[That squeeze against his hand, faint as it is, actually manages to distract him just enough that his reply is a little fumbling out of the gate. Maybe he has had too much to drink. Maybe trying to seem vaguely suave amid a buzz during the last dance of the night was not his best idea.

But it's just Thancred, right? It's fine. He doesn't need to over think it.]

Uh, [the said fumble] It's an art, mostly. Toeing the line between being polite and still saying what's on your mind.

[Which might not come as a surprise, knowing Stephen's personality. The acerbic habits exist for a reason.]

What about you? I realize I don't know too much about your past, Thancred. You weren't always "gathering intel", were you?