Unlike the wild abandon of the forest, this area is well cared-for. A path of gray stones bordered with brightly-colored flowers intersperses with the grass, meandering around the grounds. At one end is the destination of one of the island's many streams, a pile of moss-covered rocks about waist-high to an adult from which trickles a mini-waterfall. Colorful fish cavort in the shallow pool at the base, as entertaining to watch as the graceful vtols and the playful firelizards. The island's plumed avians are rarely seen here, too shy to leave the safety of the forest, though every once in awhile a flash of feathers can be seen as one flies overhead.
To the southeast is a trail leading back to the forest clearing.
Obvious exits:
Forest

Elenna arrives from the southeast.
Elenna has arrived.

Elenna slips in looking about, and when she sees Kairiss she smiles a bit uncertainly, heading in his direction. "Hello," she says quietly, blushing a bit.

Kairiss is settled on the bank of a stream, idly twirling a pretty red wildflower between his fingers. He blinks suddenly at the sound of that voice, turning to peer behind him, blue eyes growing wide as he spots the baker. "...Elenna?"

Elenna looks even more awkward than anything as she approaches. "You said to come visit you," she says rather awkwardly. "Or... did you really want me to?"

Kairiss blushes faintly -- thank Faranth for the bad lighting. "..Oh, I didn't expect you to visit so soon..." Err.. "Not that I'm not pleased that you have." He smiles, patting the ground beside him. "Join me?"

Elenna looks a bit awkward at that. "Well..." but then he forestalls any protests, and comes to sit. "I wanted to say... thank you, for this," indicating the stone. "I didn't have a chance to say it before and it was very sweet of you, and" babble babble babble. "Well thank you," she finishes lamely.

Kairiss grins sheepishly. "I'd hoped it would cheer you up.. I don't think I ever saw anyone as down as you were the other night..." After a moment he catches her gaze, wondering, "Are you feeling any better?"

Elenna shrugs, blushing a little at the comment. "Well a bit," she says. "This... it made me feel special, you know," she smiles a bit. "I don't think anyone ever gave me anything that was important to them before."

Kairiss smiles faintly. "That's at least as special to me as a dragon is to a rider..." He frowns thoughtfully, correcting, "Well, it's /meaning/ was more important..."

Elenna ohs. She goes bright red. "You could have it back," she says, although by the tone of her voice, she doesn't want to give it.

Kairiss shakes his head. "Nah... Like I said, it was it's meaning that was so important to me... Well, not that the stone isn't.. Err.." Sigh. He rarely babbles, honest..

Elenna ohs, she smiles up. "Well thankyou," she says, and awkwardly, tries to brush his cheek with her lips, pity she stumbles a little and manages to plant him a really good one on the mouth.

Kairiss blushes faintly, pulling away and smiling. "...Well, glad to see you're feeling better..."

Kairiss blinks in surprise. "Elenna? What's wrong?" Sigh. "...I'm only trying to get you to see that you /are/ a person worth liking, loving, even... I've only met you twice now, and /I/ can see that..."

Elenna flushes. "I didn't mean to push myself onto you," she says through tears. "Shards," muttered. "I meant to... just say thankyou." She looks awkward. "You've been so kind, and sweet, and maybe I just got carried away, or something. I didn't expect you to want to kiss me."

Kairiss sighs. "Elenna, you need to learn to stop apologizing for yourself... It's not right to apologize for what you feel... You can't help that."

Elenna just moves from one foot to the other, shrugging. "I'm..." she looks awkward, flushing. "No, but... well it always seems to be the wrong thing."

Kairiss just sighs again. "You can't help that... Come sit with me?" He blinks suddenly, wondering, "You're...?"

Elenna blinks "I'm what?"

Kairiss shrugs. "I don't know, you said... 'I'm..' And maybe I could help you feel better if I knew what you were." He grins amusedly, winking.

Elenna ohs, she sits down again, not quite so skittish "I don't know what I am any more. I just know... well I don't want /him/, so I suppose that's a start. I just wish it was all over."

Kairiss frowns thoughtfully. "...All over?"

Elenna wells. "I want to tell him, that I don't.. feel that way any more. Just to end it, and... she won't have him while I do, so when I don't, well I suppose they can go on living happily ever after." She shrugs and sounds awkward about the whole thing.

Kairiss's brow creases as that frown darkens. "Well, then... Tell him." He smiles then, wondering, "So, do you really believe now that you don't need him anymore? ...I'm proud of you, Elenna.."

Elenna shrugs. "I found even I have enough self-esteem to not want to feel lousy all the time," she shrugs. "You are? And I will tell him, I just haven't seen him yet."

Kairiss smiles brightly. "That's great, Elenna... I must say, that you look even lovelier when you have more self-confidence." He winks. "Well, I hope you talk to /him/...whoever he is...soon. And maybe my stone can help give you courage." He smiles cutely.

Elenna blushes bright red. "you really think so?" she says breathlessly. "What a kind thing to say."

Kairiss smiles warmly. "Well, kind or not, it's true." He winks, adding, "It also helps your self-confidence to make /others/ feel better..."

Elenna ohs, she smiles a little, and then, "This is a lovely place, I'm not surprised you come here. Do you spend much time here?"

Kairiss blushes faintly. "I spend most of my time here.. When I'm not practicing my craft, anyway..." He catches her gaze, smiling warmly. "I guess you could say this is /my/ special place.. Sort of like that Waterfall to you..."

Elenna ohs, looking about. "I can see why, but... well anyone can come here, can't they? I sort of," blush "use the caves to get away from people," she confesses awkwardly.

Kairiss grins crookedly. "Well, fortunately for us, few people come out here... And it's just the two of us at the moment..."

Elenna smiles. "I like that," she says shyly, looking around.

Kairiss smiles charmingly. "So do I..." He admits, grinning almost sheepishly...

Elenna ohs? "oh," she says, taking a sudden interest in a nearby flower. "So... you didn't mind it so much.. before.. you know when I um... accidently kissed you?" overly casually.

Kairiss gives another sheepish grin. "No.. In fact.." Blush. "..I kind of liked it."

Elenna ohs. She blushes. "Um... good then," she says awkwardly, seems she has no idea how to continue after this.
Elenna wonders. "How would you feel if I did it again?" she's still studying him out of the corner of her eye, as she spends most of the time studying that flower.

Kairiss smiles faintly. "I don't think I'd mind too much.. In fact, I would probably enjoy it."

Elenna approaches rather awkwardly. "I think you're really nice," she says. "I think I don't want to be involved with... him... anymore. I think that you don't have to fall in love with me or whatever, but if you do really like kissing me, I'd really like you to, and to hold me, because I really hurt right now, and..." blush "I guess that's selfish, but... well, as long as you'd never humiliate me in public... would you mind?"

Kairiss blinks, jaw dropping for a moment as he splutters quietly. "Err.." He blushes fainlt before leaning over, tipping her chin up and giving her a gentle kiss on the lips. "...I'd like nothing better, Elenna..."

Elenna just closes her eyes and kisses back, and somewhere there she winds her arms around him, and so when the kiss is ended, she's smiling a little. "Mmm," she says. "Thankyou."

Kairiss's arms drape around her waist, and he grins crookedly. "..WEll, you're very welcome."

Elenna flushes, and stays there in his arms, leaning her head on his shoulder. "This is nice," she murmurs.

Kairiss slowly nods his agreement. "..Very."

Elenna cranes her head to smile over at him. "It's.... what is it about you that straight away I feel so special around you?" she smiles shyly at him. "I mean," blush "i don't usually just ask people to kiss me the second time I meet them, but you... well you make me feel very comfortable, very nice, and... even I feel attractive," she flushes at saying this. "It's OK if you don't feel that way though."

Kairiss smiles warmly. "I know why that is, Elenna... I think you're beautiful, and /I'm/ not afraid to tell you that.. And I'm also not afraid to tell you that I think you're very special.." He runs a hand through her dark hair, smiling.

Elenna blushes, and relaxes against him. "I think you're very nice," she says again. "And he wasn't afraid, he just didn't think that."

Kairiss shakes his head. "No one couldn't /not/ think that.. He must have just been afraid to say what he felt.. Or even admit to himself that he /did/ feel something."

Elenna hehs. "I doubt it," she relaxes even more against him. "It doesn't matter any more, somewhere back there I realised I didn't need him anyway."

Kairiss smiles warmly, muttering softly, "It's not bad to need someone, Elenna.. You just have to make sure you pick the right person to need.. And know that that person needs you, too."

Elenna ohs, and just closes her eyes, enjoying the feeling of just being held, before asking quietly. "I don't know you," awkwardly "I don't know anything... much about you, but, do you mind if I ask, do you do this all the time? I mean," blush, "it's okay if you do, I suppose, just so I know, last time, well I got some silly ideas in my head that I shouldn't have, and if you just kissed me because you like kissing, or whatever, that's OK, just, I don't want to feel like I'm thinking things are going to happen if they aren't," and then she blushes bright red, "not that I'm trying to say you should, but... I just need to know."
Elenna adds. "I think I do need someone. I don't want to need, but I do. I'm not saying it's you, or that you have to do anything, but..." she flushes a little. "I really like it when you hold me, and that's enough for now."

Kairiss blushes furiously. "I like /you/, Elenna.. And I like being needed, and I'd like to need, you, too.. And.. And I like to hold you, and..." He just sighs all happy-like.

Elenna tentatively tightens her arms around Kairiss, which of course, brings her closer to him. "We don't have to decide anything now," she says quietly. "I don't know you, you don't know me, but for now...." she only blushes a little this time "I think you're really wonderful, and I'd like to find out more about you, and to be held, and..." she flushes some "to be kissed, and spend as much time together as you'd like to." Hand around him tentatively strokes his back.

Kairiss smiles, nodding slowly. "I think you're wonderful, too, Elenna... And I'd definitely like to know more about you, too..." He kisses her forehead gently and sighs. "...Though, it is getting late..."

Elenna hrms, smiling both at the words and at the kiss, and puts her head on his shoulder. "Hrm," she says eyes closing "Yes," she agrees.

Kairiss blushes faintly, nodding. "...Most people are off in bed by now..." He teases, smiling warmly.

Elenna mms, "I feel safe with you," and brushes lips against his shoulder as she murmurs something that sounds like "sweet," and her breathing becomes rather even as she dozes off completely