Disclaimer: (Herbal) Osaka-neechan does not own Gintama.

Author: (Herbal) Osaka-neechan

Summary: Give me a name, the being seems to request, staring at him, its eyes nondescript. Give me a name. A name, a name.

Point of view: Katsura; Gintoki

Perspective: Third person progressive (YOU KNOW NO BETTER TERM)

The conceptual corner: This is a useless piece of dribble-drabble Osaka-neechan managed to write in five minutes when the initiative came to her.

READ IT AND WEEP (my dear bizzatches).

The reception corner: Osaka-nee does not usually write general things— so she doesn't know how to react to this piece, really. Not too shabby— not too shabby at all.

But, you know, she's just adding a bit more. What she really wants to do is type up a Hijikata/Okita, or Gintoki/Katsura, or Takasugi/Gintoki, or Takasugi/Katsura… or just some Gintoki/Takasugi/Katsura, actually. If anybody wants to attempt that, DO IT.

THE ARCHIVE OF THIS FANDOM IS TOO BARREN IN THIS SITE. GO TO LJ, FOR YOUR BABY'S SAKE.

GO TO ELLJAAYY—

Um. This is set after Katsura retrieves his gift from Sakamoto in episode 15. "Sasuke: Ninja Warrior" is a Japanese game show of stunts and obstacles. The show is, for some cool reason, being broadcast in America on the gamers' channel G4. "Nanashi," as any over-the-top otaku should know, means "Nameless"… a name in Japan, apparently. The names afterwards are from Yotsuba&! Osaka-nee knows "Torako" means "Tiger child" and that she is The Sex of all dykes. :P

XD Oh, Yotsuba, you make me feel SO FLUFFY INSIDE. FLUFFY.

WTF is with the title?

Osaka-nee's been downloading a crapload of doujinshi… man, those doujin titles… ARE CRAZY.

Thusly—

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MY DEAREST, YOUR NAME

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Give me a name, the being seems to request, staring at him, its eyes nondescript.

"Nanashi," he carelessly says, and the being shakes its head.

Give me a name, the being says, and he gives it a glance.

"Takashi," he inputs briefly, and the being shakes its head again.

Give me a name, the being maintains, and he turns to watch it fully.

"Yanda," he says, defiantly.

The being stares at him, and shakes its head.

"… Miura?" he tries.

The being shakes his head again.

Give me a name.

"Torako?"

Give me a name.

"Asagi?"

Give me a name.

"Fuka? Ena?"

Give me a name, the being persists, and there is a long while of silence.

Katsura stares.

"… Elizabeth," he says. There is a taste that blooms in his mouth, tart and wispy. "Elizabeth," he repeats.

The being says nothing.

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"You can't keep it, Zura," Gintoki tells him. He seems at ease, back rest against the scratched, chipping wooden panels of the shack.

But he knows better; in the casual tone and slipping gaze, Gintoki carries an edge: taut and tired.

"I'm Katsura," he murmurs— "I'm Katsura, not Zura."

He can feel that gaze on his back once more, not a meter away. Katsura is crouched on the dirt floor, staring fixedly at his cupped hands.

The animal trembles, a tiny ball of barely any fur. Its stare is large, glassy and shaking.

Some crows shriek, a distance away in the foliage, taking off; Katsura secures his hold on the creature, squeaking and in a scramble. He makes sure, however, that his lull grasp on the creature does not choke, a thumb stroking the white fuzz lightly, avoiding its whiskers and brushing a pink nose.

Gintoki sighs behind him.

"Don't name it," is his only advice.

Elizabeth, Katsura thinks.

Amanto attack not long after— the creature immediately scurries off Katsura's hands and Gintoki accidently crushes it under his boot half a minute later.

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Gintoki has an arm flung over his face that evening. The Jump is in disarray, sprawled on the floor at the corner of the couch, where his right arm slings off. Kagura sits on that floor, sucking her jerky while mumbling an occasional vulgar lyric, the TV on a game show buzzing faintly in the background. Shinpachi is filling a bowl with potatoes to give the impression of a more homely room when Gintoki slides his arm off, giving a double-blink.

"Ah!" he expresses.

Shinpachi glances over at the man. "What is it, Gin-san?"

"I just remembered the real reason why I let Kagura keep that abominable dog."

Panting comes from the side— Shinpachi grimaces, but Gintoki keeps a blank countenance on, blood streaming down his face. Kagura leans against Sadaharu and continues humming as the noise of Gintoki's skull being crushed under Sadaharu's jaws overtakes the TV's Sasuke: Ninja Warrior.

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END

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