[ Since the others have explained New Years' Kisses to Korra, he doesn't elaborate. Sheepishly, he shakes his head at Pavel. ] Well, it's not exactly a practice in Japan. Or China. The New Year I spent in Tokyo was more about bell-ringing, rice-cakes and kite-flying. Oh, and that symphony. What was it? [ Beethoven's Ninth. He hums a little of it, off-key. Cover your ears, pls. ] And Chinese New Year is a 15-day stretch. More about the lanterns and family gatherings and Dancing Dragons. [ Except it's been over a decade since he's celebrated a traditional Chinese New Year. Blame constant deracination and a misanthropic profession. ]

Wha--? [ At Lucy's remark, his whole face goes red. He pretends to be absorbed in his juice like there's a tiny oracle bobbing in the glass. ] Ah -- th-th-thank you. [ God. This whole evening isn't just bizarre; it's a whole new level of bizarre. The bizarr-o rocket has broken from the bizarr-o launchpad and is now launching into the bizzarr-o-stratosphere. ]