Maia Foster O'Neal

comics, crafts, feelings

Ace 101

Page 1 Panel 1: Establishing shot of the inside of a cat cafe. In front of a large bay window there are comfy couches and chairs, a coffee table, and a lamp. There are trailing pothos plants and softly glowing string lights hanging from the walls. It is dark outside, and the printed on window (reversed, so it’s read correctly by passersby on the street) are the words Feline Fine Cat Cafe. Two friends sit and chat amidst a scattering of cats. The friend in the armchair on the left has medium brown skin, a large curved nose with a stud in one nostril, hooded eyes, and an undercut that curls delightfully over their forehead. They are wearing a cropped golden vest that laces up in the front, a cream-colored shirt with puffy sleeves, brown cutoff shorts, and brown boots. The friend sitting on the couch in the middle of the room is cross-legged with a cat in their lap. They have lighter skin and freckles, monolid eyes, large wire-rimmed round glasses, a small nose, and dark purple hair in an overgrown pixie cut. They are wearing a black hat with an asexual pride flag on it (black, grey, white, and purple stripes), a purple sweater over a white collared shirt, dark purple jeans, and lavender slip-on shoes. Both friends have mugs of tea, and there is a teapot steaming on the small round coffee table in front of them. A cat perches on the back of the first friend’s chair, and another is loafing on the back of the couch behind the second friend. Friend #2: “--and that’s why I can’t go back, like, ever again.” Friend #1: “Completely fair. Speaking of fair: how was the maker faire?” Friend #2: “Rad! That’s where I got this sweet hat!” Friend #1: It’s… a pride flag… it’s on the tip of my brain–Oh! The Asexual flag! Panel 2: Closeup on the second friend’s head and the hat with the asexual pride flag on it. Panel 3: Closeup on the first friend’s face, smiling as they talk, lifting their steaming tea mug up. Friend #1: “You posted about being ace in April! Full disclosure: I googled it, but I’m still pretty vague on what asexuality *is*... I think it’s the “A” in LGBTQIA? But I still have, like, so many questions. Panel 4: The friends are chatting; the sleeping cat in second friend’s lap has opened its eyes and is looking upwards as the friend gestures with both hands, one of which is holding a steaming tea mug. Friend #2: I’d love to be your ace wiki for the day, if you’re down? Friend #1: Ohh, yes please! Friend #2: Great, this is my *jam*! Panel 5: Head-on closeup on the second friend, spreading their hands enthusiastically. Friend #2: Let’s *spill the tea* on asexuali-TEA!
Page 2 Panel 1: The first friend leans forward as they pet the cat that now stands on the coffee table, having vacated the second friend’s lap. The second friend holds the tea pot in one hand and their mug in the other. Friend #2: “So, what would you say attraction feels like?” Friend #1: “Hmm… I guess it’s like a strong pull towards someone?” Friend #2: “Totally! But it took some super personal chats with my allo– (non-ace)--friends to realize we meant different things when we talked about being into someone.” Panel 2: A small sign says “Build Your Own!” in a handwritten script. A box of empty tea bags sits next to it. In front of the sign and the tea bags are bowls full of tea ingredients: seeds, petals, leaves, etc. The bowls are labeled: sensual, romantic, sexual, aesthetic. Dialogue laid over the scene (friend #2 is speaking from off panel): “It turns out that *attraction* – that *pull*-- is made up of different parts. I’ve got romantic attraction *in spades*. It’s just that for me, romantic attraction isn’t linked to sexual attraction.” Panel 3: Friend one squints quizzically, gesturing with a pointed finger in the vague direction of friend two, who looks amused and cheerful as they wrap both hands around their mug. Friend #1: “So, when you feel drawn toward someone, you just don’t… have the desire to bone them?” Friend #2: “Pretty much! And that’s what asexual means: little to no sexual attraction!”
Page 3 Panel 1&2: Friend one looks a bit incredulous as they gesticulate with their free hand (the other hand still holds their steaming mug of tea). Friend two leans forward a bit, smiling gently as they answer. Friend #1: “Hold up… a ‘little’ bit of sexual attraction still counts as ace?” Friend #2: “Yeah, it’s not always an all-or-nothing thing. Some people experience sexual attraction rarely, or only under certain circumstances, or just at very low levels. It’s kind of a spectrum.” Friend #1: “I guess that tracks, very few things in life are totally black and white!” Panel 3: Friend number 2 stands on a blank pale blue background, gesturing towards an asexual pride flag that hangs in the air. Friend #2: “Exactly. That’s what the grey is for. Anyone who feels like they don’t totally vibe with a ‘typical’ allo experience is welcome, even if they’re in that grey zone between allo and ‘absolute zero’ sexual attraction.” Panel 4: Friend number one winks as they do finger guns. Friend #1: “Sounds like there’s lots of SPACE – in ACE!” Panel 5: Open panel that bleeds to the edges of the page. A silhouette of friend number two stands on the surface of a moon or planet, an asexual pride flag proudly planted next to them. They wave at a passing rocket ship against a backdrop of stars and planets. The rocket ship has an asexual pride flag painted prominently on its side. Friend #2: “Haha, yep! My ace experience might not be the same as someone else’s, but the label gives us a starting place for finding common ground.”
Page 4 Panel 1: The first friend turns to look thoughtfully in the opposite direction from their friend. Two cats sleep on a fuzzy bed attached to the wall, curled peacefully asleep up together. One is yellow and the other is mauve. The friend strokes their chin and raises their mug. Friend #1: “Something I still don’t get: you’ve talked about crushes and dates and stuff before. Are your dates just Netflix and *actual* chill?” Panel 2: Closeup on the second friend’s face as they casually lift one shoulder, hand in the air and smile on their face. Friend #2: “Haha, sometimes! But other times I *do* take it to the bone zone. For me, sex is often about emotional intimacy with my partner. Heck, sometimes I just need to scratch a biological itch, even if my body isn’t pointing me towards a specific person to get it done. Plus, for me, it feels good!” Panel 3: There are two round inset panels of each friend’s face so you can tell who is saying which bit of dialogue. The rest of the panel is three cats: one that happily approaches an outstretched hand, seeking head pats; one sitting and licking a paw, seemingly ignoring the outstretched hand; and one that’s hissing and arching its back, tail fully puffed out as it stares angrily and fearfully towards the outstretched hand. Friend #1: “Whoa, you actually *like* sex?” Friend #2: “Yeah, there’s even a word for it in ace space: sex-favorable. And whether sex-favorable, sex-indifferent, or sex-repulsed, all aces are still ace.”
Page 5 Panel 1: The second friend is visible from the chest up, hands outstretched joyfully. Behind them is a shelf full of jars and containers with lots of different labels: aceflux, demi, recipro-sexual, grey-sexual, aegosexual, cupio-sexual, litho-sexual, ficto-sexual, fray-sexual. Friend #2: “There are millions of ways to be ace! We can use increasingly specific microlabels to try to put words to our experiences, but the truth is: identity is dynamic and fluid and messy, and language is always evolving.” Panel 2: This is an inset panel, showing friend number one leaning forward in consternation, arms thrown wide and hands gesturing wildly. Friend #1: But…but… then what’s the point?!” Panel 3: The second friend scoops their hat off their forehead, which makes a “fwip” sound, and holds it lovingly over their heart. Friend #2: “Having a word for yourself is empowering! When I finally discovered the word asexual, it was such a huge relief! It gave depth and context to my sexuality, and connected me to a whole community of people like me, people who *get* me and celebrate this part of my identity. Being ace is something I LOVE about myself. It’s powerful and joyful and freeing.” Panel 4: The second friend places their hat back on their head. Friend #2: “I love it so much, I just wanna–” Panel 5: The second friend opens their eyes and points with both hands at their hat, now seated back on their head. Friend #2: “–wear it on my forehead.”

Copyright 2026 Maia Foster O’Neal

Ace 101

Page 1 Panel 1: Establishing shot of the inside of a cat cafe. In front of a large bay window there are comfy couches and chairs, a coffee table, and a lamp. There are trailing pothos plants and softly glowing string lights hanging from the walls. It is dark outside, and the printed on window (reversed, so it’s read correctly by passersby on the street) are the words Feline Fine Cat Cafe. Two friends sit and chat amidst a scattering of cats. The friend in the armchair on the left has medium brown skin, a large curved nose with a stud in one nostril, hooded eyes, and an undercut that curls delightfully over their forehead. They are wearing a cropped golden vest that laces up in the front, a cream-colored shirt with puffy sleeves, brown cutoff shorts, and brown boots. The friend sitting on the couch in the middle of the room is cross-legged with a cat in their lap. They have lighter skin and freckles, monolid eyes, large wire-rimmed round glasses, a small nose, and dark purple hair in an overgrown pixie cut. They are wearing a black hat with an asexual pride flag on it (black, grey, white, and purple stripes), a purple sweater over a white collared shirt, dark purple jeans, and lavender slip-on shoes. Both friends have mugs of tea, and there is a teapot steaming on the small round coffee table in front of them. A cat perches on the back of the first friend’s chair, and another is loafing on the back of the couch behind the second friend. Friend #2: “--and that’s why I can’t go back, like, ever again.” Friend #1: “Completely fair. Speaking of fair: how was the maker faire?” Friend #2: “Rad! That’s where I got this sweet hat!” Friend #1: It’s… a pride flag… it’s on the tip of my brain–Oh! The Asexual flag! Panel 2: Closeup on the second friend’s head and the hat with the asexual pride flag on it. Panel 3: Closeup on the first friend’s face, smiling as they talk, lifting their steaming tea mug up. Friend #1: “You posted about being ace in April! Full disclosure: I googled it, but I’m still pretty vague on what asexuality *is*... I think it’s the “A” in LGBTQIA? But I still have, like, so many questions. Panel 4: The friends are chatting; the sleeping cat in second friend’s lap has opened its eyes and is looking upwards as the friend gestures with both hands, one of which is holding a steaming tea mug. Friend #2: I’d love to be your ace wiki for the day, if you’re down? Friend #1: Ohh, yes please! Friend #2: Great, this is my *jam*! Panel 5: Head-on closeup on the second friend, spreading their hands enthusiastically. Friend #2: Let’s *spill the tea* on asexuali-TEA!
Page 2 Panel 1: The first friend leans forward as they pet the cat that now stands on the coffee table, having vacated the second friend’s lap. The second friend holds the tea pot in one hand and their mug in the other. Friend #2: “So, what would you say attraction feels like?” Friend #1: “Hmm… I guess it’s like a strong pull towards someone?” Friend #2: “Totally! But it took some super personal chats with my allo– (non-ace)--friends to realize we meant different things when we talked about being into someone.” Panel 2: A small sign says “Build Your Own!” in a handwritten script. A box of empty tea bags sits next to it. In front of the sign and the tea bags are bowls full of tea ingredients: seeds, petals, leaves, etc. The bowls are labeled: sensual, romantic, sexual, aesthetic. Dialogue laid over the scene (friend #2 is speaking from off panel): “It turns out that *attraction* – that *pull*-- is made up of different parts. I’ve got romantic attraction *in spades*. It’s just that for me, romantic attraction isn’t linked to sexual attraction.” Panel 3: Friend one squints quizzically, gesturing with a pointed finger in the vague direction of friend two, who looks amused and cheerful as they wrap both hands around their mug. Friend #1: “So, when you feel drawn toward someone, you just don’t… have the desire to bone them?” Friend #2: “Pretty much! And that’s what asexual means: little to no sexual attraction!”
Page 3 Panel 1&2: Friend one looks a bit incredulous as they gesticulate with their free hand (the other hand still holds their steaming mug of tea). Friend two leans forward a bit, smiling gently as they answer. Friend #1: “Hold up… a ‘little’ bit of sexual attraction still counts as ace?” Friend #2: “Yeah, it’s not always an all-or-nothing thing. Some people experience sexual attraction rarely, or only under certain circumstances, or just at very low levels. It’s kind of a spectrum.” Friend #1: “I guess that tracks, very few things in life are totally black and white!” Panel 3: Friend number 2 stands on a blank pale blue background, gesturing towards an asexual pride flag that hangs in the air. Friend #2: “Exactly. That’s what the grey is for. Anyone who feels like they don’t totally vibe with a ‘typical’ allo experience is welcome, even if they’re in that grey zone between allo and ‘absolute zero’ sexual attraction.” Panel 4: Friend number one winks as they do finger guns. Friend #1: “Sounds like there’s lots of SPACE – in ACE!” Panel 5: Open panel that bleeds to the edges of the page. A silhouette of friend number two stands on the surface of a moon or planet, an asexual pride flag proudly planted next to them. They wave at a passing rocket ship against a backdrop of stars and planets. The rocket ship has an asexual pride flag painted prominently on its side. Friend #2: “Haha, yep! My ace experience might not be the same as someone else’s, but the label gives us a starting place for finding common ground.”
Page 4 Panel 1: The first friend turns to look thoughtfully in the opposite direction from their friend. Two cats sleep on a fuzzy bed attached to the wall, curled peacefully asleep up together. One is yellow and the other is mauve. The friend strokes their chin and raises their mug. Friend #1: “Something I still don’t get: you’ve talked about crushes and dates and stuff before. Are your dates just Netflix and *actual* chill?” Panel 2: Closeup on the second friend’s face as they casually lift one shoulder, hand in the air and smile on their face. Friend #2: “Haha, sometimes! But other times I *do* take it to the bone zone. For me, sex is often about emotional intimacy with my partner. Heck, sometimes I just need to scratch a biological itch, even if my body isn’t pointing me towards a specific person to get it done. Plus, for me, it feels good!” Panel 3: There are two round inset panels of each friend’s face so you can tell who is saying which bit of dialogue. The rest of the panel is three cats: one that happily approaches an outstretched hand, seeking head pats; one sitting and licking a paw, seemingly ignoring the outstretched hand; and one that’s hissing and arching its back, tail fully puffed out as it stares angrily and fearfully towards the outstretched hand. Friend #1: “Whoa, you actually *like* sex?” Friend #2: “Yeah, there’s even a word for it in ace space: sex-favorable. And whether sex-favorable, sex-indifferent, or sex-repulsed, all aces are still ace.”
Page 5 Panel 1: The second friend is visible from the chest up, hands outstretched joyfully. Behind them is a shelf full of jars and containers with lots of different labels: aceflux, demi, recipro-sexual, grey-sexual, aegosexual, cupio-sexual, litho-sexual, ficto-sexual, fray-sexual. Friend #2: “There are millions of ways to be ace! We can use increasingly specific microlabels to try to put words to our experiences, but the truth is: identity is dynamic and fluid and messy, and language is always evolving.” Panel 2: This is an inset panel, showing friend number one leaning forward in consternation, arms thrown wide and hands gesturing wildly. Friend #1: But…but… then what’s the point?!” Panel 3: The second friend scoops their hat off their forehead, which makes a “fwip” sound, and holds it lovingly over their heart. Friend #2: “Having a word for yourself is empowering! When I finally discovered the word asexual, it was such a huge relief! It gave depth and context to my sexuality, and connected me to a whole community of people like me, people who *get* me and celebrate this part of my identity. Being ace is something I LOVE about myself. It’s powerful and joyful and freeing.” Panel 4: The second friend places their hat back on their head. Friend #2: “I love it so much, I just wanna–” Panel 5: The second friend opens their eyes and points with both hands at their hat, now seated back on their head. Friend #2: “–wear it on my forehead.”