Ford merely shrugged at the question about Tycho's birthday. Remembering important events was a staple of friendship, and if there was anyone's birthday it would be good to be advised of beforehand it would be Tycho's. Otherwise, Ford might find himself swept along on some ridiculous adventure in celebration when the day came. Best to be prepared for such things.

He grinned at the next comment and made a show of leaning in close to sniff the air over his shoulder. "You smell fine," he declared. He would have said this regardless, but Ty did smell a little different — his usual scent of lavender had faded out and left something more subtle and more complex behind it. Ford repressed the urge to lean in again, closer still, to see if he could pinpoint what it was. That's probably what he smells like first thing in the morning, Ford thought, and his cheeks flushed slightly. He remembered Tycho as a lion nuzzling his face up against Ford's neck and momentarily regretted that he seldom wore cologne.

"Anyway, I'm sure your mother will want to hear you're alright," he continued, swallowing down whatever was threatening to get stuck in his throat. "I thought about writing her when you were in with the Ministry folks, but I wasn't sure what to say."

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Set by Lady!

Tycho was a little surprised when Ford leaned in close and he chuckled when Ford said that he smelled fine. "I hope that the small of lion doesn't linger on me. Though it was really what I imagined being a house cat must be like. Though much larger." He could not wait to get home to his own things, his own people and his own space.

"If I go missing again, she has murdered me for giving her a fright," Tycho said, a little worried despite his words of how his mother might have taken it. They had not been getting along very well lately but he knew logically it was due to a mix of factors that weren't really in either of their control.

  

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Can we dance like we're all alone
Stop the time and make it still
Hold you like I always will

Ford grimaced. "I know the feeling." Having had a sibling go missing less than a year ago, and then having to deal with Tycho's unexplained absence most of his month, Ford could certainly empathize with how Mrs. Dodonus must have been feeling about things.

"Does she know you're trying to become an animagus?" Ford asked with one eyebrow raised. "I imagine she might have something to say about that." (Ford might have, too, if he thought Tycho was likely to listen, but he expected expressing concerns about it might only make Ty more determined; on the other hand, if Ford pretended not to care, maybe Tycho would drop the idea on his own).

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Set by Lady!

"I doubt it," Tycho admitted when Ford asked if his mother knew about his attempt to become an animagus. "She has something to say about everything. I feel like that is the life of most mothers."

  

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Can we dance like we're all alone
Stop the time and make it still
Hold you like I always will

Ford hesitated before responding. "Well, she cares about you," he pointed out. He felt this comment was a bit of a betrayal, as though there was an unspoken rule that friends were always supposed to side with each other compared to meddling mothers. "She wouldn't worry so much if she didn't. It's— hard, being the person left behind when someone is missing," he said with a frown. Then, realizing what he'd said, he added quickly, "Not that I'm trying to imply what you went through wasn't hard, obviously I don't mean — sorry. Forget I said anything."

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Set by Lady!

Tycho felt a little guilty at Fords words. Though not so much because of his mother. But rather the reminder that Ford had dealt with someone missing before. "No, I get what you mean. And you've been through it twice. Not that I am at the same level as your sister of course." Still. He knew he would be a mess if Ford were ever the one to go missing. "Let's just get me home. Are you going to come over for a while?"

  

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Can we dance like we're all alone
Stop the time and make it still
Hold you like I always will

Ford brightened at the question. He'd assumed when Tycho made the quip about needing to change clothes before dinner that it was a way of subtly drawing some boundaries around his evening, so he hadn't expected to be welcome to stay. He certainly wouldn't have begrudged Tycho if he needed an evening to collect himself after such an outrageous ordeal as what he'd just been through.

"If you want me to," he replied. "I'm technically still on call the rest of the day, but — well, you saw what a grand lion tamer I turned out to be. I'm sure I'm the Department's last resort by now."

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Set by Lady!

"Of course I want you to. I have been living as a lion and other animals - even if they are really people - don't make for good conversation." For a social man like himself, it had been horrible. Especially being separated from all of his favorite people. "Besides, living as a lion has a way of growing ones appetite." He had not been starved but there was only so much lion oriented food he could stomach.

  

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Can we dance like we're all alone
Stop the time and make it still
Hold you like I always will

Ford smiled again at Tycho's remark. This was the most he'd been smiling since — he didn't even know when. This month had certainly been glum, given the disappearances generally and the absence of Tycho specifically. He'd been in low spirits in January between the recent breakup and his lingering uncertainty about Verity's wedding. November and December had been dominated by the growing sense of dread over his relationship with Macnair. The latter half of September had been dominated by the aftermath of Verity's kidnapping, and the news about Mrs. Macnair's pregnancy. This might have been the most Ford had smiled at once since the social season.

"I'll stay out of your way in the kitchen," he joked, as they approached the door. "I'm glad you're back."

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Set by Lady!