[ It's hard to miss the way that pairs of eyes seem to track Hilda as she moves through the pub toward him. She catches people's attention due to her hair, her fashion, and Thancred imagines, her good looks. Even if her flirting with him had been harmless, he can't deny that she's the exact sort of maid he might have tried to approach when he was a few years younger.

Granted, all those thoughts are quickly chased away when she teases him and reminds him yet again of his age, causing him to sputter before he heaves out a sigh. ]

This is our first time meeting face-to-face. Perhaps my impression of myself in the Horizon is just a tad younger, who could say?

[ He knows she's just picking up on what she started during their mental conversation, however, and so he doesn't dwell on it for long, waving a server over so that Hilda can put in an order if she wishes. ]

I hope you didn't go to too much trouble on my account, by the way.

[ But she'd decided of her own volition to make a card deck. He must admit, he's quite interested to see what she came up with. ]