Toby smiled and nodded as he listened to her. "NYU is a good school. And frankly, it doesn't matter what got you in, right? You got in and you did well, I'm sure." She was smart, it wouldn't surprise him if she was near the top of her class. He laughed at her question and shook his head no. "It's actually a talent of mine," he mused. "I've always been really good at picking out accents, even if they're just miniscule. When you've lived as many places as I have, you learn things like that very quickly." He shrugged. "That and the way you carry yourself. Born-and-bred New Yorkers have a sort of... confident carriage, you know?" Maybe it sounded weird, but it was true.
He laughed. "So the next thing I know, you'll be using my aversion to fire to try and take me down?" he joked in response to her joke and chuckled softly. Once again, he laughed aloud. "If my mother heard you say that, she would probably laugh you off the face of the planet," he half-smiled. "But I honestly think it comes with my work. I like to make situations pragmatic. Palpable. Every situation has a good side and a bad side, even if you can't see it right away. Even if no one can see it right away. Well, I suppose I shouldn't say every. There are exceptions to every rule. But in most cases, there's a way to make it palpable and be pragmatic about it." He gave her a little smile.
Burden? Toby arched an eyebrow at that. "I don't think they'd see it as a burden," he offered. "Isn't that part of what family is for?" he asked. "To rely on? To talk about what's bothering you? Maybe you should give them a little more credit." He paused when she explained how she'd been after Mike had died, and nodded his head. "Everyone copes differently," he told her honestly. "I don't think anyone faults you for what you did, for how you dealt with things. And look at you now," he pointed out. "You're night and day from how you were then, and you're smiling and laughing and socializing. If you ask me, you're doing a lot better than you think you are."
He paused and laughed when she suggested that they'd practice stalking stealthily. "So basically I should live in fear, then?" he asked her with a little chuckle.
"Oh, thanks! JT told me that I was made to be Maid Marian," Emma chuckled softly. Toby wondered if Kori had ever heard her call him JT before, but he figured she'd ask, if she hadn't. "You're totally prettier, though. Even in JT's humongous jacket."
Elisa nodded her head. "We don't want you to freeze. I'm surprised you're cold in that dress, though. It looks a little bit heavy. Like Em's!"
Toby chuckled softly. "The difference is that she's not running in circles and weaving through a group of people. You guys have to be a little more careful. You almost knocked Mr. Hamish over," he looked at Mr. Hamish, who was walking toward the fire now.
"Yeah, yeah," the girls said, practically in unison.