“hey, you sound like my agent.” although she hadn’t said cute, she’d said marketable. but it’s all the same to todd’s ego, anyway. tabby seems nervous to say it, but he’s hoping the easy way he takes the compliment makes her more comfortable. “no, you’re right. no one’s immune. I wouldn’t call this a fresh start for me, though. I have a little history with this place, and I came here because of that. if I wanted a fresh start, I would’ve gone to europe or something.” he’d wanted to be closer to the good memories, the last bit of blind hope. then he’d fucked it all up, so maybe a fresh start would be a good idea for him. “oh, you’d know, would you?” he asks instead, grin wide. “and how would you happen to know that?” from what little he knows about tabby, he wouldn’t be surprised if she trawls around ‘haunted’ sites in search of ghosts and ghouls in her free time. he’s never been into all that. even in his reading, he tends to lean away from the paranormal. he does love ghostbusters, though. he could imagine tabby having the uniform hung up in her closet. he shifts his weight again as they amble, more fidgety than usual. “I mean, it’s still actual water, it’s just in a tank.” probably not what she meant, but he’s said it now. “fucking cold water, too, by the way. and that’s very sweet of you, but you don’t need to do that. actually, it’s probably better if you don’t. I have a bit of a reputation.” he can laugh about it, but it’d eat him alive if tabby got dragged into any of his mess. “hey, and I hope you do, you deserve that happiness. despite popular belief, I actually think everyone deserves that kind of pure, all consuming love. if that’s want they want, obviously.”