The brainy beauty is back.

Having not made the journey to Neverland for the first half of Once Upon a Time Season 3, Emilie de Ravin and the character of Belle are now in the thick of two mysteries, one in current-day Storybrooke and one in Fairy Tale Land of the Past Year. This Sunday at 8/7c on the ABC drama, flashback Belle will team with Neal to get the definitive 411 on Rumplestitlskin’s fate, while in Storybrooke her bookish charm will prove quite handy.

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TVLine invited the Aussie beauty to preview what’s to come, assess Belle’s wardrobe and also ponder the thought of (gasp!) live-tweeting a Lost episode.

TVLINE | I know you were shooting very late last night, so I wanted to thank you up front for your time. It’s just that the readers have been clamoring for more Belle goodness, more Emilie goodness….

I know, I’ve been flattered! It’s very sweet. I think that stemmed from the Neverland arc, which obviously she couldn’t be involved in. So now it’s nice to be back with the group.

TVLINE | Was that different for you, being largely separated for everyone else in Season 3A?

Well, yeah! And I wasn’t even really playing myself. I mean, I was, to an extent, but also — and this is just creepy, once I figured it out — I was playing [Rumplestiltskin’s] father! We’re not twisted on this show at all. [Laughs]

TVLINE | [Series creators] Adam [Horowitz] and Eddy [Kitsis] ave promised more Belle in the second half, but just as importantly we’ll see her smarts come into play.

Yes, yes — especially in this Sunday’s episode, actually. Much more of that [midseason premiere Belle/Neal] conversation and action will come to fruition in “Quiet Minds.” It’s about me suggesting that I think that we can get Rumple back, and Neal believing in what I’m saying. It was a very, very fun episode for me to shot. A lot of work.

TVLINE | Is it basically Belle and Neal on an adventure?

It’s definitely an adventure episode — my second adventure episode in something that’s not, like, a Gucci skirt, which I love. I’m in my tights, leather booty shorts, a blazer…. It’s pretty awesome.

TVLINE | So you’re happy with your Fairy Tale Land wardrobe there?

Oh god, yeah. These guys are amazing. Eduardo [Castro] and the whole [costume] department, its like they’re making a wedding dress every day. The amount of work that goes into the costumes, and every stick is perfect…. It’s pretty cool.

TVLINE | But as far as being practical for long hours the Vancouver outdoors, where would you say your wardrobe ranks?

Oh, I’m fine. I’m more of a hot-blooded person as opposed to those who get cold easily. And I love the fashion of it all, so I’ll just triple up the tights or stick more heat patches in my back, throw the thermals underneath….

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TVLINE | What can you say about the introduction of Lumiere (voiced by Henry Lubatti, True Blood)?

Henri was fantastic, and such a trouper, too. A beautiful man, just a lovely guy. He came and did all the dialogue on set for me and MRJ [Michael Raymond James], even though he didn’t really need to be there. We really appreciated that he spent that time in the middle of the night, in the snow in the forest, reading lines.

TVLINE | Meanwhile in Storybrooke, will Belle learn that Rumple is alive sooner rather than later?

I learn… soon. Gold’s gone missing and everyone’s searching for him, so I basically — because of that lost year in Fairy Tale Land — go through my copious amounts of books and find out that we had this thing that we found out about, to find him in Fairy Tale Land.

TVLINE | So “Rumbelle” fans have something to look forward to in the next couple episodes?

Yes, yes…. For the rest of the season, actually.

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TVLINE | It’s funny, we talk about the passion for the Rumple/Belle pairing, yet you’re always apart in some way, shape or form.

As I’ve always said, it’s a very Romeo and Juliet relationship. It’s not your vanilla “I’m going to make coffee and pancakes for you” thing, which for me is perfect. Instead of always being beautiful and perfect, I always prefer having something that threatens the demise of their relationship. Belle’s become stronger because she’s had to deal with him, even though she was a strong character from the beginning — but she’s also given him strength. He’s had power, and she’s had the strength.

TVLINE | How would you compare the passion of the Once fans versus your time on Lost?

I think it was more dispersed with Lost, though it certainly wasn’t any less. [On Lost] it was much more involved in what was happening. The fandom was much more for everyone instead of being about, maybe, three couples at this point. It’s also so different now. I mean, back then I would have boycotted having a Twitter account, and now everyone’s like, “Can you live-tweet tonight?’ And I get it! Social media has taken over, and it’s giving as much to the fans as sending off fan mail, basically.

TVLINE | I can’t imagine actors live-tweeting a Lost episode. It’d be a bunch of silence.

Oh, god — we wouldn’t know what to say! But no, that show was awesome in a completely different way. Adam and Eddy are insanely creative and think out of numerous boxes — not just one box — about where they can go. They’ve created this fantastical world where they can go wherever they want, and there are so many characters they can bring on, so many relationships they can twist around… Just look at Bobby — Rumplestiltskin and the beast? Who would think of that?

Want more scoop on Arrow, or for any other show? Email insideline@tvline.com and your question may be answered via Matt’s Inside Line.