Just As You Are

"Asami, are you serious? No way!" Korra shouted as she began to back away. "I'm not letting you do this!"

"Come on, Korra, it's really not that bad," Asami said, smiling.

"Asami, the last time I tried to use make-up, it tried to kill me."

"You're talking about the powder back at my house, aren't you?"

"How did you... yes. Yes, I am talking about the powder."

Asami chuckled. "Don't worry, Korra. I did something very similar when I was younger. But then my mom taught me how to use make-up properly..." her voice trailed off as her eyes filled with sadness. "She was really good with make-up."

Korra frowned and put her hand on Asami's shoulder. "Hey, it's all right," she said softly. "I'm sure your mom is proud of you. And she did a great job of teaching you not to die via powder puff."

A small smile appeared on Asami's lips. "That's true," she replied. "Now, have a seat. Let's see what we can do for you. We can at least hide those scratches on your cheeks."

Korra obediently sat on the chair. "Do whatever you're going to do. I trust you, Asami."

Nearly an hour later, Asami sat back and studied her handiwork. A worried look crossed her face. "What's wrong?" Korra demanded.

"Oh, nothing..."

"What is it, Asami?"

Asami bit her lip. "I'm so sorry, Korra... but... you look..."

"How do I look? How do I look?"

Asami reached into her bag and pulled out a small mirror. Korra grabbed it out of her hands and brought it to her face. A beautiful Water Tribe girl stared back at her with worried eyes. Light shades of blue graced her eyelids as black mascara framed her eyes. A subtle blush highlighted her cheeks. The scratches from her encounter with Tarrlok were completely invisible. Her newly pink lips spread in a grin. "Asami, thank you," she said quietly. "This looks great."

"I told you it wasn't that bad," Asami replied.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. "Come in!" Asami called.

The door slid open and Bolin walked in. "Hey there, Asami," he said. "Oh, hey Korra! How are you doing?"

Korra jumped and turned toward the wall. "Oh, hey, Bolin..."

"Hello, Bolin," Asami replied. "What's up?"

"Oh, right. I just wanted to let you know that Pema says dinner's in ten minutes," he said.

"Thanks, Bolin. We'll be done in a minute."

"Done? What are...?"

Asami tugged on Korra's arm. Korra glared at her, but Asami ignored it as she forced Korra to turn around. Bolin's eyes widened as he studied her new appearance. "Wow..." he said quietly.

Korra turned scarlet from embarrassment as Asami chuckled. "I'll leave you two alone for a moment," she said. She then ran out the door, barely dodging a rock from Korra.

Bolin blinked in confusion at her sudden exist, then turned back to Korra, who was turning red. "So... what do you think, Bolin?" she asked hesitantly.

He paused, then gave her a comforting smile. "It looks nice, Korra. Asami really knows her makeup." He walked toward her for a closer inspection. "These are good colors for you. But..."

Korra sighed. "I knew there would be a 'but'," she groaned.

He laughed. "Relax, it's a good one." He placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled. "I think you look better without it."

She blinked. "Really?" she asked.

"Yeah. You don't need all of this to be beautiful. You're beautiful just as you are."

Korra felt her cheeks burn, but she smiled back. "Thank you, Bolin," she replied.

"No problem, Korra."