I already about Redsnow but what about Redbeauty in the series? When would you make them canon and would they be endgame?
I'm getting in a fistfight with Kat about it, because hell yeah, I'm making them endgame! Just look at them! LOOK AT THEM!!
LOOK AT HOW GOOD THEY ARE TOGETHER
LOOK AT HOW EASILY THE PARALLELS DRAW THEMSELVES
JUST—
LOOK AT IT
It's a Beauty and The Beast tale that's so beautiful, so organic, so obvious it requires no effort!
If the show had gone with the friendship version, I would have been satisfied!! It'S THAT GOOD ON ITS OWN. BUT JUST IMAGINE THEM, TOGETHER, ROMANTICALLY!!
WLW BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, WITH THE BEAST BEING A GENTLE, SCARED WEREWOLF THAT'S ALSO THE BIG BAD WOLF AND RED RIDING HOOD.
They would have gotten awards, man. Awards.
Endgame for sure, if I had a say in it. But, more of the torturously, maddeningly slow burn variety, ya know?
A good, detailed, looooong period of yearning. Quiet longing, in between the breaths of their friendship. Made longer (and hungrier) by Ruby's reluctance to act on her feelings and, in doing so, risk Belle's safety.
Then, thanks to Belle's brain and boldness, they take that first step into something more. It's scary. More so for Ruby. Belle is scared of very little, but being unworthy of Ruby's precious heart. (Snow gave her The Talk).
The moment they're established as a couple. When they interact with the main cast as a pair. When their bond is recognized and utilized. When we get to see how they act outside of their bubble, tested by the elements, by others, by the plot, by the enemies. How they talk when things are boring, how they joke (they joke a lot), how they hold each other, help each other, love each other, make each other better.
Then, a phase for some distance. Some friction. Maybe even rupture, brought about by external forces. Love is still there, but maybe they need to step back. Maybe something misguided, maybe something true, something earnest, something naive, something brave. Sacrifices, recklessness, fear, (always fear). They are forced apart.
They're forced to look back at their relationship from a distance, and wonder, and reflect, and grow.
Some more earning. Now, with a taste of what they've had, and what more they can have. Even deeper. Passion turned to real love. True Love. Tested, once again. Proven true. Proven worthy. Worth fighting for (sorry, Mulan).
They reach out. They are brave again. They try. They dare. They're together. And they stay together. To the end.
robert saying aaron is sleeping like a baby, because of course he had a restless night’s sleep and watched aaron sleep for at least an hour before he finally got up, running a hand through his hair occasionally, watching as aaron barely stirred
Back with another question about rewrite of the show, how would you write redbeauty into the plot
Oh my! I have the vaguest memories of my favourite fics of Back Then attempting to re-write (or wishful think into—) canon and make Red Beauty flourish instead of whatever we got over the course of S3 onward... You'll find some on this list.
I think maaaany of the general elements and feelings behind the creativity of the Red Beauty fandom of the time would make it into my headcanon. They had a great grasp of their dynamics, of the promises of the Beauty And The Beast tale, of their wonderful potential... I'd be borrowing from the collective passion to write something today.
To be brief, I'll give you a short list to summarize my Red Beauty dreams for a canon gone by.
Friends to Lovers — We watch their friendship steadily develop into a gentle, yet solid, romance. Their feelings grow from a stubborn crush and suppressed passions, and blossom into love; doing so despite Ruby's crippling insecurities, Belle's selfless reservations and the looming, threatening presence of Rumple.
Medium Burn — not too fast (Ruby has fears), not too slow (Belle has needs).
Ruby x Rumple — This, standing only as a contrast for Belle to reflect upon (to resent or admire). There is no cheating, there is no affair, there is no major jealousy storyline. There is, simply, a pair of Beasts in Belle's life, wrestling with their beastly side in different ways. One significantly more inviting than the other.
Rumbelle naturally faces their challenges, independent from Ruby's influence — the same bumpy course we observed in canon, only, this time, reaching a definitive, rupturing end. They collect failure after failure, disappointment after disappointment, telling themselves they should keep on struggling and hope there's something on the other side.
But it wears Belle down, and she recovers from each loss and defeat in Ruby's presence, learning that there are better, less destructive and selfish ways to cope with one's inner darkness. Having this refreshing point of reference for a "Beast In Rehabilitation", Belle is encouraged to give up on her fruitless, costly efforts to find the tiniest goodness left in Rumple. She leaves him. Not for Ruby. But she will find her eventually.
The Ghost of Peter — Non-negotiable for any and all Ruby's ships (except maybe Red Queen.... fight me). Ruby's greatest fear and the biggest, strongest hindrance in her (accidental) quest for love. Once the spark with Belle is fed, their flame begins to scare Ruby to a certain distance. It's not that she's been burnt before. It's that she's set fire to someone before; it's that she's stood in their ashes. She doesn't want Belle to me the same fate as Peter. And she repeats it to herself, at the same rate Belle tells her "it won't happen again".
Belle Meets The Wolf — A must. So that Ruby's fear will take a considerable hit, and she'll know that even tiny Belle can hold her own against the Big Shy Wolf. Also, a wolf ride, maybe.
Maurice's Disapproval (Not That Belle Needs It) — much like with Rumple before, Belle's father is strongly opposed to Belle's dangerous taste in partners. This time, it's made worse by the fact that Ruby is a werewolf. And a woman. Belle insists that she doesn't need his permission to be happy, and that she knows what's best for her own self in her own life. She tries telling Ruby the same, but it takes longer to stick. For a while, Ruby indeed tries to prove to Maurice that she's worthy of Belle's love (despite not fully believing that herself). She promises him she'll keep Belle safe, and she'll try her best to make her happy. Maurice can't be convinced (or can he?)
On the other end of that, we have...
Snow's Blessing (Not That Belle Was Super Eager To Have It...) — Once Snow learns of their relationship, she makes sure to tell Ruby she's happy and hopeful for their future; that she sees their immense potential, and that she knows Belle is the one for Ruby. Belle pretends not to be excited to have Snow's approval.
Rumple Is Watching — Is he the jealous type? Is he a danger to Ruby? Will he respect Belle's wishes for space and independence? Will Hook provoke and humiliate him until Rumple's wounded ego consumes his best attempt at Good, and he takes action to punish the "dog that stole Belle from him"? Unsure. Only time will tell. But he sure is menacing, standing in the shadowy corner there, watching them go on cute dates. Yikes....
Three Little Pigs — Another Ruby Centric Episode we were owed by law. Belle is there for that. Also by law.
The Lacey Problem — Hook comes to royally (pirately~) mess things up. Rumple tries to keep Belle from the ugliness of their feud, but it goes wrong, she gets pushed over the Town Line — and Lacey emerges. Now, Lacey is trusted to Ruby's care, but, oh... Ruby worries about the Ordinary World learning about supernatural creatures, her relationship with Snow is becoming unfamiliarly tense, and she's unsure how to reconcile those fears with Lacey's existence — and Belle's buried conscience. It's an awful time for their relationship and it suffers greatly. Mostly at Lacey's careless hands.
Maybe the time for some Rumple Relapse. Inversely to Belle's kindness, Lacey is drawn to Rumple's darkness, and they "re"connect over their common deviancy. Now Ruby watches powerlessly, deciding whether or not to intervene in their old/renewed toxic relationship. "What Would Belle Want?" is a question she relies on the most, but without Belle there to be sure, Ruby is trapped in her lonely conflict.
When she does tries to gently convince Lacey away from Rumple, she's met with a harsh, unforgiving bluntness that cuts to her core. Lacey weaponizes Belle's masterful interpersonal, emotional insight, with none of the tact or kindness, as she dresses Ruby down (maybe literally? 👀) to her most pathetic essentials. From then on, Ruby is too weak and scared to fight.
Shattered Sight — The Lacey "curse" is broken somehow (let's leave that open for now), and Ruby and Belle are picking up the pieces of their relationship. Belle is apologizing for Lacey's cruel words (and acts? 👀) and Ruby is apologizing for her cowardice.
They're still finding their footing as a couple once again, when The Ice Queen comes in (if we absolutely MUST have that Frozen Arc....). She brings along her Shattered Sight Spell, that forces the darkness out to the surface of everyone in town. For Snow and David, it means being a little bit bitchy and snarky. For Belle, it means some Lacey-like impulses. For Ruby, it means the Feral Beast she once was. This is then the time for Belle to fight for Ruby, and rescue from her a truly helpless darkness — and solidify her apology in the meantime.
They revisit their very first "argument", for a chance to prove their stances for good.
No Rest For The Werewolf — They're enjoying what feels like a Relationship Renaissance, in the height of their blissful reunion after so many prolonged periods of melancholy. But nothing lasts forever, and a new villain is coming to fuck shit up worse than Hook. Oh, look, it's Cruella, her gin, her hair, and her terribly inconvenient powers of animal persuasion — that happen to influence werewolves. As her special kind of magic is revealed, Ruby is forced to go in hiding for her own good.
We briefly enjoy a somewhat apprehensive, but stubbornly brave Red Beauty retreat in the woods, as they shelter in place and wait for the Cruella Circus to be over. Ruby once again apologizes for the horrors that come attached to her nature, and Belle insists there is nothing to apologize for.
Something goes wrong (again, leave that open; maybe blame Emma and Snow), and Ruby falls into Cruella's trap. She's made into her pet, and Belle has to, once again, fight to save her.
To Be Continued...
Honestly, it's what I've got so far! Where do we go after this alternate S5? I have yet to untangle the many storylines in my head. I'd love to see them in The Underworld, so that The Ghost of Peter can be addressed, and Belle can have the blessing of a Werewolf Supremacist (that is mildly annoyed that a princess wants to "rehabilitate" her daughter). There are many ways I want Belle's and Ruby's individual character arcs to develop and intertwine and aid and challenge each other, but that is a task for later.
Belle getting deeply annoyed when people think her research with Ruby is just an flimsy excuse to...well "research werewolves with Ruby". Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Just infuriating. Any sex they may or not be having (it's a lot) is totally incidental to the cause of advancing knowledge!
Exactly! Yes!!
Is she coincidentally collecting information on a werewolf's strength as they experiment with bondage? Yes, sure, of course. But it's not why they're doing it! Are they going through a lot of different materials to see what will hold? Yes. Are they adjusting their approach based on the results? Yeah, duh! But it's not research—
And sure, knowing the extent of a werewolf's stamina is useful for calculating how many water bottles and energy drinks to bring into the bedroom (and how to space the five-minute breaks between the sessions.....) but that's not why they're pushing so hard. Belle has even lost track of time! If that's research, she's doing it poorly!
And, yeah, Is a werewolf's speed a convenient addition when you only have a ten minute intermission between two very serious appointments you can't reschedule and you suddenly need to tidy things up and get dressed before the next stranger knocks on the door? Sure. Would they try their luck at getting caught if Ruby couldn't move as fast? Probably!!
Does a werewolf healing factor come into play when you are riding the highest of highs, on the top of your world, queen of your domain, drawing orgasm after orgasm from your girl? Yes, it does. Does it help to know how far she can go before she taps out? I mean, yeah. Is it longer than most? Definitely. Is Belle curious to find her limit? Naturally! She wants her reign to last for as long as it can!
It's not that she's actively researching her girlfriend, it's that some knowledge is good to have and some knowledge can be put to test in a fun way! It's just that! She swears!
FANTASTIC! If by werewolf "hunting" you mean werewolf seducing....... Yes, completely. Belle has a 100% success rate. Of course, she's only ever met one werewolf and she didn't even put up a fight.
THOSE HEELS!! She goes through all that trouble, feet killing her at the end of the day, for Ruby to be taller than her still, on flats. I love them
Ruby tem muita coragem de sequer pensar em soltar piadinhas sobre alguém considerando o teto de vidro enorme que ela tem na cabeça
Hahaha, Realmente, é um assunto delicado.
Mas tem uma razão para tudo...
O nervo exposto da Belle, irritado com piadas sobre sua altura vem da constituição sensível que não aguenta mais ser subestimada; constantemente vista como fraca, vulnerável e inferiore, só porque ela é mulher, uma princesa, ou pequena. Uma piada sobre altura às vezes encosta nessa insegurança.
Com a Ruby, é aquela boa e velha fraqueza maior — e tão tão profunda —, que fere ao ser dehumanizada e reduzida ao animal que faz parte de sua natureza. É o receio em ser vista apenas como lobo, besta, monstro, e não como ser humano.
As duas têm seus motivos para reagir às piadas da forma que fazem, sem dúvidas...
E com Red Beauty, há de se entender que nenhuma iria ativamente machucar ou ofender a outra, se tivessem plena consciência do que estão fazendo.
Agora, Red Lace é outra história.
A comunicação de Red Lace se dá sobre uma fundação que é 80% piadas de cachorro e de altura.
There's a quote in "Werewolves of London": "The werewolf is neither man nor wolf, but a Satanic creature with the worst qualities of both." Red Beauty scenario where Belle finds this in a book doing research and being horrified when Ruby agrees with it. Just a lot of weeping on both sides.
that is BRILLIANT, anon!!
may I interest you in some fluff instead?
quer dizer que a pobi da belle é mais baixa que a ruby em ambas as formas dela? baixofobia
A Belle compra os stilettos mais altos que eles vendem em Stoybrooke e, mesmo assim, a Ruby é mais alta que ela em flats. O acordo gentil entre as duas é que a Ruby se limite a saltos baixos, ou a Belle nunca vai alcançar a altura para um beijo em pé.
