#yes i AM having a great time in rome!

[dolene]

MUSE TO MY MELODIES!

pairing: charles leclerc x singer!reader

summary: from all the great melodies, there is the artist and her muse who's doing the work.

content warnings: her face claim is laufey, supportive bf charles, she has a sister, cursing (but just for a bit)

yourusername

liked by radvxz, phoebebridgers, and 217,190 others

yourusername guess where am i (slide 3)

show all 15,582 comments

landonorris the king of atlantis's museum

⤷ yourusername good answer but no

     ⤷ landonorris oh cmon😔

phoebebridgers that fit chic is so brocolli core

     ⤷ priscillawesley More like an e-coli core

     ⤷ yourusername WATCHA MOUTH -nicki minaj

logansargeant Florida, wasn't it?

     ⤷ yourusername no americans allowed

     ⤷ logansargeant Ouch 🤕🤕🤕

     ⤷ yourusername kidding, but yeah you got it so 100

     ⤷ username Y/N IS IN FLORIDA & POSSIBLY W LOGAN 🦅🇺🇲🇺🇲🇺🇲🦅🦅🦅

radvxz I love the slide one and two... But then there's three existing 😔

     ⤷ yourusername that is literally the point

username She just randomly there and Pris is taking the pics

     ⤷ yourusername she's a lifesaver 😇

     ⤷ priscillawesley Surely I am. Imagine her posts without me😎

charles_leclerc

liked by yourusername, scuderiaferrari, and 469,661 others

charles_leclerc Strolling around Rome

show all 16,437 comments

carlossainz55 suddenly i'm into bossa nova

username YES HER CONCERT IN ITALY BEGIN

username y/n typical red shoes fit is always hits no matter what

username Charles, you sure it aint Pris who took this

     ⤷ priscillawesley He should be grateful I have a class today

username mm i smell new album announcement

     ⤷ priscillawesley Keep being delulu, honey

     ⤷ username 😭😭😭

username ALBUM ANNOUNCEMENT WHEN???

username it's been so long i memorized typical of me in one go

username PLS PLS COME TO BRASIL

     ⤷ username no she gonna come to grammy first and announce her new album js like taylor would do

     ⤷ username WHTS WRONG W YALL AND HER NEW ALBUM??????😭😭😭😭

username charles and y/n collab when?

     ⤷ username he should be featured in her new song

     ⤷ username Pris as a violinist and Charles as a Pianist, what a combo!

yourusername

liked by carlossainz55, sebastianvettel, and 680,536 others

yourusername i've never done anything so fast like this before

show all 12,572 comments

username Y/N WHAT😭

lewishamilton direct offense to you charles_leclerc

charles_leclerc Oh this is just so low

username i know how his cooking gonna end up, so i'll be her if i were there

username That emoji gonna say that "i'll make u my pasta disaster, honey"

username idk why is she even post this but this is definitely hilarious 😂

priscillawesley But I can't lie, that looks really delicious

     ⤷ yourusername the art of rush cooking is just so😌👌

username EVEN SEB LIKING THIS BC HE KNOWS

     ⤷ yourusername even i was surprised😭 i didn't expect this at all

     ⤷ charles_leclerc Same

yourusername

liked by reneerapp, honeymoon, and 592,551 others

yourusername look at my facebook mom boyfriend 😚😚

show all 22,619 comments

charles_leclerc Is this a flattery or a mock?

     ⤷ lilymhe Flattery definitely

reneerapp why did u take this?

lilyzneimer 😂😂

username facebook mom charles is confirmed a long long time before this event even happened

     ⤷ yourusername this was truly a canon event

username but whys he looking so good tho

username What is he taking picture of?

     ⤷ username HES SHOWING THEM HER NEW ALBUM

     ⤷ username them in meaning is no one

     ⤷ username his camera roll is filled with him and the empty space

scuderiaferrari At least he's fashionable 😉

     ⤷ username is fashionable at the room with us?

yourusername added a photo to their story!

caption: hehe 😉

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

yourusername

liked by xtina, charles_leclerc, florencepugh and 759,100 others

yourusername charles said it's a ✨picture-dump✨

show all 956 comments

landonorris i can't unsee what i see

maxverstappen1 Enjoying your meal by yourself, Handsome?

 ��   ⤷ yourusername wrong person, sorry

priscillawesley Charles, what are u talking about? It's obviously a memory-burn 🙄

     ⤷ yourusername no, and we've talk about this before

username what is that strawberry with a head on

     ⤷ username y/n for x men is real

username okay now say whoever stick that head into the poor strawberry

radvxz Oh no...

taylorswift I'm living for the aesthetics.

     ⤷ username TAYLOR WHAT'S THE AESTHETICS IN THIS??

TWITTER

INSTAGRAM

yourusername

liked by taylorswift, normani, sza, and 1,529,807 others

yourusername after a long while of waiting and teasing, the cat has finally out of the bag! and i present this to all of you.

Bewitched out February 13th! 🤎🤍

show all 45,239 comments

radvxz 😭😭😭

username WE'RE NOT CLOWNING ANYMORE

sza CAN'T WAIIITTT

username WE ALR GOT THE VINYL???? best moment of my life

charles_leclerc 😚🥰

     ⤷ username i'm forever gonna live for supportive bf charles

arianagrande soo excited!!

username finally the album we're deluluing is real

lola.tung AHHHH amaaaazingg

maisiehpeters big year for witch girls 😭♥️

amandarachlee omg u look amazing

username Okay now where can i listen this on orchestra?

jeremyzucker GO Y/N!!!!

landonorris was listening to your song until you distract me with this🙄😌

username she said worry no more, i got u covered *wink*

[redclercs]

DELICATE✰ CHARLES LECLERC.

viii. 'cause I know that it's delicate

— the one where he is rooting for the anti-hero.

❝𝘉𝘶𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘭𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘤𝘩. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘰𝘳. 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘬𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘴.❞ —𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴

warnings: did somebody say charles-centered chapter? third person pov, hate, mention of last chapter's panic attack, misogyny (i'm sorry!!! i'm going to let y/n have peace eventually i swear!!!) foul language, cheesy taylor swift references, 2.4k words (+articles as always!).

masterlist ✢ next

Can we stop proving Taylor Swift right for once? When she wrote 'My reputation's never been worse' back in 2017 we thought that would be the end of it. But in more recent times (2017 was AGES ago, guys, come on) the lyrics are still relevant and being applied to actress y/n y/ln's life. Her reputation truly has never been worse.

One thing is being called bad at your job. Which, okay, she is not (I am not biased, I'm just not stupid). y/n is great at being a RomCom actress, she has a stylist that sells her well and has good social media presence. Or had, since that's all gone now.

Even if she was lucky enough to really start making it in Hollywood, we can't ignore the fact that for the past two months y/n has been exposed as a really bad person. AND SHE'S LETTING IT HAPPEN!

While a lot of people in social media have come to her defense in the rejected marriage proposal topic, saying she doesn't have to say yes if she doesn't feel like it, others say it's what she 'owed' to Aidan Kim.

Sources, who are still yet to be revealed, have talked to magazines and celebrity sites about her romance with the guy she only sees as a toy. Does y/n have feelings at all? I guess Charles Leclerc didn't like what she said about him, since there were no pictures of them together at the Spanish Grand Prix. Losing your boyfriend and your reputation in the same week must hurt.

But that's not even the main issue here, why is y/n letting all of this happen right in front of her eyes? Hello, girl, speak up! Does she really have nothing to say in her defense?

People are eating her alive and what she does is post her luxurious breakfast in Monaco, Elix cans and Ferrari Special Edition merch. y/n doesn't care what is being said as long as people keep talking about her. You're going to regret this, girl. That's all I'm saying.

For now, let's say goodbye to the 'Queen of RomComs' reputation (2019-2023).

By Bridget Garcia

Matilde Bassi comes in the defense of y/n y/ln after last week's new discoveries on her breakup, a turmoil that has followed y/n for months now.

"She owes nothing to Aidan Kim. She's a self-made woman, and it's frankly disgusting how people want to give her achievements to some man." The former Broadway star said in an Instagram Live on Sunday June 4th.

After comments asked for her thoughts on the rejected engagement, Bassi didn't hold back: "y/n, just like every woman, has the right to say no. It's a proposal, not a sentence. Good for everyone who is brave enough to know what they don't want in their lives anymore."

Matilde hasn't walked away unscathed after such brave statements, people have started to crucify her on social media. Comments go from how she doesn't deserve to keep playing Juliet to how they're glad she lives in Italy now so they can't come across her on the street, Bassi is suffering similar repercussions to that of her beloved friend.

Let's remember Matilde and y/n were seen together in Europe in May, enjoying a short break in Rome before attenting the Monaco Grand Prix, where y/n went to see alleged boyfriend Charles Leclerc.

What do you think? Is Matilde Bassi right, or should she have kept her comments to herself and held on to whatever amount of love the public still had for her?

FROM CHISMETIFOSO ON TIKTOK: "THE FERRARI BOYS TALK ABOUT Y/N Y/LN" PT.1 & 2

[female voiceover in spanish]: ❝Charles went back to Monaco for the week off before Canada, and stopped to take pictures with fans like he usually does. Someone was brave enough to ask him what was up with y/n, besties, you won't expect what he said.❞

[Charles Leclerc, in english]:❝I am lucky to have a woman like y/n in my life, she's an amazing person and a great friend—[cut off]❞

[female voiceover in spanish]: ❝The Carlos video was sent by a fan that met Carlos in Spain, she also asked about y/n and Charles and Carlos assured she's loved by everyone.❞

[Carlos Sainz, in spanish]: ❝y/n is friends with everyone at Ferrari because we spent a lot of time together, I like her a lot she's fun to be around.❞

[female voiceover in spanish]: ❝Well, what do you think besties? Are our Ferrari boys on a PR stunt or do they really like certain actress that has brought nothing but drama to the table since they met her?❞

June 7th, Maranello, Italy.

Charles was already having a bad day before they told him about the PR meeting. Although it seemed impossible, this season's car got shittier every time and it made his confidence drop a little more every time he got on it and failed to drive properly. Was winning Monaco really just a lucky strike like everyone kept saying?

Spain was definitely a whole weekend to forget, not only for the shitshow that the Grand Prix had been. He couldn't stop thinking about y/n's panic attack and the way she had cried in his arms that same night.

Charles is not oblivious to everything that is happening around her, and how it did seem to get worse every time. When he first met her, he didn't think it would get to this point where people who didn't even know her would inflict torture and mental abuse on her all day every single day. And although Charles has been through a fair amount of online bullying as a professional athlete and public figure, it's not in the same way that what y/n is being subjected to right now.

"Are you listening, Charles?" the Ferrari PR manager asks, tapping her fingers in front of him, a few drops of coffee jump from his red styrofoam cup and into the white surface.

He nods, uninterested. Charles couldn't care less about whatever the Elix guys have to say. He sees the way the worst of them, Stuart Schaffer, looks at y/n. Lascivious, filthy. Charles has thought about punching him more times than he would like to admit.

There was a whole presentation on how Ferrari is being perceived by fans all over the world right now, touching on several points starting with Carlos and him, the last three races and finally, the people that surround Ferrari.

"Elix is experiencing a drop in sales, and we believe this to be due to a certain public figure that has been seen around the Paddock..." the Elix representative is saying, pointing at a graph that ends at the bottom of the page.

"Maybe it's just that your drink is shit," Charles' mouth is quicker than his brain, and he knows he's completely fucked himself over by the gasps that run through the table. Except for Carlos, Carlos has to hide his laugh with a cough. "I don't know."

The only reason he drank it so often, even when cameras were off, was because he didn't know what to do with his hands when talking to y/n.

"Charles!" the PR manager hisses. There have been several times in which he has earned that hawk-like look from her, but it still fazes him.

Yet, he doesn't back down.

"If you were going to talk about y/n and blame her for whatever disaster is happening with your company, you should have at least asked her to come. Talking behind her back is low."

y/n's absence didn't surprise him, she was back in L.A. first thing Monday. And although he's glad she's not here to listen to these bunch of assholes blaming her for their mistakes, he wishes she was just to see her, to make sure she'll be okay.

His name is passed through the table again in hisses and warnings, and finally he lets go.

"This is your fault too, kid," Stuart Schaffer has his hand in a fist on top of the table, red blotches coloring his face and neck.

Charles loathes the word kid coming out of his mouth. Him and y/n are of similar age, and she's not a 'kid' in his eyes.

"If you weren't fucking that bitch while she had a boyfriend, this wouldn't be happening."

His ears are ringing and he knows it's his face now that's tinted red.

"Get out, please Charles," the manager intervenes before another word can come out of his mouth, or worse, before he reaches Stuart Schaffer with his hands. "Now."

Charles' veins feel on fire as he gets up from his seat and walks out of the conference room. Biting the tip of his tongue so as not to curse Stuart in every single language he knows.

Carlos makes eye contact with him as Charles closes the see-through door and shakes his head. 'They're going to give you so much shit,' his eyes say. And he's right.

The meeting takes an hour more and he's in one of the offices, buzzed with caffeine and bored out of his mind. He has, regretfully, scrolled down the hell that is Twitter. He's even more pissed off than before, and the caffeine is making him desperate to get out of his seat.

“How bad is it?” Charles asks when Carlos crosses the door.

“A little bad,” Carlos isn’t stressed, he even smiles. “For you mostly. But looking at the bright side, no more Elix.”

No more Elix also means no more money from them. Which won’t make a difference, he thinks.

“Thank God,” Charles lets his head fall down the back of the couch. His nape hurts.

“It also means no more y/n,” Carlos’ tone has changed and he’s looking at Charles with that puzzled look that means he wants Charles to expand on his thoughts.

“She can still come if she wants to,” Charles replies, still feigning tranquility. “I’ll give her a pass.”

And he really hopes y/n wants to. Because all he's done lately every time he goes back to the Ferrari Suite during race weekends is look for her around the room, hoping that she'll be looking at him already. It’s like pieces fall into place when it does. He knows he'll miss her if she's not there anymore.

"Yeah, me too," Carlos plops down on the couch next to him, putting his hands behind his neck. "Do you think she's okay?"

Charles shrugs, an impassive gesture that doesn't reflect the turmoil inside his brain and heart. He is worried about her, and has been for a while. "I'm sure she is, she's back in Los Angeles." They have texted often since he left right after the Grand Prix, but it isn't the same as hearing her voice tell him it's alright.

Carlos stares at him for a few seconds more, thinking his next words through. It's not like he doesn't notice the way Charles looks at y/n every time they're in the same room, he also isn't ignorant to the get-together they shared in Monaco—the one Charles shared zero details about—or what happened in Spain when neither made it to dinner.

But he wonders if Charles is aware of how hard he is falling and what kind of a mess he's getting into.

Carlos likes y/n too, although it took them some time to become acquainted. y/n knows how to throw the exact words at him to tease him, she's brilliant, and when people aren't putting her down, her good mood is contagious. She's like sunshine coming through the curtains on a warm morning.

Yet, it's obvious he'll feel more protective over Charles. He knows it's a mistake to spend so much time on social media, not only looking at what people say about himself, but about Charles and y/n, the cruel lies and twisted truths. He has thought about asking Charles whether he's really aware of the way things look to the outsiders, or how they're tearing him down too.

"What is it?" Charles asks, frowning.

Carlos shakes his head. It's not his place to say anything about his infatuation, if that's what this is. "Why don't you give her a call?"

"Yes, I might." Charles nods absently, looking at his lock screen. Pierre has sent him another link to more news about how he's a homewrecker. Pierre calls him 'loverboy' and makes fun of every new article that comes out about y/n and him. Charles hasn't found it entertaining once.

"Charles," the PR manager doesn't have to raise her voice in the silence of the room. "Come here, right now. Please."

"Told you," Carlos mutters, crossing his legs.

Charles groans and gets up. A reprimand isn't the end of the world when his car gets progressively shittier and luck left him a while ago.

And when he's not sure of when he'll see y/n again.

Charles knows he doesn't need to 'fight' in the name of y/n, or that she even would like him to. She warned him weeks ago that he shouldn't get into the nightmare that this situation is. But he'll be damned if he's going to continue letting people put her down at his expense.

y/n is not a damsel in distress, he knows. And standing up for her doesn't make him a knight in shining armor. It makes him a decent human being and a good friend.

Charles thinks really hard about this, way often. Is it okay that his friend makes his heartbeat quicken every time they're together? He feels like a teenager again, with butterflies flying around his stomach when he thinks about her. Not to mention the fact that he's tried to flirt with her several times, to no avail.

There are many things in the world that Charles wishes he could change. His luck, to begin with. But he really wishes things were different when it comes to y/n. He wants her to have peace, he wishes she'd never had to deal with panic attacks or anxiety induced by hate. He wishes they'd met in another time, when things weren't so fragile and the world could stay away from them, and wherever he knows he wants things with her to go.

And he wishes he knew if he's brave enough to deal with all of it.

"Hello?"

The wave of emotion hits him from head to toe and it takes him a moment to catch his breath. He's worse than a teenager, he knows. Charles has never acted this way before, and it makes him vulnerable in a way he doesn't completely dislike, but isn't comfortable with either.

"Hello y/n," he says, after clearing his throat. "I was um– I was just thinking about you."

There is a pause on the other side of the line and Charles looks at the clock on his nightstand. He did the math to figure out the timezones three times, yet he does it again.

"Hi Charles," her voice comes after a sigh of relief, "Were you?"

"Uh– yeah, I– I just wanted to know how you're doing."

Another prolonged silence and Charles adds: "Is that okay?"

y/n chuckles, "Of course it's okay."

"So, how are you?" Charles continues, anxiously pacing around the room. He wants to ask the right questions. "How's L.A.?" maybe that's not one of them.

"Well, it's Lalaland, what can you expect?" there is movement in the background and then a door shuts. "How's Maranello?"

"Well..." Charles isn't sure if Elix has called her already and he doesn't want to be the one to break the news. "The usual. Praying for improvement every week."

"That's something we have in common," y/n's chuckle comes without humor this time. "But I'm going back to New York in a few days, so that's something to look forward to."

Charles smiles. "Do you need any help with moving?"

"Are you flying from Italy to help me move back to New York?" y/n laughs and her genuineness is back.

"I could, if you needed me to."

He has never felt more awkward in his life, or giddier.

"Thank you, Charles. But I have two suitcases with me, I can handle it like a big girl."

It's Charles' turn to laugh, he has stopped pacing. “Just let me know if you need me, y/n.”

“I think I will.” y/n says, and after some consideration: “Can you stay with me on the phone? Just for a little while.”

And Charles is embarrassingly willing to drop everything and stay on the phone for as long as she needs to.

“Yes, sure,” he replies instead, “What do you want to talk about?”

And they talk about everything and nothing. Silly commercials, pet-peeves about airports, favorite colors and long forgotten songs. It takes more than a little while, but neither care about how much time has passed.

It’s not mental gymnastics realizing he likes her. Likes her, likes her. He feels like he’s inside one of her RomComs; already pining for her. What would the name be? Something cheesy and catchy, like 'Racing Hearts'. He likes it. And hates it, too.

“Y/n?”

“Yeah?” She interrupts her story about the nightmare that Paris was when filming Parisian Valentine, not minding cutting her story short.

Regret comes immediately because he doesn’t know how to fill the silence now, not with the words he wants to say.

That he knows how delicate things are right now. That he likes her for who she has shown him to be and how he is impatient to know even more about her. But he knows he’s probably going to scare her away if those silly words actually come out of his mouth.

“I like talking to you,” Charles says instead. The caffeine hasn't left his system, but he knows the new buzz comes from something else.

“But?” Y/n prompts, he can hear the change in her tone.

“No buts. I like it, I like you.”

“I like you too, Charles.” She says softly, and he pictures the small smile on her face. The one she saves for the times she's one hundred percent comfortable, like when they were at the lake in Monaco.

“And I want you to be okay,”

y/n lets out a shaky breath that makes the microphone crackle. “We are okay, though, aren’t we?” She’s thinking about the tabloids again.

“We are okay. We’ve been on the phone for two hours,” he laughs, and, regretfully, lets out a yawn before he can help it.

“Get some rest, Charlie,” y/n lowers her voice too. “Thank you for staying with me.”

The endearment, although common when people try to be cute to him, sends another wave of giddiness through his body.

"Anytime," he doesn't fight her goodbye because it's a lost cause, especially after he let on his tiredness. "I mean it."

"Thank you," she repeats, "You're a good friend."

Charles smiles, that's enough for now, more than enough for now.

"See you soon, y/n." Charles assures, a smile on his face.

"Goodnight Charlie."

─── team principal radio: ❝thank you for reading! are we loving charles or not? thank you to everyone who lets me know their thoughts and interpretations of Delicate, it's incredibly motivating for me to keep writing and it makes me super happy! if you're a ghost reader, i also appreciate you, but don't be shy to interact♡❞

✰ paddock club members: @sassyheroneckgiant @flowerchild-96 @fangirlika @shegotboreddsoo @roseamongthorns13 @cissyp @chimchimjiminie16 @saturnsrinqs @roni-midnights @gayyvodka6 @studioreader @its-ash-not-grey @lu-morningstar-2 @ferraribabe @reidsworld @feelslikestrawberries @celestialams @kosmosgalore @heeseung-baby @missenclod @buendiabebeta @mycenterfold @aces-tattooartist @burningrred @you-bleed-just-toknowyouarealive @rainybabe25 @ru-kru @lazybot @teenagedreams-cl @cool-ultra-nerd @kuskumu @formulakay3 @bisexual-desi @somanyfandomsbruh @icarus-nex @haziefairy @xjval @xoxoloverb @sainzleclercs @headinthecloudssblog @incoherenciass @bookophiliac @torrie421 @nooshytushie @azxula @steephanie07 @anonymous8462 @tbisloneely @pukklv @bn7921 @be-your-coffee-pot @fdl305 @lovely-blackinnon @landonorrizzz @ruleroftheuniverse @ivegotparticulartaste

want to join the paddock club? click here!

[qqueenofhades]

Hi Hilary! I could use some help with something. Do you know some topics for historical tangents a history professor (Hob) could go on while talking to some students? Like some interesting discussion ideas? I was not a history major and I’m now drawing a blank 😅 I’d appreciate it greatly!

"Right, morning everyone... MORNING... yes, we all do know it is morning and I would like to remind everyone that it's not my fault we were scheduled at eight bloody AM. Consider it building character. Great. Let's get started. Can we put the phones down, please. In my day we didn't even have phones. No really. We didn't. Really didn't.

Anyway, so where were we? Ah, yes. End of the Western Roman Empire circa 476 CE, which stands for the secular Common Era, which historians now generally use instead of the Christian A.D. Anno Domini, which trust me, they used when I was born, because I am very old. Ah, you're laughing again, because you think I'm joking. Which, er, I definitely am. Anyway, the so-called collapse of the Roman Empire is one of the most mythologized events in the Western historical canon, and there are accordingly a lot of misperceptions about what happened and how. As we covered in the last class -- well, can anyone tell me what we covered last class?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Come on, one of you, just raise your hands. I don't bite.

Fine, all right, I'll do it myself. Again. Last class, we covered the eventful fourth century in Roman history, where the empire split into western and eastern halves, eastern Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity, and established his capital in Constantinople, which would later get the works from the Turks and become Istanbul. The western capital moved to Ravenna in 402, and it had been in Milan before that, not Rome. No longer the center of power as it had been for many centuries beforehand under both the empire and the republic, Rome was infamously sacked in 410 by the Visigoths under King Alaric I. The Supergoths. The Ubergoths. The Verygoths. The Turbogoths. All right, I'll stop. The Visigoths had formerly been a Roman client kingdom in the south of Gaul, which is the modern country of -- anyone?

Anyone? Anyone? Oh come on.

Yes, thank you Sarah, it was in fact France. See everyone? Not that hard. Now that we're up to speed, right, the so-called End of Rome in 476, when the last Western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by Odoacer, general of the Ostrogoths. Not the Visigoths. Definitely different thing here. The Alsogoths. The Othergoths. The Ohgodthosegoths. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. I swear I will actually stop. But the common narrative from then is that Rome just bloody disappeared altogether, the Dark Ages started, it was grim and miserable and murdery all the time, everyone forgot how to do scholarship or art or religion or anything else, and then miraculously a thousand years later, woo, the Renaissance! Everyone sorted their heads from their arses and could do maths again! I'm sorry about saying arses. Please don't report me to HR, they've had enough of me already. Anyway, this argument, despite its long-time supremacy in the Western historiographical canon and Western popular culture, doesn't make sense on any number of levels. And that is because? Can anyone give me just one reason to start with?

Anyone?

Anyone?

Sarah again, yes, thank you. I appreciate you greatly, Sarah. Yes, for one thing, the Eastern Roman Empire still bloody existed! It was literally that meme where we're announcing that Rome is dead, Constantinople wants us to stop telling everyone that they're dead, and we sigh that sometimes we can still hear their voice. Yes, I know what a meme is, don't look so surprised. The city of Constantinople became the center of Roman culture and power, though we call it the Byzantine empire to distinguish it from the pre-476 Roman empire. It used Greek instead of Latin as its primary culture and language, it was Orthodox Christian instead of Catholic Christian, and while it was no longer the multinational power player that its predecessor had been, it still produced some heavy hitters. Such as Emperor Justinian in the sixth century, who actually, albeit briefly, reconquered the territories of former Rome in the west, and was married to the very fascinating Empress Theodora. We'll have to get back to her, but anyway, in the territories of Former Rome, such as modern-day Spain, France, and Germany, there were still client kingdoms who were directly descended from Rome and who premised their new independence on their Roman inheritance. The Visigoths -- yes, them again -- in Spain, the Merovingians and the Franks in France, the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes in Germany, and other. So tell me, can we really say that Rome collapsed, exactly, and/or disappeared, instead of just dissipated and re-formed? We still had Latin as the language of state administration, the Roman Catholic Church as the supreme religious and cultural arbiter, and other major innovations that would last through the Middle Ages. Where does this whole Dark Ages thing come from?

Anyone?

Anyone aside from Sarah?

Oh, God's wounds. All right then. The idea that Rome disappeared overnight and took everything good with it is a projection, a fiction, popularized by proto-Renaissance and Renaissance writers who wanted to legitimize their look back into the past. We're getting ahead of ourselves, but the idea of the Dark Ages as this backward slovenly time of idiocy and misery -- it just gets me very worked up, all right?! Yes, written texts and certain other traditional markers of historic narrative became much scarcer than before, and we don't know as much about it as we do the more meticulously documented societies on either side, but it's only dark because we've decided that Rome, the brutal excessively slave-owning militaristic expansionist violent empire par excellence, was the marker of all culture and the peak of Western civilization for all time and nobody else could ever come close! This is how we get bloody Game of Thrones insisting that the medieval era was always filthy and dark and full of rape and violence and morally awful people -- so tell me, George, which part of your fantasy novel, the dragons or the ice zombies, were we expected to read as actual literal truth? It's just because we want to protect the idea of ourselves as so much better than people in the past, and the past itself as full of terrible violence that is somehow worse and more primitive than our violence, and that surely we could never do that because we're so much better! Which is total bullshit! Bullshit!

...yes. Thank you. Right. I'm fine. I'm absolutely fine, I apologize for that. Just a bit of a trigger for me. We'll get back to the lesson now, yes. I'm warning you, though. If you use Dark Ages uncritically in your essay, I am knocking you down a full grade. No matter what."

[a-d-nox]

pac: what happens when you take actions on your dreams?

take what resonates leave what doesn't - nothing is 100% for you because these aren't personalized so please no angry comments or dms about what i am saying not being a good fit for you or that you "don't claim" just keep scrolling if that is the case. be kind, self reflect, and have fun.

last pac/pap: your greatest asset and your greatest hindrance - advice on how you can master what's holding you back

masterlist of pap/pac posts

want a personal reading? click here to check out my reading options and prices!

pile 1

when you take actions on your dreams, you will find yourself being careful and calculated - some may say hesitant. you could be stagnant because you are trying to decide how to take on your dreams - step into your flow; intuitively guide yourself to what you feel should be done next. you will find that your family is extremely supportive of your dreams. they want you to spend time doing what you love with those who have a shared interest. they may even give you money towards helping you get closer to doing what you wish to. great funds will come out of your endeavors should you take action on them. if you feel like you can't move forward to make your dreams reality - re-strategize. don't give up.

pile 2

so many dreams exist within you. so many possibility for you exist - try not to be impatient (you can't afford to miss steps or cut corners). listen to your intuition, while taking actions to reach your dreams. accept all the possibilities that come towards you - "say yes" should be your motto. remember always "that which excites you is worth the risk". i sense a great partnership can be made between you and someone you will meet (or have already met). beware of greed - try to not be materialistic as you take action on your dreams. nor should you be too hard on yourself - "rome wasn't built in a day"; look beyond the small details and see the big picture. i feel as though your dreams are already in motion - everything is moving quickly, you are closer to being on the path to making your dreams come true than you know.

pile 3

when you take action to make your dreams reality, you will feel victorious. good new will be endless, accomplishments will be constant, your praises will be sang. you work hard and you will receive recognition for doing so. projects will move with ease - every ending presents a new beginning. every dream you reach, you will find yourself dreaming another - you are a dream machine. you will love what you do when you begin chasing your dreams - you are likely invest your time and money wisely too. your charity and generosity will be rewarded. enjoy the dreamscape you've built. you've earned it.

[riordanness]

start of something new — [j.grace]

wordcount: 0.5K

warnings: none

requested: yes!! 🌙

I stare at my best friend in disbelief. “What do you mean, you’ve never watched a musical?”

Jason laughs uncomfortably, rubbing the back of his neck. “Uh—the only meaning to that sentence possible? I’ve never seen a musical.” He shrugs. “It’s not that big of a deal; I grew up in New Rome. Reyna doesn’t exactly watch TV.”

I smile ruefully at the thought of Reyna trying to sit still long enough to watch a cheesy musical movie. She definitely would never . “I guess so. But still, I’m kind of offended.”

“What am I supposed to do about it?” Jason throws his hands in the air. “Y/n, I can’t change the past. I can fly, and summon lightning from the clouds, and defeat great monsters and giants, but I most definitely can not change history. Unfortunately.”

I scrunch my nose in reply. “I know what we can do to fix this.”

“What?”

I tap him on the chest. “You and I are going to have a movie night.”

Jason looks confused again. “Okay…?”

I roll my eyes. “You’ll see. Come to my cabin later. I’ve got my own room. See you at five?”

Hours later, my room is finally ready. Leo helped me set up a monster-safe projector, and I made popcorn with the assistance of Katie Gardner (popcorn went just crazy around those Demeter kids). I had fluffy blankets and a few throw cushions, too.

I stand in the doorway, observing the set-up. “Okay, so… movie, snacks, blankets… I think we’re ready,” I mutter to myself.

“Ready for what?” Jason says from behind me.

I jump a little, my nerves alight. “Oh, Jace, hey.” My fingers play with the camp beads around my neck, a nervous habit. This was my first time, you know, hanging out with Jason alone. It was kind of nerve wracking.

“Oh, wow,” he says, looking past me into the room. I have my fairy lights on, so the whole room is dimly lit with pretty soft yellow lighting.

“Do you like it?” I ask quietly.

“I love it, y/n,” he says sincerely. “It looks incredible, really.”

I’m a little flustered, but I smile and wave him into the room. “Come on in, then, sir.”

Jason settles himself into the pillows, a cheesy grin on his face. “This is really nice, y/n.”

I smile sheepishly and curl into his side, like a puzzle piece slotting into place. “I’m really glad you like it,” I reply softly.

Jason presses a kiss to my forehead, then rests his chin on my hair. I press play on the movie, then get fully comfy on him.

For a while we just lay there, perfectly relaxed and happy and together.

Nothing beats this, I think to myself.

“I love you,” Jason says out of nowhere.

“You do?”

“Of course I do.”

I grin into his chest. “I love you too, Jace.”

[elbiotipo]

I am watching a video with criticism of geographical determinism in worldbuilding and realized that I don't really remember seeing any fictional stereotypic merchant state that relies on rivers.

Norse and Rus were whom I had in mind, but to my knowledge British and Japanese people also heavily utilized rivers for trade and I would be very surprised if Ancient Chinese people didn't.

I don't know about history of First Nations of North America and did they have trade in our understanding, but I heard that river system of North America is so convenient that the entire 19th century demand for transportation could have been covered by it alone, without trains.

Just some ideas

Freshwater systems are woefully underused in worldbuilding. The other day I was reading about the history of my region and I was amazed at how big and sophisticated native canoes were in the Paraná, the Paraguay and the Amazonas, and how virtually nobody talks about it. We are talking about ships that could hold about 30 people and some were bigger than Columbus caravels. For centuries into the colonial era, the Spanish and Portuguese hired or pressed into service native navigators for the rivers which were though to navigate as a sea. Still before that, they were the major arteries of commerce and trade through the continent, this is well known. Even Patagonian goods are reported in Corrientes (North of Argentina) which indicates that trade there got very far. As for the Chinese, not only rivers were important to the but also they boasted an amazing canal system but that's about all I know.

One thing I learned recently about rivers and cities is that cities were often founded on the side of rivers, yes, but almost never at their mouth. Look for example at Paris, Rome, London, the Egyptian capitals. They were founded by the river, but the mouth of the river next to the sea is where the delta is, and deltas always change and flood, carrying mud and slit, they aren't good places to build at all. Good river cities are built in the 'deep side' of the river where you can build ports, not in the side where sediment accumulates. Another issue with river cities are marshlands. For example, I remember reading that the marshlands of ancient Rome were drained at great cost. Ancient peoples knew that marshes were 'unsanitary' even if they didn't know why (it's because they host mosquitos and parasites, not because of anything bad wetlands have on itself) and they had to deal with them. There are some exceptions to this, like Venice which was basically built on a marshland (or the Netherlands).

And indeed rivers were (and still are! I see ships going up and down the Paraná every weekend!) a very efficient way of transportation. There's lots about it written in Europe, but river barges were basically the railroads of their time. Before the advent of railroads, people in Europe (and China) weren't thinking roads, but canals, the French built a lot of canals at great expense which became obsolete later by railroad.

Unfortunately the sources about river canoes and transportation in America (continent) are often tucked away in papers and history books, there really isn't that much accessible literature and illustrations about it. Which is a goddamn shame because learning about native canoes bigger than Spanish caravels (and they were still building them in Paraguay and Argentina during colonial times, according to my sources) blew my mind.

[signorinaclaudiacardinale]

The Dance is over, Alain Delon…

French legend actor Alain Delon passed away today, Sunday, August 18, at the age of 88, his three children announced Sunday morning in a joint press release sent to AFP. “Alain Fabien, Anouchka, Anthony and Loubo (his dog) are immensely sad to announce the departure of his father. He passed away peacefully at his home in Douchy, surrounded by his three children and his family. They requested respect for the intimacy of the immense pain of grief."

Claudia Cardinale through her official IG account published a heartfelt message:

"They ask me for words but the sadness is too intense. I join the pain of their children, their loved ones, their fans… The dance is over. Tancredi has gone up to dance with the stars… Forever yours, Angelica".

Claudia and Alain met for first time in 1959 at a gala in Rome, when Claudia was starting out in the world of cinema and they started a beautiful friendship:

Their first film together was "Rocco and his brothers" in 1960:

Then both met again on the recording set of "Il gattopardo" in 1963 as the leading couple "Tancredi and Angelica":

And in 1966 they shared scenes again in "Lost Command":

A friendship that lasted from 1959 until today 2024 and that will always be eternal.

|Claudia & Alain in Sicily, 1963|

|Souvenir photo from the book "The women of my life" by Alain Delon in 2010|

For my part, the departure of this legend called Alain Delon hurt me a lot, I woke up learning of his departure and it was inevitable to cry; I had to make this small tribute to Alain yes or yes because he was a great friend to Claudia, his departure hurt me a lot but I am consoled that Alain was reunited with the people he loved so much, especially the beautiful Romy Schneider, the great love of his life.

"I will leave this world without regret. Life no longer has anything to offer, I have seen it all, I have experienced it all. But above all I hate the current era. Everything is false, everything has been replaced, there is no respect for the word given, now the only thing that matters is money and wealth! I know I will leave this world without regrets!" - - Alain Delon.

[chasing-that-jackson]

Look, I didn't want to be praetor. Or be responsible for people, but here I am!

Hey, before you ask. Yes, my dad's the famous Percy Jackson, yes, my mother is Annabeth Chase. But I'm not going to live in their shadow! I'm making my own path! But before all the epic monologues, I'm Charlotte Sally Jackson, but you can just call me Charlie. Or anything other than "Da Big C" (I WILL fight you, Cassie). I'm the praetor of New Rome, along with Ambrose Asher! Now here's some stuff about me !

Name: Charlotte Sally Chase - Jackson.

Alias: Charlie, Char-char , Goldfish (come on, dad.), Praetor Jackson, Jackson, Lottie.

Age: 16 Sexuality: Bisexual :D

Weapons: a trident named "Thalassa" (the sea) given to her by Poseidon. It can change shape at will, as it is made of pure water, her mother's Yankees cap.

Relations: Perseus Jackson (father) , Annabeth Chase-Jackson (mother), Cassandra Hestia Chase (sister), Sally Jackson (Grandmother) , Poseidon, Athena.

Personality: changeable like the sea" and hard to predict — with the important exception that she is extremely loyal to her friends and family. Sarcastic and goody at most times, but works great under pressure. Doubtful in her own skills but she believes a hell of a lot in others. The occasional temper is present, of course, but she wouldn't be a Jackson without it, amirite?

Fatal flaw: Overly giving/overly dedicated. She gives every part of her to a task, to a person. Even if she doesn't have anymore to give. She'll die trying.

Relationship with family: HUGE daddy's girl, but they always just roast each other. Loves her mom too, of course, but sometimes she's just too..overbearing. Too strict. Gets along great with her sister, who is 1 year younger than her. Her relationship with her grandma and grandpa (Sally and Paul) is also pretty good, they spoil her rotten (in a good way!). Vibes with Poseidon, kind of vibes with Athena until..a certain event. Now she's steely towards her. She's fond of Hestia and Apollo as they resonate with her.

Fears: small spaces, loss of loved ones/family, tests, drowning.

Sexuality : Bisexual, demiromantic

Hobbies: playing the guitar, occasional drawing, surfing, listening to audiobooks, joking around and learning new things. My sister, Cassandra is 15!

"You are too giving. You will give yourself to save others, to make others better, to make others feel better, even if you are great danger. In pain, you smile at those around you because you know they'll hurt if you dont. And in the end, legacy of Poseidon, it will be your downfall."

Songs that play constantly on my battered headphones (dad, buy me new ones , please :()

Seven nation army - The white stripes

Teenagers - MCR

Run, boy Run - Woodkid

What's up danger? - Blackway and Black Caviar

And many, many more! Feel free to come ask for song recs, because my music taste is as amazing as my fighting skills, haha.

People I know!:

@percy-jackson-xxx - My super amazing cool dad whose kinda stupid .... (I love you please don't throw me into the pool 😔)

@ineedtoescapefromreality - Echo and Rosalyn Mclean! (Rosalyn, teach me how to be as cool as you :[ and Echo just like. High five, dude ✌️), Auntie Piper and Shel's kids!

@daffy-not-a-duck - Daphne (I am not writing your complete name dude it's so long???) Uncle Nico and Will's daughter! (I like your parents, but you?? ew..........)

@iggy-mini-miny-moe - IGGGGGGYYYYY AYYYY (adhd bestie frfr, let's go commit arson) Uncle Leo and Jason's son! (Uncle Leo's tacos are amazing btw) @violent-cinnamonroll - Aria!( i appreciate chu bestie <333) Auntie Clarisse and Silena's kid! (Auntie clarisse scares me. pls dont pummel me to ground :()

@olivernotfound - Ollieeee! (Better than his sister :D) Uncle Nico and Wills second kid! (Who I like a lot more. High five, bro)

@notwillingtobefound - Will Valdez!! (Bros music taste is top tier?? How??) Uncle Leo and Jason's kid! @the-poison-and-the-sky - Belldonna Jackson-Chase! My older sister! (she hears everything/j) @daredevil-larue - Lucine La Rue ! Auntie Clarisse and Auntie Silena's other daughter! (super cool blue hair hehe <33) @praetor-ambrose-asher - Ambrose Asher, My fellow praetor! (muscles. end sentence. thats it. MUSCLE-)

Ooc notes:

Occasionally, other characters will appear on this blog as I imagine them. This will include Percy , Annabeth, and Cassie! (Any post by them will have their name at the end)

Tags:

praetor charlie on the chase - Charlotte ic

cassie snoops around - notes from cassie

parents are parenting - notes from Annabeth or Percy

the jackson two - both Cassie and charlie together!

In the praetors- ooc

Duck tales- with the idiotic (and pretty) Daffy Duck

Fireboy and watergirl - w/mah bro Iggy!!! We besties fr (stop burning down my freaking kitchen??)

Deathboy and Skatergirl - w/mah other bro ollie!! (Stop being so oblivious because Iggy clearly l- *gets slapped*) the ultimate cool girls - w/super cool girl, Rosalyn! awkward silence - w/ echo (quiet, but awesome)

Please remember, this is not a multi character blog, but just appearances by others! Thanks for reading. No nsfw . I'm a minor 😎.

So, that's me! Ever need anything, I'm always up in the praetors office, or around the stables. Till we meet again, this is Charlie signing off!

That was so cheesy, Char. - Cassie

[kneelingshadowsalome]

I promised, promised myself that I wouldn’t read the Roman König x Fee fic until it was completed because I knew i would get absolutely drawn in, wrapped up in your exquisite prose, then get addicted and suffer from withdrawals. Unneeded to say I broke said promise and welp here I am 🤡

Thing that surprised me was how quickly he endeared himself to me? A cock swinging village massacring brute that I was FULLY prepared to hate had me sighing by then end of chapter 3 with the “you care about my head?” ✋😩 YES I worry for your stupid head you adorable monster.

It’s uncanny how similarly Fee and I felt as the plot progressed. I know this is a self insert and though I made an OC for fee, you were able to capture the feeling of hate to curiousity to distrust to budding emotions on the readers side so beautifully and in only three chapters?? What sorcery is this?? I could go on and on about how I’m just… in awe of your writing skills.

It’s the small things too. The effort he went through to understand Fee, learning her language like he desperately wants to be a part of her. It’s just his delight in the simple things like having a woman and buying her pretty things. I AM GOING TO GNAW OFF MY ARM THIS IS SO GOOD!! I don’t know if you’ve watched HBOs Rome, but they remind me of Pullo and Eirene so much! Like you can’t tell me König doesn’t fit that goofy brawdy soldier who’s only hobbies are drinking and fucking and fighting to a T!

Then it got me thinking…. If König is Pullo then Simon is Vorenus. He has that straight laced, no bs aura about him. Now I’m imagining them both in this universe and please excuse me while I melt in a puddle 🫠

This is perhaps the best piece of fiction I’ve read in a while. I can’t wait for part 4, I have no doubt it will be wonderful as usual. Please accept my maladaptive daydream interpretation of Fee (first she was supposed to be a wood nymph, then the earth goddess then a fairy queen?? I’m not sure anymore. There was so much great imagery couldn’t settle on one. Your honor, we lost the plot.)

Oh my goodness OH MY GOODNESS ❤️❤️❤️

You shower me with praise and I’m over here like aaahh... for me? 🥺❤️

And yes I’ve watched Rome like four times at least! Every time I watch it just gets better, the producers and crew really outdid themselves with all the details in that series. I consider it one of the best TV shows ever made and excuse me but you opened a Pandora’s box here, I'm just so pleased you brought this up...

It took so much time for Pullo to grow on me, I was so frustrated with his character but when he killed Eirene’s man because he was so in love with her and was just like: “Oh there's something in the way of our love? Oh well. *there*, solved.” Gosh I was IN LOVE. I’m sorry, I’m a horrible person, but I fell in love with Pullo right that second. And yeah König is kinda like Pullo in that sense! Eirene wails at the corpse of her ex-lover and Pullo is just like “Um, yeah nasty business but… why are you crying? Oh, oh yeah, oops. But hey, we could be together? Oh, you don’t want me? Damn. How come?” I wanted to shake and kiss him for being so dumb and adorable.

And Ghost is Vorenus YES, you get it 100 %! And the tragic love story of Vorenus & Niobe, oh god, took me about a month to get over it. And Vorenus being under the protection of Mars first and then literally becoming Pluto, the Lord of the Underworld… The mythology nerd in me is swooning over here. The only thing about Vorenus that's slightly König coded to me was when Pullo had to explain to him what a clitoris is, and Vorenus is like “How do you know this about my wife?!?!” and almost kills him :D That’s so so Roman!König.

But AHHH let me squeal about your maladaptive daydream adaption next: she’s the most gorgeous Fee ever, so lovely and feminine and yet, strong and possessing that earthly power in her. I love the color of her dress too!! There’s a lot of earth & water elements linked to Fee so that color (green to turquoise?) is the most perfect combination of earth and sea, while König is more like fire & air, coming from the mountains and slow to anger but when the fire rises, no one is safe...

This was so lovely, thank you so much! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story 🩷💋

[alpaca-clouds]

The forgotten parts of the ancient world

Time for my weekly history ramble and today I am gonna talk about how our understanding of history is not only eurocentric but also otherwise quite skewed. Because we even ignore half of Europe.

When we talk about the ancient world, we will usually talk about it in terms of the "advanced civilizations", aka those civilizations that build a lot of stuff and who we know more about because of it. Which means usually... we are going to talk about Rome, Greece and maybe we are going to talk about Egypt. But that is going to be the end of it.

With that we obviously ignore all of Europe outside of it.

Admittedly. There were times when Rome basically was "most of Europe", because Rome was quite colonialist, but... we tend to just ignore the other cultures that existed in Europe at the time.

Sure, if you have grown up in Europe, you will know about the Germans and the Celts and you might be vaguely aware that the Slavs also were already around and doing their thing. But chances are, that you do know exactly jack shit about what those cultures were doing or, for that matter, which cultures were included under those rather wide names.

The celts are a really good example of this. Because the nominative "celts" actually involves a plurality of different cultures, that were related, yes, but still their own. The name "celts" was in the end an exonym given to them by first the Greeks and then the Romans, who were then just lumping those foreign cultures into one.

A big problem, of course is, that the celts, Germans and Slavs did not in fact write much of anything down. So we basically do not have anything in terms of primary sources on them, outside of the Romans and Greeks interacting with them and writing about it, before the cultures slowly died off (or rather were forcably converted to Christianity in many cases).

But then there are also the other cultures - even "advanced cultures" we kinda do not speak about and will not learn about. Especially if you grow up in a majority white country. Things like ancient Persia and ancient Mesopotamia are only ever mentioned in passing. Minoan Greece is something you usually not learn about until you actually start to properly learn history. Ancient cultures in Asia and Africa? Ha, good luck. America and Australia? Yeah, most certainly not happening.

And while the latter two have the "excuse" of there really being near to nothing in terms of written history we have from there, the same obviously cannot be said for the Ancient civilizations of Asia, who did in fact write a lot down.

Usually the excuse for the ancient civilizations of Asia and Africa (minus Egypt) being excluded is, that "Well, you live in an European country. So it does not have to interest you." As if in the ancient world there was no trade and no exchange of ideas happening. Part of which is actually documented.

Heck, even if we talk Ancient Greece/Rome/Egypt, we will often find, that those kinda each get lumped in, as if they were just one solid culture that suddenly appeared out of nowhere and then suddenly disappeared into nowhere. Like a blip, that lasted for a couple thousand years. With just one culture that never changed and was just solidly one thing.

But I have talked about this before: No, those cultures were not "one thing". They developed over time. If you were to look in close it would actually be super hard to say when each of those cultures began and ended. It kinda fizzled in and fizzled out. There were not just people going there and being like: "Alright, time to build some pyramids now!" Or: "Yoooo, let's build like some great temples to some gods on some mountain."

And those cultures changed over the time they existed. A 900 BC Greek would have not quite recognized the world a 500 BC Greek would have lived in.

Why do I take that much of an issue with that?

Simply put: Because this lack of widely shared information will be used again and again by white supremacists to push their agenda. And that is true for so many aspects of this.

You probably might have seen some people meming about the "classisist" twitter or youtube pages, that simp over ancient Roman and Greek architecture. You also might be aware of the white supremacist proudly declaring themselves to be "anglo saxon" or "germanic". You will also know about how they will talk about "the actually advanced cultures" and only focus on the white cultures of course. And you will very certainly know about the entire "ancient aliens" conspiracy, that very much is based on the idea that only the Greeks and Romans could've been truly advanced, while all other cultures had to have had the help of aliens to archive their amazing feats.

And all of that is all linked to this: The lack of general awareness of the ancient world and how it looked - what the cultures looked like, how they changed and how they interacted.

Heck, those white supremacist asshole, who spout that shit often do not know anything about those cultures either. They just think it sounds could and that it makes them feel superior to other people.

But it is all... just a lack of information.

Yes, in some cases that information has been lost to time completely. But in quite a few cases it is just the lack of general awareness on the topic. Nothing else.

So we need to do better in teaching this stuff. Because it is important.

[queenjunothegreat]

I have so many MOA scene rewrite suggestions (you obviously do not have to write all of these, but you asked for suggestions so!! also sorry for this being so long)

- (this is a big sad one) Jason reuniting with camp Juptier and realizing he wasn’t very missed and was basically replaced + Leo getting possessed and firing on Camp Jupiter (I can’t remember if this was Leo’s thought process in the books, but Leo would definitely think he was a curse for Jason or something. Like first he ruined things with Thalia and now this)

- I would love to see a one-shot of Leo and Hazel’s relationship being fixed. Cause I hate the fact that Hazel had to deal with two guys crushing on her after being traumatically revived into a new time period. This could also function as a Valgrace/Lost trio fic cause Jason and Piper would definitely get jealous of Leo being constantly stolen away to go on missions without them.

- Jason’s birthday picnic with Piper

- this last one isn’t MOA related but I want to include anyways cause it’s a special headcannon to me. I 100% believe that Annabeth pestered the shit out of Leo when he was building the Argo II. Not in a mean way!!! But, she would definitely immediately try to help Leo in making the ship cause she loves designing things and she wants to see her boyfriend. I feel like she horrible at assuming/accepting that people wouldn’t want her help. Therefore, she keeps pestering Leo on ship progress and ideas. And Leo being the solo worker he is, just doesn’t know how to work with someone else. It could function great as a 5+1 fic like - “Five times Annabeth tries to help Leo, + the one time Annabeth succeeds in helping.” Basically, I just need someone to write a fic about their friendship. As well as Leo accepting he doesn’t need to do everything alone and he can ask for help.

Never apologize for longwindedness to me. I am King President of Yappingtonshireville and I ALWAYS encourage everyone to run their mouths. In fact, I am THANKING you for all these wonderful ideas 😌

First and foremost, um???? Butting heads to work besties Annabeth and Leo??? Hello??? Sign me the FUCK up!! There's not NEARLY enough fics featuring these two and that needs to change ASAP! It will also be a really good chance for me to work on my Annabeth voice for the HoH rewrite. Her being so eager and willing to help to the point where it would be off putting to anyone much less someone like Leo while also not even recognizing it is SUCH an Annabeth thing oh my god. My darling girl mwah mwah mwah.

Also! Yes! Hazel! She deserved so much better than being forced into a weird bad love triangle that didn't do literally anything for the story. Leo will have absolutely ZERO romantic feelings for the traumatized 13 year old, bur he will absolutely flirt with her when Frank is around just to mess with him. I am REALLY fond of the odea of them becoming friends (and Hazel being like "Frank, why are you being mean to Leo? 🥺 He's my friend" and Frank folding like a house of cards) and I'm beyond delighted with the idea of Jason and Piper having a mutual pouting session about Leo hanging out with Frank and Hazel more. That in particular could fold really nicely into the Jason’s birthday picnic thing!

Ooooh, I am gnawing on this Jason getting to CJ concept. I was planning on writing it from (SURPRISE!) Reyna’s POV, but I think it would be sososo good to then swap POV halfway through and have them mirror each other's thoughts without even realizing it. I am actually in the middle of writing a fic that is immediately post everyone getting back on the ship after firing on New Rome, so I will for SURE be yoinking those "Leo feels like a curse" thoughts to put in there because it is SO good.

[gandalfsalt]

Solavellan Angst and Dido & Aeneas

Here's an "essay" (more like notes) I wrote about a year ago after finishing Trespasser, and surprisingly it holds up ok! You can watch a video essay version on my TikTok @gandalfs_alt. I think the video version is a bit more polished because I wrote it yesterday, this old one is pretty rough.

Unfortunately no citations... feels weird to post w/o citations. Future posts I think I will start citing my sources.

A great love story that I see relating to Solavellan is the story of Dido and Aeneas. This story is even older than Tristan and Isolde, dating back to ancient Rome (specifically Virgil’s The Aeneid, completed in 19 BCE, about 2000 years ago). It is widely considered the archetypal love story that symbolizes the tension between love and duty in Western literature. 

Dido was the Queen of Carthage, a city located in North Africa. In some versions she is a sorceress, and she is beloved by her people. Aeneas was a Trojan hero who escaped the fall of Troy. Aeneas and his fellow Trojans fled across the Mediterranean Sea after the fall of Troy. They landed in Carthage, and were welcomed by Dido, who offered them hospitality.

Dido and Aeneas spend a significant amount of time together, and fall deeply in love. Over time their love became increasingly intense. In some versions they marry. However, Jupiter (Zeus), the king of the gods, sends the messenger god Mercury (Hermes) to remind Aeneas of his duty to establish a new homeland in Italy (what becomes modern day Rome). After contemplating staying by Dido’s side, Aeneas feels that he must fulfill his divine mission to re-establish his homeland and he abandons Dido, departing for Italy.

Dido is devastated by Aeneas’ departure. In her anguish, Dido constructs a funeral pyre, on which she places Aeneas's belongings, including a sword he had left behind. She then took her own life by falling on the sword. Aeneas, unaware of Dido's fate, continues his journey to Italy, where he eventually fulfills his destiny and founds the city that would become Rome.

I think some of the parallels are pretty clear. A mysterious wandering hero fleeing the aftermath of a fallen civilization joins up with a group of people and falls in love with their leader. He then abandons said leader to fulfill what he believes is his divine mission, which is to re-establish what has fallen in a new place.   

There’s two ways I think this story is helpful for understanding Solas, Lavellan, or Solavellan:

It has inspired so much art, we can look at how other artists have handled this theme to get insights into the characters, learn more about them, and learn about different ways this conflict (love vs duty) can be interpreted or represented.

If this story did in fact inspire the DA:I writers, learning more about it can possibly help uncover where they may take Solavellan in DA:D (dear god, I hope they don’t go the Dido route with Lavellan, pls no 😭)

Even though Solas is a pretty clear Aeneas type, I actually see him share a lot of attributes with Dido as well. One of the most famous versions of Dido and Aeneas is an opera (yes, opera again, lol) composed by Henry Purcell in 1689. It is one of the first operas composed in English, and is pretty much considered the premiere retelling of the Dido/Aeneas story in the English language. One of the most famous pieces from the opera is Dido’s Lament, and it’s the song Dido sings after she decides she can’t live without Aeneas, and is about to, literally, fall on a sword. 

The lyrics of Dido’s lament are:

More I would, but Death invades me:

Death is now a welcome guest.

When I am laid, am laid in earth,

May my wrongs create no trouble, no

trouble in thy breast;

Remember me! Remember me! But ah!

forget my fate. 

To me, this is 100% Solas’s psychological state when he leaves Lavellan. The lament is obviously very tragic and sad, but there’s something extremely stubborn and self-centered about it. It feels like a lot of self-imposed misery. In Dido’s case, she was certainly wronged by Aeneas, she was treated very unfairly and it’s not her fault at all, but her reaction to it is very self-pitying and self-sabotaging, literally and figuratively. I got the same feelings from Solas during his final confrontation with Lavellan. 

“Death invades me, Death is now a welcome guest,” - Wait a minute, who says anyone has to die? Why is dying the only option here, Dido and Solas?

“May my wrongs create no trouble in thy breast,” - It seems like Dido and Aeneas have the option not to commit these wrongs or additional wrongs, so why act all stubborn and resigned about it? 

The “wrong” I think Dido is referencing is her impending suicide. Solas may be referencing the same thing if he knows he is going to die, but in his case destroying the world and loving then leaving Lavellan are some other wrongs. But again, based on what we know, it seems like he has the option to stay and not destroy the world a second time. So why so stubborn?

“Remember me! But forget my fate.” My dudes. It seems to us like you’re choosing this fate. And you think we can remember you and not remember how you left us? You want Aeneas/Lavellan to hold the torch, but just forget a very monumental decision you made? That’s a little delusional. This line is so simple, but it does an excellent job of underscoring the conflict between love and sense of duty. In both cases, the heroine/hero want to be remembered by the ones they love, but at the same time they don’t want their choices to impact their lovers, or their lover’s recollection of them. Which really is impossible.  

[melanieph321]

Dusan Vlahovic x Reader - Boss Me Around Part 6/6

I had fun writing this series 😊

Hope you enjoy the last chapter.

Reader is a former yacht girl now newly moved to Turin, Italy for her job as a real-estate accountant. There she meets Dusan Vlahovic, a former client of hers, a client she never thought to see again. However, with Dusan being Readers new boss their past becomes a liability. Nevertheless the spark between them still lives. This story is a romcom with both His and Her POV!

Enjoy!

You stood in your apartment, surrounded by piles of clothes and a suitcase, heart racing with excitement and nerves. You were mumbling like a manic, rehearsing eligible responses to potential questions that the job interviewer may ask you. It was a life-changing opportunity indeed, since getting the job in Rome was the only thing that would guarantee your stay in Italy. You had worked so hard to arrive in this country and was not going to throw anything away for letting your past as a yacht girl haunt you. Those days were over. You were a grown woman now, with the world at your feet.

You stepped out of your apartment building, dragging your suitcases behind you. A taxi was waiting to take you to the train station. You had exchangee the flight tickets that Dusan's assistant booked you. You were very grateful for Louisa's help but it was too generous of her to ask you to travel with Dusan's private yet, not to mention bad for the environment, if riding the train was an option.

"Where to?" The taxi driver asked, as you hopped into the backseat.

"Porta Nuova, per favore."

********************************************

Dusan drove his Range Rover way past the legal speed limit, however it was easy to get away with it on the highway. He was heading straight to the airport since he just missed Y/N at her apartment. He had banged on the door like a crazy man, until one of her neighbors poked his head out to politly inform him that Y/N left in a taxi twenty minutes before his arrival.

"It's not too late." He thought. He had to believe that it wasn't too late for him to get Y/N back. He'd move heaven and earth for her to stay, this he was sure off.

"Fuck." Dusan cursed. His dashboard was lit up by an incoming call from his assistant. He tapped to take the call. "I'm a little busy Louisa, what is it?"

"Your clients aren't happy." She said monotone.

"Tell them that we'll reschedule their meetings."

"We better."

He rolled his eyes. "Was that all?"

"Yes and no. I thought you should know...."

"Know what?"

"That Y/N canceled her flight with your yet about an hour ago. I think she's headed to Rome by train."

"What?" Dusan almost took himself out off the road, as the Range Rover swirled in the traffic lane. "And you're telling me this now!"

"You said you were busy."

Dusan shook his head in disbelief, but did everything to recollect himself. "Do you know which station her train is departing from?"

"Most likely Porta Nuova."

"And which time?"

"I'll have to check the time tables, hold on."

By the time his assistant got back to him, Dusan had already taken the first exit heading back to the city.

"There is a train departing from Turin to Rome in about forty-five minutes. How far away are you?"

"Too far." Dusan tightned his grip around the steering wheel, his knuckles white.

"Have you tried calling her?"

"What?"

Louisa chuckled. "I take that as a no."

"Well what...?" Dusan paused. "What am I supposed to tell her. 'Y/N don't take that job, stay with me'?"

"Sounds pretty desperate."

"Exactly. And I don't want to make her feel like I'm giving her an ultimatum to choose a job over..." Dusan paused again, the words making him cringe. Thankfully Louisa was there to fill in the blanks.

"...love?"

"Yes, that."

"Then don't make her choose. Just call her and tell her how you feel."

"You think so?"

"It's worth a shot, no?"

Dusan went over the idea in his head. "Alright I'll do it, I'll call her."

"Great."

"Thank you Louisa."

"Talk to you later, Boss."

Dusan took a deep breath as Louisa's name disappeared from the dash. "Okay, here goes nothing."

********************************************

You were breathless, having dragged your suitcase across the train station. Nevertheless you were on time for your trains departure, all you had to do was sit and wait on the platform. However that's when your phone started vibrating in your pocket.

"Um...hello?"

"Y/N, it's me."

"Dusan?"

You perked up, not expecting to hear from him again after your one night stand.

"Where are you, I'm coming to get you."

"Excuse me?" You frowned.

"Where are you, are you already on the train to Roma?"

Panic struck within you. "Um...yes. Yes I am."

There was silence on the other end of the line. Dusan appeared to be somewhere noisy, somwhere with a lot of people.

"Shit." You gasped.

"You're lying." He exclaimed. "The announcers, I can hear them and so can you."

Shit, he was here.

"I...I don't know what you're talking about." You stood, looking up and down the platform.

"Where are you, upstairs? Wait for me I'm coming."

"Dusan, don't!"

He hung up.

You looked to the time tables, you train was arriving in five minutes. Five long minutes.

Dusan didn't seem exactly sure of your location so by the time your train rolled onto the platform he was still, to your relief, nowhere to be found.

"Y/N, wait!"

Just as you were stepping onto the train,  suitcase held tightly in your grip, a hand to your shoulder made you hesitate and turn around. Dusan, with messy hair and a damped forhead, was fighting to catch his breath, a look of desperation on his face.

"Y/N, please don't go," he begged, taking your hands in his. "I can't bear the thought of you leaving me. I love you. Please, stay with me."

"Dusan." You sighed and stepped off the train. There was still time. "You don't love me. You don't know the first thing about me."

"Then let me get to know you Y/N. Why would you even want to go to Rome?"

"Why?" You frowned. "Dusan you may have forgotten but I haven't. I'm not your little toy you can boss around and not expect me to react. I've given you my two weeks notice and stand by it."

"I know. I know. I screwed up. I made a mistake treating you the way I did, but after the other night...." He hesitated. "I thought it meant as much to you as it meant to me."

You search his eyes, not sure if he was coming to you in ernest. It was quite dramatic to be honest, a scene taken straight out of a movie. Nevertheless you were taken aback by Dusan's sudden confession. You had never expected him to admit his feelings so openly, you had no idea how to respond.

"Cinque minuti alla partenza per Roma! Ripete, cinque minuti alla partenza per Roma!"

On top of that your train was about to leave.

"Dusan, I don't know what to say," you stammered, heart racing as he was still holding onto your hand, refusing to let you go. "I've been preparing for this interview, I can't just cancel it now. But...I do have feelings for you too. I've been trying to ignore them, but I can't deny them anymore."

Dusan's face lit up with hope. "Really? You feel the same way? Then why don't we take a chance together? We can figure things out as we go along. Please, Y/N don't leave me."

You hesitated, your mind racing with conflicting emotions. However the trains doors closed behind you and just like that you were out of options.

"Dusan."

"Yes?" He was smiling, seeing the train roll out of the station, soon too far gone to even spot in the distance. It was decided. You chose him.

"Okay," you said finally, your voice barely above a whisper. "Let's take a chance. Let's figure things out together."

Dusan let out a sigh of relief and pulled you into a tight embrace. "Fuck." He inhaled your scent, taking it in with every deep breath. "I thought I was too late. I thought I lost you."

You pulled back to look at him, shaking your head as you smiled. "No I'm here. I'm here to stay."

You yelped as he picked you up and started twirling you around.

"Dusan!" You slapped his shoulder, wanting him to put you down. This was not a damn movie.

He did so laughing into the crook of your neck. As you hugged, you knew that your life was about to change in ways you never could have imagined. But you were ready for those changes, as long as you had Dusan by your side, bossing you around.

[hellyeahscarleteen]

A few tips to communicate with a partner about problems:

Open discussion in the way that feels most comfortable for you. If it's talking, great. But maybe you feel more able to speak freely with a letter, or talking over a text messenger? Whatever form of communication enables you to speak the most openly and not feel too freaked out, go that route.

Be patient. Not only was Rome not built in a day, it wasn't rebuilt in anything close to a day. When you bring up problems, don't expect instant solutions: these things take time, and usually plenty of dialoging and experimenting. If you don't feel like you can have the patience to fix them or want to fix them over time. then it's likely your relationship is just over for you, and it's time to move on. (If you keep finding you NEVER have the patience to fix even little problems in a relationship, it's probably time to take a break from more serious relationships until you do.)

Use "I" statements. Yes, it's cheesy. But it's also effective. So, rather than saying "You make me feel unwanted," try, "I feel insecure about your interest in me lately," rather than "You always want me to make the sacrifices!" howsabout "I feel like I need to make too many sacrifices for this relationship" or rather than "You're trying to make me feel jealous," try "I am feeling jealous a lot." Keeping out of the blame game, and talking about your feelings, helps keeps the person you're talking to from feeling defensive, which helps you both communicate best.

Pick neutral, comfortable zones to address problems. In the middle of the school hallway, during sex, or when out with friends isn't neutral. Choose private, comfortable places where no one feels put on the spot or blindsided. And again, don't let things fester, so that by the time you bring your stuff to the table, you're hysterical or boiling over with anger. Usually, productive communication happens best when everyone is fairly calm. If you're going to talk to a friend about the troubles you're having first -- which is always okay, and often really helpful -- do be sure it is a trusted friend, not one who will deliver what you've said to your partner before you do.

[elejah-wonderland]

_elejah au

Love is in the Air

_tvd fanfic_Part 1

a/n: this is a light-hearted, romantic little story.

*

New Orleans

"I am all packed" Elijah said to his sister Rebekah on the phone.

"Why Rome?" the blonde asked.

"I just had this idea for my next book. And I need to go there to get the feel of the city, do some research at the archives." Elijah said.

"So, it's going to be another murder mystery with historical background?!" Rebekah stated.

"Burning Wings was such a great success and now they want me to write a sequel," Elijah said, "and a couple of nights ago I had a dream that kind of set this idea in my head to put the plot in Rome."

"Well, I hope it will not all be work- after your divorce you have done nothing but work."

"I plan to take time off and enjoy the city. Stefan is gone with Valerie to visit his brother and his wife Rosalie in Amesterdam and I got his apartment for a whole month." Elijah explained.

Rebekah sighed a little as her brother mentioned her ex-boyfriend Stefan Salvatore.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have mentioned him."

"It's ok. I just- it will always be hard cuz- you know - I messed ut up and now- ok- right. When is your flight?" Rebekah asked.

"Tomorrow morning. I will call you when I get there." Elijah replied.

"All right. Have a great time. And try not to just work." Rebekah said and with a little bye and Elijah's promise that he will also take time to enjoy his holiday, they hung up.

Pressing the search button, the latest articles with the news popped up. And the picture of the woman he had met ten years ago as he visited his sister, who was studying in the prestige old private  Mystic Falls College for liberal arts, now stared at him.

His eyes smiled seeing the photo, which was clearly from one of her premieres as she was a famous actress.

And then he saw the article headline.

Elena Gilbert rumored to be secretly engaged to Mason Wood.

Elijah sighed a little and not reading further, swiped the page off and went to a subject he was interested in.

*

In Florence, Italy

Elena walked in her hotel room followed by her personal assistant  and manager, Jo Parker.

"Thank God today was the last day of the shoot. Can you please reschedule everything  for at least a week?!" Elena said."I am so going away and I don't want to know about anything. Please."

"All right. So, what shall I book you? Bali?"

"No. I already made my own arrangements." Elena said.

"What? I didn't want to ask - but - are you seeing  Mason again?" Jo asked.

"No. Well, we hooked up again- and that's all" Elena replied waving away with an insignificant huff.

"Right. Do you want me to say something about the non-engagement? It's all over the internet"

"No. Just leave it. It will blow over. Especially when they soon see him with Erin." Elena explained.

"Erin Lindsay? Seriously?" Jo now asked.

"A couple of days after our hook up I saw him with her all lovey at the same hotel." Elena said followed by a little sigh.

"Oh, sweety - you still thought that -"

"Yeah- I kind of thought that maybe the hook up would be - but things were over with us ages ago- I don't know why I  thought that there - and I am not even in love with him really - anyway, enough of it."

"Where are you going?" the manager asked.

"Rome." Elena replied.

"Rome?" Jo was surprised.

"Yes. And I am going incognito. I got Francesca's keys to her apartment. I need to get away from everything and everyone. Take a week off- maybe two." Elena replied.

"Ok. I have something for you to read. Liv is still negotiating to get the rights to do a movie, but it's nearly in the bag and Tristan is very interested in producing this," Jo now got a book out of her bag, adding,"it's a historical thriller and you would be playing Angel, she is a 15th century librarian, who investigates a murder involving an ancient curse. The book was No.1 everywhere!"

Elena took the book and looked at it, muttering,"Elijah Smith?" and then turned the book around. The face on the back now made her heart jump.

"Interested? The book is really good - there are so many twists and turns - I could not put it down till I finished it. There is a very ambiguous cliffhanger at the end - and apparently there is going to be Burning Wings 2- Elena?"

"Ha? What?" Elena now snapped out of her momentary daze.

"Interested?"

"Yeah" Elena said breathing in a gulp.

Jo smiled a little, gathering why Elena got a tad bit taken in.

"He is such an eye-candy, right?"

"Yeah" Elena said and put the book down on the table.

"What's up?"

"Nothing," Elena replied, "ahm- I want to go shower and I think I will hit the bed."

"All right. I will see you at breakfast? Shall I rent- a- car for you?"

"Yes, please. Thanks, Jo. Sorry, I am just so wasted."- Elena now said rubbing her neck a bit.

"I know. Don't worry. Ok. See you in the morning." Jo said and then taking her bag from the chair left the actress's room.

As the door clicked on the way out, Elena now shot a look at the book, flashing back to the past.

Flashback

Ten years back

"May I?" Elijah asked politely for the seat on the bench.

"Yes" Elena said removing the books so the man could sit down.

"Maybe it appears odd that I want to sit here though the other bench over there is empty, but it's too exposed on the sun and it's such a great shade here under this oak" Elijah said as he sat down.

"Yeah- it's crazy hot today," Elena replied,"and it's only May"

Elijah's eyes now descended on one of the books - "Roman Tragedy", and then a guide book on Rome. "Ah, Rome - such a great city."

Elena now swayed her look from her book she was reading.

"Have you been there?"

"Yes, last summer. With my sister Rebekah and my brother Kol." Elijah replied.

"Rebekah is your sister?"

"Yes. I am here to meet her. And she specificly said  - to be at the White Oak Tree. She is running late. You know her?" Elijah explained.

"We are in the play together." Elena replied.

"Oh, really? She didn't say anything about it. Is she any good?"

Elena nodded a little.

"Not that great, ha?"

"She is, and she could be excellent, but she seems not to care that much. Ok, I shouldn't  saybanything really."

"Oh, you're ok. She is my sister and I love her, but I know what she is like. She excels only at things she really is passionate about, and if she is not - well, she can be superficial."

"Yeah" Elena slipped.

"She wants to be a designer, she told me and I saw some of her designs - and they are amazing. Her show is the evening. But I guess, you know that?!" Elena said.

"Yes, that's why I am here." Elijah now said.

He then saw Rebekah approaching and he stood up. And just before he went to his sister, he turned to the brunette, introducing himself, "I'm Elijah."

"I'm Elena." the woman said.

_to be continued

[littlemissoblivious]

Parking Lot Shenanigans

Warnings: Reader has hair that is long enough to be cut and for Joel to grab. AFAB!Reader, Female coded reader, Oral sex (m receiving), public sex, praise kink, pet names. I think that covers everything so please let me know if I missed something.

Summary: Your Daddy takes you out for a day of pampering at the salon so you think of the perfect way to “thank” him for his generosity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Joel had been your Daddy for going on two years now. You met him at a bar while out with some friends. They were dancing while you volunteered to watch the table and the drinks and he noticed you sitting by yourself so he started chatting with you. At first, you weren't sure how to handle the situation since he was so much older but then again, you always did have a thing for older men. In the end, you exchanged numbers and started talking on the regular. Eventually, Joel proposed the current arrangement you were in. Of course, you were shocked and it seemed to come out of left field for you.

Fast forward to the present day and here you were at one of your favorite places; the salon. Your Daddy has been so busy with his brother and their company that he hasn't been able to spend much time with you. But he promised he would be yours the whole day with no interruptions. After getting your nails taken care of you were getting your haircut. You saw a cute style online recently and really wanted to imitate it.

“What do you think Joel?”

Joel looked up from a magazine he was browsing through and smiled, “it looks great sweetheart”.

You beamed back at him feeling a slight heat to your cheeks under the praise. It wasn't too much longer after that the stylist finished and you practically floated over to Joel.

“Have I told you how happy I am about today Daddy” you whispered

Joel put down his magazine with a smirk.

“You mighta mentioned it one or two times but I'm sure we could come up with a better way for you to show your appreciation, babygirl.” He walked away with that and headed for his car in the parking lot. You felt your cheeks heat at the implication and eagerly followed him out of the salon.

You shielded your eyes with your hand from the hot sun, before putting your favorite pair of designer sunglasses on, one of many gifts from Joel. You smile when you think back to when he gave these to you. You were vacationing in Rome and you begged so prettily for them, how could he refuse? Once at the car, you sigh in relief that the A/C is already going at full blast. Just as Joel is getting ready to reverse out of the spot you stop him.

“Wait Daddy, let me thank you for such a wonderful day,” you say lowly.

You lean over the center console and lay your hand on his thigh and sweetly kiss his cheek then lean back and look him in the eye. You watch as his eyes darken and see his cock start to harden in his jeans out of the corner of your eye. You move your hand over slightly and start to rub his cock lightly to tease with a slight smirk and he can't stop the moan that he releases.

“Does that feel good Daddy? I bet I could make you feel even better,” you smirk, still rubbing his growing erection. He is almost painfully hard at this point and now slightly unconsciously lifting his hips. He starts to scowl a little then, “Well what are you waiting for little girl?”

“Yes Daddy,” you smiled with glee

You started unbuttoning his pants but were having a little trouble, something Joel seemed to enjoy and eventually he helped you but not before making a comment about how you were “always needin' Daddy's help huh”. After you gave him a quick pout that turned him on more than anything, his pants and underwear were down enough that you could admire his beautiful cock. A bead of precum was already sitting on the tip of his girthy length so leaned down and licked it off. You couldn't help yourself with him. You loved the taste of Joel's cum. Taking his cock in hand you wasted no time licking from root to tip. Joel hissed and rested his big hand on your head.

You did this a few more times licking him like your favorite lollipop before looking up and gathering saliva in your mouth and letting it dribble down onto his cock. The groan Joel let out was positively filthy. You slowly started taking his cock into your mouth a little bit at a time. No matter how many times you've done this, he will always be a challenge. He's coaxing and praising the entire time, but he's not even halfway before you have to stop because he starts to trigger your gag reflex. You release him from your mouth with a wet pop.

You pant slightly as you pump with your hand, “I love your cock Daddy.”

“S'that right babygirl? You're doing so good taking Daddy's cock in that pretty mouth.”

You beamed under the praise and went back to sucking his cock while your hand pumped what your mouth couldn't reach. You felt Joel's hand thread through your hair and tug slightly tighter when you started to hollow out your cheeks and bob a little faster.

“That’s it baby, just like that. You're doing so good.”

His praise only spurred you on, causing you to move your tongue back and forth as you bob up and down. Joel moans and hitches his hips slightly trying not to fuck your face. He knows he's big and he knows this is not the time to be rough. But goddamn when you do that little move does that drive him wild. He tightens his grip on your hair and pulls you just the slightest bit more onto his cock and ruts into your face before letting you up.

“Fuck, baby you're gonna make me cum you keep doing that.”

You giggle a little breathlessly, “That's the point silly Daddy. Now I want you to coat my throat. I wanna taste it the rest of the day,” you purr with dark, heavy eyes. That said, you enthusiastically went back to it. You started sucking Joel's dick like you were trying to suck his soul out. Joel's moans and groans were picking up as were his thrusts. His grip on your hair was almost painful at this point but you didn't care. You popped off with a gasp and kept at it with your hand but took one of his balls in your mouth. Joel's eyes nearly rolled back into his head.

“Fuckin' Christ girl your gonna kill me with that sweet little mouth. M'not gonna last much longer you keep doin' that.”

You gently released his ball, “cum for me Daddy.”

You took him back in your mouth and hollowed out your cheeks while your hand took care of where your mouth couldn't reach. It wasn't too long after this his thrusts started getting sloppier and you felt him start to twitch. Ever the gentleman, he still tries to warn you and give you an out, “M'gonna cum pretty girl.”

You ignore him and double down on your task. He twitches a little more and with a shout floods your mouth. You swallow as much as you can but some still manage to escape but luckily your Daddy was there to help you catch it. He catches the overflow on his thumb and feeds it back in your mouth. You open your mouth to show him you swallowed everything and he pulls you into a rough but passionate kiss, not even caring that he can taste himself.

“You ready to head home now Babygirl?”

“Yes Daddy”