Ruby Lucas

There were some days when Ruby thought nothing at all of Regina. She was the mayor, a woman who was known to be less than friendly on occasion, but mostly tolerable on a day in and day out basis. Ruby could not ever think of a time when she'd been suspicious of Regina outside of the general wariness reserved for politicians, but there was a feel to the woman's gaze when she looked upon Ruby and Loki that reminded Ruby inexplicably of an oil slick. Her spine tightened and she stood straight up, and Ruby had a strange, fleeting thought that dipped in and out of her consciousness just as quick. If there was a curtain over Storybrooke, it was a curtain of Regina's design.

The unsettled feeling made Ruby want to climb over the counter to put herself in between Regina and Loki, not because she thought that Loki couldn't defend himself against someone like her, but because she sensed Regina would know that Loki was not simply a stranger traveling through town. She didn't know what Regina could possibly do about it, but Ruby felt like she did not want to find out.

"Madam Mayor!" Ruby said brightly in an attempt to distract. "Don't you look wonderful! You're usual?"

Regina's acknowledgement came in the brief flick of her fingers, her gaze already locked on Loki's profile, and she moved past Ruby as though she wasn't even there to claim the seat beside Loki. There was a smile on her face, but it was as slick as her gaze, and equally unsettling.

"Regina Mills," she said and did not offer her hand. "Hello. How did you wind up in our little town?"