Who: Belle & "Robin" What: Belle meets "Robin" for the first time. (Backstory!) Where: In the Springwood Forest. When: July of 6510. Warnings: None. Status: In progress!
It was a typical day in Springwood; warm and bright and sunny, with the smell of growing things in the air and puffy white clouds hanging in the brilliant blue sky. It was the sort of day that urged one to come outside, that scorned any tasks involving staying inside seemingly dreary and dimly lit shops. Not that Belle thought Papa's shop was really dreary normally, but even the brightly lit store seemed dark and depressing compared to the natural splendor outside... not to mention the book that she couldn't stop thinking about, currently resting in her bag.
It hadn't taken much tempting for her to slip away, then, just a crack of the window and a glimpse of blue sky and sunshine, and Belle was headed out the front door without a thought for anything else. In seconds her book had been out of her hand, propped open in her hands, her only focus on the warm leather and the crisp turn of the pages and the black ink letters that marched in neat rows across them. So funny, how such neat little lines could send one spiraling down into worlds previously unimaginable, wasn't it? Well, Belle thought it was.
But the marketplace seemed even busier than normal today, and after tripping over a barrel and nearly being run over by a cart full of squabbling chickens, Belle decided to find somewhere a bit safer to read. With the Marchand family name so well respected, it was easy for Belle to borrow a horse from the stables, hooking her bag over the saddle before she climbed up. Sitting sidesaddle on the horse, she made her way out of the city. The demure way of sitting was really only for appearances sake. If she dared to sit like a man might, her sisters would surely hear of it, which meant she would hear of it that evening... and Belle did her best to avoid her sisters' nagging when she could.
Once free of the city she had adjusted her skirts and sat astride the horse, heading off at a steady pace across the realm. Just a couple hours ride found her nearing the biggest forest in Springwood- a bit of a journey, but one she was more than willing to take on days such as this. She could read for a couple of hours in Springwood Forest until the sun had started to set, and then head back safely before nightfall and no one would be the wiser... probably. After leading her horse a short distance into the forest, Belle spotted a tree that seemed to suit her liking. It only took a few minutes to tie the horse on a long lead, and then she was spreading out her blue skirts to sit beneath in the tree's gracious shade.
With her book open in her lap, Belle was lost to everything but the story; she didn't notice the slight breeze stirring her loose strands of blond hair, or the crunch of leaves nearby, and she certainly would've been unaware of the arrival of anyone-- unless they were a character in her story, that is...