Fitting
If there was one thing Azula couldn't deal with, it was people who cried.
She'd dealt with tears and blubbering sobs before, of course, but it was usually in the context of people begging for mercy.
Katara was a completely different story. Her wail wasn't that of a soul in the throes of agony, but of a ruined girl who couldn't get into her wedding gown. The water girl's morose yowl grated on the Fire princess's nerves, striking a chord deep within her hardened soul, sending a slight tremor through her being that threatened to dislodge fat, almost-sympathetic tears for the bride's ridiculous dilemma.
"I'M A FAT BALLOON!" The Waterbender cried, sobbing into her hands. The mass of white silk and gauzy crinoline lay discarded in a useless heap on the floor behind the dressing screen.
"Oh… there, there," Azula patted her shoulder awkwardly. "And you're not fat."
"I'M A PIG!" Katara howled.
Azula frowned. "Oh shut up! You're so skinny I can barely see you when you're turned to the side. You're so thin I could snap you in five different places with my pinky finger, if it weren't for the fact that I'm afraid you'll blow away in the wind. You're so light I can see through you. You make Momo look obese. Now don't go making me feel insecure about my weight, or I'm going to get very, very cross."
Katara stopped crying and looked wearily into her maid of honour's pinched face, sniffling. She stared at her hands.
"What am I going to do? The tailors can't make another dress in three days!"
Azula thought hard. She picked up the dress and looked it over, shaking it out and placing it back on the hanger on the wall. She gazed at it thoughtfully, then looked at the Waterbender.
"Katara, are you sure you can't get into it?" She asked.
"I tried, really I did!" she groaned, wiping her eyes. "I pulled and pulled but I couldn't get it past my shoulders! I almost dislodged my arm trying."
Azula looked again at the dress, then at the girl. "You know you haven't gained a single pound since you tried this on two weeks ago."
"I must have," Katara wailed again. "I've been so careful about what I eat, too."
Azula's lips twisted. "Believe me, you haven't gained weight."
The bride scowled. "Then why can't I get into the dress?"
The princess rolled her eyes. She turned the dress around and unhooked all the hidden fasteners along the side of the bodice. The gown yawned open wide enough to receive the bride-to-be and the groom, if necessary.
The Firebender turned, fists resting against either hip. She presented the wedding gown with a snap of the wrist, glowering fiercely at Katara, eyebrows arched.
The Water Tribe girl's face slowly went red. Her gaping mouth quickly formed an "oh." Slowly, her lips turned up in an enthusiastic grin and she leapt from her seat, tackling the Fire Nation princess in a crushing hug.
"OH ZULA! YOU'RE THE SMARTEST, BESTEST FRIEND A GIRL COULD EVER HAVE! I LOVE YOU!"
Azula grimaced in the girl's stranglehold. If there was one thing she could deal with even less than people who cried, it was people who hugged.
