Board Thread:Rant and Rave/@comment-31592902-20170630182255/@comment-28162607-20170713094859

(Late but I just found this and Ii'm passionae)

The age difference, in my opinion, is not an issue because they are both consenting adults.

But yes, RumBelle is probably the most toxic (romantic) relationship on the whole show.

Even looking in Skin Deep, he kept her as a slave, made her sleep in a dungeon, killed someone she cared about and never told her (despite promising he wouldn't), manhandled her and screamed at her.

He doesn't see her (or any woman) as equal to him. When she tried to act like his equal she was manhandled (1x12) or stomped into dirt (Lacey).

He lied about what happened to Milah- he said "she died" he didn't tell her she killed him because she didn't love him. I mean that's not a red flag, thats a siren with flasing lights. Run Belle, run! Plus, he has already killed a woman because she rejected him; you think he won't do the same to Belle? And she knows he could and would do it.

He sees Belle as an object for his happy ending, not a person in her own right eg. the season 4 finale where he rewrote her, stripped her of her love of adventure and made her his submissive housewife. He also only changed her back from Lacey to Belle because he needed her, not because she deserved her free will.

He has also called her an object (6x04).

Twice in season 6 he restricted her freedom (locking her on the Jolly and using the tracking bracelet)

He was willing to use magic to speed up her pregnancy (and no, he does not get points for changing his mind.  You do not get points for not being more abusive than you already are).

He has raped her twice (s4 final and 5x11, as well as possibly when she was Lacey) and sexually assaulted her three times (in s4 when he was disguised as Hook and touched her boobs, in s4 when he kissed ehr when she was unconscious and in s2 when she was Lacey and he was kissing her). And then after raping her say "at least I got one last taste". That should be an immediate deal breaker. Belle is literally in a relationship with her rapist.

He makes her dependent on him and tells her she can only be happy with him "You can [condone me], you just have to choose to. And if you do we can have it all. Family." He also said she "will come back to him" and used her love for Gideon to try to force her.

Won't take no for an answer eg. season 6 when she unambiguously rejected him and he kept pushing.

He has stalked her (season 4 and season 6-when he blackmailed David into telling him where she was)

He has no respect for her choices, ie. keeping pushing even after she said no, blaming Zelena for her taking the sleeping curse rather than acknowledging Belle can make decisions for herself. He stated that he prefers Belle "blissfully ignorant".

Belle knew Killian was risking his life by hiding her on the Jolly. A sign of an abusive relationship is when your loved ones are in danger.

Tried to help Ingrid kill her entire family then abduct and rape her (telling her he tried to save everyone when really he was trying to kill them all, that is rape by deception)

Built their entire marriage on a lie and reduced Belle to an alibi for murder. He either wanted to hurt Belle or didn't care that she would be hurt.

The entire message of RumBelle is "if you love him ebough, he will change," With RumBelle, A&E were telling women that it is their responsibility to make their abuser change and to stay with him.

I sympathise with anyone who wanted the ship to go a different way, but it had oxic elements in season 1 and in season 4 became full blown abuse. Belle deserved  so much better.