XMACX Monthly | December 2024

It’s hard to believe that it’s already December. Despite all the ups and downs this year, it still really feels like 2024 flew by! There’s a lot to think about, so I’ll save it for a final year-end post. But first…

What’s Happening in December?

Just chugging along! First off, no poll this month! We should be relaxing and chilling and starting the New Year off fresh!

Last month, the OS update killed my MacBook so I had to delete everything — I mean everything — off my laptop and redownload the OS. Thankfully I only lost everything I worked on in September and October. Most things I worked on before then were backed up. Thank God. I spent the first half of November putting everything back together, downloading apps, setting up my CSP workspace, taking account of everything I had and everything I lost, yada yada blah blah blah. You get the picture. In the last two weeks, I spent time with family and cobbled together whatever I could for Froot Basket White’s development.

Here’s what I got done!

VN Dev | Froot Basket White

I am so so delighted to have finally been able to sketch out some CGs I am proud of! I cannot express how excited I am for you guys to see it when you play through Sutoro’s route! Here’s some snippets for fun!

I am also super happy I didn’t lose too much progress adding the voiced lines into the game. Literally the night before that dumb OS update, I had just added the last of the voiced lines. I would’ve been devastated if all that work was for nothing.

Now I’m just programming Sutoro’s expressions, drawing CGs, and working with the composer for some smooth bops to jam to while we’re swooning over Jesse’s performance as Sutoro. After all that, I’ll add those CGs in, add those tunes, finalize and tweak some things, draw some promo art and BAM! Release Sutoro’s Route for all the world to enjoy! The release date is tentatively some time in March, hopefully White Day itself because I know January and February will slip through my fingers.

Cover Story | Decorating Cookies

I wanted to draw a family together for December’s cover for the holiday season and Kiki & Mae (the Tsukimoto siblings) won the poll last month! They’re decorating gingerbread men! I thought that might be a fun thing to do! I imagine Kiki would decorate her gingerbread dude to look either like her favorite person, Satoru, or her idol and favorite character, Starborn. Mae on the other hand isn’t super into things like this. She’d likely try to follow some sort of rules, so I thought she’d try to make a traditional-looking gingerbread man. And with some encouragement from her sister — more like protest really — Mae would add some of her own flare to the decoration: a neutral expression rather than a smile… Yippee…

Decorating gingerbread houses or pals always seems like a fun holiday activity. I don’t do it every year, but when I do, I always try to build the perfect house or decorate the perfect gingerbread man. Of course, the house always collapses from the weight of the frosting and candy I pile on top, and the gingerbread man’s eyes never quite sit right on its face, BUT at least I gave it my best shot and had fun!

Other News…

I’m Stronk!

Super unrelated to creative endeavors, but I… LIFTED HEAVY THINGS IN FRONT OF PEOPLE AND THEY JUDGED HOW GOOD I DID IT. I mean, that’s essentially what happened. I competed in a powerlifting competition! Yayyy! It was tons of fun and everyone was so strong!

I think I’d totally compete again. I set some new PRs during the event so I’m really happy and proud of myself! Congrats to everyone who competed and big love to my coach and all the support and love from everyone I trained with! Can’t wait for the next one!

Next Month?

I’d like to make it a thing to always reserve January’s cover art for Kaimana because his birthday is on January 3. So that’s why there’s no poll this month! I’d like to also save all talk of creative dreams and goals next year for one last post on December 31st, so I’m wishing you a wonderful rest of your 2024 for now and a happy and warm holiday season! BIG BIG LOVE, BIG BIG MAHALOs because I wouldn’t have the confidence to continue making stuff if I didn’t have your support!

Much much Aloha,
xxAri