“Thanks,” he said, to stall for time while he parsed what she'd said, and came up with a response. He'd gotten used to Lyra and Cheerilee's speaking habits, but Lavender Fritter had a different intonation, and it was giving him a bit of trouble. He actually wasn't sure what else to say; he hadn't learned the language nearly well enough to engage in small talk, nor did he know what pony small talk was. Did they talk about the weather? Gossip about other ponies? Ask about the family?