Both good, and are different in ways that allow for stories to arise (see below).
Dad II's hair is a little weird. It's almost above the clip ridge on his skull.
I have never really liked the sleeve used for Dad II and Mom II. Not sure why. It never seems to quite fit with any klicky.
Boy I's gold shoes have always seemed
de trop. I like the rest of his togs though. I suppose short trousers might be more suitable and create a better contrast with Girl I.
Boy II's neck lacing seems a little anachronistic, but what do I know about Roman children's clothing? By the same token Girl II's plunging neckline seems maybe off but who knows?
I like that Boy I and Girl I have matching belt buckles. Some sort of clan tradition.
STORY PART
Family I is clearly a family from some old Roman patrician line. They dress rather austerely, in traditional fashion. II are
nouveaux riches, maybe foreign, possibly Greek. They are attired in splendid clothing, dyed in expensive colors and trimmed elaborately with gold.
Paterfamilias I is young but has a bright political future. He is probably a quaestor or tribune and will be a senator when he's older. He writes, essays on public morals and some sober verse, and may have been quoted by Cicero in the Senate once.
Paterfamilias II is a wealthy merchant. He's got interests all over the empire - grain, slaves, garum, you name it. He likes his wine and his games, but he's a shrewd dealer even in his cups.
Materfamilias I is a virtuous Roman wife of the old way. Not fond of parties, she prefers to spend her time ordering her family's domestic affairs thriftily and punctiliously. She's not above getting her hands dirty in the garden or the kitchen. Her silver jewellery are not exactly
a la mode, but they were handed down from her grandmother. Likewise her pottery bears an old family insignia.
Materfamilias II is gregarious and ambitious. She's a great socializer and throws lots of parties. She doesn't quite know everyone there is to know in Roman society, but she will soon. She loves purple, and wears elaborate blonde wigs. Much of her domestic pottery is in fact carved out of marble, which is slightly gauche but she pulls it off somehow.
Filiusfamilias I is serious boy who applies himself to his studies of war and history. He knows the stories of his ancestors and wants to live up to the standards they set.
Filiusfamilias II is rambunctious and loud. His parents dote on him and he's used to getting what he wants - he's a little spoiled. He's wearing play togs because he likes to roughhouse.
Filiafamilias II is a quiet, watchful girl. She takes meticulous care of her doll. She is often by her mother's side, helping around the house. She especially likes to perform the little daily rituals for the
lares and
penates. Her necklace is an old family treasure.
Filiafamilias II is cheerful and laughs a lot. She even teases people when the mood takes her. She prefers playing outside in the gardens to indoor pursuits, and is known to make a mud pie now and again, only to push it over and run off to find something new to amuse herself with.
