A friendly banter (Jordan)

[kris]

“Well, I still have to think about it whether I’ll join or not,” Kris shrugged. He would appreciate the practice, even though he wasn’t particularly fond of the game.
Kris raised an eye-brow in surprise at Jordan’s offer and thought about it. Teaching her to swim wouldn’t be a problem at all. And knowing how to skate… well, that might come handy someday as well.

“It’s a deal. You teach me to skate and I’ll teach you two swim. I don’t have a hand for drawing anything but tick-figures, so I guess I’ll just admire art from aside,” Kris grinned half-heartedly, “Just let me know when you want the swimming-lesson to take place and I’ll be there. Now or tomorrow or when-ever. There is a pool in the castle as well, if you’d prefer that and of course the Room of Requirement can be turned into one.”<br>
Kris shrugged. He was often restless during nights, as he didn’t need more sleep than about 5 or 6 hours in a night. So he roamed the hallways during nights, usually covered with his invisibility cloak. He had discovered a lot of secret and not very often used rooms that way and of course reading Hogwarts: A History partially helped him in finding them as well. But he wouldn’t mind learning to skate, even if it would cause him some bruises.

[JordanCortes]

"Good. Well, I don't really care when. My days are endlessly empty recently. And the same goes with skating, though we might need to use the room of requirement for that. Oh, this'll be so amusing." She said the last part with a small laugh and she grabbed her shoulderbag. Going through it she withdrew a charm bracelet, one she hadn't worn in awhile. She slipped it on her wrist and then looked at the pearls she had dropped on the ground. Wondering to pick them up or not. Swiftly she swept them up and bit her lip, before putting them back on.

"Well, now I'm bored. And Hogwarts has a pool?" Jordan raised an eyebrow, thinking back to what he had said before. She laughed lightly and pulled her shoulderbag, up from the ground and slipped it on over her head so that it crossed in front of her chest. Kicking a rock out of her way, Jordan started down from the cliff. She only turned back to smile and say; "I don't know about you, but I'm going to learn how to swim. Wanna come?" She continued on her way down, taking out her wand and drawing little waves of colored light as she walked to the lake.

[kris]

“Yes, Hogwarts has a swimming-pool. Even though the bath in prefects bathroom is almost big enough to be named a small pool,” Kris answered as he then watched Jordan start to move down the cliff and call back to him, that she was going to learn how to swim.
“I’m coming, but not down,” Kris muttered standing up and pulling his shirt off. He couldn’t really go swimming in it, he’d have to settle for his pants though. Kris glanced at his pants and frowned slightly as he pushed off his shoes. Time to say bye to one more pair of pants.

Stepping to the edge of the cliff, Kris reached out his hands and pushed himself off. Doing a quick spin in the air, Kris pushed her arms forwards at the right moment and slipped under water, diving towards the lake-bottom. The water was rather chilly, but the heating charm Kris had performed on him, kept it around normal. Not to warm, not too cold – just the way Kris liked it.

Resurfacing again when he needed oxygen again, Kris started to swim towards where Jordan had walked with long strides, easily slipping through water.
“Sure, I like swimming. Don’t forget to use a heating charm on yourself though – wouldn’t want you to freeze or get cold-blisters. The water isn’t meant for regular swimming,” Kris told Jordan as he came close enough to be heard, without him having to yell, but he was close enough, so the water would only reach about his waist, “Just get in whenever you’re ready.”<br>

[JordanCortes]

"Ah! It's cold?! Of course, it's water." Jordan bit her lip and looked at Kris, then she nodded and tapped her head with her wand. she was then in her bathing suit that she had never worn. Then she tapped her head again while muttering a heating charm, and put it next to her shoulderbag. She walked into the water, steadily. Then she went in further, and closed her eyes as she ducked her head under the water and got it wet.

She came up and breathed for air, "Okay, I'm not going any farther. Who knows when I'll drop. At least I can touch here." Jordan said as she firmly crossed her arms and nodded curtly. She felt her braid come unwound, and Jordan quickly snatched up the hair tie and placed it around her wrist as it was before, "Okay, what's first?" She asked him, obviously ready. Jordan laughed at her ignorance and took another step. Wrong thing to do.

"Ack!" Jordan gasped as she slipped farther down into the water. It was up to her shoulders now, curse my small height, she thought as she regained her balance. Once she could stand still, she started to draw circles in the water with her finger.

[kris]

“It wouldn’t do any good, if I let my student drown now, would it?” Kris asked with a smirk watching as Jordan advanced into the water, “The water will start to feel warmer the longer you stay in it. Then again you better run towards the castle or a bonfire when you get out of here as it will be freezing.”<br>
“Well, I didn’t think you’d have to come this deep in right now – waist-deep would have been enough, but since you’re already here,” Kris swam closer and turned on his back so he was floating on the water, “I’ve always though that it would be easier to start learning swimming on your back. That way you’ll have your face out of the water until you feel a little more certain about swimming. As for the first thing, I want you to float on water, like I am. Just raise your legs off the bottom and let the water carry you. And let your muscles loose – if you are tense, then you don’t float.”<br>
Kris directed himself with one hand a little, placing one of his arm around Jordan’s shoulders and slowly starting to float backwards, using his free hand to steer him, pulling Jordan along: “I won’t let you fall, so just lean on my arm, if that makes it easier. After you feel comfortable enough with being on water, you’ll float yourself and start moving. And then you’ll turn the other way and float on your stomach before starting to move. That doesn’t sound hard, does it?”<br>Kris spoke with the same tone, he usually used to calm animals, to calm Jordan as well and to distract her a bit from what she doing as Kris steadied her on the water with his arm, as she slowly moved along with him.

[JordanCortes]

"Easier said then done, but, I'll try." She muttered as she closed her eyes, taking a few deep breaths she imagined an empty room. Slowly the empty room began to be filled with music, then the sweet sound of Tango, then her parents dancing. When she reopened her eyes she was looking up into the sky, her brown eyes focused on what was above her. Slowly she felt as if she was on the water.

The once cold water was slightly getting warmer, and she smiled. He had been right, "Mmm, am I doing it, or is it all in my imagination?" She asked him with a small smirk. She turned her head to look at him, but, "HEY! You let me go!" She started angrily, and she dropped from her floating. With a scowl, she closed her eyes and imagined that empty room, and as she started to float once more the room began to fill with all the things she loved.

Jordan sighed as she started to float away, but stopped the process by steering herself towards Kris, "It's not so simple, one wrong move and I fall." She told him as she neared him. Once she reached him, she dropped her legs and touched ground. She ducked her head under water and ran her fingers through her hair, it was curly as it always was when it was wet, and she hated it.

[kris]

Kris smirked as he slipped away from Jordan and she shrieked at him.
“You are never going to learn if you keep leaning on my hand. I won’t let you drown, but I am able to ‘throw you into deep water to swim or sink’ before I help, should my help be necessary,” Kris argued calmly and watched as Jordan managed to float again herself.
“And there is no where to fall. The water is all around and the bottom is always close enough for you to touch it, should you get scared or do some ‘wrong move’ as you put it,” Kris told Jordan calmly as she reached him and came out of the water once again.

“Time for the next part,” Kris announced and swam a small circle around Jordan, before grabbing her arms and pulling her after him by her arms, moving half side-ways, half backwards himself, as Jordan’s legs floated behind her, “Now, do you expect me to do all the work? Help with you legs – move them up and down to push yourself forward.”<br>As Jordan complied Kris steered them so they were swimming along the shore-line and let one of Jordan’s hands free, “Very good. No push yourself forward with your hand as well.”<br>
As Jordan ad managed more or less stable movements finally, Kris let go of her other hand and floated slowly as the girl struggled in the water. She seemed to tense up once and started to sink under water, when Kris grasped her shoulders and brought her up again, steadying Jordan for a moment so she would regain her balance, before letting go again: “Once you get the hang of it, you’ll never forget it again. It’s just like riding a bicycle or riding a horse – if you can do it once, then you never completely forget the skill. Now practice a little.”<br>

[JordanCortes]

"Oi! Why not just let me drown now, eh?" She told him harshly, she then sighed and did as he told her, not really getting the hang of it at first but, then slowly thinking it over in her mind. As she continued to do what he said, she began to get the hang of it. When he let her other hand go, Jordan tried to swim on her own, but failed and started to go under. Only to be pulled back up again by Kris. She took a breath and continued again, only stopped when he said it was like riding a bike or a horse, once you got it, you could never forget it. At this Jordan laughed;

"I don't know how to do those either." She informed him with a small smile, Jordan was ignorant to so many things that her brothers and friends could do. And there were so many things that she could do that they could not. Jordan kicked her legs, but didn't move her arms. She wondered if she could continue to do this, and keep her head above the water. She could. A smile crossed her face and she started go under, "Ye gods!" And she was under before she kicked once more and was up. A scowl plastered on her face.

"It's gonna take me practice, ain't it?" Jordan asked as she pushed some of her hair out of her eyes and smiled. Continuing to kick. She stopped kicking a moment, and then floated, exploring her new found skill.

[kris]

“Hmm. Well, guess my parallels were a little off then, if you can’t ride a bike or a horse,” Kris pondered for a moment to find a new one, “The only other thing I can think off is walking – if you learn to do that, then you won’t easily forget it. Although that’s not a very good example.”<br>
Kris laughed as Jordan sunk in and reappeared with a scowl: “Yes, it takes some practice before you can do that without sinking under-water. You just started learning, remember?” Kris laughed and turning on his stomach started swimming with long graceful strides. He didn’t want to show off or anything, swimming just came naturally to him, as he had learned when he was 4. After having made a quick tour, Kris returned to Jordan and floated on the water, admiring the sky, that the setting sun had painted.

“It’s a lot easier to learn, when you are younger. Then you aren’t afraid of most things and you don’t know the dangers. My father taught me, when I was barely 4 and I loved it. Although he used the tactic that he threw me into the pond and let me find my own way to the shore, even though he was always close enough to pull me up, when I sunk under,” Kris smiled briefly. He had a lot of fond memories of his father. It was strange, because Kris had never liked her mother, who had been a cold and distant woman. But for his father Kris had been all as a kid and Kris had returned his father’s love wholly.

[JordanCortes]

"Yeh, walking. That I can do." Jordan said as she continued to "swim." She stopped a moment, and looked at Kris then smiled, "It goes the same with skating. It's easier to learn when you are young. If you can roller-blade, or in-line skate you can sure as hell ice skate. The only difference is that in ice skating you have to keep your ankles straight." Jordan went under again, only this time on her own will. And swam underwater a moment, before coming up behind him. She splashed some water at him, then ducked underwater again, and swam away.

"Catch me if ya can, oh that'll be simple." She hollered the first part out towards him, then muttered the second to herself. She took another deep breath and went under again. Swimming while she controlled her breathing. Just as she felt her lungs were gonna burst, or come close to it, she went up again. Jordan laughed, ran her fingers through her hair again, and continued to swim. She was starting to get a bit chilly, and her teeth started to chatter, but that didn't bother her. In fact if it wasn't for her biting her tongue, she wouldn't have noticed it.

The time has come the walrus said, to talk of many things. Of shoes-and ships- and sealing wax. Of cabbages and kings. And why the sea is boiling hot and whether pigs have wings. The old poem that Jordan had memorized when she was 5 came back, and she bit her lip in memories. Casting her eyes away from the shore, she looked up into the sky, thinking of the many ways she had to live. The glass prison was horrible, true, but the only thing that made it barable was her mother. And now she was gone, and it just struck Jordan. Her mother had been dead for over 6 months, and she just now realized it. Maybe it was the letter that her mother had written her, and Chris sent. Or maybe it was the pearls, but she now realized she was alone. Jordan shook her head, and looked at Kris again, smiling.

[kris]

“I can’t roller-blade nor in-line skate,” Kris answered truthfully, just blinking when Jordan splashed water at him and then dived under-water after daring him ro catch her. He was rather impressed by Jordan’s courage – for someone who was swimming for the first time, she was really good.

“You didn’t say go,” Kris stated as Jordan appeared above water before diving suddenly. Smirking at the girl Kris let himself go under-water, before moving. The water was dark and deep enough, to hid his movements from Jordan, so Kris reached her without any problems and grasping Jordan’s ankle pulled her under water.

Noticing that Jordan was shivering, Kris decided that they would have to get out soon.
“I’ll go get my wand,” he told to Jordan when they had both resurfaced and started swimming towards the middle of the lake, where the squid was still moving. The squid swam towards Kris and wrapped one long tentacle around the boy’s waist, pulling him under water for a moment. Kris played for the squid for a while, slowly steering the huge water-animal towards the cliff, where he had left his staff.
The water near the cliff was deep enough for the squid to reach it, so with the squid half-pulling him along, Kris reached the cliff in almost no time.

Using the squids tentacles as a some-what of a ladder, Kris reached the top of the cliff and managed to grab his wand from there, before the squid threw him back and off form it’s tentacle, as it swam away quickly.
Kris gasped air as he fell into water, but managed to turn himself into a correct position as he dived in. Resurfacing quickly,. Kris frowned. The squid’s tentacle had hit him in the rib-cage rather strongly – nothing was broken, but Kris would have a bruise there. The squid just didn’t know it’s strength yet.

Swimming back to Jordan, Kris passed the girl: “Come on. You’re cold. Get out of the water.”<br>Swimming to as far as he could, Kris walked to the shore, shivering lightly as his bare upper-body didn’t give any protection against the wind, which was freezing.
Using his wand to create a huge bonfire, Kris dried himself off and ‘accio’d dry and warm clothes from an hollow tree, where he always kept some warm clothes, pulling along two sweaters, in case Jordan wished to borrow one.
Pulling the thick black sweater on as well as shoes and trying his pants, Kris turned around to see, if Jordan was coming out as well, while letting the fire warm him.

[JordanCortes]

"Gah!" Jordan shrieked before she went under, she came back up; laughing lightly, and still shivering. She nodded when Kris went to get his wand, and swam back to shore. Once she had reached dry land, she felt a gust of wind come up, "Bloody hell..." she muttered as she made her way over to her shoulderbag, took out her wand and tapped her head. She smiled and crossed her arms against the wind. Jordan saw Kris and made her way over towards him and the fire.

"Well, that was fun." Jordan pulled her hair up into a pony tail, that was rather messing for her liking and sat down, not to close to the fire but, close enough. She stared into it a moment, thinking, "You said your father taught you how to swim? Was your relationship with him strong?" Jordan asked, her eyes gleaming in the firelight's glow. She hoped she didn't sound too nosey, she was just curious. Jordan turned back to the fire, watching the flames dance.

Fire always interested Jordan, but not to the point it had interested Katie. Just to the point where it always had a spot in her eye where she could just watch it, hours after hours. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to." Jordan added after a moment of silence.

[kris]

Kris pondered about Jordan’s question about his father. When Jordan added that he didn’t have to answer, Kris sat down and stared into the fire, recalling his father and all the great times they had had together.
“My father was a fantastic man and yes, we were very close. You know the saying that their child is the whole world for some people? Well, I was pretty much the world for my father,” Kris smiled and his facial features softened, “My father taught me to swim, ride, hunt, throw knives and how to use my wand, as well as martial arts and fencing. He was the best father in the meaning, that he let me be independent and try things for myself, but he was always there to comfort me, when I hurt myself or answer my questions or help me, when I really needed it.”<br>
Kris stared off into the fire and his face hardened once again as he clenched his fist so strongly that his knuckles turned white: “The day he was murdered 4 years ago, was the last time I ever shed a tear and the day I swore to pay back his murderers for what the did. And please don't start saying you're sorry. I hate it, when people do that.”<br>Kris turned to look at Jordan and smirked ironically: “Usually parents like their mothers more, but I loved my father. I don’t have one fond memory of my mother. And even though I was merely a kid, I didn’t even cry or be sad, when she was killed. I was rather glad, that I didn’t have to see that cold and distant woman ever again.” Kris recalled the memory of her aunt, who had gone crazy, killing Kris’s mother in front of the 5 year old boys eyes, but it didn’t bring up any sadness.

“And after my mother’s death I met Meredith and Dana and received a mother and a sister I hold very dear. And the chance to see thestrals. For both of those things I’m really grateful,” Kris added finally noticing how strongly he was clenching his fists and loosening his muscles now.

[JordanCortes]

Jordan listened to him, still staring into the fire. Thinking about how that must feel. She couldn't begin to compare what he went through to what she had. Her mother had died of cancer, her father had left her when she was 2. When he told her to not say sorry, Jordan smiled and rolled her eyes, "Did ya expect me to? I don't want pity, I'm not gonna give it unless it's wanted as well." Then she was silent again, listening to him. When he had finished, she closed her eyes in thought.

"When change occurs within our life, we can choose to make it better, or bitter. From the looks of it, you seem to have made it...in some ways, better and in others, bitter." Jordan merely whispered, thinking in some small way that, that was something that didn't make any sense. There were things he was grateful for and that was good. Jordan lowered her head and nodded as if she understood.

"And the fact that you were glad when your mother died," Jordan started, "No, nevermind." She drew circles in the ground, before looking up and trying to smile, but failing, "So, um, how did you- deal with it?" Jordan asked, for the realization that her mother was never coming just struck her tonight, and she needed to know what she could do to deal. When the dog bites, and the bee stings, and you're feeling sad...simply remember your favorite things, then you don't feel so bad...

[kris]

Kris smiled, when Jordan said, she hadn’t been planning to say she was sorry.
“I have made my life better and more bitter at the same time. Well, I guess you are right in a way,” Kris answered. He had managed to go on with his life and he enjoyed it, but he never forgot his oath either. And that was tiring from time to time.

“And I can’t say I was glad at my mothers death. I guess I didn’t word it the best way,” Kris mused looking for the right word, which didn’t come to mind, “Relieved would probably be a better word for it. I was a kid – only 5, when my mother was murdered and I was a trouble-maker. But when I had to make my weekly visit to my mother’s rooms, I had to dress up, talk politely and on the whole be sickeningly polite. Which I just couldn’t pull off as a 5 year old.”<br>Kris had been small enough not to remember or understand the killing of his mother completely and besides his father had been there in a millisecond at hearing his wife’s last cry and knowing that Kris was with her. It had seemed like something out of a book for Kris and even now – being older – he still remembered the event through child’s eyes.

“AS for my father death. That was rough. His murder is still mysterious,” Kris stated and smirked self-sarcastically, “And I didn’t pull through half that nicely. I never tried suicide nor cut myself, but my behavior was destructive enough. That was when I learned to drive a motor-cycle and I took curves with speed that made others hold their heads. I didn’t want to go on with my life, but I had strong enough morals not to raise a hand against myself, so I picked fights and took up life-threatening hobbies.”<br>
Kris raised the edge of his sweater and showed Jordan for thin and long scars on his side, deciding that the girl deserved hte whole truth: “All the healing magic wizards have, can’t heal these scars even though they aren’t made by a curse. I joined dragon-tamers camp for a summer and was foolish enough and didn’t care enough to stay clear of an wounded and irritated dragon so I stepped into enclosure, where she was kept. Naturally she attacked and these scars are made by her. I also have none long one on my leg.” Kris showed Jordan with his finger from where the scar ran from his knee to his hip.
“She slashed me with those and then she stopped and as we were staring into each other something clicked in my mind and I stopped my idiotism as she pushed me back to my feet and out of the paddock. SO I couldn’t really deal with my fathers death for a long time.”<br>
“To answer your question I just held on and let time take it’s course. And after some time it didn’t hurt that much when I was with Dana or animals or even alone,” Kris was silent for a moment, “The pain never gets smaller, but you learn to live with it and it becames a part of you, so it doesn’t even seem like pain to you anymore.”<br>

[JordanCortes]

Jordan shook her head, "And I thought I was crazy." Jordan laid down on the ground, her eyes looking at the sky, she thought this over. Listening intently. He was really the only person she listened to, most the people who she talked to, she didn't listen. Jordan felt tears well in her eyes, and fall. But, they fell silently. Jordan opened her mouth to speak, but closed it again before she could. But either way you will find out eventually. Mum has left a few things to you, that you were to recieve when she...passed away. From sadness to anger, in a milli-second. Jordan wiped at the tears and sat up, looked at Kris, and shook her head angrily, "It's been 6 months, you would think it's course would be done. All I wanna do is, hate her, I just want to hate her. She deserted me, left me. I'm not ready for the world on my own. I can't," Jordan lowered her head, tears springing back in her eyes, "I won't."

Jordan closed her eyes, and lifted her head. She bit her lip before laying down again and looking at the skies, "You had something to hang onto. And even though you were crazy, and took risks, you still had something to hang onto." Jordan sighed and closed her eyes, "You lost who you loved most, but gained who you could love as well. I lost who I loved most, and I didn't get anything. In fact, I lost who I loved most, gained Katie, then lost her too. And I dealed with it wrong, I know, and I don't know anymore. I just want to move on in my life, like you seemed to have done." Jordan closed her eyes,
I tossed lilac lightly on the stream,
a message fragrant purple, clean,
and the morning sun broke free and rose
above the grey clouds upon my face,
as I watched it slip downstream,
so silently impatient to leave this place
of mourning, death and roses

Lilac from the old house mum
and daisies pretty pink,
and wondered what you now would think
could you see my lilac slip downstream
as your life slipped into eternity
and wondered how life might have been,
had you once loved me
as you loved your roses,

I hope you're now at peace mum,
and find your heart and soul
in a garden in an afterlife
with sweet lilac and a pool,
red roses and a white peace dove,
and know how you were always loved
by both myself and little ruth
much more than ever you could love
for you were loved in truth.

"I don't know what to do anymore." Jordan let out with a slow sigh. She sat up again, and tucked her legs underneath her as she looked into the fire. The hatred slowly fading, maybe it was realizing that she needed to let go that was the key, "I don't even know why I asked you that question...it was stupid of me." Jordan tore her gaze away from the fire and looked at Kris, her brown eyes looking straight into his green ones, then she looked away.

[kris]

Kris listened to Jordan speaking and didn’t look away, when Jordan locked her eyes with his.
“6 months. It took me almost 2 years to accept my father’s death and then I just hurt. And only now I’m still starting to get used to him not being there,” Kris stated calmly reaching over Kris tapped the place where Jordan’s heart would be with a finger, “And you’re mother didn’t desert you. She is in there and always will be. You will never be alone with a part of your mother resting inside your heart and soul, just as a part of my father exists in me.”<br>
“Besides the veil between souls that have passed on and our reality is thin,” Kris paused for a moment, “I’ve been in the Department of Mysteries in France – Julien is running for the Minster of Magic there and he gave me and Dana clearance to visit it once. You could almost feel souls there, almost whispering into your ears. Those you love never completely leave you.”<br>
“Yes, I had something to hold on to – Dana. But don’t you have the same? You have your brothers, your friends – a number of people who will be happy to be a steadying point for you,” Kris stated calmly, “And Katie isn’t dead as far as I’ve understood you, so you haven’t lost her.”<br>
“And I don’t mind you asking me how I dealt with it. And I answered as truthfully as I could,” Kris shrugged and felt that he was starting to get warm again, “So I don’t understand what was stupid about it.”<br>

[JordanCortes]

"Brothers," Jordan scoffed, "Like they would understand. Justin is so oblivious to everything, and Chris...he doesn't care. It's like, 'okay, my mom and dad are gone, what to do now?' But, I see your point." Jordan nodded slowly before pulling out her wand and accioing her bag. The grey shoulderbag landed with a plop in front of her and she withdrew a bag of cookies. She took one out, and took a bite, before looking down at them and sighing, "Justin...thinks he's so damn funny." Jordan chucked the cookie into the fire, along with all the rest. She watched the cookies burn then twirled her pony tail around her finger.

"Y'know what, I think this talk did me good. Swimming wasn't the only thing you taught me today, I suppose I owe you a thanks. So, thanks." Jordan went through her shoulderbag again and came out with her sketchpad, she flipped through it, seeing pictures of her mother, her brothers, Katie, Brooke, Snooks (that darn cat), Jasmine, Vanessa. She sighed and put that away as well. Then she thought about how it was stupid for her to ask such things, "It was stupid, because...well, I don't know. I just shouldn't have asked them. It's easier for me just to try and figure things out on my own." Jordan answered sincerely.

"Though, I'm glad I did. Because, I wouldn't have figured them out on my own anyway. So now, you have the right to ask me any questions you want...though I'll probably regret offering you that." She laughed lightly and took out her hair, before starting to braid it again. It was dry, so that was good. Braiding her hair was something she did often, when she was fidgety or nervous or anxious.

[kris]

Kris smiled as Jordan thanked him. He doubted that the girl had found peace with herself, but maybe it showed her that there is at least a way to do that.
“No need to thank me,” Kris answered with a smile and watched Jordan seemed to be a little nervous about allowing him to ask her anything she would like.
“Ask you anything. If you want something to tell me, then you’ll do it yourself and if there are things you don’t want to share with me – then that is also your choice. But I’ll ask you something then,” Kris’s eyes twinkled as he grimaced towards Jordan, “When’s my skating-lesson? Oh, did you say questions in plural? Hmm… Alright I have two more then. What’s your favorite sweet, as you always seem to have them. And tell me your opinion. Which was first – chicken or egg?”<br>
Kris tilted his head and smiled at Jordan. She obviously wasn’t sure about allowing him to answer any questions from her, so Kris didn’t push it. He knew what it felt like to have secrets that you didn’t want to share. And not even that much because you didn’t want to share them, but rather because you weren’t able to share them.
Kris never told someone’s secrets further, when they were trusted to him, but he also never asked for them to be told to him. He firmly believed that if someone was ready to talk about something, then that person would find the time and do it himself or herself so pressuring that person didn’t do any good.

[JordanCortes]

Jordan laughed and stopped braiding her hair, "Skating lesson; when ever you want it. Tomorrow, the next day, the day after. When ever. Or if you are as anxious as I was with the swimming, we could start now." Jordan smiled, contemplating her favorite sweet, "Do you know how hard that question is? It's like, asking Vanessa to pick her favorite type of piano," she bit her lip, "anything gummi. Gummi bear, gummi worms, gummi sharks, gummi sandwhiches. Gummi." Jordan rather liked these questions. She tucked some hair behind her ear and laid down on the ground again, her head propped up by her left hand, as her right drew circles and other shapes in the dirt.

"Ah, chicken or egg? Chicken- why, well, the chicken had to lay the egg, correct? And how the chicken came to be, hmm, spontaneous generation. Or if you believe in a God, then the chicken came from there." Jordan said this after a moment of thought, having had the same conversation with Justin the past visit home. Jordan wasn't very religious, not like her family, she believed there was a God, but she wasn't sure what type of God. Justin, Chris, Rosa, and Pat had all pressured her about that and she had hated it; but they grew out of it and let her alone.

"Now, what in the world inspired you to ask those questions?" She asked with a laugh. Her finger still drawing shapes in the dirt. She stopped and brushed the dirt off her index finger, before sitting up and leaning on her left hand. She could never sit still for more then 5 minutes, she hated it.