Korra watched Lin Beifong approach her and Naga. Her usual attire, consisting of the metal armour, boots and black pants, was replaced by a white shirt, yellow and green jacket with the Beifong crest, and pair of black three quarter pants. The wooden sandals she wore looked strange on her, but completed her casual sporty appearance. She looked so much younger with her hair pulled up in a ponytail.
"What are you doing here?" Lin asked, overlooking the formal greetings one would expect when they visit someone at their home for the first time.
Korra scratched the back of her neck. "I was hoping you'd let me leave Naga here for a while. Tenzin told me you have a big backyard in your country house. So, I thought Naga could wait here until I pick her up this evening."
Lin spared a quick look at the Polar bear-dog who wagged her tail enthusiastically.
"I don't run a pet day care, avatar!" She grumbled. "Why can't you leave her at the air temple island?"
"Naga doesn't like it there. Meelo keeps fretting her." Korra whined. "It's just for few hours till I get back from Sato estate. We are throwing a party for Bolin. Please!"
Lin sighed. "Fine" She agreed reluctantly. "You can leave her in the backyard but I'm not babysitting her."
"Thanks!" Korra said happily, following Lin around the house towards the back yard. She untied Naga's reins and took off her saddle. "Don't bug the Chief too much girl." She mumbled in Naga's ear. "I'll be right back."
"Thanks again chief. I'll come get her as soon as possible." Korra said turning to Lin. "Just give her something to eat a bit of attention, and a snuggle or two." She said opening her glider and taking off, ignoring Lin's dropped jaw. "I owe you one!"
"Where am I supposed to get dog food?" Lin shouted. "This is not what I agreed for!"
"There's a self-service store at Meng Street." Korra shouted back from the sky. "Naga can take you there in ten minutes."
"KORRA!" Lin yelled, angrily, but Avatar was out of the ear shot.
Lin turned to look at Naga who waggled her tail again at her with what appeared to be a toothy grin on her face. "I don't snuggle" Chief grumbled only to get another wag of Naga's tail in response.
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An hour later Lin sat on her veranda facing the back yard, leisurely reading her copy of Republic Prophet. Naga was laying on her stomach, bored to death. She occasionally let out grumbles of pure boredom, rolling from side to side, hoping for Lin's attention. Lin let out an audible 'tch' as Naga howled once more. She got up and went in to the house. Five minutes later, Lin came back carrying a large, worn looking ball. She threw it towards Naga. "There, you can play with that and leave me alone."
Naga jumped to her feet and barked in delight. She played with the ball happily and passed it back to Lin. It looked like she wanted Lin to throw the ball. Lin let out an exasperated sigh and set her news paper down. "Five throws" She said picking up the ball and stepping down to the back yard. "That's it."
It was however, fifteen throws until Naga let Lin be. Her stomach growled loudly and Naga looked at Lin with 'puppy dog' eyes.
Lin who was strangely in a good mood, threw the ball in to the house. "Fine. Meng Street it is." She said getting Naga's saddle and putting it on the polar bear-dog. "I need to buy lunch too. It's too late to cook anyways."
So, they rode to the self service store to buy lunch. Lin ignored looks of startle thrown her way as she rode Avatar's polar bear-dog. She tethered Naga outside and quickly went in to the shop, bought ramen for her and large sack of meat-crackers for Naga, threw few yuans to the counter and left the shop, sparing a curt nod to the shop keeper who bowed low with a 'nice to see you Chief Beifong'.
They rode back to Lin's country house where Lin dug out a large two compartment bowl from her old store-house, dusted it, washed it clean and emptied Naga's lunch on to one of the compartments. "There." She said, filling the other compartment with water. "Eat all you want. I'm gonna take a shower." Naga jumped around paying her gratitude and licked Lin lovingly few time. "Gah! Now I have to take a shower." Lin grumbled, pushing Naga away.
It took Lin another hour to shower and eat her lunch in peace. So, when she finally showed up in the veranda, with a book in hand, Naga had settled on the porch, a look of contentment on her beastly face. She cooed seeing Lin and wagged her tail in greeting. Lin sat down on an arm chair next to Naga and began to read from her book. Naga watched Lin for a while before she crawled towards Lin and nudge Lin's hand with her snout. Strange enough, Lin seemed to understand Naga's language. She took her eyes off the book to frown at Naga. "I'm reading." She said. Naga nudged again, this time with a coo. "Alright!" Lin fumed. "Five scratches, and that's it." She said gesturing Naga to come closer. The Polar bear-dog happily rested her giant head on Lin's lap. Lin began to scratch her head in a soothing manner while she began to read again.
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Korra landed softly on her toes on the Beifong backyard that evening, hoping to collect Naga from Lin. The first thing she saw was a large food bowl half filled with meat crackers. "Looks like Naga had a feast." Korra said walking towards the bowl to take a closer look. The bowl bore an inscription, 'Suma'. Korra wrinkled her forehead. "Must be a brand name" she thought.
When Korra's eyes darted on to the veranda, her jaw dropped. Lin was asleep on a comfy arm chair; a book flopped on her chest and a gigantic head of a polar bear dog on her lap. Lin's hand was on the top of Naga's head. They were peacefully napping. Korra wasted no time in drawing out her camera from the pouch she wore and capturing the impossible sight.
She then slowly approached the sleeping duo and patted Naga's paw. "Hey girl!" She whispered, not wanting to wake Lin. Naga opened an eye to look at the intruder. She wagged her tail to acknowledge Korra, but did not bother to sit up from her current position. "Come on!" Korra whispered. "We need to go. Let's wake the chief."
Naga reluctantly sat up and snuggled her head against to Lin's face. "Ten more minutes Suma!" Lin mumbled in her slumber, in a tone Korra thought to be adoring and sweet. Naga snuggled again. Lin reluctantly sat up. "OK, Suma! Alright. I'm up!" She said without opening her eyes and absentmindedly patting Naga's head.
"Um- Who's Suma?" Korra bustled out. Curiosity was killing her. The unfeeling chief of police was surely full of surprises.
Lin was suddenly wide awake. She opened her eyes wide and blinked several times. Giving Korra a confused look she stood up. "When did you get here?"
"Just now." Korra replied. "You two were napping. I thought it was cute!" She cooed, remarkably like Naga. "So, who's Suma? Did you have a pet Lin?"
Lin's grumpy scowl was returned to her face in a flash. "None of your business Avatar. Take your polar bear-dog off my hands, will you?" She growled, trying to keep Naga from licking her face again.
"OK chief, Grumpy pants." Korra said with a grin. "Come on Naga, Time to go." She fixed the saddle and got on. Naga barked happily at Lin one more time as if to bid good bye. She nuzzled her head against Lin's hair. To Korra's surprise, all Lin did was to scratch behind Naga's ear and mumble something inaudible to the beast.
"Thanks, Lin!" Korra said sincerely. "Naga seems to like it here. May be I'll drop her again some time."
"Don't make a habit of it Avatar." Lin said, her mouth twitching upwards.
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"Suma! I remember him" Kya said as Korra finished her story, showing the picture she managed to steal. "He was Lin's stallion-dog. Lin was very fond of him. He used to trot right in to Lin's office if she ever got late from work. Died five years back, of old age." Tenzin and Pema stared, mirroring the expression on Korra's face.
"I never thought Lin'd be a dog-person" Korra said.
"I never knew she had a stallion-dog" Tenzin said wonderingly.
"She got him about seventeen years back." Said Kya. "After the break-up"
Tenzin still looked a little uncomfortable at the mention of the breakup. "It figures." Pema joined the conversation wisely. "People do strange things when they go through rough patches."
"Well, I suppose!" Kya went on. "Lin did name the stallion-dog after Su and-" She abruptly stopped, throwing a uneasy glance at her sister-in-law.
Tenzin went brick red in the face while Pema turned purple. "SHE NAMED A DOG AFTER ME?!" Pema barked reaching over the table towards Kya. Tenzin grabbed her by shoulders and tried to make her sit back. Korra was rolling on the floor with a silent fit of giggles.
"You and Su actually." Kya said as if it made things reasonable. "You see 'Su' for 'Suyin' and 'Ma' for 'Pema'.
"WHAT!" Pema yelled. "AND YOU LET HER?"
Kya fidgeted on her spot. "You know Lin regretted naming her stallion-dog 'Suma' after a while." Pema drew in a long steadying breath. "I guess she took a while to realise how gruesome and childish it is to name a dog after her own sister and her ex's wife!" She said sounding less angry.
Kya cleared her throat, sparing a glance at Tenzin, who was scratching his bald head and Korra, who was doubling with silent laughter. "Actually, Suma soon became Lin's most favourite thing in the world and she regretted naming him after the two people she couldn't stand!"