𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨 ⚠ slow updates ⚠ *editing*

Readings of Inner Turmoil

Hello my dear fuzzy human peaches, as you may well know, I don't update much.  I do as much with every effort and molecule within my mind and body. I try,  I do.

I'm basically questioning my existence at this point. 

This chapter literally is about Hestia dealing with her struggles of deciding on her firebending. Fair warning you.

Word count: 2414

Laughter exploded in the galley, much to Hestia's dismay. After coming down with that dreadful cold, if anyone on the ship would call it a "cold".  Apparently, during her recuperation, Iroh flapped his lips to his Pai Sho opponents, how she had been delirious with a startling fever.

Those crew members continued the gossip throughout the ship, and somehow, someone, some who blabbered about how Hestia had to suck on a frog to get better. It made her a laughing stock! A laughing stock!

This morning, she'd gotten weird or amused looks from the patrols and maintenance. They made a few comments, sometimes asking how she liked her frog legs.

If she didn't have a fever then, she sure did now. Her face would be permanently flushed red by the end of this week. They'd probably never let her live it down. Like, ever again. This embarrassment truly could've killed the poor girl. She hadn't known about the frog until it had...melted in her...mouth.

UGGgggGGGHHhhhhHhhhh!

Hestia shivers in disgust just by rethinking her misfortune. She'd yet to give Zuko an earful, she hadn't been able to track him down just yet. He'd be anywhere else but the places she'd look for him. She felt he sensed the danger he is in and decided to evade every place he knew she'd go looking.

Goodness! Today was just not her day!

"Ah, good morning, Hestia!" Iroh greets from his belly, grinning like the jolly old fool he is.

He sits before his Pai Sho board, tiles spread across the lines, and his opponent profusely sweating and gnawing at his nails. Iroh was winning.

"Hello." Hestia glumly says, approaching the older man. "Where's Zuko?"

"Zuko?" Iroh rubbed his beard absentmindedly. "Hmm...I believe he is preparing to practice, with Luientant Jee. What's gotten you so determined, Hestia?"

"He's been hiding from me. I only want to talk to him, but he's running away like a child!" Hestia crosses her arms over her chest.

Unbeknownst to the girl, there were some highly amused glances sent her way, even some snickers.

"Could it be that he is evading your wrath?" Iroh leans forward with a knowing grin, using a finger to move his special lotus tile a couple of squares to the left.

"But, that's the thing, I'm not angry, " She catches Iroh perking his eyebrow upward in suspicion. "I'm not, though. Honest!" 

"Hey, Hestia, " A familiar face, a man who regularly joins music nights with requests to dance with her, perks up from his place on the ground near the wheel. "Come check this out!" 

He had his hand in the hand, beckoning her to hither.

"What have you got there, Quill?" Hestia sees him swirling a small teacup in his hands and him squinting to see inside of it.

"I've taken up a new hobby!" He exclaims, grinning. "Come here! I'll show you!"

Skeptically, Hestia nears the man, crouching down before him. Not wasting another minute, the man, Quill, then shoves the cup into Hestia's face, forcing her to jerk backward with a grimace.