Belle

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Character Name: Belle Gold
Journal: a_chipped_cup
Age: 20s
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Canon Point: 4x22 "Operation Mongoose Part 2"
Debt:

Class A: 1
Class B: 1
Class C: 13

Prejudice against lovedones.

GRAND TOTAL: 2 years, 13 months

History: OUAT Wiki
Personality: As Belle has said multiple times herself, "no one decides my fate but me." She lives by that motto, even in Storybrooke. From her first introduction in "Skin Deep," we see that Belle decides her own path and makes her own choices, whether they be good or bad. Without knowing what will happen to her, she chooses to agree to Rumpelstiltskin's deal, entering into servitude in exchange for an end to the war plaguing her land, opting to sacrifice herself for her friends and family. Her father and fiance protest, but Belle doesn't back down. Rather than electing to stay with Rumpel once she receives her memories again and is released from the asylum, Belle preferred to live independently, working as a librarian and earning her own living. Even in the Enchanted Forest, she made her own way. When Rumpel sent her away, rather than return to her father, Belle decided instead to travel from tavern to tavern, eventually living out her dream of going on an adventure to hunt a mystical beast.

Her independence stems a great deal from her confidence and intelligence. She knows exactly who she is and what she wants, never backing down when she thinks that she is right, even in the face of insurmountable odds. She infiltrates Hook's ship, looking to recover an object he stole from Rumpel: a shawl that belonged to his son, Baelfire. Despite being cornered with a gun to her head, Belle doesn't back down or flinch at Hook's comments or cruelty. Instead, she challenges him, claiming that Rumpel's heart is good while Hook's is rotten. She believes completely that she is right in her belief of Rumpel and doesn't cower, even when threatened with her life. That confidence helps her to face down the great evils of the city, no matter how hopeless the situation. When Zelena, the Wicked Witch, comes to steal Snow White's baby with Rumpel in tow, Belle cuts her off, trying to stop her and rescue Rumpel. Without any weapon but her unwavering belief, she refuses to back down, wanting to stop Zelena and spare Rumpel from further pain. She knows that she will be knocked away (or killed), but it doesn't stop her from trying.

Her fiery spirit is often channeled into an adventurous nature. She admits freely to Rumpel that one of the reasons she elected to accept his deal was a desire for adventure, to be a hero. She applies this to just about any facet of life, not simply traveling the world, but trying new things, like various new foods in Storybrooke. It's easy to surmise that this extends to love. Rumpel, after Belle kisses him and begins breaking the Dark One's curse, accuses her of doing this as a means of living the life she always wanted, one of adventure. He isn't completely wrong, as Belle seems to view love as the ultimate adventure. She comes back, even after he lets her go, wanting to break his curse and to help him find happiness. She gives advice to Grumpy that he should pursue the one he loves, describing love as the most wonderful feeling in the world. When she is captured by Regina, Belle declares that she will never stop fighting for Rumpel. Her sense of fight inherent in her nature, a factor of her adventurous spirit, especially when applied to love.

However, this active pursuit can lead to often reckless behavior. She volunteers to join a hunting party for a mystical beast known as the Yaoguai despite having no experience or training in fighting. She throws herself into different situations, including the multiple threats that pop up in Storybrooke, without thinking, often just wanting to help. When Hook steals Baelfire's shawl from Rumpel's shop, Belle finds her way to the pirate's ship, intending to retrieve it, even though she's without a weapon or any way to defend herself. This aspect of her personality tends to place her in danger several times, as she reacts first, often without coming up with a plan. Again, her stand off with Zelena is the strongest example of this. Sometimes even her intelligence leads her to act recklessly. While hunting for Yaoguai, Belle sends a group of boorish and rude hunters in a completely different direction. This incurs their anger, causing them to attack her and, later, for one to turn her into Regina, leading to her long captivity.

That's not to say that she is a damsel in distress. Belle is capable of getting out of a situation with her cleverness. She manages to get herself free when Hook corners her on his ship by using the environment to her advantage (namely, smacking him with a hanging oar.) She devises a way to extinguish the flaming Yaoguai by leading the creature into the village and slashing the pipes above her head. It's in these situations that we see Belle's quick wits and cleverness. Later, in the Enchanted Forest, she recognizes a trap that Zelena set into place, by having a candelabra, Lumiere, try to encourage Neal and Belle to open the Dark One's vault. He makes the claim of having been in Rumpel's library for over 200 years, but Belle knows right away this is a lie as the library was built for her 30 years ago. Rather than allow her reckless nature to overrule her reason, she tries to stop the dangerous and (as we see later) deadly trap that was set for them. She might get into danger, but she has the capabilities to pull herself free. It's only when she is chained down by Regina and loses her memories that Belle is left helpless. Beyond that hindrance, she knows how to save herself.

More than anything, Belle is intelligent. She is shown throughout the show as having a love for books. It was from her mother that she learned to appreciate and love books, likely equating this pastime with her mother. Her intelligence often provides the answers that Emma and her family need when facing the obstacles that stand in their path. It's through her own research that she is able to determine what spell Zelena is trying to cast, alerting Regina and Emma to the fact that Zelena is trying to open up a portal and change the past. It's through research that she is able to discover how Rumpel came back from the dead and why Neal appears to be so sick, informing the others that a symbol on him comes from the vault of the Dark One. She is a natural linguist, capable of reading Mandarin and deciphering various runes. These skills are applied when she hunts the Yaoguai, leading her to read the creature's written appeal for help, which help her discover that he was a man under a spell. Rather than foolishly kill him, as others would have done without the proper research, Belle helps him.

Belle is a compassionate and protective woman. While others are quick to dismiss Rumpel as pure evil, Belle believes underneath that he is good and can be saved. She has a strong optimism when it comes to the ones she loves, seeing the good in everyone and never giving up on those that need her most. Even after Rumpel sent her away and responded cruelly to her displays of love for him, Belle endeavors to return and help him. Hook later infiltrates the Tower that she is held captive in by Regina, seeking her help in finding a way of defeating Rumpel. Despite it meaning her freedom, Belle refuses, believing that it is possible to help Rumpel instead of killing him. She goes so far to state that even if she did know, she wouldn't tell Hook.

It's this belief that can sometimes lead to her greatest fault, refusing to see when those she loves are lying to her. She holds so strongly to the idea that people can change or that there is good underneath that Belle can be deceived. With strangers, she shows capabilities of reading their nature and detecting their motives, such as knowing Hook shouldn't be trusted on their first encounter. But she becomes gullible when it is someone she loves. Her father and Rumpel are the two most likely to deceive her, both men lying to her at various points. Rumpel lies to Belle on numerous occasions, one particular point when he promises not to kill Regina, but then later sends a wraith after her. It's only when she catches him confessing his crime to Emma and the Charmings that Belle realizes the truth. Her father also deceives her, trying to convince her to come with him and forget Rumpel, but already has a plan in place to wipe her memories if she refuses.

The worst betrayal at all for her is when Rumpel attempts to break himself from the hold of his dagger by using the sorcerer's hat. Above everything, Belle values other's lives, never having advocated killing in the entire show. That Rumpel would descend to that level leaves her heart broken, but also with the realization that he would never choose her over his own power. Taking the dagger, she banishes him over the town line. Despite the heartbreak this causes her, she puts her well being, as well as the town's safety, over her desire to be with someone she thought she knew. Even in the face of this, she still loves Rumpel, as she says to Hook (Rumpel disguised as him.) She simply is doing what she needs to look after herself.

Belle isn't naive, however. It's just her loving personality that often overpowers her reason. Despite being betrayed on numerous occasions and harmed by others, Belle allows her heart to gain control. She forgives when apologized to, eventually letting go of grudges in favor of moving forward. Despite having told Rumpel and her father that she never wants to see them again, she forgives them both and invites them back into her life. Rumpel is forgiven because he finally opens up and lets her in about his quest to find Baelfire and her father is later allowed to join her at her wedding because of his acceptance of Rumpel and her decisions. She even forgives Regina for locking her up for more than 28 years due to her heartfelt apology.

However, Belle doesn't accept apologizes if they come too late or have been used too many times. When she banishes Rumpel over the town line, she refuses to listen to his apologies, as they are the same ones he's give before. She recognizes that he is attempting to use it as a means to have things go his way, as well as manipulate Belle into taking him back. He recognizes her pattern for forgiveness and complicity when people show remorse. However, because it comes too late, Belle refuses to back down. She realizes her fault in this regard and knows he is trying to use her empathy against her.

It's likely that Belle internalizes a great deal of her pain and trauma. In the show, she is never seen dwelling on her imprisonments, the betrayals in her life, or even losing her mother at an early age. She seems to focus on others, rather than ever discuss what happened to her. When she gains her memories back after being released from the asylum, Belle pushes Rumpel to forget what was done to her, preferring to focus on the future. This could be a means of her trying to pretend that it doesn't matter, but it shows that she is self sacrificing, to the point of self destruction. It later erupts into a final confrontation with Rumpel, Belle had pushed aside her feelings for too long, as she says to him when she pushes him over the town line. She realizes that she hadn't put herself first and that had allowed her to remain blind to what Rumpel had been doing for so long, as well as the lies he told.

Now that she has broken with Rumpel, Belle focuses on herself. It is likely that in throwing herself into dating, Belle is once again trying to forget her pain and find something good. However, she seems aware the value of having someone that makes her smile and laugh, someone that she can trust. Rumpel still manages to draw her in, despite his previous betrayal. In retrieving her heart and acknowledging the pain he caused, there is a moment in the show where Belle hesitates, looking after Rumpel and seemingly debating with herself at going back.

At the finale, though, she makes it clear that she only comes to see him to see that he doesn't hurt anyone else. That caring nature trumps her anger and frustration when she sees that he is dying, choosing instead to stay with him and share a tender moment. Overall, it's her warm heart that wins over anything else. It's what will lead her to make choices that puts the good of others before herself.

Powers/Abilities: Well read, able to pick up skills through different books and study, has a familiarity with magic.

Appearance: The Beauty

Samples:

Actionspam Sample: One

Prose Sample:

One