This one's special because it's not an art piece - it's a drabble! Yes, I actually managed to finish one of my damn W.I.Ps. I was originally gonna finish this one for Valentine's Day, but the Eunara brainrot was too strong 😅
And not only is it a drabble, it's a drabble inspired by one of maomaosmother's own drawings! Yes, Lexi, you're one of my inspirations too. ^ ^
[For context this takes place like right after Mao and BC came to the Valley, like right before Breakup]
"Badgerclops?"
"Hmm?"
The cyborg turned his attention to Mao, who bore a slightly curious look on his face. One gloved hand rested on his chin, while the other laid on the table before him.
"Do you ever wonder what other people think about you?"
"I guess I do, sometimes. Why?"
I love you.
The cat glanced back down to the table, tapping his fingers against the oak in a rhythmic pattern.
"I don't know. I guess it'd be interesting if I knew what others really thought of me."
I love you.
Badgerclops stared into his friend's emerald eyes just a little bit longer, racking his brain for a decent reply, before simply averting his gaze back to the plastic cup in his hand.
"That'd be neat."
I love you so much, it could kill me.
"I know what I think about you, Mao Mao!"
The duo turned to face the fluttering blue bat hovering towards them. The sheriff smiled as she approached.
"And what's that, lil' deputy?"
Adorabat took in a deep breath as she prepared herself to speak.
"I think you're one of the coolest, awesomest, legendary-est heroes EVER!"
"Aww. Thanks, Adorabat."
Mao patted her head in a show of gratitude, and Badgerclops smiled to himself as well.
You're so much more than that.
Then she glanced at his older deputy, a sly twinkle in her eyes.
"And I think Badgerclo–"
BWEEP! BWEEP! BWEEP!
The all-too-familiar drone of the Monster Alarm filled the room, and the two heroes leapt to their feet as their student swiveled around to face the sound.
"The Monster Alarm!" The swordsman bellowed, unsheathing his katana and gesturing towards the garage, "Get ready, y'all!"
"Yeah!"
"You got it!"
I wish I could tell you.
And with a rush of wind and water they were off, flying towards the town of Pure Heart Valley.
Badgerclops focused upon Mao in the front, watching how his cape flowed with the winds and how his steely gaze fixated itself on the town ahead.
If only he could move the hand that was currently placed on the cat's shoulder to his chin, and tilt his head to face him, and–
But what do I know?
Just as quickly he pulled his hand back into place, turning away to stare at the forest below, his brief smile leaving as soon as it appeared.
You get 1 (non-scanned) comic for the price of 2 yey! Also if the writing seems a bit wonky here, tell me and I'll fix it
This comic was mainly inspired by how Adorabat is referred to by he/him pronouns in the scrapped version of the pilot and a post promoting "I Love You, Mao Mao: Bao Bao's Revenge"
[CW: unintentional misgendering/misnaming]
Text for anyone who can't see it:
Sonara: (talking to Muffins) I'm sure Jeremy would love to have a playdate sometime! He really needs more friends his age.
Eugene: (talking to Adorabat's teacher) And you said Jeremy's doing well in his classes? That's great! Is he getting along with his classmates?
Sonara: Why don't you wanna be in the school play, Jeremy?
Eugene: They cast you as the Prince!
Adorabat: (Grrrrrrr...)
Adorabat: BECAUSE I'M NOT A BOY! I'M A GIRL!
Sonara & Eugene: Oh...
Eugene: Why didn't you tell us earlier?
Adorabat: Sorry...
Sonara: It's okay, sweetie! We didn't know.
Sonara: What would you like us to call you?
Adorabat: I'm...
Adorabat: I'm ADORABAT!
[Hit the image limit, will reblog w/ the final panel]
(Also no shade on anyone named Jeremy, I was thinking of a normal-sounding name that was related to gemstones & I derived Jeremy from Jeremejevite)
Now for an unexpected merge - Day 4 and Day 6: New Pronouns and Festival!
(Well, in the comic they're getting ready to go to a festival, so I think it counts?)
Get ready for a hc you probably wouldn't expect. Or maybe you would expect it, from me.
I'm a simple person. I see a character with the same mental disorders as me, I PROJECT more than Badgerclops projected onto Bobo-Chan.
(Once again, sorry if the writing seems wonky.)
(For context, the Sheriff's Department is getting ready for a pride festival and invited 'gene to join them. While him and BC are waiting for Mao and Adorabat to get ready [Mao is helping Adorabat make her costume], 'gene gets curious and asks BC some questions.)
Dialogue Transcript:
When did you realize you were a demiguy?
Dunno, just came to me.
Just came to you?
I dunno how to explain it, really. It's like, I was fine with being a guy, but at the same time I didn't feel like just a guy? You know?
...Nah, that probably doesn't make any sense.
Hmm.
No, I understand.
I...kinda feel that way, too.
Hey, y'all!
? ?
Mx. Adorabat's gonna be testing out they/them pronouns for today!
This was partially inspired by a lot of chex-nix's comics, so go check them out!
BC's little tangent is based on how I felt about myself, especially around middle school age. Like, I felt like a girl, but at the same time I didn't. But I didn't feel like a boy, either. And that's why I call myself a demigirl now! :)
Another inspiration is that if 'gene were to appear in S2, I think it would make sense for him to have an arc where he realizes how dependent he was on Sonara and Adorabat, and learns to be more independent. In the process, maybe he could learn more about himself, and how to be brave in his own way!
Idk why, but I hc that he's either demiboy or bigender & uses He/She/They/Ae pronouns! It just fits him for some reason :) (Probably because I project onto him, lol) ((this isn't a "Your dad is gnc af" joke this hc came to me before I heard of that meme))
(Btw the gay flag I used for Badgerclops's sash is by dueling-jesters, I've seen people complaining about the blue gay flag & I thought this one looked pretty ^ ^)
((Also I would've used the new bi flag for Mao but I was worried that I wouldn't be able to fit all the stripes so I defaulted to the old one. The new one is by smatterbrain on Twitter and its really nice!))
Aka me literally just infodumping about my Ocs because I love them ♡
Brought to you by Colorvision! Yep, I decided to get off my lazy butt and color traditionally today :)
First off, Tiara Depurrnaire (She/Her)! A Sweetypie cat who's partially related to the Snugglemagne family and, in my timeskip AU, Adorabat's future girlfriend. Like Adorabat, she lost her leg to a monster while wandering the King's dungeons. She aspires to be just as brave as Adorabat but lacks the gall, being content to watch and learn from the sidelines. As they both get older Tiara realizes that she is a lesbian, and develops a mutual crush on Adorabat that turns into a relationship. As she ages, Tiara' aspirations to become a hero fade, and she settles for becoming a ballet teacher. She learns to be brave in her own way and unconditionally supports her monster-slaying adventuring partner, no matter how their paths diverge.
T H E Y (Also I need to post my full adult Adorabat design sometime)
Next up is Sherbet (They/Them), a Sweetypie rabbit who makes ice cream for a living! I don't really have a backstory for them but I believe they realized they were nonbinary in their younger years (around early middle school age) and have fully embraced their identity! They don't let anything get them down and are eager to cheer up the citizens of Pure Heart Valley, one ice cream cone at a time. They're also good acquaintances with Badgerclops and Adorabat, for obvious reasons. Their eyes function similarly to Badgerclops', as they only open when they feel strong emotions.
Next (and honestly one of my favorites) is Moa Nola (Xe/Xem), an agender Oriental Shorthair cat who, surprisingly, isn't related to the Mao clan. Xe originally started off as a joke character based on the misspelling of Mao Mao's name in "I'm Mao Mao", but I eventually grew attached to xem and gave xem a full-fledged backstory. Xe comes from a family of fishermen, but after xyr father was killed in a monster attack, xe decided that xe wanted to become a legendary monster hunter. Xe created xyr cloak after xyr first successful monster fight. After being mistaken for the son of Shin Mao too many times, xe used it to xyr advantage and began going under Mao Mao's title for a while. However, after being stopped by Mao Mao himself, xe dropped the act and began looking for a new sense of purpose. Ironically, xe starts collecting antique ventriloquist dummies similar to Mr. Din Danalin.
Following up on the "based on a misspelling" theme is Rhapsody (She/They), a femme-aligned nonbinary Sweetypie vampire bat inspired by Adorabat's name being mistranslated as "doorbat" in YouTube autocaptions. She is Adorabat maternal cousin, as their mother is Sonara's sister. Rhapsody was heavily impacted by Sonara's death, but rather than becoming tough like Adorabat or overprotective like Eugene, she became more reserved out of fear that they could be next. In other words, she became a doorbat (haha funny). With the arrival of Mao Mao and Badgerclops, plus the defeat of the monster that killed their aunt, Rhapsody begins to come out of her shell and indulges in their biggest passion - music. Like Adorabat she learns to use their voice as a weapon, but hers is more of a siren's song than a sonic screech. In my timeskip AU, they leave Pure Heart Valley to become a popstar, writing songs inspired by her childhood memories and their home. It's obscured by the flag but the marking on her chest is a bleeding heart, emphasizing her passionate drive.
(Rhapsody's kid and adult forms [kinda old])
+ OCs of mine I didn't feel like making alternate drawings for:
Buzz-Buzz (Zhe/Ze/Zhey), a demigender Sweetypie bumblebee bat who protects the bees of Pure Heart Valley! Despite zer small stature, zhe is actually an adult, just naturally small. Zhe also grows herbs on the side and volunteers at the Pure Heart Valley hospital. Primarily because zhe has a crush on the head doctor there... (I did not make zer to selfship with Cuddlestein. Nope. Not at all.)
My Badgermao "fankid", Sai (They/He/It)! I say "fankid" in air quotes because they're from an AU where Badgerclops' spare arm became corrupt and gained a conscience. Their robot arm is actually their body - the rest of their body is a projection of light, similar to the gems from Steven Universe! They have masculine programming (as their AI was made using Badgerclops's DNA a la Cortana from Halo), but identify as agender and use they/he/it pronouns. Originally they began as a blank slate with no personality aside from the programmed personality Badgerclops gave them, but they eventually grow their own personality and moral compass as they analyze the Sheriff's Department's work. Just like Badgerclops, they have a passion for building robots and weapons, and can even modify themselves to fit the situation! Most of their creations are usually for fun, though.
Anf the last one I have a reference for but not the least, Karma Vesper (She/They)! This one is actually my self-insert, lol. She is a biro-ace demigirl Javanese Cream-Point Cat! Her necklace was a gift from her family, and her hood was a gift from her mentor. After her village was ambushed by criminals, she became a wandering hero, and accidentally stumbled upon Pure Heart Valley while following a report of increased monster activity. At some point during her adventures alone she realized that she was biro-ace, since she felt no sexual attraction but still felt romantic attraction. Around the time she came to Pure Heart Valley she realized that she never really felt, like, 100% a GIRL girl (if that makes sense) and began identifying as a demigirl. (Yes this is my hidden self-actualization story :>) She enjoys researching gemstones and ancient artifacts, and the Ruby Pure Heart immediately caught her attention once she laid eyes on it. While she is still a wandering hero, she has a temporary residence in Pure Heart Valley, where she stays to research the Heart's powers as well as assist the townspeople. Her and the Sheriff's Department didn't start out on the best terms since Mao was worried she was trying to replace them, but they tolerate each other now.
+ the OCs I don't have references for:
I did have a reference for these guys but idk where it is rn ;-;. Anywway, my most recent OCs and also some of my favorite OCs are Bernard and Pierre, a black bear and polar bear respectively (both use He/Him)! They are both gay and in a healthy relationship & live in a cabin in the forest together. They are just. Two old gay granddads and I love them. Anyway! They both met after an accident which caused Bernard to blow out his left knee and Pierre to lose his left hand; they had been best friends since, and boyfriends later on! Bernard is a baker while Pierre is a wood carver, although they indulge in each other's interests as well. For the most part they just stay in their cabin in the forest, but they leave to buy groceries and sell their products.
And the final OC I'm gonna talk about is Storm Mao (They/Them)! They're from an AU where Mao was born in a litter of five, like his sisters. Ever since Storm were young, they felt like weren't "normal" compared to their siblings. They didn't feel like a girl or a boy. After Mao came out as a trans boy, they began questioning themselves further. Eventually they decided to ask Contacts Sister for help, as she was among the smartest of the Mao children. Contacts explained to Storm that there are people who don't identify as a boy or a girl, and Storm realized they weren't alone. Since then, they started identifying as nonbinary and began using they/them pronouns, and their family supported their decision. Aside from them and Mao, their litter siblings are also LGBTQ+ - Mamoru (He/Him) is AroAce, Bernadette (She/Her) is bi and Zhijun (He/Him) is gay. I'd talk about the AU more in a separate post, if anyone wants me too^ ^;;
If I remember any other LGBTQ+ OCs I have, I'll reblog with them ✌
This one is based on my own experiences as an ace person, so I'm gonna slap a content warning for aphobia on this one.
[CW: Aphobia, s*x mention, ableism]
[Note: the red text boxes aren't any canon character, they just represent negativity towards aspec people]
[Dialogue transcript:
How do you know you're ace if you haven't had s*x?
But you'll have to have s*x some time!
You'll get over it eventually.
A relationship without s*x is meaningless!
Do you even love?
You just need to find that special someone!
But you're too attractive to be ace!
SCREW Y'ALL!
I'M ACE AND PROUD!
End transcript]
As I said in the intro, this comic is inspired by my experiences as an ace person. For a long as I can remember I've never felt s*xual attraction, nor enjoyed anything related to s*x (such as smut, NSFW art, mature movies, etc.). At first I thought it was normal, until I realized everyone else didn't feel the same way as I did. At first I figured it may be due to my neurodiversity, but my siblings are neurodivergent and they experience s*xual attraction. That's when I discovered that I was asexual!
The first person I openly told I was ace was a therapist I had while I was in foster care. She proceeded to invalidate me, saying that I'd just get over it and that I'd have to have s*x some time. It pained me to be utterly ridiculed by someone who's job was to make me feel better - but then again, this was the same woman who told me straight to my face that I couldn't possibly have PTSD because I was only physically abused for 16 years and she saw her best friend die in a car accident. Trauma ain't a goddamn contest, people.
I've seen plenty of aphobia online and offline, such as people framing our sexuality as if it's a "choice", something we'll "grow out of" or that we'll change our minds if we meet "that someone". I didn't make the choice to be born without s*xual attraction. I'm 20 - going on 21 - and I'm still asexual. I've dated like 3 guys in my lifetime, and - guess what! - I'm still asexual. It's exhausting to see other LGBT+ people spew out the same rhetoric against aspecs that was used against gay, lesbian, bi, pan, trans and nonbinary people without so much as thinking "Hey, isn't this a little f*cked up?"
So you know what? I'm ace. I'm s*x-repulsed and abstinent. My orientation isn't a decision that I can just change on a whim. S*x =/= love, LOVE = love. I'm ace, and I'm goddamn proud of it!
Tangent over, now why I chose Mao specifically:
Hehehehe projecting onto comfort character go brrrrrr
Mao doesn't really seem like the type of guy to be preoccupied with the thought of starting a family or anything along those lines - if anything he's just focused on becoming a legend, and the only family he makes is the family he finds along the way. He treats Adorabat like his own daughter and expresses grief when she's hurt or taken away from him, even if she's not his flesh-and-blood.
In Meet Tanya Keys, when Tanya keeps mock-flirting with him he barely reacts - if anything, he looks uncomfortable. He does blush briefly when Adorabat asks if he likes Tanya, but that doesn't exactly mean that they dated in the past - he's blushed out of embarrassment several times prior to this episode. Before you go "He told the King he loved him!" or "Then why couldn't he stop thinking about BC?", love =/= s*x. Also in Enemy Mime he makes fun of BC for flirting with the Mimic Blob sooo–
Not to be stereotypical or anything but I just really think it fits his straightforward, no-nonsense personality. "Why would I do that when there's monsters to slay, criminals to capture and people to save?" is probably his modus operandi
Literally the only suggestive joke he makes is about a tray of cobbler. I'm not saying ace people don't make s*x jokes (because I do too sometimes) but if this guy only jokes about screwing cobbler what makes you think he'll screw another person
Tangent no. 2, aside, had fun on this! Had fun on all my art for this contest honestly, but this one especially because purple and katana. I'm an ace that loves purple and katanas. I'm a walking stereotype.
Also for the bottom pose, I referenced the scene from Weapon Of Choice when he uses the Lunar Lash for the second time! Nice image 👌
