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I’m Telling You, I Won’t Fall Apart - Submitted by: fastman27

#1BC269 #3DD9A7 #55E1DE #B8EFFD #5DBCFF #598DFF #5A65FF

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When the lieutenant had taken his time and reached a state of near-calm, Dr. Kimura tried again.

"Thank you for telling me about your past association with 409," she began, affirming his show of trust. "I would like to know the details of what happened yesterday, if you think you're prepared to share that experience with us."

Kimura and Kenshirou waited patiently, watching his eyes dart around, then close with a look of determination. He took a deep breath, then another. When he started to speak, his eyes were still closed.

"I was doing the morning wake-up call. I-I should have been able to do my part by myself, I'm sorry, Ken." Seitarou opened his teary eyes as he apologized. "I'm so sorry, I should have been able to do that part on my own."

"It's okay," Yozakura murmured, placing a hand on his partner's shoulder and squeezing gently. "It's alright, Seitarou. The inmates of the Underground are deeply dangerous individuals, and you weren't familiar with any of them." Kenshirou almost added "and I shouldn't have asked you to do morning roll alone" but bit back the sentiment. It wasn't helpful right now.

Seitarou nodded and looked back at the doctor.

"So, I was doing morning roll, and I came to a cell that wasn't lit. I couldn't tell if he was awake or not, so I called his name and stepped closer—I shouldn't have gotten closer, that was a mistake. He didn't answer me, and I was making a note to check later if his light was working, and when I went to move on to the next cell, he... H-he reached out and grabbed my hair."

Tears spilled from magenta galaxies and he wiped away his tears as Kenshirou grit his teeth, preparing himself for what came next.

"He pulled me against the bars, and I couldn't escape. I... I..."

Inmate 409's words were echoing in his brain, and an overwhelming sense of danger washed over him. He reached up one hand to cover the back of his prickling neck as his breathing grew rapid once more. Despite his fear, he swallowed hard and tried to rush out the rest of the details.

"He told me who he was. He took the handcuffs off my belt and trapped me, and I hated it, a-and he tried to cover my mouth, so I bit him and screamed for help, and please tell me that he's gone!" Seriously dissolved into tears, hiding his face in his arms as he wept.

"Sh, sh, you're safe here, Sei," Kenshirou assured, rubbing his partner's shoulder and upper back, trying to soothe him. "Inmate 409 is in Building One, and he has yet to regain consciousness."

"Good!" Seitarou snapped with a bitterness almost never heard from him. "I hope he never wakes up! I hope he dies!" With the last words, Seitarou sprang to his feet, revealing his wet, angry face. "Maybe that's a terrible thing to say, but I want him dead!" He blinked and suddenly collapsed, protected from the ground by strong arms catching him before he could fall far.

"Lay him down on the couch," Kimura instructed, rising to her own feet to help with her patient. "We need to elevate his feet to restore blood flow."

True Colors: Part 12

~

Seitarou was only at work for a couple hours before Hajime sent him home, deeming him emotionally unfit for duty. The lieutenant considered not going back to his apartment, where his doting boyfriend was waiting for him. He felt ashamed that he'd been dismissed from duty, ashamed that he thought Hajime might have been right to do so. He didn't want to linger in public either, though. The last thing he wanted was to be questioned by anyone that had heard about yesterday's incident. So the young lieutenant walked home with a wavering sense of urgency. He didn't want to explain to Kenshirou about his conversation with Hajime, but he didn't want to stay exposed outdoors.

He spaced out during the walk, and when he found himself in front of the door to his own apartment, his stomach clenched in uncertainty. What was he going to say? How was he going to explain this to Kenshirou? He took a deep breath, choosing to trust in his partner's kind heart, and opened the door.

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The way Musashi calls Supervisor Yozakura, the second strongest guard in Nanba, 'Inu-chan', but Sugoroku Hitoshi, some newbie guard, 'Hitoshi-san'.

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Twilight Menthol - submitted by amastelaire

#A263E5 #AD93FF #ACB4FF #83FFDB #31FFE7 #00EFFF

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more nanbaka from me 🤲 i love seitaro

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Just discovered that I'm still the only person to publish Seitarou Tanabata x Kenshirou Yozakura fanfiction on AO3 and like what? Tf?? Y'all are sleeping on this precious rare pair for an underrated show just trust me they belong together and would treat each other RIGHT

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Alarmed, Kenshirou moved closer to his partner.

"Inmate 409 is still in serious condition, but he's no longer considered critical," Dr. Kimura replied calmly, before the supervisor could say a word. "He was moved to Building One this morning once he was stable enough to be transported."

A full-body shudder shook the lieutenant, but he opened his eyes again.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Hitoshi fidgeted in the waiting room. He wanted to help. He wanted to hug his friend. He wanted to support him.

He wanted to know why he cut his hair.

They'd been friends for long enough that Seitarou had explained to Hitoshi that he'd never once cut his hair beyond slight trimming of the ends. Even as a tiny child, he hadn't cut his hair, because he kicked up such a fuss at the idea, that his parents decided it wasn't worth the hassle to force him. Seitarou had kept his hair long for his entire life—until now.

Hitoshi clasped his gloved hands together in his lap as he accepted a very serious truth: his best friend was not okay.

~~~~~~~~~~~

"Tanabata, can you tell me why Inmate 409 makes you feel so unsafe?"

The young guard tried to breathe deeply, focusing his gaze on the floor and his attention on the warm spot where the heat of Ken's hand seeped into his shoulder.

"I..." Pink eyes darted over to the supervisor's face and received a small nod of encouragement. "I knew him, years ago." The lieutenant seemed to hold his breath for a moment, as of expecting that admission to trigger an immediate natural disaster.

Ken rubbed his shoulder.

Dr. Kimura watched him patiently.

Seitarou swallowed hard and spoke so quietly that his voice was almost a whisper as he confessed, "Inmate 409 was my boyfriend in college. I was"–his eyes flicked away as he sought the right word–"naive, and he could see that." Seitarou hugged himself tightly and burst out, "I'm sorry, I can't talk about it!"

He'd never told anyone the details of that experience. The pain was too much for him to continue, and the fear it caused was overpowering.

"It's okay, Seitarou," Kenshirou urged in a low, warm voice. "You are safe here. You do not have to speak about something that you're not comfortable speaking about yet." He glanced at Kimura, who offered him a small nod of approval. He was saying the right things. "Do not force or rush yourself. Take a deep breath." The lieutenant did, and for a few minutes, under Kenshirou's gentle guidance, that's all he did.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Breathe in, breathe out.

Breathe in, breathe out.

"You're doing great, Sei," Kenshirou whispered to him encouragingly. He squeezed his shoulder and was rewarded with a thin smile from his boyfriend.

True Colors: Part 12

~

Seitarou was only at work for a couple hours before Hajime sent him home, deeming him emotionally unfit for duty. The lieutenant considered not going back to his apartment, where his doting boyfriend was waiting for him. He felt ashamed that he'd been dismissed from duty, ashamed that he thought Hajime might have been right to do so. He didn't want to linger in public either, though. The last thing he wanted was to be questioned by anyone that had heard about yesterday's incident. So the young lieutenant walked home with a wavering sense of urgency. He didn't want to explain to Kenshirou about his conversation with Hajime, but he didn't want to stay exposed outdoors.

He spaced out during the walk, and when he found himself in front of the door to his own apartment, his stomach clenched in uncertainty. What was he going to say? How was he going to explain this to Kenshirou? He took a deep breath, choosing to trust in his partner's kind heart, and opened the door.

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Kenshirou Yozakura from Nanbaka 🩷

Kenshirou Yozakura from Nanbaka has Kenergy!

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And He Has A Boyfriend, Too - Submitted by Anonymous

#007183 #42EBC1 #D6EEFF #4A6FE7 #2D1764

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Seitarou was huddled on the plush couch, arms wrapped around himself as he tried to steady his shallow, panicked breathing, when Kimura and Yozakura returned to him. He lifted his head, watery eyes focusing on his boyfriend and following his every movement as the supervisor approached and sat beside him at a careful distance. Although Kimura had probably guessed the nature of their relationship by now, Kenshirou was determined to maintain a professional boundary while they were at work and around others.

"I began to question him about yesterday's events," Kimura said from a few feet away, watching Kenshirou place a hand on the lieutenant's shoulder. "He said that he couldn't talk about this without you present."

"I'm not safe," Seitarou choked out, and squeezed his eyes shut. "He knows where I am now. I'm not safe here..."

True Colors: Part 12

~

Seitarou was only at work for a couple hours before Hajime sent him home, deeming him emotionally unfit for duty. The lieutenant considered not going back to his apartment, where his doting boyfriend was waiting for him. He felt ashamed that he'd been dismissed from duty, ashamed that he thought Hajime might have been right to do so. He didn't want to linger in public either, though. The last thing he wanted was to be questioned by anyone that had heard about yesterday's incident. So the young lieutenant walked home with a wavering sense of urgency. He didn't want to explain to Kenshirou about his conversation with Hajime, but he didn't want to stay exposed outdoors.

He spaced out during the walk, and when he found himself in front of the door to his own apartment, his stomach clenched in uncertainty. What was he going to say? How was he going to explain this to Kenshirou? He took a deep breath, choosing to trust in his partner's kind heart, and opened the door.

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A little resume of stars cats from this and previous month! (=｀ω´=)

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Hitoshi was last to arrive at the waiting room, since he was coming all the way from Building Thirteen. He immediately threw himself at his best friend, arms wrapped tight around him in a desperate hug.

"I'm so sorry," the younger guard murmured. "Are you feeling okay? Did you get hurt at all?" Hitoshi held him at arm's length to look him over. "What happened to—Oh!" Big green eyes snapped wide open. "Your hair!"

Seitarou flinched.

"Does it look bad?" the lieutenant whispered, reaching up to catch at the very ends of his hair and twist a strand around his finger.

"No, no! You're as cute as ever!" Hitoshi was quick to console his friend, but it didn't hide his worry. "But, when? Why?"

Why. Why had Seitarou cut his hair? Kenshirou had not asked, deciding in the moment that it was more important to calm his boyfriend and let the lieutenant explain himself in his own time. But Kenshirou had not forgotten the reason given in that moment: "He touched it. I had to."

"I..." Seitarou stared blankly at his best friend, pink eyes wide in an expression that Kenshirou could only describe as lost.

The door to Dr. Kimura's office opened, saving her patient from answering the question.

"Tanabata?" the doctor called, and the nervous lieutenant made a quick escape without another word, disappearing into the doctor's office without looking back.

Hitoshi looked at his supervisor for a moment before carefully taking the seat beside him. They sat in silence for a few moments.

"Ken-san," the young guard whimpered, making his superior wince at the sound of his discomfort. "What happened yesterday?"

Kenshirou closed his eye and released a slow, deep sigh.

"The lieutenant was attacked by an inmate in the underground," he answered quietly, eye still closed as he maintained the appearance of composure. "We split up during morning rounds, and he was attacked... I punished the cretin immediately, but I know that I failed him. I never should have left him alone in the underground."

"Oh, that's... That's why you're suspended." Hitoshi connected the puzzle pieces aloud. "I knew that you attacked an inmate, but I didn't know what that inmate did or that Sei-chan was hurt until I went to Building Thirteen and Hajime told me why he sent him home." The lolita boy fell silent as he considered his boss's words. "I'm sure Sei-chan doesn't blame you for what happened."

"He doesn't," Kenshirou confirmed. "That doesn't change the fact that I left him alone with dangerous criminals that he was unfamiliar with."

"This whole job is dangerous," the rookie guard murmured. "Senpai knows that, and he knows how to be careful. He also knows that Building Four doesn't have escape artists like Building Thirteen." Hitoshi reached up and tucked a long bit of his bangs behind his ear. "He should have been safe. So..." He lifted his gaze to his supervisor and didn't finish his sentence until that sakura eye met his: "How did it happen? What happened to him?"

"I don't know all the details. He was so distressed that I didn't ask." Ken's expression shifted slightly to anger as he remembered the offender. "Inmate 409 had managed to attach Seitarou to the bars of his cell with his own handcuffs when I reached them."

"Ouch." Hitoshi winced at the detail regarding the handcuffs. "That's the second time..." he trailed off, glanced at Kenshirou, and looked away.

The second time Seitarou had been attacked by an inmate this month.

The second time Seitarou had been restrained by the inmate using his own handcuffs against him.

The second time Seitarou had been rescued from such an attack by his boyfriend.

"I thought something was wrong when he didn't text me back last night," Hitoshi confessed. "But then I thought that he was just tired."

Ken just nodded without comment or correction. He was never going to let this happen to his sweet partner ever again. He didn't deserve to be attacked and belittled by the people that he was protecting. He didn't deserve to live in constant fear and anxiety. And Kenshirou would do whatever was within his power to protect him.

"Yozakura." His head snapped up at the sound of Dr. Kimura's voice. She was standing in the doorway with a tight expression. "Your presence is requested," she said carefully.

"Very well." Kenshirou stood, and Hitoshi moved to stand next to him, but sat back down before he was upright. Seitarou hadn't asked for him, after all. Just Kenshirou.

True Colors: Part 12

~

Seitarou was only at work for a couple hours before Hajime sent him home, deeming him emotionally unfit for duty. The lieutenant considered not going back to his apartment, where his doting boyfriend was waiting for him. He felt ashamed that he'd been dismissed from duty, ashamed that he thought Hajime might have been right to do so. He didn't want to linger in public either, though. The last thing he wanted was to be questioned by anyone that had heard about yesterday's incident. So the young lieutenant walked home with a wavering sense of urgency. He didn't want to explain to Kenshirou about his conversation with Hajime, but he didn't want to stay exposed outdoors.

He spaced out during the walk, and when he found himself in front of the door to his own apartment, his stomach clenched in uncertainty. What was he going to say? How was he going to explain this to Kenshirou? He took a deep breath, choosing to trust in his partner's kind heart, and opened the door.

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Hito-chan, Sei-kun, and Ken-san

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(officially giving up on fixing the funky reblogs)

.

Kenshirou let Seitarou sleep for as long as he could, but he still woke up well before the alarm went off. He was even groggier than before, but didn't want to try going back to sleep.

Kenshirou set about making his boyfriend tea and asked if he was hungry.

"Not really," Seitarou murmured, still rubbing at his eyes with his blanket pulled up around his shoulders. "But I didn't eat this morning, so I probably should eat something."

Kenshirou managed to coax his worried boyfriend into eating some plain rice to settle his stomach before they left together. On the rail ride to Building Four, they sat together quietly, Seitarou gripping Kenshirou's hand, sitting his fingers occasionally to rub his dark skin.

The sudden ringing of Kenshirou's cell started then both, but the lieutenant moreso. He pressed his free hand to his chest, trying to calm the rapid being by taking deep breaths. Seitarou's grip on his boyfriend's hand didn't loosen in the slightest, so Kenshirou used his empty hand to slide his phone out of his pants pocket. He blinked in surprise at the screen, then answered the call and brought his phone up to his ear.

"Ken-Keeeeen! Why didn't you tell me Sei-chan got hurt! Is he okay? Are you okay? Where are you? Why isn't he answering his phone?!?!" Hitoshi launched directly into hysterics before his supervisor could even utter a greeting. One glance to the side showed him that Seitarou had heard every word and was curling in on himself.

"I-I turned off my phone..." he murmured, the only explanation he offered him.

"We're both fine, Hitoshi," Kenshirou assured his subordinate in a soothing tone similar to the one he used with Seitarou. "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you this morning what happened." That's right: Hitoshi had known that his supervisor was suspended for an altercation with an inmate when he handed the experienced guard his extra key to Seitarou's apartment, but he'd had no idea that Seitarou himself had been involved in that. "I didn't realize that you didn't know the full story. I'm sorry. How did you find out?"

"I came to Building Thirteen to pick Sei-chan up for his therapy appointment, and Hajime-chan told me that he sent him home, and why, and, oh, is Sei really okay?"

The sweet concern in Hitoshi's voice was accented by the texture of impending tears.

Is Sei really okay?

"He's still a bit shaken up by what happened," Ken answered honestly, lowering the volume of his voice. His blue-haired beauty was still silent beside him. "But we're on our way to his appointment now. We'll meet you there."

He ended the call then, not giving Hitoshi a chance to ask more questions. Beside him, Seitarou sighed softly.

"I don't... I don't think I want him to know that I..." Pink eyes stared at matching fingernails. "That I knew him, before Nanba. But"—he lifted his gaze to his boyfriend and murmured—"you put it in your report that we knew each other."

Oh. Oh.

Kenshirou hadn't meant to expose any part of his partner's personal life, to anyone at all. He had specifically omitted that information in his meeting with the warden last night.

"Hajime noticed that our reports didn't match," the lieutenant murmured numbly and looked away. "He made me fix mine, then sent me home."

If that tidbit of information was in the report, that meant the warden knew about their previous acquaintance and simply hadn't asked about it. Maybe she hadn't seen the detail as particularly relevant or worth investigating. An inmate reacting violently to a guard was no strange occurrence in and of itself, after all.

"I am so sorry, Seitarou." Ken squeezed his hand. "I did not mean to share your secret without your permission."

"It's okay." Sei forgave him with a wry smile that didn't reach his eyes. "You were just being honest, and I love that about you."

True Colors: Part 12

~

Seitarou was only at work for a couple hours before Hajime sent him home, deeming him emotionally unfit for duty. The lieutenant considered not going back to his apartment, where his doting boyfriend was waiting for him. He felt ashamed that he'd been dismissed from duty, ashamed that he thought Hajime might have been right to do so. He didn't want to linger in public either, though. The last thing he wanted was to be questioned by anyone that had heard about yesterday's incident. So the young lieutenant walked home with a wavering sense of urgency. He didn't want to explain to Kenshirou about his conversation with Hajime, but he didn't want to stay exposed outdoors.

He spaced out during the walk, and when he found himself in front of the door to his own apartment, his stomach clenched in uncertainty. What was he going to say? How was he going to explain this to Kenshirou? He took a deep breath, choosing to trust in his partner's kind heart, and opened the door.

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"Cloud Forest" • 5x7" • watercolor & ink

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Musashi #0634

Our beloved and traumatized Fire Son from Building Four. His closest friends are Kenshirou, Hitoshi, Jyugo, Rock, Liang, and Tsukumo. Is trying to help Jyugo find a real hobby, something he can be passionate about. No success yet.

Had a little bit of a crush on Kenshirou, which he confessed to when Seitarou first started trying to flirt with Kenshirou, but prefaced it with the knowledge that it's hopeless because he's an inmate. He supports Sei and Ken's relationship because he senses how happy Seitarou makes Kenshirou. Is constantly trying to pry more details out of Ken and enjoys making him get flustered.

Has decided to befriend Seitarou as well, and was surprised to be immediately and warmly received by Sei, despite Musashi previously teasing him. Ever since Seitarou made plushies for him of his childhood pet goats ("Socke" and "Steiffel"), Musashi has resolved to help him out by discouraging Cell 13 from bullying him or giving him a hard time. This is a recent development, so only time will tell if this will be effective or not.

Musashi teases the people he likes a lot, and gives the people he likes silly nicknames that end in -chan, but will go into very formal speech patterns if he senses that a relationship has been damaged or jeopardized.

Was volunteered to try teaching Nico how to read, and will attempt this once Sei and Ken have gathered together the right materials. Takes a bit of a "big brother" position to the younger inmates that he likes and tries to help them out and protect them when possible.

Is friends with Rock, Liang, and Tsukumo because he gravitates towards the combative types after dedicating himself to becoming Top Dog while in the prison system. Finds them to be a non-judgmental group of dudes that just want to get good at fighting for wholesome reasons.

Has a lot of mental health struggles currently and sees a therapist regularly. He's been through a lot, so that's not unusual. Has one of Kenshirou's old combat covers to sleep with as a weighted blanket, which helps with his nightmares. Kenshirou keeps him away from sharps ever since the "stapler incident."

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Seitarou Tanabata

Has been working at Nanba for four years now, started at the very bottom ranks and made it to lieutenant in just four years.

Voted #1 Most Handsome Man in Nanba every year he's been here, and is always flooded with Valentines from "secret admirers" and the female population of Nanba Island.

Sews all of the plushies for the claw machines in the arcade room, and the prison pays him for each one. He's got a side hustle going that's fun and much appreciated by the population. Does clothing commissions as well, mostly cosplay, dresses, and yukata or kimono.

Has one older sister that he's very close with, one older brother that he's never gotten along with, and one younger sister that he's friendly with. Relationship with his parents is amicable but strained in a way that nobody will actually talk about.

He is a little nervous around dogs, mostly due to his inexperience with them. Is a big cat person, and has a ginger cat named Sora from when he was a kid. Sora is his sweet girl and absolute buddy, and is now fifteen and living with his parents (no pets allowed at Nanba).

Only finished just under half of his degree at college; that entire experience was derailed by his abusive relationship with now-Inmate 409. He has had some anxiety his whole life, but his mental health has suffered long-term because of that relationship.

Never got professional help for his mental health until Ken recommended it, and is now seeing Dr. Kimura semi-regularly. Is about to get a regular schedule set for his appointments and be prescribed medication to help with his condition.

Absolutely adores tea, has a huge hoard of it, and prides himself in being able to accurately guess what kind of tea any given person might enjoy. Also loves all kinds of cooking, even dabbles in western recipes and loves making sweets as well.