*4*
"It's been two days Brie, nothing else come up?" Eliza asked over the phone.
"Non," Brie replied, "Just that night with the voice. Nightmare is still the same. Only time I ever hear that voice is when I smell that scent."
"It is quite interesting. One could say haunting really." Roderich chimed in.
"You aren't wrong there, Roderich." Brie said, glancing over the newspaper.
Another string of murders had taken place outside of the French boarder, Brie shook her head at the distressing news. It seemed that no matter where she went in the world, evil wouldn't be far behind.
The comforting scent wafted in the air around her, her head shot around trying to find the source.
"I have to get going guys, I'll talk to you later." she said as she set the newspaper down.
"All right, take it easy Brie." Eliza said as the line went silent.
The scent lingered in the air as she gave the small café a glance over, nothing seemed out of the ordinary nor had changed. It was the same as the other day with Elizaveta. Just as it came into the shop, it faded just as fast. The sweet aroma was replaced by the delicious coffee and food of the shop. Brie sighed as she picked the paper up again, her thoughts running on the scent that was starting to haunt her like the nightmare.
"Bonjour, mademoiselle. Funny to find you here again." someone said taking the seat next to her.
Brie's head shot up to be greeted by the Frenchman from the other day as he smiled at her.
"You don't give up, do you?" she asked him, laying the paper down.
"Oui I do, but there is something about you that makes me want to know you more." he said as the barista placed his coffee in front of him.
"And I think there is something about you that wants me to avoid you at all cost." she stated.
"Oh now, don't be that way." he said quietly, "I am not a bad man. Just curious that is all. Especially of a foreign woman."
Brie shot him a glance, he smiled at her, "Américain, non?"
"Plus de Canadien." she said, "But live in America, yes."
"Ah so there is where the French comes from." he said.
"Oui, now I bid you adieu." she said as she grabbed her stuff and went out the door.
Brie couldn't believe the man, his determination to get with her. It truly boiled her blood.
"Oh ma Cherie, you really don't mean that, non?" he said as he grabbed her arm.
Brie turned to look at the stubborn Frenchman, "Oui, I do."
"Come now, let me prove it to you." he practically begged her.
She just stood there, this wasn't like most of the guys that pursued her in the US, but most found her intimidating after dealing with her for a little. Even if they made it that far, the nightmare chased them away.
She crossed her arms across her chest, "Let's hear it."
He lit up like a firework, "Très bien! My proposition to you is that in one week, I will do what I can to woo you to me."
"And if you fail?" she asked.
"I will leave you be." he said.
Brie stood there and thought about it for a moment, "Alright, but let me add this. You have one chance a day to 'woo' me. If it fails, you leave me alone for the day. D'accord?"
"Oui, d'accord." he replied.
Brie sighed, wondering what she got herself into with this man, "Bon, now this challenge will start tomorrow, since Lundi starts the week. I'll be here around midi and then you can start."
"Perfect. I shall see you then." he said, "Oh, ma fleur, I never got your name."
Brie sighed, "Brie Roux."
"Brie," he practically purred her name, "I'm Francis Bonnefoy."
As she watched him walk away, Brie wrapper her brain on the deal she had just made with the strange Frenchman. She normally would've just told him to shove off but he did intrigue her in, something about him drew her near and she was quite curious of him.
Francis smiled as he walked toward the small apartment he called home. She rolled through his mind constantly. Her light brown hair, those amber like eyes, her petite yet curvy frame, the sweet smell of lavender and vanilla lifting from her skin, and that sharp tongue and attitude was just the frosting on the cake. How he wanted to know more of her and see what makes her the little viper that she was.
The tone of his phone brought him back to the Paris streets, "Bonjour."
"Konichiwa Francis." the quiet voice on the other line spoke.
"Ah Kiku, what brings you to call moi on such a lovely day?" Francis asked.
"Have you heard from Sensei?" he asked, a worried tone laid within his voice.
"Non," Francis replied, "Have you tried Ivan? He might know. I haven't seen Yao since the last meeting."
Kiku was silent on the other end. A small chill ran up Francis's spine, something seemed to bother the small Japanese man and it was slowly getting to him.
"What is the matter Kiku?" Francis asked.
"Mei last saw him and to her observation, it had seemed like the past had visited him." Kiku replied.
Francis stopped dead in the middle of the sidewalk as Kiku's words buzzed in his head, "Are you positively sure?"
"Hai, we are." Kiku stated, "I called Ivan as well to see if it was just us overthinking but according to Toris, he's been out of the country for a little while now. Toris said Ivan seemed the same as Yao."
Francis listened intently as Kiku told him what he knew, his heart sinking lower and lower into his gut. How he prayed that the past would leave him alone this time, he didn't need it again.
"Anyone else experiencing it?" Francis practically demanded.
"No, not that I am aware of. I already called Ludwig, Feliciano, Leon, Arthur, Alfred, Jett, and Michelle. I'm keeping my eyes open for anything on my end, it would be wise for you to do the same." Kiku explained.
"Don't worry, I will on my end as well. I'll call Mathieu, Elizaveta, Gilbert, Antonio, and Roderich up as well." Francis stated.
"Alright. Keep your eyes open. I will let you know if anything else comes up." Kiku said letting the line go silent.
Francis stood there letting all that he heard sink in fully and prayed.
"God, please don't let her be alive once again." he whispered to the cloud covered sky, "I can't watch her die again."
