#tickletorso

[thestraggletag]

Gluttony, a RSS Fic

Surprise, @tickletorso, it is I, your Secret Santa! Here to wish you some early tidings of joy and bring a little smut to this festive season. I hope things there are ok (I read that the weather is awful right now, so I hope you're coping!) and that you're getting the finishing touches there for the holidays. Here is my present, which wrote itself so I absolve myself of any guilt regarding it. It just came out like that. Hope you enjoy, though!

Summary: Mr Gold had always fancied the idea of running into Belle French, the posh new town librarian, at an elegant party, wearing a designer dress and sitting next to him to share a fancy meal. The reality was, he had to admit, not quite how he had pictured it.

Ever since Regina Mills had won her first election as mayor of Storybrooke she had always had at least one scheme in the works. Her first success had been bringing back the Miner’s Day Festival, an inconsequential local celebration that, he had to admit, had turned out to be good to attract some nearby tourism. A few years later she had followed her initial hit with an expansion of the local hospital, a very popular idea by any measure, and later with the reopening of the local library. That last little bit had been good to boost real estate prices, so he had actually supported her actively. And just last year she had overseen the construction of a new playground, just in time for her adopted toddler son, a lovely little chap by all accounts, unlike his adopted mother, to enjoy it.

Sadly for the library, and the librarian, Regina’s love-affair with the public building had lasted about as long as it had taken her to understand what a drag keeping it open was to her carefully-curated budget. Royce Gold wasn’t really surprised about it. Regina tended to be, sadly, a bit short-sighted when it came to her ambitious pursuits, and dismissive of what no longer appealed to her.

Her latest scheme- some expensive vanity redecoration project aimed at “elevating” the town from solid middle-class to upper-middle-class or, even better, upper-class- had recently gone over budget, and Regina had not managed to bully the town council- bully him, mostly- to let her have use of discretionary funds. Instead, she had managed to divert funds allocated to fixing the library’s leaky roof to compensate for what money she was missing. 

Royce didn’t care much about that latest obsession of hers. Motherhood had made her ruthless in the pursuit of the sort of perfection that was finally good enough for her wee bairn. Nevermind that Henry looked like a happy, healthy, well-adapted little chap who wasn’t lacking anything that a posher town could potentially offer. Regina, however, was blind to such things and had made the betterment of Storybrooke’s social class her newest quest. She had tried to approach him as an ally first, convinced that he would see the benefits of her way of thinking. She was wrong, of course. He didn’t see the appeal in turning the town into some cookie cutter suburban monstrosity. He rather liked Storybrooke the way it was. He had selected it specifically because of its inconsequential small-town charm, and saw no need to change that. He didn’t mind having to go out of town when he fancied something less mundane or to order from outside whatever extravagant tastes might strike his fancy. Storybrooke was sleepy and quiet, and though there was definitely room for improvement, he didn’t want to change the essence of it. Small, charming and sometimes even a bit unsavoury. 

Places like The Rabbit Hole made him nostalgic for the run-down pubs he used to frequent back in Glasgow, when he was an uneducated street urchin with more ambition than sense. Regina didn’t see that in him, or chose to ignore it, thinking that whatever barbarism remained in him from his rough upbringing was a flaw he would be eager to cleanse or conceal, eager to welcome more people of “his class” in town to cover whatever filth still clung to him.

She was wrong, of course. Royce Gold wasn’t a man to lie to himself. He saw no point in it, no gain. He knew who he was, what he was. A bastard son of no one from the dodgy part of an already dodgy city. No polishing or education, both of which he had strived to get, would ever erase that, nor did he want it gone. He had grappled with the notion for years as he pulled himself out of misery one deal at a time, but he had learned to embrace it in the end. He could pretend, put on Armani and Brioni and enjoy a good bottle of Scotch, turning his head at the swill he had once upon a time guzzled down gladly, but inside he was still that small child who had grown up on the streets, grifting and fighting for whatever he wanted to own and keep. And he liked it. He liked the edge it gave him. How desperation and need had sharpened him, like a dagger. 

The mayor was blind to it, but he knew well that a bit of savagery still clung to him, coiling beneath his expensive suits. He had just learned to channel it into deal-making and, perhaps, the very occasional bout of violence. Just a little beating here and there to relieve the stress, and only ever with good reason. Like that time he had rendered Keith Nott unconscious after he had found him accosting the librarian.

His thoughts turned towards her. Isabelle French. Belle French. Belle. Not a small town girl by any means, and yet, against all odds, she fit in perfectly. She was a strange gust of fresh air, ruffling the stale stillness of the town with her quirkiness and her cultured background. He knew a posh lass when he saw one and Belle French was definitely posh. A lavish wee bird, the kind that he had never been allowed near when he was young. Private-school educated, with a fancy degree from Cambridge and a rather expensive wardrobe. The kind that only people who knew quality could appreciate, no flashy branding or ostentatious touches. But he had an eye for beauty and quality, and could easily tell her clothing was too rich for most people’s blood. Her shoes alone were decadent, and her good taste he knew was acquired from a lifetime of being around the finer things in life. She had been to his shop and correctly identified several of the most valuable antiques, which would not have appeared so to the untrained eye. 

And yet. And yet she had no trouble drinking with the miners, whose rough manners and bawdy jokes she took in stride and who she could, apparently, drink under the table. She had no trouble striking a friendship with Miss Lucas, whose outrageous fashion sense and reputation sometimes scared people away, or with Gus Souris, the shy mechanic who had a rather unearned reputation for aggression after Sidney Glass, who ran the local gossip rag on the side when he was not trying to look respectable as the editor of the Storybrooke Mirror, had blown a minor bar fight- where Mr Mius had been the victim- out of proportion in order to embellish a story. She also seemed intent on participating in all the trite small town affairs Storybrooke had to offer. She had carved a space for herself, in spite of her quirkiness, out of sheer force of will. 

He had tried to tell himself at first that all he felt for her was admiration. For how she refused to cow to Regina, or pretended she didn’t understand Mother Superior’s unsubtle jibes at her reputation for wearing short skirts or hanging around undesirable people. Then he told himself that he was a man with eyes and as such he could recognise that Belle French was, objectively speaking, an attractive woman. In the way he liked the most, disarmingly wee, with reddish-brown hair and the bluest eyes he had ever seen. With a sort of effortless elegance that could not be feigned, or copied. She was gorgeous, and he had no problem admitting that. The sort of lass too good for the likes of him.

But at some point he had to come to the painful realisation it wasn’t just her looks. Belle French, if possible, was more beautiful on the inside than she was on the outside. Genuinely kind, volunteering at the animal shelter and lending her ear to whoever had a problem and her hand to anyone who needed help. And intelligent too, not just a bleeding heart with good intentions. With a unfeigned thirst for knowledge and almost obsessive when it came to books and all the wonders that they entailed. He had been smitten by their third conversation, and in love by their fifth. He had gotten a library card only so he could check out books in order to see her, though he had to admit that her book recommendations, along with the improvements she had made to the selection of books in the library, caught his attention as well. 

Being in love with Belle French soon became the new normal for him and he told himself nothing needed to come out of it. Through some bizarre miracle the librarian seemed to consider him a friend and did not object to his sporadic visits to the library, often engaging him in conversation and keeping him for longer than he had planned to stay. And she visited him at his shop too, not necessarily to buy something but to inspect any new treasures he might have acquired. And, like the fool he was, he obliged her every time. It was nice, he told himself. And harmless. As long as he didn’t get any silly ideas about where their relationship stood and did not push things further than what was appropriate it would be fine.

He had so internalised his feelings that he barely felt a flutter in the pit of his stomach when he entered the library and saw Miss French shelving books, wearing a lovely Valentino dress in dark blue wool tweed, with flesh-coloured tights and a cardigan to ward off the chill, a wine-red hairband keeping her faintly-bronze curls off her face. Perfection, as always, and he could let himself admire it because he was in control of himself and his emotions.

He was. As long as he did her best to not look at her sleek Santoni ankle-length boots, of course. He knew his limits, after all, and his weaknesses. His disproportionate fondness for her shoes was the biggest chink in his armour. 

Like always her eyes lit up when she saw him, a delightful smile spreading across her lips. She smelt like vanilla and bergamot, with a subtle aftertaste of jasmine, a perfect winter scent. He hoped that he was not smiling as hard as he felt he was.

“Mr Gold, how nice to see you! It’s been a while since you’ve ventured into my library. How are you?”

He liked how she called it her library, like that little possessive flair in her.

“I was about to ask you the same. I heard about Regina’s latest stunt and thought I would inquire as to how bad things are.” Anyone else would have likely accused him of behaving like a shark smelling blood in the water. But not Belle French.

“It’s kind of you to ask. I wish I could say the roof could keep for a couple of months till the next budgetary meeting, but it won’t last the winter. Marco confirmed it yesterday. I’ll have to get the cash quickly, somehow. I have a bit of a supplementary income”- he had always suspected so, given her clothes and shoes “but it’s nowhere near enough for something like this. And I have savings, but I’d hate to dip into them. My mamam always stressed the importance of having savings.”

Ah, yes, Colette French, who apparently had been, in fact, French. She had told him early on that she had passed when she was still young, and small stories about her. A lovely woman and a devoted mother, apparently. He rather envied her that.

“I-I might have an alternative for you, then. An offer.” He paused, wanting to get things right. Wanting to get his offer right. “I could, perhaps, be persuaded to lend you the money, at a reduced interest rate, something negligible. After all-” He paused, feeling like he was coming across as too eager- “The library is good for the town’s real estate. Keeping it open works in my best interest. It’s just good business, you see.” Yes, that was good. Sounded convincing and appropriately self-serving.

“That’s a lovely offer, but I’m not looking to make a deal.” Belle smiled up at him, with not one ounce of distrust or fear, which took a bit of the sting out of her rejection. “I’m picking up a temporary job that pays really well, so I’ll just have to dip into my savings a tiny bit, I’ll make it up in no time after the holidays.”

He flexed his fingers around the handle of his cane, feeling a sudden and acute rage towards Regina. The library had been her project, and as the mayor it was her responsibility to make sure the town’s buildings were properly maintained. And yet she got to swan around in pursuit of whatever new fad took her fancy and it was Belle French who had to sacrifice her time and effort to make sure Storybrooke got to keep and enjoy the many essential public services the library provided.

“As a librarian you’re paid by the town to work at the library, not the other way around. And your hours are already ridiculous, cannot imagine they leave much room for anything, let alone a side-gig.”

“Oh, I don’t mind. It’s temporary, and a friend’s father owns the business, so I know I’ll be comfortable. I know what the library means to the people around here, so I’ll do whatever I can to keep it open.”

Whatever she could, apparently, did not involve making a deal with him. Which he was not going to take personally. At all. 

“It’s also not the first time I’m left scrambling for a bit of cash. Once, when I was in uni, my dad got into a bit of trouble so I got a gig as an Easter bunny for a private party. Which, I thought, would be rather charming. Only the costume was, to put it mildly, absolutely terrifying and no child wanted to get anywhere near me.”

She was a delightful storyteller, he had always thought so. Funny and engaging, both to the wee bairns that she read to several afternoons a week- he had memorised the storytime schedule so he could sneak in to “browse” and enjoy the cadence of her voice in the background as tots hanged on to her every word- and to adults. She leaned close as she told the story, pausing for dramatic effect at the right time and bursting into laughter at the end, pulling a reluctant bark of laughter out of him and looking delighted at having done so, a secretive little smile pulling at her lips. He would’ve called it flirty, if it hadn’t been directed at him.

“In the interest of looking to avoid you traumatising any more children, could I get you to reconsider my deal? It’d be the best one I’ve ever offered, some might say you’d be taking advantage of me. That would make you incredibly popular around here.”

She smiled, recognising his attempt at humour, but shook her head.

“I’ll be fine without it, I promise. Besides, I wouldn’t want a deal between us. It would… muddy things, don’t you think?”

“Of course.

He was still thinking about the library days later, as he sat behind a rented car making its way across upper Manhattan. A courageous little thing, with boundless optimism. Too good for the town she fought for and certainly too good for him. Which explained her rejection of his help. But at least that grounded him in reality, reminded him where they stood. No use longing for more.

With that finite thought he tried to relax and ready himself for the little soiree he was about to attend. He had dressed himself with care, knowing the subtle power play behind a well-tailored, black Kiton suit paired with an understated Gucci shirt and a bold tie and pocket square combo for a splash of brashness. It was his battle uniform, of as much use to him as his brass knuckles had been when he was a young lad. And to him this evening was akin to a fight.

Though people in Storybrooke thought his money came from his real estate portfolio and his profitable deals, those were mostly ways to maintain himself on top of the power structure of Storybrooke, above whatever elected official- Regina Mills, as of late- occupied the mayorship at the time. His real money came from deals, yes, but those he helped broker between companies behind closed doors in the business world. Some of the biggest mergers, take-overs or joint ventures of the past years had happened because he had acted as the middle-man, making the necessary introduction, ironing out the terms for both parties, smoothing over any perceived wrinkle. He used to actively seek those deals, when he was younger and looking to make his fortune. Nowadays he had to make himself attend a few society parties to be seen and perhaps approached, or at least partially propositioned, and he would decide later whether the deal was sweet enough for him to get involved in. Otherwise he would return to Storybrooke and bask in the simplicity of it. Another reason why he didn-t want things to change. He had sought the town out as a retreat from the corporate world, a place of escape where he could disappear until it was time to show up at another party.

He had come to this one mostly as a favour to the hostess. Corinne Deville was a longtime… frenemy, he supposed, who he kept in touch nowadays mostly so she could be his eyes and ears around the city. She knew everyone worth knowing on the island and her parties, at least, were never dull, stale business affairs. She liked to be a bit outrageous and had the money to pull it off. And she always had good booze and a lot of it, which was enticement enough. He rather thought a rooftop party in early December was a bit of a bold choice, but Corrie was like that, and the Peninsula Hotel, though not his first choice for a Manhattan stay, was acceptable. 

He arrived fashionably late, so that everyone could see him as he came in. That way he didn’t need to do the rounds and he got to see who was looking at the entrance, as if waiting for someone, and swiftly turned around and avoided eye contact when they saw him, as if afraid to look too eager or interested. Those people would inevitably approach him at some point in the evening. All he had to do was get himself a drink, something to eat, and seat himself somewhere off to a side, looking vaguely approachable. 

But first, he needed to greet the host. Corrie wasn’t one to play hard to get, thankfully, rather effusively swanning over to him to give him her customary two kisses on the air just next to his cheeks. She looked amazing, wearing a black-red orchid mermaid-style Alexander McQueen, with a voluminous stole to protect her naked shoulders from the nippy Manhattan winter air. She was clearly already drunk, yet she almost didn’t look it, managing to walk gracefully in spite of the alcohol and the cumbersome shape of her dress. He knew her too well not to notice the way her eyes were just a bit redder than usual, or the way her grip on her glass was just the slightest bit unstable. Besides, she was holding a Martini, which was usually her third drink, right after a Gimlet and a Tom Collins. 

“Royce, dah-ling, so thrilled to have you join my little party.” She smiled, all teeth, like a predator showing its weapons, and ushered him to the bar. “I’ve ordered that expensive Scotch you like to drink, had it brought specially for you. Never say I don’t do things for you. And there is… a lovely and a bit risqué food arrangement, do try it. Some very good, very expensive sushi, with a rather spectacular presentation specially commissioned for this get-together.”

He glanced to a corner of the terrace, where he could see some tables laid out, with a rather large number of people around them. 

“Some interesting antique set, perhaps?”

“Rather the opposite, dahling.”

She left him once they reached the bar and, almost against his will, he found himself curious as to what surprise Corrie had prepared for this particular evening. He asked for his Scotch, a 25-year-old Glenmorangie Signet that he hoped Corrie hadn’t blabbed about to anyone else, so he wouldn’t have to share- and sauntered over to the tables set up with the sushi, noticing again the inordinate amount of people lingering around them. Most of them, he noticed, were men.

He understood then when he spotted a foot peeking from behind a wall of people, naked and attached to what looked like an equally-naked calf. He got the gist of it right away. After all, it was hardly a novelty, though he couldn’t recall ever attending a party where sushi had been served in such a way. It was Nyotaimori, the practice of serving sushi on top of a naked woman, a fad from the 60’s born from the economic bonanza of the era in Japan and inspired by some much older Japanese food-play practices having to do with sake rather than sushi. Rather trite, in his opinion, but allowed for a bit of harmless titillation without it actually being very boundary-breaking. Something right up Corrie’s ally, risqué enough to make her party memorable but not too taboo that would get her exiled from the Manhattan social scene.

He grabbed a plate and slowly made his way along the tables, barely seeing the skin on display. It didn’t interest him much, though he was glad to see the entire thing was done in a rather tasteful fashion, with not only the bare bits of modesty guaranteed but also with somewhat of an artistic flair. The models’ important areas were covered by lovely bits of greenery and flowers- and bless Corrie for avoiding the mistletoe and holly typical of the season in favour of something less hackneyed- but there was a theme and a colour palate, with bits of the skin on displayed painted to imitate the swirling brushstrokes of vaguely-oriental designs in different shades, depending on the model. 

A glint of gold caught his eye as he added his twelfth piece of sushi to his plate, a model painted in delicate shades of his namesake and blue, which, along with her creamy complexion, reminded him of a porcelain tea set he had at his shop. The colour palate complimented her hair rather nicely, a rather fetching shade of red-brown that reminded him of Belle French.

Rather a lot, actually.

Come to think of it, the model’s softly-blushed skin was also the exact shade of the librarian’s. And she also had a beauty mark on her left inner-thigh, close enough to her knee to be seen when she wore some of her more flirty skirts during spring and summer. He staggered close, almost losing his grip on his plate, his eyes refusing to acknowledge what they were seeing as truth. It was fucking Belle French. Naked. On top of a table. With delicious food spread over her, ready to be plucked and eaten. Surreptitiously, Royce pinched himself. No, not a dream. Sounded a lot like a dream, but no.

After the initial shock wore off- and he managed to pull himself together the slightest bit- he forced himself to think about his choices. Should he approach her? Would it be awkward, would she be embarrassed? He didn’t want to shame her in any way, especially given that this was clearly the temp gig she had gotten to help pay for repairs to the library. And what would it mean for their future relationship? Would this damage whatever small relationship they had? He rather liked their little talks and their small everyday interactions. But she might not want to interact with him much at all if she knew he had seen her naked.

As straight-out-of-his-fucking-fantasies a naked Belle French on top of a table slattered with food was, it was not worth risking the everyday Belle French he got to enjoy every day. She hadn’t spotted him yet, so he could quietly slip away and she would be none the wiser. She seemed distracted by the people around her, mostly young men, circling her like vultures, spending too much time deciding on what piece of sushi to take, pretending to be musing over the selection while their eyes drifted towards her covered breasts. Insolent little things, trying to engage her in talk while the librarian struggled not to make eye contact and keep a placid expression without making it look like she was inviting their advances. She was also trying not to fidget as a man used his chopsticks to try and move a leaf covering her lower right breast under the guise of trying to pick a piece of nigiri. Where the fuck was Corrie and why was she letting something like that happen? Hadn’t any of those wannabe executives learned basic manners? Or the barest notion of consent?

The cherry on top of that absolute clusterfuck was a tall, brawny fellow- someone’s favoured son, no doubt, the lad didn’t look like he could count to ten by himself-, some junior VP that distantly rung a bell, pretending to be too clumsy with the chopstick to try and pick up a piece of maki with his bare hands. The moment he saw Belle flinch at the touch of the man’s fingers he decided that enough was really enough. His cane came out a second later, smacking the offending hand away as he told the eejit, in his most Scottish tone, to keep his hands to himself. The idiot looked like he was going to protest before he realised whose cane that was. Looking like he would rather be chewing glass, but also like he might be shitting his pants, the oaf apologised, quickly scurrying off. He smiled with thinly-veiled satisfaction, setting his cane back by his side.

“Mr Gold?”

He turned to look at Miss French, making sure his eyes never strayed from her face, both to convey that he was not looking at her nude body and to try and read carefully any emotion flickering across her eyes. She didn’t look uncomfortable, to his surprise, at least not more than she had before she had noticed him there. Rather she looked cheery, as she always did with him, and more than a bit relieved. He noticed that most other youngsters fluttering around her had gone along with the big lummox, likely scared off by his presence.

“It’s so lovely to see you!”

“It is?”

The librarian laughed, one of her hands reaching out to touch his on top of his cane.

“Of course. Under rather peculiar circumstances, but it’s nice to see a familiar face here.”

And of course it was. She was naked in a party full of strangers, some of them entirely devoid of manners. Seeing a familiar face, someone who could intercede in her favour since she was limited in her actions by her circumstances, was a comfort. And to have someone like him, who could instil fear into people’s hearts even more so. Which meant he had to stay. He could not leave her exposed to whatever lech or overconfident idiot who decided to let his small prick do the thinking.

“It is rather lovely to see you, Miss French. I do so enjoy our talks, and I had resigned myself to a rather dull evening of empty platitudes and boring business talk. Would you mind if I sat next to you?”

She didn’t seem to object, her eyes reflecting pleasure instead of panic, though she did glance around and confessed she wasn’t supposed to talk to the guests.

“Corrie won’t mind, she’ll be delighted I’m sticking around for longer than I intended. Don’t worry.”

It took him a moment to signal for a waiter to get him a chair, sitting right next to the librarian’s head, his glass of Scotch by her hip and his plate of sushi in his hands. He sat himself at an angle so that he could both look at her in the eye and also glare at any passerby that even thought about approaching Belle, a bit like an old dragon guarding his hoard or, if he tried to look at things in a more benign way, guarding the fair princess. He had amassed a fearsome enough reputation with the present crowd to foresee little trouble staking his claim.

He had prepared himself for an awkward evening, telling himself he would endure the discomfort for Miss French’s own ease, but he had been mistaken. It was surprisingly easy to “get over” her nudity. Being so close to Belle while she was wearing nothing- with bits of her bare skin painted the colour of his namesake- was still intoxicating as hell, but he managed to quickly reign in that sensation and store it somewhere in his subconscious to deal with it at a later date- no doubt in nightly fantasies for weeks, if not months, to come. 

He had always thought her attractive to the point of distraction, but it was her mind and her conversation that had always kept him coming back. It was lovely to have her “all to himself” for so long. Their library interludes were always cut short by a patron or some crisis, and she tended to visit his shop during her brief afternoon break right before school ended, which meant she could never stay for longer than twenty minutes. But here she was free, with no one to claim her time and attention but himself, and after a few failed attempts at starting a conversation- she was nude, after all, and he could not imagine himself being very socially graceful in her position- she managed to engage him in a light-hearted discussion about books, starting with a ranking of books by Thomas Hardy based on how depressive they were, both agreeing to put in first place Tess D’Urbervilles  but squabbling good-natured about second place. He maintained the honour went to The Woodlanders, while she argued strongly in favour of Jude, the Obscure.

It was a much more engaging discussion than it had any right to be, mostly thanks to the librarian’s sincere passion for the subject, combined with her extensive knowledge. He saw how effortlessly cultured she was, and how at ease she was amongst the wealthy and privileged, even while wearing nothing but a skimpy thong and some strategically-placed foliage and paint. A posh bird like had often admired from afar as a lad, a perfect fit among the Upper East side crowd around them. And yet she wasn’t snobbish like a lot of them where, or like one would expect someone like her to be. She wasn’t putting on airs or feigning interests. She was as she presented herself to be, her manners effortless instead of artificially refined and her intellect sharp from curiosity rather than a need to boast. But it was her generous spirit what was more fetching about her. A sincere concern for anyone that crossed her path, from a drunk miner to a grumpy, misanthrope pawnbroker who no one else liked.

Even when he attempted to do something for her- it was cold out, so he managed to talk a poor waiter into bringing some of the spare braziers he knew the hotel had in abundance and had distributed generously already to the nearby tables were people were sitting and talking, so that she would be more comfortable. She had thanked him and immediately insisted that she didn’t need as many as he wanted to light around her, telling him to distribute them amongst the other living displays as well.

“It’s not fair that they should go cold just because they don’t have a guardian angel to look after them like I do.”

Time passed without him noticing. He waved away the few people stupid enough not to correctly read his body language and try to approach him for conversation, having decided that it wasn’t a night prime for dealmaking like he had previously intended. Instead it was a night for talking about literature and the places they had been, recalling anecdotes from their college years and in general sharing bits about their lives. It was the most he had ever shared of himself with another person, more intimate than Belle’s nudity. She told him about her mother, and how she had come from money. Old money. But she had fallen in love with an Aussie with more ambition than wealth, and had moved to the ends of the world to be with him. Later he had proven himself, building a successful business and allowing her a childhood spent half in Australia and half in Europe with her mom and her grandparents. 

But Moe French’s entrepreneurial spirit did not survive his wife’s death, and so he had let his business languish. Her mother, who had fretted for her only daughter’s future during the last months of her life, had set up a considerable trust fund, which had allowed her to go to college in England for her undergrad and graduate degree. And later, when her mother’s parents had passed away, she had inherited a modest investment portfolio, which accounted for the few luxuries she allowed herself as a small town librarian.

He, in turn, shared as much as he could stomach about his rather sordid upbringing. An unwanted mongrel, son of a mother who he never knew and a father he would rather forget. Left behind by both at a young age, to beg, borrow and steal a life for himself. It wasn’t until he had come into contact with distant relatives- two of his father’s cousins, who lived modestly but honestly outside of Glasgow, that he had been given a chance to settle, to get an education. Still, he had learned bad habits that had been difficult to break and he had continued with them in his new life, brawling for cash, gambling and doing unsavoury jobs to raise the money needed to get his law degree. It should have made him uncomfortable to expose their stark differences in upbringing and breeding, but there was nothing but understanding and compassion in Belle’s eyes, something he would’ve mistaken for pity if he didn’t know her well.

“Thank you for sharing all of that with me. It must not have been easy.”

They were so enthralled in their own little world that they both startled when they began to clear the tables in preparation for dessert. It was to be a selection of fruits and tarts, served in the same style.

“But before there’ll be a bit of a break, mostly so that us models can walk about a bit and freshen up. Will you be here when I come back?”

The way she said it, with a hopeful lilt, looking at him from beneath her lashes, had him nodding effusively. Wild horses could not drag him away. He did think the idea of walking around sounded good, and he wanted to refresh his drink. While he was at the bar he had the idea to request a glass of ice water and a straw, so he could offer Belle a drink if she was thirsty while she worked. While he waited, not minding that the bartender was a bit busy at the moment, he felt someone approach from behind, one boney, well-manicured hand sliding up his shoulder. He smelt smoke, and considered himself lucky that the hand currently slipping something into the pocket of his suit jacket wasn’t the one holding Corrie’s trademark long cigarette holder.

“I’m so thrilled you’re still here, darling. And given how you’ve been spending the evening so far I thought I would give you a present. One you’ll like, for a change.”

Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, knowing Corrie was looking intently at him, he fished whatever she had put into his pocket out. It was a sleek keycard, one from the Peninsula.

“As an admirer of fine, beautiful things I thought you might want a more… private setting where to study your latest find. I would not usually condone it, but she seemed so willing, so strangely… receptive of your attention, that I thought it might not go amiss to get you a room for the night. You know, just in case you’re too tired or hungover to go back home safely, of course.”

He could see her grin out of his peripheral vision, something feral with a hint of madness that summed up Corinne perfectly. He rolled his eyes, affecting an unaffected manner, knowing it would piss her off not to get a rise out of him.

“Corrie, I wish you’d stop after the fifth drink. Once you get into the gin tonics you grow somewhat fanciful.”

“Be that way. Keep your secrets. I’m not here to interrogate you, dear. Just doing my one good deed of the year before time runs out. I was cutting it rather close.”

With that she sauntered off, but he paid her no mind. Let her think whatever she wanted. He knew it wasn’t like what she was implying with Belle. They were just two friends, or friendly acquaintances, though perhaps that was too distant in light of all the bits of themselves they had shared with each other that night. But still, nothing like Corrie was suggesting, nothing unseemly, just two people having a friendly and thoughtful con-

Fuck.

Belle was back. They had laid her down on her stomach this time around, a few gauzy bits of nothing covering her incredible ass from his view, her head pillowed in her arms, which meant he could see the soft curve of the side of a small, perfect breast. Along her delicate spine and sloping shoulders someone had arranged bits of fruit, bombons and bite-sized tarts. He narrowed his eyes, swearing he could hear Corinne’s shrill laughter in the background.

He took a deep breath, shaking his head. He was not some slobbering animal. And Belle was a lady. He would keep it together, would march there and pretend nothing was amiss. Would not give the perfection before him a second glance. When he sat down he focused on Belle’s face, the way her eyes lit up when she spotted him, no doubt grateful to have her protector return and keep the mannerless young men from before at bay. When he offered her some water, shyly, she beamed at him, as if he had offered her the moon.

“You’re so kind, Mr Gold. And such a gentleman.”

His ears burned at hearing Belle fucking French, with her exotic accent and posh manners, call him a gentleman. He had to force himself not to preen. 

“Please, call me Royce.”

“Only if you call me Belle, as I’ve told you to do before.”

She gratefully sipped at the water offered, making a pleased sound in the back of her throat that threatened to go straight to his groin. Thankfully he was sitting down, which allowed him a bit of coverage. With herculean effort he sought to resume their conversation, which had moved on to a rather spirited debate on the merits of the different adaptations of Around the world in 80 days.

They were in the middle of comparing Cantinflas and Eric Idle’s Passepartouts when the librarian fidgeted the slightest bit, looking uncomfortable.

“What’s the matter? Are you unwell? Do you need me to call someone?”

Belle sighed, shaking her head.

“I’m just hungry. They had to retouch my body paint a lot when I took a break, so I never got to eat any of the power bars I brought specially for that purpose. And it’s not helping that whatever they’ve put on me smells rather heavenly. It’s strange to be literally brimming with food and yet unable to eat.”

He had to agree with her about the food. It smelled amazing, the bombons nestled inside foil wrappers to protect them from her skin’s warmth- warmth he was very specifically trying hard to think about– and the pieces of fruit, cut and arranged into fanciful, artistic shapes, glistened in the dim light of the terrace, looking beyond succulent.

“I could- I could feed you if you wish. It’d be no problem.”

‘It’d be all sorts of problems, but oh so worth it.’

“Oh, you wouldn’t mind? Because that would be lovely.”

“What would you like?”

“I saw some lovely raspberry tarts and some Royce nama chocolate squares that looked amazing. Just not dark chocolate please, I can’t stand it.”

“More for me then.”

Gingerly, making extremely sure he did not touch her skin at all if possible, he picked up a few selections of sweets, arranging them into a plate so she could pick and choose what she wanted. When she made a selection he made sure to hold it out to her so she could bite into it without worrying about his fingers, though he still felt the phantom touch of her breath on his skin even when he tried his best to get himself out of the way. It was a heady, altogether surreal experience: the closeness, the trust, the implied intimacy of the gesture. A dream fucking come true, as far as Royce was concerned, the single most erotic moment of his life and it was happening in public. He had come to the party with the intention of testing the waters for new deals and he would leave it empty-handed and yet a changed man.

‘Best. Night. Ever.’

But as nice as it was, it couldn't last forever. He tried to pretend at first he did not see the signs, the way the crowd around them began to dwindle down, the waiters passing around with trays laden with champagne flutes, offering a “last round”. The writing was on the wall even before he saw the first of the “living displays”, the one closest to the exit, being taken away. Still, neither moved or made a comment about things coming to an end, not even when Belle was the last model left out. 

At some point, however, they had to acknowledge that something was happening, because the waiters were beginning to clear the tables, the bar was getting ready to close, and no one had come for Belle. She seemed puzzled by it, but he imagined it had something to do with the fact that no one had wanted to bother him. Perhaps Corrie had said something, or perhaps his reputation had done the talking. Either way it was unacceptable that Belle be made to wait, exposed in cold weather that no amount of heaters could nullify, for someone to finally come get it. He proposed he get his long overcoat so she could drape it around herself and he would escort her then back to wherever she had left her clothes and things, so that she wouldn’t have to walk around half-naked alone.

He loathed to leave her, but there was no choice. He hurried to the coat room, commanding the attention of the poor sod running up and down fetching coats, and managed to get his long Zegna cashmere coat in no time. Pleased with his expedience he rushed back, pausing when he noticed that something wasn’t right. Belle was still in the far corner of the terrace where he had left her, but she had scrambled to a sitting position on the table, using the white tablecloth she had been lying on to cover herself as much as possible as a tall man- the lumbering idiot from hours before, now clearly drunk off his arse-  leaned close to her, one hand gripping one of her naked forearms. She was trying to shake him off, her body language screaming her discomfort and unease, but she was clearly reluctant to make a scene, the power imbalance working against her. 

Thankfully it wasn’t working against him. He felt no restraint or compunction when the urge to do violence overtook him. Thankfully he had, as always, a handy weapon as his disposal. It took one sweep of his cane, once he was close enough, to get the idiot away from her, the surprise at the unexpected blow to his side making him let go of Belle before staggering back a few paces. A few more blows had him first on his knees and later sprawled out on the floor, and only Belle’s gentle hand on the back of his jacket got him to put his cane down. With enviable nonchalance he signalled for a passing waiter, letting him know that the poor bloke on the floor had had a bit too much to drink and should be scraped off the floor and put into a cab as soon as it could be arranged.

“Right away, sir. Thank you for letting me know.”

He tried not to gloat as three people were called away from clearing the nearby tables to pick up the unfortunate young man, no one making a comment as they dragged the lummox away. Good fucking riddance. Realising that he still held his coat in his hands he turned around and swiftly draped it around Belle, noticing with pleasure that, though she had had a front scene to his violent outburst, she didn’t shy away from his touch. Rather the contrary.

“Are you alright? Was he bothering you for long? Did he say something inappropriate?”

“No, nothing like that. He was just not taking no for an answer, and looked drunk enough to try to do something stupid out in public. Thank you for taking care of him.”

Fuck, it was doing things to him that a prim and proper lass like Belle French was thanking him for behaving in a less than gentlemanly manner. Right out of his fantasies as a lad, the idea of a posh bird that would revel in his most coarse manners, in the violent habits he had had to acquire at an early age. It all threatened to go to his head or, even worse, his groin, so he forced himself to push it to the side and concentrate on Belle's immediate wellbeing. Wrapped up as she was in his coat- and fuck, did she nuzzle the lapel and take a deep breath, as if smelling his cologne in the collar of his coat?- she was clothed enough to get off the table and walk out of the terrace. He accompanied her past what was clearly a staging area for the models, given the remnants of body paint and the leaves and petals strewn on the floor, until they arrived at a large room with screens in the corners, clearly where the models had first disrobed. Only one bag was left, a Jackie Smith tote he recognised as Belle’s. He glanced around, noticing there was no place to shower, just some baby wipes packets with which he gathered the models were supposed to wipe the paint off their bodies before putting their clothes back on. Which wouldn’t do, really. Not at all.

“I-I have a room. Here at the hotel. With a shower.”

She stood there, looking waifish and small in his oversized coat, with paint still on her skin and her hair in disarray, yet even then there was an air of understated elegance about her, something in the way she carried herself. Himself, on the other hand, could not boast the same, feeling like he was sweating as he waffled on about how he got the hotel key as a prank but now she could put it to good use to shower and relax, perhaps charge ungodly amounts of room service. It would serve Corrie right to have her little joke backfire on her like that and-

He paused when he noticed how much closer Belle was than a second before. She was looking up at him with something akin to… expectation, almost, and clutching the sleeve of his suit jacket, almost afraid he would take off. There was a patience to her look, as if she was trying to coerce a shy deer to eat from her hand, and Royce’s eyes narrowed, a puzzle slowly unravelling in his mind. He recognised that look, she had worn it often around him as of late, something tinged with affectionate exasperation, as if she was waiting for him to figure something out, something that should be obvious. A nagging voice that had been whispering in the back of his mind now started yelling, telling him he was an idiot for not seeing what was right in front of him.

Could she… could she fancy him? Was that possible? Was he just so fucking dense and self-loathing that he hadn’t realise Belle fucking French was coming onto him? That she had been for a while? It sounded too much like wishful thinking to be true, but there was also no other way to account for how close the librarian was standing to him, how hopeful she seemed as she looked up at him. He froze, unwilling to accept the reality in front of him and yet unable to deny it.

Thankfully for Royce the librarian seemed to notice and understand his inner turmoil, a soft look overtaking her face before she slowly, carefully, leaned into him, standing on her tippy toes to reach him and making sure he had more than enough time to pull away in case her advances were unwelcomed.

No fucking chance of that.

The magnetic pull of her, in the end, overcame his deep-seated denial, pushing him forward, his attention drifting towards her mouth, so laser-focused on the heat and the scent radiating from her that he almost forgot where they were.

Almost.

When he did, he pulled away, babbling about how this wasn’t a private enough place for her to kiss him while wearing nothing but his overcoat. His self-restraint only went so far and his control had been close to breaking the whole evening. If she kissed him he would not be able to stop. It was a shameful confession, but Belle barely batted an eye, looking briefly deep in thought before she took one of his hands in hers.

“You mentioned you had a room, right?” He nodded dumbly, unwilling to connect the dots himself and assume she was saying what he thought she was saying. “Maybe that would be a better place for this?”

There was no mistaking her meaning, not even for someone like Royce Gold, for whom denial was an Olympic event. When she tugged at his hand he didn’t fight her, hopeless to do anything but follow behind her, vaguely dazed, having only enough presence of mind to offer to carry Belle’s bag, which she politely declined. The elevator ride seemed to take forever, even though they were going down only one floor. Corrie had given him one of the best rooms in the hotel. She never half-assed things and wasn’t known for being cheap. 

He held it together till the hotel door was firmly shut behind them, at which point he pounced on her, restraint and decorum entirely absent after four fucking hours of close, unrelenting contact with a naked Belle French. He had been good, so good, but they were behind closed doors and Belle had made it clear that she was not opposed to his advances, so whatever disguise of gentlemanliness he had created over the years was now in tatters and only the unpolished, savage beast from Glasgow remained, intent on quenching its thirst on her. He pressed her up against the hotel door, his mouth eagerly seeking hers out, pleased when she opened herself up to him eagerly, her hands going around his shoulders so they could tangle in his hair. She felt amazing against him, soft and pliant, smelling faintly of something fruity and a scent that was uniquely hers, a mixture of vanilla and the smell of a new book. It was intoxicating, and so he pressed closer, the hand not clutching his cane for dear life wrapping around her waist, resenting the fact that he could not touch her directly. He had relished the fact that she had been wrapped in his coat only minutes ago, when they were outside and she was shivering. But the room they were now in was cosy and warm, with an artificial gas fire crackling nearby. There was, therefore, no need for the librarian to remain bundled so he tugged at the fastened buttons of his coat, humming in pleasure when it was Belle herself that reached down to undo them, shimming out of the outfit altogether a second later.

He could feel her then, gloriously nude but for a scrap of skin-coloured fabric covering her cunt, soft as he had always imagined she would be, skin like silk beneath his fingertips. She didn’t seem to mind her lack of clothing, didn’t shy away from his hands or his lips when he began to explore her throat and the gentle slope of her right shoulder. She was delightfully responsive beneath him, making the softest, most devastating noises as he nipped at bits of flesh, taking care to avoid the big swatches of skin covered by the gold and blue paint.

“You don- Oh, dear Lord- you don’t have to worry about the paint. It’s edible.”

“Come again?”

He couldn’t possibly have heard her correctly.

“Yes it’s-” She sighed when he caressed her spine- “It’s chocolate paint. For safety, mostly, in case the food came into contact with it.”

He blinked, pausing a second to take stock of the situation. He was in a lavish hotel room with Belle French, who was basically naked and, apparently slathered in strategically-placed swirls of chocolate paint. And they were making out like wild beasts. This was beyond his wildest dreams, so far-fetched that it could not possibly be a figment of his imagination. Even his subconscious had limits. Reality, apparently, didn’t.

“You’re gonna be the death of me.” His Scottish brogue, reasserting itself as a result of the drink, the lateness of the hour and how absolutely out of his mind he was with lust, made him slur his words. “Fucking minx, been teasing me the whole bloody night. So gorgeous, so lovely to an old monster like me…”

He lost himself in the feel and smell of her, feeling starved for every bit of her he could kiss and touch. She was perfect, everything about her the right size and feel for him, as if she had been made to fit him. Her skin felt warm and soft beneath her tongue, the taste of her pairing well with the taste of chocolate from the paint, and she was delightfully responsive, no pretence or air of artifice in her as she pulled at his hair and whimpered helplessly. There was also no faking the delicious wetness between her legs, the scrap of fabric that was her flesh-coloured thong drenched to the touch. 

“Take me to bed.”

He had dreamed about Belle French telling him just that, but not even his wildest dream could have conjured up the reality of it, the way she sighed it, her hands grabbing handfuls of his hair to drag his ear against her mouth, the way it was both a plea and an order. He hastened to comply either way, manoeuvring both of them down the small hallway to the suite, where the king-sized bed stood pride of place. In the small journey there he had somehow lost his dinner jacket, the librarian’s nimble hands working on his tie, undoing the Eldredge knot with an ease that had him imagining her, wearing nothing but one of his shirts, kneeling on his bed and tying his tie, a lovely little domestic tableau with implications that set his blood on fire.

The bed at the Peninsula had standard, if luxurious, white bedding, nothing quite like his burgundy sheets and cream damask comforter, but he barely registered any of it. His senses were full of Belle, who managed to half-shove him into the bed, swiftly climbing on top of him before he could complain about their separation. She sought his mouth immediately, her fingers sinking into his hair to change the angle of the kiss just so. When she let go he whimpered, immediately missing the scratch of her nails against his scalp, but he quieted when he realised she was undoing the buttons of his shirt, having finally done away with his tie and, apparently, his belt. Crafty little thing, this lass, devious beneath her prim and proper facade. And all his, his to kiss and touch, to lay down the bed, legs dangling from the edge while he dragged that little scrap of lace generously called underwear, allowing him to see her in all of her glory. She was every bit as perfect as he had imagined, and so smooth. She was almost entirely devoid of hair from the waist down, a small strip of soft curls the only thing left. 

“So lovely.”

She was. Lush curves, smooth skin and the irresistible lure of unfettered enthusiasm. The moment he put his mouth on her she was like a livewire, practically vibrating beneath his touch, the tension and energy in her impossible to ignore. It made him feel powerful, and more than a bit smug, to know that a woman like her, who could have anyone with a look and a gesture, was trembling with barely-repressed desire because his tongue was lapping at her cunt, his hands curling around her thighs, teasing the edges of her labia. None of the young, rich assholes that had circled her like vultures before he had seen her had interested her, only him, old and crippled as he was.

It wasn’t long before he felt her tense even further, her back bowing in a perfect arc and her whimpers turning into loud moans. He thought briefly about denying her the pleasure she was building towards, to drag things out to heighten the sensations, but soon came to the conclusion he didn’t have the self-control to deny her. So when he felt her tumble close to the edge he sunk two fingers into her, the heat and pressure making his already hard cock ache. He was not going to survive her. Thankfully she came just as he thought he was going to lose the last shreds of his composure, her cries distracting him from his more pressing needs. She was beautiful when she came, as far away from the composed, prim lass he was used to seeing, wild and uninhibited. A magnificent sight to behold, one he tried hard to prolong for as long as possible. Eventually, sadly, she grew slack, almost boneless, one hand lazily combing his hair, as if he was some pampered pet who had done a good thing. The feeling was exhilarating. 

“Mmmmh, that was…” she sighed, her nails scratching against the sensitive skin of his nape. “Wonderful.”

He smiled against the supple skin of her thigh, feeling smug, like he often did after a beneficial deal being signed. He didn’t even care that he was so hard it bordered on painful, not when he could smell Belle, feel her warmth and revel in the knowledge that he had made her come apart.

“I’m cold. Come up here?”

The hand petting his hair tugged on it, leading him to crawl over to the bed after quickly discarding his pants and socks and, after a deep breath for courage, his underwear. He pretended not to notice Belle staring at his cock as he climbed on top of her, trying to distract himself with the feeling of her hands as they explored his naked back, pausing every time they encountered a scar. He had amassed a small collection of them, mostly in his late teens and early twenties, knife wounds and a couple made with glass. They were all faded, the only one standing out being the curved one on his side, product of a rusty blade he had mostly-but-not-quite managed to dodge, and the one on his right shoulder. That one had gone in deep but hadn’t been able to hit anything major. 

“Do any of them hurt?”

Belle’s voice was soft, her eyes wide and the slightest bit watery, likely imagining the pain he must have gone through to acquire each of his marks. He shook his head quickly, wanting to reassure them.

“No.” He paused, wondering if saying anything further would be oversharing. But she had to know. It would be a factor if things… progressed. “My ankle does, sometimes. When it’s raining, or I’ve been overexerting it.”

To her credit she didn’t even try to glance down, her focus entirely on his face, likely trying to read any signs of discomfort that might appear there. He kissed the hand that went to cup his face, for once not mistaking compassion for pity.

“Are you comfortable?”

At that he smirked and, daringly, he ground his hips against hers, bringing her attention to his rather desperate state.

“Not really, but my ankle doesn’t hurt, if that’s what you were asking.”

He was rewarded by a genuine laugh, easing whatever leftover bit of self-consciousness he might still have felt. He leaned down to capture her mouth, eager to devour her whole. She was delicious, still tasting of the raspberry tart he had hand-fed her, and something uniquely hers, which he had already tasted when he had delved his tongue into her cunt. But now he could also feel her beneath him, all the soft curves he had dreamed about pressing against him, her body cradling his like he was something precious. Beneath the buzzing of adrenaline and the thrill of his desires coming true there was an undercurrent of safety he was surprised to feel. He was safe with her, he knew this innately. Safe from judgement or ridicule, safe to expose those parts of him that were weak or ugly without feeling like he was ceding the high ground, leaving himself open to an attack. And that small undercurrent of safety, somehow, heightened everything else he was feeling. Allowed him to let go.

“I can practically hear you thinking, you’re doing it so loud.”

Belle’s voice, throaty from her screaming earlier, sent a shiver down his spine. He burrowed his head against her breasts, anchoring himself in the moment, and apologetically kissed the skin there. One kiss turned to two, and before he knew it he was taking one of her rosy nipples into his mouth and sucking reverently on it, like he had often imagined doing in his own home, usually after a few drinks. She was wonderfully responsive, squirming in the most delightful way, each movement sending sharp spikes through his groin and reminding him that if he didn’t manage to do something about it he was liable to explode. Luckily his lass was bold and brass, and the sort to take charge, and so when he was distracted by her lovely breasts- just the right size for his hands, and so, so soft- she moved one hand down to grasp him firmly and, with the help of a bit of shimmying, guide him to her entrance.

“Oh, fuck, I forgot to ask about…” She hissed when a startled movement made him bump her clit with the tip of his cock. “Protection. I-I mean, I’m clean and on the pill but if you want-”

He had no doubt that there were condoms in the room. It had been, after all, paid for by Corrie to unsubtly encourage him to fuck someone silly in it. The drawers of both nightstands were probably chock full of them, likely in all colours and sizes, and it would take but a moment to crawl over either one to grab what he needed. But the thought of feeling her fully was too good to pass up.

“Fuck, sweetheart, I’m clean too. Can I- can I really…?”

He couldn’t finish the phrase, nor take that last plunge, but before he could try to shake himself out of his stupor she draped her legs around his hips, hooking her feet right in the dip where his spine met his ass, nudging him rather unsubtly forward till he was, blessedly, balls deep into her, his cock enveloped by silky, wet heat that had him almost coming right then and there. He gritted his teeth and almost bit his tongue off in an effort to not shame himself, body tense for another reason entirely as he fought to control himself. It seemed to take forever but eventually he began to thrust, first tentatively, afraid of hurting her or discovering he hadn’t quite gotten it together as he hoped he had, but need, that itch that was growing to rule every instinct he had, slowly pushed him to go faster, to thrust harder. Belle met him move for move, canting her hips forward, her nails digging into his back in a way that should have felt painful but only enhanced the pleasure building up inside of him. She was, like before, delightfully vocal, and disarmingly demanding, telling him to go harder, to give her more.

“Insatiable little minx,” he grunted, trying not to stare at her breasts as they bounced with the force of their actions. If he got distracted he ran the risk of spending himself inside her without bringing her to orgasm at least one more time and that was unacceptable. “You’ll be the death of me.”

It felt a little bit like he was on the brink of death, of a pleasure so acute it was indistinguishable from pain. His hard-earned self-control was close to snapping and only his pride was keeping him going. Desperate to feel her flutter around him he braced his upper body on his left arm and both his knees, leaving his right hand free to trail down her stomach and dip in-between her thighs, looking for that bit of flesh that he had previously only touched with his lips and tongue. He let her cries guide his fingers, letting her gasps and keens set the pace as he stroked her slowly at first, increasing the tempo and the pressure in response to her needy demands. Finally she tensed beneath him, back arching in a perfect bow as she came, loud and uninhibited, her cunt gripping him tight as it spasmed, the feeling too much for him to bear. His orgasm was quieter, his groans muffled by her hair and skin as he pressed his head against the crook of her shoulder and spilled himself into her for what seemed like forever, a catharsis that felt both physical and mental.

Afterwards he had enough sense to collapse to the side instead of falling bonelessly on top of Belle like he had wanted to. His heart was pounding a mile a minute, and he felt cold and clammy, but a second later Belle was cuddling up to him, draping a leg over his, making sure to keep her feet away from his ankle. He drew her close, greedily seeking out her warmth and the reassurance she brought. He dared drape an arm around her, his fingers ghosting up and down one of her exposed arms.

“Any complaints?”

He kept his tone light, flippant even, but he paid attention closely to her face, trying to read her expression. She looked dishevelled and delightfully smug, satisfaction oozing out of her, stretching out like a cat in a sunspot, but then frowned, her nose wrinkling a bit. He tensed, preparing himself for whatever had put that look in her face. Maybe she was having second thoughts already?

“I’m sticky.”

“Come again?”

“From the edible paint and your valiant efforts to rid me of it. Don’t misunderstand me, it felt heavenly when you were licking the paint off but now that my skin is dry it feels… well, sticky.”

“Oh.” He shook his head, willing his blood to flow upwards to his brain again and allow him to think somewhat coherently. “I’m sure the bathroom’s facilities are more than adequate. These sort of rooms usually come with the full package, a spacious shower and a bathtub with all the bells and whistles.”

Her eyes sparkled and he patted himself in the back mentally for clearly saying the right thing.

“Oh, it’s been ages since I’ve been able to take a bath. The apartment above the library only has a rather pitiful shower stall and I love a good soak in a tub every now and then. Some bubble bath, a glass of wine and a good book… And maybe some company.”

There was no mistaking the look she shot him, eyes heavy-lidded and glittering with promises.

“You don’t suppose the bathtub here is big enough for two, do you?”

Her tone, mellow and just the littlest bit sultry, had him aflame and made his tired body reconsider the time it would take to rise to the challenge once more.

“Only one way to find out.”

[tickletorso]

For Your Consideration

This is my first year putting up any of my work for nominations. Really excited this is still going on and so glad we’re still getting awesome works for the fandom! @the-chipped-cup-awards​

Unexpected But Not Unwelcome -- Best Misunderstanding, Best Angst, ROMANCE (best first meeting), GENERAL (best Storybrooke), SPECIAL CATEGORIES (best AU - Original), CHARACTER (best Belle)

Belle and Mr. Gold first encounter each other when she's just sixteen and the connection is palpable. Two years later a missed bus to Boston throws them together again igniting a flicker of hope in them both. But if Gold has learned anything it's that life can be cruel and it seems Belle has been on the receiving end of its cruelty one too many times.

The Weakness Inside Him -- Best Angst, GENERAL (best Dark Castle, Best One Shot), CHARACTER (best Dark One)

Rumpelstiltskin returns to The Dark Castle after the experiment with Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde fails to subdue his growing feelings for Belle.

The Third Wheel -- Best Misunderstanding, Best Comedy, SPECIAL CATEGORY (best unexpected twist, best background Swanfire) CHARACTER (best Mr. Gold, best Belle)

Rumold Gold is tired of being the third wheel on his family outings with Bae and Emma. Maybe it's time to ask Belle out on a proper date?

Compromises -- GENERAL (best One-Shot), CHARACTER (best Belle, best Dark One)

Belle and Rumple have a small seaside adventure featuring Belle's clumsiness, pirates, and kittens.

The Rare Books Crises -- Best Comedy, GENERAL (best One-Shot), SPECIAL CATEGORY (best unexpected twist), CHARACTER (best Mr. Gold)

Belle desperately needs to use Mr. Gold's library during a power outage.

[the-chipped-cup-awards]

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

[rumbelleshowdown]

-

Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for! Time to find out if your guesses were correct.

Authors, you may now post your fics under your own name. Thanks to all of you for participating this year. You did your part to keep our fandom alive, and we appreciate it.

Without further ado, the Author Reveal!

-

Rose Daughter is @chippedcupwrites

notasponsor is @kelyon

Ancient Architect is @eirian-houpe

onelastedit is @tickletorso

Beast of Gold is @hectorwillham

Ace of Hearts is @luxmyth

Sonnenblume is @alphashley14

Spindle is @ace-of-spaders

TheMostDisturbed is @mellkat1986

Fabletales is @reolf

Squizzel is @threepwoodmarley

-

Note: Smokey Willow, Lucretia Victrix, and Home Alone chose not to be revealed.

[peacehopeandrats]

Skin Deep Day is nearly over in my part of the world and all I can say is how happy the day has made me feel.

I got my Fluff fic done, and the accompanying rose...

I got to watch my dash fill up with the love, joy, and hope that is Rumbelle...

And I got to watch some amazing authors be shown the love they deserve.

So happy for @tickletorso, @bibliosauruswrecks, @emospritelet, @jackabelle73, @eirian-houpe, @kelyon, @serenalyon, @lotus0kid, @celticheartedfangirl, @thatravenclawbitchh-blog, @rufeepeach, @nerdrumple, @rowofstars, and anyone I might have missed in the days postings. You are all amazing creators, as are those who got the nod of a nomination. This was a hard year to vote on.

Here's to doing it all again next year!

[deliriumsdelight7]

I’ve got what I need! Thanks to @tickletorso @thestraggletag and @roxymorondraws for the help.

Do any of my Rumbelle followers have any reference pics of the back room of the pawn shop? I need them for fic purposes, but can do without if need be.

[joylee56]

A gift for @tickletorso for the Rumbelle Gift Swap 2021.

Stuck Together

Summary Mr. Gold was a mystery.  And she did so love a mystery.  His office was on the 5th floor along with Mr. Jefferson who was the Chief Operating Officer of Spinner Restorations and Auctions’ where Belle worked as head of the Rare Book Department. Well, really the whole Rare Book Department. But no one was quite sure where he fell in the organizational chart.  His word was law when it came to appraisal and restoration work. But the actual management of the company was left to Mr. Jefferson.  Most of the company lived in terror of him for his criticism was savage.

To Belle, he had never been anything less than unfailingly polite.

And then disaster struck.  

[rumbellegiftswap]

RGS Masterlist

Stuck Together by @joylee56 for @tickletorso

No Escape by @reolf for @deliriumsdelight7

Bravery Will Follow by @eirian-houpe for @joylee56

Roll for Initiative by @thestraggletag for @argoslight

To Honor a Vow by @eirian-houpe for @reolf

War in Pieces by @peacehopeandrats for @of-princes-and-savages

Presents by @kelyon for @geek-girl-extraordinaire

To Watch the Stoic Squirm by @comradegiddybiscuit for @itschippedcup

Farmer's Market After Dark** by @itschippedcup for @kelyon

**Please note -- link leads to NSFW fanart.

The Language of Flowers by @deliriumsdelight7 for @killingkueen

Old Tricks by @lotus0kid for @thestraggletag

How Miss French Got Engaged After a Thursday Misadventure by @of-princes-and-savages for @lotus0kid

The Weakness Inside Him by @tickletorso for @peacehopeandrats

Lonely Hearts by @killingkueen for @eirian-houpe

[the-chipped-cup-awards]

2024 Nominees Part 2

Here we continue to celebrate our wonderful writers and artist and share the next list of nominees under the cut

Best Dark Castle

Spy by @peacehopeandrats

Tea by @peacehopeandrats

Marble by @peacehopeandrats

Pages of Reverie by @chippedcupwrites

Shades of Blue by @ReyloAreHairGoals

His Little Wife by @Lady_Janes_Fics

The Weakness Inside Him by @Tickletorso

Best Storybrooke

Golden Thread by @enchantedflower

Symmetrical Simulations by @peacehopeandrats

War In Pieces by @peacehopeandrats

The Meeting by @peacehopeandrats

Leaving Storybrooke by @peacehopeandrats

Best Missing Years

Leaving Storybrooke by @peacehopeandrats

The Tent Of Infinite Adventure by @peacehopeandrats

Balloon by @peacehopeandrats

Unconventional by @Peacehopeandrats

Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups

The Storybrooke Whisky Appreciation Society by @threepwoodmarley

Best Wish!Verse

Once There Was A Wish by @peacehopeandrats

Deception by @eirian_houpe

Special Categories

Best Golden Lace

One Lover, Many Dreams by @peacehopeandrats

War In Pieces by @peacehopeandrats

Wax by @peacehopeandrats

The Storybrooke Whisky Appreciation Society by @ThreepwoodMarley

Weakness by @ThreepwoodMarley

Best Woven Beauty

Gift by Peacehopeandrats

Undefined Desires, by @worryinglyinnocent

Best Background Swanfire

To Have and to Hold - @ThatRavenclawBitch

Fragments of the Past, Glimpses of Tomorrow, by @wierdogal

Best Afterlife fic

Granted by @peacehopeandrats

Belle's Promise by @bellerina98

Awakening by @eirian_houpe

Best Drama

Time’s Curse by @eirian_houpe

Love Me Before The Last Petal Falls by deliriumsdelight7

Ad Luceum by @reolf

Best Supernatural/Sci-fi/horror

No Light Over London by @lotus0kid

The Cunning by @mareyshelley

Mortuus Loqueris Ad by @Jackabelle73

Best Comedy

The Third Wheel by @tickletorso

Lacey and the Tramp by @chippedcupwrites

Best AU (Original)

Wretched Beginnings by @poorobscureplainandlittle

Wild by @Peacehopeandrats

Two Could by @eirian_houpe

Secret of the Seas by @eirian_houpe

Scattered by @eirian_houpe

Best AU (Based on Once Upon a Time)

Tales of Gold by @JurisLadyAnna

A Knack for Losing Everything by @AntiKryptonite

Best AU (Based on Other Media)

Rumbelle’s ‘The Princess Bride’ by @Trash_000

Modern Wonders by @eirian_houpe

The Black Swan by @DeliriumsDelight7

Time’s Curse by @eirian_houpe

Best Creature

The Finfolk’s Bride by @chippedcupwrites

The Cunning by @mareyshelley

Fallen by @eirian_houpe

Before the Storm by @reolf

Best Unexpected Twist

Contract by @Kelyon

His Little Wife by @Lady_Janes_Fics

The Price by eirian_houpe

Best Bobby Squared

The Gold Motel by mrgoldsdearie

A Blade For Belfrey by eirian_houpe

Best Trope

Love Me Before The Last Petal Falls by @DeliriumsDelight7

Wounds and Scars by @Peacehopeandrats

Beauty Compelled by @eirian_houpe

Premonition by @ace_cf_cups

Before the Storm by @reolf

Best English Language

To Nurse by @Charon53

His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups

Events

Best Rumbelle Secret Santa

Wrapping Up Her Christmas Gift by @Kelyon

Gluttony, a RSS Fic by @thestraggletag

The Sweetest Dream by @threepwoodmarley

Christmas Secrets by @peacehopeandrats

If You Will Be My Queen by @eirian_houpe

Make Me Feel Alive Again by @cartoonjessie

Finding the Fun by @tickletorso

They Said it Was a Party by @of-princes-and-savages

There Can Only Ever Be by @notalwayslate

Mysterious by @reolf

Portrait of the Heart by @chippedcupwrites

Rumbelle Secret Santa by @99goosebumps

Already There by @Jackabelle73

Best Fluffapalooza Fic

The Tea Shop by @peacehopeandrats

Dragon Day by @importantgalaxyrimaway

Content Rumbelle #1 through #8 by @Jackabelle73

Best Fluffapalooza Art

Kiss Me Again, It's Working by @milaeryn 

Rumbelle (Something There) by @personinthepalace

Best Monthly Rumbelling

Encounter - Rumplerose (AO3)

The Landlord and the Princess - Rumplerose (AO3)

Honorable - Rumplerose (AO3)

Character Awards

Best Belle

The Not So Dark One by @CharlotteAshmore

Lady of the Lake by @rumplestiltskinsbulge

Beauty Enlightened by @eirian_houpe

Ingredients by @peacehopeandrats

Delivery by @peacehopeandratsThe Oldest Door by @peacehopeandrats

Best Dark One!Belle

Rags to Riches by @alphashley14

Fallen by @eirian_houpe

And onward to part 3!

[the-chipped-cup-awards]

HOLD THE PHONES!

For those of you that have still been asking for more time to nominate... You have asked, and we have listened. As of today, the nominations form will remain open until NOON EST on Sunday 1/28/24.

Also, below the cut you will find a list of POTENTIAL nominees in case you want some more ideas. This list has been compiled from the FYCs put forward by the authors, and also by the nominations we have received so far.

Obviously, not all of the potential nominees will be nominated for each category. As per the rules, an entry can only be nominated for TWO categories for which the fic or art qualifies. Additionally, fics that have previously won (either in the TEAs or the CCAs) is ineligible. Mods have removed those fics/artwork based on currently available archives.

If you don't see a fic on the list that you think should be nominated, you can go ahead and nominate the fic. You are allowed as many unique entries on the nomination form as you would like.

So what are you waiting for? Go ahead and show our Rumbelle writers and artists all the love they deserve. Here is a link to the form:

Potential Nominees as of 1/16/24 below the cut:

FLUFF Family

The Tent of Infinite Adventure by @peacehopeandrats Leaving Storybrooke by @peacehopeandrats The Zoo by @peacehopeandrats Balloon by @peacehopeandrats Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups Tea and Roses by @ThatRavenclawbitch An Unconventional Gift by @Shadowedoracle Traditions Old and New by @Bad_Faery To Nurse by @Charon53 A House Built With Love by @Of_Princes_and_Savages A Knack for Losing Everything by @AntiKryptonite

Comfort

The Bedroom Chronicles by @serenalyon Illness by @peacehopeandrats Blast by @peacehopeandrats Premonition by @ace_cf_cups Struck By a Golden Arrow by @Otava Snow and Heat by @Hypatia3 A Present of Love by @reolf

Fix-It

Ritual by @peacehopeandrats Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups Everyone Has A Choice by @Taisch

Reunion

Finding You by @Silwenworld A Dream is a Wish by @Rowofstars

SMUT

Kink/BDSM

Wrapping Up Her Christmas Gift by @Kelyon Like An Open Book by @Serenalyon The Angel and the Devil by @peacehopeandrats One Lover, Many Dreams by @peacehopeandrats Indulgence by @emostpritelet On the House by @Kelyon Contract by @Kelyon Beasts: A Golden Cuffs Story by @Kelyon Courtship: A Golden Rings Story by @Kelyon

Romance

Brandy, Apples and Spice by @rufeepeach The Caretaker by @TheStraggletag Snow and Heat by @Hypatia3 Memory by @Peacehopeandrats Two Could by @eirian_houpe Star Crossed by @threepwoodmarley The Sweetest Dream by @threepwoodmarley

Comedy

Bare Facts by @BarPurple Accidents by @Peacehopeandrats

Threesome

Fulfilling a Fantasy by @TheScholarlyStrumpet

Best First Time

Queen Takes Knight by @Emospritelet The Good Sort by @wonderwoundedhearers Brandy, Apples and Spice by rufeepeach Snow and Heat by @Hypatia3 The Cunning by @mareyshelley Curfew by @emotspritelet Granted by @peacehopeandrats

PWP

All the Poisonous Thoughts by @serenalyon In the Dark and Wicked Hours by @rowofstars Beasts: A Golden Cuffs Story by @Kelyon Sunshine by @Peacehopeandrats Home by @peacehopeandrats

ANGST Death

Belle's Promise by @Bellerina98 Strong For Belle by @desperatemurph Things Unknown by @BelleGold Requiem by @once-upon-a-rewrite His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups

Hurts So Good

To Have and to Hold by @ThatRavenclawBitch Hang On Me by @nerdrumple Ritual by @peacehopeandrats Love Me Before The Last Petal Falls by @DeliriumsDelight7 Received by @Peacehopeandrats The Oldest Door by @peacehopeandrats Overnight by @peacehopeandrats Recovery by @peacehopeandrats His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups Time’s Curse by @eirian_houpe On Whose Hands? by @eirian_houpe Nobody Knew by @eirian_houpe Seven Tastes by @eirian_houpe The Black Swan by @deliriumsdelight7

Misunderstanding

Requiem by @onceuponarewrite Unexpected but Not Unwelcome by @tickletorso On Whose Hands? by @eirian_houpe

ROMANCE

Best Date (Overall)

Lost and Found by @peacehopeandrats The Finfolk’s Bride by @chippedcupwrites It's a Surprise, Dearie by @gingerdreams15 Down to the River by @Barefootandbookish How to Date a Librarian by @Peacehopeandrats Cactus by eirian_houpe

Best Courtship

Calm by @peacehopeandrats Cactus by @eirian_houpe The Sweetest Dream by @threepwoodmarley Ad Astra by @chippedcupwrites Letters by @poorobscureplainandlittle Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere by @chick-with-wifi Bluebelle by @eirian_houpe

Best First Meeting

Portrait of the Heart by @chippedcupwrites Midnight Flowers by @SerenaLyon Anoxia by@ RumbelleDearie I Know it's Today by @RosexKnight Lady of the Lake by @rumplestiltskinsbulge

General Categories

Best One Shot

Pages of Reverie by @chippedcupwrites The Angel and the Devil by @peacehopeandrats Warming The Chill by @peacehopeandrats Symmetrical Simulations by @peacehopeandrats Bed by @peacehopeandrat Calm by @peacehopeandrats Tea by @peacehopeandratss Premonition by @ace_cf_cup His Ray of Light by@ ace_cf_cups Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups Shades of Blue by @ReyloAreHairGoals Amends - @Shadowedoracle And Then One Thursday Night by @Jackabelle73

Best Series

The Finfolk's Bride by @chippedcupwrites Hellfire!verse by @wonderwoundedhearers Lover's Leap by @eirian_houpe Growing Up by @Peacehopeandrats The Language of Flowers by @eirian_houpe

Best Novel Length

A Knack for Losing Everything by @AntiKryptonite (AO3) A Good Life by @AntiKryptonite Mountains, Streams and Magical Things by @Peacehopeandrats

Best Short Fic

Warming The Chill by @peacehopeandrats The Message by @peacehopeandrats Wounds and Scars by @peacehopeandrats Ingredients by @peacehopeandrats Recovery by @peacehopeandrats Wild by @peacehopeandrats Tea by @peacehopeandrats Premonition by @ace_cf_cups His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups To Sleep, Dearie by @human_nature Distractions by @Shadowed Oracle Babysitting by @Timelord13

Best Holiday Centric

Brandy, Apples and Spice -by @rufeepeach If You Will Be My Queen by @eirian_houpe Traditions Old and New by @Bad_Faery The Sweetest Dream by @ThreepwoodMarley A House Built With Love by @Of_Princes_and_Savages Snowbunnies by @Peacehopeandrats Lost and Found by @peacehopeandrats Seven Tastes by @eirian_houpe

Best Remix

Our Masks by Lotus0Kid

Best Crossover

A Blade For Belfrey by @eirian_houpe Methedhenlu by @eirian_houpe

Best Dark Castle

Snow Bunnies by @peacehopeandrats The Oldest Door by @peacehopeandrats Ingredients by @peacehopeandrats Delivery by @peacehopeandrats Spy by @peacehopeandrats Tea by @peacehopeandrats Marble by @peacehopeandrats Pages of Reverie by @chippedcupwrites Premonition by @ace_cf_cups Shades of Blue by @ReyloAreHairGoals His Little Wife by @Lady_Janes_Fics Marble by @Peacehopeandrats The Weakness Inside Him by @Tickletorso

Best Storybrooke

A Good Life by @AntiKryptonite The Cunning by @mareyshelley Mountains, Streams, and Magical Things by @Peacehopeandrats Golden Thread by @Chick-with-wifi Snow Bunnies by @peacehopeandrats Symmetrical Simulations by @peacehopeandrats War In Pieces by @peacehopeandrats Leaving Storybrooke by @peacehopeandrats The Meeting by @peacehopeandrats

Best Missing Years

Leaving Storybrooke by @peacehopeandrats The Tent Of Infinite Adventure by @peacehopeandrats Balloon by @peacehopeandrats Requiem by @Once-upon-a-rewrite The Storybrooke Whisky Appreciation Society by @threepwoodmarley His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups Love Me Before the Last Petal Falls by @deliriumsdelight7 Unconventional by @Peacehopeandrats

Best Wish!Verse

Once There Was A Wish by @peacehopeandrats Granted by @peacehopeandrats Deception by @eirian_houpe

Special Categories

Best Golden Lace

The Angel and the Devil by @peacehopeandrats One Lover, Many Dreams by @peacehopeandrats War In Pieces by @peacehopeandrats Wax by @peacehopeandrats Lacey and the Tramp by @chippedcupwrites The Storybrooke Whisky Appreciation Society by @ThreepwoodMarley The Cupcake Trilogy by @ThreepwoodMarley Weakness by @ThreepwoodMarley Star Crossed by @ThreepwoodMarley Sore Hearted Souls by @nerdrumple

Best Woven Lace

Morning by @Peacehopeandrats

Best Woven Beauty

Gift by Peacehopeandrats Undefined Desires, by @worryinglyinnocent

Best Background Swanfire

To Have and to Hold - @ThatRavenclawBitch Fragments of the Past, Glimpses of Tomorrow, by @wierdogal

Best Afterlife fic

Granted by @peacehopeandrats Belle's Promise by @bellerina98 Awakening by @eirian_houpe

Best Drama

Recovery by @peacehopeandrats Premonition by @ace_cf_cups His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups Time’s Curse by @eirian_houpe Love Me Before The Last Petal Falls by deliriumsdelight7 On The House by @kelyon The Spirit of the Trees by @woodelf68 Ad Luceum by @reolf

Best Supernatural/Sci-fi/horror

No Light Over London by @lotus0kid The Cunning by @mareyshelley Morteus Loqueris Ad by @Jackabelle73

Best Comedy

The Third Wheel by @tickletorso Lacey and the Tramp by @chippedcupwrites

Best AU (Original)

On the House by @kelyon The Finfolk’s Bride by @chippedcupwrites Tomorrow by @chippedcupwrites Ad Astra by @chippedcupwrites Wretched Beginnings by @poorobscureplainandlittle Wild by @Peacehopeandrats Two Could by @eirian_houpe Ad Astra by @chippedcupwrites His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups Secret of the Seas by @eirian_houpe Scattered by @eirian_houpe

Best AU (Based on Once Upon a Time)

Tales of Gold by @JurisLadyAnna The Black Swan by @DeliriumsDelight7 A Knack for Losing Everything by @AntiKryptonite Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups Nobody Knew by @eirian_houpe Love Me Before the Last Petal Falls by @deliriumsdelight7 Caught On In a Flash by @villainsarebetter

Best AU (Based on Other Media)

Rumbelle’s ‘The Princess Bride’ by @Trash_000 Hatter by @eirian_houpe Modern Wonders by @eirian_houpe The Black Swan by @DeliriumsDelight7 Time’s Curse by @eirian_houpe

Best Creature

Tomorrow by @chippedcupwrites In the Castle East by @villainsarebetter The Finfolk’s Bride by @chippedcupwrites Ad Astra by @chippedcupwrites The Cunning by @mareyshelley Fallen by @eirian_houpe The Spirit of the Trees by @woodelf68 Caught On In a Flash by @villainsarebetter

Best Unexpected Twist

Contract by @Kelyon His Little Wife by @Lady_Janes_Fics The Price by eirian_houpe

Best Bobby Squared

The Gold Motel by mrgoldsdearie A Blade For Belfrey by eirian_houpe

Best Trope

Love Me Before The Last Petal Falls by @DeliriumsDelight7 Snow and Heat by @Hypatia3 Wounds and Scars by @Peacehopeandrats Beauty Compelled by @eirian_houpe Premonition by @ace_cf_cups Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups

Best English Language

To Nurse by @Charon53 Premonition by @ace_cf_cups His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups Sacred Promise by by @ace_cf_cups

Events

Best Rumbelle Secret Santa

Wrapping Up Her Christmas Gift by @Kelyon Gluttony, a RSS Fic by @thestraggletag The Sweetest Dream by @threepwoodmarley Christmas Secrets by @peacehopeandrats If You Will Be My Queen by @eirian_houpe Make Me Feel Alive Again by @cartoonjessie Finding the Fun - RSS 2023 Fic by @tickletorso They Said it Was a Party by @of-princes-and-savages There Can Only Ever Be by @notalwayslate Mysterious by @reolf Portrait of the Heart by @chippedcupwrites Rumbelle Secret Santa by @99goosebumps Already There by @Jackabelle73

Best Fluffapalooza Fic

The Tea Shop by @peacehopeandrats Dragon Day by @importantgalaxyrimaway Content Rumbelle #1 through #8 by @Jackabelle73

Best Fluffapalooza Art

Kiss Me Again, It's Working by @milaeryn (https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/709081818387906560/kiss-me-again-its-working) Rumbelle (Something There) by @personintheplace (https://youtu.be/j0Tw_dmaXUg)

Best Monthly Rumbelling

Encounter - Rumplerose (AO3) The Landlord and the Princess - Rumplerose (AO3) Honorable - Rumplerose (AO3)

Character Awards

Best Belle

The Not So Dark One by @CharlotteAshmore Lady of the Lake by @rumplestiltskinsbulge The Cunning by @mareyshelley On The House by @Kelyon Beauty Enlightened by @eirian_houpe Compromises by @tickletorso Caught On In a Flash by @villainsarebetter A Knack for Losing Everything by @AntiKryptonite Portrait of the Heart by @chippedcupwrites The Oldest Door by @peacehopeandrats Ingredients by @peacehopeandrats Delivery by @peacehopeandrats Premonition by @ace_cf_cups The Sweetest Dream by @threepwoodmarley Brandy, Apples and Spice by @rufeepeach

Best Dark One!Belle

Rags to Riches by @alphashley14 Fallen by @eirian_houpe

Best Lacey

One Lover, Many Dreams by @peacehopeandrats Stroll by @peacehopeandrats Wax by @peacehopeandrats Lacey and the Tramp by @chippedcupwrites The Storybrooke Whisky Appreciation Society by @threepwoodmarley Star Crossed by @threepwoodmarley Weakness by @threepwoodMarley The Cupcake Trilogy by @threepwoodmarley Sore Hearted Souls by @nerdrumple

Best Spinner!Rumple

Witch and Spinner by @Strummer_Pinks Outside In by @Lotus0Kid

Best Dark One!Rumple

Make Me Feel Alive Again by @CartoonJessie A Golden Mask by @lotus0kid Gilded by @eirian_houpe Compromises by @tickletorso A Golden Mask by @Lotus0Kid The Oldest Door by @peacehopeandrats Ingredients by @peacehopeandrats Delivery by @peacehopeandrats Portrait of the Heart by @chippedcupwrites Premonition by @ace_cf_cups

Best Wish!Rumple

Once There Was A Wish by @peacehopeandrats Granted by @peacehopeandrats

Best Mr. Gold

The Caretaker by @TheStraggletag Fire by @peacehopeandrats His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups Courtship: A Golden Rings Story by @Kelyon The Cunning by @mareyshelley The Third Wheel @tickletorso Missing Person @eirian_houpe

Best Detective Weaver

Arson by @Peacehopeandrats Forgery by @Peacehopeandrats

Best Baelfire/Neil

A House Built With Love by @Of_Princes_and_Savages Steps by @peacehopeandrats

Best Gideon

The Message by @peacehopeandrats The Tent Of Infinite Adventure by @peacehopeandrats Slumber by @peacehopeandrats The Zoo by @peacehopeandrats The Meeting by @peacehopeandrats Finding You by @ClaraHue A Christmas Present for Mama by Shadowedoracle Christmas Secrets by @Peacehopeandrats

Best OC Rumbelle Child

The Zoo by @peacehopeandrats

Best (Worst) Villain

Regina in Spy by @peacehopeandrats Gaston in Scattered by @eirian_houpe Cora in On the House by @Kelyon Cora in The Dance of Love by @Malkat86 Gaston in Requited Love by @Melkat86

Best BFF/Wingman

Wounds and Scars by @peacehopeandrats Mountains, Streams, And Magical Things by @peacehopeandrats Overnight by @peacehopeandrats Blankets by @peacehopeandrats Healing by @peacehopeandrats Nobody Knew by @eirian_houpe Beauty Enlightened by eirian_houpe

Art

Best Fan Art

https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/709081818387906560/kiss-me-again-its-working - by milaeryn https://www.tumblr.com/ladyjanesfics/723405666574876672/sketching-rumbelle-is-literally-everything?source=share (@ladyjanesfics) https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/729258616383815680/belle-go-kiss-him-now https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/719206422850781184/goldenlacey-kiss-kiss https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/717578206992039936/some-rumbelle-fluff-im-100-sure-this https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/705184624822894592/the-magic-of-true-love https://www.tumblr.com/ace-cf-cups/740299612882075648 - happy ending at the end of realms; in my memory it doesn’t end; this silly little woven beauty set.

Best Graphic Art

https://chippedcupwrites.tumblr.com/post/736265729785151488/and-love-is-when-someone-who-even-knows-your (chippedcupwrites) https://www.tumblr.com/notonlymice/739060862996955136/rumbelle-little-red-riding-hood-au-moodboard - by notonlymice https://www.tumblr.com/ace-cf-cups/740299612882075648 - happy ending at the end of realms; in my memory it doesn’t end; this silly little woven beauty set.

Best AU in Art

https://notonlymice.tumblr.com/post/707899093547139072/au-where-belle-isnt-fascinated-by-the-idea-of (notonlymice) https://notonlymice.tumblr.com/post/707899093547139072/au-where-belle-isnt-fascinated-by-the-idea-of - by notonlymice https://www.tumblr.com/ace-cf-cups/740299612882075648 - this silly little woven beauty set.

Best Fluff Art

https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/704721714492375040/merry-rumbellemas-people - by milaeryn https://www.tumblr.com/ladyjanesfics/723648747582717952/prompt-from-fanfic-archive-rumple-steals?source=share (@ladyjanesfics) https://www.tumblr.com/chippedcupwrites/720948596432896000/it-was-an-arranged-marriage-i-was-doing-you-a https://www.tumblr.com/chippedcupwrites/714078397482041344/youre-the-sweetness-in-a-warm-cup-of-tea-when https://www.tumblr.com/ace-cf-cups/740299612882075648 - happy ending at the end of realms; in my memory it doesn’t end

Best Angsty Art

In my memory it doesn't end by ace_cf_cups

Best Comic/Graphic Novel

https://angelqueen13art.tumblr.com/post/109570038649/week-6-wearing-each-others-clothes-on-my - by angelqueen13

Best Use of Color

https://www.tumblr.com/notonlymice/731808073890611200/begacey-moodboard - by notonlymice https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/709081818387906560/kiss-me-again-its-working https://www.tumblr.com/milaeryn/705184624822894592/the-magic-of-true-love https://www.tumblr.com/ace-cf-cups/740299612882075648

Best Video

https://notonlymice.tumblr.com/post/737335283676282880/in-any-version-of-reality-and-all-that (notonlymice) https://chippedcupwrites.tumblr.com/post/719320180808925184/your-beauty-never-ever-scared-me-mary-on-a (chippedcupwrites) https://www.tumblr.com/chippedcupwrites/720948596432896000/it-was-an-arranged-marriage-i-was-doing-you-a https://www.tumblr.com/chippedcupwrites/714078397482041344/youre-the-sweetness-in-a-warm-cup-of-tea-when

Superlatives

Best Artist

@Chippedcupwrites @Notonlymince

Best Author

@Kelyon @Peacehopeandrats @Chick-with-wifi @Chippedcupwrites @poorobscureplainandlittle

Best New Author

@Once-Upon-a-Rewrite @Ace-cf-Cups @threepwoodmarley

Best Rumbelle Fic

The Language of Flowers by @DeliriumsDelight7 3 Witch and Spinner by @Strummer_Pinks 2 The Finfolk’s Bride by @ chippedcupwrites 2 Tomorrow by @chippedcupwrites Ad Astra by @chippedcupwrites Skin Deep by @bookwormchocaholic 2

Best Anyelle Fic

(In)discreet Math by @eirian_houpe 2 Let's Spend the Night Together by @ifishouldvanish 3 Tuesday by @eirian_houpe 2 Heal by @Evilsnowswan Passions Made of Nothing by @ KillerKueen Caught On In a Flash by @villainsarebetter

Best Anyem Fic

Tyger Tyger by @ShakespeareanHoneyBadgers 2

Rumbelle Lifetime Achievement Award

Kaylahastoomanyships 2 Peacehopeandrats 3 Jackabelle73 3

Once again, here's the link for the form:

[the-chipped-cup-awards]

2024 Nominees, part 1

It is our pleasure to present the nominees for the 2024 Chipped cup awards.

Congratulations to all the writers and artists nominated for this year's award. You can find the names beneath the cut. We will have to post a number of posts because there were so many qualified, that we reached the maximum number of allowed links per posts.

The ballot form is at the end of the list on the final post.

FLUFF

Family

The Tent of Infinite Adventure by @peacehopeandrats

Balloon by @peacehopeandrats

Tea and Roses by @thatravenclawbitch

Traditions Old and New by @bad_faery

Comfort

Illness by @peacehopeandrats

Blast by @peacehopeandrats

Struck By a Golden Arrow by @Otava

Snow and Heat by @Hypatia3

A Present of Love by @reolf

Fix-It

Ritual by @peacehopeandrats

Sacred Promise by @ace_cf_cups

Everyone Has A Choice by @Taisch

Reunion

Finding You by @Silwenworld

A Dream is a Wish by @Rowofstars

SMUT

Kink/BDSM

Wrapping Up Her Christmas Gift by @Kelyon

Like An Open Book by @Serenalyon

On the House by @Kelyon

Contract by @Kelyon

Beasts: A Golden Cuffs Story by @Kelyon

The Angel and the Devil by @peacehopeandrats

Indulgence by @emospritelet

Romance

Brandy, Apples and Spice by @rufeepeach

Memory by @Peacehopeandrats

Star Crossed by @threepwoodmarley

Two Could by @eirian_houpe

Comedy

Bare Facts by @BarPurple

Accidents by @Peacehopeandrats

Threesome

Fulfilling a Fantasy by @TheScholarlyStrumpet

Best First Time

Queen Takes Knight by @emospritelet

The Good Sort by @wonderwoundedhearers

Curfew by @emospritelet

PWP

All the Poisonous Thoughts by @serenalyon

In the Dark and Wicked Hours by @rowofstars

Beasts: A Golden Cuffs Story by @Kelyon

Sunshine by @peacehopeandrats

Home by @peacehopeandrats

ANGST

Death

Belle's Promise by @Bellerina98

Strong For Belle by @desperatemurph

Things Unknown by @BelleGold

Requiem by @once-upon-a-rewrite

Hurts So Good

To Have and to Hold by @ThatRavenclawBitch

Hang On Me by @nerdrumple

Ritual by @peacehopeandrats

Received by @Peacehopeandrats

Overnight by @peacehopeandrats

Recovery by @peacehopeandrats

His Ray of Light by @ace_cf_cups

On Whose Hands? by @eirian_houpe

Nobody Knew by @eirian_houpe

Seven Tastes by @eirian_houpe

The Black Swan by @deliriumsdelight7

Misunderstanding

Requiem by @once-upon-a-rewrite

Unexpected but Not Unwelcome by @tickletorso

On Whose Hands? by @eirian_houpe

ROMANCE

Best Date (Overall)

Lost and Found by @peacehopeandrats

Down to the River by @Barefootandbookish

How to Date a Librarian by @Peacehopeandrats

Best Courtship

Calm by @peacehopeandrats

Cactus by @eirian_houpe

The Sweetest Dream by @threepwoodmarley

Best First Meeting

Portrait of the Heart by @chippedcupwrites

Midnight Flowers by @SerenaLyon

Anoxia by@ RumbelleDearie

General Categories

Best One Shot

Pages of Reverie by @chippedcupwrites

The Angel and the Devil by @peacehopeandrats

Warming The Chill by @peacehopeandrats

Symmetrical Simulations by @peacehopeandrats

Bed by @peacehopeandrat

Calm by @peacehopeandrats

Amends by @Shadowedoracle

And Then One Thursday Night by @Jackabelle73

Best Series

The Finfolk's Bride by @chippedcupwrites

Lover's Leap by @eirian_houpe

Growing Up by @Peacehopeandrats

The Language of Flowers by @eirian_houpe

Best Novel Length

A Knack for Losing Everything by @AntiKryptonite

A Good Life by @AntiKryptonite

Mountains, Streams, and Magical Things by @Peacehopeandrats

Best Short Fic

Warming The Chill by @peacehopeandrats

The Message by @peacehopeandrats

Recovery by @peacehopeandrats

Wild by @peacehopeandrats

Tea by @peacehopeandrats

To Sleep, Dearie by @human_nature

Distractions by @shadowedoracle

Babysitting by @Timelord13

Best Holiday Centric

Brandy, Apples and Spice -by @rufeepeach

If You Will Be My Queen by @eirian_houpe

A House Built With Love by @Of_Princes_and_Savages

Snow Bunnies by @Peacehopeandrats

Lost and Found by @peacehopeandrats

Seven Tastes by @eirian_houpe

Best Remix

Our Masks by Lotus0Kid

Best Crossover

A Blade For Belfrey by @eirian_houpe

Methedhenlu by @eirian_houpe

And now… onward to part 2

[the-chipped-cup-awards]

Chipped Cup Awards - Voting is LIVE!

Before we get started, we would like to thank every member of this fandom.  Whether you create, enjoy, reblog, comment, or vote, you are the driving force behind this fandom.  Without each and every one of you, this event wouldn’t be possible.  

We had a great turnout this year, and we really hope that you enjoy the wonderful works of fic and art on the ballot this year.  As a reminder, you may only submit this ballot one time, so make sure to make it count!  In order to allow you to peruse this year’s offerings, a complete list of all nominated works is under the Read More cut.

Voting goes on from now until February 8th, so make sure to get your votes in.  Without further ado, here is the ballot form!

Chipped Cup Awards Voting Ballot

FLUFF

Family

“To Drive The Dark Away” by @bibliosauruswrecks

“An Unconventional Gift“ by @shadowedoracle

Comfort

“The Dark One Doesn't Get Sick” by @shadowedoracle

“In Sickness and in Health“ by @jackabelle73

“A Present of Love“ by @reolf

“The Bedroom Chronicles” by @serenalyon

“Illness” by @peacehopeandrats

Reunion

“The Other Fork In The Path“ by @jackabelle73

“Finding You” by @silwenworld

SMUT

Kink/BDSM

“Like An Open Book” by @serenalyon

“So You Want To Build A Sex Room” by @peacehopeandrats

Romance

“Memory” by @peacehopeandrats

“Come Together” by @abovethemists

Best First Time

“Red Lights” by @rufeepeach

“Curfew” by @emospritelet

PWP

“Sunshine” by @peacehopeandrats

“Rack 'Em Up“ by @eirian-houpe

“All the Poisonous Thoughts“ by @serenalyon

“One Word, Many Meanings” by @peacehopeandrats

ANGST

Death

“In the Shadows of Others” by @peacehopeandrats

“Things Unknown” by bellegold

“Strong For Belle” by @desperatemurph

Hurts So Good

“Beyond the Door“ by @jackabelle73

“Field” by @peacehopeandrats

“Received” by @peacehopeandrats

“Ritual” by @peacehopeandrats

Misunderstanding

“Unexpected But Not Unwelcome” by @tickletorso

“On Our Way to Fall” by @nerdrumple

ROMANCE

Best Date (Overall)

“How to Date a Librarian” by @peacehopeandrats

“Lost and Found” by @peacehopeandrats

“The Worst Date” by @jackabelle73

Best Courtship

“One Thing Forever True“ by @deliriumsdelight7

“Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere” by @chick-with-wifi

Best First Meeting

“Click” by @jackabelle73

“Midnight Flowers” by @serenalyon

GENERAL AWARDS

Best One-Shot

“Amends” by @shadowedoracle

“And Then, One Thursday Night” by @jackabelle73

“Awakening” by @eirian-houpe

“The Angel and the Devil” by @peacehopeandrats

“The Golden Fleece” by @eirian-houpe

“The Weakness Inside Him” by @tickletorso

“Warming the Chill” by @peacehopeandrats

“Gilded” by @eirian-houpe

Best Series

“Beauty...” by @eirian-houpe

“Golden Dreams” by @peacehopeandrats

“Growing Up” by @peacehopeandrats

“Lover’s Leap” by @eirian-houpe

“Precious Moments” by @jackabelle73

“The Language of Flowers” by @eirian-houpe

Best Novel Length

“Mountains, Streams, and Magical Things“ by @peacehopeandrats

“Witness Protection” by @eirian-houpe

Best Short Fic

“Warming The Chill” by @peacehopeandrats

“Babysitting” by @timelordthirteen

“Distractions” by @shadowedoracle

“Family Photos” by @shadowedoracle

“Rain, Ruin, Roses” by @kelyon

Best Holiday-Centric

“Snow Bunnies” by @peacehopeandrats

“Comfort and Joy” by @emospritelet

“To Drive the Dark Away” by @bibliosauruswrecks

Best Remix

“Those We Left Behind” by @peacehopeandrats

“Our Masks” by @lotus0kid

Best Crossover

“A Blade for Belfrey” by @eirian-houpe

“The City That Never Sleeps“ by @peacehopeandrats

Best Dark Castle

“Amends” by @shadowedoracle

���An Unconventional Gift“ by @shadowedoracle

“Distractions” by @shadowedoracle

“Marble” by @peacehopeandrats

“Snow Bunnies” by @peacehopeandrats

“Storm” by @peacehopeandrats

“The Dark One Doesn’t Get Sick” by @shadowedoracle

“The Weakness Inside Him “ by @tickletorso

Best Storybrooke

“Adventure in the Great Wide Somewhere” by @chick-with-wifi

“Golden Thread” by @chick-with-wifi

“Mountains, Streams, and Magical Things“ by @peacehopeandrats

“Beauty And The Beast“ by @peacehopeandrats

Best “Missing Years”

“An Unexplored Realm“ by @jackabelle73

“Unconventional” by @peacehopeandrats

“The Tent of Infinite Adventure“ by @peacehopeandrats

“Pop Ins” by @peacehopeandrats

“The City That Never Sleeps” by @peacehopeandrats

“Leaving Storybrooke“ by @peacehopeandrats

SPECIAL CATEGORIES

Best Golden Lace

“Hot Cocoa and Stolen Kisses“ by @kelyon

“The Angel and the Devil“ by @peacehopeandrats

“Rack ‘Em Up” by @eirian-houpe

Best Woven Lace

“One Word, Many Meanings” by @peacehopeandrats

“Morning” by @peacehopeandrats

Best Woven Beauty

“Prima” by @eirian-houpe

“Gift” by @peacehopeandrats

Best Afterlife Fic

“Morning” by @peacehopeandrats

“Awakening” by @eirian-houpe

Best Drama

“The Monster in the Storm” by @peacehopeandrats

“The Spirit of the Trees” by @woodelf68

“Ad Lucem” BY @reolf

Best Supernatural/Sci-Fi/Horror

“Live Wire” by @kelyon

“Mortuus Loqueris Ad“ by @jackabelle73

Best Comedy

“The Rare Books Crises“ by @tickletorso

“The Third Wheel“ by @tickletorso

Best AU - Original

“Two Could” by @eirian-houpe

“Rain, Ruin, Roses“ by @kelyon

“Wild” by @peacehopeandrats

Best AU Based On Other Media

“A Full Imagination“ by @peacehopeandrats

“Hatter” by @eirian-houpe

“In The Shadows Of Others“ by @peacehopeandrats

Best Creature

“Fallen” by @eirian-houpe

“In The Moonlight Deep” by @jackabelle73

Best Unexpected Twist

“The Rare Books Crises“ by @tickletorso

“Inheritance” by @eirian-houpe

Best Trope

“Love and Happiness” by @jackabelle73

“Beauty Compelled” by @eirian-houpe

“Wounds and Scars” by @peacehopeandrats

EVENTS

Rumbelle Secret Santa

“Come Talk To Me” by @serenalyon

“Deck the Halls” by @eirian-houpe

“The Best of the Season” by @lotus0kid

CHARACTER AWARDS

Best Belle

“Beauty Enlightened” by @eirian-houpe

“Compromises” by @tickletorso

“Love and Happiness” by @jackabelle73

“Unexpected But Not Unwelcome“ by @tickletorso

Best Dark One!Belle

“Dark Mistress” by @kelyon

Best Lacey

“Hot Cocoa and Stolen Kisses“ by @kelyon

“Stroll” by @peacehopeandrats

“Wax” by @peacehopeandrats

Best Spinner!Rumple

“Dark Mistress” by @kelyon

“Outside In” by @lotus0kid

Best Dark One Rumple

“Compromises” by @tickletorso

“Inheritance” by @eirian-houpe

“Gilded” by @eirian-houpe

Best Mr. Gold

“The Third Wheel” by @tickletorso

“Missing Person” by @eirian-houpe

“Received” by @peacehopeandrats

Best Detective Weaver

“Forgery” by @peacehopeandrats

“Doppelgänger“ by @celticheartedfangirl

Best Baelfire/Neal

“Dark Mistress” by @kelyon

“Welcome to Storybrooke“ by @peacehopeandrats

Best Gideon

“The Visitor” by @jackabelle73

“Looking In From the Almost Outside“ by @eirian-houpe

“A Christmas Present For Mama“ by @shadowedoracle

“Monster In The Storm“ by @peacehopeandrats

Best (Worst) Villain

“The Dance of Love” by @mellkat1986

“Requited Love” by @mellkat1986

“One Thing Forever True” by @deliriumsdelight7

Best BFF/Wingman

“Wounds And Scars“ by @peacehopeandrats

“How To Date a Librarian” by @peacehopeandrats

ART

Best Graphic Art

“If Alternate Universes Exist“ by @jackabelle73

“Rumbelle Mr. Nobody AU“ by @serenalyon

Best AU in Art

“Ally Craig and Nicholas Rush AU“ by @serenalyon

“Rumbelle Mr.Nobody AU“ by @serenalyon

“Rumbelle EF AU“ by @serenalyon

“PrisonerBelle!AU“ by @serenalyon

Best Fluff Art

“Girl, Tell Me All of Your Secrets“ by @serenalyon

“Rumbelle x Cockblock Brigade“ by @serenalyon

Best Angsty Art

“I Kissed Someone It Wasn't You“ by @serenalyon

“You Can Hate Me If That Helps“ by @serenalyon

Best Video

“Dance Me To The End Of Love“ by @jackabelle73

“Rumbelle x AO3 Tags“ by @serenalyon

“Lachacey“ by @serenalyon

“Rumbelle Wedding“ by @personinthepalace

“Rumbelle and Whofaldi Parallells“ by @personinthepalace

SUPERLATIVES

Best New Artist

@serenalyon

@personinthepalace

Best Author

@eirian-houpe

@peacehopeandrats

Best New Author

@serenalyon

@chick-with-wifi

@tickletorso

Best Rumbelle Fic

“Beauty and the Beast” by @peacehopeandrats

“Skin Deep” by @bookwormchocaholic

“In All Things” by @timelordthirteen

“Love and Happiness” by @jackabelle73

Best Anyelle Fic

“(In)discreet Math” by @eirian-houpe

“Manifesto” by @emospritelet

“Passions Made Of Nothing” by @killingkueen

Rumbelle Lifetime Achievement Award

@jackabelle73

@peacehopeandrats

@deliriumsdelight7

[the-chipped-cup-awards]

Full List of 2023 Chipped Cup Award Winners

And so we reach the end of the first annual Chipped Cup Awards for 2023. Thank you to all of the creators in the Rumbelle fandom, not just those who were nominees and winners of this year’s awards.  Without you, Rumbelle would not exist, and every single one of you, creators, nominees and of course our winners deserve recognition, and many congratulations. 

Newbie Spotlight

Shout out to the following Rumbellers who are among our new creators this year

@serenalyon @chick-with-wifi @somethingcleverbutinswedish @boopsterliv @kaylahastoomanyships @tickletorso @personinthepalace @poorobscureplainandlittle

Fic/Art Shoutouts

The following are some of the works recommended by members of our Rumbelle community.

Neverland, by @emospritelet

Always One More Time, by @bad-faery

Need A Lift, by Bar_Purple

Alone In My Tower, by Crysania

For a Good Cause, by @rowofstars

On the Shores of Loch Katrine, by @phoenixtalon​

Forbidden Loves and Stormy Nights (multiple authors)

The Rose, by Kayla L https://youtu.be/3jxBT2ctWUo

The Sounding Sea, by @mareyshelley

There But By the Grace of God, by Shepherd23

Sinners and Spinners, by marchionessofblackadder

Stolen, by @thestraggletag

In the Blood, by Megara Bee

Me and Mine, by wandering_gypsy_feet

Finally, under the cut, please find the full list of this year’s Chipped Cup Award winners.

Fluff: Family - To Drive the Dark Away by  @bibliosauruswrecks​

Fluff: Comfort - The Dark One Doesn’t Get Sick, by @shadowedoracle​

Fluff: Reunion - The Other Fork in the Path, by @jackabelle73

Smut: Kink/BDSM - So You Want to Build a Sex Room, by @peacehopeandrats

Smut: Romance - Come Together, by thatravenclawbitch

Smut: Best First Time - Red Lights by,  @rufeepeach

Smut: PWP - Rack ‘Em Up, by @eirian-houpe

Angst: Death -  In the Shadow of Others, by @peacehopeandrats

Angst: Hurts So Good -  Beyond the Door, by @jackabelle73

Angst: Misunderstanding - Our Way to Fall, by @nerdrumple

Romance: Best Date (Overall) - The Worst Date, by @jackabelle73

Romance: Best Courtship - One Thing Forever True, by @deliriumsdelight7

Romance: Best First Meeting - Click, by @jackabelle73

General: Best One-Shot - The Gold Fleece, by @eirian-houpe​

General: Best Series - Precious Moments, by @jackabelle73​

General: Best Novel Length - Witness Protection, by @eirian-houpe​

General: Best Short Fic - Rain, Ruin, Roses, by @kelyon

General: Best Holiday-Centric - Comfort and Joy, by @emospritelet

General: Best Remix -Those We Left Behind, by @peacehopeandrats

General: Best Crossover - The City that Never Sleeps, by @peacehopeandrats

General: Best Dark Castle - An Unconventional Gift, by @shadowedoracle

General: Best Storybrooke - Beauty and the Beast, by @peacehopeandrats​

General: Best “Missing Years”- An Unexplored Realm, by @jackabelle73

Special: Best Golden Lace - Hot Cocoa and Stolen Kisses, by @kelyon

Special: Best Woven Lace - One Word, Many Meanings, by @peacehopeandrats

Special: Best Woven Beauty - Prima, by @eirian-houpe

Special: Best Afterlife Fic - Morning, by @peacehopeandrats

Special: Best Drama - The Monster in the Storm, by @peacehopeandrats

Special: Best Supernatural/Sci-fi/Horror - Live Wire, by @kelyon

Special: Best Comedy -  The Rare Book Crisis, by @tickletorso

Special: Best AU - Original - Rain, Ruin, Roses, by @kelyon

Special: Best AU - Based On Other Media - A Full Imagination, by @peacehopeandrats

Special: Best Creature - In the Moonlight Deep, by @jackabelle73

Special: Best Unexpected Twist - Inheritance, by @eirian-houpe​

Special:Best Trope - Love and Happiness, by @jackabelle73

Events: Best Secret Santa - The Best of the Season, by @lotus0kid

Character: Best Belle - Love and Happiness, by @jackabelle73​

Character: Best Dark One!Belle - Dark Mistress, by @kelyon

Character - Best Lacey - Hot Cocoa and Stolen Kisses, by @kelyon

Character: Best Spinner!Rumple - Dark Mistress, by @kelyon​

Character: Best Dark One Rumple - Inheritance, by @eirian-houpe

Character: Best Mr. Gold - Received, by @peacehopeandrats​

Character: Best Detective Weaver - Doppelgänger, by @celticheartedfangirl

Character: Best Baelfire/Neal - Welcome to Storybrooke, by @peacehopeandrats

Character: Best Gideon - The Visitor, by @jackabelle73

Character: Best (Worst) Villain - One Thing Forever True, by @deliriumsdelight7

Art: Best Graphic Art - If Alternate Universes Exist, by @jackabelle73

Art: Best AU in Art - Rumbelle EF AU, by @serenalyon

Art: Best Fluff Art - Rumbelle x Cockblock Brigade, by @serenalyon

Art: Best Angsty Art - You Can Hate Me If That Helps, by @serenalyon​

Art: Best Video- Dance Me to the End of Love, by @jackabelle73​

Superlative: Best New Artist - @serenalyon

Superlative: Best Author - @eirian-houpe

Superlative: Best New Author - @serenalyon

Superlative Best Rumbelle Fic - In All Things, by @rowofstars

Superlative: Best Anyelle Fic - Manifesto, by @emospritelet

Rumbelle Lifetime Achievement Award is @deliriumsdelight7

[the-chipped-cup-awards]

Angst: Misunderstanding

Miscommunications, assumptions, simply not talking to each other when they should, Belle and Rumple often fill us with that feeling of delicious distress, where oftentimes we can see what’s coming, even before everything comes tumbling down before our eyes.

In the category of Angst: Misunderstanding, the winner of the 2024 Chipped Cup Award is…

Unexpected But Not Unwelcome by @tickletorso

[the-chipped-cup-awards]

Special Categories: Best Comedy

Stories in the Rumbelle community deliver almost every facet, every genre of fiction imaginable, and comedy is no exception, and is sometimes at the heart of many situations in which our favorite couple finds themselves.

In the category of Best Comedy, the winner of the 2023 Chipped Cup Award is The Rare Book Crisis, by @tickletorso​

[rumbelleshowdown]

exit_stage_left is @eirian-houpe

Tangerine Monkeytoes is @peacehopeandrats

Thumper is @itschippedcup

Boss Weasel is @comradegiddybiscuit

Snax is @tickletorso

ThinMint is @thisgirlshouldbestudying

Seiren is @deliriumsdelight7

The_Wonderous_Trianne is @kelyon

sleeve garters is @beastlycheese