August Bulletin & WIPs 2022 (Patreon)

Hello Hello Starlights,

Time has fled from us so quickly, suddenly we find ourselves wrapped in torrid summer heat and stretched daylight. The white plastic fan dutifully provides streams of cool air and nonstop ambiance as we sit at our desks.

Occasionally we like to do what we call “heat therapy”. We sit on the porch when the Earth has fully manifested into an oven, and we bake. Stress and anxiety melts in summer’s uncomfortable hug and we emerge from the atmospheric weighted blanket, calmed, for the time being.

We’re on the verge of completing Chapter 12 of Novae, with a slight head start on the next chapter. With so much intensity furled into the last 30 pages or so, we’re excited for a slight change of pace. There will be more space for quietness and introspection in the upcoming segment. A promise of world-building, tender moments between friends and lovers, and feelings that brim and spill. A brief, but much needed respite in the coming plot. (Phew)

After the pages are finished each week, we’ve been trying to catch up on some of the Constellation merch. A Sulvain and Vivi magnet are in the works, and we hope to finish them by this month.

 There are also a couple of illustrations we’ve been working on as well. But getting the pages out is always our priority so it’s been a little slow going. Though it’s been nice to be able to sit with these pieces for longer and come to a good place with them before they reach your doorstep.

There’s always been a sense of finality when it comes to finishing an illustration. My feelings on the piece can no longer be shapeless, it settles into something more permanent, more concrete. So, when the time comes to finally unclutch my hands, I’d like that closure to be one of joy and content. And having the space with an illustration helps so much.

We’ve both been in thoughtful moods lately, and with those thoughts, a deep sense of gratitude. We’ve been thinking about how much life you all have breathed into Novae. Your care for the characters and the world and investment in the plot has given us so much strength. A deep and personal strength that keeps our spirits high throughout the day. We’re so happy to have met all of you through Novae.

Despite the heat, we hope you all have been having a good summer (and a good winter for those in the southern hemisphere!) We have been enjoying all the fruit the season has to offer. Cold watermelon is the best for relaxing to camping YouTube videos. Now that its August, peaches are in season! I like the white grassy peaches, and Kate likes the juicy yellow ones. She likes to slice them up and put them on a piece of sugar toast. What fruit do you all like to eat in the summer and how do you like to prepare it?

More to come soon, until then, keep shining Starlights!

~Jen and Kate