Chapter V: In the still of the night

[spqrblues]

This extra comic almost didn't happen, but some miscreants (you ladies know who you are) encouraged it.

It's saucy, but not completely scandalous; four words: "carefully placed word balloons." Click on Venus to continue. Or don't click, if you feel some things should be private...

Read it now; I might lose courage and delete it.




If anyone asks you, Petronia Iusta is well over the of-age age in her (or your) jurisdiction. Should someone ask.

Fate also tried to stop this comic from happening. I sleepily overwrote the high-resolution file when I woke up this morning and had to recreate parts, so some of it might look blurry. Maybe that's how I want it to look. Yes. Yes it is.

Comments

[zeus67.livejournal.com]

Please don't delete it. It is not racy, nor scandalous. It is quite artistic and there are racier things depicted in main time tv.

I'd rather liked that Iusta was about 16-17. It is close to what a wealthy young roman woman would be on her first marriage and it brings out how mature she had become after enduring Vesuvius wrath.

She is a mother now, even if it is a step-daughter. But Felicia very likely looks upon her as her mother.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Mayhap I'll reword the disclaimer.

Even the brief length of time that Iusta thought she'd be responsible for the little baby almost on her own, while trying to look out for herself after everything she knew had been eaten by the angry volcano, surely gave her a big jolt of forced maturity.

[zeus67.livejournal.com]

I bet that it was little Felicia the one who keep Iusta from despair. She had to be brave to the little girl that lost her mother and for a while her father as well.

::applauds::

[northwestmagpie.livejournal.com]

Beautifully done. :D

Re: ::applauds::

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Thank you :}

Re: ::applauds::

[northwestmagpie.livejournal.com]

I love the fact that they also worried about the cat. :)

[dr-phil-physics.livejournal.com]

This. Is. Gorgeous.

Perfectly acceptable under the circumstances.

Nice to know they're thinking about the cat.

Dr. Phil

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

:) Thanks

They've all bonded. Even if the kitten's tiny fluffy memory can't quite recall why.

[dr-phil-physics.livejournal.com]

Cats are like that.

It's the bears that get confused.

Do i remember once there was a cow on an arch?

Dr. Phil

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

First there was a cow (http://10kd.outsidefood.com/images/20051015.gif).

Then it was a bear (http://spqrblues.com/IV/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/spqrblues_fcbd2007.png).

Yes, that's definitely a bear (http://spqrblues.com/IV/?comic=chapter-i-39).

[rosefox]

Read it now; I might lose courage and delete it.

That's a very long-winded way of saying "Download and archive this", which I suspect many of us would do anyway. :)

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

When it comes time for the big splash-page banquet scene at the imperial palace with semi-clad gladiators, topless Egyptian contortionist nose-flute players, and ocelots trained to serve the wine goblets, you're going to want to grab that one right away....

[amedia.livejournal.com]

When it comes time for the big splash-page banquet scene at the imperial palace with semi-clad gladiators, topless Egyptian contortionist nose-flute players, and ocelots trained to serve the wine goblets, you're going to want to grab that one right away....

Now you're just teasing us! You would draw that splendidly.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Challenge accepted.

Domitian is going to want to party to destress from all the not-working and not-running-a-legion he's been doing.

[amedia.livejournal.com]

w00t! Huzzah! Euge!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_w_o_o_d_/]

I'm not sure the cat is old enough to hear about such things!

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

It will probably just go something like:

Iusta: Persephone, there's something important we'd like to tell you.

Felix: You see, kitten, when two grown-ups love each other very much...

Persephone: (runs off chasing a bug)

Iusta: Persephone--

Persephone: (runs off to catch a piece of lint)

Felix: Kitten--

Persephone: (falls asleep)

[zeus67.livejournal.com]

That is what cats want you to believe. But they know everything that happens around them. They do.

[northwestmagpie.livejournal.com]

And then they gossip about it. Little sneaks.

And have the gall to look adorable the next time so you don't toss them out on their pointy little ears.

[dr-phil-physics.livejournal.com]

You know how in action movies the couple thrown together suddenly decides to make out when the volcano is blowing? I hate that.

This is so much more realistic.

Dr. Phil

[helwen.livejournal.com]

Beautifully done.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

Belated thanks!

[amedia.livejournal.com]

This is really lovely! I love the mixture of clear/sharp and fuzzy/vague (that might not be the best way to describe it--cloudy?) and the way you've arranged them on the page.

[meritahut.livejournal.com]

:) Photoshop was definitely was my friend for this one!