CHARACTER SURVEY OF SURVEYNESS
Body and Appearance
1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Ukitake's a relatively tall man at 6'2"; he's got broad shoulders, and he's actually fairly well-built all around, but overall his frame's still on the thin side - almost enough so for an impression of frailty, initially.
2. How old is he?
REALLY...REALLY OLD. Roughly two thousand years, give or take a couple of decades.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Excellent posture by default - shoulders erect, head held high. If you asked him to intentionally slouch he'd probably find it almost physically impossible, even. lol aristocratic conditioning @.@
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
FIRST AND FOREMOST OF ALL: Ukitake's lungs are in bad shape. ...Really, really bad shape. When he was a very small child he contracted an extremely potent illness (canon never states what it is - fandom generally assumes tuberculosis), and over the course of three days it dealt hell to his respiratory system; his hair ended up turning from black to white in the severity of it, and the fact that he managed to survive it at all was considered something of a miracle by most everyone in the know at the time. From the end of those three days onward, however, he would be plagued by the aftereffects of this illness for the rest of his life. Even a couple thousand years later, Ukitake still catches ill very frequently, and often finds himself coughing up copious amounts of blood on especially bad days.
Surprisingly, though, Ukitake is quite physically fit, with a lean sort of muscle strength in that thin frame of his. Granted, though he's pretty strong for his physical disposition, he's not half as heavy of a hitter as Kyouraku, or even most other combat fighters...but he tries his best to make up for it with a very swift step, and a truly incredible level of plain old-fashioned endurance. Despite the condition of his lungs he can defend himself in a physical fight quite effectively, and would make for a formidable opponent - he just needs to be careful about pushing himself too far.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Steady, calm, well-coordinated, and quiet - Ukitake's actually somewhat mastered the art of moving through a bustling room relatively unnoticed, and can use it to some success when he has a mind to.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Overall he's...preeetty easy on the eyes; the years have treated him wonderfully, considering the sheer number of them. Kyouraku has given him such monickers as Pretty Boy and Casanova in the past, and Kaien remarks at one point that Ukitake has a devastating smile 8'| Personally Ukitake doesn't think his looks are anything particularly special, though - not bad, of course, but...all with a grain of salt. He's quite aware that his hair tends to draw a lot of attention - when he was much younger he used to wish it could have stayed normal and black like everyone else's, if only to spare the staring. But nowadays...well, he's fairly content with his appearance overall. Can't complain, meh.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Clear and unusually pale, even on his good days.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Perhaps most noticeably, Ukitake's hair is pure white, all the way down to the roots. It's very straight, and falls to just above the small of his back in length; he has a shorter piece over his forehead that tends to fall over his right eye, and it's usually swept to the side in an attempt at keeping the inconvenience of vision at bay. In the past he's had it tied back at the nape of his neck with a cord - nowadays, however, he just wears it loose and plain.
9. What color are his eyes?
A warm brown. SCREW YOU BLEACH WIKI SDFJHG
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
He's got a heavy jawline, despite the overall lean structure of his face. On that note Ukitake's pretty expressive, facially speaking - his rather pronounced Sharpie-line eyebrows certainly help his healthy range of goofy and/or incredulous expressions. The whiteness of his hair despite the relative youth of his appearance is what stands out most overall, though; the fact that his eyebrows are black in contrast only makes it stranger.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
He's got two, the first being his chest area. It's usually a source of a lot of strain for him, actually; it's almost always hurting, though the level of pain varies with his health - a very small, persistent ache with every intake of breath is the norm on his good days.
His hands are the second area - he's got a habit of unconsciously closing them into fists or arching his fingers slightly at his sides when he's under stress.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Kimono and yukata are the norm for this guy - preferably at least three layers of them, if not more. Ukitake's a very neat dresser, in that sense, and is generally more inclined towards plain unassuming designs, preferably in soft pastels or similarly tactfully-coloured palletes. Every now and then, as necessity or mood demands, he'll tap into a smaller reserve of modern clothing on occasion; when he...actually manages to coordinate all the items correctly, he usually ends up looking like some guy right off the cover of a GM magazine, surprisingly :U His taste is unintentionally rather refined, all things considered; he tends to favor slacks, sweaters, neat button-up shirts, suits...that kind of thing.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Generally Ukitake will make sure that they at least fit well, yes; the many layers of kimono he generally has on actually add something to his frame, and give him a sturdier appearance, which is something he certainly doesn't mind. Rule of comfort follows when it comes to modern clothing as well, and perhaps explains his preference for slacks over denim jeans. ...Because seriously, why would anyone wear those things @.@
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Back in Soul Society he wore the standard-issue black shihakusho synonymous with all shinigami - and, over that, he wore a white Captain's haori with long sleeves, scarlet lining, and a number 13 kanji-in-rhombus symbol on the back to signify squad number.
On the Thor he'll usually stick with his Edo style, if he can get away with it. Otherwise he just taps into his reserve of modern clothing a bit more frequently, unless the nature of the job specifically demands something else entirely.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
F-fffff he's very traditional, so he just wears a fundoshi, most of the time. In modern clothing I imagine he'd usually go for the boxers, though...
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
His voice isn’t terribly deep - definitely lighter than dat resonant baritone of Kyouraku’s, but it’s still very much male, at least: brisk, clear, and pleasantly lighthearted most of the time. Still, there’s always a veeery slight, nigh-inaudible rasp in the undertone. To a blind man, for example, Ukitake’d always sound as if he were under the weather - and he always is, so.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He's very casual about the way he talks, usually with an even voice of mild volume and easy speed. Every word or phrase has a slightly humorous tone to it, unless the situation is serious. Striking up conversation and keeping up with it fluidly is an easy enough feat for him.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
No particular accent or dialect to speak of, nor verbal tics 8|a On the other hand, he's a bit free-handed and quirky when it comes to formalities. With barely-met strangers, he'll refer to them in the familiar (aka by first name), and follow it up with a -san honorific (-san meaning 'mr' or 'miss' in English, more or less); this is unusually casual by the standards of the language, lol. With most friends, the -san is dropped, and he goes entirely on a first-name basis. But with Kyouraku Shunsui, his best friend, he remains on a last-name basis - which is normally one of the most distant ways to refer to someone. And even with all that in mind, there are still many individuals with exceptions in how he addresses them.
.......I SWEAR UKITAKE REALLY DOES HAVE A SYSTEM SOMEWHERE IN THERE. HONESTLY ...Though I'm still looking for it myself >>a
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Japanese is his native tongue. He does know a very bare amount of Engrish, if only due to sheer benefit of longevity, but...yeeeeah it'd be better not to try relying on that or anything @.@
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Nope!
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Ukitake's pretty good at picking out the right words to address the situation at hand - especially when it comes to stepping carefully around the feelings of others - so when it comes to imromptu speaking he's not half bad at it. If he had the option, though, he'd still prefer some time to pick out the right things to say, at first.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
He hovers somewhere in the dead center - not exactly a poet who doesn't know it, maybe, but he's a pretty good speaker overall. The good humor is a presiding element in most of his speech, really - and that goes away when seriousness is required.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Despite initial happily-derp appearances, various occasions throughout canon have hinted at the fact that Ukitake is quite capable of being pretty shrewd when need demands it most. All around he's very intelligent, though most of it slants more towards perception and insight, both of which serve best when it comes to reading people's feelings or intentions up to a point.
Book-smarts are had in plenty, considering his childhood education and his sheer age - but though he's not necessarily street-illiterate or anything, he's not...the most up-to-date person ever when it comes to modern-day public culture >>a Hey, when you get to be his age, it's just so difficult trying to keep up with it all @.@'
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Though he prefers having some time to plan out things, he's more than capable of functioning in the spur of the moment with a fair amount of success.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Ukitake will usually take a blend of all kinds of approaches to a situation, thought-wise. Logic and practicality are exceedingly important to keeping tabs with reality, but he holds an equal if not higher value for intuition and ideals as well. Most of the time he'll try his best to find a happy medium between all of them - though, if the situation demands he choose one, his more idealistic values would probably win above them all.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
As a child he was raised as an eldest son in a minor noble house, and so he's well-read in etiquette, upper-class protocol, and an extent of politics. After that, he became one of the first students to graduate from the Shin'ou Academy - more or less, a military school for budding shinigami. In there, he learned the basic skills required of combat with a katana, as well as usage of kido and spiritual power; alongside that came academics and reading and studying of strategy.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
...Skill-wise, Ukitake is simply best suited towards a setting in militia, as unfortunate as the fact is. He's one of the most skilled swordsmen in Soul Society, and can effortlessly pull off even the most high-level kido spells without incantation; in all other branches of shinigami education we can safely assume he also excels.
Beyond that, however, Ukitake's a...people person - he's got a knack for reading and assessing the feelings of others, and then taking the best course of action to help someone through them. If you need someone to strike up a friendship with out of the blue, he's also a pretty good candidate :|b He's very comfortable around kids, as well, and usually isn't half-bad at dealing with a brood of them if he has to.
Ukitake's open-minded when it comes to pretty much anything by now - he has no particularly strong interest in any branch of knowledge these days, but he's still more than willing to learn something new as the opportunity comes.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
He's...had two thousand years to introvert |D; As Ukitake sees it he's done all the self-examining he could ever possibly desire, at this point. So now, instead, he devotes his energies towards those around him with much enthusiasm; extrovert all the way, definitely.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Ukitake is probably one of the most benign people you'll ever meet; on a normal day-to-day basis you'll typically find that he's very friendly, cheerful, and goodnatured. It takes a lot to disrupt this serene disposition, and for the most part it's a constant temperament. Now, that's not to say that he isn't capable of feeling the occasional dip in mood or thinning in patience regarding a situation or those around him - but the aforementioned prospects are rare in occurence, and would probably be for justifiable reasons >>;
In his youth he was extremely driven - just as much out of grave necessity as it was part of his nature - though nowadays the pressing need for that drive is gone, and it could be said that Ukitake is quite a bit more easygoing in intention by now. That's not to say he doesn't have motivation, of course...but it's a good deal more mellow and handled with better perception. ...If that even makes sense @.@
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
He tends to almost always assume the best of every stranger he meets upfront, unless he has knowledge or evidence to prove otherwise. In new situations, (mostly the unexpected sort), he'll be more on-guard and alert than usual, but open-minded, and as amiable towards others as is reasonable for the situation.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
It depends largely on the nature of the situation. By default, though, Ukitake is the sort of person that will have no qualms about taking the initiative on things - especially if it looks like no one else is going to, and the stakes are high.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Neither one, if Ukitake can help it at all. But if he can't? Fight, all the way. Flight is the last resort.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Think a fun-loving, good-natured old man, and that about...sums up Ukitake's humor in a nutshell >.> He's definitely the sort that would be frowning at the more tactless jokes, but he could certainly work with the humor of the more benign ones /o/
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
None as of yet! Remarkably...
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Oh good god, so many. TOO MANY TO COOOOUNT. Two thousand years can define a lot in someone, often repeatedly...
14. What does he fear?
Unohana Retsu - the way a child is afraid of that one really sweet but intimidating school nurse.
On a more serious note: outliving Shunsui.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
At this point, Ukitake's already pretty much fulfilled most of the aspirations he's had throughout his life - and those were many, though the most fundamental ones he's had basically sum up to (1)seeing more of the world beyond the Ugendo estate, (2)being of some use and help to said world as opposed to a burden, which ended up with him becoming a shinigami of exceedingly high rank, and (3)meet and befriend as many people as he can though this will forevermore remain a work in progress, lmfao 8)
In regards to hopes, his perspective has skewed rather far away from himself, by now. Atm, his most major goal is to somehow help restore the world from its currently destroyed state, or if all else fails, somehow manage to ensure that everyone - yes, everyone - is alright. If Soul Society were still around he'd be concentrating more on the current war going on between the Gotei 13 and Aizen Sousuke; more than anything else, he just hopes the whole thing can be dealt without major sacrifices, and that some peace can be restored in that order. Which is...terribly idealistic, yes, but. That's his prerogative.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
...The thing about Ukitake is that, under normal circumstances, he just...doesn't see the merit in hiding things from people, in regards to himself. :\; He doesn't actively talk about the fact that he's a couple thousand years old, or a shinigami, or suffering an illness, maybe, but all one really needs to do is ask - at which point he'll almost always answer you honestly and frankly enough.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Ukitake’s father was both head of the family and a moderately high-ranking shinigami serving in the Gotei; because of this, he was absent from home often and frequently. Though Jushiro still greatly respected him and valued his judgment, he never really had a chance to form a more personal attachment with the aloof man; as much as he genuinely cared about his family, Ukitake-senior was always in a hurry, his thoughts and worries in higher places, and he really didn’t have much time to pay attention to any of his eight children, let alone form bonds. Ukitake, he hadn’t thought too much of it then...but years and years later, he does look back sometimes, and wishes he had known his own father better as an actual person.
Ukitake's mother was home as constantly as his father wasn't - raising and conditioning eight children in a noble house is a task that can't really be done remotely. She was a small, virtuous woman, with plain tastes and a fondness for tea; personally and among her children, she was a firm upholder of good etiquette and politeness to one's peers. Not at all deterred by the fact that her eldest son would be nigh-invalid following the advent of his illness, as others of noble upbringing might have been, she instead applied extra effort towards preparing Jushiro for the plausible head-of-family duties that would fall on him in the future, with utmost confidence in his abilities. It is from this woman that Ukitake adopts many of the social skills and values he carries today; she enforced them and their utmost importance strongly in his formative years.
At first Ukitake's parents were very reluctant to allow him to attend the Shin'ou Academy, for obvious reasons - however, Jushiro was eventually able to convince them to, despite misgivings. In the end they were both proud of him, though, as he proceeded to rise to the top of his classes and graduated in flying colors.
About ten years or so after said graduation, wherein Ukitake continued to work on rising up the ranks of the Gotei 13, his father died in combat. The sudden nature of this advent had an effect on the family, as could be imagined - however, Ukitake's mother suffered the worst for the occasion. She grieved for months, and never really fully recovered, instead hanging indefinitely in illness; about a year after her husband's passing, she died as well.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Ukitake was the eldest of five brothers and two sisters; the relationship between all of them danced the line of dysfunctional hierarchy and miniature family in and of itself, but Jushiro was always the best authority in most matters and conflicts, due both to his senior age and genuine levelmindedness in regards to most affairs. Most of the time he was the role model and peacekeeper for the lot of them, and he always felt the status weigh on him like a grave responsibility. For the years and years of culminated experience, though, he's now perfectly at ease when it comes to interacting with children, and tends to percieve candy as a cure-it-all catalyst to any kid's problem /o/
Ukitake was the only one of his siblings to be infected with the virus that would result in his life-long illness, fortunately - as he attained it before almost all of his younger brothers and sisters could remember, they viewed it as a normal, integral part of him, unhappy as the notion was sometimes. It was a topic that was almost never verbally brought up among them except in extreme circumstances, however - at some point it's possible they got it in their heads that talking about it, especially in front of Jushiro, might result in some sort of karma backlash that would make him even more ill. But that universal, ever-constant concern still formed a good deal of the bond they all shared together; probably even strengthened it, in many ways.
After time passed and everyone got older, though, almost all of Ukitake's siblings eventually settled down and began raising their own respective families, and would proceed to provide him with a great many nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews (and so on) to watch over and entertain for the years to come. Three of Ukitake's younger brothers would attend the Shin'ou Academy after him and become shinigami, although none of them could manage to display the same talent and success as their eldest had before them; of the remaining two brothers, the second-eldest of the bunch would go on the become head of the Ukitake family in the advent of Jushiro's declining of the position, and the youngest brother of the five became a roaming scholar and healer, with some relative success in his endeavors. As for his sisters, they both came to be in wedlock with other minor noble families, neither of them particularly drawn to the idea of becoming shinigami themselves.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Lol probably, in both categories...although I'm not going into specifics there, pfff. The Ukitake family is rather huge and sprawling by now, so we can assume the annual family reunion that probably crops up every 200 years or so is always fun :d
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Several of his particularly close friends (like Shunsui) would slip easily into this category. In that vein, the entire 13th Squad, which Ukitake is Captain of, is also one giant family, to him. Ukitake feels responsible for the lot, just as he felt responsible for his cluster of siblings all those years and years ago - he'd always try his best to get to know every face at a glance, and call every man by his name without faltering.
Ukitake also considers Captain-General Yamamoto as something of the venerable great-great-grandfather that he never had in his real family :d
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Kyouraku Shunsui, full stop. They are bros, bosom bros at that, and the strength of the bffness between them stretches challenged but unfaltering throughout the two thousand years they have known each other. That being said, the circumstances behind their actual first meeting are...a complete mystery atm, canonly speaking. We can conjecture, however, that their first encounter with each other was probably at the Academy - and that it certainly wasn't friendship at first sight, necessarily.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Plenty - both in Soul Society and also in the S.S. Thor. Check the CR Chart, it's all there in writing and saves me having to type more |D;
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Tite Kubo has been known to give a one-liner quote that describes each of his characters. For Ukitake? "Friendship that embraces all."
Needless to say, Ukitake makes friends the way people breathe air and drink water - even if the person on the other side of the proffered friendship isn't entirely willing or reciprocating at first. It just...comes with the personality package, imo.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Oh good lord, don't make him choose 8'| He holds both groups on a virtually equal level of very high importance.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Single! And staying that way, probably...
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
THAT
is confidential information! 8) Suffice to say he's had them in the distant past, at least...Kyouraku never let him hear the end of it, on those occasions. XD
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He's got loads and loads of grand-nieces and grand-nephews, but no, he's never had his own children. It's rather depressing because Ukitake really, really loves kids, and...wouldn't mind having a few of his own, really - though he'd never admit that openly. However, with the circumstances surrounding his illness and the resulting high probability of death, Ukitake knows he'd never really forgive himself if he inflicted such a fleeting presence as his on a son or daughter; no one should have to lose a parent like that, if he can help it at all.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Nope!
15. What is the character's sexual orientation?
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Well, just to have it be said from the get-go - this is a subject that Ukitake usually just...doesn't really think about in daily life. At all. |D; It's probably one of the farthest things from his mind ever, at any given time.
That being said; lol no he is not a virgin - 1,000+ years and something usually has to give, after all. However, apart from the flings he's had over the course of his life here and there, (predominantly in his younger years, mind you), he doesn't place too much purchase in the concept as a whole. Yes, it's a natural part of life, and yes, there's nothing particularly wrong with the notion, but...to him, sex means a pretty deep commitment, and a pretty deep commitment means a relationship. And after a lot of reflection on the matter over the years, he's decided that a relationship just isn't something he would actively pursue with a clear conscience, due to the terminal-ish nature of his illness and all.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
To quote:
"December: Sagittarius - individuals under this sign are jovial, intelligent, and freedom-loving. People born under this sign are considered to be understanding and principled. They have an appetite for learning and travel.
"Few people have such power of self-determination as a Sagittarius born on December 21. They can transform themselves from ugly duckling to beautiful swan. When an idea grabs them, they can make their dreams reality. They quickly spot intellectual dishonesty."
...Huh. Not too bad a fit, I guess...
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Weeell, that's. Rather subjective. 8|a So to speak, Ukitake isn't really either - he has no reason to be, having been literally born in the afterlife as we know it, as a spiritual entity, and then proceeded to secure a job as a god of death in a military organization that ferries souls back and forth from the living world. @.@ So really, most elements we would consider as religious and/or spiritual are just...facts of life to him. |D;
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Yes. Yes, he does. Having been rigorously raised by the old-fashioned values of pride and honor prevalent in noble houses of Soul Society roughly two thousand years ago, it's not...really a personal code to him. More like a way of living. He values said criteria of ethics very highly, and will usually uphold it to the best of his ability. By Ukitake's viewpoint, this code is universal, too - it doesn't just apply to him, but also to everyone around him, be they family or friend or complete stranger or even enemy. Fighting women is frowned upon, fighting children is nigh unacceptable; everyone is entitled to uphold and maintain their own personal sense of pride as they feel fit, without interference or criticism; deference to the law is good, but if it jeapordizes certain values and morals then rejecting it would be necessary and acceptable - these are just a few factors that make up Ukitake's personal moral reference.
In that vein, Ukitake would never compromise it. Ever. And that is final. No matter what the circumstances, no matter how much better or easier the alternative might be, he would not do it - and would probably rather kill himself before he did. That's not to say that he has never wanted to go the easier route, for certain - and there are times when he almost really regrets the consequences his decisions demand of him - but that's just how deeply-wired and highly-valued his honor code is to him.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He's pretty tolerant - and sees no reason to be otherwise, really. People are entitled to thinking what they want to think, after all; whatever floats their boat is no business of his anyway, unless there's a good reason he needs to make it his business, (and that doesn't occur particularly often). If their beliefs pique his interest there will be some curiosity, of course, but other than that he doesn't really delve into that sort of thing too much.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Ukitake's always been pretty comfortable financial-wise over the course of his life - it helps that he has a very level head when it comes to the management of money, perhaps stemming from the thousand or so years he's spent being the nigh-sole supporter of his entire family.
Even now, in the SS Thor, he's gotten to a nicely comfortable point in his financial situation, after several month's dligent work and fairly frugal spending. His policy is to always have enough to lend to others who need it, if necessary.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
The Ukitake clan has always been a fairly lower-class aristocratic family, so although he had it pretty good for the times and the location, Ukitake wasn't exactly rolling in wealth growing up. He's still technically got the noble status attatched to him at present, but it's usually quite overshadowed by his considerably more notable status as a shinigami Captain in the Gotei 13 - and a senior Captain at that. /o/ All this combined, he was pretty high up there in Soul Society's...society |D; Perhaps not nearly as much so as, say, Kuchiki Byakuya - or even Kyouraku - but it's still enough to garner hearty enough respect from your average civilian.
Of course, all that amounted to almost nothing upon arrival on the Thor. Ukitake currently resides quite comfortably in the fifth-floor Condos as a relatively well-to-do refugee; before that, though, he needed to do some fairly rigorous climbing...at least on the financial end, if nothing else. >>; Truth be told, the shift in public status has not once passed through his mind as an unusual or alarming thought; if anything, that's always been the very last thing on his mind, on the sliding scale of Important Things versus Irrelevant Things. Ukitake just isn't too closely attuned with the general public and its opinion of him, and doesn't try to be - he's been schooled so thoroughly that it's a default notion to refrain from conduct that might shame the family, and beyond that, Ukitake's so mild in manner that there's historically been little for the public to really latch onto anyway. Such was the case in Soul Society - and such all those facts have carried over on the Thor.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
Ever since becoming Captain of the Thirteenth Squad (read: for a couple thousand years), Ukitake has been living in the Sereitei precinct of Soul Society - more specifically, among his men within the 13th's barracks. The barracks are pretty much home to him now, yes - he's got a nice little mini-apartment situated as his Captain's quarters, and it's suited him just fine over the years. Said mini-apartment is pretty clean and neat, hardly cluttered at all, but comfortable and homely enough, in a bare, traditional sort of way. He technically resides there by himself, though not-so techincally that's hardly ever the case; he always has visitors coming and going 24-7, from the constant eager presence of his Third Seats to the messengers and inquirers that make up the rest of his squad, to members of the Fourth or Unohana herself stopping by to check on his health on a fairly frequent basis, to Shunsui dropping in for about a week or so just to hang out.
On the other hand, he's also considered the Ugendo estate as his home, and always will. He frequents it on a pretty regular basis, usually when he's ill enough that the stress of managing his squad becomes a burden, and the fresh air and atmosphere of the estate is more forgiving.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Meh, he's a man of rather small wants or needs. Apart from necessities, there's mostly tea. ...One must always have tea. 8|| ...And candy. ...Lots and lots of candy. And also gifts, whenever he feels that an occasion happens to demand one (aka fairly often |D;). Or random little trinkets of quirky natures that happen to catch his eye, like unusually-shaped teapots and stuff. ...Or the odd occasional book. Or gardening tools, plants, and related necessary accessories.....
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
Ukitake is a shinigami. Basically: a god of death, rather like a somewhat nerfed not-immortal grim reaper, that goes about managing the souls of the afterlife on a daily basis, sending the lost ones on their way and purifying the ones that go horribly bad. It's a tedious, inherently dangerous job that's never going to end ever, as long as humanity keeps being alive. And he's in it for life :|b After all, one cannot simply retire from the Gotei 13 - if you want out, you'd have to either die, or become a traitor...neeeeither of which would be in most people's best interests. Really.
The question of whether Ukitake actually enjoys it is rather subjective - since he has every reason in the world not to. If he'd had a choice in the matter at all, in fact, I think he'd have taken a much more peaceful life career. But the fact stands that he just never had the benefit of such a choice; partially due to the nature of the times in his younger years, and partially due to his own headstrong views of his future. As one might imagine, Ukitake's illness hindered him immensely in more ways than one, and eventually circumstances had him cornered to two options in life: either to lead a passive, secluded existence in the Ugendo estate as eventual head of the family...or become a shinigami. He was barely eligible enough for the latter option, but as Ukitake saw it, becoming a shinigami was the only way he'd ever be able to see the world, and be of actual, material help to others around him, instead of the one always needing aid himself, penned in one place as an semi-invalid for the rest of his life.
Considering these circumstances, he's really got more of a 'take what I've got and appreciate it' sort of mentality towards his job - and, in that sense, he's at peace with the decision he made. If someone were to offer him a chance to quit now, free of any consequence, Ukitake would probably even decline.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Alas, he's especially old-mannish when it comes to these things 8|' Calligraphy, trimming bonsai or attending to plants in general, meditation...that kind of thing. Having outings with friends is also an opportunity he'd rarely turn down, it being one of the hobbies he enjoys most. :>
Ukitake tends to devote a lot of time to his Squad, as well - not just primarily for Captain's duties, but also out of a genuine interest in the status and wellbeing of his men. He'll be wanting to get to know new recruits, and personally check up on groups newly-returned from patrols or missions, and follow up with a nice little gift to give some junior officer for their birthday, and then stop by the barrack kitchens to chat with the cooks for awhile...the routine never ends.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Ukitake's always been a light eater - the necessity of it in his childhood probably had a hand in making it his default level of appetite nowadays. Not to say that he doesn't usually have an appetite, granted - he's still a soul with incredibly developed spiritual power, which burns a fuckton of calories 8U uses up enough energy to instill hunger without fail - but compared to others his slight reserve towards food still remains. There's been many an occasion that he's gone without eating for days, when he's been especially ill.
He's come to rather appreciate the skill of the 13th's barrack cooks, now that he's on the Thor. Seeing as they're quite absent now, he's been frequenting takeout more than he ever has before |D; Still, he has some very moderate skill in cooking himself, and has been exercising it lately, to some moderate success. There isn't any food that he particularly dislikes as far as I know, and his favorite is ume ochazuke.
Ukitake also drinks, yes. The blame falls entirely and irreparably on Kyouraku Shunsui's terrible, terrible influence 8|| Despite his health, however, Ukitake's built up a rather impressive tolerance to alchohol; beating him in a drinking contest would be exceptionally difficult. ...Though not impossible |D;
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Dark blues and greens
2. Smell? Tea, lmfao. He's also taken a fondess to the tang of the sea, though.
3. Time of day? Early mornings; good for strolls outside in the cool air
4. Season? Spring
5. Book? ...Uh. Children's books? He's even written a couple of successful ones himself, you know. True story!
6. Music? All the old man stuff - classical, traditional japanese woodwinds, etc. What is this rock and roll that you speak of 8U
7. Place? Ugendo Estate and the Thirteenth Division barracks are rather closely even to each other
8. Substance? Tea! XD
9. Plant? Well. ...He's rather fond of the little plot of bonsai he keeps in a garden in the Thirteenth's barracks? He always tries to take some time to trim the little guys every other day despite his complete lack of artistic perspective in the matter :'D
10. Animal? Fish, in general. But especially koi.
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1. Describe the character's height and build. Is he heavyset, thin, short, rangy?
Ukitake's a relatively tall man at 6'2"; he's got broad shoulders, and he's actually fairly well-built all around, but overall his frame's still on the thin side - almost enough so for an impression of frailty, initially.
2. How old is he?
REALLY...REALLY OLD. Roughly two thousand years, give or take a couple of decades.
3. Describe his posture. Does he carry himself well or does he slouch?
Excellent posture by default - shoulders erect, head held high. If you asked him to intentionally slouch he'd probably find it almost physically impossible, even. lol aristocratic conditioning @.@
4. How is his health? Is he fit or out of shape? Any illnesses or conditions? Any physical disabilities?
FIRST AND FOREMOST OF ALL: Ukitake's lungs are in bad shape. ...Really, really bad shape. When he was a very small child he contracted an extremely potent illness (canon never states what it is - fandom generally assumes tuberculosis), and over the course of three days it dealt hell to his respiratory system; his hair ended up turning from black to white in the severity of it, and the fact that he managed to survive it at all was considered something of a miracle by most everyone in the know at the time. From the end of those three days onward, however, he would be plagued by the aftereffects of this illness for the rest of his life. Even a couple thousand years later, Ukitake still catches ill very frequently, and often finds himself coughing up copious amounts of blood on especially bad days.
Surprisingly, though, Ukitake is quite physically fit, with a lean sort of muscle strength in that thin frame of his. Granted, though he's pretty strong for his physical disposition, he's not half as heavy of a hitter as Kyouraku, or even most other combat fighters...but he tries his best to make up for it with a very swift step, and a truly incredible level of plain old-fashioned endurance. Despite the condition of his lungs he can defend himself in a physical fight quite effectively, and would make for a formidable opponent - he just needs to be careful about pushing himself too far.
5. How does he move? Is he clumsy, graceful, tense, fluid?
Steady, calm, well-coordinated, and quiet - Ukitake's actually somewhat mastered the art of moving through a bustling room relatively unnoticed, and can use it to some success when he has a mind to.
6. How attractive is this character physically? How does he perceive himself in the mirror?
Overall he's...preeetty easy on the eyes; the years have treated him wonderfully, considering the sheer number of them. Kyouraku has given him such monickers as Pretty Boy and Casanova in the past, and Kaien remarks at one point that Ukitake has a devastating smile 8'| Personally Ukitake doesn't think his looks are anything particularly special, though - not bad, of course, but...all with a grain of salt. He's quite aware that his hair tends to draw a lot of attention - when he was much younger he used to wish it could have stayed normal and black like everyone else's, if only to spare the staring. But nowadays...well, he's fairly content with his appearance overall. Can't complain, meh.
7. Describe his complexion. Dark, light, clear, scarred?
Clear and unusually pale, even on his good days.
8. Describe his hair: color, texture, style.
Perhaps most noticeably, Ukitake's hair is pure white, all the way down to the roots. It's very straight, and falls to just above the small of his back in length; he has a shorter piece over his forehead that tends to fall over his right eye, and it's usually swept to the side in an attempt at keeping the inconvenience of vision at bay. In the past he's had it tied back at the nape of his neck with a cord - nowadays, however, he just wears it loose and plain.
9. What color are his eyes?
A warm brown. SCREW YOU BLEACH WIKI SDFJHG
10. Does the character have any other noteworthy features?
He's got a heavy jawline, despite the overall lean structure of his face. On that note Ukitake's pretty expressive, facially speaking - his rather pronounced Sharpie-line eyebrows certainly help his healthy range of goofy and/or incredulous expressions. The whiteness of his hair despite the relative youth of his appearance is what stands out most overall, though; the fact that his eyebrows are black in contrast only makes it stranger.
11. What are his chief tension centers?
He's got two, the first being his chest area. It's usually a source of a lot of strain for him, actually; it's almost always hurting, though the level of pain varies with his health - a very small, persistent ache with every intake of breath is the norm on his good days.
His hands are the second area - he's got a habit of unconsciously closing them into fists or arching his fingers slightly at his sides when he's under stress.
12. What is the character's wardrobe like? Casual, dressy, utilitarian? Bright colors, pastels, neutrals? Is it varied, or does he have six of the same suit?
Kimono and yukata are the norm for this guy - preferably at least three layers of them, if not more. Ukitake's a very neat dresser, in that sense, and is generally more inclined towards plain unassuming designs, preferably in soft pastels or similarly tactfully-coloured palletes. Every now and then, as necessity or mood demands, he'll tap into a smaller reserve of modern clothing on occasion; when he...actually manages to coordinate all the items correctly, he usually ends up looking like some guy right off the cover of a GM magazine, surprisingly :U His taste is unintentionally rather refined, all things considered; he tends to favor slacks, sweaters, neat button-up shirts, suits...that kind of thing.
13. Do his clothes fit well? Does he seem comfortable in them?
Generally Ukitake will make sure that they at least fit well, yes; the many layers of kimono he generally has on actually add something to his frame, and give him a sturdier appearance, which is something he certainly doesn't mind. Rule of comfort follows when it comes to modern clothing as well, and perhaps explains his preference for slacks over denim jeans. ...Because seriously, why would anyone wear those things @.@
14. Does he dress the same on the job as he does in his free time? If not, what are the differences?
Back in Soul Society he wore the standard-issue black shihakusho synonymous with all shinigami - and, over that, he wore a white Captain's haori with long sleeves, scarlet lining, and a number 13 kanji-in-rhombus symbol on the back to signify squad number.
On the Thor he'll usually stick with his Edo style, if he can get away with it. Otherwise he just taps into his reserve of modern clothing a bit more frequently, unless the nature of the job specifically demands something else entirely.
15. You knew it was coming: Boxers, briefs or commando?
F-fffff he's very traditional, so he just wears a fundoshi, most of the time. In modern clothing I imagine he'd usually go for the boxers, though...
Speech
1. What does this character's voice sound like? High-pitched, deep, hoarse?
His voice isn’t terribly deep - definitely lighter than dat resonant baritone of Kyouraku’s, but it’s still very much male, at least: brisk, clear, and pleasantly lighthearted most of the time. Still, there’s always a veeery slight, nigh-inaudible rasp in the undertone. To a blind man, for example, Ukitake’d always sound as if he were under the weather - and he always is, so.
2. How does he normally speak? Loud, soft, fast, evenly? Does he talk easily, or does he hesitate?
He's very casual about the way he talks, usually with an even voice of mild volume and easy speed. Every word or phrase has a slightly humorous tone to it, unless the situation is serious. Striking up conversation and keeping up with it fluidly is an easy enough feat for him.
3. Does the character have a distinct accent or dialect? Any individual quirks of pronunciation? Any, like, you know, verbal tics?
No particular accent or dialect to speak of, nor verbal tics 8|a On the other hand, he's a bit free-handed and quirky when it comes to formalities. With barely-met strangers, he'll refer to them in the familiar (aka by first name), and follow it up with a -san honorific (-san meaning 'mr' or 'miss' in English, more or less); this is unusually casual by the standards of the language, lol. With most friends, the -san is dropped, and he goes entirely on a first-name basis. But with Kyouraku Shunsui, his best friend, he remains on a last-name basis - which is normally one of the most distant ways to refer to someone. And even with all that in mind, there are still many individuals with exceptions in how he addresses them.
.......I SWEAR UKITAKE REALLY DOES HAVE A SYSTEM SOMEWHERE IN THERE. HONESTLY ...Though I'm still looking for it myself >>a
4. What language/s does he speak, and with how much fluency?
Japanese is his native tongue. He does know a very bare amount of Engrish, if only due to sheer benefit of longevity, but...yeeeeah it'd be better not to try relying on that or anything @.@
5. Does he switch languages or dialects in certain situations?
Nope!
6. Is he a good impromptu speaker, or does he have to think about his words?
Ukitake's pretty good at picking out the right words to address the situation at hand - especially when it comes to stepping carefully around the feelings of others - so when it comes to imromptu speaking he's not half bad at it. If he had the option, though, he'd still prefer some time to pick out the right things to say, at first.
7. Is he eloquent or inarticulate? Under what circumstances might this change?
He hovers somewhere in the dead center - not exactly a poet who doesn't know it, maybe, but he's a pretty good speaker overall. The good humor is a presiding element in most of his speech, really - and that goes away when seriousness is required.
Mental and Emotional
1. How intelligent is this character? Is he book-smart or street-smart?
Despite initial happily-derp appearances, various occasions throughout canon have hinted at the fact that Ukitake is quite capable of being pretty shrewd when need demands it most. All around he's very intelligent, though most of it slants more towards perception and insight, both of which serve best when it comes to reading people's feelings or intentions up to a point.
Book-smarts are had in plenty, considering his childhood education and his sheer age - but though he's not necessarily street-illiterate or anything, he's not...the most up-to-date person ever when it comes to modern-day public culture >>a Hey, when you get to be his age, it's just so difficult trying to keep up with it all @.@'
2. Does he think on his feet, or does he need time to deliberate?
Though he prefers having some time to plan out things, he's more than capable of functioning in the spur of the moment with a fair amount of success.
3. Describe the character's thought process. Is he more logical, or more intuitive? Idealistic or practical?
Ukitake will usually take a blend of all kinds of approaches to a situation, thought-wise. Logic and practicality are exceedingly important to keeping tabs with reality, but he holds an equal if not higher value for intuition and ideals as well. Most of the time he'll try his best to find a happy medium between all of them - though, if the situation demands he choose one, his more idealistic values would probably win above them all.
4. What kind of education has the character had?
As a child he was raised as an eldest son in a minor noble house, and so he's well-read in etiquette, upper-class protocol, and an extent of politics. After that, he became one of the first students to graduate from the Shin'ou Academy - more or less, a military school for budding shinigami. In there, he learned the basic skills required of combat with a katana, as well as usage of kido and spiritual power; alongside that came academics and reading and studying of strategy.
5. What are his areas of expertise? What, if anything, is he interested in learning more about?
...Skill-wise, Ukitake is simply best suited towards a setting in militia, as unfortunate as the fact is. He's one of the most skilled swordsmen in Soul Society, and can effortlessly pull off even the most high-level kido spells without incantation; in all other branches of shinigami education we can safely assume he also excels.
Beyond that, however, Ukitake's a...people person - he's got a knack for reading and assessing the feelings of others, and then taking the best course of action to help someone through them. If you need someone to strike up a friendship with out of the blue, he's also a pretty good candidate :|b He's very comfortable around kids, as well, and usually isn't half-bad at dealing with a brood of them if he has to.
Ukitake's open-minded when it comes to pretty much anything by now - he has no particularly strong interest in any branch of knowledge these days, but he's still more than willing to learn something new as the opportunity comes.
6. Is he an introvert or an extrovert?
He's...had two thousand years to introvert |D; As Ukitake sees it he's done all the self-examining he could ever possibly desire, at this point. So now, instead, he devotes his energies towards those around him with much enthusiasm; extrovert all the way, definitely.
7. Describe the character's temperament. Is he even-tempered or does he have mood swings? Cheerful or melancholy? Laid-back or driven?
Ukitake is probably one of the most benign people you'll ever meet; on a normal day-to-day basis you'll typically find that he's very friendly, cheerful, and goodnatured. It takes a lot to disrupt this serene disposition, and for the most part it's a constant temperament. Now, that's not to say that he isn't capable of feeling the occasional dip in mood or thinning in patience regarding a situation or those around him - but the aforementioned prospects are rare in occurence, and would probably be for justifiable reasons >>;
In his youth he was extremely driven - just as much out of grave necessity as it was part of his nature - though nowadays the pressing need for that drive is gone, and it could be said that Ukitake is quite a bit more easygoing in intention by now. That's not to say he doesn't have motivation, of course...but it's a good deal more mellow and handled with better perception. ...If that even makes sense @.@
8. How does he respond to new people or situations? Is he suspicious, relaxed, timid, enthusiastic?
He tends to almost always assume the best of every stranger he meets upfront, unless he has knowledge or evidence to prove otherwise. In new situations, (mostly the unexpected sort), he'll be more on-guard and alert than usual, but open-minded, and as amiable towards others as is reasonable for the situation.
9. Is he more likely to act, or to react?
It depends largely on the nature of the situation. By default, though, Ukitake is the sort of person that will have no qualms about taking the initiative on things - especially if it looks like no one else is going to, and the stakes are high.
10. Which is his default: fight or flight?
Neither one, if Ukitake can help it at all. But if he can't? Fight, all the way. Flight is the last resort.
11. Describe the character's sense of humor. Does he appreciate jokes? Puns? Gallows humor? Bathroom humor? Pranks?
Think a fun-loving, good-natured old man, and that about...sums up Ukitake's humor in a nutshell >.> He's definitely the sort that would be frowning at the more tactless jokes, but he could certainly work with the humor of the more benign ones /o/
12. Does the character have any diagnosable mental disorders? If yes, how does he deal with them?
None as of yet! Remarkably...
13. What moments in this character's life have defined him as a person?
Oh good god, so many. TOO MANY TO COOOOUNT. Two thousand years can define a lot in someone, often repeatedly...
14. What does he fear?
Unohana Retsu - the way a child is afraid of that one really sweet but intimidating school nurse.
On a more serious note: outliving Shunsui.
15. What are his hopes or aspirations?
At this point, Ukitake's already pretty much fulfilled most of the aspirations he's had throughout his life - and those were many, though the most fundamental ones he's had basically sum up to (1)seeing more of the world beyond the Ugendo estate, (2)being of some use and help to said world as opposed to a burden, which ended up with him becoming a shinigami of exceedingly high rank, and (3)meet and befriend as many people as he can though this will forevermore remain a work in progress, lmfao 8)
In regards to hopes, his perspective has skewed rather far away from himself, by now. Atm, his most major goal is to somehow help restore the world from its currently destroyed state, or if all else fails, somehow manage to ensure that everyone - yes, everyone - is alright. If Soul Society were still around he'd be concentrating more on the current war going on between the Gotei 13 and Aizen Sousuke; more than anything else, he just hopes the whole thing can be dealt without major sacrifices, and that some peace can be restored in that order. Which is...terribly idealistic, yes, but. That's his prerogative.
16. What is something he doesn't want anyone to find out about him?
...The thing about Ukitake is that, under normal circumstances, he just...doesn't see the merit in hiding things from people, in regards to himself. :\; He doesn't actively talk about the fact that he's a couple thousand years old, or a shinigami, or suffering an illness, maybe, but all one really needs to do is ask - at which point he'll almost always answer you honestly and frankly enough.
Relationships
1. Describe this character's relationship with his parents.
Ukitake’s father was both head of the family and a moderately high-ranking shinigami serving in the Gotei; because of this, he was absent from home often and frequently. Though Jushiro still greatly respected him and valued his judgment, he never really had a chance to form a more personal attachment with the aloof man; as much as he genuinely cared about his family, Ukitake-senior was always in a hurry, his thoughts and worries in higher places, and he really didn’t have much time to pay attention to any of his eight children, let alone form bonds. Ukitake, he hadn’t thought too much of it then...but years and years later, he does look back sometimes, and wishes he had known his own father better as an actual person.
Ukitake's mother was home as constantly as his father wasn't - raising and conditioning eight children in a noble house is a task that can't really be done remotely. She was a small, virtuous woman, with plain tastes and a fondness for tea; personally and among her children, she was a firm upholder of good etiquette and politeness to one's peers. Not at all deterred by the fact that her eldest son would be nigh-invalid following the advent of his illness, as others of noble upbringing might have been, she instead applied extra effort towards preparing Jushiro for the plausible head-of-family duties that would fall on him in the future, with utmost confidence in his abilities. It is from this woman that Ukitake adopts many of the social skills and values he carries today; she enforced them and their utmost importance strongly in his formative years.
At first Ukitake's parents were very reluctant to allow him to attend the Shin'ou Academy, for obvious reasons - however, Jushiro was eventually able to convince them to, despite misgivings. In the end they were both proud of him, though, as he proceeded to rise to the top of his classes and graduated in flying colors.
About ten years or so after said graduation, wherein Ukitake continued to work on rising up the ranks of the Gotei 13, his father died in combat. The sudden nature of this advent had an effect on the family, as could be imagined - however, Ukitake's mother suffered the worst for the occasion. She grieved for months, and never really fully recovered, instead hanging indefinitely in illness; about a year after her husband's passing, she died as well.
2. Does the character have any siblings? What is/was their relationship like?
Ukitake was the eldest of five brothers and two sisters; the relationship between all of them danced the line of dysfunctional hierarchy and miniature family in and of itself, but Jushiro was always the best authority in most matters and conflicts, due both to his senior age and genuine levelmindedness in regards to most affairs. Most of the time he was the role model and peacekeeper for the lot of them, and he always felt the status weigh on him like a grave responsibility. For the years and years of culminated experience, though, he's now perfectly at ease when it comes to interacting with children, and tends to percieve candy as a cure-it-all catalyst to any kid's problem /o/
Ukitake was the only one of his siblings to be infected with the virus that would result in his life-long illness, fortunately - as he attained it before almost all of his younger brothers and sisters could remember, they viewed it as a normal, integral part of him, unhappy as the notion was sometimes. It was a topic that was almost never verbally brought up among them except in extreme circumstances, however - at some point it's possible they got it in their heads that talking about it, especially in front of Jushiro, might result in some sort of karma backlash that would make him even more ill. But that universal, ever-constant concern still formed a good deal of the bond they all shared together; probably even strengthened it, in many ways.
After time passed and everyone got older, though, almost all of Ukitake's siblings eventually settled down and began raising their own respective families, and would proceed to provide him with a great many nieces and nephews and grand-nieces and grand-nephews (and so on) to watch over and entertain for the years to come. Three of Ukitake's younger brothers would attend the Shin'ou Academy after him and become shinigami, although none of them could manage to display the same talent and success as their eldest had before them; of the remaining two brothers, the second-eldest of the bunch would go on the become head of the Ukitake family in the advent of Jushiro's declining of the position, and the youngest brother of the five became a roaming scholar and healer, with some relative success in his endeavors. As for his sisters, they both came to be in wedlock with other minor noble families, neither of them particularly drawn to the idea of becoming shinigami themselves.
3. Are there other blood relatives to whom he is close? Are there ones he can't stand?
Lol probably, in both categories...although I'm not going into specifics there, pfff. The Ukitake family is rather huge and sprawling by now, so we can assume the annual family reunion that probably crops up every 200 years or so is always fun :d
4. Are there other, unrelated people whom he considers part of his family? What are his relationships with them?
Several of his particularly close friends (like Shunsui) would slip easily into this category. In that vein, the entire 13th Squad, which Ukitake is Captain of, is also one giant family, to him. Ukitake feels responsible for the lot, just as he felt responsible for his cluster of siblings all those years and years ago - he'd always try his best to get to know every face at a glance, and call every man by his name without faltering.
Ukitake also considers Captain-General Yamamoto as something of the venerable great-great-grandfather that he never had in his real family :d
5. Who is/was the character's best friend? How did they meet?
Kyouraku Shunsui, full stop. They are bros, bosom bros at that, and the strength of the bffness between them stretches challenged but unfaltering throughout the two thousand years they have known each other. That being said, the circumstances behind their actual first meeting are...a complete mystery atm, canonly speaking. We can conjecture, however, that their first encounter with each other was probably at the Academy - and that it certainly wasn't friendship at first sight, necessarily.
6. Does he have other close friends?
Plenty - both in Soul Society and also in the S.S. Thor. Check the CR Chart, it's all there in writing and saves me having to type more |D;
7. Does he make friends easily, or does he have trouble getting along with people?
Tite Kubo has been known to give a one-liner quote that describes each of his characters. For Ukitake? "Friendship that embraces all."
Needless to say, Ukitake makes friends the way people breathe air and drink water - even if the person on the other side of the proffered friendship isn't entirely willing or reciprocating at first. It just...comes with the personality package, imo.
8. Which does he consider more important: family or friends?
Oh good lord, don't make him choose 8'| He holds both groups on a virtually equal level of very high importance.
9. Is the character single, married, divorced, widowed? Has he been married more than once?
Single! And staying that way, probably...
10. Is he currently in a romantic relationship with someone other than a spouse?
Nope.
11. Who was his first crush? Who is his latest?
THAT
is confidential information! 8) Suffice to say he's had them in the distant past, at least...Kyouraku never let him hear the end of it, on those occasions. XD
12. What does he look for in a romantic partner?
13. Does the character have children? Grandchildren? If yes, how does he relate to them? If no, does he want any?
He's got loads and loads of grand-nieces and grand-nephews, but no, he's never had his own children. It's rather depressing because Ukitake really, really loves kids, and...wouldn't mind having a few of his own, really - though he'd never admit that openly. However, with the circumstances surrounding his illness and the resulting high probability of death, Ukitake knows he'd never really forgive himself if he inflicted such a fleeting presence as his on a son or daughter; no one should have to lose a parent like that, if he can help it at all.
14. Does he have any rivals or enemies?
Nope!
15. What is the character's sexual orientation?
16. How does he feel about sex? How important is it to him?
Well, just to have it be said from the get-go - this is a subject that Ukitake usually just...doesn't really think about in daily life. At all. |D; It's probably one of the farthest things from his mind ever, at any given time.
That being said; lol no he is not a virgin - 1,000+ years and something usually has to give, after all. However, apart from the flings he's had over the course of his life here and there, (predominantly in his younger years, mind you), he doesn't place too much purchase in the concept as a whole. Yes, it's a natural part of life, and yes, there's nothing particularly wrong with the notion, but...to him, sex means a pretty deep commitment, and a pretty deep commitment means a relationship. And after a lot of reflection on the matter over the years, he's decided that a relationship just isn't something he would actively pursue with a clear conscience, due to the terminal-ish nature of his illness and all.
17. What are his turn-ons? Turn-offs? Weird bedroom habits?
Beliefs
1. Do you know your character's astrological (zodiac of choice) sign? How well does he fit type?
To quote:
"December: Sagittarius - individuals under this sign are jovial, intelligent, and freedom-loving. People born under this sign are considered to be understanding and principled. They have an appetite for learning and travel.
"Few people have such power of self-determination as a Sagittarius born on December 21. They can transform themselves from ugly duckling to beautiful swan. When an idea grabs them, they can make their dreams reality. They quickly spot intellectual dishonesty."
...Huh. Not too bad a fit, I guess...
2. Is this character religious, spiritual, both, or neither? How important are these elements in his life?
Weeell, that's. Rather subjective. 8|a So to speak, Ukitake isn't really either - he has no reason to be, having been literally born in the afterlife as we know it, as a spiritual entity, and then proceeded to secure a job as a god of death in a military organization that ferries souls back and forth from the living world. @.@ So really, most elements we would consider as religious and/or spiritual are just...facts of life to him. |D;
3. Does this character have a personal code of morals or ethics? If so, how did that begin? What would it take to compromise it?
Yes. Yes, he does. Having been rigorously raised by the old-fashioned values of pride and honor prevalent in noble houses of Soul Society roughly two thousand years ago, it's not...really a personal code to him. More like a way of living. He values said criteria of ethics very highly, and will usually uphold it to the best of his ability. By Ukitake's viewpoint, this code is universal, too - it doesn't just apply to him, but also to everyone around him, be they family or friend or complete stranger or even enemy. Fighting women is frowned upon, fighting children is nigh unacceptable; everyone is entitled to uphold and maintain their own personal sense of pride as they feel fit, without interference or criticism; deference to the law is good, but if it jeapordizes certain values and morals then rejecting it would be necessary and acceptable - these are just a few factors that make up Ukitake's personal moral reference.
In that vein, Ukitake would never compromise it. Ever. And that is final. No matter what the circumstances, no matter how much better or easier the alternative might be, he would not do it - and would probably rather kill himself before he did. That's not to say that he has never wanted to go the easier route, for certain - and there are times when he almost really regrets the consequences his decisions demand of him - but that's just how deeply-wired and highly-valued his honor code is to him.
4. How does he regard beliefs that differ from his? Is he tolerant, intolerant, curious, indifferent?
He's pretty tolerant - and sees no reason to be otherwise, really. People are entitled to thinking what they want to think, after all; whatever floats their boat is no business of his anyway, unless there's a good reason he needs to make it his business, (and that doesn't occur particularly often). If their beliefs pique his interest there will be some curiosity, of course, but other than that he doesn't really delve into that sort of thing too much.
5. What prejudices does he hold? Are they irrational or does he have a good reason for them?
Daily Life
1. What is the character's financial situation? Is he rich, poor, comfortable, in debt?
Ukitake's always been pretty comfortable financial-wise over the course of his life - it helps that he has a very level head when it comes to the management of money, perhaps stemming from the thousand or so years he's spent being the nigh-sole supporter of his entire family.
Even now, in the SS Thor, he's gotten to a nicely comfortable point in his financial situation, after several month's dligent work and fairly frugal spending. His policy is to always have enough to lend to others who need it, if necessary.
2. What is his social status? Has this changed over time, and if so, how has the change affected him?
The Ukitake clan has always been a fairly lower-class aristocratic family, so although he had it pretty good for the times and the location, Ukitake wasn't exactly rolling in wealth growing up. He's still technically got the noble status attatched to him at present, but it's usually quite overshadowed by his considerably more notable status as a shinigami Captain in the Gotei 13 - and a senior Captain at that. /o/ All this combined, he was pretty high up there in Soul Society's...society |D; Perhaps not nearly as much so as, say, Kuchiki Byakuya - or even Kyouraku - but it's still enough to garner hearty enough respect from your average civilian.
Of course, all that amounted to almost nothing upon arrival on the Thor. Ukitake currently resides quite comfortably in the fifth-floor Condos as a relatively well-to-do refugee; before that, though, he needed to do some fairly rigorous climbing...at least on the financial end, if nothing else. >>; Truth be told, the shift in public status has not once passed through his mind as an unusual or alarming thought; if anything, that's always been the very last thing on his mind, on the sliding scale of Important Things versus Irrelevant Things. Ukitake just isn't too closely attuned with the general public and its opinion of him, and doesn't try to be - he's been schooled so thoroughly that it's a default notion to refrain from conduct that might shame the family, and beyond that, Ukitake's so mild in manner that there's historically been little for the public to really latch onto anyway. Such was the case in Soul Society - and such all those facts have carried over on the Thor.
3. Where does he live? House, apartment, trailer? Is his home his castle or just a place to crash? What condition is it in? Does he share it with others?
Ever since becoming Captain of the Thirteenth Squad (read: for a couple thousand years), Ukitake has been living in the Sereitei precinct of Soul Society - more specifically, among his men within the 13th's barracks. The barracks are pretty much home to him now, yes - he's got a nice little mini-apartment situated as his Captain's quarters, and it's suited him just fine over the years. Said mini-apartment is pretty clean and neat, hardly cluttered at all, but comfortable and homely enough, in a bare, traditional sort of way. He technically resides there by himself, though not-so techincally that's hardly ever the case; he always has visitors coming and going 24-7, from the constant eager presence of his Third Seats to the messengers and inquirers that make up the rest of his squad, to members of the Fourth or Unohana herself stopping by to check on his health on a fairly frequent basis, to Shunsui dropping in for about a week or so just to hang out.
On the other hand, he's also considered the Ugendo estate as his home, and always will. He frequents it on a pretty regular basis, usually when he's ill enough that the stress of managing his squad becomes a burden, and the fresh air and atmosphere of the estate is more forgiving.
4. Besides the basic necessities, what does he spend his money on?
Meh, he's a man of rather small wants or needs. Apart from necessities, there's mostly tea. ...One must always have tea. 8|| ...And candy. ...Lots and lots of candy. And also gifts, whenever he feels that an occasion happens to demand one (aka fairly often |D;). Or random little trinkets of quirky natures that happen to catch his eye, like unusually-shaped teapots and stuff. ...Or the odd occasional book. Or gardening tools, plants, and related necessary accessories.....
5. What does he do for a living? Is he good at it? Does he enjoy it, or would he rather be doing something else?
Ukitake is a shinigami. Basically: a god of death, rather like a somewhat nerfed not-immortal grim reaper, that goes about managing the souls of the afterlife on a daily basis, sending the lost ones on their way and purifying the ones that go horribly bad. It's a tedious, inherently dangerous job that's never going to end ever, as long as humanity keeps being alive. And he's in it for life :|b After all, one cannot simply retire from the Gotei 13 - if you want out, you'd have to either die, or become a traitor...neeeeither of which would be in most people's best interests. Really.
The question of whether Ukitake actually enjoys it is rather subjective - since he has every reason in the world not to. If he'd had a choice in the matter at all, in fact, I think he'd have taken a much more peaceful life career. But the fact stands that he just never had the benefit of such a choice; partially due to the nature of the times in his younger years, and partially due to his own headstrong views of his future. As one might imagine, Ukitake's illness hindered him immensely in more ways than one, and eventually circumstances had him cornered to two options in life: either to lead a passive, secluded existence in the Ugendo estate as eventual head of the family...or become a shinigami. He was barely eligible enough for the latter option, but as Ukitake saw it, becoming a shinigami was the only way he'd ever be able to see the world, and be of actual, material help to others around him, instead of the one always needing aid himself, penned in one place as an semi-invalid for the rest of his life.
Considering these circumstances, he's really got more of a 'take what I've got and appreciate it' sort of mentality towards his job - and, in that sense, he's at peace with the decision he made. If someone were to offer him a chance to quit now, free of any consequence, Ukitake would probably even decline.
6. What are his interests or hobbies? How does he spend his free time?
Alas, he's especially old-mannish when it comes to these things 8|' Calligraphy, trimming bonsai or attending to plants in general, meditation...that kind of thing. Having outings with friends is also an opportunity he'd rarely turn down, it being one of the hobbies he enjoys most. :>
Ukitake tends to devote a lot of time to his Squad, as well - not just primarily for Captain's duties, but also out of a genuine interest in the status and wellbeing of his men. He'll be wanting to get to know new recruits, and personally check up on groups newly-returned from patrols or missions, and follow up with a nice little gift to give some junior officer for their birthday, and then stop by the barrack kitchens to chat with the cooks for awhile...the routine never ends.
7. What are his eating habits? Does he skip meals, eat out, drink alcohol, avoid certain foods?
Ukitake's always been a light eater - the necessity of it in his childhood probably had a hand in making it his default level of appetite nowadays. Not to say that he doesn't usually have an appetite, granted - he's still a soul with incredibly developed spiritual power, which burns a fuckton of calories 8U uses up enough energy to instill hunger without fail - but compared to others his slight reserve towards food still remains. There's been many an occasion that he's gone without eating for days, when he's been especially ill.
He's come to rather appreciate the skill of the 13th's barrack cooks, now that he's on the Thor. Seeing as they're quite absent now, he's been frequenting takeout more than he ever has before |D; Still, he has some very moderate skill in cooking himself, and has been exercising it lately, to some moderate success. There isn't any food that he particularly dislikes as far as I know, and his favorite is ume ochazuke.
Ukitake also drinks, yes. The blame falls entirely and irreparably on Kyouraku Shunsui's terrible, terrible influence 8|| Despite his health, however, Ukitake's built up a rather impressive tolerance to alchohol; beating him in a drinking contest would be exceptionally difficult. ...Though not impossible |D;
Associations
Which of the following do you associate with the character, or which is his favorite:
1. Color? Dark blues and greens
2. Smell? Tea, lmfao. He's also taken a fondess to the tang of the sea, though.
3. Time of day? Early mornings; good for strolls outside in the cool air
4. Season? Spring
5. Book? ...Uh. Children's books? He's even written a couple of successful ones himself, you know. True story!
6. Music? All the old man stuff - classical, traditional japanese woodwinds, etc. What is this rock and roll that you speak of 8U
7. Place? Ugendo Estate and the Thirteenth Division barracks are rather closely even to each other
8. Substance? Tea! XD
9. Plant? Well. ...He's rather fond of the little plot of bonsai he keeps in a garden in the Thirteenth's barracks? He always tries to take some time to trim the little guys every other day despite his complete lack of artistic perspective in the matter :'D
10. Animal? Fish, in general. But especially koi.
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