no thoughts all the time

Also little note, I only recognised the composition of the two drawings being almost identical AFTER finishing both of them and it's really bothering me so please do overlook that 🥲 and instead enjoy Don Simone's abundant wig styles and outfits.

Durante Dodesini

They first met way back when both of them were younger. Don Simone, having moved to Rome not so long ago with his family, sick and tired of their demands and bored out of his mind as usual, saw one of his works displayed at an exhibition he visited in Academia di San Luca where Dodesini was studying for a brief period of time. He was very interested in meeting the artist and when he did, despite their very different natures, they got on pretty well. Dodesini was absolutely not wealthy– quite the opposite. Despite this he did not enjoy the idea of being under patronage and he preferred to take short term comissions only, very rarely working for the same person more than once. He made most of his income from selling his veduta artwork to tourists, and spent what little would be left of it after covering his education expenses on drinking and entertainment. In the beginning of their unconventional friendship, he was very unsure about Don Simone and what he wanted from him –nobody that comissioned him, let alone a nobleman coming from this type of wealth had ever really 'hung out' with him aside from sitting for their portraits and such– but well, the man was paying whenever they were out together. He soon found his eccentricities quite amusing and his overall energy very endearing, and so their long friendship slowly started from there. They never considered each other romantically involved, but they did have a rather 'phsyical' relationship.

Alessandro Giacomuzzi

(Also known as: Giaco, Giacomo, Ale, Sandro, Sandrito, Alessino, Ghiotto, Orsacchiotto –and more. I will be referring to him as Giaco for convenience' sake.)

One of Don Simone's earlier friends who he stayed in contact through his whole life despite their somewhat rocky relationship.

Giaco was the son of a merchant, the oldest child of a 'media borghesia' family. From very early on in his life, he greatly envied nobility, absolutely obsessed with their lifestyle all while despising the fact that he would be looked down on by them no matter what. He craved a luxurious, hedonistic life and recognised that he needed to put some work into this before he could enjoy what he had. Through trade and reinvesting he became a financier and slowly moved his way up to 'alta borghesia'. He was, although not the most pleasant, he could act the part. He was very social. He made friends and connections rather easily and eventually accumulated a wealth that allowed him to live like imitation-aristocracy –so he did. He loved to drink and feast, he adored all indulgences including more suggestive ones, and slowly but surely he became the unofficial 'leader' of a 'community' full of likeminded people, kind of unintentionally.

Don Simone first met Giaco in a masked ridotto, gambling. Once again, just like earlier, he had just recently moved to Rome with his family, bored out of his mind, ready to act out– and his new friend very soon proved to be a perfect outlet. Initially, what Giaco felt for Don Simone was nearing on disgust. The man was almost a decade younger than him, dressed head to toe in excess, acted ridiculously, and on top of it all the little thing had the title of 'Don' that made Giaco's blood boil, something he could never achieve. He was also baffled by how 'relaxed' Don Simone was about inserting himself into this new social circle so effortlessly, and how he seemed to be flaunting his mama and papa's money as if it was nothing. Of course, he needed to be seen with this man, so was sweeter than honey to him. He introduced  Don Simone to his 'community', a group of people that of course deeply intrigued the young nobleman with their eccentric tastes. The two became very, very close rather quickly and despite his strong envy, Giaco also could not help but enjoy the comlany of this strange little guy.

Don Simone did recognise and take pleasure from this envy, but he only ever flaunted 'subtly enough' (in his own definition) for it to be nothing much more than a game between the two men. He definitely liked and enjoyed the company of his older friend a little more, but he most likely did not recognise this. It took him very little time to drop the 'Signor' from 'Signor Giacomuzzi', and he did not stop there. He'd shorten the man's name in abysmal ways that was most definitely bothersome all while still having himself referred to as 'Don Simone'. The nicknaming only got worse as their relationship evolved (they too had a very 'physical' relationship, and not just them but most of Giaco's little community) and Don Simone moved onto new ones that did not even particularly involve his name at all. (Orsacchiotto, Ghiotto, and so on.). Despite the nobleman referring to him in such ways and publically too, Giaco always simply called him Don Simone, with the title of course –Other than when they were with his little community, in which Don Simone was sort of unanimously nicknamed Monello (rascal, brat ect.).

Don Simone eventually attempted to introduce his two dearest friends to each other, Durante and Giaco. It did not go well as one would expect. Giaco not only looked down on Durante from a status and financial standpoint, but he also almost did not care for arts at all. Durante also looked down on Giaco for his incredible excess and snobby demeanour– and unlike Don Simone he was most definitely not sympathetic or artistic enough to make up for any of his unpleasantness.

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