[ Thancred should know better than to try to address Himeka in the middle of a meal. He shakes his head to himself as he takes the seat across from her, glancing at the plate of cookies with mild consideration. After a moment, a tankard full of ale appears in front of him. He's more in the mood for a drink than sweets right now. ]

Do you want to try that again? Unlike you, I can't inherently understand every language.

[ Not that "mouth full of coffee biscuits" is a language, but he's allowed a dad joke here or there. He takes a swig of his drink. ]

I'm back at the castle, as you might have guessed. And I returned to another familiar face. [ He pauses for just a moment. He won't leave her in suspense. ] Y'shtola has joined us.