"Oh, right. I keep forgetting you're in mourning." It took Ford a second to realize he'd said that out loud, instead of only thinking it. Had he been slightly more sober, he probably would have kept it to himself. He didn't like to bring up mourning. It was generally impolite to talk about it, and though he didn't think Tycho would care about decorum it was still usually a sore subject. Ford didn't want anyone feeling bad because of something he'd said, and he particularly didn't want to open up a conversation about dead father with someone he might be inclined to empathize with. It was easy to forget that Tycho was in mourning, though, because he was Tycho; even in the immediate aftermath of the death he had still seemed indomitable in Ford's eyes.

"Just because you're you," he added, not sure if this was helping at all or just putting his foot more firmly in his mouth.

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