grudgingly) embracing ‘the list’ - you bet it does. I’m just hoping there are folks who are willing to remind me to be kind to myself on the days I don’t get to the end of the list. Full disclosure - the monster in my head that gets on my case when I DON’T get to the bottom of a list is why I am super resistant to list-making.

Those I guess are the negatives. So the positives...

I recently officially took over stewardship (and I like to put it that way) of A Monthly Rumbelling. I have learned to make moodboards - and I love it!

I have an amazing husband, and my Tumblr family are awesome as well. (You know who you are!)

Writing wise, I want to be working on Disparate Pathways, and after that, I am not sure which fic I will go to for focus, and of course, just because I have a focus fic, doesn’t mean I don’t also work on other fics as well - or at least that’s my intention, so... why not drop me an ask and let me know what you’d like to see updated. If you drop me an ask like that, I’ll give you a tidbit for the named fic. How’s that for a fair exchange?

Otherwise, here are some other suggestions for you...

Ask suggestions

Ask something about any of my fics (full list is below the cut). If you want specifics from some fics that are already outlined, you can ask about:

Disparate Pathways, Chapters 46 through 56 All Our Past Mistakes, Chapters 11 through 44 Lover’s Leap Series, Stories 15 through 31 Time’s Curse, Chapters 4 through 10 Laer o Faen, Chapter 27 & 28 Stargate: Atlantis, Harms Way or any of the 20 fics in the series.

Ask something of any of my characters in general or you can get really specific if you like - for example you might want to ask Gold from Pawn Shop a question about a chapter, a thought, a feeling… (the world is your oyster really)

Ask about my process as a writer, what makes me tick,, or even ask about me personally. Almost nothing is off limits.

Also, if you want to see a specific character or fic featured in Three Things Thursday, or Saturday Secret, feel free to send in prompts, if no one does, then either the choice will be random or they just won’t happen at all. I made an analogy for why that might be in a different post about a car stuck in the mud with spinning wheels. Those wheels are still spinning!

Please remember: if you read a fic you enjoyed on AO3 or on Tumblr (not just mine), please take the time to comment and/or leave kudos, and to reach out on TMI Tuesday. It means a lot to the writers and artists.

You can find all my fics currently on AO3 here, and there is a full list under this cut.

Storybrooke’s Best Kept Secret - Rumbelle

Darkness In Hyperion Heights - Woven Beauty au

Seven Tastes - Rumbelle

Tuesday - Rushbelle AU

The Language of Flowers Series - Rumbelle

Disparate Pathways - Rumbelle AU

Scattered - Rumbelle AU

All Our Past Mistakes - Rumbelle AU

What the Actual Fuck! - Sutherelle

Breathe - Rushbelle

The Lover’s Leap Series - Rumbelle

Awakening - Rumbelle

War Is Coming To Storybrooke - Rumbelle

Given No Choice - Rush

Thoughts On A Happy Ending Series - Rumbelle

Darker Hearts Series - Wish!Rumbelle

Modern Wonders - a OUAT/Alice crossover

Time’s Curse - Rumbelle

The Pawn Shop On Main Street - Rumbelle

The Mansion On the Edge of Town - Rumbelle with a side of Jefferson

Cobra: In Your Prayers - Cobra/FatWS/UC:Undercover et al

To See Series - Rumbelle

Nobody Knew (Bingo) - Rumbelle

Secret of the Seas - Rumbelle AU

Butterfly and Phoenix - ST:DSC

Laer o Faen - Tolkien

Ship’s Rats - ST: DCS

I Amar Boe Men Heb - Tolkien

Coming Down - Halt and Catch Fire

Armor of Ice - Halt and Catch Fire

Duath i-Achas Eriol - Tolkien

Balance of Terror - Sleeper Cell

What To Believe - UC: Undercover

If: In The End - UC Undercover

Precious - The Mummy Series

Forbidden - The Mummy Series

Power Is - The Mummy Series

Angel of the Heart - The Mummy Series

Star of the Morning - The Mummy Series

Not Yours To Keep - Foundation (TV)

No Saving Throw - Stranger Things

Here are fics that haven’t yet been started, but are in the Muse’s bucket.

The Miner’s Day Festival - Rumbelle

Aftermath - Rumbelle (with a side of madness)

Saving The Dark One (WT) A twist on a twist of Rumplestiltskin.

Brought To You By The Color… (Red)

Calcul(us)

(In)consistent equation

The Boston Storybrooke Line

Breaking the Waves (Movie AU)

ILP (or IEP) for Rumple.

One Last Wish

In Service to My Son

Playground Games

Bright Eyed and Bushy Tailed

“Only Remembered For What We Have Done.”

Librarian: UC

Exquisite Harmonies

#rumbelle #TMI Tuesday #send asks #send me asks #ama #ask me anything #feel free to prompt me #nanowrimo2022

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peacehopeandrats · 2 years

Text

Monster in the Storm - Chapter 5

Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Belle/Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold

Characters: Belle (Once Upon a Time), Rumplestiltskin | Mr. Gold, Gideon (Once Upon a Time), Original Characters

Additional Tags: Angst, Implied/Referenced Domestic Violence, casual nudity, A Monthly Rumbelling (Once Upon a Time), A Monthly Rumbelling March 2020 (Once Upon a Time), Missing Years, Travel, Family

Series: Part 2 of Rumbelling Shorts, Part 5 of Growing Up

Please note warnings for implication of domestic violence (NOT related to the Golds) and casual nudity (which IS related to the Golds).

Read previous chapters on AO3

The Monster in the Storm - Chapter 5

Rumplestiltskin knew what was coming. He’d seen the anger of drunken men too many times in his life to ignore what came with harboring the victims of their aggression. Addictions of any kind altered even the most tender of hearts, shifting their intentions. That lesson he knew all too well. Darkness, drugs, alcohol, each vice had the same overall effect on a person. Eventually it turned them into a hideous beast, even around the people they loved.

So he and Belle made quick work of cleaning and bandaging Vivienne’s wound. Neither of them had to speak about what the other needed to do, they simply took up the tasks as if they were trained surgeons, anticipating each other’s movements until the job was complete. The teamwork went beyond gauze and tape, though. Rumple already knew what plan Belle was concocting, just as she already knew his. It had been a long time since he’d had to piece together so many lies to cover his tracks or keep his family safe, but after seeing what this madman had done to a woman he supposedly cared for, Rumple took pleasure in piling on as many falsehoods as he could muster.

Gideon wouldn’t be safe here, neither would Belle, though Rumple didn’t doubt she would hold her own against the tyrant who was on his way. The man was armed though, and clearly not afraid to harm members of his own family. There would be nothing stopping him from cutting or killing any strangers who held him back. Rumple glanced up from his work to watch Gideon faithfully closing blinds and locking doors. He was a good boy, with a pure heart, but he couldn’t be here for this. Damn the storm outside. If it weren’t for the lightning and rain, Rumple would have sent him down to the corner store with a cell phone and had him wait there until it was safe.