Statue Rentals #12: Home, Sweet Home

Mom is obviously a loving and thoughtful person, worried sick about her son, now daughter.

It occurs to me in hindsight that Anna should have been turned into a statue a few days ago so she would ready to install at the restaurant as soon as Stacy was removed from the restaurant. Was Brian saving money? Is there some policy Meredith has? Maybe no model was available? If I were smart, I'd write this down somewhere and make it a minor side conversation when I have a comic that's too short and needs a little something. If I were smart.

Transcribing these text messages is a bit annoying since there's four overlapping text objects to interleave: Left text, left timestamps, right text, right timestamps. If I were smart, I'd do that in presentation software and import it as an image. Instead I just use four text objects.

Transcript

ROW ONE (same layout as PAGE 11)

Panel 1 – Art Studio, the new model

Meredith: You’re Anna, right? I’m Meredith.

Anna: I love your work. That woman just now. Was she one of your statues?

Meredith: Yes. How could you tell?

Anna: Dust in her hair. And I recognized her. Tellani’s?

Meredith: Yes. You’ll be replacing her.

Anna: Sweet!

Panel 2 – Meredith’s apartment, bedroom

Meredith: Here’s the spare room. It’s yours as long as you need it.

Stacy: I hope I won’t need it too long.

Meredith: You should take a bath. There’s probably marble dust in your hair. Don’t ask me how that happens.

Meredith: You really need a good bra.

Stacy: I doubt any of yours would fit me.

ROW TWO

Panel 3 – Meredith’s apartment, bath

Stacy (thinking): A bath was too good an idea. So warm. This feels so good.

Stacy (thinking): I’m not used to these boobs. But, they don’t feel out of place.

Stacy (thinking): How could she say the Lord made me this way? Doesn't she remember carving them this way? Yeah, Mom and Aunt Lena have large breasts. And my cousin Sarah. But, chisels and a certain artist are to blame for their size, not genetics. Right?

Stacy (thinking): How does this feel so normal? Why am I not freaking out?

Panel 4 – Meredith’s apartment, sofa time

Noriko: How’s she holding up?

Meredith: I’m fairly certain she enjoyed her bath.

Stacy: Sorry, am I interrupting?

Meredith: No, no. We’re inseparable. But, I want you to feel welcome in my home.

Noriko: Did you ever talk to your mother?

Stacy: . . .

COLUMN THREE Phone Panel, text messaging app, history with contact called Mom

Stacy: I'm alive.

Mom: Finally. I was so worried you would end up as a permanent statue. You made a lot of money, I hope?

Stacy: It was well worth it.

Stacy: Remember when I was nine and you told me about my name?

Mom: Are you still mad about being named after my grandfather. Stacy is a boy's name, too.

Stacy: Still, you wanted a girl.

Mom: Why would you mention something like that now?

Stacy: Thanks to magic, your dream has come true.

Mom: You aren't making sense, Honey. What dream?

Stacy: This is me now.

Mom: All this time you claimed to be a statue? Were you getting that work done? I love you no matter what you look like or who you love, Honey.

Stacy: :rollseyes: :shakeshead: Mom!