[ Carefully, Hei tips the contents past his own lips. For a moment he holds it in his mouth, as if he's thinking. Then he swallows, and a half-smile blooms -- almost Li-like in that it seems lighthearted. Young. But the illusion only lasts a second. ]

Let it simmer for a bit. [ He checks on the two steaming pots, the briny aroma of lobster competing with the tart sweetness of wine. The pears have begun to turn a satisfying shade of maroon, and the lobsters are blooming into a rosy red. Almost done, but not quite there. ] Give the rest ten minutes.

[ With an air of satisfaction, he dries off his hands on a teatowel, then turns to Korra. ] Your first cooking lesson. And you set nothing on fire. [ Yet. His eyes drop to her mouth and linger there for a moment, the rest of his face just this side of unreadable. But whatever he's thinking, or not-thinking, he seems to brush aside, drifting out of her space in the next beat. ]

Now all that's left is baking that lizard. [ He sounds so serious. ]