Tastes like Chocolat

[Jacky]

"Alright!" Claire watched them go, before heading into the shop to get to work.

Back at the river, Roux stepped from one boat to the next until he was on the one that Blanche stayed at. She was sitting outside, singing a song and rocking her baby who was coughing pretty much constantly.
"Here." He handed over the medicin, without mentioning how it had been hard to get by it.
"Thanks." She smiled. She moved aside so he could sit on the low bench with her. Once he was seated, she unwrapped the medicin carefully. "What's wrong?"
"...Nothing. Why?" Roux frowned.
"Vianne is here, Roux. I saw her too. And I'm not stupid. Are you alright?"

[Jacksblackpearl]

Once they had reached the school Vianne spoke to her daughter once more, "You're going to stay here until that bell rings and you're allowed to come home okay? I do not want you running off again, the headmaster is already suspiscious from what happened yesterday, let's make this as simple as possible for the both of us, okay darling?" She rubbed a hand over Anouk's head, and pushed her towards the playground "Have fun" With those words she turned around and left again. Her intensions were to go straight back to the chocelaterie but her feet seemed to disagree. Within a few minutes she found herself on the path towards the river and her heart began to race. Just knowing that she was so close to Roux made her anxious, and the feeling of wanting to help but being pushed away crept up on her again.
Vianne sat herself down on a bench in the grass, not too near the river. She watched the boats from a distance and saw some of the river drifters walking around.
her mind wondered back to Roux, the river drifter, that perfect stranger back in Lansquenet. She was a drifter, their feelings were similar and not many words were needed to get each others message across.
and now are wires are more crossed than ever she figured, since she did not understand Roux anymore. you know magic's the only way...you know you're too curious...you know you want to help too badly to stumble upon something as silly as not performing the arts of magic anymore

[Jacky]

"That's a stupid question, Blanche." Roux told his friend, while he took the bottle of medicin back from her to pop open the lid.
"Do you still miss her?"
"Of course." He handed the medicin back, and watched as Blanche fed a few drops of the liquid to the baby.
"But you're not going to see her there.." She looked up, that wary look back in her eyes. "Right?"
Roux didn't say anything. Instead, his gaze turned down the river and he shrugged. "...She could be trusted you know. But still.. even if she'd never say a word." He paused. "She shouldn't know. If she did know, she's still be better of without me."
"Maybe."
"Definately." Roux countered that. He didn't allow his mind to doubt. To think that Vianne would be better of without him made it easier to stay away, so he had to hold on to that thought.. desperately.

[Jacksblackpearl]

A chill ran down Vianne's spine and she figured she had been sitting outside for too long already. With a deep breath she stood up and headed back into town. She had made up her mind, she would give in to the northwind and all that her ancestors had ever taught her.
Once back at the shop she found it pretty much empty, except for one customer who was chatting with Claire. "Hey, I'm back. I'm going upstairs to take care of some financial business" She said to her friend, lying through her teeth. She scurried up the stairs and into her bedroom, closing the door behind her. She swiftly opened the drawer and took the Tarot cards out, laying them out on her bed, their plain side up. She picked three cards to answer the question she had asked in her head, then she turned the three cards around. One said lovers, one stood for genuine obstacles and trouble and the third was Overcome.
Since she was about six years old she had learned how to read the cards, her mother had taught her well enough to make Vianne realise that these three cards stood for action. She had to go against Roux's wish, go against her own will to butt into other peoples lives, and help her. He kept her away because he thought he'd cause nothing but trouble, thought she'd be better off without an obstacle like himself. But nothing was less true, or so the cards told Vianne.

[Jacky]

"Yknow.." Blanche stared up to Roux, who kept his gaze on the river. "We all appreciate this. I know it's a big sacrifise but.. we're all grateful for it."
"Sure." Roux got up to leave.
"Zezette too, Roux. Her most of all. You know that."
"I know." He didn't say anything anymore, as he climbed onto the railing of the boat and stepped onto the next. Like that, walking from one boat to the other, he reached his own. He hesitated, looking at the shore.
For fuck's sake. Don't. For her sake and your own.
He frowned when he noticed a small silouette on the riverbank though..
"...What the..." He leaped onto the land and walked over to the child. "Anouk."

Anouk shrugged her shoulders, "I came to see your new boat."

[Jacksblackpearl]

With a quick pace Vianne stashed the cards away and went down stairs again. "Okay, that's done" she mumbled, still pretending she had done some finances upstairs. She went behind the counter and poured herself some chocolate milk into a mug. "You want any ?" she asked Claire, as the only customer now left the store.
You can sing to him tonight, sing him to you. Let the northwind bring him to me... I'll meet him half way, so he won't be in trouble she thought to herself as she grabbed another mug for Claire.

[Jacky]

(Anouk gets a color from now on )

"Please." Claire took a seat and tugged her hair behind her ear, looking at Vianne curiously. "So, have you been to the river? I hear the shopkeepers are going to boycot these people."

Roux frowned, looking from his new boat to Anouk and back again. "You shouldn't be here." He told her.
"Why not?" She pursed her lips and looked up at him, a challenging look in her eyes.
"Because I'm sure your mother told you so." Roux took the easy way out of explaining.
"That's no reason." She grinned, "Can I see your boat now?"
"No you can't. C'mon. I'm bringing you home." He decided, having little other choice.

[Jacksblackpearl]

"Ehm.. no, haven't been to the lake anymore" she mumbled, warming her hands around the cup "I haven't had any of the other shopkeepers in here yet to tell me the same thing.. I won't boycot them, but then again I'm pretty sure they won't need chocolate the most out of all of the shops in town" She joked and looked at Claire "He's been here though.. the guy I told you about ? Roux.. he was here last night, telling me that I'd best stay away from him.... funny ol' world innit ?"

[Jacky]

"Roux? That's the guy I met in the pharmacy." Claire sounded more curious now. "...He's the one you used to be with? Vianne! He's eyecandy." She smirked.
As she looked back to her cup of chocolate, she considered the rest Vianne said though. Her smirk faded. "Why does he want you to stay away from him?"

"Why are you scared of meeting up?" Anouk asked Roux, as she held his hand while they made their way towards the town.
"I'm not scared. It's just better this way." He told her.
"Better how? For you?"
They passed by a group of people, who stared at them.. Of course they stared. The child of the owner of the chocolaterie and the river gypsy. No doubt Vianne would be told not to let her daughter wander off to such dangerous people in no time.
"Better for you and your mom." Roux murmered, drawing his eyes from the judgemental eyes of the bystanders.

[Jacksblackpearl]

eyecandy.. that's one way of calling it Vianne smirked a little at Claire's words. "well.. you see, he doesn't want to say. Which has me worried. He was never one to keep silent around me, and now all of a sudden he says we'd better not even talk to eachother..." she shrugged a little "Something tells me there's something going on within that group yknow ? I just don't know what.. nor will I figure it out I'm afraid"