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[And now Korra feels like she's kicked a turtleduck. Great.]
It's fine. [She stands up, ignoring a voice in the back of her mind that whispers Quitter. Her bending is gone for good. That's just a fact. Anything that tries to tell her otherwise is just messing with her head.] It's just something I need to learn to live with.
It's fine. [She stands up, ignoring a voice in the back of her mind that whispers Quitter. Her bending is gone for good. That's just a fact. Anything that tries to tell her otherwise is just messing with her head.] It's just something I need to learn to live with.
But.... [Tohru doesn't want to just give up. But that seems rude to push Korra, especially when it's a sensitive topic for her.]
I could try to help with that. There are plenty of other things you can do. And they're very impressive. [And she'll look for a way. Even if she has to do it alone.]
I could try to help with that. There are plenty of other things you can do. And they're very impressive. [And she'll look for a way. Even if she has to do it alone.]
[She doesn't understand. Of course she doesn't understand. Nobody does. It's not about how many things she can do or how impressive they are. She could be able to juggle five plates on her toes while standing on her hands but it wouldn't be the same.]
Thanks. I'm gonna go brush Naga.
Thanks. I'm gonna go brush Naga.
[Tohru barely responds to that, some pointless mutter. It's only when Korra seems out of earshot she whispers:] I'm sorry.
[ This won't end well. ]
[ The thought strobes into Hei's mind as he pads about the sunny flat in faded jeans and a T-shirt. What was he thinking? Offering Korra cooking lessons. On his day off. In his kitchen. It's like some kind of cosmic joke. Mechanically, he's assembled the ingredients for today's meal. Two large lobsters -- live -- in ice coolers. On the counter -- herbs, lemons, a plate of butter, for the sauce. Three pears and a bottle of red wine (already a quarter empty; there's a reason Hei prefers staying busy) for dessert. ]
[ Resting his elbows on the counter, Hei takes the spread in with the ridiculous sense of preparing a tea-party for Pai's dolls. He remembers perfectly well the last time he'd helped a woman cook dinner. It was in Beijing. He'd bought her lobster then too. Served it with pasta, angelic shrimp and glasses of white wine. Had sex with her until she was half-stoned from exhaustion. Then he'd cracked open her safe and taken off with her money, jewels and anything else that wasn't nailed down. She'd been a storm-port. An easy way to evade enemy surveillance until he could smuggle himself to a new city. ]
[ This is different. ]
[ Returning to the livingroom, Hei slumps on the couch. A paperback novel on the table, spine cracked as it sprawls facedown, vies for space with a juice glass smudged red with wine. Hei doesn't touch either. Just watches the sunlit dustmotes glittering through the slatted blinds. Vaguely, he knows why he's uncomfortable. He isn't pretending to be someone else. On assignments he's always undercover. Cover, that is the perfect word. Something you can hide behind. Something without which you feel naked. ]
[ This won't end well. ]
[ The thought strobes into Hei's mind as he pads about the sunny flat in faded jeans and a T-shirt. What was he thinking? Offering Korra cooking lessons. On his day off. In his kitchen. It's like some kind of cosmic joke. Mechanically, he's assembled the ingredients for today's meal. Two large lobsters -- live -- in ice coolers. On the counter -- herbs, lemons, a plate of butter, for the sauce. Three pears and a bottle of red wine (already a quarter empty; there's a reason Hei prefers staying busy) for dessert. ]
[ Resting his elbows on the counter, Hei takes the spread in with the ridiculous sense of preparing a tea-party for Pai's dolls. He remembers perfectly well the last time he'd helped a woman cook dinner. It was in Beijing. He'd bought her lobster then too. Served it with pasta, angelic shrimp and glasses of white wine. Had sex with her until she was half-stoned from exhaustion. Then he'd cracked open her safe and taken off with her money, jewels and anything else that wasn't nailed down. She'd been a storm-port. An easy way to evade enemy surveillance until he could smuggle himself to a new city. ]
[ This is different. ]
[ Returning to the livingroom, Hei slumps on the couch. A paperback novel on the table, spine cracked as it sprawls facedown, vies for space with a juice glass smudged red with wine. Hei doesn't touch either. Just watches the sunlit dustmotes glittering through the slatted blinds. Vaguely, he knows why he's uncomfortable. He isn't pretending to be someone else. On assignments he's always undercover. Cover, that is the perfect word. Something you can hide behind. Something without which you feel naked. ]
[ This won't end well. ]
[Forget about not ending well -- this isn't starting well. For one thing, it took Korra twenty minutes longer to get out of the beach house than she had wanted because Hamlet was teasing the sheep and Naga really didn't like the idea of Korra going somewhere without her.
There's a boy -- maybe 14 -- right outside of Li's building, feeding a freshly hatched dragon. He looks Korra up and down and leers knowingly at her. She clenches her fist instinctively, ready to knock that smirk off his face, but forces herself to release it. Instead, she hurries into the building, feeling no pride at her self-restraint, only a dirty, uncomfortable conviction that she's running away. Inside, she crosses paths with a middle-aged couple who both glare at her... and follow her. She almost thinks they're from the Underground, except they stop and go into the apartment next to Li's.
Oh. Oh.
Maybe she should have said her place.
Face burning, she taps on Li's door.]
There's a boy -- maybe 14 -- right outside of Li's building, feeding a freshly hatched dragon. He looks Korra up and down and leers knowingly at her. She clenches her fist instinctively, ready to knock that smirk off his face, but forces herself to release it. Instead, she hurries into the building, feeling no pride at her self-restraint, only a dirty, uncomfortable conviction that she's running away. Inside, she crosses paths with a middle-aged couple who both glare at her... and follow her. She almost thinks they're from the Underground, except they stop and go into the apartment next to Li's.
Oh. Oh.
Maybe she should have said her place.
Face burning, she taps on Li's door.]
[ By the time she arrives, Hei has gotten so absorbed in his book (and the wine) that he doesn't catch her footsteps blending with the neighbors.' The knock actually startles him. Snapping the book shut, he rises with a muttered curse. He hasn't shared with anyone the onset of these periodic ...space-outs, for want of a better description. Occasionally he'd get so lost in a book or a drink at a cafe, that he'd neglect to look up when he heard someone come in. Or get so immersed in thought on a morning stroll that he'd suddenly realize an entire minute had elapsed and he hadn't checked his back. ]
[ At those moments he'd be gripped by a kind of horror, the feeling you get when you accidentally run a red light at full speed and miraculously breeze through the intersection unscathed. You tell yourself no harm, no foul, but there's a primal part of you sneering Idiot. Do you want to die? He wants to tell himself it's a sign that he's relaxing. Slowly acclimating to his new environment. ]
[ (Except it's not. It's his mind, going on a much needed standby after years of non-stop whirring.) ]
[ The lizard shifts sullenly in its cage as Hei crosses over to open the door. Seeing Korra, his half-smile flickers, then catches into something wider, a bit more relaxed and a bit less tired. Because yes, this isn't an assignment. But maybe it's all the better that it's not. ]
Entertaining wrong ideas? [ y so red-faced, Korra? ]
[ At those moments he'd be gripped by a kind of horror, the feeling you get when you accidentally run a red light at full speed and miraculously breeze through the intersection unscathed. You tell yourself no harm, no foul, but there's a primal part of you sneering Idiot. Do you want to die? He wants to tell himself it's a sign that he's relaxing. Slowly acclimating to his new environment. ]
[ (Except it's not. It's his mind, going on a much needed standby after years of non-stop whirring.) ]
[ The lizard shifts sullenly in its cage as Hei crosses over to open the door. Seeing Korra, his half-smile flickers, then catches into something wider, a bit more relaxed and a bit less tired. Because yes, this isn't an assignment. But maybe it's all the better that it's not. ]
Entertaining wrong ideas? [ y so red-faced, Korra? ]
[ After his cursory sweep of the hallway, Hei shuts and locks the door behind her. His smile has grown smaller and more crooked, but it's good-natured enough. Judgmental neighbors. Unfriendly looks. He's never been in a sphere of existence where that mattered, except maybe long ago, as a child still innocent of warfare and blood. ]
Only when you're noisy, [ he says casually, in a tone that implies that, unlike 99% of the time, there's a crumb of truth there. ]
Only when you're noisy, [ he says casually, in a tone that implies that, unlike 99% of the time, there's a crumb of truth there. ]
[She almosts snaps And whose fault is that? but if she thinks about what they usually do here, she'll only blush harder (and possibly get distracted. She doesn't want to give the neighbors more to complain about). She settles for making a face at him.]
Jerk.
[She takes a breath and with the exhale, tries to banish the stress of her journey over -- of the past few days, honestly. It doesn't work much...but it works enough. She quirks a smile at Li and then goes to greet the lizard.]
Do you know his name yet?
Jerk.
[She takes a breath and with the exhale, tries to banish the stress of her journey over -- of the past few days, honestly. It doesn't work much...but it works enough. She quirks a smile at Li and then goes to greet the lizard.]
Do you know his name yet?
[ He accepts the Jerk in good part (It's true). Leaning against the wall, arms folded, it takes only a moment for his energy -- discomfort, wariness, doubt -- to settle into a convincing flatline of calm. Quietly, he takes Korra in, the way he couldn't over the Network device previously. She's not wavery and overwrought, like she was during her last visit here. But despite her smile, a throbbing anxiety practically ripples the sunlit air around her. ]
[ He would ask, except it's not his business. As he established earlier, this isn't an assignment; she isn't a mark. He can afford to give her some space, something quiet and easy and pressure-free, even if BK201 rarely operates in that mode without purpose. ]
Does it matter? [ It's a dismissive reply. He's not particularly concerned with lizard's name, as long as it's well-fed and combats the ticking. Other than a pet cat he and Pai had as children (white, Persian, a dark heartshaped mark on its nose) and a few tragedies with goldfish, he's never given pets any thought. ]
[ They symbolize Domesticity and Permanence, and Hei doesn't function that way anymore. ]
[ He would ask, except it's not his business. As he established earlier, this isn't an assignment; she isn't a mark. He can afford to give her some space, something quiet and easy and pressure-free, even if BK201 rarely operates in that mode without purpose. ]
Does it matter? [ It's a dismissive reply. He's not particularly concerned with lizard's name, as long as it's well-fed and combats the ticking. Other than a pet cat he and Pai had as children (white, Persian, a dark heartshaped mark on its nose) and a few tragedies with goldfish, he's never given pets any thought. ]
[ They symbolize Domesticity and Permanence, and Hei doesn't function that way anymore. ]
Of course it does! [She rolls her eyes at him, but then stops.] Maybe not to you, Mr. Two-Names, but to most people.
[She squats down and rests her arms & chin on the table so she can get a better look at the lizard. She's a little entranced. There had been little reptiles on Air Temple island and around Republic City, but she's never seen anything like this guy before.]
[She squats down and rests her arms & chin on the table so she can get a better look at the lizard. She's a little entranced. There had been little reptiles on Air Temple island and around Republic City, but she's never seen anything like this guy before.]
[ There it is again. That Pai-echo. It can't be helped. A young girl quietly thrilled by something as mundane as a lizard? Even though she's slogging in so much filth? At the end of the day, it's not an unfamiliar sight for Hei. (Funny, how Pai can still change the shape and color of his world, the lens through which he sees people, even though she no longer exists.) ]
[ He doesn't offer a riposte to the Two-Names. Instead there's a brief moment's silence, not because he's indifferent; he's just thoughtful. Drifting toward her, he stoops to pick up his glass, ringed darkly with wine lees, before he fixes her with a considering look of his own. It's not too many shades off from the way Korra regards the lizard. ]
You can call me Hei instead of Li, you know.
[ Pavel does. It's strange; he's not used to halfways, but to people who either know nothing of his profession or everything at all. This limbo with Korra and Pavel is completely new. He's not sure if he's tipping it one way or another by offering to let her use his cryptonym. Hei is a mask just as 'Li' and BK201 are, after all. But he's the one that's closest to himself -- fingerprints and dogtags rather than the Reaper's daggers or 'Li's theatrical timidity. ]
[ And Korra's met Hei enough times. She just doesn't have a name to connect to the face. ]
[ He doesn't offer a riposte to the Two-Names. Instead there's a brief moment's silence, not because he's indifferent; he's just thoughtful. Drifting toward her, he stoops to pick up his glass, ringed darkly with wine lees, before he fixes her with a considering look of his own. It's not too many shades off from the way Korra regards the lizard. ]
You can call me Hei instead of Li, you know.
[ Pavel does. It's strange; he's not used to halfways, but to people who either know nothing of his profession or everything at all. This limbo with Korra and Pavel is completely new. He's not sure if he's tipping it one way or another by offering to let her use his cryptonym. Hei is a mask just as 'Li' and BK201 are, after all. But he's the one that's closest to himself -- fingerprints and dogtags rather than the Reaper's daggers or 'Li's theatrical timidity. ]
[ And Korra's met Hei enough times. She just doesn't have a name to connect to the face. ]
[ The easiest cop-out would be to say he's being tactical, because Hei never makes any offers without strings attached to strangle or manipulate with. It'd be half-true, because that's the way he functions, at least usually. Except none of the Syndicate's rules apply here. He's learning how to yield more each day. Or perhaps just how to be a bit more human. ]
[ It doesn't come easily, any of it. Too many restless moments second-guessing himself, wondering if he's making the right decisions, if he's even built to do this at all, but Hei's never been one for giving up. ]
Hm. [ Straightening, he jerks a thumb in the direction of the kitchen. Perfectly straight-faced, ] Now take the lizard out of the cage. I'll show you how to flay and bake it.
[ It doesn't come easily, any of it. Too many restless moments second-guessing himself, wondering if he's making the right decisions, if he's even built to do this at all, but Hei's never been one for giving up. ]
Hm. [ Straightening, he jerks a thumb in the direction of the kitchen. Perfectly straight-faced, ] Now take the lizard out of the cage. I'll show you how to flay and bake it.
Of course not. [ With absolute conviction. His eyes flick from Korra's face to the lizard's. Its expression is about as communicative as Hei's own. And he bets the temperature would be about the same. Lukewarm. ]
Hurry up. Time doesn't move backwards.
Hurry up. Time doesn't move backwards.
[ N o p e. He gives her that patented Very Serious look, although he's trying not to smile around the edges. If she's so protective of a damn reptile, he wonders how favorably she'll react to the live lobsters. ]
This is my personal twist to the ingredients of seaweed stew.
[ He takes a step closer. ]
Let's get started.
This is my personal twist to the ingredients of seaweed stew.
[ He takes a step closer. ]
Let's get started.
[ For what it's worth, he doubts the lizard is magic. More likely crawling with pathogenic bacteria. She clearly doesn't realize the diseases like trichinosis and sparganosis you'd get from supping on an iguana. ]
[ But that's not the point. He hesitates to use the phrase cute when describing her, because he knows Korra would try to punch him in a number of extremely imaginative ways, but right now, the way she scowls up at him is frankly, rather endearing. His hand snakes out to grab her wrist, pulling her in enough to kiss the corner of her mouth -- rough, but almost playful -- before he darts away. ]
All right. [ Not quite a smile, but his tone is relaxed as he turns to head for the kitchen. ] We'll stick to the traditional recipe. For today.
[ But that's not the point. He hesitates to use the phrase cute when describing her, because he knows Korra would try to punch him in a number of extremely imaginative ways, but right now, the way she scowls up at him is frankly, rather endearing. His hand snakes out to grab her wrist, pulling her in enough to kiss the corner of her mouth -- rough, but almost playful -- before he darts away. ]
All right. [ Not quite a smile, but his tone is relaxed as he turns to head for the kitchen. ] We'll stick to the traditional recipe. For today.
[She squawks a little as he pulls her in. It's too quick for her to respond, but her heart gives a queer little half-jump.
She follows him to the kitchen, still trying to figure out whether he was joking bout the lizard.]
Good.
[She stands next to him, her arm brushing against his as she peeks at the ingredients.]
She follows him to the kitchen, still trying to figure out whether he was joking bout the lizard.]
Good.
[She stands next to him, her arm brushing against his as she peeks at the ingredients.]
[ In the yellow parallelogram of sunlight spilling in through the window, the silver pots glimmer, heaps of herbs and groceries strewn on the counter. Essentials for the boiled lobster. The dip-sauce. The seaweed stew. The dessert. He lets Korra peer at the spread, her arm a light line of contact against his. Being around her makes him very aware of his own body and the space it takes up, its conjunction to hers, to the kitchen. ]
[ But he can afford to be businesslike, at least on the surface. He's here to teach her how to cook. Not to fool around. ]
I figured you'd start with something simple. Seaweed stew. Pears poached in red wine. And --
[ Crouching, he lifts the cooler onto the kitchen table, popping the lid open. Sprawled in the ice, the lobsters have sunk into a coma-like stasis. He lifts one dark-blue crustacean out, keeping his back to Korra so she can't see the chest's contents. The lobster's shell is icy-cold on his palm, but its pincers still wave sluggishly. Huh. Stubborn little bastard. Dibs on this one, he decides. ]
[ Turning to Korra, he extends the lobster with a half-smile. ] -- And these things.
[ But he can afford to be businesslike, at least on the surface. He's here to teach her how to cook. Not to fool around. ]
I figured you'd start with something simple. Seaweed stew. Pears poached in red wine. And --
[ Crouching, he lifts the cooler onto the kitchen table, popping the lid open. Sprawled in the ice, the lobsters have sunk into a coma-like stasis. He lifts one dark-blue crustacean out, keeping his back to Korra so she can't see the chest's contents. The lobster's shell is icy-cold on his palm, but its pincers still wave sluggishly. Huh. Stubborn little bastard. Dibs on this one, he decides. ]
[ Turning to Korra, he extends the lobster with a half-smile. ] -- And these things.
Edited 2013-03-29 02:06 (UTC)
Simple. Right. [She doesn't look impressed.] Does the word "simple" mean the same thing to you as it does to everybody else?
[But hey, she's not one to back away from a challenge. And if Hei expects her to squeal in horror at the sight of the lobster, he's in for disappointment.]
What is it? A turtle crab?
[She pokes curiously at one of the slowly waving pincers.]
[But hey, she's not one to back away from a challenge. And if Hei expects her to squeal in horror at the sight of the lobster, he's in for disappointment.]
What is it? A turtle crab?
[She pokes curiously at one of the slowly waving pincers.]
It's easier than it looks. Do everything right, and it won't take more than two hours. [ Here's to hoping. ]
[ In the grand scheme of things, cooking is considerably low on the list of skills he learnt in Heaven's War. But it was a practical tool for a soldier who was always in the flux. (Not to mention more feasible, given his appetite in conjunction to his budget). Besides, kitchen work had always settled his mind. No matter what corner of the world you were in, people had to eat, and he'd long ago learned that he trusted strange food more when he prepared it personally. ]
[ He isn't expecting her to squeal, no. She's not the type. But he enjoys her little frowny faces, a smidge more than he'd care to admit. ]
It's a Maine lobster. [ Which is funny since they're nowhere near Maine. ] I had to do some digging to find it in the Underground. [ His lips quirk. ] Now I'm going to boil it alive and eat it.
[ In the grand scheme of things, cooking is considerably low on the list of skills he learnt in Heaven's War. But it was a practical tool for a soldier who was always in the flux. (Not to mention more feasible, given his appetite in conjunction to his budget). Besides, kitchen work had always settled his mind. No matter what corner of the world you were in, people had to eat, and he'd long ago learned that he trusted strange food more when he prepared it personally. ]
[ He isn't expecting her to squeal, no. She's not the type. But he enjoys her little frowny faces, a smidge more than he'd care to admit. ]
It's a Maine lobster. [ Which is funny since they're nowhere near Maine. ] I had to do some digging to find it in the Underground. [ His lips quirk. ] Now I'm going to boil it alive and eat it.
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