Meao-ixuí teeth concepts

Can you tell me more about Jiji and his species? I love their design!

Hello!! Yeah sure! Jiji is a meao-ixuí! They're those guys:

Jiji being the white one here:

Meao-ixuí are a species I'm revamping from some really old concepts I used to draw. I LOVED long eared, flat faced creatures and I made a thousand of them - some were their own species, some not. Heres some ideas from 2008/2009:

They're more recognisable as meaos in 2010:

Since they weren't really a single species but a set of features I enjoyed drawing, I never really wrapped them up as a single thing. So back last year 2019 or so I decided to turn those concepts I been drawing for over a decade into a species, the name being "meao" which is a silly way of writing "miau" (meow in portuguese) because thats what me and @mirtiloart called everything in our teens. So I'm kinda honouring my teenager self with that name. Theres more than one way to draw meaos - long and flat faced, and thats where the -ixuí suffix comes. Meao-ixuí are long faced ones, and meao-xatpan are flat faced ones. Heres a flat faced one from 2009 btw:

So! Their current design and lore isn't fully developed yet. I have thought a lot of little things about their culture and species, but its not a complete puzzle yet. I can for sure say so far is that they're from the tropics, are sentient, they're from a world with multiple sentient species and they're kinda the oddball there for being the only one around whos gynandropmorphic. They're marsupial-like, having pouches, and have some cool thylacoleo-like teeth:

This one is from 2019 and I've since then tuned the teeth a bit down but its still a fun way to draw it! (I've also noticed I didn't post this here which I will do after this ask) They're not very widespread in their world and often keep close to their traditional territories. Traveling around the world is a bit dangerous for them as certain things that are common in sentient communities is toxic to them - mostly things other species like to smoke so they can't really avoid it. Jiji travels as a nomad merchant with that yellow xoywren in the chibi picture, his name can be either Little Bee, Igutsak or Mayanga. Jiji is very skilled with weaving and embroidery, and since certain gatherings are dangerous for her health, its often Igutsak doing the negotiations. Personality wise, Jiji is a very chill meao. Shes often observing things in the background, but will jump in any conversation - invited or not - if she finds an opportunity for profit. Shes often the one giving ideas while Igutsak executes them. She and Igutsak adopt a human kid in their story (which is a very fun way to develop how different species deal with their offspring), and she was the one who noticed an abandoned baby hidden in a dense forest area. Igutsak is the one who nurses the kid, so heres again she being the brains while hes the action. Oh also, their world doesn't has currency. Negotiations are done by trading time, services and items. Jiji is often carrying a thousand things around in her basket backpack, which is what she is wearing in the chibi. Also the red markings on her are make-up! Meaos do that to protect bare skin areas from the sun, and also to look cool.

Some cloth concepts for meao-ixuís. Intricate clothing for adults, and simple clothing for kids. And tail socks! Their tail drags on the floor often, so theyd probably wear something to both protect the tail and not make it dirty. Tail socks would have patterns on the top part, and the bottom part would be dark and plain.

Xoy guy & Jiji minis

Minis of my ocs! An yet unnamed xoywren, Jiji the meao-ixuí and their human baby. A couple of sentient creatures whose behaviour, biology and cultures are almost entirely different from those of the humans in their world trying to raise a human kid is a fun thought i've been playing with. Oh and they don't know anything about humans either, other than that they're the local tall & naked guys. Meao-ixuí & xoywren are species by me

Just a friendly meao ixuí with a very cute pattern Meao ixuís are a species im developing, you can check more abt them here

Meaos are a species i been working in! Theyre really old (like from 2007 lol) n i been revamping them. You can check the whole progress in my patreon! Its been nice to give this species a second look after so long, back then they werent even a species just a set of features i liked and used to draw often. I kinda dropped them for a long time because i thought there wasnt anything unique abt them. But i guess i grew up not caring much about uniqueness and now am doing what i like for fun lol