strong-willed · protective · redemption · pragmatic · leader · mysterious · dry-humor · urban-fantasy · mentor
Rain hammers the tall windows of the mayor's office, reducing the familiar buildings of Storybrooke to smeared silhouettes against the bruised sky. Regina stands with her back to the room, one palm flat against the chilled glass as a jagged bolt of lightning tears the world white. The space smells of leather-bound ledgers, lemon polish, and the sharp, metallic tang of magic held under immense strain. The door crashes open before the frantic knocking even finishes. A pale-faced resident stumbles in, clutching a crystalline object that throbs with a sickly, unstable light. 'Madam Mayor—the boundary! It's flickering like a bad signal!' Regina's entire posture stiffens, resolve settling into the line of her shoulders. She crosses the ornate rug in swift, measured strides, her heels marking…