Florence

"The amount of times you've used the word stud in the last half hour honestly concerns me.." I muttered, climbing into the back seat of Josh's car with Liza.

"What can I say? All three of them are mega studs! And you've been asked out by two of them!" Josh squealed excitedly. I decided to tell him about their messages and respond to both Eurus and Remus. I didn't want another incident like last time.

"Did you say yes? There's no way anyone could pass up an opportunity like this!" Liza sighed dreamily. These two were out of their minds.

"Well I didn't say yes." I muttered out, quickly checking their responses. It took less than a minute for both of them to respond. "You didn't say no either!" Josh pointed out. I groaned loudly and switched my phone off.

"I couldn't say no!" I protested. All I really told them was that I was going. Something along the lines of 'oh, what a coincidence! I was going with a couple friends.'

Yeah, something like that. And by a couple friends I meant just Liza and Josh.

I could pretend all I wanted but deep down I was excited to see them again. The giddiness that formed in my chest was so strong that it completely forgot to remind me that they were also enemies, both coming to meet me. It was almost scary how much I didn't... bother to give a second thought. This new feeling- this feeling of being noticed by them was unfamiliar but addictive.

Maybe I was just being selfish.

"So, rides, stalls or petting zoo first?" Josh asked as we pulled onto the main road. I had to think about it for a second but Liza obviously didn't need a second thought.

"Petting zoo! I heard they brought actual alpacas!" She squealed right into my ear. I gasped dramatically and covered my ears just to piss her off which resulted in a small slap across the shoulder.

"Petting zoo? Really? Animals stank real bad." I groaned. I couldn't really describe it that well but all petting zoos had the weird smell of hay and animal shit.

"Everyone has to deal with a little bullshit in their lives, Flo." Liza groaned.

"Both metaphorically and literally," Josh chimed.

"Ooh, do you think they'll have bulls?"

I rolled my eyes at her stupid question. I didn't mind where we went first, just that nothing went to awry and that we managed to do a little bit of everything before we left. Not that it mattered, the festival lasted a few days.

I was torn between whether or not to feel excited or worried. There were so many possibilities for things to go wrong but there was this underlying feeling of giddiness I received. This mixture of clouded emotions was confusing, but it was addicting.

It didn't take us long to get to the main attraction which didn't help with my confusion feelings but I got some relief when we parked and my lungs were greeted with fresh air.

We got out the car and headed the the ticket booth where Josh happily paid for all of us. I still felt bad for allowing him to pay for me but this has always been his way of officially apologising so I let it slide.

As soon as we made it through the crowd of people waiting to get in I was instantly hit with a wave of nostalgia. The smells of fairy floss and animal dung, the sound of children cheering and boisterous voices of the comms and the entire bustle of the place hit me like a truck and made me feel like I was a child again. It took me back to a place where things were simple and more wholesome.

"Petting zoo! Petting zoo!" Liza cheered in my ear. I rolled my eyes at her antics as they both started walking towards said zoo. "I gotta wait for Eurus and Remus." I said with a small frown. Were they already here or were they still coming? I should really start asking more questions about this kind of stuff.

Liza rolled her eyes back at me but Josh just smiled softly. "We'll meet you there, then." He quickly said before running off with Liza.

I started looking around for one of them while I waited near the main entrance. I figured it wouldn't be too hard to find them and Lo and behold in about a crowd of fifty I spotted Remus instantly. I waved him down and he noticed, his head perking up and his eyes brightening. He immediately started heading over to me and the sudden realisation that I would be spending yet another evening with him made me feel fluttery on the inside.

He didn't stop walking over to me until we were practically a hair apart. "Hi.." I squeaked out, unsure as to why he was so close. I had to tilt my head almost at a full vertical to face him. "Hello." He breathed out. He was always a bit weird but I found it a bit endearing.

"S-Sorry, I just get nervous in big crowds." He explained, stepping back a bit. I smiled up at him and couldn't help but wonder. How did I man like himself get to shy in big crowds? He was literally a leader of at least a couple hundred thousand people.

"Eh, I do too," I sympathised. "H-Hey, before we get to the petting zoo I have to tell you something-"

"Petting zoo?" He asked, swaying on his feet a bit. I tried my hardest not to smile even wider. "Yeah! We're going to the petting zoo first!" I smiled. He looked so excited. It was cute.

"W-With real bunnies?" He asked, eyes wide with anticipation. I covered my mouth to stop the excited squeal escaping my mouth and simply nodded. He gingerly fumbled for my hand and tugged me along, supposedly to the petting zoo. "Remus! Do you even know where it is?" I laughed. He didn't answer but he was definitely determined to find the bunnies. Having forgotten about what I needed to say earlier I just went along with it and followed him to a fairy floss stand. He gasped audibly and gawked at the attendee who was twirling a stick and gathering a pretty pink cloud. "What is this!"

"That's fairy floss, Remus. It's basically fluffy sugar." I informed. I wasn't nearly as excited as him as I wasn't the biggest fan of the stuff. Sure, it was sweet but it literally disappears in your mouth. It's not even satisfying.

Together we simply watched the attender do her job, completely forgetting about what we had to do. That was until we heard a familiar voice. "Florence?".

I whipped my head around and met eyes with Eurus' bright green orbs. My heart stopped for a second and Remus froze behind me at the sight of Eurus. I chuckled nervously and approached him while he glared daggers at Remus. "Hi- I know this wasn't what you were expecting-" I started but like true Eurus fashion he interrupted me. "Wasn't what I was expecting? Florence- I- this is the complete opposite of what I was expecting!"

I cringed at his tone. I thought since they were supposed to be getting along that the festival would be the perfect time to come together! Now that I'm actually here the plan didn't seem so likely.

"I know, but I just thought that if you guys were to hang out for a bit it would do good for your new alliance.." I explained. Of course it sounded stupid now and by the way his face contorted he thought it did too. "I, uh, never mind. This was a stupid idea," I muttered, my nerves getting the best of me. I hated constantly being surprised about how dumb I could be sometimes. It only made me feel even stupider.

Eurus must of sensed the tense atmosphere as he shuffled around a bit before clearing his throat. "The idea idea was good in theory but horrible when put to practice," he gave with a slightly awkward smile. Was this his way of showing sympathy?

Remus approached from behind and lightly tapped my shoulder. "You didn't tell me you were inviting him." He muttered. I turned to face him and was slightly disappointed to see that his once excited, childish-like demeanour was now gone and replaced with a blank slate. "Actually, I invited him. He didn't tell me you were going to be following us around." Eurus snarked causing Remus to tense behind me.

"No- I invited him!"

"You must think I'm stupid! Never in a million years will you have the courage to ask anyone out-"

"Oi!"

A sudden third voice interrupted Eurus and Remus' mini argument. Both looked like they were ready to burst with Remus' sporting a bulging vein while Eurus has a twitching eye. Their boiling anger only collectively got worse when we turned to see who the voice belonged to.

Rian showed up, his arms outstretched and noticeable sunglasses propped on his face. The way he walked, the slight drowsiness and the fact that he almost tripped over seemingly nothing told me he was tipsy.

Oh shit..

"You guys didn't even invite me!" He announced, Remus and Eurus immediately turning his way. Both giving off low growls.

"No. No, no, no- absolutely not." Eurus groaned. At this point I figured they'd already be at each others throats but they were docile. For now. "I already have to deal with this one," he jerked his head towards Remus' direction earning a scowl. "I am certainly not putting up with your drunken mess!"

Rian finally reached us with a small smirk and a hiccup. "Shut it, bitch boy." Rian said with a small slur to his words. Remus snickered at his insult while Eurus immediately turned cherry red with a look that threatened to kill. He took a step forward which was cut off short by my shuffling in front of him.

"Uh- Rian! Nice to see you again," I beamed awkwardly. He titled his head down, his glasses slipping to the end of his nose.

"Florence." He muttered, seemingly lost in thought for a second.

The silence was cut short by a small tap on my shoulder and then a tug on my sleeve. I turned to face Remus who hadn't said a word so far, just patiently waiting. "I still want to see the petting zoo.." he muttered.

"Oh please! What are we, five?" Eurus started and there was an immediate shift in Remus' expression. It was almost scary.

"Will you shut your fucking pompous mouth for once! I swear to god I'll-"

"Guys! Can we just calm down for a second? Eurus, stop instigating arguments. Remus, please don't threaten him. At least not that loudly." I interrupted, my nerves getting the best of me just like my similar situation with Remus and Rian. "Rian, you... you can tag along." I finished before trudging forward towards the petting zoo.

I mostly stayed ahead of them and luckily didn't hear another word from either one of their mouths. We did have to stop a few times because of Rian who liked to get distracted by various vendors and attractions. Sometimes we even had to whistle to get his attention and he'd quickly follow us. He was a completely different person when drunk.

It almost made me wonder what he was doing drunk in the first place. I mean, it was practically evening but the sun was still somewhat up. Each to their own but he didn't strike me as an avid drinker.

Who am I kidding, I know nothing about them.

We made it to the petting zoo where Liza and Josh were still petting the alpaca. They both turned their way my way and both their eyes widened drastically. I shook my head in hopes that they took it as a 'not now' message while I turned to the three men.

"There's a few you guys have to follow when on the pen-"

"Who cares? We're war lords, we don't need to follow rules." Eurus interrupted.

A few people turned their heads and my nervous came right back. "J-Just follow the rules!" I stuttered out, my voice raising slightly. He looked a little shocked at my sudden outburst. His eyes softened and I instantly felt bad at raising my voice.

"Er- the rules are simple. Just don't feed them any outside food, don't let them out and never stand behind the billy goat." I said in one quick go. They all nodded firmly and went one bye one into the pen while I went to meet up with Liza and Josh.

"Dude, what's the third one doing here?" Liza asked quietly.

"I don't know, he just showed up!" I whispered frantically. It was hard enough getting Eurus and Remus to behave but now Rian was here to make matters more complicated.

"I'm for real starting to think they have a crush on you." Josh noted, staring weirdly over at the next pen. My heart did something weird at the word crush but I paid it no attention and instead looked over at the guys just to make sure they were okay.

The scene was almost hilarious. Most of the animals were cowering in the corners as they probably sensing that they weren't fully human. Eurus was doubled over, covering his lower regions with his hands in clear pain with a smug looking billy goat and a laughing Rian. Remus was idly sitting down, trying to get the attention of a bunny. I leave them alone for less than a minute and two out of three of them are already in hysterics.

"They're a mess.." Liza gasped, a laugh clearly bubbling it's way to her lips. I couldn't really argue with her as they literally looked like a frantic mess.

"Well, one of them is slightly drunk." I sighed. Their eyes widened more.

"Dude they're nothing like I first thought." Josh admitted. I couldn't help but agree with him. They seemed so scary when I first saw them, but now they looked nothing like scary war lords. Sure, they could be intimidating but it was like a fun sort of adrenaline rush.

We just looked at the scene unfolding before us but after Rian had a panic attack when a curious bunny chewed on his shoe we all decided it was best if we left the pen.

Remus looked slightly upset that he didn't get to fulfil his wish of petting a bunny but I cheered him up by promising we could go get some fairy floss. Eurus stayed mostly silent while Rian got distracted a whole lot more. We stopped every now and then, trying various rigged games with little to no success of actually achieving anything other than an empty wallet.

It was nice to be back in a familiar, warm setting. I found that things always changed but festivals always remained the same. For me, they always managed to capture that same childhood excitement that reminded me of my first few times here. With my dad.

Or maybe it was just the constant layout they had going.

We were on our way over to the fairy floss when I encountered something I had completely forgotten about. It was both an old friend and a nemesis. To a random onlooker this games stand would look nothing out of the ordinary but in my eyes it was the longest running competition of my life.

I immediately trudged over to the stand and looked up at the prizes in hopes I'd see them, and amazingly, after all these years the giant stuffed teddy bears were there. I've longed for these massive bears my entire life but I could never manage to win a single game. I knew it was rigged but it never stopped me from trying.

"How much is it? To play?" I asked quickly. The man behind the counter looked tired and ready to pack up but he did hold up five fingers. I paid the price without a second thought and quickly braced myself for the game. It was a simple carnival game but I never managed to get enough points for my desired prize; a giant teddy bear.

By giant, I meant massive. It was just about the same size of me and looked so fluffy. My mind was set, I wasn't going to stop trying until I got the damn bear.

The game was simple and old fashioned, 2D ducks slid back and fourth and you had to shoot them and collect a score. However, there were these special pink ducks that held more points when shot and those were the keys to the grand prize. However the game was rigged as proven by my numerous times playing. Every time you'd go to shoot those damn pick birds they'd dip down. It was frustrating!

Sure, by now I could've found something like the bear but I was a determined hard-ass. Well, according to everyone else I used to be a hard-ass.

"I thought we were getting fairy goop!" Rian whined but I paid him no mind. The game started, I was too focused. I was a little rusty at the start but my carnival game sense slowly came back to me as numerous rounds went by. The man operating the game offered other prizes but I ignored him. I wasn't ready to give up.

"Kid, we have other prizes that you can just take-"

"Silencio, old man!"

The man shut up and I continued my game with no success. To say I wanted to rip this entire stall down as a understatement. I wanted to claw at the man until he gave me my prize but as my anger levels rose to an extreme I felt a calming hand on my shoulder.

"Here, let us try." Remus offered. I looked up at him and between Rian and Eurus. "Us?" I repeated. They were going to do this together? It was so out of the blue yet I couldn't help but notice the small flutter in my stomach.

I moved out there way and allowed them to play one-by-one. At first they were failing miserably but as time passed they learned quickly. They were almost naturals, but not quite there.

"First one to get the teddy bear gets ice-cream as well as fairy floss!" I shouted, just to give them extra motivation. Funnily enough my comment seemed to work as all three shot those ducks with a newfound vengeance. It was almost scary how quickly their attitude changed when their score was so close to achieving the damn bear. Remus looked like he wanted to rip the entire stall apart!

It was Eurus' turn and he was nearing the score when he hit two pink ducks in a row which should've raised his score but it remained the same number. With the sudden shock he paused for a second and the game ended, leaving us with nothing and the operator with a smug look.

"That isn't fair! The game is bloody rigged!" Eurus yelled. This time I could clearly see he was turning an unusual shade of red and I started wondering if it was a dragon thing. "Sorry, man. Your score just didn't quite reach there-"

"I don't give a shit about my damn score. Give me the teddy." He seethed again but the man didn't budge. My self-fuelled determination was replaced by slight anxiety and my excitement for the teddy bear died down. Just like that I was timid again.

"Give him the toy." Remus warned, taking a step closer. The man's eyes slightly widened at the sight of another angry man. Yet, even with another threat pressuring him to give in he still didn't budge.

"G-Guys, I actually don't want-"

"Florence, trust me. I'll get that teddy bear for you." Rian assured me before rolling up his sleeves and taking a lunge at the man. He missed horribly and ended up stumbling over the entire stall. The man got up, clearly fed up and a little scared by their antics and practically threw a giant bear at us. "Take the fucking thing and leave me alone!" He yelled. I gasped as Eurus handed it to me and I felt the giant bear in my hands. I squealed and shoved my face into the side of the plush as I was dragged away from the stall and near the fairy floss stall.

I cheered and screamed about my new toy, letting everyone around me know I finally got my prize. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I chanted, placing the teddy at my hip and using my free arm to hug Eurus. I was way too stoked and excited to even care. He stuttered something out but from all the sputtering I couldn't quite make out what he was saying.

Remus appeared almost instantly at my side and waited expectantly for a hug. I obliged, adding a small squeeze while he returned the favour by crushing my ribs. I waited for Rian but one quick look around told me he wasn't with us.

"I'll go get him," Remus said quickly. "Meet you at the fairy floss stall."

He went looking for Rian and left me with only Eurus. We both kept silent for our respective reasons. I just kept thinking about how they had that little moment. It meant they were taking steps forward, together. It was exciting, not only for me and them but for the future of this island.

"You look goofy with that giant thing by your side," he commented with a snort. I appreciated his use of goofy instead of stupid though I doubt he did it on purpose. "I'll love this thing until the end of time. Thank you for this," I said sweetly. He turned a different shade of red, one that didn't make him look like he was glowing, and quickly looked away.

"S-Something else on your mind?" He asked awkwardly when we fell silent again. "What you guys did earlier- coming together- did it feel weird?" I asked. I snuck a glance his way and noticed his deep frown.

"We didn't come together. We just had a common goal." He muttered. "Well shouldn't you be doing that right now? I mean, you all have the common goal of the peace treaty."

"I found it amazing that you even came to sign it! I mean, after decades of war you would think at least someone would want to end it. I'm in no place to say anything but I guess I'm just happy." I rambled on. It took serious balls to end something like this.

"You're happy? Why?" He asked. I thought about it for some time. I knew things were getting worse with the war and I was aware that if things continued the way they were going the entire island would be affected.

"I guess I'm just happy that you're doing this. It shows you're still part human and that you care for others." I said. Though we were still working we locked eyes and all I saw was a pair of sad green eyes. Why was he sad? "N-Not that I didn't think you weren't half human! Gosh, I didn't mean it to sound like that if that's why you're sad-"

"I have to tell you something, Florence," Eurus said quietly, stopping dead in his tracks. The bright smile I had dimmed slightly but remained.

"This peace treaty.." he started. He was obviously thinking about what to say next which slightly scared me. "I didn't come here to actually... go through with it." He all but whispered.

It took me awhile to actually process is words. For a few minutes I simply stood there with a disappearing smile as what he said started making sense.

My smile dropped and suddenly everything felt cold. My nerves coiled up like a venomous snake and sat at the pit of my stomach while the rest of my body lagged behind in reactions.

The whole reason he was here, the entire reasoning behind why we were even in the same place- he wasn't there to make peace.

"W-What do you mean?" I asked, my happy demeanour faltering completely . My grip on my giant prize loosened a bit so I gently put it down rather than having it fall out of my hands. I received silence from his end. He didn't look like he had the answers to my simple question. All he did was stare at me with a half pity half 'are you serious?' look.

"You didn't think this was actually going to work, did you?" He asked me, completely dodging my question. He sounded genuinely curious and little condescending but condescending was his natural tone. Either way it made me feel stupid. After a round of my own silence he began pacing back and fourth. "We're dragons, Florence. We're greedy, territorial, power-hungry! All we know is war." He carried on.

Everything fell a little quieter as I took in his words. The war was bad enough as it was and it was only going to get worse. This peace treaty was our only hope of ending it and he probably didn't pay it any mind.

Two other voices cut me from my thinking and back into the bustle of the festival. "Florence! Look what we got you!" Remus called out. I turned on the spot to see both Rian and Remus holding two more giant teddies with big matching grins. Even with this somber feeling in my gut I couldn't help but feel fluttery seeing them both smile. However, I still had one persistent question on my mind.

"What's wrong?" Rian asked, dropping the bear at his feet. I let out a deep breath and hoped with everything I had that at least these two actually considered the deal- if at all!

"Did you guys come here to go through with the peace treaty?" I asked, screwing my eyes shut as if that would help speed things up. A minute or two of all three of them looking at each other as if someone was going to say something told me their answer.

My stomach cramped as a chilling wave of anxiety crashed onto me. Why even waste time here if they weren't going to actually do anything? Why would they spend meaningless evenings with me when they could be starting about battle? It gave me a migraine just trying to make sense of this situation!

"What does that mean for us? Those caught in the middle!" I asked a little louder this time. "You guys- did you even consider the deal?" All I received was even more silence. My fear was turning into frustration.

"Florence, you can't expect us to change so easily. We're dragons-"

"Save it! I don't care if you're a fucking reptile or not! Do you even know what started it in the first place?"

Silence.

"How about what will happen once there's no more land on this island?"

Silence.

"Or the countless innocent lives that you three put at risk everyday!"

More silence.

I wanted to pull out my hair in frustration. I knew my reaction was taking a turn for the worst but I couldn't stop myself. They claimed that it was their nature but as cheesy as it sounds I've spent time with each of them and I knew that there was something more than just primal instinct.

"You may be half dragon but you're all entirely selfish." I said lowly. I didn't have the courage to look them all in the eyes so I settled with lightly kicking the teddy. "I don't want your gifts."

"Florence, wait-" Remus tried to stop me by lightly touching my shoulder but I pulled away. I needed to clear my head and being around them wasn't helping. I just needed some alone time.

Hey guys! Sorry this took so long :/ I was having a stressful time with the workload I've been receiving lately.

However, I did notice we hit ONE-FUCKING-THOUSAND FOLLOWERS! I literally cannot express how.. shocked I am! I honestly didn't think I'd get here. I celebrated every milestone and although I may have not rewarded my followers I want you guys to know I have so much love and gratitude for you guys. Thank you so much.

Any-who, I hope you guys enjoy this extra long chapter and don't pay too much mind to the level of errors I didn't weed out! I honestly just wanted to get this out to you guys as soon as possible <3

Thoughts and theories are always welcomed, for those still interested in this story.

Ciao!