Ford laughed sharply but didn't bother answering. He assumed it wasn't a serious question. Tycho already knew he didn't, and was just poking fun at him, Ford thought. He nearly replied in the same light tone Do you? but he stopped himself. Tycho might have an actual answer to that question, and Ford wasn't sure he wanted to hear it. Having suspicions about Tycho's romantic whims was one thing, but having details was quite another. Ford didn't want to talk about who Tycho did or didn't spend time alone with.

Instead, he decided to (sort of) change the subject. "The longest I've ever been alone with a lady was during the Sanditon disaster. We were stuck in the dressing room trying to escape from a fire that boxed us in from the hallway." This was old news, but Ford hadn't told Ty about it before. Obviously in the wake of the Sandition hurricane, Tycho hadn't been in the mood for amusing antics, and since Ford and Miss Farley had both gotten out unscathed this qualified as positively light-hearted compared to what most people had experienced that night. "But under the circumstances I'm sure no one would have suspected me of skirt-chasing. Her skirt was actually on fire at one point."

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Set by Lady!

Tycho was so surprised to hear this that he almost swallowed the mandrake leaf that had been making its home in his mouth for the past couple of weeks. Thankfully, that did not happen or he would have had to start the process all over again. Truthfully, he had already gotten so used to it being in his mouth that it didn't even factor in most of the time when he was talking or even eating.

As it was, his own grief had healed enough that he could see the amusement in this story. "Really got her heated for you, huh?" He couldn't help actually chortling. "I assume the lady turned out to be fine and I am glad you are, too." He didn't know what might have happened if he had lost both his father and Ford in the same disaster. He shuddered a little just thinking about it. "No one can ever say your life is boring." Indeed, things seemed to be constantly happening to Ford or around him.

  

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Ford laughed and picked a leaf off the nearest plant to throw at Tycho. Heated, indeed. At least they seemed to be moving away from the uncomfortable topics of conversation and onto safer ground.

"I'd say I'd prefer if it was," Ford joked, "But I don't imagine you'd ever let my life get too boring."

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Set by Lady!

"Of course not," Tycho said immediately, as if offended at the very idea of making Fords life boring. "But don't worry, I'll try to make sure it is a fun sort of eventful." He knew Ford had been through a lot even if he did not know everything nor the details. He didn't really need the details to try and be a good friend to Ford anyway.

  

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