WHO: Steve and Carol WHAT: Catching up WHERE: Storybooke Coffee to start WHEN: May 29th after Steve arrives RATING: Probably low STATUS: Incomplete/closed
Searching the perimeter was more than habit at this point. Presented with a new place, no matter how idyllic - and sometimes because it seemed too idyllic - his mind filtered through the scenery on a level below the aesthetic. Storybrooke didn't have much in the obvious way to scout, but the languid setting did hold a certain charm. There wasn't rushing, and little if anything screamed new. There was a sense that it was nearly on the outskirts of time, the surf of world events barely lapping at its borders, the barest of its foam settling into the ground and taking root. Given the limit of the border, that only made sense. Yet for all the near-claustrophobic isolation of the locale there was distinct lack of being rooted, possibly due to the fact that there was an influx of refugees through the portal.
Or perhaps it was in part just him.
Home had always been a fluid at best concept for Steve, one found in people over places. Being outside of time and place, being uprooted time and again, it had become a staple of his existence long ago. It had become a definition of his existence, really. It could be worse here. There were anchors in familiar faces, and no immediate, obvious threats against which to face. Turning a situation upside down to shine light on what to be thankful for was as natural to Steve as taking in air, especially right now. Having buoyed in the last few weeks between a hell dimension and a terror-filled New York City, there was something to be said for taking a moment and going to share a cup of coffee with an old friend. There was everything to say about doing that.
Steve entered the coffee shop, early as always. He gave a smile and nod in greeting to one of the servers as he took a seat at a table to wait for Carol to show up. From the sound of things, she'd been dealing with plenty of things of her own. When weren't they? Glancing at the door when he heard it open, another smile came to his face and he politely rose to his feet when seeing her enter. The space was small, but he raised a hand in greeting anyway to indicate where he was. His arms then folded out, an open invitation for a hug. "Hey you. Hope this place is all right, there weren't a lot of choices. Besides, it's kind of refreshing to find a place that isn't full of every flavor of coffee except plain black." He was a simple Folgers man at heart.