Chapter Text
Korra’s father kneeled down in front of her so that he could look her in the eye. He placed his hand over his daughters and smiled softly.
“If you need anything just call. You’ve got this, Little Bear.”
Korra rolled her eyes at her father. “Thanks, but you’re kind of being embarrassing.”
Tonraq’s thick laughter filled Korra’s ears as he stood at his full height. “You better pay attention, don’t ogle too many girls. I heard this place is full of the smartest and prettiest.”
“Oh really?” Korra chuckled. “Maybe I’ll be ogling the guys.”
“It doesn’t matter who you’re looking at… just pay attention and get that diploma.”
“Don’t act like you didn’t start this!”
Tonraq waved off Korra as he got back into the van.
“Have fun and good luck,” he said through the rolled down window.
“I’ll try to.”
Korra watched as her father drove away. She took in a deep breath and held it for a moment before letting it out. She looked down and smiled softly.
“You ready, Naga?” she asked her service dog.
Naga looked up at her with her big brown eyes and Korra’s smile grew. She moved her shaky hand to the joystick on her power chair and begin her first real day of being a college student.
It took time, but Korra gradually got used to the looks she got from the other students. At least in her classes people had been accepting, but she still got those leering looks at times from people not used to seeing a student with such a visible disability.
She hadn’t always been like this. She hadn’t always been paralyzed from her neck down with very limited movement in her arms and above her neck. She used to be the most active person out there. She was someone who was never able to sit still, always doing something. She had been coordinated and athletic, to the point that she had earned a scholarship her junior year in high school for hockey. She had been at the top of her game when the accident had happened. When she had taken a blind check that resulted in her back injury.
After that, Korra had gone through some very dark and hard times. She struggled to wake up and get on with her day. She struggled to stay in contact with her friends. She struggled to even interact with her parents. Even now she struggled, but she was definitely in a better space.
Korra was smart, smarter than the average student and luckily the college that had first given her the scholarship, didn’t retract it. They gave her academic scholarships instead, allowing her to pursue her love of psychology and human behavior.
The fact that she hadn’t lost her scholarship, was the first big step of her getting through her hardest of times. The next was the help of the service dog that her parents had gotten her. Naga wasn’t just a service dog, she was her companion, her best friend. She was there when she needed someone to talk to without being judged. She was just there and that’s what she needed. The next big step was her realizing that her life wasn’t over. Sports had been her life, but that didn’t mean that she couldn’t find a new passion and a reason to live. What became her new passion was the ability to help people. She joined therapy groups and realized that she was empathetic, good at reading people, a good listening, and could process things objectively. It was clear to her and her parents that she’d found her new path. The path of helping people who were going through similar struggles as her. A path that allowed her to show that there was a light at the end of the tunnel, even if it didn’t seem so.
So that’s what brought Korra to majoring in psychology. That’s what brought her to going through the hallways of the newly remodeled building, Naga right by her side.
“Door,” she said softly, only loud enough for Naga to pick up.
Naga instantly moved to the handicap button and pushed a large paw against it. She waited for Korra to go through and then followed after her, eventually falling into stride beside her.
“Good, girl,” Korra praised. “We’re off to Kingsbury… time to slowly die in calc.”
Naga huffed in response, causing Korra to smile.
The campus was fairly large, but was definitely wheelchair accessible. The sidewalks were wide and without cracks. There weren’t large hills or places only accessible by stairs. That was one huge thing that helped Korra decide that the college was still the right place for her.
Naga and her made their way through the large courtyard, getting close and closer to Kingsbury. It usually took Korra five minutes to get from this class to the next, which was fine since she had thirty minutes in between. She often would wait outside the building, mainly people watching and enjoying the nice weather. Today was no different. Her goal was to find a nice shady spot to relax and allow her to think and have a moment.
That at least had been the goal until Naga had veered off the path and started dashing through the freshly trimmed grass.
“Naga!” Korra shouted.
She turned her chair, cutting someone off. “Sorry!” she shouted back at them as she tried to follow her dog. She was glad that her chair was made for all terrains, although it wasn’t very fast and she had no chance of catching up to the dog at full tilt.
“Naga!” she shouted again. “Come back.” Korra’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open as she watched her service dog leap into the air. The large dog’s paws landed on the back of a taller woman, causing her to stumble forward and for her to fall to her knees. “Naga!” Korra shouted, still quite a ways from her.
She watched in horror as Naga rounded the woman and started licking her face as if she’d known her her whole life. When Korra got closer, she was surprised to hear laughter and a warm voice coming from the woman.
“Hey there, cutie. Where’d you come from?”
“Is this your dog?”
Korra looked up to see a tall guy with his arms crossed over his chest.
“Uh, yeah. I’m so sorry… she’s not usually like this.” Korra swallowed the lump in her throat, not really sure what else to say.
At hearing an unfamiliar voice, the woman who had been mauled by Naga turned her head and smiled at Korra. Korra’s breath hitched as she took in the beautiful woman. When her father had said that the school had the prettiest girls, she hadn’t fully agreed until this very moment. This woman was breathtaking.
“It’s fine. She’s adorable and it’s nice seeing a dog around here.” The woman turned back to take Naga’s face into her hands and rubbed her adoringly. “It should be a crime to not let students have pets.”
Korra chuckled at this. “Well she seems to like you… I mean she did just sprint through the whole courtyard just to jump on your back. I swear she’s normally not like this.”
“Really it’s fine.” The girl stood up and turned fully to face Korra. “I’m Asami and this is Mako,” she introduced.
Korra nodded in greeting. “Korra,” she returned. “And your new friend’s name is Naga.”
“Well she’s adorable.”
Korra was about to agree, but stopped when Mako spoke up.
“We should get going, Asami.”
Asami looked at him and then back to Korra. “Go ahead, I’ll meet up in class.”
Mako gave Asami a curious look and then shrugged. “Okay. Try not to be late,” he said with a smirk before leaving towards Kingsbury.
“Ass,” Asami muttered softly.
Korra laughed softly, causing Asami to open her mouth to say something and then stop to collect herself.
“Sorry, he’s just annoying at times. I don’t usually go around calling my friends asses.”
Korra laughed again. “Good to know.”
“Okay, but seriously. He loves to tease everyone, but he can never take it. He’s super sensitive although he gives off that cool guy vibe.”
“He kind of seemed like a stick was up his ass… was that too crass?”
Asami laughed and Korra’s smile widened.
“No, that’s pretty accurate. So, you’re a student here?” Asami asked as she kneeled down to pet Naga. Naga instantly laid down and rolled over, allowing Asami to rub her tummy. “So cute,” she said under her breath.
“Yeah. First year, majoring in psych.”
“Oh cool. I’m a second year,” Asami said looking up at Korra. “Double majoring in mechanical engineering and computer science.”
“What? How are you doing that without going crazy?”
“Very carefully,” Asami laughed. “Honestly getting to pet Naga’s been a great help.”
“Well she is a service dog even if she doesn’t seem like it at the moment.”
The dog was legitimately smirking and looked like she was in doggie heaven at the moment with her tongue lolling from her mouth and her tail wagging.
“Um, if you wanted to exchange numbers,” Korra hesitated and cleared her throat. “You could, um, text or call me and I could bring Naga to spend time with you.”
“Only Naga? Or will you hang out too?”
“We’re kind of a package deal.”
Asami smiled at that. “Then sure.” She stood up and pulled her phone out of her back pocket. Korra then told her her number to enter into her contacts. As soon as she was done, she sent a quick text to Korra. “There, now you have my number.”
“Uh, cool.”
Asami smiled and then her eyes widened. “I need to get going. I’ll call or text you, okay?”
“Yeah. It was nice meeting you.”
“You as well,” Asami said happily. She patted Naga’s head once more. “Bye, Korra!” she shouted with a wave as she crossed the courtyard.
Korra wished that she could wave back, but instead just smiled. Once Asami was out of view, she looked down at Naga. “She was nice. Wasn’t she, girl?”
Naga let out soft bark, as if in agreement.
“We better get to class. Best not to be late.”