pocketsfullof | (no subject)

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[Ukitake is waiting on the porch outside the 13th division headquarters, pack on the ground beside him, and, typically cup of tea in hand. There's an extra cup and a small pot on the other side of him, waiting for his companion. He's his usual calm, cheerful self, although he's not wearing his captain's haori at the moment, and this morning is hair is pulled back into a ponytail.]

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"I try to avoid hypothermia for the most part," Ukitake returned with a grin. There was a flash of silver by his feet, and he snatched, putting a bit of his power behind it. He was rewarded with a wriggling trout, quickly killed with the barest touch of kidou. "There's one."

Kensei stared at him for a moment, then mock frowned.

"What was that about being out of practice?"

Jyuushirou gave him a wide grin back. "Speed versus strength. I have to make up for my lack of stamina /somewhere/."

"But someone out of practice would not have caught a fish first try!" Kensei retorted, laughter just beneath his words to lessen their blow.

He turned his attention back to the water, watching the fish ever so carefully, like a great silver bear.

"My mother's family were all fishers - I suspect we have different definitions of 'out of practice'," Jyuushirou returned with a laugh. "Old instincts die hard."

"Fishers huh? I never knew that," he admitted as he watched the sparkling silver of fish swim on by. "In fact, you never told any of us to much about yourself."

Ukitake laughed warmly in response. "I think I wore out most of my stories about my family in the first century or two, so they don't get told much now."

"Well, maybe you should think about telling them to us young-ins," Kensei waded over towards Ukitake, following a fish.

Ukitake spotted the fish Kensei was following, as it swam towards his dangling feet, and reached out to snatch at it. He barely managed to touch it, and then it darted away, further down the river, and he sighed. "Like I said...rusty." He glanced up at the other man and grinned. "And I've got two millenia of stories - you're probably better off just asking me questions."

"I will decide if I wanted questions or stories, thank you very much," Kensei shook his finger at the other - then darted, snagging a new fish and proceeding to waggle that at Ukitake. "Pick one and start there. We have time out here."

Jyuushirou laughed warmly at Kensei's command. "Well, let's see - I suppose I ought to start at the beginning, then. I was born into Soul Society, rather than having been born in the Living World first. I have seven siblings, five brothers, two sisters - the youngest two are twins."

He whistles. "That's a lot of brothers and sisters. You the oldest or somewhere in the middle?"

Ukitake grinned in return. "Oldest. And most of them had similarly large families - our clan has grown large, over the last two thousand years."

"I'll bet!" he shook his head. "Do you see any of them anymore? Being Captain doesn't leave you with much personal time."

"I see some of my younger nieces and nephews - though half the time it's because I'm on sick leave again. Most of my siblings and my parents moved on to the Living World centuries ago, although two became shinigami as well - my youngest sister is in Fourth, and my second-youngest brother in Second," he replied.

"Seriously? I had no idea. But then I don't run either squad so..." he shrugged.

"Not so surprising you don't know them, yes. They joined when they were older - I started right when the academy was founded."

He just stares at that, not quite agape, but his eyes are wide in astonishment.

"S-seriously?" he squeaked. He hadn't thought Ukitake was that old!

Ukitake couldn't help but laugh at the utter shock and surprise on Kensei's face. "It's been a long time, I know. I'm not the only one, though - Captain Kyouraku and Captain Unohana have been here since the beginning, too. And of course Yamamoto-sensei."

"Well, everyone knows about Yamamoto-sensei!" Kensei snorted. "I didn't know about the others, though it makes sense. I mean, you guys are.... amazing."

"More just stubborn in my case, I think," Ukitake replied with a smile. "Unohana-san is a few years older than Kyouraku and me, though."

"Now now, one should not reveal a ladie's age," he wagged an admonishing finger at Ukitake.

Ukitake raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Well, she's not here to chew me out for it - but I'll say no more!"

"And I thought our elders were suppose to have manners," he chuckled, tossing the fish onto a strip of dried leather on the bank.

Ukitake grinned in return. "No, we're old. We're allowed to be rude. One of the benefits of age and all."