Welcome to Gaia! ::

If Xariy had to deal with one more broken thing today she was going to lose her cool. She'd gotten her family's help in constructing this sort of safe haven for runaways, her brother had even stopped by to assist, but of course with helping the runaways it meant dealing with problem children like she had been. So lots of broken things. Today's inventory of messed up things included two windows, a set of dining ware snatched, and three new holes in the walls. It was fine. She just had to keep reminding herself that everything was cool and there was no reason to get mad when the kids were mainly just acting out. It just meant she needed to find someone to help in fixing things. Which is why she was in town now. Despite how exhausted she felt, Xariy needed to locate a woodworker or someone just good at constructing things before the children injured themselves. She was particularly concerned about the newest fire child that had wandered into her abode off the streets. A bit of a destructive streak that one, and he had been the reason for the windows. If anything, she needed to run in quick and find someone before getting back. The perks of being the responsible adult she supposed.

Wandering around the shops, she wondered what Kauff was up to. She hadn't heard from him in well....a long while. He'd never responded to her letter, which was fine. He didn't have any obligation to respond, despite the sting she felt every time she thought of it. There wasn't any reason to keep in contact despite the fun they had and her own fondness for him that had developed over the years. It was nothing that couldn't be forgotten about with a stiff drink, at least she told herself. Nevermind the fact she hadn't had a drink since starting her house. Despite this, she felt as if she were hallucinating him now with his broad back and larger than life stature.

"Get out of my head you tease," she grumbled to herself, focusing harder on her task at hand.

Surely she was imagining the handsome man. She couldn't just will him into existence that was crazy, and yet here he was. Standing right in front of her. Looking more attractive than the last time she'd seen him, he was certainly distracting. Xariy didn't want to look too excited to see him. He'd ignored her after all. Left to wander while she was working hard to help the kids who'd wandered in. The butterflies in her stomach needed to calm down. This was no time for a dance party.

"You big jerk," she ended up huffing out, fist colliding lightly with his chest. She didn't know what to say or where to even begin. So much had happened and they were older now. She shouldn't be upset. She had no claim on him, but she was mad he hadn't reached out to her.

Xariy shook her head, pressing her forehead against his solid chest for a moment as she grumbled against it. She was a master thief and now look at her. Reduced to a grumpy mess and caretaker. She was sure Kauff wouldn't find her as exciting as she had been, and that thought above all else worried her. What if the fun they had back in the day was just that? A memory now. What if he didn't appreciate what she had become? She wanted to ask him all these questions, but the most she could manage was staring back up at him and mumbling irrelevant words.

"I'm not going to hit you. That would be considered spousal abuse," she managed to tease, free hand brushing against the stubble on his face.

Xariy felt the anger drain from her as he spoke, already forgiving him for the vanishing act he pulled. She didn't mind the scruff honestly. It made him feel more rugged and wild. It sort of matched his personality in a way. At least from what she remembered. But he was still willing to joke with her like they used to, so maybe there was hope.

"I would be mad if you didn't, Kauff," she muttered, tilting her face up more to look at him expectantly.

If Xariy could keep him there in that moment she would have, but he was right in mentioning her responsibilities. Unfortunately. Despite her best efforts to ignore them, she knew she couldn't. She stole another not so chaste kiss from the man before giving herself some good distance from him, knowing if she didn't she'd be a goner.

"Yes. Right. Things. I was coming to town for building supplies and to hire a builder. Someone to fix windows and board up holes in walls," Xariy attempted to explain, pausing when she realized that sounded a bit odd. "I run a house now. For kids like I was."

She rubbed her hands together nervously, hoping that didn't make him want to leave faster. She knew men could be a bit anxious about children, but she didn't know if Kauff was that way.

Xariy picked up her supplies that she could find, motioning for him to follow after her. It wasn't a long walk, but it was a little ways out of town. She'd settled it in a spot close enough to the border that more than just Oban kids would wander into. She'd had all sorts wander through, but at the moment there were only three hanging around. They just happened to be a bit of a wild bunch. She couldn't help but glance back at him every couple of moments, appreciating him every time she looked back.

"Just a warning, the kids are a bit....unruly. So if they try to say anything just ignore them. They're just angry and frustrated. All those childhood hormones. I bet you can relate a bit, huh?" Xariy winked at him, hefting up the boards in her arms.

Arriving at the house, it was nothing grand to look at. It had a door, some busted up windows, and a fence around a small yard. Big enough to house kids that wandered in without it being too much for her to manage on her own.

"Welcome to my humble abode. I've managed it all myself for a few years now. After the merchant business with my parents I thought helping those like me was a good place to put my efforts."

"If you keep leaving your pack on the ground someone is likely to walk off with it," Xariy laughed, hefting the boards in her arms up a little bit and considering for a moment before allowing him to take them. "If you want to put them by the door I'll get to them later when I feel like being handy." Xariy brushed her hand against his arm as she passed off the goods, chuckling to herself. She was giddy, something that didn't happen much with her. She wanted to know everything he had done, where he'd been. If he'd been seeing anyone. She frowned at that however, wondering if she really did want to know or if she wanted to keep it quiet. She couldn't blame him if he had been with random flings. Anything to get the mind off of stressful things. She just found herself a bit jealous of it is all. They were fake married after all. How dare anyone sleep with her fake husband.

"They will absolutely mouth off to you. Or they'll ask you a lot of questions. Or both," she warned, picking up his pack from the ground. "Shall we?"

A blur of tan and pink rushed passed her as she opened the door, the clear signs of Liyn trying his best to hide before she noticed him. Along with the teen leaf, there were two others she had been caring for. A fire lad who seemed a bit too quiet for his own good, and a water child she'd found herself. She wasn't sure if she'd been left or not, but of the three she was the youngest and not so rowdy. Really Liyn and Veris were the biggest issues she had.