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[ She scoffs a bit at his shaky compliment, pushing sideways to playfully bump shoulders with him. He's doing well. ]

I said nothing of the sort. [ That he wasn't good at anything because he couldn't swim, she means. It dawns on her that this is the first time she's heard of Gintoki's home life. She interprets the comment as 'children' at first--her head snaps sideways, wide-eyed, to peer at him, because she would never have taken him for the type--but she realizes he probably meant something more...plausible??? ]

Your family?

[ You know, not kids. Like a grandma or something?

??? ]

What are they like?

[ Gently, she has Ninat move very slowly sideways, away from him in very small increments, an inch at a time, to get him to propel himself forward. With his focus on talking about his home, he hopefully won't think about it too much. ]

_{[ What are they like, she asks.
As an orphan, Gintoki finds family by relationship and not by blood. The first one is a boy of 16 years who has an older sister, but no parents. In a time where samurais were no longer needed, it was hard times for him and his sister to re-open their dojo to keep a promise to their father that they made on his death bed. He's Gintoki's apprentice; Gintoki is his mentor, learning to be a samurai for his father's sake, and works for Gin's freelancing business.

The second is a little nightmare, only 14 years old with porcelain skin, bright blue eyes and fire red hair just like her temperament. She escaped her home planet from an abusive and dysfunctional family to start a new life and somehow found herself in Gintoki's lonely household.

They are different in their own ways, but that didn't stop them from building a relationship closer than family. Gintoki takes care of them, as the girl lives with him and the boy spends many hours with them both.

Without them, Gintoki is pretty certain he wouldn't understand what it feels like to be alive.
Which is why here, he's suffering silently under his hard and distant exterior that makes it difficult to always know what he is thinking and feeling. ]}

They're brats.

_{[ His instant response. Even though his words are insulting, his tone is fond.
He doesn't even notice Ninat drifting away from him, eyes focusing on the water. A frown is curled on his lips.
It's obvious he misses them. ]}

—But they're the most precious brats.
_{[ and there it is. ]}

Edited (thank u i'm glad im cute) 2016-03-26 04:44 (UTC)

[ For a moment she forgets to keep swimming, just blinking at him owlishly.

So he does have children. It makes her consider Gintoki in a whole new light: he'd never struck her as particularly responsible, or selfless. But if he had children, and to call them 'precious'...how sweet. ]

I did not think you would have children, Gintoki. [ She says it as a compliment, bright-eyed. ] How old are they?

[ She wonders if he has a wife. That he didn't mention her sets off alarm bells, so she doesn't mention it.

Ninat continues to very gently slide across the water, taking them in a slow, wide circle. ]

Edited 2016-04-01 03:14 (UTC)

_{[ Well, no wife. Probably not even a girlfriend, either. His teenage years were spent fighting in a war— preparing for a war— becoming a good samurai and all of those things which are irrelevant now that he is nearly 30.

However, Gintoki's family is by relation and not his blood. He doesn't need to specify or correct anybody who thinks they are his biological children cause he doesn't see the difference. ]}

Fourteen and sixteen.
Yeah, I didn't think I'd end up with children either. Here they are. Takin' all of my food and money and whining about crap.
_{[ Gintoki is distracted for a moment, but he manages to kick himself forward rather than just completely relying on Ninat. ]}

[ Fourteen and sixteen. It takes her a long moment, as she calculates backwards from the age she perceives him at--about equal to her own, perhaps eight and a half thousand were he an Atlantean--and the ages of those she knows--Masamune, full-grown at twenty-three; Sieglinde, small at twelve; the Pines twins, a gangly thirteen--and concludes that fourteen and sixteen must be around the five or six thousand mark.

Which makes them, in turn, far too old to be his biological children, unless he began his journey into fatherhood absurdly young. But his words dispel that idea, and makes the whole strange picture slide into place. Still, he quite obviously cares about them as his own blood, so how could she find it anything but admirable? She laughs at his complaint. ]

They are your legacy. You make brave sacrifices.

[ Ten thousand yen sacrifices... ]

I do. You don't know how many emergency runs I have to make to FamilyMart for pickled seaweed, or how many times I have to share a futon because they "can't sleep.."

_{[ Kagura is especially a handful, but she deserves a better home away from her hostile brother. A slight scoff, his head turning the opposite direction so he isn't facing her.
He misses them, he's worried about them and what might be happening to them and everyone else he wants to protect back home. It's a little too obvious in this exchange he is having with Kida, and he hates that.

There is no need for him to boast about the actual sacrifices he has made— how he has risked his life multiple times to save them. Gintoki, though outwardly prideful at times, had a very low self esteem in all honesty. ]}

You know what else is a brave sacrifice? This.
_{[ swimming or opening up to somebody so willingly? Which one, Gintoki? ]}

I could have drowned.
_{[ that's what he says but is that what he is actually referring to. ]}

[ The amusement sticks to her smile. She gets it. ]

Your trust is not unappreciated, o brave warrior. [ Okay, that doesn't really stop her from making fun of him a little. ] But you would not have drowned.

[ She would have intervened. Ninat would have intervened. Besides which-- ]

You have been swimming very nicely in a circle for some minutes, now.

[ Don't think about it. ]

_{[ He was fiiiiine until Kida had to bring up the part where he's evidently been swimming well. Ugh. Don't compliment him.
A light pink color flourishes over his cheeks, geeze. Saying thank you would be the right thing to do, but Gin doesn't really.. have an easy time saying thanks for compliments on him. ]}

Yeah, w—well.
It wouldn't have been like this if I were in the water by myself.
_{[ as in.. he wouldn't have been in the water at all if that were the case. ]}

[ Get used to it!! ]

Then I shall not leave you all by yourself. Ideally, we should practice this more; each day, in fact. Skills are best acquired in frequent, short bursts.

[ Spoken as if he doesn't already know. Do something often enough, and it becomes a habit. ]

I could lend you Ninat, I am sure she would gladly be your tutor.

[ 100% safe, nothing could possibly go wrong. ]

_{[ A scoff. ]}
I really hate training arcs. Does it have to be each day? I can think of several other more important things I could do.
_{[ You know. Eat. Sleep. ****.
... Okay not exactly ****. Not here. Think about ****ing? Maybe. ]}

I'm sure I'll get the hang of it without prcticing daily.
_{[ he sounds???? just like a child?? ]}

[ Lbr if she were teaching him every day, there'd be a lot of ****-thoughts going on. Or would there???

Also, her eyes couldn't roll any harder, but she's amused. ]

I'm sure you will. [ To the tone of: I'm sure you won't, but w/e make your own choices. ] Now come, let us make the most of this day--more laps!

[ Outright telling the princess you're lazy: bad idea. ]

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