Tanz

1. Goku and Cougarmon

I know from the very first time I wrote Chapter 1 that Cougarmon would be an important figure to Goku, just because Murasamemon was strong and muscular (Goku is fascinated with getting bulkier.) Yet throughout the first part, they actually don't seem to interact much. While this is partially because I had to smoothen things out with the other characters first, it was intentional as Goku was going through a "list" of thanking those that have helped him. Even though Cougarmon was one of the first who interacted with him, and got hurt to protect him Goku intentionally put him in the last, something Cougarmon noticed but did not talk about.

The situation from 12:31 storyline culminated in the Sin of Weakness storyline, a big whooping ten chapters later, where I finally got to focus on Goku and provide context through Cougarmon on what exactly he had been doing.

One thing I didn't expect was how emotional they (and me!) get with each other, and Cougarmon recognizes it's because Goku was actually a lot like Kyo when he was younger. Kyo himself thought, as seen in the anime, that Tomoro, after losing Asuka, was like Kyo, especially since both of them have powerful e-Pulses that had also been warped by negative emotions. Both of them certainly have similarities, but Kyo probably ended up projecting onto Tomoro more than he realized. (We don't know Kyo's full backstory yet, although it is increasingly creeping up.)

And Goku himself feels closest to Cougarmon. Closer to them than with Asuka, which I will ramble on down below. I do feel like Sin of Weakness and If There Were A God nicely wrapped up their reconciliation, even if they never used words to directly talked about their feelings. Which is fine, as that was why they ended up scuffling anyway. Goku, like who Kyo was in the past, wasn't good with words and feelings. That's why Cougarmon knew what Goku actually needed, even if it seemed violent and nonsense to Asuka.

2. Reina and Asuka

Reina and Asuka shared a bonding scene early on, and they honestly spend time together as often as Asuka does with Tomoro. I think it is quite sweet at how it came together, as Reina was the pivotal person to de-escalate the situation with MarineChimairamon in 12:31 storyline, all for the sake of Tomoro, who wanted to keep Asuka safe. And in the context of the fic, this came after the GIFT episode, where the hospital where Asuka was at was bombed and under a terrorist attack. Reina kept Asuka safe. To her, he was already part of her family.

Not much had been written about them together but it will come back soon! For now, know that they spent a lot of time together just jogging and talking (since Asuka has a lot of free time but couldn't risk leaving where cameras are at yet because of the Ministry looking into Cold-Hearted patients that woke up). Goku is way too active for both of them, and both Tomoro and Makoto are introverted. Reina feels a bit pressured talking to Kyo since they're also close colleagues, so with Asuka, she really gets to just talk freely. Asuka has also lived as a non-Cleaner for most of his life, which gives Reina a lot of insight of life in society that she finds interesting.

She's 100% told him of Haruomi "scouting" for rivals in hopes of getting Asuka to talk about his love life. Asuka was surprisingly honest but he was definitely hiding something still (huhuh i really want to write about them again soon!)

She's ridden on Asuka's hoverboard and wants one herself, too. It would fit her, for sure, especially with the recent episode!

3. Tomoro and Haruomi

Definitely the inspiration to ship Asuka and Haruomi in the first place. I love ragebaiter Haruomi, and Tomoro just referring to him as "that guy." Their dynamic is just so fun but also, went into a surprising wholesome turn, and it happened right at the beginning in Looking Back.

Maybe I didn't get to emphasize much. At that time, Tomoro was flying in happiness having his brother back. Everyone's noticed how different he was -- or maybe that this was who Tomoro was in the first place. Someone cheerful and chatty, open to making friends and work hard. Haruomi saw this, and was taken aback by how Tomoro opened up to him just like that. Maybe because their relationship had been "acquaintance" and in odd circumstances, Haruomi ended up doing something unlike him too, and cheered Tomoro up.

And like Tomoro, I think that is a glimpse of what Haruomi really is. Only Commandramon and Elizamon have really recognized who Haruomi was: someone kind, someone who would sacrifice himself like an idiot for others. Things the outward, lazy Haruomi would never do.

It's the small bits of Tomoro learning that Haruomi is actually into retro stuff like him (though he claims it was for practical purposes for his old job) and Asuka building a relationship with him (for helping him with Goku + tech stuff) that Tomoro ended up inadvertently opening up to Haruomi in Forgetful e-Pulse. And Haruomi, having warmed up to his increasing number of guests, and not wanting to reject this kid in need of a pair of listening ears, once more was uncharacteristically open to Tomoro.

And in culminated to Haruomi hinting something important about his past. But it wasn't something he was quite ready yet. Still, for their sake, Haruomi told them, though he still had to make it seem like he was pushing them away.

Haruomi has not been around but he'll come back...

4. Goku and Asuka

I wrote this fic because I wanted to write my two favorite sunshines getting along and....... they are getting along and yet, the distance is WIDE.

To be honest, I meant for them to already become close in If That's What You Want storyline. When Goku opened up to him at long last, it should be noted that it was Goku who took the courage to do this (pushing open the door after hesitating) while Asuka had to be nagged by Haruomi and Kyo. But Asuka... just kept pushing Goku away. And Goku definitely sensed that, which is why we see him blaming himself instead. Asuka realized this after Sin of Weakness. That Goku couldn't even recognize Asuka hurting him, so instead he thinks there's a problem with him, and Goku ends up spiraling to his insecurity of why he was abandoned.

Asuka is the damn problem. And that just seems so contradictory as Asuka is loving and already getting along with Reina. There's a lot of complicated things that's stopping Asuka, and it does have something to do with his past (in the fic), which may not seem major but it connects to his life after his parents were taken. I cannot say more as that is what would be explored in the upcoming later chapters.

I hope Asuka gets through it! Even though this "it" is me putting him through things... but he needs it. Otherwise, he and Goku would never grow together as partners who trust each other. Asuka has to face himself.

And honestly, this was definitely not something I exactly planned, especially since I planned for them to get close already much earlier on. Asuka had important involvement, yet...none of the scenes in the story so far was actually about him. So...there's that!

5. Makoto and Kyo

INFO:

YEP IM DOING IT ANOTHER DIGIMON BEATBREAK AND SAIYUKI CROSSOVER... but this time, it takes place in Saiyuki and I isekai the Tenma brothers into it. It's another canon au/fandom fusion. Since it takes place in Saiyuki, there would be more focus on Saiyuki setting, so not a lot of Digimon (kind of, can't say more.)

Unlike my other series, A Kingdom of Time, this would be shorter, focusing on how the brothers got there and why they're there, and pushing a bit on the Saiyuki plot side regarding the Minus Wave. I said "shorter" but it would probably be 50k words, hopefully max.

For when it'll come out, I'll start writing after I'm done with the current arc in A Kingdom of Time, which is possibly after Chapter 20ish.

There's no any planned ships here... but if any of them comes out, it's from the writing. *shrug emoji*

Besides the brothers and the Saiyuki gang, I can confirm Kougaiji and Sawashiro Kyo being important characters.

Protagonists of Stargazer would actually be connected to A Kingdom of Time. But it's only one-sided. AKoT is canon in PoS but PoS isn't canon in AKoT (I cannot explain why due to spoilers.)

Digimon Beatbreak: Tenma Asuka (Ch3), Tenma Tomoro (Ch1), Sawashiro Kyo (Ch1), Sakuya Reina (Ch1), Kuonji Makoto (Ch1), Sone Haruomi (Ch4), Kanada Genjo (Ch1), Kutsuna Kaito (Ch2), Sakai Honoka (Ch1), Kawarazaki (Ch6), Seraphy Naito (Ch14, Flashback), Klay Arslan (Ch14, Flashback)

Sin of Weakness storyline concluded with a lot of focus on Goku, and a surprise lore drop on Kyo and Cougarmon, Nirinso and the latest Saiyuki character, Sharak. While this closes on Goku’s trauma from the 12:31 storyline, it opens to Asuka’s trauma next, and explores the difficulty he and Goku are having from building a bond.

This was the storyline I was looking forward to writing the most. It’s essentially the closer for the first part, and the opener for the second. While the storyline is over, the arc itself is only halfway through.

Cougarmon was a character I knew would play a big role for Goku, who looked up to strong figures. I was happy I was able to finally tie together their previous interactions with him, and reveal their elaborate backstory of being Sharak’s Digimon, along with the Nirinso Temple, albeit only the surface of it. I’ll blab more on this as the whole backstory gets revealed.

The Tomoro and Goku interaction finally arrived and I didn’t get to explore more of what I wanted to happen due to plot/pacing. Like, why it took them so long. Because it was clearly needed for them, as Tomoro’s and Gekkomon’s experience resonated to what Goku had been insecure about.

The storyline touches a bit on Asuka’s insecurities and the next few chapters will tackle them head-on… Kind of. It’s complicated. But between him and Goku, something of a bond will culminate.

Besides those, the Digimon in the flashback were characters I loved to write. More will be known about them.

I highlighted the title a lot with the events that unfolded here - the many “sins” of being weak: