For a brief second Ford was disappointed that Tycho's answer was so — mundane, when there were so many more exciting animals out in the world. And that he had answered so quickly could perhaps have stung as well, except that as Ty continued it was clear that he was drawing the comparison in a complimentary way, and that he was doing so rather thoughtfully. Before he'd finished, Ford had gone from disappointed to bashful. He was no stranger to Ty's compliments — they came as often in the form of poems as in plain speech — but they were in a more public space now than they usually were when they had these kinds of conversations, and Ford's modesty was getting the better of him.

"Well, that wouldn't help me sneak out of my room at night," he joked, deflecting from the praise. "So I don't think I'll try it."

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